Ally is currently a Master’s student at the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability specializing in Ecosystem Science and Management. Ally contributed to monitoring efforts through adding and updating invasive species distribution data, with an emphasis on common and glossy buckthorn populations, to existing GIS records on Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum properties. She also recorded inventory data for native woody plants occurring along Fleming Creek to initiate efforts in evaluating beaver site impact and habitat suitability on botanical gardens property. Ally is passionate about ecological restoration and hopes to continue her professional career in her home state of Michigan following graduation.

TSN Conference 2026

January 23rd, 2026 (Friday) // 11:55 am – 12:20 pm // Room 103 // Ecological Inventory and Monitoring for Biodiversity Conservation // Inventory and monitoring are essential components of adaptive management, providing key metrics to guide management decision-making for biodiversity conservation. For effective management, land managers need to be aware of biodiversity as well as shifts in ecosystem dynamics. However, managers often make decisions with limited data. To rectify this, we designed and implemented a replicable inventory and monitoring protocol based on the needs of Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum (MBGNA). Our protocol includes mapping and monitoring invasive plants, conducting experimental oak plantings, and performing a Floristic Quality Assessment in a prairie managed with prescribed fire. We also utilize bioblitzes and iNaturalist to assist with insect inventory on the properties. Overall, our ecological inventory and monitoring efforts provide crucial data for informing land management decisions at MBGNA and other conservation organizations across southeast Michigan.