I am an Ecologist at the USGS Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center in Boise, ID
I study plant community ecology and ecophysiology to evaluate factors limiting the establishment of native plant communities, predominantly in post- disturbance / wildfire landscapes with an emphasis on sagebrush, a foundational species of sagebrush steppe habitats. Additionally, my research projects involve the effects of grazing and the consequences of land management treatments to identify the most efficacious treatment combinations to lead to the development of resistant and resilient rangelands.
Science and Products
If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.
Spatial grain of adaptation is much finer than ecoregional-scale common gardens reveal
Adaptive variation among plant populations must be known for effective conservation and restoration of imperiled species and predicting their responses to a changing climate. Common‐garden experiments, in which plants sourced from geographically distant populations are grown together such that genetic differences may be expressed, have provided much insight on adaptive variation. Common‐garden exp
Landscape and organismal factors affecting sagebrush-seedling transplant survival after megafire restoration
Larger and more frequent disturbances are motivating efforts to accelerate recovery of foundational perennial species by focusing efforts into establishing island patches to sustain keystone species and facilitate recovery of the surrounding plant community. Evaluating the variability in abiotic and biotic factors that contribute to differences in survival and establishment can provide useful insi
Can’t see the random forest for the decision trees: Selecting predictive models for restoration ecology
Improving predictions of restoration outcomes is increasingly important to resource managers for accountability and adaptive management, yet there is limited guidance for selecting a predictive model from the multitude available. The goal of this paper was to identify an optimal predictive framework for restoration ecology using eleven modeling frameworks (including, machine learning, inferential,
Thresholds and hotspots for shrub restoration following a heterogeneous megafire
ContextReestablishing foundational plant species through aerial seeding is an essential yet challenging step for restoring the vast semiarid landscapes impacted by plant invasions and wildfire-regime shifts. A key component of the challenge stems from landscape variability and its effects on plant recovery.ObjectivesWe assessed landscape correlates, thresholds, and tipping points for sagebrush pre
Non-USGS Publications**
Davidson, B.E., Novak, S.J. and Serpe, M.D., 2016. Consequences of inoculation with native arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi for root colonization and survival of Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis seedlings after transplanting. Mycorrhiza, 26(6), pp.595-608.
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.
Early Establishment Patterns of 'Local' Wyoming Big Sagebrush Population in Common Gardens Along Elevational Gradient in Owyhee Mountains, Idaho
This dataset contains information on the survival of sagebrush seedlings originating from seed collected from 3 'local' populations over 2+ years. Datasets presented consist of individual seedling survival, growth and reproduction data as well as population level results as they relate to the differences in modeled and calculated climate variables and the differences between the climatic condition
Survival data of transplanted sagebrush (Artemesia tridentata) seedlings in relation to vegetative, organismal, and topographic conditions after megafire
This dataset contains information on the survival of individual sagebrush seedlings, stands of seedlings and the vegetative and topographic conditions in which they were planted.
Science and Products
- Publications
If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.
Spatial grain of adaptation is much finer than ecoregional-scale common gardens reveal
Adaptive variation among plant populations must be known for effective conservation and restoration of imperiled species and predicting their responses to a changing climate. Common‐garden experiments, in which plants sourced from geographically distant populations are grown together such that genetic differences may be expressed, have provided much insight on adaptive variation. Common‐garden expLandscape and organismal factors affecting sagebrush-seedling transplant survival after megafire restoration
Larger and more frequent disturbances are motivating efforts to accelerate recovery of foundational perennial species by focusing efforts into establishing island patches to sustain keystone species and facilitate recovery of the surrounding plant community. Evaluating the variability in abiotic and biotic factors that contribute to differences in survival and establishment can provide useful insiCan’t see the random forest for the decision trees: Selecting predictive models for restoration ecology
Improving predictions of restoration outcomes is increasingly important to resource managers for accountability and adaptive management, yet there is limited guidance for selecting a predictive model from the multitude available. The goal of this paper was to identify an optimal predictive framework for restoration ecology using eleven modeling frameworks (including, machine learning, inferential,Thresholds and hotspots for shrub restoration following a heterogeneous megafire
ContextReestablishing foundational plant species through aerial seeding is an essential yet challenging step for restoring the vast semiarid landscapes impacted by plant invasions and wildfire-regime shifts. A key component of the challenge stems from landscape variability and its effects on plant recovery.ObjectivesWe assessed landscape correlates, thresholds, and tipping points for sagebrush preNon-USGS Publications**
Davidson, B.E., Novak, S.J. and Serpe, M.D., 2016. Consequences of inoculation with native arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi for root colonization and survival of Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis seedlings after transplanting. Mycorrhiza, 26(6), pp.595-608.**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
- Data
If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.
Early Establishment Patterns of 'Local' Wyoming Big Sagebrush Population in Common Gardens Along Elevational Gradient in Owyhee Mountains, Idaho
This dataset contains information on the survival of sagebrush seedlings originating from seed collected from 3 'local' populations over 2+ years. Datasets presented consist of individual seedling survival, growth and reproduction data as well as population level results as they relate to the differences in modeled and calculated climate variables and the differences between the climatic conditionSurvival data of transplanted sagebrush (Artemesia tridentata) seedlings in relation to vegetative, organismal, and topographic conditions after megafire
This dataset contains information on the survival of individual sagebrush seedlings, stands of seedlings and the vegetative and topographic conditions in which they were planted. - News