Dr. Susy S. Ziegler - Earth, Environmental and Geographical Sciences

Began teaching at NMU in 2010

Areas of Specialization

Physical Geography, Biogeography, Research Methods, Human-Environment Interactions, Environmental Science

Education

• B.A., Geography, Dartmouth College
• M.S., Geography, University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Ph.D., Geography, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Courses Taught

• GC 100 - Physical Geography [SCII] [LAB]
• GC 101 - Environmental Science [INTT]
• GC 205 - Introduction to Geographic Research
• GC 401 - Biogeography
• GC 488 - Earth and Environmental Science Capstone Research
• GC 489 - Human-Environment Capstone
• Special topics courses: Weather and Climate for Educators; Fisheries and Forest Resources of the Lower Amazon

Recent Faculty-Student Research Projects

• Aerosol concentration and atmospheric conditions: a case study at Granite Island, Michigan

Ongoing Community Projects

• NMU Hoop House

About Dr. Ziegler

In Fall 2010, Susy Ziegler joined the faculty at NMU to contribute her teaching and research expertise in physical geography, research methods, environmental science, and biogeography.  She studies changes in the northern forests of eastern North America.  She is also interested in biodiversity and conservation in the boreal forests of the Upper Great Lakes region and Scandinavia.  Professor Ziegler’s senior capstone students have enjoyed learning in the field during trips to the Michigan Iron Industry Museum, NMU Hoop House, Marquette Regional History Center, and DeVos Art Museum.  In 2015, 2017, and 2019 Dr. Ziegler co-directed a Faculty-Led Study Abroad in the Lower Amazon Basin of northeastern Brazil.

Professor Ziegler serves as the faculty sponsor of NMU’s Eta Chi Chapter of Gamma Theta Epsilon, the International Honors Society in Geography.  When Professor Ziegler is not on campus she is exploring the out-of-doors on foot or cross-country skis.  She is an avid photographer of scenic landscapes.

Publications

Hoffmann, Elizabeth, Fred Denn, Bryan Fabbri, Jay Madigan, and Susy S. Ziegler. 2022. Aerosol Concentration and Atmospheric Conditions: A Case Study at Granite Island, Michigan. The Geographical Bulletin 63(3): 145–158.

Ziegler, Susy Svatek and David H. Kaplan. 2019. Forum on the Anthropocene. Geographical Review 109(2): 249–251. [Co-authored peer-reviewed introduction to collection of four essays curated and edited by Ziegler and Kaplan.]

Ziegler, Susy Svatek. 2019. The Anthropocene in Geography. Geographical Review 109(2): 271–280.

Ziegler, Susy Svatek. 2018. Logging in the Great Lakes Region. Essay in Leonard, J.B.K., T. Cleary, D. Christian. A Dive into the Great Lakes Cycle: Scientific and Artistic Exploration of Paintings by Alexis Rockman. Multimedia etext available through Northern Michigan University at www.nmu.edu/greatlakescycle.

Ziegler, Susy Svatek. 2018. Niagara Falls. Essay in Leonard, J.B.K., T. Cleary, D. Christian. A Dive into the Great Lakes Cycle: Scientific and Artistic Exploration of Paintings by Alexis Rockman. Multimedia etext available through Northern Michigan University at www.nmu.edu/greatlakescycle.

Hudson, John C. and Susy Svatek Ziegler. 2014. Environment, Culture, and the Great Lakes Fisheries. Geographical Review 104(4): 391–413.

Williams, Mary A. and Susy Svatek Ziegler. 2014. Local Regulatory Protection for Ecosystem Services: A Case Study from the Karst Region of Southeast Minnesota, USA. The Geographical Bulletin 55(1): 1–17.

Rauchfuss, Julia and Susy Svatek Ziegler. 2011. The Geography of Spruce Budworm in Eastern North America. Geography Compass 5(8): 564–580.

Rauchfuss, Julia and Susy Svatek Ziegler. 2011. Reconstructing Canopy-Disturbance History and Recruitment Patterns to Inform Management Decisions at the Lost 40 in the Chippewa National Forest, Northern Minnesota. The Geographical Bulletin 52: 3–17.

Ziegler, Susy Svatek. 2010. The Past and Future of the White Pine Forest in the Great Lakes Region. Geography Compass 4(9): 1179–1202.

Shuman, Bryan, Anna Henderson, Colin Plank, Ivanka Stefanova, and Susy S. Ziegler. 2009. Woodland-to-Forest Transition during Prolonged Drought in Minnesota after ca. AD 1300. Ecology 90(10): 2792–2807.

Rauchfuss, Julia, Susy Svatek Ziegler, James H. Speer, and Nathan W. Siegert. 2009. Dendroecological Analysis of Spruce Budworm Outbreaks and Their Relation to Climate near the Prairie–Forest Border in Northwestern Minnesota. Physical Geography 30(3): 185–204.

Ziegler, Susy Svatek, Evan R. Larson, Julia Rauchfuss, and Grant P. Elliott. 2008. Tree Recruitment during Dry Spells at an Oak Savanna in Minnesota. Tree-Ring Research 64(1): 47–54.

Hart, John Fraser and Susy Svatek Ziegler. 2008. Landscapes of Minnesota—A Geography. St. Paul, MN: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 316 p.

Ziegler, Susy Svatek and Mary A. Williams. 2008. Landscape Planning and Land-Use Policy to Conserve Resources in Southeastern Minnesota. CURA Reporter 38(2): 13–21.

Ziegler, Susy Svatek. 2007. Postfire Succession in an Adirondack Forest. Geographical Review 97(4): 467–483.

Brown, Dwight A., Philip J. Gersmehl, and Susy S. Ziegler. 2007. Alternative Biogeographies of the Global Garden, 2nd edition. Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 321 p.

Anthamatten, Peter and Susy S. Ziegler. 2006. Teaching Geography with 3-D Visualization Technology. Journal of Geography 105: 231–237.

Ziegler, Susy Svatek. 2004. Composition, Structure, and Disturbance History of Old-Growth and Second-Growth Forests in Adirondack Park, New York. Physical Geography 25(2): 152–169.

Ziegler, Susy Svatek. 2002. Disturbance Regimes of Hemlock-Dominated Old-Growth in Northern New York, U.S.A. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 32: 2106–2115.

Ziegler, Susy Svatek. 2000. A Comparison of Structural Characteristics between Old-Growth and Second-Growth Hemlock-Hardwood Forests in Adirondack Park, New York. Global Ecology and Biogeography 9(5): 373–389.

Ziegler, Susy Svatek. 1995. Relict Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus L.) Stands in Southwestern Wisconsin. American Midland Naturalist 133: 88–100.