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

An overview of research from a high elevation landscape: the Niwot Ridge, Colorado Long Term Ecological Research programme

CU Boulder Authors: Bowman, Bill; McKnight, Diane Marie; Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: Williams MW; Seastedt TR; Bowman WD; McKnight DM; Suding KN

Published in: Plant Ecology and Diversity
Publication Date: 2015-11-02
Type: Journal Article

Plant-microbe interactions at multiple scales across a high-elevation landscape

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

All Authors: Schmidt SK; King AJ; Meier CL; Bowman WD; Farrer EC; Suding KN; Nemergut DR

Published in: Plant Ecology and Diversity
Publication Date: 2015-11-02
Type: Journal Article

Vegetation change at high elevation: scale dependence and interactive effects on Niwot Ridge

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: Suding KN; Farrer EC; King AJ; Kueppers L; Spasojevic MJ

Published in: Plant Ecology and Diversity
Publication Date: 2015-11-02
Type: Journal Article

Plasticity in nitrogen form uptake and preference in response to long-term nitrogen fertilization

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: Song M-H; Zheng L-L; Suding KN; Yin T-F; Yu F-H

Published in: Plant and Soil: international journal on plant-soil relationships
Publication Date: 2015-09-01
Type: Journal Article

Grassland Arthropods Are Controlled by Direct and Indirect Interactions with Cattle but Are Largely Unaffected by Plant Provenance

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: Farrell KA; Harpole WS; Stein C; Suding KN; Borer ET

Published in: PLoS One
Publication Date: 2015-07-09
Type: Journal Article

Committing to ecological restoration

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors:

Suding K; Higgs E; Palmer M; Callicott JB; Anderson CB; Baker M; Gutrich JJ; Hondula KL; LaFevor MC; Larson BMH...

Suding K
Higgs E
Palmer M
Callicott JB
Anderson CB
Baker M
Gutrich JJ
Hondula KL
LaFevor MC
Larson BMH

Published in: Science
Publication Date: 2015-05-08
Type: Journal Article

Indirect effects of global change accumulate to alter plant diversity but not ecosystem function in alpine tundra

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: Farrer EC; Ashton IW; Spasojevic MJ; Fu S; Gonzalez DJX; Suding KN

Published in: Journal of Ecology
Publication Date: 2015-03-01
Type: Journal Article

Assembly of root-associated bacteria communities: interactions between abiotic and biotic factors

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: Dean SL; Farrer EC; Porras-Alfaro A; Suding KN; Sinsabaugh RL

Published in: Environmental Microbiology Reports
Publication Date: 2015-02-01
Type: Journal Article

Competition and soil resource environment alter plant - soil feedbacks for native and exotic grasses

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: Larios L; Suding KN

Published in: AOB Plants
Publication Date: 2015-01-01
Type: Journal Article

Managing the whole landscape: historical, hybrid, and novel ecosystems

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors:

Hobbs RJ; Higgs E; Hall CM; Bridgewater P; Chapin FS; Ellis EC; Ewel JJ; Hallett LM; Harris J; Hulvey KB...

Hobbs RJ
Higgs E
Hall CM
Bridgewater P
Chapin FS
Ellis EC
Ewel JJ
Hallett LM
Harris J
Hulvey KB

Published in: Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment
Publication Date: 2014-12-01
Type: Journal Article

Using functional diversity patterns to explore metacommunity dynamics: a framework for understanding local and regional influences on community structure

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: Spasojevic MJ; Copeland S; Suding KN

Published in: Ecography: pattern and diversity in ecology
Publication Date: 2014-10-01
Type: Journal Article

Evaluating Ecosystem Services Provided by Non-Native Species: An Experimental Test in California Grasslands

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: Stein C; Hallett LM; Harpole WS; Suding KN

Published in: PLoS One
Publication Date: 2014-09-15
Type: Journal Article

Altered water and nitrogen input shifts succession in a southern California coastal sage community

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: Kimball S; Goulden ML; Suding KN; Parker S

Published in: Ecological Applications
Publication Date: 2014-09-01
Type: Journal Article

Resilience in ecology: Abstraction, distraction, or where the action is?

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors:

Standish RJ; Hobbs RJ; Mayfield MM; Bestelmeyer BT; Suding KN; Battaglia LL; Eviner V; Hawkes CV; Temperton VM; Cramer V...

Standish RJ
Hobbs RJ
Mayfield MM
Bestelmeyer BT
Suding KN
Battaglia LL
Eviner V
Hawkes CV
Temperton VM
Cramer VA

Published in: Biological Conservation
Publication Date: 2014-09-01
Type: Journal Article

Shrub expansion over the past 62 years in Rocky Mountain alpine tundra: possible causes and consequences

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: Formica A; Farrer EC; Ashton IW; Suding KN

Published in: Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research
Publication Date: 2014-08-01
Type: Journal Article

Biotic mechanisms of community stability shift along a precipitation gradient

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors:

Hallett LM; Hsu JS; Cleland EE; Collins SL; Dickson TL; Farrer EC; Gherardi LA; Gross KL; Hobbs RJ; Turnbull L...

Hallett LM
Hsu JS
Cleland EE
Collins SL
Dickson TL
Farrer EC
Gherardi LA
Gross KL
Hobbs RJ
Turnbull L

Published in: Ecology
Publication Date: 2014-06-01
Type: Journal Article

Separating direct and indirect effects of global change: a population dynamic modeling approach using readily available field data

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: Farrer EC; Ashton IW; Knape J; Suding KN

Published in: Global Change Biology
Publication Date: 2014-04-01
Type: Journal Article

Staged invasions across disparate grasslands: effects of seed provenance, consumers and disturbance on productivity and species richness

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: Maron JL; Auge H; Pearson DE; Korell L; Hensen I; Suding KN; Stein C

Published in: Ecology Letters
Publication Date: 2014-04-01
Type: Journal Article

Nitrogen deposition alters plant-fungal relationships: linking belowground dynamics to aboveground vegetation change

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: Dean SL; Farrer EC; Taylor DL; Porras-Alfaro A; Suding KN; Sinsabaugh RL

Published in: Molecular Ecology
Publication Date: 2014-03-01
Type: Journal Article

Intra-annual rainfall regime shifts competitive interactions between coastal sage scrub and invasive grasses

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: Goldstein LJ; Suding KN

Published in: Ecology
Publication Date: 2014-02-01
Type: Journal Article

Applying competition theory to invasion: resource impacts indicate invasion mechanisms in California shrublands

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: Goldstein LJ; Suding KN

Published in: Biological Invasions
Publication Date: 2014-01-01
Type: Journal Article

ECOLOGY A leak in the loop

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: Suding KN

Published in: Nature
Publication Date: 2013-11-28
Type: Journal Article

Effect of propagule pressure on recovery of a California grassland after an extreme disturbance

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: Larios L; Aicher RJ; Suding KN

Published in: Journal of Vegetation Science
Publication Date: 2013-11-01
Type: Journal Article

Sustaining ecosystem functions in a changing world: a call for an integrated approach

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors:

Tomimatsu H; Sasaki T; Kurokawa H; Bridle JR; Fontaine C; Kitano J; Stouffer DB; Vellend M; Bezemer TM; Fukami T...

Tomimatsu H
Sasaki T
Kurokawa H
Bridle JR
Fontaine C
Kitano J
Stouffer DB
Vellend M
Bezemer TM
Fukami T

Published in: Journal of Applied Ecology
Publication Date: 2013-10-01
Type: Journal Article

Changes in alpine vegetation over 21 years: Are patterns across a heterogeneous landscape consistent with predictions?

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

All Authors: Spasojevic MJ; Bowman WD; Humphries HC; Seastedt TR; Suding KN

Published in: Ecosphere
Publication Date: 2013-09-01
Type: Journal Article

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

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Teaching

Courses

Current postdocs and students

Alumni

Outreach

News