Irving A. Mendelssohn
Professor

Mailing and Contact Information:
3263 Energy, Coast and Environment Building
Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, LA 70803

E-mail: imendel@lsu.edu
Phone: (225) 578-6425
Fax: (225) 578-6423

Educational Background:
Ph.D. North Carolina State University, 1978
M.S. College of William and Mary in conjunction with the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, 1973
B.A. Wikes College, 1969

Research Interests:
Wetland and barrier island plant ecology, plant physiological ecology

Grants:
2007-2009 University of New Hampshire – Comparative functional assessment of differential sediment slurry applications to rapidly subsiding brackish marshes (PI I.A. Mendelssohn, Co-PIs A. Hou and S. Graham).

2007-2008 Tulane University - What is the effect of increased storm activity on the resilience of coastal wetlands to sea-level rise (PI I.A. Mendelssohn).

2007-2008 Louisiana Oil Spill Coordinator-Office of the Governor - The completion of a comprehensive investigation of pioneer plant species and oil stress indicators for successful restoration and remediation of oil-impacted wetlands (PI Q. Lin, Co-PI I.A. Mendelssohn).

2006-2008 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Sea Grant) - Coastal wetland restoration: the development of functional criteria to predict the sustainability of restored wetlands (PI I.A. Mendelssohn).

2006-2007 Louisiana Department of Natural Resources - Ecological baselines (PI J.W. Day, Co-PI I.A. Mendelssohn).

2006-2007 LUMCON - Does wetland restoration with sediment-slurry amendment promote resilience to hurricane disasters? (PI I.A. Mendelssohn, CoPIs M. Slocum, D. Braud, and H. Peele).

2006-2007 Louisiana Oil Spill Coordinator-Office of the Governor - Determination of oil tolerance limits of native dominant plants for restoration and phytoremediation of oil-impacted coastal habitats and assessment of oil stress indicators (PI I.A. Mendelssohn).

2003-2007 State of Florida Department of Environmental Protection - Effects of sulfate loading on growth response of Typha domingesis and Cladium jamaicense in the Everglades (PI I.A. Mendelssohn).

2003-2007 University of New Orleans – Nutrient enrichment effects on below ground organic matter accumulation (PI I.A. Mendelssohn)

2002-2007 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - Multistress: cumulative coastal stressors: northern Gulf of Mexico (PI R.E. Turner, Co-PIs D. Baltz, B. Fry, M. Inoue, and I.A. Mendelssohn).

Recent Publications:
Schrift, A. and I.A. Mendelssohn. (accepted). Salt marsh restoration with sediment- slurry amendments following a drought-induced, large-scale disturbance. Wetlands.

Slocum, M.G. and I.A. Mendelssohn. 2008. Effects of three stressors on the vegetation of a oligohaline marsh. Freshwater Biology (in press).

Chen, H. J., I.A. Mendelssohn, B. Lorenzen, H. Brix, and S.L. Miao. 2008. Effects of phosphate availability and redox intensity on growth and nutrient uptake of Rhynchospora tracyi, a wet prairie species in the everglades. Wetlands 28:151-163.

Slocum, M.G. and I.A. Mendelssohn. 2008. Use of experimental disturbances to assess resilience along a known stress gradient. Ecological Indicators 8:181-190.

Hyfield, E.C.G., J. Day, I.A. Mendelssohn, and G.P. Kemp. 2007. A feasibility analysis of discharge of non-contact, once-through industrial cooling water to forested wetlands for coastal restoration in Louisiana. Ecological Engineering 29:1-7.

Rosas, H. R., P. Moreno-Casasola, and I.A. Mendelssohn. 2006. Effects of experimental disturbances on a tropical freshwater marsh invaded by the African grass Echinochloa pyramidalis. Wetlands 26:593-604.

Mendelssohn, I.A. and D. Batzer. 2006. Abiotic constraints for wetland plants and animals. PP. 82-114. in D.P. Batzer and R.R. Sharitz (eds). Ecology of Freshwater and Estuarine Wetlands. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA.

Busch, J., I.A. Mendelssohn, B. Lorenzen, H. Brix, and S. Miao. 2006. A rhizotron to study root growth under flooded conditions. Flora 201:429-439.

Silliman, B.R., J. van de Koppel, M.D. Bertness, L.E. Stanton, and I.A. Mendelssohn. 2005. Drought, snails, and large-scale die-off of southern U.S. salt marshes. Science 310:1803-1806.

Slocum, M.G., I.A. Mendelssohn, and N.L. Kuhn. 2005. Effects of sediment slurry enrichment on salt marsh rehabilitation: plant and soil responses over seven years. Estuaries 28:519-528.

Chen, H.J., I.A. Mendelssohn, B. Lorenzen, H. Brix, and S.L. Miao. 2005. Growth and nutrient responses of Eloecharis cellulose (Cyperaceae) to phosphate level and redox intensity. American Journal of Botany 92:1457-1466.

Courses Taught:
OCS 4308. Plants in Coastal Environments
OCS 7124. Applied Coastal Plant Ecology