Associate Professor of Biology
Science Center 65
Phone: (319) 352-8708
Fax: (319) 352-8606
Email: johanna.foster@wartburg.edu

Mail address
Biology Department
Wartburg College
100 Wartburg Blvd.
Waverly, Iowa, USA 50677

Courses Taught
BI 117 Environmental Biology
BI 151 Ecosystem, Cells, & Evolution
BI 152 Form and Function
BI 455 Methods of Biological Research
BI 456 Student Research
BI 461 Science Seminar

Advising Expertise
Biology, environmental biology, ecology, field work, and graduate-level ecology

Research Interests

Tallgrass prairies are one of our most endangered ecosystems within North America: there are less than 5% for the entire United States and less than 0.1% in Iowa! Restoring and preserving this ecosystem is one of my major interests. I am currently working on the effects that mound-building ants have on prairie plants and soils; and I have discovered that ant mounds have significant effects on soil organic matter, moisture, plant species distributions, and plant cover. I plan to expand this research to include ant behavior related to plant/insect interactions, and to add greenhouse experiments to identify specific plant responses to changes that occur on the prairie. 

A new addition to my prairie research is the study of the effects that bison have on the prairie plant community.  Dr. Buckholz and I started a project that compares plant communities located adjacent to bison wallows against those found away from wallows.  This project occurs at the Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge near Prairie City, IA.  We are also trying to identify bison grazing behavior, and ultimately the impact of this grazing, on the plant community via fecal matter.  These outcomes are potentially measurable via bison DNA and ingested plant material as found in the feces, i.e. “bison flops”.

I also have a restricted pesticide applicator’s license to study the effects of herbicidal runoff onto native prairies when those prairies are adjacent to farm fields.

Any student who is interested in working with me on any of these projects are welcome to come to my office or e-mail me.