Massatti, R., Doherty, K.D. and Wood, T.E. (2018), Resolving neutral and deterministic contributions to genomic structure in Syntrichia ruralis (Bryophyta, Pottiaceae) informs propagule sourcing for dryland restoration. Conservation Genetics, 19: 85.
Rob Massatti, Ph.D.
I am interested in how species and their genetic variation are distributed across western North America, and I investigate the historical and contemporary factors influencing these patterns using genetic, environmental, and distributional data. This research framework allows me to place findings in the context of restoration and native plant materials development.
Biography
Education
2015 Ph.D., Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
- Dissertation: Spatial and temporal factors influencing the distribution and diversification of the montane flora
2007 M.S., Botany, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY
- Thesis: A Floristic Inventory of the East Slope of the Wind River Mountain Range and Vicinity, Wyoming
2002 B.S., Zoology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
Research Experience
2018 - Present: Research Ecologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Flagstaff, AZ
2016 - 2018: Ecologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Flagstaff, AZ
2015 - 2016: Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
2008 - 2010: Assistant Director, Conservation Research Program, Institute for Applied Ecology, Corvallis, OR
Science and Products
Date published: September 27, 2019
Status: Active Informing Seed Transfer Guidelines and Native Plant Materials Development: Research Supporting Restoration Across the Colorado Plateau and Beyond
As restoration needs for natural landscapes grow due to higher frequency and/or intensity disturbances, pressure from invasive species, and impacts resulting from changing climates, considerable time and resources are being invested to guide the development and deployment of native plant materials (NPMs). Across lower elevations of the Colorado Plateau, a region composed primarily of public...
Contacts: Rob Massatti, Ph.D., John Bradford
Attribution: Ecosystems, Southwest Biological Science Center
Year Published: 2019
Supporting the development and use of native plant materials for restoration on the Colorado Plateau (Fiscal Year 18 Report)
Introduction A primary focus of the Colorado Plateau Native Plant Program (CPNPP) is to identify and develop appropriate native plant materials (NPMs) for current and future restoration projects. Multiple efforts have characterized the myriad challenges inherent in providing appropriate seed resources to enable effective, widespread restoration...
Massatti, Robert; Winkler, Daniel; Reed, Sasha; Duniway, Michael; Munson, Seth; Bradford, JohnAttribution: Southwest Biological Science Center, Ecosystems
View Citation
Massatti, R.T., Winkler, D.E., Reed, S.C., Duniway, M.D., Munson, S.M., and Bradford, J.B., 2019, Supporting the development and use of native plant materials for restoration on the Colorado Plateau (Fiscal Year 18 Report): Fiscal Year 2018 Report deliverable to the Bureau of Land Management. Do not process through USGS Pubs Warehouse (product will be made available on the cooperator’s website at https://www.blm.gov/programs/natural-resources/native-plant-communities/native-plant-and-seed-material-development/ecoregional-programs).
Year Published: 2018
Genetic analyses of Astragalus sect. Humillimi (Fabaceae) resolve taxonomy and enable effective conservation
Premise of the StudyAstragalus sect. Humillimi is distributed across the southwestern United States and contains two endangered taxa, A. cremnophylax var. cremnophylax and A. humillimus. The former was originally described from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Analysis of individuals discovered on the...
Massatti, Robert; Belus, Matthew; Dowlatshahi, Shahed; Allan, Gerard J.View Citation
Massatti, R.T., Belus, M.T., Dowlatshahi, S., and Allan, G.J., 2018, Genetic analyses of Astragalus sect. Humillimi (Fabaceae) resolve taxonomy and enable effective conservation: American Journal of Botany, v. 105, no. 10, https://doi.org/10.1002/ajb2.1157.
Year Published: 2018
Population history provides foundational knowledge for utilizing and developing native plant restoration materials
A species’ population structure and history are critical pieces of information that can help guide the use of available native plant materials in restoration treatments and decide what new native plant materials should be developed to meet future restoration needs. In the western United States, Pseudoroegneria spicata (bluebunch...
Massatti, Robert; Prendeville, Holly R.; Larson, Steve; Richardson, Bryce A.; Waldron, Blair; Kilkenny, Francis F.View Citation
Massatti, R., Prendeville, H.R., Larson, S., Richardson, B.A., Waldron, B., and Kilkenny, F.F., 2018, Population history provides foundational knowledge for utilizing and developing native plant restoration materials: Evolutionary Applications, https://doi.org/10.1111/eva.12704.
Year Published: 2018
Beyond traditional ecological restoration on the Colorado Plateau
The Colorado Plateau is one of North America's five major deserts, encompassing 340,000 km2 of the western U.S., and offering many opportunities for restoration relevant to researchers and land managers in drylands around the globe. The Colorado Plateau is comprised of vast tracts of public land managed by local, state, and federal agencies...
Winkler, Daniel E.; Backer, Dana M.; Belnap, Jayne; Bradford, John B.; Butterfield, Bradley J.; Copeland, Stella M.; Duniway, Michael C.; Faist, Akasha M.; Fick, Stephen E.; Jensen, Scott L.; Kramer, Andrea T.; Mann, Rebecca; Massatti, Robert; McCormick, Molly L.; Munson, Seth M.; Olwell, Peggy; Parr, Steve D.; Pfennigwerth, Alix; Pilmanis, Adrienne M.; Richardson, Bryce A.; Samuel, Ella; See, Kathy; Young, Kristina E.; Reed, Sasha C.View Citation
Winkler, D.E., Backer, D.M., Belnap, J., Bradford, J.B., Butterfield, B.J., Copeland, S.M., Duniway, M.C., Faist, A.M., Fick, S.E., Jensen, S.L., Kramer, A.T., Mann, R., Massatti, R.T., McCormick, M.L., Munson, S.M., Olwell, P., Parr, S.D., Pfennigwerth, A.A., Pilmanis, A.M., Richardson, B.A., Samuel, E., See, K., Young, K.E., and Reed, S.C., 2018, Beyond traditional ecological restoration on the Colorado Plateau: Restoration Ecology, online, https://doi.org/10.1111/rec.12876.
Pre-USGS Publications
Knowles, L. L. and Massatti, R. (2017), Distributional shifts – not geographic isolation – as a probable driver of montane species divergence. Ecography, 40: 1475-1485.
Massatti, R. and Knowles, L. L. (2016), Contrasting support for alternative models of genomic variation based on microhabitat preference: species‐specific effects of climate change in alpine sedges. Molecular Ecology, 25: 3974-3986.
Knowles, L. L., Massatti, R. , He, Q. , Olson, L. E. and Lanier, H. C. (2016), Quantifying the similarity between genes and geography across Alaska's alpine small mammals. Journal of Biogeography, 43: 1464-1476.
Massatti, R. , Reznicek, A. A. and Knowles, L. L. (2016), Utilizing RADseq data for phylogenetic analysis of challenging taxonomic groups: A case study in Carex sect. Racemosae. American Journal of Botany, 103: 337-347.
Lanier, H. C., Massatti, R. , He, Q. , Olson, L. E. and Knowles, L. L. (2015), Colonization from divergent ancestors: glaciation signatures on contemporary patterns of genomic variation in Collared Pikas (Ochotona collaris). Molecular Ecology, 24: 3688-3705.
Massatti, R. and Knowles, L. L. (2014), Microhabitat differences impact phylogeographic concordance of codistributed species: genomic evidence in montane sedges (Carex L.) from the Rocky Mountains. Evolution, 68: 2833-2846.
Coop, J. D., Massatti, R. T. and Schoettle, A. W. (2010), Subalpine vegetation pattern three decades after stand‐replacing fire: effects of landscape context and topography on plant community composition, tree regeneration, and diversity. Journal of Vegetation Science, 21: 472- 487.