Daniel Hernández

Education & Professional History

University of Minnesota, PhD

2016- 2025: Program Faculty, UC Santa Cruz Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program

2022-2024: Board Member and Chair, Sharing Our Roots

2008-09: Visiting Assistant Professor, Hamline University

2007-08: Postdoctoral Scholar, UC, Santa Cruz Conservation Science and Stewardship Lab

2006: Visiting Instructor, St. Olaf College

Organizations & Scholarly Affiliations

Ecological Society of America (ESA)

Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS)

I am an ecosystem ecologist broadly interested in the recovery of ecosystem functioning following habitat restoration or adoption of sustainable management practices. I work in restored tallgrass prairies and regenerative agricultural systems in Minnesota. I study the ecosystem impacts of different restoration or management practices, the recovery of soil carbon and nutrients, and how the impacts of global change influence restoration and management approaches.

Current research questions include:

• How should restoration approaches be revised to make grasslands resilient to climate change?
• How effective are different management tools (fire, haying, grazing) for maintaining biodiversity in grasslands?
• What is the functional role of dominant grass species on ecosystem functioning in restored prairies?
• How does the modern assemblage of mammalian herbivores in prairie influence ecological processes?
• Do regenerative agricultural practices restore soil quality on degraded lands?

Much of my research takes place in the restored prairies of Carleton’s Cowling Arboretum. I am also involved in collaborative research projects with The Nature Conservancy, Dakota County Parks, and local Northfield farmers.

These projects include investigating the long-term effects of different prairie management strategies at the Pembina Trail Preserve, the impacts of bison reintroduction on restored prairie ecosystems at Spring Lake Park Reserve, and monitoring the effects of regenerative agricultural practices on ecosystem processes at farms in the Regenerative Agriculture Alliance.

I teach a range of courses at Carleton related to Ecology and Conservation, including:

• Ecosystem Ecology (BIOL 321/322)
• Global Change Biology (BIOL 210)
• Grassland Ecology (BIOL 374)
• Conservation Biology (BIOL 366)
• Sense of Place: Art and Ecology of Tallgrass Prairie (IDSC 257; team taught with Eleanor Jensen)
• The Socioecological Life of Corn (ENTS 250/251; team taught with Constanza Ocampo-Raeder)

* indicates undergraduate co-author

In review

Gabor, M.*, M. Hofmann*, and D.L Hernández. In review. Poultry grazing accelerates the ecological benefits of perennialization in a regenerative agroforestry system. Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems.

Hernández, D.L., S.M. Jones*, and M.J. McKone. In review. Exclusion of dominant grasses from restored prairies has long-term impacts on species richness and ecosystem properties. Ecological Applications.

2020-present

Hernández, D.L., A. Antia*, and M.J. McKone. 2022. The ecosystem impacts of dominant species exclusion in a prairie restoration. Ecological Applications 32: e2592.

Hernández, D.L. and J. Bump. 2022. Predation of a beaver (Castor canadensis) by a gray wolf (Canis lupus) during winter. American Midland Naturalist 187: 97-103.

Church, M.J., J.E. Cloern, M. Evans-White, J.M. Grebmeier, D.L. Hernández, C.M. Laney, G. North. 2022. Decadal review of the Long Term Ecological Research Program: a report of the 40-year review committee. Report for the National Science Foundation.

Wolf, A.A., E.S. Zavaleta, P.C. Selmants, J.L Funk, D.L. Hernández, J. Pasari, and C. Morozumi. 2021. Trait-based filtering mediates the effects of realistic biodiversity losses on ecosystem functioning. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 118: e2022757118.

McKone, M.J. and D.L. Hernández. 2021. Community-level assisted migration for climate-appropriate prairie restoration. Restoration Ecology 29: e13416.

Libbey, K.* and D.L. Hernández. 2021. Depth profile of soil carbon and nitrogen accumulation over two decades in a prairie restoration experiment. Ecosystems 24: 1348-1360.

Larson, D., D.L. Hernández, J. Larson, J. Leone, and N. Pennarola. 2020. Management of remnant tallgrass prairies by grazing or fire: effects on plant communities and soil properties. Ecosphere 11: e03213.

Pruszenski, J.M.* and D.L. Hernández. 2020. White-tailed deer in tallgrass prairie: novel densities of a native herbivore in managed ecosystems. Natural Areas Journal 40: 101-110.

Pruszenski J.M.* and D.L. Hernández. 2020. White-tailed deer fecal matter distribution and nutrient contribution in tallgrass prairie. American Midland Naturalist 184: 268-273.

Shorb, C.M.*, L.A., Freymiller*, and D.L. Hernández. 2020. Differential responses of prairie rodents to edge effects from recreational trails. Nature Conservation 41: 113-140.

Vail, D.C.*, D.L. Hernández, E. Velis*, and A. Wills. 2020. Compost tea production methods affect soil nitrogen and microbial activity in a northern highbush blueberry system. Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems 44: 1370-1383.

2010-2019

De Jager, N.R., W. Swanson, D.L. Hernández, J. Reich*, R. Erickson, and E. Strauss. 2019. Effects of flood inundation, invasion by Phalaris arundinacea, and nitrogen deposition on extracellular enzyme activity in an Upper Mississippi River floodplain forest. Wetlands Ecology and Management 27: 443–454.

Buckner, E.V.*, D.L. Hernández, and J.F. Samhouri. 2018. Conserving connectivity: human influence on subsidy transfer and relevant restoration efforts. Ambio 47: 493-503.

Noe, R.*, E. Nachman*, H. Heavenrich*, B. Keeler, D.L. Hernández, and J. Hill. 2016. Assessing uncertainty in the profitability of prairie biomass production with ecosystem service compensation. Ecosystem Services 21: 103-108.

Hernández, D.L., D.M. Vallano, E.S. Zavaleta, J. Pasari, Z. Tzankova, S. Weiss, P.C. Selmants, and C. Morozumi. 2016. Nitrogen is linked to U.S. listed species declines. BioScience 66: 213-222.

Beck, J.A.*, D.L. Hernández, J.R. Pasari, and E.S. Zavaleta. 2015. Grazing maintains native plant diversity and promotes community stability in an annual grassland. Ecological Applications 25: 1259-127.

Nisi, A.C.*, D.L. Hernández, L.P. English*, and E.S. Rogers*. 2015. Patterns of selective herbivory on five prairie legume species. American Midland Naturalist 173: 110-121.

Pasari, J.R., D.L. Hernández, and E.S. Zavaleta. 2014. Interactive effects of nitrogen deposition and grazing on plant species composition in a serpentine grassland. Rangeland Ecology and Management 67: 693-700.

Hernández, D.L., E.H. Esch*, C.J. Alster*, M.J. McKone, and P. Camill. 2013. Rapid accumulation of soil carbon and nitrogen in a prairie restoration chronosequence. Soil Science Society of America Journal 77: 2029-2038.

Esch, E.H.*, D.L. Hernández, J.R. Pasari, R. Kantor*, and P.C. Selmants. 2013. Response of soil microbial activity to grazing, nitrogen deposition, and exotic cover in a serpentine grassland. Plant and Soil 366: 671-682.

Selmants, P.C., E.S. Zavaleta, J.R. Pasari, and D.L. Hernández. 2012. Realistic plant species losses reduce invasion resistance in a California serpentine grassland. Journal of Ecology 100: 723-731.

Hernández, D.L. and S.E. Hobbie. 2010. The effects of substrate composition, quantity, and diversity on microbial activity. Plant and Soil 335: 397-411.

before 2009

Zavaleta, E.S., J. Pasari, J. Moore, D.L. Hernández, K.B. Suttle, and C. Wilmers. 2009. Ecosystem responses to community disassembly. The Year in Ecology and Conservation Biology, in Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1162: 311-333.

Schlatter, D.*, A. Fubuh, K. Xiao, D.L. Hernández, S.E. Hobbie, and L. Kinkel. 2009. Resource amendments influence density and competitive phenotypes of Streptomyces in soil. Microbial ecology 57: 413-420.

Hernández, D.L. and S.E. Hobbie. 2008. The effects of fire frequency on oak litter decomposition and nitrogen dynamics. Oecologia 158: 535–543.

Hernández, D.L., J.D. Mell*, and M.D. Eaton. 2007. Aerial predation of a bat by an American Crow. The Wilson Journal of Ornithology 119: 763-764.

Eaton, M.D. and D.L. Hernández. 2005. A cause of mortality for aerial insectivores?  The Wilson Bulletin 117: 196-198.