Katharine Suding

Distinguished Professor • PI, Niwot Ridge LTER •
• Plant community ecology • Restoration and conservation • Invasion biology

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

katharine.suding@colorado.edu

303 735-3193

Visit the Suding Lab

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

Opportunities and Constraints in Characterizing Landscape Distribution of an Invasive Grass from Very High Resolution Multi-Spectral Imagery

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: Dronova I; Spotswood EN; Suding KN

Published in: Frontiers in Plant Science
Publication Date: 2017-05-30
Type: Journal Article

Ecosystem function in complex mountain terrain: Combining models and long-term observations to advance process-based understanding

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash; Wieder, Will; Blanken, Peter David

All Authors: Wieder WR; Knowles JF; Blanken PD; Swenson SC; Suding KN

Published in: Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences
Publication Date: 2017-04-01
Type: Journal Article

Separating sources of density-dependent and density-independent establishment limitation in invading species

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: Spotswood EN; Mariotte P; Farrer EC; Nichols L; Suding KN

Published in: Journal of Ecology
Publication Date: 2017-03-01
Type: Journal Article

Lagging behind: have we overlooked previous-year rainfall effects in annual grasslands?

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: Dudney J; Hallett LM; Larios L; Farrer EC; Spotswood EN; Stein C; Suding KN

Published in: Journal of Ecology
Publication Date: 2017-03-01
Type: Journal Article

Climate Variability Structures Plant Community Dynamics in Mediterranean Restored and Reference Tidal Wetlands

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: Chapple DE; Faber P; Suding KN; Merenlender AM

Published in: Water: an open access journal
Publication Date: 2017-03-01
Type: Journal Article

Can community structure track sea-level rise? Stress and competitive controls in tidal wetlands

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: Schile LM; Callaway JC; Suding KN; Kelly NM

Published in: Ecology and Evolution
Publication Date: 2017-02-01
Type: Journal Article

INVASIVE SPECIES AND ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: Dudney J; Hallett LM; Spotswood EN; Suding K

Publication Date: 2017-01-01
Type: Chapter

Positive litter feedbacks of an introduced species reduce native diversity and promote invasion in Californian grasslands

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: Mariotte P; Spotswood EN; Farrer EC; Suding KN

Published in: Applied Vegetation Science
Publication Date: 2017-01-01
Type: Journal Article

Functional diversity increases ecological stability in a grazed grassland

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: Hallett LM; Stein C; Suding KN

Published in: Oecologia
Publication Date: 2017-01-01
Type: Journal Article

Can functional traits predict plant community response to global change?

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: Kimball S; Funk JL; Spasojevic MJ; Suding KN; Parker S; Goulden ML

Published in: Ecosphere
Publication Date: 2016-12-01
Type: Journal Article

Prescribed Fire Effects on Population Dynamics of an Annual Grassland

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: Berleman SA; Suding KN; Fry DL; Bartolome JW; Stephens SL

Published in: Rangeland Ecology and Management
Publication Date: 2016-11-01
Type: Journal Article

Ecological dynamics and ecological restoration

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: SUDING KN; Spotswood E; Chapple D; Beller E; Gross K

Publication Date: 2016-11-01
Type: Chapter

Stronger effect of gastropods than rodents on seedling establishment, irrespective of exotic or native plant species origin

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: Korell L; Stein C; Hensen I; Bruelheide H; Suding KN; Auge H

Published in: OIKOS
Publication Date: 2016-10-01
Type: Journal Article

Teasing apart plant community responses to N enrichment: the roles of resource limitation, competition and soil microbes

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: Farrer EC; Suding KN

Published in: Ecology Letters
Publication Date: 2016-10-01
Type: Journal Article

Incorporating biotic factors in species distribution modeling: are interactions with soil microbes important?

CU Boulder Authors: Schmidt, Steve; Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: de Mesquita CPB; King AJ; Schmidt SK; Farrer EC; Suding KN

Published in: Ecography: pattern and diversity in ecology
Publication Date: 2016-10-01
Type: Journal Article

Neotropical rainforest restoration: comparing passive, plantation and nucleation approaches

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: Bechara FC; Dickens SJ; Farrer EC; Larios L; Spotswood EN; Mariotte P; Suding KN

Published in: Biodiversity and Conservation
Publication Date: 2016-10-01
Type: Journal Article

Transitions and invasion along a grazing gradient in experimental California grasslands

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: Stein C; Harpole WS; Suding KN

Published in: Ecology
Publication Date: 2016-09-01
Type: Journal Article

Conditional vulnerability of plant diversity to atmospheric nitrogen deposition across the United States

CU Boulder Authors: Bowman, Bill; Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors:

Simkin SM; Allen EB; Bowman WD; Clark CM; Belnap J; Brooks ML; Cade BS; Collins SL; Geiser LH; Gilliam FS...

Simkin SM
Allen EB
Bowman WD
Clark CM
Belnap J
Brooks ML
Cade BS
Collins SL
Geiser LH
Gilliam FS

Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of USA
Publication Date: 2016-04-12
Type: Journal Article

Scaling up the diversity-resilience relationship with traitdatabases and remote sensing data: the recovery ofproductivity after wildfire

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: Spasojevic MJ; Bahlai CA; Bradley BA; Butterfield BJ; Tuanmu M-N; Sistla S; Wiederholt R; Suding KN

Published in: Global Change Biology
Publication Date: 2016-04-01
Type: Journal Article

Optimizing Available Network Resources to Address Questions in Environmental Biogeochemistry

CU Boulder Authors: Hinckley, Eve-Lyn; Neff, Jason C; Anderson, Suzanne Prestrud; Elmendorf, Sarah Claire; Fierer, Noah; Suding, Katharine Nash; Bowman, Bill; Wieder, Will; Blanken, Peter David; SanClements, Michael

All Authors:

Hinckley E-LS; Anderson SP; Baron JS; Blanken PD; Bonan GB; Bowman WD; Elmendorf SC; Fierer N; Fox AM; Goodman KJ...

Hinckley E-LS
Anderson SP
Baron JS
Blanken PD
Bonan GB
Bowman WD
Elmendorf SC
Fierer N
Fox AM
Goodman KJ

Published in: Bioscience
Publication Date: 2016-04-01
Type: Journal Article

Grassland compost amendments increase plant production without changing plant communities

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: Ryals R; Eviner VT; Stein C; Suding KN; Silver WL

Published in: Ecosphere
Publication Date: 2016-03-01
Type: Journal Article

Embracing variability: environmental dependence and plant community context in ecological restoration

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: Dickens SJM; Mangla S; Preston KL; Suding KN

Published in: Restoration Ecology
Publication Date: 2016-01-01
Type: Journal Article

Cattle as Dispersal Vectors of Invasive and Introduced Plants in a California Annual Grassland

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: Chuong J; Huxley J; Spotswood EN; Nichols L; Mariotte P; Suding KN

Published in: Rangeland Ecology and Management
Publication Date: 2016-01-01
Type: Journal Article

Stewardship, Conservation, and Restoration in the Context of Environmental Change

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: Merenlender AM; Ackerly DD; Suding K; Shaw MR; Zavaleta E

Publication Date: 2016-01-01
Type: Chapter

Top of the World Collaborations: Lessons from above Treeline

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: SUDING KN

Publication Date: 2016-01-01
Type: Chapter

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

Sam Ahler

PhD Student •
• Plant community ecology • Functional traits • Belowground dynamics • Restoration

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Visit the Suding Lab Advisor: Katharine Suding

sam.ahler@colorado.edu

Jonathan Henn

Postdoctoral Scholar •
• Alpine plant ecology

Visit Suding Lab Advisor: Katharine Suding I am a Postdoctoral Researcher working with Marko Spasojevic and Katie Suding to characterize long-term change in alpine plant communities. Overall, my research focuses on these issues to improve the restoration and management of ecosystems under rapidly changing conditions. I also actively work on developing effective mentoring, teaching, and outreach skills to help cultivate the next generation of scientists and engaged citizens. See more...

jonathan.henn@colorado.edu

Katya Jay

Postdoctoral Scholar •
• Plant ecology • Climate change

Visit the Suding Lab Advisor: Katharine Suding Bio Education PhD: Oregon State University, 2021 BS: Macalester College, 2016

katya.jay@colorado.edu

Thomas Merchant

PhD Student •
• Plant community ecology

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Advisor: Katharine Suding Specialties: plant community, ecosystem ecology, and global change; plant-microbial interactions; data science.

thomas.merchant@colorado.edu

Melinda Stueber

Bachelor's Accelerated Master's Student •
• Restoration ecology • Conservation biology • Landscape ecology

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Advisor: Katharine Suding

melinda.stueber@colorado.edu

Caitlin White

PhD Student •
• Plant community ecology • Restoration ecology

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Advisor: Katharine Suding Research Publications Seastedt, T., White, C., Tucker, C., Beaury, E. M., Concilio, A., Gasarch, E., Haggans, V. J., Smith, J. G., 2020: Decadal dynamics of dry alpine meadows under nitrogen and phosphorus additions . Plant Ecology, 221(8): 647-658. DOI: 10.1007/s11258-020-01039-8 Balch, J. K., Iglesias, V., Braswell, A. E., Rossi, M. W., Joseph, M. B., Mahood, A. L., Shrum, T. R., White, C., Scholl, V. M., McGuire, B.,...

caitlin.t.white@colorado.edu

Alumni

See Suding Lab alumni.

Outreach

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News

Alpine wildflowers bloom on the tundra of Niwot Ridge. Photo by William Bowman.

$7.65 million grant to extend study of how climate change shapes life at 10,000 feet (CU Boulder Today)

Feb. 3, 2023

For more than 40 years, scientists from the Niwot Ridge Long-Term Ecological Research program have worked to better understand high-alpine ecosystems in a warming world. Thanks to a new $7.65 million, six-year grant from the National Science Foundation, that work will continue, making Niwot Ridge LTER the longest-running NSF-funded program at CU Boulder.

A map shows where surface water samples were collected from the Coal Creek waterway shortly after the Marshall Fire.

Ongoing CU research explores impacts, solutions after Marshall Fire (CU Boulder Today)

Dec. 21, 2022

On Dec. 30, 2021, a fast-moving wildfire in suburban Boulder County became the costliest wildfire in Colorado history. It burned 6,000 acres, destroyed more than 1,000 homes and damaged thousands of others. The Marshall Fire also spurred researchers—many personally affected by the fire—to apply their expertise to the aftermath. A year later, dozens of ongoing research projects continue to explore the science behind the fire; its widespread impacts; and how we can mitigate future catastrophes in a changing climate.

Miles Moore and Jimmy Howe toss black sand onto a test plot on Niwot Ridge. Photo by Kelsey Simpkins, CU Boulder.

To study impacts of longer, hotter summers, ecologists haul 5,000 pounds of sand up a mountain (CU Boulder Today)

Sept. 12, 2022

For the past five years, a team of research assistants and volunteers have hiked up Niwot Ridge in late May to set the stage for a unique experiment in which they spread 5,000 pounds of black sand across portions of the remaining snowpack. Their goal is to simulate the near-future effects of a warming planet on alpine ecosystems.

3 faculty members headed out on Fulbright Program (CU Boulder Today)

Aug. 10, 2022

Katharine Suding is among three CU Boulder faculty members who received Fulbright fellowships to study internationally. Suding will travel to the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand, to work on a project called Recovery, Resilience and the Ecology of Change.

Oft-overlooked grasslands build biodiversity, resilience over centuries (CU Boulder Today)

Aug. 4, 2022

Grasslands’ biodiversity and resilience to disturbances such as fire, heat and drought is the result of a slow process over hundreds of years, like that of old growth forests, finds new CU research led by INSTAAR Katharine Suding that was published today in Science. An implication of the research is that it's important to conserve grasslands that are still intact.

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Katharine Suding

Bio

Education

Awards

Research

Publications

INVASIVE SPECIES AND ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION

Ecological dynamics and ecological restoration

Stewardship, Conservation, and Restoration in the Context of Environmental Change

Top of the World Collaborations: Lessons from above Treeline

Pages

Teaching

Courses

Current postdocs and students

Alumni

Outreach

News