Andrea Lloyd
Dean of Faculty; Philip Battell/Sarah Stewart Professor of Biolo
Email: lloyd@middlebury.edu
Phone: work802.443.5908
Office Hours: By appointment
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I am a plant ecologist interested in the effects of climate change on forest communities.
I teach BIOL 0140 (ecology and evolution), BIOL 230 (global change biology), BIOL 323 (plant community ecology), as well as a variety of first-year and senior seminars that explore ecological history, climate change, and land-use change in Vermont. In my research, I use tree rings to understand how changes in climate affect the growth and population dynamics of tree species in Alaska and Siberia. I have collaborated with numerous Middlebury students over the years to study how changes in disturbance regime have affected an old-growth hemlock forest, the Battell Research Forest, in central Vermont. Follow this link to read more about my research in Vermont and Alaska.
Courses
Courses offered in the past four years.
▲ indicates offered in the current term
▹ indicates offered in the upcoming term[s]
BIOL 0140 - Ecology and Evolution
Ecology and Evolution
In this introduction to ecology and evolutionary biology we will cover the topics of interspecific interactions (competition, predation, mutualism), demography and life-history patterns, succession and disturbance in natural communities, species diversity, stability and complexity, causes of evolutionary change, speciation, phylogenetic reconstruction, and population genetics. The laboratory component will examine lecture topics in detail (such as measuring the evolutionary response of bacteria, adaptations of stream invertebrates to life in moving water, invasive species and their patterns of spread). We will emphasize experimental design, data collection in the field and in the laboratory, data analysis, and writing skills. 3 hrs. lect./disc./3 hrs. lab
Fall 2009, Fall 2010, Fall 2011
BIOL 0230 - Global Change Biology
Global Change Biology
We will examine the effects of global change (climate and land use change) on ecosystems. Our emphasis will be on exploring what we know about global change biology, and also how we know it: how do biologists study processes on a global scale? How can we accurately predict future changes in ecosystems? We will also investigate biological feedbacks on the earth system: how changes in the composition of ecosystems and the rate of basic ecosystem processes (photosynthesis, respiration) may alter the climate of the earth. (BIOL 0140) 3 hrs lect.
Spring 2009, Spring 2010, Spring 2012, Fall 2012
BIOL 0323 - Plant Community Ecology
Plant Community Ecology
This course will explore the structure and dynamics of plant communities, with a particular emphasis on temperate forest communities. We will investigate patterns in community diversity and structure, explore how plant populations and plant communities respond to environmental disturbances, and investigate the effects of anthropogenic influences (climate change, introduced species, habitat conversion) on plant communities. Labs will emphasize fieldwork at local research sites, and will provide exposure to techniques of experimental design in plant ecology and basic approaches to describing plant community structure and dynamics. (BIOL 0140) 3 hrs. lect./3 hrs. lab.
Spring 2009, Spring 2010, Spring 2011, Spring 2012
BIOL 0490 - Seminar in Plant Ecology
Seminar in Plant Ecology
Global climate change has led to a huge effort to collect data on the state of the planet, including measurements of temperature, atmospheric and oceanographic conditions, and species distributions and phenologies. Ecologists have never had access to such quantities of data, and thus need new methods for their description and analysis. In this course we will explore how to use statistical models to make sense of these data: how to develop, choose, and fit the best model for a particular data set. The course will be project-based, culminate in an independent project, and use the statistical software, R. (BIOL 0140 and one statistics course required, no R experience required.) 3 hr. sem./3 hr. lab
Spring 2011
BIOL 0500 - Independent Study ▲ ▹
Independent Study
In this course students complete individual projects involving laboratory and/or field research or extensive library study on a topic chosen by the student and a faculty advisor. Prior to registering for BIOL 0500, a student must have discussed and agreed upon a project topic with a member of the Biology Department faculty. Additional requirements include participation in weekly meetings with disciplinary sub-groups and attending all Biology Department seminars. This course is not open to seniors; seniors should enroll in BIOL 0700, Senior Independent Study. (Approval required) 3 hrs. disc.
Spring 2009, Fall 2009, Winter 2010, Spring 2010, Fall 2010, Winter 2011, Spring 2011, Fall 2011, Winter 2012, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Winter 2013, Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014
BIOL 0700 - Senior Independent Study ▲ ▹
Senior Independent Study
In this course students complete individual projects involving laboratory and/or field research or extensive library study on a topic chosen by the student and a faculty advisor. Prior to registering for BIOL 0700, a student must have discussed and agreed upon a project topic with a member of the Biology Department faculty. Additional requirements include participation in weekly meetings with disciplinary sub-groups and attending all Biology Department seminars. (Approval required; open only to seniors) 3 hrs. disc.
Spring 2009, Fall 2009, Winter 2010, Spring 2010, Fall 2010, Winter 2011, Spring 2011, Fall 2011, Winter 2012, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Winter 2013, Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014
BIOL 0701 - Senior Thesis ▲ ▹
Senior Thesis
Seniors majoring in Biology who have completed one or more semesters of BIOL 0500 or BIOL 0700 and who plan to complete a thesis should register for BIOL 0701. In this course students will produce a written thesis, deliver a public presentation of the research on which it is based, and present an oral defense of the thesis before a committee of at least three faculty members. Additional requirements include participation in weekly meetings with disciplinary sub-groups and attending all Biology Department seminars. Open to Biology and joint Biology/Environmental Studies majors. (BIOL 0500 or BIOL 0700; Approval required) 3 hrs. disc
Fall 2012, Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014
ENVS 0500 - Independent Study ▲ ▹
Independent Study
A one- or two-semester research project on a topic that relates to the relationship between humans and the environment. The project, carried out under the supervision of a faculty member with related expertise, must involve a significant amount of independent research and analysis. Students may enroll in ENVS 0500 no more than twice for a given project. (Approval only)
Spring 2009, Fall 2009, Winter 2010, Spring 2010, Fall 2010, Winter 2011, Spring 2011, Fall 2011, Winter 2012, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Spring 2014
ENVS 0700 - ES Senior Honors Work ▲ ▹
Senior Honors Work
The final semester of a multi-semester research project on a topic pertinent to the relationship between humans and the environment. Students may enroll in ENVS 0700 only once. (Previous work would have been conducted as one or two semesters of an ENVS 0500 Independent Study project.) The project, carried out under the supervision of a faculty member, will result in a substantial piece of writing, and will be presented to other ENVS faculty and students in a public forum. (Senior standing; ENVS 0112, ENVS 0211, ENVS 0215, GEOG 0120, and ENVS 0500; Approval only)
Spring 2009, Fall 2009, Winter 2010, Spring 2010, Fall 2010, Winter 2011, Spring 2011, Fall 2011, Winter 2012, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Spring 2014
FYSE 1300 - Ecological History New England ▲
FYSE 1337 - Forests and Carbon Neutrality
Can Vermont’s Forests Help Us Achieve Carbon Neutrality?
As interest in finding local energy sources has risen in recent years, Vermont’s landscape is increasingly being looked to as a source of local, renewable fuel. In this course, we will explore the ecological consequences of increased use of forests for energy production and examine how the shift towards biomass-based energy contributes to Middlebury’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality. Using both published research and our own field investigations at local research sites, we will explore the ability of the local landscape to supply biomass, and consider the possible unintended ecological consequences of that change in land use. 3 hrs sem.
Fall 2011
Select Publications
*Indicates a Middlebury College student
Lloyd, A.H. and A.G. Bunn. 2007. Response of the circumpolar boreal forest to 20th century climate variability. Environmental Research Letters. 2 045013 (13pp) doi:10.1088/1748-9326/2/4/045013.
Lloyd, A.H., C.L. Fastie, and H. Eisen*. 2007. Fire and substrate interact to control the northern range limit of black spruce (Picea mariana) in Alaska. Canadian Journal of Forest Research. 37:2480-2493.
Lloyd, A.H., A.E. Wilson*, C. L. Fastie, R. M. Landis. 2005. Population dynamics of black and white spruce in the southern Brooks Range, Alaska. Canadian Journal of Forest Research. 35 (9): 2073-2081
