Professor
of Biology
& Env. Science
Member, Sustainability &
Urban Studies Programs
401-254-3890
MNS 227
lbyrne"at"rwu.edu

Ph.D. in Ecology - Penn State University, 2006
Dissertation: Effects of urban habitat types and landscape patterns on ecological variables at the aboveground–belowground interface. download pdf here
B.A. in Ecological Artistry - Hiram College, 2000
My individualized major was featured in a USA Today article,
here.
Courses Taught
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BIO 235 - Biological Illustration - syllabus
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BIO 310 - Tropical Ecology (Jan. study abroad in Belize)
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BIO/ENVS 375 - Soil Ecology with Lab - syllabus
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BIO 376 - Urban Ecosystems - syllabus
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BIO 377 - Environmental Health & Management - syllabus
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ENVS 203 - Humans, Environmental Change & Sustainability -syllabus
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SUST 101 - Introduction to Sustainability Studies - syllabus
Links to RWU stories about my courses: BIO 104 lab and illustration
Research and Scholarship Interests
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Urban soil ecology - biodiversity patterns, ecosystem services, pollution, restoration & management
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Soil ecology - arthropods, earthworms, C and N cycling
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Urban ecology - lawns & gardens, effects of landscape design & management on biodiversity and ecosystem services, relationships among sociocultural variables (e.g., aesthetic preferences) and ecological variables
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Conservation biology - philosophical and educational dimensions of biodiversity conservation
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Relationships between art & science - scientific illustration, visual arts in science education
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Learner-centered pedagogy for ecology, environmental, urban, soil & sustainability education
See news-y articles about my scholarly work here, here and here and my "not involved in this research" quotes in a news story about an urban ecology research article here.
Selected Publications
This isn't a traditional publication, but my letter to the editor was published in the NY Times, here.
Rodgers, V., S.E. Scanga, ... L.B. Byrne et al. 2024. Four-Dimensional Ecology Education (4DEE) for Everyone: Teaching Ecology to Non-majors. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 22: e2749. Open access link here.
Byrne, L.B. 2024. Synthesizing Science. Pp 134-137 in: K. Shaw, A.I. Wilkins, eds. Pocket Instructor for Writing. Princeton Univ. Press, Princeton, NJ.
Byrne, L.B. 2024. Authors from wealthy countries cannot all pay publishing fees. Nature 625: 450. Link. Text file.
Byrne, L.B. and Szlavecz, K. 2023. Multidimensionality of Biodiversity in Urban Social-Ecological Soil Systems. Pp. 154-171 in C. Nilon and M. Aronson, eds. Routledge Handbook of Urban Biodiversity. Routledge, New York, NY. Abstract. Original text file here.
Ellwanger, J.H., Byrne, L.B. and Chies, J.A.B. 2022. Examining the paradox of urban disease ecology by linking the perspectives of Urban One Health and Ecology with Cities. Urban Ecosystems 25: 1735-1744. pdf
Byrne, L.B. 2022. The essence of soil biodiversity. Conservation Letters: doi.org/10.1111/conl.12900
Byrne, L.B. 2022. Using the prepositional framework for urban environmental education: Teaching and learning about ecology in, of, for, and with cities. In D. Mutnick et al. eds. The City is an Ecosystem. Routledge Press. (original text file here)
Byrne, L.B. 2022. Afterword: Transdisciplinary Urban Ecosystem Research, Education and Stewardship. In D. Mutnick et al. eds. The City is an Ecosystem. Routledge Press. (original text file here)
Byrne, L.B. 2022. Ecology with cities. Urban Ecosystems 25: 835–837. pdf. (See here for the journal's associated topical collection for which I am the editor.)
Goddard, M.A., Davies, Z.G., ... Byrne, L.B., et al. 2021. A global horizon scan of the future impacts of robotics and autonomous systems on urban ecosystems. Nature Ecology and Evolution 5: 219–230. abstract, view only pdf.
Byrne, L.B. 2021. Socioecological Soil Restoration in Urban Cultural Landscapes. Pp. 373-410 in: J.A. Stanturf and M.A. Callaham, eds. Soils and Landscape Restoration. Wiley Publishers. pdf
Byrne, L.B. 2020. Urbanization. Pp. 200-202, in: UN-FAO: State of Knowledge of Soil Biodiversity. Rome, Italy. pdf. RWU news story here.
Bennett, A. E., Preedy, K., Golubski, A., Umbanhowar, J., Borrett, S. R., Byrne, L., et al. 2019. Beyond the black box: promoting mathematical collaborations for elucidating interactions in soil ecology. Ecosphere 10(7): e02799. (open access available online)
Byrne, L.B., R.K. Thiet, V.B. Chaudhary. 2016. Pedagogy for the Pedosphere. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 14: 238-240. pdf
Byrne, L.B. 2016. Learner-Centered Teaching Activities for Environmental and Sustainability Studies. Springer, New York. website
Byrne, L.B. 2016. Learner-Centered Teaching for Environmental and Sustainability Studies. In: LB Byrne, ed. Learner-Centered Teaching Activities for Environmental and Sustainability Studies. Springer, New York. pdf
Byrne, L.B. 2016. An Introductory Examination of Worldviews and Why They Matter For Environmental and Sustainability Studies. In: LB Byrne, ed. Learner-Centered Teaching Activities for Environmental and Sustainability Studies. Springer, New York. pdf
Byrne, L.B. 2016. Conservation Triage: Debating Which Species to Save and Why. In: LB Byrne, ed. Learner-Centered Teaching Activities for Environmental and Sustainability Studies. Springer, New York. pdf
Byrne, L.B. 2015. Exploring lawns and gardens as complex socio-ecological systems: Teaching Case study for AAC&U STIRS Project. Website. Student Case File. Please send me an email to obtain the Instructor Guide.
H. Setälä, R. D. Bardgett, K. Birkhofer, M. Brady, L. Byrne, et al. 2014. Urban and agricultural soils: conflicts and trade-offs in the optimization of ecosystem services. Urban Ecosystems 17: 239-253. pdf
Possinger, A.*, L.B. Byrne, N. Breen. 2013. Effect of buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) on soil phosphorus availability and organic acids. Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science 176: 16-18. pdf
*undergraduate author
Byrne, L.B. 2013. An in-class role-playing activity to foster discussion and deeper understanding of biodiversity and ecological webs. EcoEd Digital Library. pdf
Byrne, L.B. 2012. Complexity in Conservation: The Legal and Ethical Case of a Bird-Eating Cat and its Human Killer. Online Resource with the National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science. pdf
Pavao-Zuckerman, M.A., L.B. Byrne. 2009. Scratching the surface and digging deeper: Exploring ecological theories in urban soils. Urban Ecosystems 12: 9-20. pdf
Byrne, L.B., M.A. Bruns, K.C. Kim. 2008. Ecosystem properties of urban land covers at the aboveground-belowground interface. Ecosystems 11: 1065-1077. pdf
Byrne, L.B., P. Grewal. 2008.Introduction to Ecological Landscaping: A holistic description and framework to guide the study and management of urban landscape parcels. Cities and the Environment 1(2): article 3, 20 pp. pdf
Byrne, L.B. 2007. Habitat structure: a fundamental concept and framework for urban soil ecology. Urban Ecosystems 10: 255-274. pdf
Kim, K.C., L.B. Byrne. 2006. Biodiversity loss and the taxonomic bottleneck: Emerging biodiversity science. Ecological Research 21: 794-810. pdf
Byrne, L.B. 2005. Of looks, laws and lawns: How human aesthetic preferences influence landscape management, public policies and urban ecosystems. In D. Laband, ed., Emerging Issues Along Urban-Rural Interfaces: Linking Science and Society, pp. 42-46. Auburn University, Auburn, GA. pdf
Byrne, L.B., M.A. Bruns. 2004. The effects of lawn management on soil microarthropods. Journal of Agricultural and Urban Entomology 21: 150-156. pdf
Bruns, M.A, L.B. Byrne. 2004. Scale model of a soil aggregate and associated organisms: A teaching tool for soil ecology. Journal of Natural Resources and Life Science Education 33: 85-91. pdf
Activities with the Global Soil Biodiversity Initiative
2011. Organized a teaching oral presentation session at the first GSBI conference, Dijon, France.
2016. Blog entries: Overcoming Challenges of the Soil Education Gap: Part 1 and Part 2.
2021. Panelist for discussion, First Global Soil Biodiversity Assessment: From science to policy - Part II (recording here)
2022. Moderator of panel discussion, Soil Biodiversity in the City (recording here)
2022. Blog entry: Teaching about the essence of soil biodiversity. (available here)
2023. Organized a teaching workshop at the Dublin meeting: Designing Soil Biodiversity Education Programs for Diverse Audiences.
Helped collect resources for the GSBI education webpage
Representative Presentations
2024. Advancing ecology for and with cities through urban soil rewilding research, practice and education. Annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America. Long Beach, CA. Abstract.
2024. Principles and pathways for designing learner-centered four-dimensional ecology lessons for all students. Annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America. Long Beach, CA. Abstract.
2023. Integrating urban soil biodiversity into environmental
education for the future of science and
sustainability. Annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America.
Portland, OR.
Abstract.
2023. Soil biodiversity for educational diversity: Using soil organisms for diverse learning outcomes with diverse audiences. Third Global Soil Biodiversity Initiative conference, Dublin, Ireland.
2022. Is the 4DEE framework a sufficient “hook” to cultivate ecological literacy for all? Annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America. Montreal, Canada. Abstract.
2022. Urban soil ecology research and education for improving people’s environmental literacy and stewardship. Biennial meeting of the Soil Ecology Society. Richland, WA.
2021. Expanding Education about Soil Biodiversity. Inspire talk for
the virtual Ecological Society of America meeting.
Abstract.
2020. Invited talk. Restoring Urban Soil Biodiversity Helps Improve Ecosystem Services and Human Well-Being. Soil Science Society of America, virtual meeting.
2019. Conceptual Diagramming as Learner-Centered Pedagogy for the Soil Ecology Classroom. Biennial meeting of the Soil Ecology Society. Toledo, OH.
2017. Integrating soil biodiversity and soil ecology into non-soil-focused undergraduate courses. Biannual meeting of the Soil Ecology Society, Fort Collins, CO.
2015. Invited talk. Pedagogy for the pedosphere: Soil organisms and the ecosystem service of education. Annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America. abstract
2015. Invited talk. Urban Soil Ecology: Progress and Future Potential for Science and Sustainability. Annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America. abstract
2015. Teaching activities that foster soil ecology knowledge and “rooted-in-the-soil” environmental citizenship. Biennial meeting of the Soil Ecology Society. Colorado Springs, CO.
2014. Can soil organisms become our best teachers? Exploring soil biodiversity as an ecosystem service provider of excellent environmental education. First Global Soil Biodiversity Conference. Dijon, France. abstract
2013. Designing soil biodiversity zoo exhibits enhances student learning about soil ecology and biodiversity. Biennial meeting of the Soil Ecology Society. Camden, NJ.
2012. Urban landscape ecology and management for conservation biological control in lawns and gardens. Annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America. abstract
2011. What does it mean to be environmentally literate? With Meg Lowman and Teresa Mourad. Annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America. abstract
2010. "This I believe": Pedagogical approaches for exploring environmental worldviews and controversies in ecology classrooms. Annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America. abstract
2009. Ecosystem services in urban soils: What do they do and what do we want them to do? Biannual meeting of the Soil Ecology Society.
2008. Creating ecological dynamics in the classroom through the use of learner-centered teaching activities. Annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America. abstract
2007. Learning to see and drawing to learn: On the value of integrating art in ecological education. Annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America. abstract
2006. The ecology of mowing and mulching: communities and ecosystem properties in urban habitats. With Mary Ann Bruns and K.C. Kim. Annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America. abstract
(Co)Organized Meeting Symposia or Sessions
2024.
Teaching workshop: Teaching soil ecology with 4-dimensional ecology
education (4DEE) “hooks” to improve students’ social-ecological soil
literacy. Biennial meeting of the Soil Ecology Society. Grand
Rapids, MI.
2023. Co-organizer with Marney Pratt of a workshop: Affective Ecological Education: Engaging Students’ Personal Connections to Nature and Ecology for Improved Ecological Literacy. Annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America. Portland, OR.
2023. Co-organizer with Emily Rauschert of an Inspire Session: Ecology Education for All Through More Accessible, Interdisciplinary 4DEE Teaching. Annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America. Portland, OR.
2022. Co-organizer with Vikki Rodgers of an Organized Oral Session: Non-majors, 4DEE and Teaching Ecology for All. Annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America. Montreal, Canada.
2022. Teaching workshop: Soils, Spirituality & Environmental
Education: Connecting students to the earth
in times of societal & ecological stress. Biennial meeting of the
Soil Ecology Society. Richland, WA.
2019. Teaching workshop: Case Studies and Data Sets for Soil Ecology Education. Biennial meeting of the Soil Ecology Society. Toledo, OH.
2017. Co-organizer with Emily Rauschert of an Ignite Session: Try this to help students learn ecology better. Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America. Portland, OR.
2016. Co-organizer with Emily Rauschert of a teaching workshop: Strategies and Challenges of Learner-Centered Ecology Education. Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America. Ft. Lauderdale, FL.
2015. Teaching workshop: Backward design of learner-centered soil ecology education teaching activities. Biannual meeting of the Soil Ecology Society.
2014. Soil ecology education session. Global Soil Biodiversity Conference. Dijon, France.
2013. Organizer of a "teaching soil ecology" oral presentation session. Biannual meeting of the Soil Ecology Society. Rutgers, NJ.
2011. Teaching workshop: How does soil ecology fit within environmental literacy and citizenship? Biannual meeting of the Soil Ecology Society. Kelowna, BC, Canada.
2009. Urban soil ecology and ecosystem services. Biannual meeting of the Soil Ecology Society. Burlington, VT.
2009. Your big backyard ecosystem: Lawns and gardens as foci for understanding urban ecology and sustainability. With co-organizer Chris Martin. Annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America. Albuquerque, NM
2007. Effects of human choice on ecosystem properties. With co-organizers Larry Baker and Jason Walker. Annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America. San Jose, CA
2004. Applied taxonomy and biodiversity: Assessment of natural and agricultural ecosystems. With co-organizers K.C. Kim and David J. Biddinger. Annual meeting of the Entomological Society of America. Salt Lake City, UT
2004. Digging deeper or scratching the surface? Exploring ecological theories in urban soils. With co-organizer Mitch Pavao-Zuckerman. Annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America. Portland, OR
Co-organized Conference
Ecological Landscaping: From Scientific Principles to Public Practices and Policies. October 28-31, 2007. See the special issue of Cities and the Environment with papers from this conference that I edited.
Scholarly Award
2022. Soil Ecology Society Service Award
Scholarly Service
Member (2020) and Chair (2021-2027), Odum Award Committee, Ecological Society of America
Member, 4DEE for teaching non-majors working group, Ecological Society of America (2020-present)
Member, 4DEE subcommittee, Ecological Society of America (2022-present)
Associate Editor, Urban Ecosystems (2016-present), creator and handling editor of the Ecology with Cities topical collection
Review Editor, Urban Ecology Section, Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution (2015-2021)
Board member, Soil Ecology Society (as communications director 2016-2020,
at-large member, 2011-2015)
Member, Board of Directors, Save Bristol Harbor (2009-2015)
Task Force Member (education focus), Save the Frogs (2016-2017)
Member, Board of Directors, Audubon Society of Rhode Island (2011-2017)
Last updated: August 11, 2024