Interests
I am interested in a broad array of ecological questions, particularly in (but not limited to) dryland ecosystems. Our research takes a mechanistic approach and examines interactions among biological, chemical and physical properties in ecosystems. Research projects focus on how changes in climate, fire and invasives affect ecosystems and the role of natural recovery and restoration. Projects include a diverse array of taxon, including soils, plants, microbes, herbivores, granivores, etc. Our research blends basic with applied science in order to further our understanding of ecosystem structure and function and how management affects those processes.
Research Areas
- Desert ecology
- Physiological, community and ecosystem ecology
- Biogeochemistry
- Soil ecology
- Plant-animal, plant-microbe and plant-soil interactions
- Fire, global change, invasive species
- Restoration ecology
Current Projects
- Post-fire soil erosion
- Sagebrush recruitment along a fire perimeter
- Climate change effects on post-fire restoration in the Great Basin
- Post-fire vegetation and soil monitoring
- SageSTEP - Sagebrush Steppe Treatment Evaluation Project
- Grazing effects on grass establishment after fire
- Post-fire rehabilitation effects on plant communities and fire regimes
- Long-term fire recovery across the western US
- Restoring annual grass invaded sites in the Mojave Desert
