The Population and Community Ecology (PACE) Lab is overseen by Dr. Michael J. Dreslik. The two main programs of the lab are the Urban Biotic Assessment Program (UBAP), which provides environmental expertise to the Illinois Tollway, and the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (ARC) program.
PACE Lab News
Searching for Turtles in a Sea of Grass
By Devin Edmonds Historically the Ornate Box Turtle was known from 45 counties in Illinois. Today you can count the number of counties with confirmed populations on two hands. This decline landed the species on the List of Endangered and Threatened Species of Illinois in 2009, with habitat loss and road mortality being the greatest …
Snakes in Central Illinois
PACE Lab leader Mike Dreslik was interviewed by the News Gazette to answer a reader’s question: “After reading the article about Snake Road in southern Illinois, I started wondering what species of snakes are found here in central Illinois? Have any new species been found over the last few years, with the milder winters?” In …
Licensed to burn
Travel around Illinois in the spring and you are likely to see fields on fire. Many of these are intentionally set to aid land managers in reaching ecological goals. Prescribed burns can remove woody vegetation from prairies, remove invasive species, cycle nutrients back into the soil, and open up the canopy. These prescribed burns require …