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
Identifying determinants of nations' wetland management programs using structural equation modeling: An exploratory analysis
Difficulties with estimating and interpreting species pools and the implications for understanding patterns of diversity
Fire in eastern ecosystems
The effects of soil flooding on the establishment of cogongrass (Imperata cylindrica), a nonindigenous invader of the southeastern United States
Growth and invasive potential of Sapium sebiferum (Euphorbiaceae) within the coastal prairie region: the effects of soil and moisture regime
The effects of gap size and disturbance type on invasion of wet pine savanna by cogongrass, Imperata cylindrica (Poaceae)
Factors associated with plant species richness in a coastal tall-grass prairie
Vegetation associations in a rare community type - Coastal tallgrass prairie
The relationship between species density and community biomass in grazed and ungrazed coastal meadows
Can prescribed fire save the endangered coastal prairie ecosystem from Chinese Tallow invasion?
The effects of landscape position on plant species density: Evidence of past environmental effects in a coastal wetland
The factors controlling species density in herbaceous plant communities: An assessment
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Filter Total Items: 181
Identifying determinants of nations' wetland management programs using structural equation modeling: An exploratory analysis
Integrated management and policy models suggest that solutions to environmental issues may be linked to the socioeconomic and political Characteristics of a nation. In this study, we empirically explore these suggestions by applying them to the wetland management activities of nations. Structural equation modeling was used to evaluate a model of national wetland management effort and one of nationAuthorsM.K. La Peyre, I.A. Mendelssohn, M.A. Reams, P.H. Templet, J.B. GraceDifficulties with estimating and interpreting species pools and the implications for understanding patterns of diversity
Evidence has been accumulating that species pools play a major role in regulating variations in small-scale diversity. However, our ability to unambiguously estimate and interpret species pools remains a major impediment to understanding the processes that control patterns of diversity. Two main approaches have been employed to evaluate the relationships between species pools and species diversityAuthorsJ.B. GraceFire in eastern ecosystems
Prior to Euro-American settlement, fire was a ubiquitous force across most of the Eastern United States. Fire regimes spanned a time-scale from chronic to centuries. Fire severity varied from benign to extreme (fig. 1-2). Today, fire is still a major force on the landscape. In some ecosystems fire stabilizes succession at a particular sere, while in others, succession is set back to pioneer specieAuthorsDale D. Wade, Brent L. Brock, Patrick H. Brose, James B. Grace, G. A. Hoch, William A. Patterson IIIThe effects of soil flooding on the establishment of cogongrass (Imperata cylindrica), a nonindigenous invader of the southeastern United States
Cogongrass (Imperata cylindrica), an invasive perennial introduced from Southeast Asia, is currently spreading throughout the southeastern United States from Florida to Louisiana. In the U.S., cogongrass is generally not considered a wetland species, although it’s range is expanding in regions with high wetland abundance. The objective of this study was to determine if excessive soil moisture mighAuthorsS.E. King, J.B. GraceGrowth and invasive potential of Sapium sebiferum (Euphorbiaceae) within the coastal prairie region: the effects of soil and moisture regime
The introduced tree Sapium sebiferum (Euphorbiaceae) is considered a serious threat to the preservation of the coastal prairie region of Louisiana and Texas, although it is currently uncommon in the western part of the region. The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential effects of location, soils, and available moisture on the growth and survival of S. sebiferum in coastal prairie. IAuthorsT.C. Barrilleaux, J.B. GraceThe effects of gap size and disturbance type on invasion of wet pine savanna by cogongrass, Imperata cylindrica (Poaceae)
Cogongrass is a nonindigenous species perceived to threaten native communities of the southeastern United States through modification of species composition and alteration of community processes. To examine how gap size and disturbance type influence the invasion of wet pine savannas by cogongrass, we performed three field experiments to evaluate the response of cogongrass seeds and transplanted sAuthorsS.E. King, J.B. GraceFactors associated with plant species richness in a coastal tall-grass prairie
In this study we examine the factors associated with variations in species richness within a remnant tall-grass prairie in order to gain insight into the relative importance of controlling variables. The study area was a small, isolated prairie surrounded by wetlands and located within the coastal prairie region, which occurs along the northwestern Gulf of Mexico coastal plain. Samples were takenAuthorsJames B. Grace, Larry K. Allain, Charles AllenVegetation associations in a rare community type - Coastal tallgrass prairie
The coastal prairie ecoregion is located along the northwestern coastal plain of the Gulf of Mexico in North America. Because of agricultural and urban development, less than 1% of the original 3.4 million ha of this ecosystem type remains in native condition, making it one of the most endangered ecosystems in North America. The objective of this study was to characterize the vegetation and enviroAuthorsJames B. Grace, Larry K. Allain, Charles AllenThe relationship between species density and community biomass in grazed and ungrazed coastal meadows
Previous studies have indicated that the relationship between community biomass and species density can be represented by a multivariate model in which abiotic variables influence species density both through effects on biomass and through effects on the species pool. In this paper, we use data from grazed and ungrazed coastal meadows in Finland to evaluate and extend this general conceptual modelAuthorsJames B. Grace, H. JutilaCan prescribed fire save the endangered coastal prairie ecosystem from Chinese Tallow invasion?
No abstract available.AuthorsJames B. GraceThe effects of landscape position on plant species density: Evidence of past environmental effects in a coastal wetland
Here we propose that an important cause of variation in species density may be prior environmental conditions that continue to influence current patterns. In this paper we investigated the degree to which species density varies with location within the landscape, independent of contemporaneous environmental conditions. The area studied was a coastal marsh landscape subject to periodic storm evenAuthorsJ.B. Grace, G.R. GuntenspergenThe factors controlling species density in herbaceous plant communities: An assessment
This paper evaluates both the ideas and empirical evidence pertaining to the control of species density in herbaceous plant communities. While most theoretical discussions of species density have emphasized the importance of habitat productivity and disturbance regimes, many other factors (e.g. species pools, plant litter accumulation, plant morphology) have been proposed to be important. A reviewAuthorsJ.B. Grace - News