Amy J. Symstad, PhD
Amy Symstad serves as a Research Ecologist and Chief of the Climate and Land-use Branch for the USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center and is stationed at the Hot Springs, South Dakota duty station.
Amy Symstad is a plant ecologist whose research seeks to advance the understanding of prairie plant communities, their natural and anthropogenic drivers, and management practices to sustain and restore them. Most of her work serves National Park Service units in the northern Great Plains, where altered fire and grazing regimes, invasive species, and climate change present conservation and management challenges.
Professional Experience
2003-present: Research Ecologist, USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Education and Certifications
Ph.D., Ecology, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, 1998.
S.B., Environmental Engineering Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1992
Science and Products
Woody encroachment in northern Great Plains grasslands: Perceptions, actions, and needs
Co-producing simulation models to inform resource management: a case study from southwest South Dakota
Resource management and operations in southwest South Dakota: Climate change scenario planning workshop summary January 20-21, 2016, Rapid City, SD
Resource management and operations in central North Dakota: Climate change scenario planning workshop summary November 12-13, 2015, Bismarck, ND
Preserving prairies: Understanding temporal and spatial patterns of invasive annual bromes in the Northern Great Plains
Application of MC1 to Wind Cave National Park: Lessons from a small-scale study: Chapter 8
Impacts of weather on long-term patterns of plant richness and diversity vary with location and management
Climatic controls of aboveground net primary production in semi-arid grasslands along a latitudinal gradient portend low sensitivity to warming
Book review: Field guide to the common grasses of Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska
Potential nitrogen critical loads for northern Great Plains grassland vegetation
Effects of projected climate (2011–50) on karst hydrology and species vulnerability—Edwards aquifer, south-central Texas, and Madison aquifer, western South Dakota
Historical and projected climate (1901–2050) and hydrologic response of karst aquifers, and species vulnerability in south-central Texas and western South Dakota
Science and Products
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Filter Total Items: 43
Woody encroachment in northern Great Plains grasslands: Perceptions, actions, and needs
The United States Northern Great Plains (NGP) has a high potential for landscape-scale conservation, but this grassland landscape is threatened by encroachment of woody species. We surveyed NGP land managers to identify patterns in, and illustrate a broad range of, individual managers' perceptions on (1) the threat of woody encroachment to grasslands they manage, and (2) what management practicesAuthorsAmy J. Symstad, Sherry A. LeisCo-producing simulation models to inform resource management: a case study from southwest South Dakota
Simulation models can represent complexities of the real world and serve as virtual laboratories for asking “what if…?” questions about how systems might respond to different scenarios. However, simulation models have limited relevance to real-world applications when designed without input from people who could use the simulated scenarios to inform their decisions. Here, we report on a state-and-tAuthorsBrian W. Miller, Amy J. Symstad, Leonardo Frid, Nicholas A. Fisichelli, Gregor W. SchuurmanResource management and operations in southwest South Dakota: Climate change scenario planning workshop summary January 20-21, 2016, Rapid City, SD
The Scaling Climate Change Adaptation in the Northern Great Plains through Regional Climate Summaries and Local Qualitative-Quantitative Scenario Planning Workshops project synthesizes climate data into 3-5 distinct but plausible climate summaries for the northern Great Plains region; crafts quantitative summaries of these climate futures for two focal areas; and applies these local summaries by dAuthorsNicholas A. Fisichelli, Gregor W. Schuurman, Amy J. Symstad, Andrea Ray, Brian Miller, Molly Cross, Erika RowlandResource management and operations in central North Dakota: Climate change scenario planning workshop summary November 12-13, 2015, Bismarck, ND
The Scaling Climate Change Adaptation in the Northern Great Plains through Regional Climate Summaries and Local Qualitative-Quantitative Scenario Planning Workshops project synthesizes climate data into 3-5 distinct but plausible climate summaries for the northern Great Plains region; crafts quantitative summaries of these climate futures for two focal areas; and applies these local summaries by dAuthorsNicholas A. Fisichelli, Gregor Schuurman, Amy J. Symstad, Andrea Ray, Jonathan M. Friedman, Brian Miller, Erika RowlandPreserving prairies: Understanding temporal and spatial patterns of invasive annual bromes in the Northern Great Plains
Two Eurasian invasive annual brome grasses, cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) and Japanese brome (Bromus japonicus), are well known for their impact in steppe ecosystems of the western United States where these grasses have altered fire regimes, reduced native plant diversity and abundance, and degraded wildlife habitat. Annual bromes are also abundant in the grasslands of the Northern Great Plains (NGAuthorsIsabel Ashton, Amy J. Symstad, Christopher Davis, Daniel J. SwansonApplication of MC1 to Wind Cave National Park: Lessons from a small-scale study: Chapter 8
MC1 was designed for application to large regions that include a wide range in elevation and topography, thereby encompassing a broad range in climates and vegetation types. The authors applied the dynamic global vegetation model MC1 to Wind Cave National Park (WCNP) in the southern Black Hills of South Dakota, USA, on the ecotone between ponderosa pine forest to the northwest and mixed-grass praiAuthorsDavid A. King, Dominique M. Bachelet, Amy J. SymstadImpacts of weather on long-term patterns of plant richness and diversity vary with location and management
Better understanding the influence of precipitation and temperature on plant assemblages is needed to predict the effects of climate change. Many studies have examined the relationship between plant productivity and weather (primarily precipitation), but few have directly assessed the relationship between plant richness or diversity and weather despite their increased use as metrics of ecosystem cAuthorsJayne L. Jonas, Deborah A. Buhl, Amy J. SymstadClimatic controls of aboveground net primary production in semi-arid grasslands along a latitudinal gradient portend low sensitivity to warming
Although climate models forecast warmer temperatures with a high degree of certainty, precipitation is the primary driver of aboveground net primary production (ANPP) in most grasslands. Conversely, variations in temperature seldom are related to patterns of ANPP. Thus forecasting responses to warming is a challenge, and raises the question: how sensitive will grassland ANPP be to warming? We evalAuthorsWhitney Mowll, Dana M. Blumenthal, Karie Cherwin, Anine Smith, Amy J. Symstad, Lance Vermeire, Scott L. Collins, Melinda D. Smith, Alan K. KnappBook review: Field guide to the common grasses of Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska
Grass identification is not for the faint of heart, especially when one has to rely on dichotomous keys using terms like “glume” and “flexuous pedicels.” A good, illustrated field guide that avoids such specialized terms is invaluable for ranchers, amateur naturalists, landscapers, and a variety of grassland professionals that aren’t hard-core botanists. These are the audience that Iralee BarnardAuthorsAmy J. SymstadPotential nitrogen critical loads for northern Great Plains grassland vegetation
The National Park Service is concerned that increasing atmospheric nitrogen deposition caused by fossil fuel combustion and agricultural activities could adversely affect the northern Great Plains (NGP) ecosystems in its trust. The critical load concept facilitates communication between scientists and policy makers or land managers by translating the complex effects of air pollution on ecosystemsAuthorsAmy J. Symstad, Anine T. Smith, Wesley E. Newton, Alan K. KnappEffects of projected climate (2011–50) on karst hydrology and species vulnerability—Edwards aquifer, south-central Texas, and Madison aquifer, western South Dakota
Karst aquifers—formed by the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone—are critical groundwater resources in North America, and karst springs, caves, and streams provide habitat for unique flora and fauna. Springflow and groundwater levels in karst terrane can change greatly over short time scales, and therefore are likely to respond rapidly to climate change. How might the biological communiAuthorsBarbara Mahler, John F. Stamm, Mary F. Poteet, Amy J. Symstad, MaryLynn Musgrove, Andrew J. Long, Parker A. NortonHistorical and projected climate (1901–2050) and hydrologic response of karst aquifers, and species vulnerability in south-central Texas and western South Dakota
Two karst aquifers, the Edwards aquifer in the Balcones Escarpment region of south-central Texas and the Madison aquifer in the Black Hills of western South Dakota, were evaluated for hydrologic response to projected climate change through 2050. Edwards aquifer sites include Barton Springs, the Bexar County Index Well, and Comal Springs. Madison aquifer sites include Spearfish Creek and Rhoads ForAuthorsJohn F. Stamm, Mary F. Poteet, Amy J. Symstad, MaryLynn Musgrove, Andrew J. Long, Barbara Mahler, Parker A. Norton - Science
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