Contact Information

SUNY - ESF

Environmental & Forest Biology

459 Illick Hall

1 Forestry Drive

Syracuse, NY 13210

• Email: mdovciak@esf.edu
• Phone: (315) 470-6749
• Fax: (315) 470-6934

Research Interests

• Plant Ecology, Forest Ecology
• Plant Population & Community Dynamics
• Spatial Ecology
• Ecosystem Management & Restoration
• Conservation Biology
• Biodiversity Theory

Current Teaching

• EFB 445/645 Plant Ecology (Spring)
• EFB 535 Systematic Botany (Fall)

Education

Ph.D. Forest Ecology, University of Minnesota, 2001

Dipl. Eng. Forestry / Landscape Ecology, Technical Univerzity in Zvolen, Slovakia, 1993

Professional Experience

Assistant Professor, State University of New York, College of Environmental Science & Forestry, Syracuse, NY; 2007 – present

Postdoctoral Research Scientist, University of Washington, College of Forest Resources, Seattle, WA; 2004 – 2007

European Science Foundation LinkEcol Fellow, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich, Switzerland; 2003 – 2004

Postdoctoral Research Scientist, Technical University in Zvolen, Department of Applied Ecology, Banská Štiavnica, Slovakia; 2001 – 2004

Research Assistant, Dissertation Fellow, CEU Fellow, University of Minnesota, Department of Forest Resources, St. Paul, MN; 1995– 2001

Environmental Training Project Fellow, University of Minnesota, H.H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, Minneapolis, MN; 1994 – 1995

International Cooperation Specialist, Slovak Environmental Agency, National Headquarters, Banská Bystrica, Slovakia; 1993 – 1994

Selected Publications

• Dovciak M, Hrivnak R, Ujhazy K, Gomory D. 2007. Seed rain and environmental controls on invasion of Picea abies into grassland. Plant Ecology. Online First. DOI 10.1007/s11258-007-9280-2. Springer Link
• Wiezik M, Svitok M, Dovciak M. 2007. Conifer introductions decrease richness and alter composition of litter-dwelling beetles (Coleoptera) in Carpathian oak forests. Forest Ecology & Management 247, 61-71. Elsevier Link
• Dovciak M, Halpern CB, Saracco JF, Evans SA, Liguori DA. 2006. Persistence of ground-layer bryophytes in a structural-retention experiment: initial effects of level and pattern of overstory retention. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 36, 3039-3052. pdf
• Dovciak M, Frelich LE, Reich PB. 2005. Pathways in old-field succession to white pine: seed rain, shade, and climate effects. Ecological Monographs 75, 363–378. pdf
• Dovciak M, Reich PB, Frelich LE. 2003. Seed rain, safe sites, competing vegetation, and soil resources spatially structure white pine (Pinus strobus L.) regeneration and recruitment. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 33, 1892–1904. pdf
• Dovciak M, Frelich LE, Reich PB. 2001. Discordance in spatial patterns of white pine (Pinus strobus) size-classes in a patchy near-boreal forest. Journal of Ecology 89, 280-291. pdf
• Perry J, Tichy J, Imbert JB, Sudmeier-Rieux K, Dovciak M, Malovesky M, Baranyi A. 2001. Ecosystem Management in Central and Eastern Europe: Decision-Taking for the Future. Bang Printing, Brainerd, MN, E. Vanderklein (Editor), 293 pages. Link

Research Projects

• Forest understory dynamics at H.J. Andrews LTER experimental watersheds (with Charlie Halpern, 2005-2009).
• Plant community responses to variable retention harvest: the DEMO study (with Charlie Halpern, 2004-2008).
• An ecological restoration experiment in the Cedar River Municipal Watershed of the city of Seattle (with Charlie Halpern, 2005-2010).
• Ecology and genetics of tree invasions into abandoned pastures of the Polana Biosphere Reserve, western Carpathians (with D. Gömöry, 2003-2005).
• Historical landscape-change analysis and future trends in Slovak Biosphere Reserves (with R. Midriak, 2003-2005).
• Anthropogeneic changes in landscape and ecosystem processes in Štiavnické Vrchy Mountains, Slovakia (with I. Voloscuk, 2003-2005).
• The influence of diversity, composition, and climate on the stability of tree communities in simulated equilibrium forests (with H. Bugmann, 2003-2004).
• Population dynamics of the common yew (Taxus baccata) and its management implications for the Biosphere Reserves of the western Carpathians (2002-2003).
• Successional pathways of an oak savanna old-field toward white pine forest: the effects of seed rain, shade, and climate (with Peter Reich & Lee Frelich, 1997-2001).
• The effects of seed rain, safe sites, competing vegetation, & soil resources on white pine (Pinus strobus) regeneration and recruitment in western Great Lakes forests (with Peter Reich & Lee Frelich, 1996-2001).

Update: October 19, 2007