Cynthia Brown
Plant Invasion Ecology
Professor
Office: C204 Plant Sciences
Lab: E204 Plant Sciences
Cynthia.S.Brown@ColoState.edu
970-491-1949 office
970-491-6698 lab
Research Interests:
I am interested in the mechanisms that control the coexistence of plants and the effects of species diversity and plant community composition on ecosystem characteristics such as productivity, resource abundance, and invasibility. My past work on community assembly and restoration ecology reflects this interest. My lab’s current research includes studies of invasive plant seed dispersal, plant invasions and restoration in prairie, steppe and montane system, and the effects of global environmental change on plant invasions. We are developing a new line of inquiry into interactions between biodiversity and agriculture. We strive to conduct research that tests ecological theory while addressing practical conservation and management issues.
Courses Taught
528 Invasive Plants and Weeds: Ecosystems to Molecules
ECOL 571 Advanced Topics in Ecology
Recent Publications
Seabloom, E.W., E.T. Borer, Y. Buckley, E.E. Cleland, K. Davies, J. Firn, W.S. Harpole, Y. Hautier, E. Lind, A.S. MacDougall, J.L. Orrock, S.M. Prober, P.B. Adler, T.M. Anderson, J.D. Bakker, L.A. Biederman, D.M. Blumanthal, C.S. Brown, L.A. Brudvig, M. Cadotte, C. Chu, K.L. Cottingham, M.J. Crawley, E.I. Damschen, C.M. D’Antonio, N.M. DeCrappeo, G. Du, P.A. Fay, P. Frater, D.S. Gruner, N. Hagenah, A. Hector, H. Hillebrand, K.S. Hofmockel, H.C. Humphries, V.L. Jin, A. Kay, K.P. Kirkman, J.A. Klein, J.M.H. Knops, K.J. La Pierre, L. Ladwig, J.G. Lambrinos, Q. Li, W. Li, R. Marushia, R.L. McCulley, B. Melbourne, C.E. Mitchell, J.L. Moore, J. Morgan, B. Mortensen, L.R. O’Halloran, D.A. Pyke, A.C. Risch, M. Sankaran, M. Schuetz, A. Simonsen, M. Smith, C.J. Stevens, L. Sullivan, E. Wolkovich, P.D. Wragg, J. Wright, L. Yang. 2015. Plant species’ origin predicts dominance and response to nutrient enrichment and herbivores in global grasslands. Nature Communications 6: 771, DOI: 10.1038/ncomms8710.
West, A.M. , S. Kumar, T. Wakie, C.S. Brown, T.J. Stohlgren, M. Laituri, J. Bromberg. 2015. Using high-resolution future climate scenarios to forecast Bromus tectorum invasion in Rocky Mountain National Park. PLOS ONE Article Number e0117893, DOI: 10.137/journal.pone.0117893.
Dudley, M.M., W.R. Jacobi, C. S. Brown. 2014. Roadway deicer effects on the germination of native grasses and forbs. Journal of Water, Air and Soil Pollution 1984 (12 pp).
Borer, E.T., E.W. Seabloom, D.S.Gruner, W.S. Harpole, H. Hillebrand, E.M. Lind, P.B. Adler, J. Alberti, T.M. Anderson, J.D. Bakker, L. Biederman, D. Blumenthal, C.S. Brown, L.A. Brudvig, Y.M. Buckley, M. Cadotte, C.n Chu, E.E. Cleland, M.J. Crawley, P. Daleo, E.I. Damschen, K.F. Davies, N.M. DeCrappeo, G. Du, J. Firn, Y. Hautier, R.W. Heckman, A. Hector, J. HilleRisLambers, O. Iribarne, J.A. Klein, J. Knops, K.J. La Pierre, A.D.B. Leakey, W. Li, A.S. MacDougall, R.L. McCulley, B.A. Melbourne, C.E. Mitchell, J.L. Moore, B. Mortensen, L.R. O’Halloran, J.L. Orrock, J. Pascual, S.M. Prober, D.a. Pyke, A.C Risch, M. Schuetz, M.D. Smith, C.J. Stevens, L.L. Sullivan, R.J. Williams, P.D. Wragg, J.P. Wright, and L.H. Yang. 2014. Herbivores and nutrients control grassland plant diversity via light limitation. Nature 508: 517-520.
Balgopal, M.M., J.A. Klein, J.A. Morgan, C.S. Brown,W.M. Frasier, L.B. Sample McMeeking. 2014. Linking the science, socio-economic, and political aspects of climate change and rangelands through a jigsaw learning activity. Journal of Geoscience Education 62: 343-352.
Chambers, J.C., B.A. Bradley, C.S. Brown, C. D’Antonio, M.J. Germino, J.B. Grace, S.P. Hardegree, R.F. Miller, and D.A. Pyke. 2014. Resilience to stress and disturbance, and resistance to Bromus tectrum L. invasion in cold desert shrublands of North America. Ecosystems 17: 360-375.
Colautti, R.I., J.D. Parker, M.W. Cadotte, P. Pyšek, C.S. Brown, D F. Sax, D.M. Richardson. 2014. The biological basis of invasiveness. Neobiota DOI 10.3897//neobiota.@@.5310.
Seabloom, E.W., E.T. Borer, Y. Buckley, E.E. Cleland, K. Davies, J. Firn, S. Harpole, Y. Hautier, E. Lind, A. Macdougall, J.L. Orrock, S.M. Prober, P. Adler, J. Alberti, T.M. Anderson, J.D. Bakker, L.A. Biederman, D. Blumenthal, C.S. Brown, L.A. Brudvig, M. Caldeira, C.J. Chu, M.J. Crawley, P. Daleo, E.I. Damschen, C.M. D’Antonio, N.M. Decrappeo, C.R. Dickman, G.Z. Du, P.A. Fay, P. Frater, D.S. Gruner, N. Hagenah, K.S. Hofmockel, H.C. Humphries, O. Iribarne, V.L. Jin, A. Kay, K.P. Kirkman, J.A. Klein, J.M.H. Knops, K.J. La Pierre, L.M. Ladwig, J.G. Lambrinos, A.D.B. Leakey, Q. Li, W. Li, R. Mcculley, B. Melbourne, C.E. Mitchell, J.L. Moore, J. Morgan, B. Mortensen, L.R. O’Halloran, M. Partel, J. Pascual, D.A. Pyke, A.C. Risch, R. Salguero-Gomez, M. Sankaran, M. Schuetz, A. Simonsen, M. Smith, C. Stevens, L. Sullivan, G.M. Wardle, E.M. Wolkovich, P.D. Wragg, J. Wright, L. Yang. 2013. Predicting invasion in grassland ecosystems: is exotic dominance the real embarrassment of richness? Global Change Biology 19: 3677-3687. DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12370.
Kelley, W., M. Fernandez-Gimenez, C.S. Brown. 2013. Managing Downy brome (Bromus tectorum) in the Central Rockies: land manager perspectives. Invasive Plant Science and Management 6:521-535. (Note: Our article was the one selected for the press release for the issue).
Monty, A., C.S. Brown, D.B. Johnston. 2013. Fire promotes downy brome (Bromus tectorum L.) seed dispersal. Biological Invasions 15:1113–1123.
Journal impact factor: 2.586; (4) [6]