Dr. Toben Lafrançois, Assistant Scientist

Ph.D., University of Minnesota (Philosophy of Science), 2006
M.A., Colorado State University (Philosophy), 2000
M.S., Colorado State University (Ecology), 1995
B.A., University of Wisconsin, Madison (Zoology, Philosophy), 1993

Phone: 651-433-5953 ext. 38
email:

Relevant professional certifications

Certified Ecologist, Ecological Society of America
Certified endangered species surveyor, unionid mussels, MN DNR
Advanced open water and rescue SCUBA diver, PADI

Research Interests

Freshwater biology and ecology have been the center of my work at many scales—from Lake Superior to desert rock pools in Utah. I work primarily with freshwater invertebrates ranging in size from microscopic rotifers to charismatic megafauna like unionid mussels. Invertebrates are intrinsically interesting to me but I study them because they link biogeochemical cycling, food webs, and water quality. I am particularly interested in zooplankton and their relationship to fish, nutrient cycles, invasive species and human changes to the watershed. I have recently begun work in paleoecology using sub fossils of crustaceans and other organisms to refine our understanding of the ecological history of freshwater systems. Training in the philosophy, history, and logical structures of science has led me to research on how ecologists integrate taxonomic scales into ecosystem analyses- basically integrating my interests in systematics, taxonomy, and ecology. Finally, since it is selfish to keep all the fun to myself, I continuously work to engage young adults in hands-on experiences with field science and the natural systems human life depends on.

Paleozoology of shallow lakes in Minnesota.

Eutrophication of lakes is a well known problem, but what is not so clear is how shallow lakes function. It seems that shallow lakes 'flip' between alternate states (i.e., a turbid, algal dominated state and clear, macrophyte dominated state). The function of shallow lakes takes on even more importance because they have the potential to bury a substantial amount of carbon, and play a role in the global carbon cycle. As part of an NSF funded study of organic carbon burial in shallow lakes of Minnesota, I am looking at zooplankton in sediment cores. The paleoecology of zooplankton offers a new way to corroborate trends in other indices as well as examine effects of fish, winter kills, and recent management practices.

Zooplankton in Rocky Mountain lakes.

Mountain lakes are sentinel systems because they allow scientists to detect human changes to the environment such as atmospheric deposition of nutrients or mercury, or long term changes in climate. These lakes are not pristine, however beautiful they appear. Most mountain lakes were fishless until European settlement, and fish introductions change the way nutrients are cycled and other key processes. Understanding fish introductions on zooplankton in the Rocky Mountains is a way to further our understanding of how these systems work. Zooplankton ecology has direct management implications relating fish stocking to water quality and clarity. This work is also an important refinement of the value these lakes have as sentinel systems for other biogeochemical processes. I am currently writing up data from a rapid survey of 33 mountain lakes in Rocky Mountain National Park to show differences attributed to environmental gradients, including fish introductions. Upcoming work will include paleoecological examination of past zooplankton communities as a refinement on work with diatoms, particularly with regard to how fish introductions have impacted nutrient cycling independently from other processes (like atmospheric deposition of mercury, for example).

Ecological value of historic material from one of the fathers of American ecology, S. A. Forbes.

The SCWRS owns an amazing collection of microscope slides that contain whole samples of zooplankton collected between 1891 and 1920. The earliest collections were made from material collected by S. A. Forbes, famous for his paradigm-defining work in ecology The Lake as a Microcosm. I am working on digitizing and preserving this material, but also using it as a form of ecological data. For example, the samples taken by Forbes from Yellowstone Lake are the only material available just before Lake Trout were introduced. My work is focusing on the possibility of using the Forbes material from Yellowstone Lake and other nearby lakes as a window into past ecosystem function, which is important given the massive efforts to remove invasive species from national parks, particularly Yellowstone. Ultimately, I intend to use paleoecological methods in conjunction with the historic material. Other slides from Samuel Eddy include zooplankton from dozens of Minnesota and Wisconsin lakes which are equally valuable as indicators of past ecological conditions.

Monitoring invasive species and native unionid mussels of the St. Croix R.

Freshwater mussels are functionally important in river systems, but are disappearing at alarming rates. As a member of the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway Dive Team, I volunteer to dive on a regular basis to monitor invasive zebra mussels and study native Unionid mussel populations (including several endangered species). This work is done in collaboration with the MN DNR, USGS, Macalester College, and the Army Corps of Engineers. Based on this experience assisting top unionid experts on the St. Croix River, I have worked to become a certified mussel surveyor in MN.

STARS: Science Training And Research Skills for high school and college students.

In 1987 I participated in a pilot program taking high school students to Madeline Island (WI) to study ecology. This program got me hooked on science, and I have returned as a technician and most recently as a teacher for this same program (now conducted at St. Croix State Park, MN). To expand on this line of work, I am proud to be one of the coordinators of STARS at the SCWRS. STARS is a long term program to engage high school and college students in hands-on learning in both the field and laboratory. We train participants and give them background knowledge and context so they can fully participate in field and laboratory science. This benefits everyone involved because the STARS participants learn but also contribute directly to science. In a time when citizens are more and more removed from the systems upon which life depends, developing awareness of the natural world and scientific literacy in the next generation is very important. STARS gives its participants opportunities to have fun, to learn science directly from experts, and to gain valuable experience as they enter college or graduate studies.

Representative publications

(in progress) Lafrançois, T., B. Moraska Lafrançois, J. Baron. Rapid assessment of fish introduction effects on zooplankton biomass and community composition, Rocky Mountain National Park. To be submitted to J. Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research.

(in progress) Lafrançois, T., R. Lawrenz. Historical and ecological importance of S.A. Forbes’ zooplankton collections from Yellowstone, 1891-1893. To be submitted to Hydrobiologia special issue in memoriam of Dr. Stanley Dodson.

Lafrançois, T. 2009. Zooplankton of Wild Goose and Ward Lakes, Polk Co. WI, 2008. Final report to Polk County Land and Water Resources Dept., March 2009.

Lafrançois, T. 2006. Taxonomic Resolution in Ecology. Ph.D. dissertation. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota.

Baron, Jill S., Lafrançois, T., Kondratieff, B. 1998. Chemical and biological characteristics of desert rock pools in intermittent streams of Capitol Reef National Park, Utah. Great Basin Naturalist 58(3): 250-64.

Nimmo, D., Wilcox, M., Lafrançois, T., Chapman, P., Brinkman S., and Greene. J. 1998. Effects of metal mining and milling on boundary waters of Yellowstone National Park, USA. Environmental Management 22(6): 913-26.

Lafrançois, T. 1996. An intensive study of desert rock pool systems in Capitol Reef National Park. Park Science 16(3): 14-5.