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James F. Reynolds |
| Professor,
Department of Biology and Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences |
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| Degrees |
B.S. - Northern
Arizona University, 1969
M.S. - University of Wyoming, 1971
Ph.D. - New Mexico State University, 1974 |
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| Joint Appointments |
Department
of Plant Ecology, University of Bayreuth, Germany; Center for Integrated
Study of the Human Dimensions of Global Change, Carnegie Mellon University |
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| Research Interests |
My current
interests center on the response of plants and ecosystems to disturbance,
e.g., climate change and human land use. I am interested in both theoretical
and empirical approaches, and use mathematical and computer modeling extensively
in my research. My current research deals with: (1) desertification, particularly
modeling the effects of spatial patterns, drought, and grazing on rates
of rangeland degradation using combined Markov, cellular automaton, and
patch ecosystem models. I am exploring questions related to the spatial
and temporal distribution of moisture and nutrients and their effects on
the rates of desertification. As a co-PI of the NSF-supported Center for
the Integrated Study of the Human Dimensions of Global Change (Carnegie
Mellon University), I am leading an international research team that is
developing an integrated assessment model for rangeland degradation in arid
and semiarid regions of the globe; and (2) whole-plant plant growth modeling,
especially the issue of allocation of carbon and nitrogen and water use
efficiency under varying environmental conditions. These plant growth models
are incorporated into ecosystem models to explore questions related to climate
change, e.g., how elevated CO2 levels will affect carbon sequestration and
nitrogen cycling in arid ecosystems. Currently, I am collaborating with
researchers at the Nevada Desert FACE [Free-Air-Carbon dioxide-Enrichment]
Facility in Las Vegas.
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| Recent Publications |
- Reynolds, J.F. and J-L Chen. 1996. Modeling shoot:root ratio in relation
to carbon and nitrogen supply: coordination versus optimization. Plant
and Soil 185:65-74.
- Reynolds, J.F. and J.G. Wu. 1999. Do landscape structural and functional
units exist? Pp. 275-298. In: Tenhunen, J.D. and P. Kabat, (eds.). Integrating
Hydrology, Ecosystem Dynamics, and Biogeochemistry in Complex Landscapes.
John Wiley and Sons, Chichester, U.K.
- Reynolds, J.F., R.A. Virginia, P.R. Kemp, A.G. DeSoyza and D.C. Tremmel.
1999. Impact of simulated drought on resource islands of shrubs in the
Chihuahuan desert: Effects of species, season, and degree of island
development. Ecological Monographs 63: 69-106.
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| Graduate Students |
Current:
Kiona Ogle, Colin Saunders
Recent Graduates:
1994 : Jacques Brisson, Ph.D.
Dissertation Title: Competition in desert communities: Mathematical models
of plant performance & interference.
1994: Paul Leadley, Ph.D.
Dissertation Title: A hierarchical model for the response of arctic tundra
ecosystems to climate change.
2000: Roberto Fernandez, Ph.D.
Dissertation Title: Grass decline in the Chihuahuan Desert : the role of
plant functional diversity and herbivore selectivity |
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| Contact |
E-mail:
JFReynol@duke.edu
Telephone: 919-660-7404
Fax: 919-660-7425
Web: http://www.nicholas.duke.edu/people/faculty/reynolds.html
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