Svata M. Louda
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.

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2020

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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

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Cumulative herbivory outpaces compensation for early floral damage on a monocarpic perennial thistle, Natalie M. West and Svata M. Louda

2015

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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

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Native insect herbivory limits population growth rate of a non-native thistle, James O. Eckberg, Brigitte Tenhumberg, and Svata M. Louda

2012

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Insect herbivory and propagule pressure influence Cirsium vulgare invasiveness across the landscape, James O. Eckberg, Brigitte Tenhumberg, and Svata M. Louda

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Combined effects of plant competition and insect herbivory hinder invasiveness of an introduced thistle, Tomomi Suwa and Svata M. Louda

2011

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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

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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

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Seed availability and insect herbivory limit recruitment and adult density of native tall thistle, F. Leland Russell, Karen E. Rose, and Svata M. Louda

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Herbivore-Mediated Ecological Costs of Reproduction Shape the Life History of an Iteroparous Plant, Tom E. X. Miller, Brigitte Tenhumberg, and Svata M. Louda

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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

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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

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Abundance of and Floral Herbivory on Exotic Bull Thistle versus Native Tall Thistle in Western Tallgrass Prairie, Chad P. Andersen and Svata M. Louda

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Plant Reproductive Allocation Predicts Herbivore Dynamics across Spatial and Temporal Scales, Tom E. X. Miller, Andrew J. Tyre, and Svata M. Louda

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Invasive Insect Abundance Varies across the Biogeographic Distribution of a Native Host Plant, Tatyana A. Rand and Svata M. Louda

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INVASIVE INSECT ABUNDANCE VARIES ACROSS THE BIOGEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION OF A NATIVE HOST PLANT, Tatyana A. Rand and Svata M. Louda

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Spillover of Agriculturally Subsidized Predators as a Potential Threat to Native Insect Herbivores in Fragmented Landscapes, Tatyana A. Rand and Svata M. Louda

2005

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A Nontechnical Introduction to "Biocontrol as Usual": Review of Ann Hajek, Natural Enemies, Svata M. Louda

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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

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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

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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

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Demographic and Evolutionary Impacts of Native and Invasive Insect Herbivores on Cirsium canescens, Karen E. Rose, Svata M. Louda, and Mark Rees

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Indirect interaction between two native thistles mediated by an invasive exotic floral herbivore, F. Leland Russell and Svata M. Louda

2004

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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

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Weeds [from Encyclopedia of the Great Plains], Svata M. Louda

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The Double-Edged Sword of Biological Control in Conservation and Restoration, Svata M. Louda and Peter Stiling

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Exotic Weed Invasion Increases the Susceptibility of Native Plants to Attack by a Biocontrol Herbivore, Tatyana A. Rand and Svata M. Louda

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Local- Vs. Landscape-Scale Indirect Effects of an Invasive Weed on Native Plants, Tatyana A. Rand, F. Leland Russell, and Svata M. Louda

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Phenological synchrony affects interaction strength of an exotic weevil with Platte thistle, a native host plant, F. Leland Russell and Svata M. Louda

2003

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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

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Chemistry of Cirsium and Carduus: A role in ecological risk assessment for biological control of weeds?, Ingrid E. Jordon-Thaden and Svata M. Louda

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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

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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

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Native Thistles: Expendable or Integral to Ecosystem Resistance to Invasion?, Svata M. Louda and Tatyana A. Rand

2002

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Re-test of Rhinocyllus conicus host specificity, and the prediction of ecological risk in biological control, Amy E. Arnett and Svata M. Louda

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How Many Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs Were There?: A Dialogue Demonstrates Both the Process of Science and the Role of Science in Environmental Issues, Svata M. Louda

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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

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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

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Rhinocyllus conicus: Initial Evaluation and Subsequent Ecological Impacts in North America, A. Gassmann and Svata M. Louda

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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

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Great Plains Research, Volume 10, Number 1, Spring 2000 – Critical Dialogue, Svata M. Louda

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Rhinocyllus conicus -- Insights to Improve Predictability and Minimize Risk of Biological Control of Weeds, Svata M. Louda

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Predicting Non-Target Ecological Effects of Biological Control Agents: Evidence from Rhinocyllus conicus, Svata M. Louda and A. E. Arnett

1999

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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

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Ecologically Sound Biological Control for Invasive Species?: Review of Pedro Barbosa, ed., Conservation Biological Control, Svata M. Louda

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INSECT LIMITATION OF WEEDY PLANTS AND ITS ECOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS, Svata M. Louda

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Background and Synopsis: Symposium on the Great Plains Grasslands at the Millennium, J. E. Mitchell, Svata M. Louda, and B. Gillam

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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

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Letter from the New Editor, Svata M. Louda

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Population Growth of Rhinocyllus conicus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) on Two Species of Native Thistles in Prairie, Svata M. Louda

1997

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Evidence for Natural Biological Control: Insects Decrease Survival and Growth of a Native Thistle, John A. Guretzky and Svata M. Louda

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Ecological Effects of an Insect Introduced for the Biological Control of Weeds, Svata M. Louda , D. Kendall, J. Connor, and D. Simberloff

1996

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Review of Linda W. Davis, Weed Seeds of the Great Plains, Svata M. Louda

1995

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Interaction of Diffuse Competition and Insect Herbivory in Limiting Brittle Prickly Pear Cactus, Opuntia fragilis (Cactaceae), Jutta C. Burger and Svata M. Louda

1994

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Experimental evidence for insect impact on populations of short-lived, perennial plants, and its application in restoration ecology, Svata M. Louda

1993

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How Does Variation in Plant Resources Affect Herbivore Dynamics?: Review of Hunter et al., Effects of Resource Distribution on Animal-Plant Interactions, Svata M. Louda

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Biological Control of Weeds in Great Plains Rangelands, Svata M. Louda and Robert A. Masters

1992

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Plant Resistance to Insect Herbivores: A Field Test of the Environmental Stress Hypothesis, Svata M. Louda and Sharon K. Collinge

1991

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Herbivore-Plant Interaction: Temperate and Tropical Patterns: Review of Peter W. Price et al., eds., Plant-Animal Interactions: Evolutionary Ecology in Tropical and Temperate Regions, Svata M. Louda

1990

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Plant Morphology and Herbivory: Review of M.J.A. Werger et al., eds., Plant Form and Vegetation Structure: Adaptation, Plasticity and Relation to Herbivory, Svata M. Louda

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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

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Bower Size and Male Reproductive Success in a Cichlid Fish Lek, Kenneth R. McKaye; Svata M. Louda; and Jay R. Stauffer, Jr.

1989

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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

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Patterns of Resource Use by a Drosophilid (Diptera) Leaf Miner on a Native Crucifer, S. K. Collinge and Svata M. Louda

1985

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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

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Herbivore Effect on Stature, Fruiting, and Leaf Dynamics of a Native Crucifer, Svata M. Louda

1983

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Seed Predation and Seedling Mortality in the Recruitment of a Shrub, Haplopappus venetus (Asteraceae), along a Climatic Gradient, Svata M. Louda

1982

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Distribution Ecology: Variation in Plant Recruitment over a Gradient in Relation to Insect Seed Predation, Svata M. Louda