A rusty-patched bumble bee foraging on bee balm. (Photo: Susan Carpenter)
The Arboretum is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2025 Research Fellowships. Three UW–Madison graduate students have been granted fellowships for projects that investigate topics such as chemical ecology, ecosystem engineers, and carbon dynamics after prescribed fire. The Fellows will receive funding and access to Arboretum land and resources. The Arboretum will also foster connections among the Fellows and with the broader community. In February 2026, the Fellows will present at the annual Arboretum Research Symposium.
Research Fellowships for one year of support were awarded to Linden Taylor (PhD student, Department of Botany); Aundrea Taylor (MS student, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology); and Mengmeng Luo (PhD student, Department of Soil and Environmental Sciences).
Linden Taylor will investigate the chemical ecology of wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), a perennial herb native to North America. This species exhibits exceptional within-species chemical diversity with six distinct chemical phenotypes, called chemotypes, each associated with a dominant compound in plant extracts. Using surveys of Wisconsin prairie populations, this study will provide insight on whether heterogeneity in soil resources has a role in the distribution and maintenance of chemical diversity in native prairie plants.
Aundrea Taylor will study the above- and belowground effects of foraging by deer. White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are considered ecosystem engineers because of their prolific reproduction rate and foraging activities. However, excessive deer pressure is re-shaping southern Wisconsin’s forests because of their preferential browsing and high population densities. This study explores how deer herbivory impacts forest floor vegetation and the response of soil physiochemical properties in the Lost City Forest at the UW Arboretum. Taylor’s findings will enhance our understanding of deer-vegetation-soil interactions and aim to help forest management strategies.
Mengmeng Luo will investigate the distribution of pyrogenic (fire-affected) carbon following prescribed fire. Prescribed fire is a useful tool for ecological restoration, maintaining biodiversity, and managing soil health and carbon sequestration in fire-adapted ecosystems. There is limited understanding of pyrogenic carbon’s vertical distribution and movement in soils post-fire, especially in ecosystems with low-intensity, high-frequency fire regimes like tallgrass prairies in Wisconsin. This research will investigate the vertical dynamics of pyrogenic carbon and evaluate how fire intensity and seasonal changes (like freeze-thaw cycles) influence pyrogenic carbon dynamics. Luo’s findings will contribute to carbon sequestration research, improve modeling, and inform land management strategies.
In addition to the new cohort of Arboretum Research Fellows, Aishwarya Veerabahu will continue as the Arboretum Leopold Fellow in 2025. Veerabahu is investigating the ecological impacts of the golden oyster mushroom, an edible invasive wood decay fungus, on native fungal communities and their decay regimes, using a combination of field and molecular techniques. Veerabahu’s work also fosters community engagement through citizen science and advocacy.
These Fellows were selected for their potential to advance knowledge and have a sustained influence in their field, as well as their projects’ relevance to the Arboretum’s mission and work. The recipients demonstrate a passion for conservation, an understanding of the real-world applications of their work, and a dedication to engaging our community in science. We look forward to sharing more about the Fellows and the progress of their research.
—Maddie Smith, Community Education Coordinator
