Josh Adkins Academic Interests and Current Research
The main motivating force that led me to be a student of the environmental sciences is the conservation and preservation of our natural resources locally and globally. My research interests fall under the broad topics of stream ecology and water quality. More specifically, the effects of invasive exotic plants and animals in aquatic and terrestrial settings, and the restoration of ecosystems impaired by biological invasions.
My PhD research is aimed on examining the impacts that a terrestrial exotic invader, the hemlock woolly adelgid, will have on the structure and function of headwater stream ecosystems. The hemlock woolly adelgid is a sap feeding insect that feeds on hemlocks (Tsuga spp.), leading to mortality in some species. Eastern hemlock is an important riparian species that plays a large role in maintaining stable conditions in headwater streams. It is also very susceptible to the hemlock woolly adelgid, with mortality occurring as quickly as four years. I am interested in monitoring changes in physical and chemical characteristics, along with the changes in benthic and riparian arthropod community assemblages in headwater streams associated with eastern hemlock decline. You can read more about the hemlock woolly adelgid here.
Personal Interests
I am from Elliott County, a beautiful rural area nestled in the hills of Eastern Kentucky. I'm interested in the stories and traditions of my home and from places all across the world. I'm deeply intrigued by the mythology from various cultures. I am a huge fan of college basketball (Go Big Blue!), and I enjoy action and science fiction movies. I collect comic books, and while I love music of all kinds from bluegrass to metal, albums by Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Clutch, and Monster Magnet are in almost constant rotation.
Education
- M.S. in Forestry
University of Kentucky, 2004-2006
Advisor: Thomas G. Barnes
Thesis Research: Efficacy of herbicides to restore understory cool season grassland communities in Central Kentucky - B.S. in Environmental Science w/ Emphasis in Regional Analysis & Public Policy
Morehead State University, 1999-2004
Teaching Experience
Instructional Assistant Fall 2006 - FOR 205: Forest and Wildland Soils and Landscapes
Grants and Fellowships
Tracy Farmer Center for the Environment, Karri Casner Environmental Sciences Fellowship, 2008. Title: Alteration of Headwater Stream Characteristics By Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Invasions. $1,000
Awards and Recognition
The Kentucky Chapter of The Wildlife Society, 2007 Annual Meeting. Best Student Paper Award. Title: The Efficacy of Herbicides for Removing Kentucky Bluegrass from Cool-season Grasslands in Central Kentucky.
Publications
Dodd, L. E., and J. K. Adkins. 2008. Observations of mating behavior in the eastern red bat (Lasiurus borealis). Bat Research News.
Presentations
Adkins, J.K. and Barnes, T.G. 2007. The Efficacy of Herbicides for Removing Kentucky Bluegrass from Cool-season Grasslands in Central Kentucky. The 2007 Annual Meeting of the Kentucky Chapter of The Wildlife Society.
Adkins, J.K. and Barnes, T.G. 2007. The Efficacy of Herbicides for Removing Kentucky Bluegrass from Cool-season Grasslands in Central Kentucky. The 9th Annual Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council Symposium.
Adkins, J.K. and Barnes, T.G. 2006. The Use of Herbicides to Restore Native Cool Season Grasslands. The 2006 Annual Meeting of the Kentucky Chapter of the Wildlife Society.
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