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David L. Gorchov

Natural Areas Committee

The Natural Areas Committee, chaired by Dr. David Gorchov, reports to the President of the University and is responsible for oversight and management of the Natural Areas.

Biographical Information

I study plant population ecology and community ecology, and plant-herbivore interactions.

One major focus of our lab is the invasion of forests by exotic plant species. Current projects investigate interactions between invasive woody plants and overabundant white-tailed deer, as well as the impacts of each on native plants, particularly tree regeneration.

We also investigate the importance of the factors that shape the invasion process, particularly the relative importance of community invasibility and propagule pressure in initiating new invasions. For invasibility we focus on biotic resistance from deer, a generalist herbivore.

Current research projects are in Ohio, although past projects were carried out in Maryland, Mexico, and Peru.

Selected Publications

• *Koon, K.R., Michael R. Hughes, and D.L. Gorchov. 2024. Tree regeneration and herbaceous plants in tracts managed for white-tailed deer in the Cincinnati Parks system.  Northeastern Naturalist 31: 382-401.
• *Donoso, M.U., **H. Leonard, and D.L. Gorchov. 2024. Long-term interactive impacts of the invasive shrub, Lonicera maackii, and white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus, on a deciduous forest understory" Invasive Plant Science and Management 17:25-36. 
• *Hoven BM, Knight KS, Peters VE, Gorchov D.L. 2022. Woody seedling community responses to deer herbivory, introduced shrubs, and ash mortality depend on canopy competition and site wetness.  Forest Ecology and Management .
• Gorchov, D.L., B. Blossey, K.M. Averill, et al. 2021. Differential and interacting impacts of invasive plants and white-tailed deer in eastern U.S. forests.  Biological Invasions 23: 2711-2727. 
• *Deardorff, J.L., and D.L. Gorchov. 2021. Beavers cut, but do not prefer, an invasive shrub, Amur honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii). Biological Invasions .
• *Hoven, B.M., K.S. Knight, V.E. Peters, and D.L. Gorchov. 2019. Release and suppression: forest layer responses to emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis)-caused ash death. Annals of Forest Science.  doi.org/10.1007/s13595-019-0895-y. 
• **Haffey, C.M. and D.L. Gorchov. 2019. The effects of deer and an invasive shrub, Lonicera maackii, on forest understory plant composition. :237-247. doi: 10.1080/11956860.2019.1582195
• Gorchov, D.L. 2019. High winter temperatures facilitate invasion of Tradescantia fluminensis in the Apalachicola River floodplain. Southeastern Naturalist 18: 76-98.
• *Wright, G.A., **I. Juska, and D.L. Gorchov. 2019. White-tailed deer browse preference for an invasive shrub, Amur honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii), depends on woody species composition. Invasive Plant Science and Management. 12: 11–21.doi: 10.1017/inp.2018.30.
• *Emsweller, L.N., D.L. Gorchov, Q. Zhang**, A.G. Driscoll*, and M.R. Hughes. 2018. Seed rain and disturbance impact recruitment of invasive plants in upland forest. Invasive Plant Science and Management 11: 69-81.
• *Martinod, K.L. and D.L. Gorchov. 2017. White-tailed deer browse on an invasive shrub with extended leaf phenology meets assumptions of an apparent competition hypothesis. AoB PLANTS 9: plx006; doi:10.1093/aobpla/plx006
• *Guiden, P.W., D.L. Gorchov, C. Nielsen, and E. Schauber. 2015. Seed dispersal of an invasive shrub, Amur honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii), by white-tailed deer in a fragmented agricultural-forest matrix. Plant Ecology 216:939–950. DOI 10.1007/s11258-015-0480-x

 * denotes ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University graduate student, ** denotes ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University undergraduate student

Courses Taught

• BIO 155. Field Botany
• IES 275. Principles of Environmental Science
• BIO433W. Field Ecology

Links to Other Directories

Institute for the Environment and Sustainability

Natural Areas