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Bio
Plant community ecology; restoration, invasion biology, environmental change, and conservation.
I am a plant community ecologist working at the interface of ecosystem, landscape and population biology. My goal is to apply cutting-edge “usable” science to the challenges of restoration, species invasion, and environmental change. My research group and I work with a range of conservation groups, government agencies and land managers to provide evidence-based solutions that take into account biodiversity, human well-being, and management opportunities. We employ a combination of long-term monitoring, modeling and experimental approaches in settings that range from alpine tundra to oak woodlands to grasslands. Common themes include plant-soil feedbacks, functional traits, species effects on ecosystem processes, and non-linear and threshold dynamics.
Visit the Suding Lab web site.
Education
- PhD: University of Michigan, 1999
- BS: Williams College, 1994
Awards
- Highly Cited Researcher (2016-2019), Web of Science Group, 2019
- Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2018
- MacArthur Award, Ecological Society of America, 2018
- BFA Award for Excellence in Research, Scholarly and Creative Work, Boulder Faculty Assembly, 2018
- Fellow, Ecological Society of America, 2016
Research
Visit the Suding Lab web site. We are plant community ecologists working at the interface of ecosystem, landscape and population biology. Our goal is to apply cutting-edge science to the challenges of restoration, invasion, and environmental change.
Publications
Recent publications
Catchment-scale observations at the Niwot Ridge long-term ecological research site
Bjarke NR; Livneh B; Elmendorf SC; Molotch NP; Hinckley E-LS; Emery NC; Johnson PTJ; Morse JF; Suding KN...
- Bjarke NR
- Livneh B
- Elmendorf SC
- Molotch NP
- Hinckley E-LS
- Emery NC
- Johnson PTJ
- Morse JF
- Suding KN
Publication Date: 2021-09-01
Type: Journal Article
The spatial synchrony of species richness and its relationship to ecosystem stability
Walter JA; Shoemaker LG; Lany NK; Castorani MCN; Fey SB; Dudney JC; Gherardi L; Portales-Reyes C; Rypel AL; Cottingham K...
- Walter JA
- Shoemaker LG
- Lany NK
- Castorani MCN
- Fey SB
- Dudney JC
- Gherardi L
- Portales-Reyes C
- Rypel AL
- Cottingham KL
Publication Date: 2021-08-12
Type: Journal Article
Drivers of seedling establishment success in dryland restoration efforts (Jul, 10.1038/s41559-021-01510-3, 2021)
Shackelford N; Paterno GB; Winkler DE; Erickson TE; Leger EA; Svejcar LN; Breed MF; Faist AM; Harrison PA; Curran MF...
- Shackelford N
- Paterno GB
- Winkler DE
- Erickson TE
- Leger EA
- Svejcar LN
- Breed MF
- Faist AM
- Harrison PA
- Curran MF
Publication Date: 2021-07-28
Type: Journal Article
Determinants of community compositional change are equally affected by global change
Avolio ML; Komatsu KJ; Collins SL; Grman E; Koerner SE; Tredennick AT; Wilcox KR; Baer S; Boughton EH; Britton AJ...
- Avolio ML
- Komatsu KJ
- Collins SL
- Grman E
- Koerner SE
- Tredennick AT
- Wilcox KR
- Baer S
- Boughton EH
- Britton AJ
Publication Date: 2021-06-25
Type: Journal Article
Experimental warming differentially affects vegetative and reproductive phenology of tundra plants
Collins CG; Elmendorf SC; Hollister RD; Henry GHR; Clark K; Bjorkman AD; Myers-Smith IH; Prevey JS; Ashton IW; Assmann J...
- Collins CG
- Elmendorf SC
- Hollister RD
- Henry GHR
- Clark K
- Bjorkman AD
- Myers-Smith IH
- Prevey JS
- Ashton IW
- Assmann JJ
Publication Date: 2021-06-11
Type: Journal Article
Connectivity: insights from the US Long Term Ecological Research Network
Iwaniec DM; Gooseff M; Suding KN; Samuel Johnson D; Reed DC; Peters DPC; Adams B; Barrett JE; Bestelmeyer BT; Castorani ...
- Iwaniec DM
- Gooseff M
- Suding KN
- Samuel Johnson D
- Reed DC
- Peters DPC
- Adams B
- Barrett JE
- Bestelmeyer BT
- Castorani MCN
Publication Date: 2021-05-01
Type: Journal Article
Taking climate change into account: Non-stationarity in climate drivers of ecological response
Publication Date: 2021-01-13
Type: Journal Article
RESPONSE OF NEMATODE COMMUNITIES TO CLIMATE-DRIVEN PLANT COLONIZATION OF A HIGH ALPINE LANDSCAPE
Publication Date: 2021-01-01
Type: Conference Proceeding
LONG-TERM NITROGEN DEPOSITION IN ALPINE TUNDRA ALTERS NEMATODE COMMUNITIES
Publication Date: 2021-01-01
Type: Conference Proceeding
Temporal variability in production is not consistently affected by global change drivers across herbaceous-dominated ecosystems
Avolio ML; Wilcox KR; Komatsu KJ; Lemoine N; Bowman WD; Collins SL; Knapp AK; Koerner SE; Smith MD; Baer SG...
- Avolio ML
- Wilcox KR
- Komatsu KJ
- Lemoine N
- Bowman WD
- Collins SL
- Knapp AK
- Koerner SE
- Smith MD
- Baer SG
Publication Date: 2020-11-01
Type: Journal Article
The presence of a foreign microbial community promotes plant growth and reduces filtering of root fungi in the arctic-alpine plant Silene acaulis
Publication Date: 2020-11-01
Type: Journal Article
Warming of alpine tundra enhances belowground production and shifts community towards resource acquisition traits
Publication Date: 2020-10-01
Type: Journal Article
Micro-scale geography of synchrony in a serpentine plant community
Publication Date: 2020-09-28
Type: Journal Article
The elusive search for tipping points
Publication Date: 2020-08-17
Type: Journal Article
Growing-season length and soil microbes influence the performance of a generalist bunchgrass beyond its current range
Publication Date: 2020-06-09
Type: Journal Article
A new variance ratio metric to detect the timescale of compensatory dynamics
Zhao L; Wang S; Hallett LM; Rypel AL; Sheppard LW; Castorani MCN; Shoemaker LG; Cottingham KL; Suding K; Reuman DC...
- Zhao L
- Wang S
- Hallett LM
- Rypel AL
- Sheppard LW
- Castorani MCN
- Shoemaker LG
- Cottingham KL
- Suding K
- Reuman DC
Publication Date: 2020-05-01
Type: Journal Article
Global plant trait relationships extend to the climatic extremes of the tundra biome
Thomas HJD; Bjorkman AD; Myers-Smith IH; Elmendorf SC; Kattge J; Diaz S; Vellend M; Blok D; Cornelissen JHC; Forbes BC...
- Thomas HJD
- Bjorkman AD
- Myers-Smith IH
- Elmendorf SC
- Kattge J
- Diaz S
- Vellend M
- Blok D
- Cornelissen JHC
- Forbes BC
Publication Date: 2020-03-12
Type: Journal Article
Evidence for phosphorus limitation in high-elevation unvegetated soils, Niwot Ridge, Colorado
Bueno de Mesquita CP; Brigham LM; Sommers P; Porazinska DL; Farrer EC; Darcy JL; Suding KN; Schmidt SK...
- Bueno de Mesquita CP
- Brigham LM
- Sommers P
- Porazinska DL
- Farrer EC
- Darcy JL
- Suding KN
- Schmidt SK
Publication Date: 2020-01-01
Type: Journal Article
Soil Microbial Networks Shift Across a High-Elevation Successional Gradient
Farrer EC; Porazinska DL; Spasojevic MJ; King AJ; de Mesquita CPB; Sartwell SA; Smith JG; White CT; Schmidt SK; Suding K...
- Farrer EC
- Porazinska DL
- Spasojevic MJ
- King AJ
- de Mesquita CPB
- Sartwell SA
- Smith JG
- White CT
- Schmidt SK
- Suding KN
Publication Date: 2019-12-18
Type: Journal Article
Litter-driven feedbacks influence plant colonization of a high elevation early successional ecosystem
Publication Date: 2019-11-01
Type: Journal Article
Global change effects on plant communities are magnified by time and the number of global change factors imposed
Komatsu KJ; Avolio ML; Lemoine NP; Isbell F; Grman E; Houseman GR; Koerner SE; Johnson DS; Wilcox KR; Alatalo JM...
- Komatsu KJ
- Avolio ML
- Lemoine NP
- Isbell F
- Grman E
- Houseman GR
- Koerner SE
- Johnson DS
- Wilcox KR
- Alatalo JM
Publication Date: 2019-09-03
Type: Journal Article
Seeking diverse nominations for ESA awards
Publication Date: 2019-08-01
Type: Journal Article
When and where plant-soil feedback may promote plant coexistence: a meta-analysis
Crawford KM; Bauer JT; Comita LS; Eppinga MB; Johnson DJ; Mangan SA; Queenborough SA; Strand AE; Suding KN; Umbanhowar J...
- Crawford KM
- Bauer JT
- Comita LS
- Eppinga MB
- Johnson DJ
- Mangan SA
- Queenborough SA
- Strand AE
- Suding KN
- Umbanhowar J
Publication Date: 2019-08-01
Type: Journal Article
Rainfall variability maintains grass-forb species coexistence
Publication Date: 2019-07-12
Type: Journal Article
Environmental gradients determine the potential for ecosystem engineering effects
Publication Date: 2019-07-01
Type: Journal Article
Pages
Teaching
Courses
- EBIO 6100: Graduate Seminar in Critical Transitions & Resilience
- It is increasingly clear that ecological systems, like many other complex systems, have critical thresholds at which they shift abruptly from one state to another--non-linear transitions that are abrupt and hard to reverse. We will explore the application of complexity theory to such issues as desertification in rangelands, dieback in coral reefs, and turbidly in lakes.
Current postdocs and students
Alumni
Outreach
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