Eric Shershen
Ph.D. Candidate, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 2019 - Present
B.A. in Biology & Environmental Studies, Augustana College, 2018
Email
eshershe@vols.utk.edu
Address
430 Hesler Biology Building
Additional Links:
ResearchGate -
Current CV
My Research: I’m generally interested in community ecology and plant eco-physiology, specifically focusing on what causes community shifts through time using historical specimens, past and current data collections, and microclimate abiotic and biotic data. I’m a bryologist who found his love for mosses conducting species inventories back in Rock Island County, IL and I’ve continued to identify bryophytes with my research at UTK. My dissertation examines how the bryophyte communities of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) have changed at the highest elevations over time. To do this, I’m using a past study conducted in 2007/08 as a benchmark comparison. I also want to determine what abiotic and biotic factors drive such changes and if the niche at the microclimate level for individual species can be modeled to identify current day and future distributions. Finally, I want to use herbarium specimen data before and after major disturbance events to detect changes in bryophyte community composition over time to help inform management decisions regarding bryophyte communities and the ecosystem services they provide.
Outreach: I’ve had the pleasure of leading moss walks at both the Knoxville Botanical Garden and the Wildflower Pilgrimage in the GSMNP. I’ve also served as the graduate student body president for our department as well as the graduate student representative for the collections committee, each for a year. I’m always looking for invasive plant removal volunteer opportunities and back in the Midwest I was able to join in on some prescribed burns when I served as an AmeriCorps naturalist at Nahant Marsh in Davenport, IA. During my time as an AmeriCorps naturalist, I developed and led K-12 and adult programs to teach the public about the organisms that live in wetlands too!
About Me: When I’m not hiking in the Smokies for my research, I try to find other cool trails to explore with my pup, Pierogi. I’m used to the flat plains of Illinois where I’m from, and while the prairies hold a special place in my heart, I’m always excited to climb challenging trails in the mountains! Otherwise, you can catch me catching a disc while playing ultimate frisbee around Knoxville.
