Faculty

James Van Kley, Ph.D.

     Dr. Van Kley came to SFA in the fall of 1993 from West Lafayette Indiana, where he completed a Ph.D. in Forest ecology at Purdue University. He is originally from Grand Rapids, Michigan. He received his B.S. degree from Calvin College (Grand Rapids MI), and his M.S. degree from Central Michigan University (Mt Pleasant, MI).

     Current research includes the development of an ecological classification system for the National Forests in Texas and Louisiana, analysis of portions of the Dutch National vegetaton Database in collaboration with collegues at the Alterra Institute for Green World Research in the Netherlands, and analysis and monitoring of the wetland plant communities of Caddo Lake in northeastern Texas.
     Dr. Van Kley's overall research program focuses on patterns of vegetation across the east Texas landscape and how these patterns relate to environmental and biotic factors. Research projects address the change in wetland vegetation at Caddo Lake, Texas, resulting from the invasion of non-native species (giant salvinia, water hyacinth, alligator weed and Chinese Tallow tree); and pattens of diversity of Mycorhhizal fungi in East Texas forests in relation to the vascular plant community, seasonality, habitat type, and host plant.  For more information of Dr. Van Kley's research, visit the Pineywoods Vascular Plant Gallery.

     Dr. Van Kley is also curator of the ASTC Herbarium at SFASU, which includes more than 77,000 specimens, mostly from east Texas.

Dr. VanKley teaches:

BIO 121- Concepts of Biology
BIO 131- Introductory Botany
BIO 225- Local Flora
BIO 435- Plant Systematics
BIO 503- Plant Ecology
BIO 522- Plant Geography
BIO 571- Wetland Ecology
BIO 572- Aquatic Vascular Plants

Contact Information:

Dr. James VanKley, Professor
Stephen F. Austin State University
Department of Biology
Miller Science Building, Room 115
Box 13003 SFA Station Nacogdoches, TX 75962
phone (936) 468-2068
fax (936) 468-2056
email: jvankley@sfasu.edu