Seth Munson, Ph.D.
Seth Munson is an ecologist with the Southwest Biological Science Center in Flagstaff, Arizona. His research focuses on plant-soil interactions in dryland ecosystems and how these interactions are affected by climate and land use changes.
Much of Dr. Munson's research aims to understand the dynamics of dryland ecosystems at long temporal and broad spatial scales, and employs a multidisciplinary approach. His work seeks to improve the management of arid and semi-arid lands, including determining effective ecological restoration strategies, and is done in close collaboration with several land management agencies.
Check the Science Tab Below for a List of Current Research Projects.
Research Interests: Plant Ecology, Ecosystem Ecology, Dryland Ecology, Restoration Ecology, Soil Erosion
Professional Experience
Research Ecologist, US Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Flagstaff, AZ
Adjunct Faculty, Northern Arizona University, Department of Biological Sciences, Flagstaff, AZ
Adjunct Faculty, Arizona State University, School of Life Sciences, Phoenix, AZ
Jan 2011 - Dec 2013: Research Ecologist (Mendenhall Fellow), US Geological Survey, Geology and Environmental Change Science Center, Denver, CO
Dec 2008 - Jan 2011: Ecologist, US Geological Survey, Canyonlands Research Station, Moab, Utah
May 2004 - Nov 2008; Research Assistant, Colorado State University, Forest and Rangeland Stewardship, Fort Collins, CO
Sep 2002 – May 2004; Research Associate, University of New Mexico, Biology Department, Albuquerque, NM
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, May 2009
B.A. Biology, Earlham College, Richmond, IN, May 2001
Science and Products
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Primary production responses to extreme changes in North American Monsoon precipitation vary by elevation and plant functional composition through time
Primary production in dryland ecosystems is limited by water availability and projected to be strongly affected by future shifts in seasonal precipitation. Warm-season precipitation derived from the North American Monsoon contributes 40% of annual precipitation to dryland ecosystems in the southwestern U.S. and is projected to become more variable. However, there is large uncertainty on whether th
Authors
Seth M. Munson, John B. Bradford, Bradley J. Butterfield, Jennifer R. Gremer
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
Authors
Robert Massatti, Daniel E. Winkler, Sasha C. Reed, Michael C. Duniway, Seth M. Munson, John B. Bradford
RestoreNet: Collaboration to improve success of seed-based restoration on the Colorado Plateau
Dryland restoration faces challenges from heat, drought, and unpredictable rainfall, that are increasingly common and severe due to climate change. Land managers need information about successful seed-based restoration techniques and seed mixes that are not widely available to increase restoration success. Researchers from the US Geological Survey (USGS) and partner universities are working with l
Authors
Seth M. Munson, Molly L. McCormick, M. Scott, Ariel Leger
Winter 2020-2021 edition
In this edition: 2021 year in review, native seed development process, RestoreNet protocol published and lots of associated research, a handful of climate change science, and more.
Authors
Molly L. McCormick, Seth M. Munson, John B. Bradford
Protocol for installing and monitoring a RestoreNet restoration field trial network site
RestoreNet is an ecological restoration experiment that is networked across multiple sites, spanning dryland ecosystems in the southwestern United States. The experiment is organized and led by the U.S. Geological Survey’s Restoration Assessment and Monitoring Program for the Southwest (RAMPS). This protocol functions to provide guidance to additional partners on how to set up a RestoreNet site an
Authors
Katherine M. Laushman, Molly L. McCormick, Seth M. Munson, Kathleen R. Balazs, Bradley J. Butterfield
RestoreNet: Collaboration to improve success of seed-based restoration on the Colorado Plateau
Land degradation in arid and semiarid ecosystems is often difficult to reverse because low rainfall and high temperatures impede reestablishment of vegetation. Seed-based restoration success and recovery rates are also impeded by harsh climatic conditions and remain extremely low. Additionally, little information is available to land managers about the performance of contrasting seed-based restora
Authors
Seth M. Munson, Ariel Ledger
Directional selection shifts trait distributions of planted species in dryland restoration
The match between species trait values and local abiotic filters can restrict community membership. An often-implicit assumption of this relationship is that abiotic filters select for a single locally optimal strategy, though difficulty in isolating effects of the abiotic environment from those of dispersal limitation and biotic interactions has resulted in few empirical tests of this assumption.
Authors
Kathleen R. Balazs, Seth M. Munson, Caroline Ann Havrilla, Bradley J. Butterfield
Remotely sensed fine-fuel changes from wildfire and prescribed fire in a semi-arid grassland
The spread of flammable invasive grasses, woody plant encroachment, and enhanced aridity have interacted in many grasslands globally to increase wildfire activity and risk to valued assets. Annual variation in the abundance and distribution of fine-fuel present challenges to land managers implementing prescribed burns and mitigating wildfire, although methods to produce high-resolution fuel estima
Authors
Adam Gerhard Wells, Seth M. Munson, Steven E Sesnie, Miguel L. Villarreal
Does restoration of plant diversity trigger concomitant soil microbiome changes in dryland ecosystems?
Drylands are highly vulnerable to land degradation, and despite increasing efforts, restoration success remains low. Although often ignored in the design and deployment of management strategies, soil microbial communities might be critical for dryland restoration due to their central role in promoting soil stability, nutrient cycling and plant establishment.We collected soil samples from eight dry
Authors
Ben Yang, Kathleen R. Balazs, Bradley J. Butterfield, Katherine M. Laushman, Seth M. Munson, Elise S. Gornish, Albert Barberán
Grasslands maintain stability in productivity through compensatory effects and dominant species stability under extreme precipitation patterns
Extreme climatic events are likely to intensify under climate change and can have different effects on ecosystems depending on their timing and magnitude. Understanding how productivity responds to extreme precipitation patterns requires assessing stability and vulnerability during critical growing periods at the plant community level. In this study, we experimentally imposed two contrasting types
Authors
Wenlan Gao, Linfeng Li, Seth M. Munson, Xiaoyong Cui, Yanfen Wang, Yanbin Hao
USGS RAMPS (Restoration Assessment and Monitoring Program for the Southwest) newsletter – Summer 2021 edition
No abstract available.
Authors
Seth M. Munson, Molly L. McCormick
Non-USGS Publications**
Bontti, E.E., J.P. DeCant, S.M. Munson, M.A. Gathany, A. Przeszlowska, M.L. Haddix, S. Owens, I.C. Burke, W.J. Parton, and M.E. Harmon. 2009. Litter decomposition in grasslands of Central North America (US Great Plains). Global Change Biology 15: 1356–1363.
Munson, S.M. and W.K. Lauenroth. 2009. Plant population and community responses to removal of the dominant species in the shortgrass steppe. Journal of Vegetation Science 20: 224–232.
Munson, S.M. and W.K. Lauenroth. 2012. Plant community recovery following restoration in semiarid grasslands. Restoration Ecology 20: 656–663.
Munson, S.M., W.K. Lauenroth, and I.C. Burke. 2012. Soil carbon and nitrogen recovery on semiarid Conservation Reserve Program lands. Journal of Arid Environments 79: 25–31
Munson, S.M. 2013. Plant responses, climate pivot points, and tradeoffs in water-limited ecosystems. Ecosphere 4: 109.
Li, J., G.S. Okin, J.E. Herrick, J. Belnap, S.M. Munson, and M.E. Miller. 2010. A simple method to estimate threshold friction velocity of wind erosion in the field. Geophysical Research Letters 37: L10402.
**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.
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Primary production responses to extreme changes in North American Monsoon precipitation vary by elevation and plant functional composition through time
Primary production in dryland ecosystems is limited by water availability and projected to be strongly affected by future shifts in seasonal precipitation. Warm-season precipitation derived from the North American Monsoon contributes 40% of annual precipitation to dryland ecosystems in the southwestern U.S. and is projected to become more variable. However, there is large uncertainty on whether thAuthorsSeth M. Munson, John B. Bradford, Bradley J. Butterfield, Jennifer R. GremerSupporting 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 providAuthorsRobert Massatti, Daniel E. Winkler, Sasha C. Reed, Michael C. Duniway, Seth M. Munson, John B. BradfordRestoreNet: Collaboration to improve success of seed-based restoration on the Colorado Plateau
Dryland restoration faces challenges from heat, drought, and unpredictable rainfall, that are increasingly common and severe due to climate change. Land managers need information about successful seed-based restoration techniques and seed mixes that are not widely available to increase restoration success. Researchers from the US Geological Survey (USGS) and partner universities are working with lAuthorsSeth M. Munson, Molly L. McCormick, M. Scott, Ariel LegerWinter 2020-2021 edition
In this edition: 2021 year in review, native seed development process, RestoreNet protocol published and lots of associated research, a handful of climate change science, and more.AuthorsMolly L. McCormick, Seth M. Munson, John B. BradfordProtocol for installing and monitoring a RestoreNet restoration field trial network site
RestoreNet is an ecological restoration experiment that is networked across multiple sites, spanning dryland ecosystems in the southwestern United States. The experiment is organized and led by the U.S. Geological Survey’s Restoration Assessment and Monitoring Program for the Southwest (RAMPS). This protocol functions to provide guidance to additional partners on how to set up a RestoreNet site anAuthorsKatherine M. Laushman, Molly L. McCormick, Seth M. Munson, Kathleen R. Balazs, Bradley J. ButterfieldRestoreNet: Collaboration to improve success of seed-based restoration on the Colorado Plateau
Land degradation in arid and semiarid ecosystems is often difficult to reverse because low rainfall and high temperatures impede reestablishment of vegetation. Seed-based restoration success and recovery rates are also impeded by harsh climatic conditions and remain extremely low. Additionally, little information is available to land managers about the performance of contrasting seed-based restoraAuthorsSeth M. Munson, Ariel LedgerDirectional selection shifts trait distributions of planted species in dryland restoration
The match between species trait values and local abiotic filters can restrict community membership. An often-implicit assumption of this relationship is that abiotic filters select for a single locally optimal strategy, though difficulty in isolating effects of the abiotic environment from those of dispersal limitation and biotic interactions has resulted in few empirical tests of this assumption.AuthorsKathleen R. Balazs, Seth M. Munson, Caroline Ann Havrilla, Bradley J. ButterfieldRemotely sensed fine-fuel changes from wildfire and prescribed fire in a semi-arid grassland
The spread of flammable invasive grasses, woody plant encroachment, and enhanced aridity have interacted in many grasslands globally to increase wildfire activity and risk to valued assets. Annual variation in the abundance and distribution of fine-fuel present challenges to land managers implementing prescribed burns and mitigating wildfire, although methods to produce high-resolution fuel estimaAuthorsAdam Gerhard Wells, Seth M. Munson, Steven E Sesnie, Miguel L. VillarrealDoes restoration of plant diversity trigger concomitant soil microbiome changes in dryland ecosystems?
Drylands are highly vulnerable to land degradation, and despite increasing efforts, restoration success remains low. Although often ignored in the design and deployment of management strategies, soil microbial communities might be critical for dryland restoration due to their central role in promoting soil stability, nutrient cycling and plant establishment.We collected soil samples from eight dryAuthorsBen Yang, Kathleen R. Balazs, Bradley J. Butterfield, Katherine M. Laushman, Seth M. Munson, Elise S. Gornish, Albert BarberánGrasslands maintain stability in productivity through compensatory effects and dominant species stability under extreme precipitation patterns
Extreme climatic events are likely to intensify under climate change and can have different effects on ecosystems depending on their timing and magnitude. Understanding how productivity responds to extreme precipitation patterns requires assessing stability and vulnerability during critical growing periods at the plant community level. In this study, we experimentally imposed two contrasting typesAuthorsWenlan Gao, Linfeng Li, Seth M. Munson, Xiaoyong Cui, Yanfen Wang, Yanbin HaoUSGS RAMPS (Restoration Assessment and Monitoring Program for the Southwest) newsletter – Summer 2021 edition
No abstract available.AuthorsSeth M. Munson, Molly L. McCormickNon-USGS Publications**
Bontti, E.E., J.P. DeCant, S.M. Munson, M.A. Gathany, A. Przeszlowska, M.L. Haddix, S. Owens, I.C. Burke, W.J. Parton, and M.E. Harmon. 2009. Litter decomposition in grasslands of Central North America (US Great Plains). Global Change Biology 15: 1356–1363.Munson, S.M. and W.K. Lauenroth. 2009. Plant population and community responses to removal of the dominant species in the shortgrass steppe. Journal of Vegetation Science 20: 224–232.Munson, S.M. and W.K. Lauenroth. 2012. Plant community recovery following restoration in semiarid grasslands. Restoration Ecology 20: 656–663.Munson, S.M., W.K. Lauenroth, and I.C. Burke. 2012. Soil carbon and nitrogen recovery on semiarid Conservation Reserve Program lands. Journal of Arid Environments 79: 25–31Munson, S.M. 2013. Plant responses, climate pivot points, and tradeoffs in water-limited ecosystems. Ecosphere 4: 109.Li, J., G.S. Okin, J.E. Herrick, J. Belnap, S.M. Munson, and M.E. Miller. 2010. A simple method to estimate threshold friction velocity of wind erosion in the field. Geophysical Research Letters 37: L10402.**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.
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