Malcolm G. Butler
Department of Biological Sciences
North Dakota State University
Fargo, North Dakota 58108-5517
E-mail: Malcolm.Butler@ndsu.edu
Phone: 701 231 7398
Fax: 701 231 7149
Current Position
Professor, Department of Biological Science
North Dakota State University
Education
B.S. (Zoology, with Honors), Univ. Massachusetts, 1973 M.S. (Zoology), University of Michigan, 1976 Ph.D. (Zoology), University of Michigan, 1980
Research Interests
My limnological research emphasizes the ecological roles of invertebrates and vertebrates in lentic & wetland systems. I am also interested in the biology of the Chironomidae, especially the genus Chironomus. Currently, I'm focused primarily on ecological studies of invertebrate communities in arctic ponds and shallow lakes. Other recent research projects include:
- Effects of water-level regulation on lake benthos in Voyageur’s National Park.
- Effects of fish on wetlands in the prairie ecosystem.
- Systematics and ecology of Chironomus (Diptera: Chironomidae) in the Holarctic.
- Limnology of a shallow prairie lake (Lake Christina) in response to biomanipulation.
- Use of benthic macroinvertebrates in biological assessment of lakes and wetlands.
- Biological characteristics of forested wetlands.
Professional Societies
American Association for the Advancement of Science
American Society of Limnology and Oceanography
Ecological Society of America
International Association of Theoretical and Applied Limnology
North American Benthological Society
North Dakota Chapter of the Wildlife Society
Sigma Xi
Publications (last 5 years):
Herwig, B., A. Potthoff, M.A. Hanson, Mark; K.D. Zimmer, M.G. Butler, J. Reed, B. Parsons, M. Ward. 2008. Cascading food-web effects of piscivore introductions in shallow lakes. Journal of Applied Ecology 45:1170-1179.
Kiknadze, I.I., L.I. Gunderina, M.G. Butler, W.F. Wülker, and J. Martin. 2008. Chromosomes and Continents. pp.349-369 In: N. Dobretsov, N. Kolchanov, A. Rozanov, and G. Zavarin (eds.) Biosphere origin and evolution. Springer, New York.
Gunderina, L.I., I.I Kiknadze, A.G. Istomina, and M.G. Butler. 2007. Divergence of genomic DNA in species of the subgenus Camptochironomus (Diptera, Chironomidae) differing in their cytogenetic similarity levels. Entomological Review 87:935-946.
Torrence, S.M. and M.G. Butler. 2006. Spatial structure of a diving duck (Aythya, Oxyura) guild: how does habitat structure and competition influence diving duck habitat use within northern prairie wetlands? Canadian Journal of Zoology 84:1358-1367.
Scheffer, M., G.J. van Geest, E. Jeppesen, K. Sondergaard, K.D. Zimmer, M.G. Butler, M.A. Hanson, S. Declerck, and L. De Meester. 2006. Small habitat size and isolation can promote species richness: second-order effects on biodiversity in shallow lakes and ponds. Oikos 112: 227-231.
Hanson, M.A., K.D. Zimmer, M.G. Butler, B.A. Tangen, B. Herwig and N.H. Euliss, Jr. 2005. Biotic interactions as determinants of ecosystem structure in prairie wetlands: an example using fish. Wetlands 25:764-775.
James, W.F., J.W. Barko, and M.G. Butler. 2004. Shear stress and sediment resuspension in relation to submersed macrophyte biomass. Hydrobiologia 515:181-191.
Zimmer, K.D., M.A. Hanson, M.G. Butler. 2003. Relationships among nutrients, phytoplankton, macrophytes, and fish in prairie wetlands. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 60:721-730.
Zimmer, K.D., M.A. Hanson, M.G. Butler. 2003. Interspecies relationships, community structure, and factors influencing abundance of submersed macrophytes in prairie wetlands. Wetlands 23:717-728.
Laurich, L., K.D. Zimmer, M.G. Butler, and M.A. Hanson. 2003. Selectivity for zooplankton prey by fathead minnows and brook sticklebacks. Wetlands 23:416-422.
Tangen, Brian, M.G. Butler, and M.J. Ell. 2003. Potential limitations of macroinvertebrate bioassessment in Prairie Pothole Region wetlands. Wetlands 23:104-115.
Hansel-Welch, N., M.G. Butler, T.A. Carlson, and M.A.Hanson. 2003. Changes in macrophyte community structure in Lake Christina (Minnesota), a large shallow lake, following biomanipulation. Aquatic Botany 75:323-337.
