I am currently investigating the impacts of neonicontinoid pesticides on insect olfactory processing. Through a collaboration with ​​Dr. Dennis Mathew, I am using single unit extracellular neuron recordings to understand how these pesticides affect olfactory neuron activity. 

My previous work has broadly examined the ecological consequences of environmental change, focusing on plant community response to drought and nutrient additions.

Links to Publications and Presentations

Francis, J. S., Tatarko, A. R., Richman, S. K., Vaudo, A. D., & Leonard, A. S. (2020). Microbes and Pollinator Behavior in the Floral Marketplace. Current Opinion in Insect Science.

Tatarko, A. R., & Knops, J. M. (2018). Nitrogen addition and ecosystem functioning: Both species abundances and traits alter community structure and function. Ecosphere, 9(1).

Tatarko, A., Knops J., (2017). Nitrogen addition and ecosystem functioning: Changes in species composition and functional traits alter community structure and function. Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, Portland, Oregon.

Min, K., Lehmeier, C. A., Ballantyne, F., Tatarko, A., & Billings, S. A. (2014). Differential effects of pH on temperature sensitivity of organic carbon and nitrogen decay. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 76, 193-200.

Tatarko, A., Roccaforte, K., and Foster, B.L. (2014). Investigating the effects of tallgrass prairie restoration and plant diversity on pollinator communities in northeast Kansas. University of Kansas Undergraduate Research Symposium, Lawrence, KS.

Curriculum Vitae