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

Cooccurrence patterns of plants and soil bacteria in the high-alpine subnival zone track environmental harshness (vol 3, pg 347, 2012)

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

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

Published in: Frontiers in Microbiology
Publication Date: 2013-08-21
Type: Journal Article

Plant-microbe relationships determine winners and losers in response to nitrogen pollution

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: Hicks S; Farrer E; Taylor DL; Alfaro AP; Suding K; Sinsabaugh R

Published in: Phytopathology: International Journal of the American Phytopathological Society
Publication Date: 2013-08-10
Type: Conference Proceeding

Seed endophytes associated with dominant plants in the alpine tundra in Colorado

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: Tobias T; Hicks S; Sinsabaug R; Suding K; Porras-Alfaro A

Published in: Phytopathology: International Journal of the American Phytopathological Society
Publication Date: 2013-08-10
Type: Conference Proceeding

Sensitivity of grassland plant community composition to spatial vs. temporal variation in precipitation

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors:

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

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

Published in: Ecology
Publication Date: 2013-08-01
Type: Journal Article

Interactive effects of temporal and spatial fire characteristics on the population dynamics of a fire-dependent Cypress species

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: Rodriguez-Buritica S; Suding K

Published in: Journal of Applied Ecology
Publication Date: 2013-08-01
Type: Journal Article

BOTANY AND A CHANGING WORLD: INTRODUCTION TO THE SPECIAL ISSUE ON GLOBAL BIOLOGICAL CHANGE

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: Weller SG; Suding K; Sakai AK

Published in: American Journal of Botany
Publication Date: 2013-07-01
Type: Journal Article

NITROGEN DEPOSITION, PLANT CARBON ALLOCATION, AND SOIL MICROBES: CHANGING INTERACTIONS DUE TO ENRICHMENT

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: Farrer EC; Herman DJ; Franzova E; Trang P; Suding KN

Published in: American Journal of Botany
Publication Date: 2013-07-01
Type: Journal Article

Do We Practice What We Preach? Goal Setting for Ecological Restoration

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: Hallett LM; Diver S; Eitzel MV; Olson JJ; Ramage BS; Sardinas H; Statman-Weil Z; Suding KN

Published in: Restoration Ecology
Publication Date: 2013-05-01
Type: Journal Article

Strengthening Invasion Filters to Reassemble Native Plant Communities: Soil Resources and Phenological Overlap

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: Cleland EE; Larios L; Suding KN

Published in: Restoration Ecology
Publication Date: 2013-05-01
Type: Journal Article

Towards a Conceptual Framework for Novel Ecosystems

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors:

HOBBS RJ; HIGGS ES; HALL CM; HALLETT LM; STANDISH RJ; HULVEY KB; GARDENER MR; SUDING KN; STARZOMSKI BM; MURPHY SD...

HOBBS RJ
HIGGS ES
HALL CM
HALLETT LM
STANDISH RJ
HULVEY KB
GARDENER MR
SUDING KN
STARZOMSKI BM
MURPHY SD

Publication Date: 2013-04-01
Type: Chapter

Incorporating novel ecosystems into management frameworks

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors:

HULVEY KB; STANDISH RJ; HALLETT LM; STARZOMSKI BM; MURPHY SD; NELSON CR; GARDENER MR; KENNEDY PL; SEASTEDT T; SUDING KN...

HULVEY KB
STANDISH RJ
HALLETT LM
STARZOMSKI BM
MURPHY SD
NELSON CR
GARDENER MR
KENNEDY PL
SEASTEDT T
SUDING KN

Publication Date: 2013-04-01
Type: Chapter

Synthesis: Are New Models for Ecosystem Dynamics Scientifically Robust and Helpful in Guiding Restoration Projects?

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: HOBBS RJ; SUDING KN

Publication Date: 2013-03-19
Type: Chapter

The dynamic nature of ecological systems: multiple states and restoration trajectories

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: SUDING KN; GROSS KL

Publication Date: 2013-03-19
Type: Chapter

Incorporating novel ecosystems into management frameworks

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors:

HULVEY KB; HALLETT L; STANDISH RJ; STARZOMSKI BM; SUDING KN; MURPHY SD; GARDENER MR; NELSON CR; KENNEDY P; SEASTEDT T...

HULVEY KB
HALLETT L
STANDISH RJ
STARZOMSKI BM
SUDING KN
MURPHY SD
GARDENER MR
NELSON CR
KENNEDY P
SEASTEDT T

Publication Date: 2013-03-18
Type: Chapter

Ecosystem stewardship as a framework for conservation in a directionally changing world

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: SEASTEDT T; SUDING KN; CHAPIN FS

Publication Date: 2013-03-18
Type: Chapter

Plant-soil feedbacks: the past, the present and future challenges

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors:

van der Putten WH; Bardgett RD; Bever JD; Bezemer TM; Casper BB; Fukami T; Kardol P; Klironomos JN; Kulmatiski A; Schwei...

van der Putten WH
Bardgett RD
Bever JD
Bezemer TM
Casper BB
Fukami T
Kardol P
Klironomos JN
Kulmatiski A
Schweitzer JA

Published in: Journal of Ecology
Publication Date: 2013-03-01
Type: Journal Article

Consequences of plant-soil feedbacks in invasion

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: Suding KN; Harpole WS; Fukami T; Kulmatiski A; MacDougall AS; Stein C; van der Putten WH

Published in: Journal of Ecology
Publication Date: 2013-03-01
Type: Journal Article

Ecosystem Stewardship as a framework for conservation in a directionally changing world

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: SEASTEDT TR; SUDING KN; CHAPIN FS

Publication Date: 2013-01-07
Type: Chapter

Single-trait functional indices outperform multi-trait indices in linking environmental gradients and ecosystem services in a complex landscape

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: Butterfield BJ; Suding KN

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

Bounded ranges of variation as a framework for future conservation and fire management

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: Moritz MA; Hurteau MD; Suding KN; D'Antonio CM

Published in: Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
Publication Date: 2013-01-01
Type: Journal Article

Restoration Within Protected Areas: When and How to Intervene to Manage Plant Invasions?

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: Larios L; Suding KN

Publication Date: 2013-01-01
Type: Chapter

Incorporating clonal growth form clarifies the role of plant height in response to nitrogen addition

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: Gough L; Gross KL; Cleland EE; Clark CM; Collins SL; Fargione JE; Pennings SC; Suding KN

Published in: Oecologia
Publication Date: 2012-08-01
Type: Journal Article

Ecological effects of experimental drought and prescribed fire in a southern California coastal grassland

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: Potts DL; Suding KN; Winston GC; Rocha AV; Goulden ML

Published in: Journal of Arid Environments
Publication Date: 2012-06-01
Type: Journal Article

Shifting Baselines: Dynamics of Evolution and Community Change in a Changing World

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: SUDING KN; LEGER E

Publication Date: 2012-05-21
Type: Chapter

Inferring community assembly mechanisms from functional diversity patterns: the importance of multiple assembly processes

CU Boulder Authors: Suding, Katharine Nash

All Authors: Spasojevic MJ; Suding KN

Published in: Journal of Ecology
Publication Date: 2012-05-01
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

---

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.

More Suding news >

Search

Breadcrumb

Katharine Suding

Bio

Education

Awards

Research

Publications

Plant-microbe relationships determine winners and losers in response to nitrogen pollution

Seed endophytes associated with dominant plants in the alpine tundra in Colorado

Towards a Conceptual Framework for Novel Ecosystems

Incorporating novel ecosystems into management frameworks

Synthesis: Are New Models for Ecosystem Dynamics Scientifically Robust and Helpful in Guiding Restoration Projects?

The dynamic nature of ecological systems: multiple states and restoration trajectories

Incorporating novel ecosystems into management frameworks

Ecosystem stewardship as a framework for conservation in a directionally changing world

Ecosystem Stewardship as a framework for conservation in a directionally changing world

Shifting Baselines: Dynamics of Evolution and Community Change in a Changing World

Pages

Teaching

Courses

Current postdocs and students

Alumni

Outreach

News