George Holmes University Professor, Emerita
slouda@unl.edu
The conceptual aim underlying my research program has been to increase our understanding of ecological interactions of insects with plants in the dynamics, distribution and persistence of plant populations and communities. An additional goal has been to explore the application of these basic principles in natural resource management, such as in managing biotic response to environmental stress, conserving rare species, applying biological control to weeds, and managing exotic invasive species. My research has used an experimental field approach to assess interactions, especially the effects of plant-feeding insects on the growth, reproduction, population dynamics and community interactions of plants with their dependent insect guilds. My colleagues and I have also investigated ecological and biochemical mechanisms that mediate insect impact on plants.
2020
Post‐dispersal factors influence recruitment patterns but do not override the importance of seed limitation in populations of a native thistle, Tatyana A. Rand, Natalie M. West, F. Leland Russell, and Svata M. Louda
2017
Cumulative herbivory outpaces compensation for early floral damage on a monocarpic perennial thistle, Natalie M. West and Svata M. Louda
2015
Integral projection models show exotic thistle is more limited than native thistle by ambient competition and herbivory, Brigitte Tenhumberg, Tomomi Suwa, Andrew J. Tyre, F. Leland Russell, and Svata M. Louda
2014
Native insect herbivory limits population growth rate of a non-native thistle, James O. Eckberg, Brigitte Tenhumberg, and Svata M. Louda
2012
Insect herbivory and propagule pressure influence Cirsium vulgare invasiveness across the landscape, James O. Eckberg, Brigitte Tenhumberg, and Svata M. Louda
Combined effects of plant competition and insect herbivory hinder invasiveness of an introduced thistle, Tomomi Suwa and Svata M. Louda
2011
Priority resource access mediates competitive intensity between an invasive weevil and native floral herbivores, Svata M. Louda, Tatyana A. Rand, A. A. R. Kula, A. E. Arnett, N. M. West, and Brigitte Tenhumberg
Integral projection model of insect herbivore effects on Cirsium altissimum populations along productivity gradients, Karen E. Rose, F. Leland Russell, and Svata M. Louda
2010
Seed availability and insect herbivory limit recruitment and adult density of native tall thistle, F. Leland Russell, Karen E. Rose, and Svata M. Louda
No interaction between competition and herbivory in limiting introduced Cirsium vulgare rosette growth and reproduction, Tomomi Suwa, Svata M. Louda, and F. Leland Russell
2009
Impacts of insect herbivory on cactus population dynamics: experimental demography across an environmental gradient, Tom E. X. Miller, Svata M. Louda, Karen A. Rose, and James O. Eckberg
Occurrence of Trichosirocalus horridus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) on Native Cirsium altissimum Versus Exotic C. vulgare in North American Tallgrass Prairie, Masaru Takahashi, Svata M. Louda, Tom E. X. Miller, and Charles W. O'Brien
Occurrence of Trichosirocalus horridus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) on Native Cirsium altissimum Versus Exotic C. vulgare in North American Tallgrass Prairie, Masaru Takahashi, Svata M. Louda, Tom E. X. Miller, and Charles W. O'Brien
2008
Herbivore-Mediated Ecological Costs of Reproduction Shape the Life History of an Iteroparous Plant, Tom E. X. Miller, Brigitte Tenhumberg, and Svata M. Louda
Monte Carlo analysis of parameter uncertainty in matrix models for the weed Cirsium vulgare, Brigitte Tenhumberg, Svata M. Louda, James O. Eckberg, and Masaru Takahashi
2007
Variation in Herbivore-Mediated Indirect Effects of an Invasive Plant on a Native Plant, F. Leland Russell, Svata M. Louda, Tatyana A. Rand, and Stephen D. Kachman
2006
Abundance of and Floral Herbivory on Exotic Bull Thistle versus Native Tall Thistle in Western Tallgrass Prairie, Chad P. Andersen and Svata M. Louda
Plant Reproductive Allocation Predicts Herbivore Dynamics across Spatial and Temporal Scales, Tom E. X. Miller, Andrew J. Tyre, and Svata M. Louda
Invasive Insect Abundance Varies across the Biogeographic Distribution of a Native Host Plant, Tatyana A. Rand and Svata M. Louda
INVASIVE INSECT ABUNDANCE VARIES ACROSS THE BIOGEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION OF A NATIVE HOST PLANT, Tatyana A. Rand and Svata M. Louda
Spillover of Agriculturally Subsidized Predators as a Potential Threat to Native Insect Herbivores in Fragmented Landscapes, Tatyana A. Rand and Svata M. Louda
2005
A Nontechnical Introduction to "Biocontrol as Usual": Review of Ann Hajek, Natural Enemies, Svata M. Louda
Evaluation of Ecological Risk to Populations of a Threatened Plant from an Invasive Biocontrol Insect, Svata M. Louda, Tatyana A. Rand, A. E. Arnett, A. S. McClay, K. Shea, and K. McEachern
EVALUATION OF ECOLOGICAL RISK TO POPULATIONS OF A THREATENED PLANT FROM AN INVASIVE BIOCONTROL INSECT, Svata M. Louda, Tatyana A. Rand, Amy E. Arnett, A. S. McClay, K. Shea, and A. Kathryn McEachern
Assessment of ecological risks in weed biocontrol: Input from retrospective ecological analyses, Svata M. Louda, Tatyana A. Rand, F. Leland Russell, and Amy E. Arnett
Demographic and Evolutionary Impacts of Native and Invasive Insect Herbivores on Cirsium canescens, Karen E. Rose, Svata M. Louda, and Mark Rees
Indirect interaction between two native thistles mediated by an invasive exotic floral herbivore, F. Leland Russell and Svata M. Louda
2004
Spatial Heterogeneity, Not Visitation Bias, Dominates Variation in Herbivory: Comment & Reply, James F. Cahill, Brenda B. Casper, David S. Hik, Svata M. Louda, Anne M. Parkhurst, Kate L. Bradley, Elisabeth S. Bakker, Johannes M. H. Knops, Ellen I. Damschen, and Lauren M. Young
Weeds [from Encyclopedia of the Great Plains], Svata M. Louda
The Double-Edged Sword of Biological Control in Conservation and Restoration, Svata M. Louda and Peter Stiling
Exotic Weed Invasion Increases the Susceptibility of Native Plants to Attack by a Biocontrol Herbivore, Tatyana A. Rand and Svata M. Louda
Local- Vs. Landscape-Scale Indirect Effects of an Invasive Weed on Native Plants, Tatyana A. Rand, F. Leland Russell, and Svata M. Louda
Phenological synchrony affects interaction strength of an exotic weevil with Platte thistle, a native host plant, F. Leland Russell and Svata M. Louda
2003
Spatial Heterogeneity, Not Visitation Bias, Dominates Variation in Herbivory, Kate L. Bradley, Ellen I. Damschen, Lauren M. Young, Daniel Kuefler, Sarah Went, Galen Wray, Nick M. Haddad, Johannes M. H. Knops, and Svata M. Louda
Chemistry of Cirsium and Carduus: A role in ecological risk assessment for biological control of weeds?, Ingrid E. Jordon-Thaden and Svata M. Louda
Invasiveness of Some Biological Control Insects and Adequacy of Their Ecological Risk Assessment and Regulation, Svata M. Louda, Amy E. Arnett, Tatyana A. Rand, and F. L. Russell
Nontarget Effects—The Achilles’ Heel of Biological Control? Retrospective Analyses to Reduce Risk Associated with Biocontrol Introductions, Svata M. Louda, R. W. Pemberton, M. T. Johnson, and P. A. Follett
Native Thistles: Expendable or Integral to Ecosystem Resistance to Invasion?, Svata M. Louda and Tatyana A. Rand
2002
Re-test of Rhinocyllus conicus host specificity, and the prediction of ecological risk in biological control, Amy E. Arnett and Svata M. Louda
Unexpected Ecological Effects of Distributing the Exotic Weevil, Larinus planus (F.), for the Biological Control of Canada Thistle, Svata M. Louda and Charles W. O'Brien
Convergent Demographic Effects of Insect Attack on Related Thistles in Coastal vs. Continental Dunes, John L. Maron, Julie K. Combs, and Svata M. Louda
2001
Rhinocyllus conicus: Initial Evaluation and Subsequent Ecological Impacts in North America, A. Gassmann and Svata M. Louda
Essays on Ecological Classics: Discovering an Effect of Insect Floral Herbivory on Plant Population Density and Distribution in a "Green World", Svata M. Louda
2000
Great Plains Research, Volume 10, Number 1, Spring 2000 – Critical Dialogue, Svata M. Louda
Rhinocyllus conicus -- Insights to Improve Predictability and Minimize Risk of Biological Control of Weeds, Svata M. Louda
Predicting Non-Target Ecological Effects of Biological Control Agents: Evidence from Rhinocyllus conicus, Svata M. Louda and A. E. Arnett
1999
Deliberate Introductions of Species: Research Needs, John J. Ewel, Dennis J. O'Dowd, Joy Bergelson, Curtis C. Daehler, Carla M. D'Antonio, Luis Diego Gómez, Doria R. Gordon, Richard J. Hobbs, Alan Holt, Keith R. Hopper, Colin E. Hughes, Marcy LaHart, Roger R. B. Leakey, William G. Lee, Lloyd L. Loope, David H. Lorence, Svata M. Louda, Ariel E. Lugo, Peter B. McEvoy, David M. Richardson, and Peter M. Vitousek
Ecologically Sound Biological Control for Invasive Species?: Review of Pedro Barbosa, ed., Conservation Biological Control, Svata M. Louda
INSECT LIMITATION OF WEEDY PLANTS AND ITS ECOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS, Svata M. Louda
Background and Synopsis: Symposium on the Great Plains Grasslands at the Millennium, J. E. Mitchell, Svata M. Louda, and B. Gillam
REPORT OF THE SUNFLOWER WORKING GROUP, Allison Snow, Helen Alexander, Joe Caroline, Svata M. Louda, Diana Pilson, Craig Roseland, Gerald Seiler, Diane Shanahan, and Jeff Wolt
1998
Letter from the New Editor, Svata M. Louda
Population Growth of Rhinocyllus conicus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) on Two Species of Native Thistles in Prairie, Svata M. Louda
1997
Evidence for Natural Biological Control: Insects Decrease Survival and Growth of a Native Thistle, John A. Guretzky and Svata M. Louda
Ecological Effects of an Insect Introduced for the Biological Control of Weeds, Svata M. Louda , D. Kendall, J. Connor, and D. Simberloff
1996
Review of Linda W. Davis, Weed Seeds of the Great Plains, Svata M. Louda
1995
Interaction of Diffuse Competition and Insect Herbivory in Limiting Brittle Prickly Pear Cactus, Opuntia fragilis (Cactaceae), Jutta C. Burger and Svata M. Louda
1994
Experimental evidence for insect impact on populations of short-lived, perennial plants, and its application in restoration ecology, Svata M. Louda
1993
Biological Control of Weeds in Great Plains Rangelands, Svata M. Louda and Robert A. Masters
1992
Plant Resistance to Insect Herbivores: A Field Test of the Environmental Stress Hypothesis, Svata M. Louda and Sharon K. Collinge
1991
1990
Predispersal Seed Predation, Postdispersal Seed Predation and Competition in the Recruitment of Seedlings of a Native Thistle in Sandhills Prairie, Svata M. Louda, Martha A. Potvin, and Sharon K. Collinge
Bower Size and Male Reproductive Success in a Cichlid Fish Lek, Kenneth R. McKaye; Svata M. Louda; and Jay R. Stauffer, Jr.
1989
Scaptomyza nigrita Wheeler (Diptera: Drosophilidae), a Leaf Miner of the Native Crucifer, Cardamine cordifolia A. Gray (Bittercress), S. K. Collinge and Svata M. Louda
1988
Patterns of Resource Use by a Drosophilid (Diptera) Leaf Miner on a Native Crucifer, S. K. Collinge and Svata M. Louda
1985
Predation in Insular Plant Dynamics: An Experimental Assessment of Postdispersal Fruit and Seed Survival, Enewetak Atoll, Marshall Islands, Svata M. Louda and Paul H. Zedler
1984
Herbivore Effect on Stature, Fruiting, and Leaf Dynamics of a Native Crucifer, Svata M. Louda
1983
Seed Predation and Seedling Mortality in the Recruitment of a Shrub, Haplopappus venetus (Asteraceae), along a Climatic Gradient, Svata M. Louda
1982
Distribution Ecology: Variation in Plant Recruitment over a Gradient in Relation to Insect Seed Predation, Svata M. Louda