Research Interests
My major professional interests fall into the general categories of ecology, environmental studies, and conservation biology. I am particularly interested in investigating interdisciplinary problems that lie at the intersection of humans and nature.
For the past eight years my research has focused on the ecological and cultural dynamics of alien species invasions and native ecosystem restoration practices within the Hawaiian Islands. My on-going research in Hawaiian dry forests illustrates how restoring ecosystems can bring together a wide range of academic professionals, students, and members of other government and private interest groups from across the political spectrum.
Click on the following links for more information on Hawaii's dry forests and my research program within this ecosystem .
Bioscience Article on Cabin’s Dry Forest Research Program
I am also fascinated by the rapidly growing science of restoration ecology and the practice of ecological restoration in the often messy real world. In my experience, what actually gets accomplished within a given restoration project is the product of a complex interaction among various scientific, conservation, and land management objectives; economic, logistic, and biological realities; and the personal ethics, values, and egos of the project’s key personnel. This process in turn often leads to broader ethical and philosophical questions that I want to explore with the greater Brevard College Community.
For instance, should our efforts to restore a particular ecosystem be guided primarily by aesthetic and moral arguments or by more utilitarian and economic concerns? On an even more fundamental level, some prominent scientists and philosophers have challenged the entire paradigm of restoration ecology itself, raising such questions as: "Does this emerging discipline provide an appropriate and powerful new tool for healing the earth and our alienated relationship with nature, or is it merely a glorified form of misguided gardening?" "Are restorationists arrogantly 'playing God' and 'faking nature' or humbly doing humanity’s most noble work?"
For more information about the world of Restoration Ecology, check out:
The Society for Ecological Restoration
Scientific Publications
Cabin, R. J., S. Cordell, D. Sandquist, J. Thaxton, and C. Litton. 2004. Restoration of tropical dry forests in Hawaii: Can scientific research, habitat restoration, and educational outreach happily coexist within a small private reserve? pp. 1-8 in: The Proceedings of the International Society for Ecological Restoration, August 24-26, Victoria, Canada
Cordell, S., R. J. Cabin, and D. Sandquist. 2004. An invasive grass has significant impacts on tropical dry forest ecosystems in Hawaii: The role of science in landscape level resource management and native forest restoration in West Hawaii. pp. 1-6 in: The Proceedings of the International Society for Ecological Restoration, August 24-26, Victoria, Canada
Cordell, S., R. J. Cabin, and L. J. Hadway. 2002. Physiological ecology of native and alien dry forest shrubs in Hawaii. Biological Invasions: 4:387-396
Cabin, R. J., S. G. Weller, D. H. Lorence, S. Cordell, L. J. Hadway, R. Montgomery, D. Goo, and A. Urakami. 2002. Effects of light, alien grass, and native species additions on Hawaiian dry forest restoration. Ecological Applications: 12:1595-1610
Cabin, R. J., S. G. Weller, D. H. Lorence, S. Cordell, and L. J. Hadway. 2002. Effects of microsite, water, weeding, and direct seeding on the regeneration of native and alien species within a Hawaiian dry forest preserve. Biological Conservation: 104:181-190
Cordell, S., R. J. Cabin, S. G. Weller, and D. Lorence. 2002. Simple and cost-effective methods control fountain grass in dry forests (Hawaii). Ecological Restoration: 20:139-140
Sakai, A. K., S. G. Weller, F. Allendorf, J. Holt, D. Lodge, J. Molofsky, S. Baughman, R. J. Cabin, J. Cohen, N. C. Ellstand, D. McCauley, P. O’Neill, I. Parker, and J. Thompson. 2001. The population biology of invasive species. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics: 32:305-332
Kleiman, D. G., R. P. Reading, R. L. Wallace, R. J. Cabin, J. Robinson, and F. Felleman. 2000. Improving the value of conservation programs. Conservation Biology: 14:1569.
Cabin, R. J., D. L. Marshall, and R. J. Mitchell 2000. The demographic role of soil seed banks II: investigations of the fate of experimental seeds of the desert mustard Lesquerella fendleri. Journal of Ecology: 88:293-302.
Cabin, R. J., S. Weller, D. Lorence, T. Flynn, A. Sakai, D. Sandquist, L. Hadway 2000. Effects of long-term ungulate exclusion and recent alien species control on the preservation and restoration of a Hawaiian tropical dry forest. Conservation Biology: 14:439-453.
Kleiman, D. G., R. P. Reading, B. J. Miller, T. W. Clark, J. M. Scott, J. Robinson, R. L. Wallace, R. J. Cabin, F. Felleman 2000. Improving the evaluation of conservation programs. Conservation Biology: 14: 356-365.
Cabin, R. J., S. Weller, D. Lorence, and L. Hadway 1999. Restoring tropical dry forests with direct seeding: the effects of light, water, and weeding (Hawaii). Ecological Restoration: 17:237-238.
Cabin, R. J., R. J. Mitchell, D. L. Marshall 1998. Do surface plant and soil seed bank populations differ genetically? A multipopulation study of the desert mustard Lesquerella fendleri (Brassicaceae). American Journal of Botany: 85:1098-1109
Cabin, R. J., A. S. Evans, R. J. Mitchell 1997. Genetic effects of germination timing and environment: an experimental investigation. Evolution: 51:1427-1434
Cabin, R. J., A. S. Evans, R. J. Mitchell. 1997. Do plants derived from seeds that readily germinate differ from plants derived from seeds that require forcing to germinate? A case study of the desert mustard Lesquerella Fendleri. American Midland Naturalist: 138:121-133
Roll, J, R. J. Mitchell, R. J. Cabin, D. L. Marshall 1997. Reproductive success increases with local density of conspecifics in a desert mustard (Lesquerella fendleri). Conservation Biology: 11:738-746
Cabin, R. J. 1996. Genetic comparisons of seed bank and seedling populations of the desert mustard Lesquerella fendleri. Evolution: 50:1830-1841
Cabin, R. J., A. S. Evans, D. L. Jennings, D. L. Marshall, R. J. Mitchell, A. A. Sher 1996. Using bud pollinations to avoid self-incompatibility: implications from studies of three mustards. Canadian Journal of Botany: 74:285-289
Evans, A. S., R. J. Mitchell, R. J. Cabin 1996. Morphological side effects of using gibberellic acid to induce germination: consequences for the study of seed dormancy. American Journal of Botany: 83:543-549
Evans, A. S., and R. J. Cabin 1995. Can dormancy affect the evolution of post-germination traits? An assessment of the desert mustard Lesquerella fendleri. Ecology: 76:344-350
Mitchell, R. J., D. Bleakly, R. J. Cabin, R. Chan, B. Enquist, A. Evans, T. Lowrey, D. Marshall, S. Reed, G. Stevens, N. Waser 1993. Species Concept. Nature 364:20
Cabin, R. J., J. Ramstetter, R. Engel 1990. Reproductive limitations of a locally rare Asclepias. Rhodora 93:1-10
Other Publications
Cabin, R. J. Conservation, collaboration, and community top priorities for NTBG's new director. Newsletter of the National Tropical Botanical Garden Spring 2005.
Cabin, R. Why college can wait. Chronicle of Higher Education October 17, 2003: B5
Cabin, R. J. Forest attracts New York students. Agriculture Hawaii July – September 2003: 18
Cabin, R. J. 2002. Volcano Village, Hawaii. Orion 21:7-8.
Cabin, R. J. 1999. Outplanting at Ka’upulehu: story behind the trees. Woods 7:1-3.
Cabin, R. J. 1997. Four house canyon project at Lawaii. Newsletter of the National Tropical Botanical Garden 2:1-2.
2002-05 USDA, $270,000. “Understanding and mitigating the effect of a dominant invasive grass on native Hawaiian dry forest ecosystems,” PI with S. Cordell and D. Sandquist.
2004 SUNY Plattsburgh, $2,000 to attend Breadloaf Writer’s Conference
2002-03 FIRST II (Faculty Institutes for Reforming Science Teaching Through Field Stations) Team Application. CO-PI with William Ehman and Melinda Wu
2002-03 SUNY Plattsburgh, $5000 to subsidize 2003 Hawaiian Field Biology Winter Session course; Co-PI on several student research grants
2002 NYS/UUP Individual Development Award to attend NSF’s Chautauqua Program “Promoting Active Learning in Introductory Biology Courses”
2000-01 U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Private Landowner Program, $75,000. “Stewardship and restoration of a Hawaiian dry forest at Ka’upulehu, Hawaii,” PI with L. Hadway
2000-01 Hawaii Community Foundation Natural Resource Conservation Program, $30,000. “A proposal to outplant nine federally listed endangered dry forest species within the Ka’upulehu Preserve on the island of Hawaii,” PI with L. Hadway and A. Gill.
2000 USDA, $27,600. “Youth caring for the land: a learn and work experience,” Co-PI with D. Nelson
1998-00 USDA, $17,700. “The incidence of mycorrhizae in fountain grass-invaded Hawaiian dry forests: understanding and possibly mitigating the effects of a dominant alien species,” PI with R. Koske and D. Perry
1998-00 Hawaii Secretariat for Conservation Biology, $8,000. “Restrospective of past biological control efforts against Schinus terebinthifolius (Christmasberry) in Hawaii." Co-PI with S. Hight.
1998-00 USDA, $13,460. “Demographic analyses in areas of origin and invasion: tools to understand and manage invasion by Miconia calvescens,” Co-PI with S. DeWalt, D. O’dowd, and J. Denslow.
1997-99 NSF, $100,000. “Direct and indirect effects of key alien species in two Hawaiian forest communities,” Co-PI with D. Lorence and S. Weller.
1991-95 Research Development Grant, Kenyon College,$1000
University of New Mexico Graduate Research and Travel Grants, $4000
Sigma Xi Grant-in-aid of Research, $800
Coalition to Increase Minority Doctorates, $1600
Back To:
Division of Environmental Studies, Mathematics, and Natural Sciences
This page last modified on 10/27/2005