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Dale A. Kruse
- Curator
- Email:
- dakruse@tamu.edu
- Phone:
- (979) 845-4328
- Website: https://www.texasbryology.com/
Education
- Undergraduate Education
- B.S. Rangeland Ecology and Management, Texas A&M University
- Graduate Education
- M.S. Ecosystem Science and Management, Texas A&M University
Areas of Expertise
In the broadest sense, his interests involve the systematics, ecology, and biogeography of the mosses, liverworts, and hornworts (bryophytes). Specific bryological interests include: 1) spatial and temporal distributions at local, regional, and global scales, 2) successional patterns and processes, 3) vertical distributions in tree canopies, 4) structure and composition of communities, 5) the biotic and abiotic parameters regulating the formation and persistence of communities. Although the emphasis is largely in Texas and the southern United States, he has made substantial collections in the northeastern and northwestern United States, in addition to numerous trips abroad to Scotland, England, Trinidad, and Mexico.
Professional Summary
Dale is a lifelong resident of Texas, whose early interest in botany originated on numerous trips to the family farm in Lavaca County (coastal plain of south-central Texas). It was there that he developed a deep love of the outdoors, and first took notice of the flora of Texas. Although his interests include the Poaceae (grass), Cyperaceae (sedge), and Juncaceae (rush) families, his true passion for botany is the lower plants. Dale has been Curator of the S. M. Tracy Herbarium since 1999, where he has been responsible for the day-to-day management of the herbarium for over 20 years. He recently oversaw the merger of the Biology Department Herbarium (TAMU) into the S. M. Tracy Herbarium (TAES) creating the third largest herbarium in Texas with approximately 350,000 specimens. Dale continues to advocate for the preservation and use of this unique collection within the local community, as well as regionally and nationally.