The Morton Arb

Research Programs

Marlin Bowles, M.S.

scientist_marlin_bowlesPosition

Plant Conservation Biologist

Education

M.S., Forestry and Plant Biology,
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Research interests

His primary research interest is conservation of vegetation of the Chicago Region, including both individual species and the plant communities in which they occur.  At the species level, he focuses on the restoration and management ecology of endangered plants.

Marlin's Lab

http://plantconservation.us/

Accomplishments

He has authored or co-authored more than 25 papers and 10 book or proceedings chapters, and has edited two books, including "Restoration of Endangered Species," co-edited with Christopher Whelan and published by Cambridge University Press. He co-authored the description of the federal threatened western prairie fringed orchid as a new species, and has served on federal recovery teams for the U.S. listed eastern prairie fringed orchid, leafy prairie clover, pitcher's thistle, and Mead's milkweed. He has worked with Research Associates to understand the relationship between prescribed burning and long-term changes in the region's native prairies, and to assess long-term changes in wetlands, savannas, and old-growth forests.

Technical Journals

  • Bowles, M.L. 1983. The tallgrass prairie orchids Platanthera leucophaea (Nutt.) Lindl. and Cypripedium candidum Muhl. ex Willd.: Some aspects of their status, biology, and ecology, and implications toward management. Natural Areas Journal 3(4):14-37.
  • Sheviak, C.J. & M.L. Bowles. 1986. The prairie fringed orchids: a pollinator-isolated species pair. Rhodora 88:267-290.
  • Bowles, M.L., W.J. Hess, M.M. DeMauro, & R.D. Hiebert. 1986. Endangered plant inventory and monitoring strategies at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Natural Areas Journal 6:18-26.
  • Bowles, M.L., Kris R. Bachtell, M.M. DeMauro, L.G. Sykora, & C.R. Bautista. 1988. Propagation techniques used in establishing a greenhouse population of Astragalus tennesseensis Gray. Natural Areas Journal 8:122.
  • Bowles, M.L., K.R. Bachtell, & M.M. DeMauro. 1988. Status and restoration of Plantago cordata in the southern Lake Michigan Region. Natural Areas Journal 8:122-123.
  • Bowles, M.L., G. Wilhelm, & S. Packard. 1988. The Illinois status of Liatris scariosa (L.) Willd. var Nieuwlandii Lunell: a new threatened species for Illinois. Erigenia 10:1-26.
  • Bowles, M.L., & S.I. Apfelbaum. 1989. Effects of land use and stochastic events on the heart-leaved plantain (Plantago cordata Lam.) in an Illinois stream system. Natural Areas Journal 9(2):90-101.
  • Bowles, M.L., M.M. DeMauro, N.P. Pavlovic, & R. Hiebert. 1990. Effects of anthropogenic disturbances on endangered and threatened plants at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.  Natural Areas Journal 10:187-200.
  • Bowles, M.L., J.B. Taft, E.F. Ulaszek, M.K. Solecki, D.M. Ketzner, L.R. Phillippe, A. Dennis, P.J. Burton, & K.R. Robertson. 1991. Rarely seen endangered plants, rediscoveries, and species new to Illinois. Erigenia 11:27-51.
  • Bowles, M.L. 1991. Some aspects of the status and ecology of seven rare wetland plant species in the Chicago region of northeastern Illinois. Erigenia 11:52-66.
  • Bowles, M.L., R. Flakne, and R. Dombeck. 1992. Status and population fluctuations of the eastern prairie fringed orchid [Platanthera leucophaea (Nutt.) Lindl.] in llinois. Erigenia 12:26-40.
  • Bowles, M.L., R.F. Betz, & M.M. DeMauro. 1993. Propagation of rare plants from historic seed collections - implications for rare species restoration and herbarium management. Restoration Ecology 1(2):101-105.
  • Bowles, M., R. Flakne, K. McEachern, & N. Pavlovic. 1993. Recovery Planning and reintroduction of the federally threatened Pitcher's thistle (Cirsium pitcheri) in Illinois. Natural Areas Journal 13:164-176.
  • Bowles, M.L., J.L. McBride, N. Stoynoff, & K. Johnson.  1996. Temporal change in vegetation structure in a fire-managed prairie fen. Natural Areas Journal 16:275-208.
  • Bowles, M, M. Jones, J. McBride, T. Bell, & C. Dunn. 2000. Structural composition and species richness indices for upland forests of the Chicago region. Erigenia 18:30-57.
  • Zettler, L.W., S.L. Stewart, M.L. Bowles & K.A. Jacobs. 2001. Mycorrhizal fungi and cold-assisted symbiotic germination of the federally threatened eastern prairie fringed orchid, Platanthera leucophaea (Nuttall) Lindley. American Midland Naturalist 145:168-175.
  • Bowles, K. A. Jacobs, L. W. Zettler and T. Wilson Delaney.  2002.  Crossing effects on seed viability and experimental germination of the Federal threatened Platanthera leucophaea (Orchidaceae). Rhodora, 104: 14-30.
  • Bowles, M, M. Jones & J. McBride. 2002. Twenty-year changes in burned and unburned sand prairie remnants in northwestern Illinois and implications for management. American Midland Naturalist 149:35-45.
  • Bowles, M, M. Jones, C. Dunn, J. McBride, C. Bushey, & R. Moran. 2003. Twenty-year woody vegetation changes in northern flatwoods and mesic forest at Ryerson Conservation Area, Lake County, Illinois. Erigenia 19:31-51.
  • Bowles, M. & M. Jones. 2004. Long term changes in Chicago region prairie vegetation in relation to fire management.  Chicago Wilderness Journal 2(2)7-16.
  • Bowles, M., J. Hones, J. McBride, T. Bell & C. Dunn. 2005. Temporal instability in Chicago's upland old growth forests. Chicago Wilderness Journal 3(2)5-16.
  • Zettler, L.W., K.A. Piskin, S.L. Stewart, J.J. Hartsock, M.L. Bowles & T.J. Bell. 2005 Protocorm mycobionts of the Federally threatened eastern prairie fringed orchid, Platanthera leucophaea (Nutt.) Lindley, and a technique to prompt leaf elongation in seedlings. Studies in Mycology 53.
  • Bowles, M., L. Zettler, T. Bell & P. Kelsey. 2005. Relationships between soil characteristics, distribution and restoration potential of the federal threatened eastern prairie fringed orchid, Platanthera leucophaea (Nutt.) Lindl. The American Midland Naturalist 154: 273-285.
  • Bowles, M.L., P.D. Kelsey & J.L. McBride. 2005. Relationships among environmental factors, vegetation zones, and species richness in a North American calcareous prairie fen. Wetlands 25(3):685-697.
  • Bowles, M. & M. Jones. 2006. Testing the efficacy of species richness and floristic quality assessment of quality, temporal change and fire effects in tallgrass prairie natural areas. Natural Areas Journal 26:17-30.
  • Bowles, M. & M. Jones 2006. Trends of change in composition and structure of Chicago region wetland vegetation.  Chicago Wilderness Journal 4(3)25-34.

Books & proceedings

  • Bowles, M.L., V.E. Diersing, J.E. Ebinger, & H.C. Schultz, editors. 1981. Endangered and threatened vertebrate animals and vascular plants of Illinois. Illinois Department of Conservation, Springfield, and Natural Land Institute, Rockford.
  • Bowles, M.L. & C. Whelan (editors). 1994. Restoration of Endangered Species:Conceptual Issues, Planning and Implementation. Cambridge University Press.

Book & proceedings chapters

  • Bowles, M.L. & R.H. Thom. 1981. Endangered and threatened birds. Pages: 34-58 in Bowles, M.L., V.E. Diersing, J.E. Ebinger, & H.C. Schultz, editors. Endangered and threatened vertebrate animals and vascular plants of Illinois. Illinois Department of Conservation, Springfield, and Natural Land Institute, Rockford.
  • Bowles, M.L., K. Kerr, R.H. Thom, & D.E. Birkenholz. 1981. Endangered and threatened birds of Illinois Prairies. Pages 257-260 in R.L. Stuckey & K.J. Reese, editors, Proceedings of the Sixth North American Prairie Conference. Ohio Biological Survey Notes No. 15.
  • McEachern, K., M. Bowles, & N. Pavlovic. 1994. A metapopulation approach to recovery of the federally threatened Pitcher's thistle (Cirsium pitcheri) in southern Lake Michigan dunes. Pages 194-218 in, M. Bowles, & C. Whelan (editors), Restoration of Endangered Species: conceptual issues, planning and implementation. Cambridge University Press.
  • Bowles, M.L., M.D. Hutchison, & J.L. McBride. 1994. Landscape pattern and structure of oak savanna, woodland, and barrens in northeastern Illinois at the time of European settlement. Pages 65-73 in, J.S. Fralish, R.C. Anderson, J.E. Ebinger, & R. Szafoni (editors), Proceedings of the North American Conference on Savannas and Barrens. Illinois State University, Normal.
  • Bowles, M.L., & J.L. McBride. 1994. Presettlement barrens in the glaciated prairie region of Illinois. Pages 65-85 in, J.S. Fralish, R.C. Anderson, J.E. Ebinger, & R. Szafoni (editors), Proceedings of the North American Conference on Savannas and Barrens. Illinois State University, Normal.
  • Pavlovic, N.B. & M.L. Bowles. 1996. Rare plant monitoring at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Pages 253-280 in W.L. Halvorson and G.E. Davis (editors), Science and ecosystem management in the National Parks. Pages. The University of Arizona Press.
  • Bowles, M.L. & J.L. McBride. 1996. Status and structure of a Pitcher's thistle (Cirsium pitcheri) population reintroducted to Illinois Beach Nature Preserve. Pages 194-218 in, D.Falk, P. Olwell, and C. Millar (editors), Restoring Diversity: Ecological Restoration and Endangered Plants. Island Press.
  • Anderson, R.C. & M.L. Bowles 1999. Deep-soil savannas and barrens of the midwestern United States. pages 155-170 in, R.C. Anderson, J. Fralish, & Jerry Baskin (editors), The savanna, barren, and rock outcrop communities of North America. Cambridge University Press.
  • Bowles, M.L. 1999. Restoration and reintroduction of endangered plants: A North American perspective. Pages 238-244 in, Darnaedi, D, et al. (editors), Proceedings of the National Seminar on Indonesian Plant Conservation. Upt Balai Pengembangan Kebun Raya Lembaga Ilmu Pengetahauan Indonesia.
  • Hayworth, D.A., M.L. Bowles, B.A. Schaal, & K.E. Shingleton. 2001. Clonal population structure of the federal threatened Mead's milkweed, as determined by RAPD analysis, and its conservation implications. Pages 182-190 in, N.P. Bernstein & L.J. Ostrander (editors), Seeds for the Future - Roots of the Past: Proceedings of the Seventh North American Prairie Conference. North Iowa Area Community College, Mason City, Iowa.
  • Bell, T., M. Bowles, & K. McEachern. 2003. Projecting the success of plant population restoration with viability analysis. Pages 313-348 In, C.A. Brigham & M.M. Schwartz (editors), Population Viability in Plants. Springer-Verlag, Heidelberg.
  • Bowles, M. & M. Jones. 2006. The prairie-wetland vegetation continuum in the Chicago region of northeastern Illinois.  Pages 23-35 in: Proceedings of the 19th North American Prairie Conference. D. Eagan & J. Harrington (eds). Madison, Wisconsin.