Overview

As an Assistant Professor of Urban Weed Ecology, I develop methods and products that promote suppression of weedy and invasive plants within urban landscapes. My approach to weed control focuses on the set of biological and environmental conditions that aid in suppressing weeds, while sustaining target plant populations. Integrated within this systems level approach is examining how human cultural practices shape weed populations across different scales of time and space.

Research Focus

Research in my lab centers on the contribution of soil microorganisms in suppressing weed populations and enhancing target plants, such as turfgrasses. We apply concepts and techniques in microbial ecology in developing weed suppressive systems that reduce reliance on chemical inputs. Experimental studies on microbial consortia indicate that soil microbial communities can be selected for target plant growth enhancement and weed suppression. Recent advances in microbial sequencing tools and isolation techniques now provide opportunities for uncovering the underlying microbial-based mechanisms of the desired plant traits. Examining the mechanistic basis of microbial selection studies can yield the development of microbial consortia, isolation of new microbial strains, and purification of compounds that enhance target plant populations while suppressing weeds.  For more information, visit my lab website.

Outreach and Extension Focus

My extension duties focus on assisting homeowners, public sectors, and land managers with the most appropriate methods to control weedy and invasive plants in urban landscapes. We are developing a web-based software program that allows users to select weed control methods based on their economic, environmental, and cultural preferences. Long-term monitoring and evaluation of program-assisted decisions will allow us to develop weed control strategies specific to demographic groups across regions and through time. We work with public, private, and university partners in developing innovative, cost-effective biological control strategies that can be integrated into sustainable weed management programs.

Additional Links

• Kao-Kniffin lab

Awards and Recognition

• NSF Post-doctoral Fellowship in Polar Regions Research
• NSF Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Award (DDIG)

Selected Publications

• Kao-Kniffin, J., D. Freyre and T.C. Balser. 2010. Methane dynamics across wetland plant species. Aquatic Botany. In press.
• Kao-Kniffin, J. and T.C. Balser. 2010. Soil microbial composition and nitrogen cycling in a disturbed wet prairie restoration (Wisconsin). Ecological Restoration 28:20-22; DOI:10.3368/er.28.1.20
• Kao-Kniffin, J. and T.C. Balser. 2008. Soil fertility and the impact of exotic invasion on microbial communities in Hawaiian forests. Microbial Ecology 56:55-63
• Kao- Kniffin, J. and Balser, T.C. 2007. Elevated CO2 differentially alters belowground plant and soil microbial community structure in reed canary grass-invaded experimental wetlands. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 39:517-525
• Kao, J.T., J.E. Titus, and W. Zhu. 2003. Differential nitrogen and phosphorus retention by five wetland plant species. Wetlands 23:979-987.

Return to the faculty list for the Department of Horticulture

[top]