Katrina Butkas
Graduate Student
Contact:
Katrina Butkas
UW - Madison
Center for Limnology
680 N. Park St.
Madison, WI 53706
Email: butkas@wisc.edu
Phone: (608)262-3014
Fax: (608)265-2340
Office: 126
Education:
(2005) B. S. in Biology with 2nd major in Studio Art from Allegheny College (Meadville,PA)
Current Research:
(2005 - Present) I am currently working on a collaborative project examining the relative importance of benthic (bottom-based) versus pelagic (open water-based) pathways of energy flow in several north temperate lakes. In particular, I am interested in 1) improving methodologies for estimating benthic secondary production at the whole community level and 2) understanding the relative importance of habitat-level variables (e.g., substrate) and lake-level variables (e.g., size) in determining benthic secondary production and its importance to higher consumers.
Past Research Projects:
(2002-2004) For my senior thesis, I surveyed the zebra mussels, unionid mussels, and other benthos of the nine natural lakes in northwestern Pennsylvania. I then drew among-lake and among-habitat comparisons in invertebrate community structure. This project was funded by PA Sea Grant and I was mentored by Dr. Milt Ostrofsky
(2004) After graduating from Allegheny, I spent some time in the Rocky Mountians working for Dr. Scott Wissinger at Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory. In this scenic environment, I had the privilege of working on short-term experimental and ongoing long-term studies elucidating the trophic interactions driving population dynamics of salamanders in alpine lakes.
Publications:
Online publication:
2004 - K Butkas and M Ostrofsky - A Benthic Survey of the Natural Lakes of Northwestern Pennsylvania
Poster at North American Benthological Society conference:
2006 - S Wissinger, H Whiteman, M Denoël, H Greig, K Butkas - Effects of long-term population fluctuations of a top predator on invertebrate communities in subalpine ponds in Colorado.
Peer-reviewed paper:
K J Butkas and M L Ostrofsky. 2006. The status of unionid and dreissenid mussels in northwestern Pennsylvania inland lakes. The Nautilus 120 (3): 106 - 111.
Personal:
I enjoy a suite of outdoor activities including hiking, canoeing, camping, and SCUBA diving. I am also a poet and artist; my subject matter in this field is the intersection of personal narrative and social commentary. I also do visual works as gifts and for non-art organizations.