K. Greg Murray
Professor of Biology

Office / Lab: Science Center 2025
Phone: (616) 395-7716, -7720
FAX: (616) 395-7125
gmurray@hope.edu

Education

Courses that I teach

Research Interests

I have broad interests in ecology and evolutionary biology, especially in plant/animal interactions, community ecology, and vertebrate feeding ecology. My research focuses primarily on the ways in which plants, fruit-eating birds, seed predators, and physical disturbance regimes interact to determine community structure in tropical forests. For the past ten years I've been studying the demography of pioneer plant seed banks and how it influences community structure in cloud forest at Monteverde, Costa Rica. I also maintain a research program on the influence of fruit-eating birds on the regeneration of abandoned tropical cattle pastures. Most recently, I've started a collaboration with an organic chemist to understand the influence of secondary chemicals in seeds on their survivorship in the soil.

Professional memberships

Recent (sort of) Publications

1. Murray, K.G., K. Winnett-Murray, J. Roberts*, K. Horjus*, W.A. Haber, W. Zuchowski , M. Kuhlmann*, and T.M. Long-Robinson*.  2008.  The Roles of Disperser Behavior and Physical Habitat Structure.  Chapter 8, in: Myster, R. (ed.): Regeneration of Post-Agricultural Fields.  Springer, New York .  307 pages.

2. Harvey , C.A. , C.F. Guindon, W.A. Haber, D. Hamilton DeRosier and K.G. Murray.  2008.  Importancia de fragmentos de bosque, árboles dispersos y cortinas rompevientos para la conservación de biodiversidad en el agropaisaje de Monteverde , Costa Rica . In: Evaluación y Conservación de
   la Biodiversidad en Agropaisajes de Mesoamérica C.A. Harvey and J.C. Sáenz (eds.). Editorial EUNA, Costa Rica .

3. Veldman, J.W.*, K.G. Murray, A.L. Hull*, J.M. Garcia-C., W.S. Mungall, G.B. Rotman*, M.P. Plosz*, and L.K. McNamara*.  2007.  Chemical Defense and the Persistence of Pioneer Plant Seeds in the Soil of a Tropical Cloud Forest.  Biotropica 39: 87-93.

4. Murray, K.G., and J.M. Garcia-C.  2002.  Contributions of seed dispersal and demography to recruitment limitation in a Costa Rican cloud forest.  Chapter 21 (pp. 323-338) in: D.J. Levey, W.R. Silva, and M. Galetti [eds].  Seed Dispersal and Frugivory: Evolution and Conservation.  CAB International, Wallingford, Oxon, UK.

5. Murray, K.G., K. Winnett-Murray, and L. Hertel.  2002.  Island biogeography, species diversity, and the design of nature preserves.  Pages 125-143, in Tested studies for laboratory teaching.  Volume 23 (M.A. O'Donnell, Editor).  Proceedings of the 23rd Workshop/Conference of the Association for Biology Laboratory Education (ABLE), 392 pages.

6. Murray, K.G., S. Kinsman, and J. Bronstein. 2000. Plant-animal interactions. Chapter 8 (pp. 245-302), in: N.M. Nadkarni and N.T. Wheelwright [eds]. Monteverde: Ecology and Conservation of a Tropical Cloud Forest. Oxford University Press, New York).

7. Murray, K.G. 2000. Fruiting phenologies of pioneer plants: constraints imposed by flowering phenology, disturbance regime, and disperser migration patterns. Pp. 283-286, In: N.M. Nadkarni and N.T. Wheelwright [eds]. Monteverde: Ecology and Conservation of a Tropical Cloud Forest. Oxford University Press, New York).

8. Murray, K.G. 2000. The importance of different bird species as seed dispersers. Pp. 294-295, In: N.M. Nadkarni and N.T. Wheelwright [eds]. Monteverde: Ecology and Conservation of a Tropical Cloud Forest. Oxford University Press, New York).

9. Lepczyk, C.A.*, K.G. Murray, K. Winnett-Murray, P. Bartell*, E. Geyer*, and T. Work*. 2000. Seasonal fruit preferences and digestive correlates in American Robins. The Auk 117: 709-717.

10. Winnett-Murray, K., K.G. Murray, L. Hertel, and C.L. Barney. 2000. Energetic strategies in terrestrial vertebrates, Pp. 356-379, in Tested studies for laboratory teaching, Volume 21 (S. J. Karcher, editor). Proceedings of the 21st Workshop/Conference of the Association for Biology Laboratory Education (ABLE).

11. Harvey, C.A., C.F. Guindon, W.A. Haber, D.H. DeRosier, and K.G. Murray. 2000. The importance of forest patches, isolated trees an agricultural windbreaks for local and regional biodiversity: the case of Monteverde, Costa Rica. XXI IUFRO World Congress, 7-12 August 2000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, International Union of Forestry Research Organizations, Subplenary sessions Vol 1: 787-798.

12. Winnett-Murray, K., L. Hertel, and K.G. Murray. 1997. Herbivory and anti-herbivory: investigating the relationship between the toxicity of plant chemical extracts and insect damage to the leaves. In Tested Studies for Laboratory Teaching. Volume 18 (J. Glase, editor). Proceedings of the18th Workshop/Conference of the Association for Biology Laboratory Education (ABLE).

13. Cardoso da Silva, J.M., C. Uhl, and K.G. Murray. 1996. Plant succession, landscape management, and the ecology of frugivorous birds in abandoned Amazonian pastures. Conservation Biology 10: 491-503.

14. Murray, K.G., S. Russell*, C.M. Picone*, K. Winnett-Murray, W. Sherwood*, and M.L. Kuhlmann*. 1994. Fruit laxatives and seed passage rates in frugivores:consequences for plant reproductive success. Ecology 75:989-994.

*  Denotes student coauthor

  Personal Interests

I am married to Dr. Kathy Winnett-Murray, also a member of the Biology Department faculty at Hope College, and we have two kids: Dylan (age 23) and Ryan (age 18). In addition to my work, I enjoy biking, hiking, canoeing, birdwatching, fishing, legos, and homebrewing. I'm also interested in conservation issues and in K-12 science education, especially that concerned with ecology, and I am a dedicated afficionado of the blues and the collected works of The Firesign Theatre.

Some favorite WWW links