Education

B.S., Fort Lewis College, Durango, CO, 1993

M.S., University of Wyoming, 1996

Ph.D., University of Wyoming, 1999

Post-doctoral Research Associate, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1999-2000

Assistant Professor, Dept. of Geosciences and Natural Resources Management, Western Carolina University, 2000-2002.

Visiting Assistant Professor of Botany, University of Wyoming, 2002-2004

Assistant Professor of Botany, University of Wyoming, 2005-present

 Courses

Special Topics in Ecology, Writing in Botany, ENR Policy Practice (School of the Environment and Natural Resources), Forest Ecology

 Research Emphasis

Much of Dr. Tinker’s research is conducted in the Greater Yellowstone-Teton Ecosystem in northwestern Wyoming, and involves ecosystem responses to large, natural disturbances such as fire.  In addition, Dr. Tinker uses GIS and remote sensing to investigate the consequences of landscape-scale spatial heterogeneity in ecological systems.  Dr. Tinker’s current work is focused on understanding how the observed variation in post-fire plant communities in the Greater Yellowstone-Teton Ecosystem affects important ecosystem processes such as decomposition and nitrogen mineralization, how these processes vary at the landscape scale, and how the effects of post-fire community structure change over time in young, developing forests. 

Representative Publications

Turner, M.G., Romme, W.H., and D.B. Tinker. 2003. Surprises and lessons from the 1998 fires. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. 1(7): 351-358.

Tinker, D.B., W.H. Romme, and D.G. Despain. Historic range of variability in landscape structure in sub alpine forests of the Greater Yellowstone Area. In press. Landscape Ecology.

Litton, C.M. Ryan, D.B. Tinker and D.H. Knight. 2003. Below and above ground biomass in young post-fire lodge pole pine forests of contrasting tree density. Can. J. For. Res. 33: 351-363.

Tinker, D.B., W.H. Romme, and D.G. Despain. Historic range of variability in landscape structure in subalpine forests of the Greater Yellowstone Area. In press. Landscape Ecology.

Litton, C.M., M.G. Ryan, D.B. Tinker and D.H. Knight. Below- and aboveground biomass in young post-fire lodgepole pine forests of contrasting tree density. In press. Can. J. For. Res.

Turner, M.G., D.B. Tinker, S.E. Gergel, and F.S. Chapin, III. 2002. Landscape Disturbance: Location, Pattern and Dynamics. Pp. 147-165 In: Learning Landscape Ecology: A Practical Guide to Concepts and Techniques. S.E.Gergel and M.G. Turner, eds. Springer, New York.

Tinker, D.B. and D.H. Knight. 2001. Temporal and spatial dynamics of coarse woody debris in harvested and unharvested lodgepole pine forests. Ecological Modelling 141: 125-149.

Tinker, D.B. and D.H. Knight. 2000. Coarse Woody Debris Following Fire and Logging in Wyoming Lodgepole Pine Forests.  Ecosystems 3: 472-483.

Tinker, D.B. and W.L. Baker. 2000. Measuring and modeling forest fragmentation. In: Knight, R.L., F.W. Smith, S.W. Buskirk, W.H. Romme, and W.L. Baker, (eds). Forest fragmentation in the central Rocky Mountains. University Press of Colorado, Boulder.

Tinker, D.B., C.A.C. Resor, G.P. Beauvais, K.F. Kipfmueller, C.I. Fernandes, and W.L. Baker. 1998. Watershed analysis of forest fragmentation by clearcuts and roads in a Wyoming forest. Landscape Ecology 13: 149-165.

Tinker, D.B., W.H. Romme, W.W. Hargrove, R.G. Gardner and M.G. Turner. 1994.   Landscape-scale heterogeneity in lodgepole pine serotiny. Can. J. For. Res. 24: 897-903.

Tinker, D.B., Turner, M.G., Romme, W.H., Knight, D.H., and Litton, C.M.  Aboveground Biomass, Net Primary Productivity, and Leaf Area in Young Postfire Lodgepole Pine Stands, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. Ecosystems. Submitted.

Turner, M.G., Tinker, D.B., Romme, W.H.,and Kashian, D.M. Spatial Variation in Postfire Stand Density,  Aboveground Net Primary Production and Leaf Area Index in Yellowstone National Park (USA).  Ecosystems. Submitted.