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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.

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

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Dryland, shrub-dominated plant community typical of sandy substrates

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 land...
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Southwest Biological Science Center
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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 land...
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Yellow bee plant (Cleome lutea) visited by a monarch butterfly

Genetics for Western Restoration and Conservation (GWRC)

Research using genetic principles, methods, and data provides critical information for restoration and conservation science. Genetic research may rely only upon genomic sequencing techniques, which generate abundant, genome-wide DNA sequences that can provide a glimpse into a species’ evolutionary history and adaptations. Genetic research may also look at an organism’s physical traits to...
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Southwest Biological Science Center
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Genetics for Western Restoration and Conservation (GWRC)

Research using genetic principles, methods, and data provides critical information for restoration and conservation science. Genetic research may rely only upon genomic sequencing techniques, which generate abundant, genome-wide DNA sequences that can provide a glimpse into a species’ evolutionary history and adaptations. Genetic research may also look at an organism’s physical traits to...
Learn More
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Cisco milkvetch (Astragalus sabulosus) in flower

Genomic Research Supporting Western Conservation

In the western United States (U.S.), there are many regionally restricted, rare species resulting from complex demographic and ecological processes through time. In addition to the inherent risks associated with being rare (i.e., having few individuals spread over a limited area that could be disproportionately affected by chance events), anthropogenic disturbances are increasing in magnitude...
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Southwest Biological Science Center
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Genomic Research Supporting Western Conservation

In the western United States (U.S.), there are many regionally restricted, rare species resulting from complex demographic and ecological processes through time. In addition to the inherent risks associated with being rare (i.e., having few individuals spread over a limited area that could be disproportionately affected by chance events), anthropogenic disturbances are increasing in magnitude...
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Genetically informed seed transfer zones for Astragalus lonchocarpus, Cleome serrulata, and Heliomeris multiflora across the Colorado Plateau and adjacent regions

These data were compiled to provide seed transfer and native plant materials development guidance to managers and practitioners across the Colorado Plateau and in adjacent regions. This data release contains empirical seed transfer zones derived from molecular genetic data for Cleome serrulata (syn. Peritoma serrulata), Heliomeris multiflora, and Astragalus lonchocarpus. These species show distinc
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Southwest Biological Science Center

Carex specuicola genomic data for the southern Colorado Plateau Desert

These data were compiled to investigate the demographic and phylogeographic of Carex specuicola. Objectives of our study were to understand the demographic and dispersal history of Carex specuicola across hanging gardens, the hybridization history between Carex specuicola and Carex utahensis, and the population structure of Carex specuicola across its distribution. The data release consists of thr
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Southwest Biological Science Center

Penstemon grahamii genetic data from a dryland region of the western United States

These data were compiled to investigate the evolutionary history of Graham's beardtongue (Penstemon grahamii). Objective(s) of our study were to determine the evolutionary history of P. grahamii, including ancestral population sizes, the history of population divergences, and historical connectivity. In addition, we characterized population structure, genetic diversity summary statistics, and land
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Southwest Biological Science Center

Astragalus species complex genetic data from southeast Utah (Grand County and San Juan County), USA

These data were compiled to investigate the evolutionary history of Astragalus iselyi, A. sabulosus var. sabulosus, and A. sabulosus var. vehiculus. The data release consists of six text files. One file is a bash script (astragalus_MLE_msms.sh) for generating simulated genetic data. Four files contain individual-level (astragalus.fasta, astragalus.nothin.recode.vcf, astragalus.recode.vcf) or popul
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Southwest Biological Science Center

Cleome lutea and Machaeranthera canescens seed transfer zones and distribution on the Colorado Plateau, US

These data were compiled to provide seed transfer and native plant materials development guidance to managers and practitioners across the Colorado Plateau and in adjacent regions. This data release contains empirical seed transfer zones derived from molecular genetic data for Cleome lutea (syn. Peritoma lutea) and Machaeranthera canescens (syn. Dieteria canescens). These species show distinct pop
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Southwest Biological Science Center

'Viva' native plant material data in support of restoration and conservation

These data were compiled to investigate the evolutionary history of Hilaria jamesii, Hilaria mutica, and Hilaria rigida. The data release consists of two tab delimited text files that may be used to infer population structure (viva_structure.stru) or relationships among sampling localities (viva.phylip). Files record genetic variation on an individual (.stru) or sampling locality (.phylip) level.
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Southwest Biological Science Center

Population genetic and climatic variability data across western North America, 1915-2015

Environmental Analysis Data: These data were compiled to investigate the complex interactions between environmental gradients and geographic distance across the Intermountain West of the western United States. Due to complex topography, physiographic heterogeneity, and complicated relationships with large bodies of water, spatial autocorrelation of environmental similarity may be expected. We prov
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Southwest Biological Science Center

Hilaria jamesii data for the Colorado Plateau of the southwestern United States

These data were compiled to investigate the demographic, phylogeographic, and adaptation history of Hilaria jamesii. The data release consists of three tab delimited text files that may be used to infer population structure or putative adaptive loci (hija_adaptation_dataset.stru), relationships among sampling localities (hija_phylogeny_dataset.phylip), or genetic diversity statistics (hija_diversi
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Southwest Biological Science Center

Genetic analyses of Astragalus sect. Humillimi data in the southwest USA

These data were compiled to support effective conservation for species within Astragalus sect. Humillimi. Two species, A. cremnophylax var. cremnophylax and A. humillimus are federally listed as endangered taxa. The data provided herein were used to resolve the relationaships among taxa, the population structure within taxa, and genetic diversity within taxa. The data are provided in a STRUCTURE-f
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Southwest Biological Science Center
Filter Total Items: 21

Evolutionary dynamics inform management interventions of a hanging garden obligate, Carex specuicola

Uncovering the historical and contemporary processes shaping rare species with complex distributions is of growing importance due to threats such as habitat destruction and climate change. Species restricted to specialized, patchy habitat may persist by virtue of life history characteristics facilitating ongoing gene flow and dispersal, but they could also reflect the remnants of formerly widespre
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Southwest Biological Science Center

Assessing population genomic structure and polyploidy: A crucial step for native plant restoration

Establishing an effective restoration program requires baseline genetic information to make sound decisions for seed increase and transfer. For many plants this information is lacking, especially among native forbs that are critical for pollinator health. Erigeron speciosus is a widespread, perennial forb occupying montane environments in the western United States and Canada. This species is impor
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Southwest Biological Science Center

Spatially explicit management of genetic diversity using ancestry probability surfaces

1. Ecological restoration and conservation efforts are increasing worldwide and the management of intraspecific genetic variation in plants and animals, an important component of biodiversity, is increasingly valued. As a result, tailorable, spatially explicit approaches to map genetic variation are needed to support decision-making and management frameworks related to the recovery of threatened a
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Southwest Biological Science Center

Hybrid enrichment of adaptive variation revealed by genotype-environment associations in montane sedges

The role of hybridization in diversification is complex and may result in many possible outcomes. Not only can hybridization produce new lineages, but those lineages may contain unique combinations of adaptive genetic variation derived from parental taxa that allow hybrid-origin lineages to occupy unique environmental space relative to one (or both) parents. We document such a case of hybridizatio
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Southwest Biological Science Center

Supporting the development and use of native plant materials for restoration on the Colorado Plateau (Fiscal Year 2021 Report)

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 and have identified a broad suite of research activities to provid
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Southwest Biological Science Center

How to increase the supply of native seed to improve restoration success: The US native seed development process

With the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, restoration of damaged ecosystems is turning into a global movement. Restoration actions that are not based on science and an understanding of ecosystem function can thwart desired restoration outcomes at best and cause further damage to ecosystems at worst. Restoration often includes revegetation using seed. Where we source seed for restora
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Southwest Biological Science Center

Demographic modeling informs functional connectivity and management interventions in Graham’s beardtongue

Functional connectivity (i.e., the movement of individuals across a landscape) is essential for the maintenance of genetic variation and persistence of rare species. However, illuminating the processes influencing functional connectivity and ultimately translating this knowledge into management practice remains a fundamental challenge. Here, we combine various population structure analyses with pa
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Southwest Biological Science Center

The demographic and ecological factors shaping diversification among rare Astragalus species

AimEvolutionary radiations are central to the origin and maintenance of biodiversity, yet we rarely understand how they are jointly shaped by demography and ecological opportunity. Astragalus is the largest plant genus in the world and is disproportionately comprised of rare species restricted to narrow geographic and ecological regions. Here, we explored the demographic and ecological mechanisms
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Southwest Biological Science Center

Supporting the development and use of native plant materials for restoration on the Colorado Plateau (Fiscal Year 2020 Report)

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 and have identified a broad suite of research activities to provid
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Climate Adaptation Science Centers, Southwest Biological Science Center

Testing which axes of species differentiation underlie covariance of phylogeographic similarity among montane sedge species

Co‐distributed species may exhibit similar phylogeographic patterns due to shared environmental factors or discordant patterns attributed to the influence of species‐specific traits. Although either concordant or discordant patterns could occur due to chance, stark differences in key traits (e.g., dispersal ability) may readily explain differences between species. Multiple species’ attributes may
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Southwest Biological Science Center

Forward-looking dryland restoration in an age of change

Drought, wildfires, and invasive species are among the many challenges practitioners face in achieving restoration goals in drylands. In this article, we highlight relevant restoration research and programs that pursue actionable information and resource management goals for the Intermountain West. In the context of international restoration targets recently set, we speak to dryland restoration ch
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Southwest Biological Science Center

Genetically-informed seed transfer zones for Cleome lutea and Machaeranthera canescens across the Colorado Plateau and adjacent regions

Genetically-based seed transfer zones are described herein for two priority restoration species on and adjacent to the Colorado Plateau (Massatti 2020). Species include Cleome lutea Hook. (Capparaceae; commonly called yellow spiderflower or yellow beeplant; synonym Peritoma lutea (Hook.) Raf.) and Machaeranthera canescens (Pursh) A. Gray (Asteraceae; commonly called hoary tansyaster; synonym Diete
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Southwest Biological Science Center

Non-USGS Publications**

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.
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.

**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.

POPMAPS: An R package to estimate ancestry probability surfaces

This software code was developed to estimate the probability that individuals found at a geographic location will belong to the same genetic cluster as individuals at the nearest empirical sampling location for which ancestry is known. POPMAPS includes 5 main functions to calculate and visualize these results (see Table 1 for functions and arguments). Population assignment coefficients and a raste
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Southwest Biological Science Center
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SBSC’s restoration research featured in the 2023 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) released their 2023 “Assessment of Native Seeds Needs and the Capacity for Their...

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Tips for Dryland Restoration - Summer 2020

This season's edition of the Restoration Assessment and Monitoring Program for the Southwest Newsletter contains recent program highlights including...

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Plant Genetics Informing Restoration in the West

Three recently published papers by the Southwest Biological Science Center illustrate how genetics can aid in plant restoration efforts in the arid...

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