Lydia Lydia S. Regier
- Liberal Arts and Sciences, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Contact Info
Lawrence
Personal Links
Biography —
Growing up in Kansas and Nebraska before coming to the Baer Lab for my Ph.D., I developed a deep appreciation for the Great Plains and their diverse plant communities, which is what led me to grassland restoration and ecosystem ecology. I am passionate about understanding how disturbances affect above- and belowground communities through my research in the tallgrass prairie at Konza. I also enjoy hiking, running, yoga, gardening, and crochet!
Education —
Research —
I am interested in how ecosystem structure and function in restored grasslands are influenced by establishment conditions (e.g., climate) and how this influences their future resilience, as well as the mechanisms that may contribute to or detract from long-lasting diversity in restored grasslands. I am curious about how both above-ground (plant) and below-ground (fungal) communities respond to and influence these changes and mechanisms.
Selected Presentations —
- Regier, L.S., Westberg, L.M., & Baer, S.G. (February 2026). Effects of Management Interventions to Increase Conservations Value in a 26-Year-Old Restored Prairie [talk]. Kansas Natural Resources Conference: Manhattan, Kansas.
- Regier, L.S. & Baer, S.G. (August 2025). Planting-Year Climate as a Predictor of Ecosystem Functioning During Restored Prairie Development [talk]. Ecological Society of America AnnualMeeting: Baltimore, Maryland.
Awards & Honors —
- Garden Club of America Fellowship in Ecological Restoration awardee, 2025
Memberships —
- KU Community Garden co-president, 2025-present
- Kansas Ecosystems for Elementary Students (KEES) volunteer, 2023-present
- Ecological Society of America, 2024—Present
- Botanical Society of America, 2022—2024
- Society for Range Management, 2020—2023