Hi, I'm Nathan. I am an ecologist and recent PhD graduate from the Department of Integrative Biology’s Ecosystem and Landscape Ecology Lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. My dissertation research focused on the effects of more frequent fire and reduced postfire forest recovery on whole plant community structure and function in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. With climate change, anomalously frequent fire and conversion of forest to non-forest are expected to become increasingly common through the end of this century. Areas where this is currently occurring provide prescient insight as windows into the future of Yellowstone plant communities.
In addition to ecological research, I am passionate about undergraduate mentorship and teaching and science communication. As part of my dissertation, I developed a teaching module for undergraduate biology and ecology classrooms that incorporated game- and inquiry-based learning and state-of-the-science content on ecosystem ecology, biogeochemical cycling, and systems thinking. I am always looking for creative and fun ways to communicate my work in the classroom and beyond!
Off on an adventure! Backpacking in Chilean Patagonia. Photo: Adam Spencer
Holding pink monkeyflower (Mimulus lewisii), a common streamside plant in the western United States Photo: Chelsea Radford
This fall (2024), I am joining Martin Dovciak’s Plant Ecology lab at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry as a post-doctoral researcher. For the next few years, I will be investigating the potential limitations to tree species’ upslope migrations with climate change across mountains in the northeastern United States. This work will be funded by the Northeastern States Research Cooperative!
Previously, I received my Bachelors of Science from SUNY ESF, where I majored in Conservation Biology and minored in Native Peoples and the Environment. I completed a thesis investigating seed dispersal by ants and its impacts on understory plant community recovery in post-agricultural forests. I have also worked with the Adirondack Mountain Club as a Summit Steward. In this position, I climbed the highest mountains in New York to educate hikers on the fragile arctic-alpine ecosystem and perform trail work to preserve the 27 rare, threatened, or endangered plant species above treeline.
Outside of work I enjoy hiking, reading, writing poetry, skiing, snowshoeing, going to minor league baseball games, and trying new food. My most recent passion (obsession?) is visiting as many Wisconsin State Natural Areas as I can.
Check out my other adventures on Instagram (@nathan_kiel) and Twitter (@even_kiel25).
Questions? Comments? Want to collaborate? Reach out!