James Grace, Ph.D.
James Grace is a Senior Research Scientist at the USGS Wetland and Aquatic Research Center.
BACKGROUND
2015 - present Senior Research Scientist. U.S. Geological Survey, ST
2002 - 2014 Senior Research Ecologist, U.S. Geological Survey, GS-15
1993 - 2019 Adjunct Professor, Department of Biology, University of Louisiana
2002 – 2005 Affiliate Faculty, School of Renewable Natural Resources, LSU
1992 - 2002 Research Ecologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Biological Division
1990 - 1993 Professor, Department of Botany, Louisiana State University
1985 - 1990 Associate Professor, Department of Botany, Louisiana State Univ.
1989 Visiting Professor, Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium
1986 Visiting Scientist, Div. Wildlife, CSIRO, Darwin, Australia
1980‑1985 Assistant Professor, Dept. Botany and Microbiology, Univ. Arkansas summer
After graduate school, he held faculty positions at the University of Arkansas and Louisiana State University, where he reached the level of Full Professor. In 2000, he received the millennium Meritorious Research Award from the Society of Wetland Scientists and in 2003 received the National Science Excellence Award from the U.S. Geological Survey. He was selected to be a Fellow of the Ecological Society of America and promoted to the Senior Scientist ranks in 2014. Since 2019 he has been designated as a ‘Highly-Cited Researcher’ by the Web of Science in recognition of his scientific impact during the past decade. In 2021 he received the Presidential Rank Award, which is given out by the President of the United States and is the highest performance award given to career senior scientists and administrators. He has published over 200 papers and reports, including 3 books, one on competitive interactions, one on community analysis, and one on structural equation modeling. As of 2020, Grace has given over 200 invited lectures and workshops in 9 countries during his career.
For more information, search 'Jim Grace USGS'.
Education and Certifications
Ph.D., Michigan State University
M.S., Clemson University
B.S., Biology, Presbyterian College
Science and Products
Untangling the biological contributions to soil stability in semiarid shrublands
Rank clocks and plant community dynamics
Savanna tree density, herbivores, and the herbaceous community: Bottom-up vs. top-down effects
Do non-native plant species affect the shape of productivity-diversity relationships?
Structural equation modeling for observational studies
Representing general theoretical concepts in structural equation models: The role of composite variables
Long-term dynamics of leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula) and its biocontrol agent, flea beetles in the genus Aphthona
Fire and nonnative invasive plants in the central bioregion
Effects of nutrient loading and extreme rainfall events on coastal tallgrass prairies: Invasion intensity, vegetation responses, and carbon and nitrogen distribution
Cultural diversity, economic development and societal instability
Short-term disruption of a leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula) biocontrol program following herbicide application
Responses of prairie arthropod communities to fire and fertilizer: Balancing plant and arthropod conservation
Science and Products
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Filter Total Items: 180
Untangling the biological contributions to soil stability in semiarid shrublands
Communities of plants, biological soil crusts (BSCs), and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are known to influence soil stability individually, but their relative contributions, interactions, and combined effects are not well understood, particularly in arid and semiarid ecosystems. In a landscape-scale field study we quantified plant, BSC, and AM fungal communities at 216 locations along a gradieAuthorsV. Bala Chaudhary, Matthew A. Bowker, Thomas E. O'Dell, James B. Grace, Andrea E. Redman, Matthias C. Rillig, Nancy C. JohnsonRank clocks and plant community dynamics
Summarizing complex temporal dynamics in communities is difficult to achieve in a way that yields an intuitive picture of change. Rank clocks and rank abundance statistics provide a graphical and analytical framework for displaying and quantifying community dynamics. We used rank clocks, in which the rank order abundance for each species is plotted over time in temporal clockwise direction, to disAuthorsScott L. Collins, Katherine Suding, Elsa E. Cleland, Michael Batty, Steven C. Pennings, K.L. Gross, James B. Grace, L. Gough, Joe E. Fargione, Christopher M. ClarkSavanna tree density, herbivores, and the herbaceous community: Bottom-up vs. top-down effects
Herbivores choose their habitats both to maximize forage intake and to minimize their risk of predation. For African savanna herbivores, the available habitats range in woody cover from open areas with few trees to dense, almost‐closed woodlands. This variation in woody cover or density can have a number of consequences for herbaceous species composition, cover, and productivity, as well as for eaAuthorsCorinna Riginos, James B. GraceDo non-native plant species affect the shape of productivity-diversity relationships?
The relationship between ecosystem processes and species richness is an active area of research and speculation. Both theoretical and experimental studies have been conducted in numerous ecosystems. One finding of these studies is that the shape of the relationship between productivity and species richness varies considerably among ecosystems and at different spatial scales, though little is knownAuthorsJ.M. Drake, E.E. Cleland, M. C. Horner-Devine, E. Fleishman, C. Bowles, M. D. Smith, K. Carney, S. Emery, J. Gramling, D.B. Vandermast, J.B. GraceStructural equation modeling for observational studies
Structural equation modeling (SEM) represents a framework for developing and evaluating complex hypotheses about systems. This method of data analysis differs from conventional univariate and multivariate approaches familiar to most biologists in several ways. First, SEMs are multiequational and capable of representing a wide array of complex hypotheses about how system components interrelate. SecAuthorsJ.B. GraceRepresenting general theoretical concepts in structural equation models: The role of composite variables
Structural equation modeling (SEM) holds the promise of providing natural scientists the capacity to evaluate complex multivariate hypotheses about ecological systems. Building on its predecessors, path analysis and factor analysis, SEM allows for the incorporation of both observed and unobserved (latent) variables into theoretically-based probabilistic models. In this paper we discuss the interfaAuthorsJ.B. Grace, K.A. BollenLong-term dynamics of leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula) and its biocontrol agent, flea beetles in the genus Aphthona
Three flea beetle species (Aphthona spp.), first introduced into North America in 1988, have come to be regarded as effective biological control organisms for leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula). The black flea beetles (Aphthona lacertosa and A. czwalinae) in particular have been shown to cause reductions in leafy spurge stem counts in the northern Great Plains, while the brown flea beetle (A. nigriscuAuthorsDiane L. Larson, James B. Grace, Jennifer L. LarsonFire and nonnative invasive plants in the central bioregion
The Central bioregion is a vast area, stretching from Canada to Mexico and from the eastern forests to the Rocky Mountains, dominated by grasslands and shrublands, but inclusive of riparian and other forests. This bioregion has been impacted by many human induced changes, particularly relating to agricultural practices, over the past 150 years. Also changed are fire regimes, first by native peopleAuthorsJames B. Grace, Kristin ZouharEffects of nutrient loading and extreme rainfall events on coastal tallgrass prairies: Invasion intensity, vegetation responses, and carbon and nitrogen distribution
Soil fertility and precipitation are major factors regulating transitions from grasslands to forests. Biotic regulation may influence the effects of these abiotic drivers. In this study, we examined the effects of extreme rainfall events, anthropogenic nutrient loading and insect herbivory on the ability of Chinese tallow tree (Sapium sebiferum) to invade coastal prairie to determine how these facAuthorsE. Siemann, W.E. Rogers, James B. GraceCultural diversity, economic development and societal instability
Background. Social scientists have suggested that cultural diversity in a nation leads to societal instability. However, societal instability may be affected not only by within-nation on ?? diversity, but also diversity between a nation and its neighbours or ?? diversity. It is also necessary to distinguish different domains of diversity, namely linguistic, ethnic and religious, and to distinguishAuthorsD. Nettle, J.B. Grace, M. Choisy, H.V. Cornell, J.-F. Guegan, M.E. HochbergShort-term disruption of a leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula) biocontrol program following herbicide application
Integrated pest management (IPM) for invasive plant species is being advocated by researchers and implemented by land managers, but few studies have evaluated the success of IPM programs in natural areas. We assessed the relative effects of components of an IPM program for leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula), an invasive plant, at Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota. Effects of herbicides onAuthorsD. L. Larson, J.B. Grace, P.A. Rabie, P. AndersenResponses of prairie arthropod communities to fire and fertilizer: Balancing plant and arthropod conservation
Fire is an important tool for limiting woody plant invasions into prairies, but using fire management to maintain grassland plant communities may inadvertently reduce arthropod diversity. To test this, we established twenty-four 100 m2 plots in a tallgrass prairie in Galveston County, Texas, in spring 2000. Plots were assigned a fire (no burn, one time burn [2000], two time burn [2000, 2001]) andAuthorsM.K. Hartley, W.E. Rogers, E. Siemann, J. Grace - News