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Cynthia S. Brown Bioagricultural Sciences and |
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Email: Cynthia.S.Brown@ColoState.edu
Phone: (970) 491-1949 FAX:
(970) 491-3862
Ph.D. 1998 University of California, Davis
B.S., M.S. 1986 Stanford University
Research Interests
Restoration ecology, boiological invasions,
plant population and community ecology, and plant ecophysiology
Research Statement
I am currently studying the invasion of plant
species into established prairie communities and mechanisms resulting in the
range expansion of the exotic annual grass Bromus
tectorum to high elevations. I have long been interested in the
mechanisms that control the coexistence of plants and the effects of species
diversity and composition on ecosystem characteristics (e.g. productivity,
resource abundance and biological invasions). Greater understanding of
the factors that control the establishment and growth of new species will improve
our basic ecological theory and our ability to manage invasive species, predict
which communities are vulnerable to invasion and which invaders will have the
greatest impacts. I strive to conduct
research that tests ecological theory while addressing practical problems of
conservation, management and restoration. I am especially interested in
grasslands and restoration ecology and plan to compare community and ecosystem
processes in different ecosystems in future work.
Teaching Statement
I find being a teacher very rewarding and enjoy
teaching university students both as a classroom instructor and research
project advisor and mentor. I like to participate in teaching general
ecology for undergraduates and plant ecology, physiology, conservation biology,
invasion ecology and restoration ecology for undergraduate and graduate
students. I view the educational process as a team effort between
instructor and student. The most effective teaching is exciting for
teacher and student and includes the presentation of information in multiple
forms with as much first-hand experience as possible through laboratory
exercises, experimentation and field trips.
Selected publications
C. S. Brown. 2004. Are functional guilds more realistic
management units than individual species for restoration? Weed Technology
18:1566-1571. Full text in PDF format (36
KB)
C. S. Brown and H. I. Rowe. In press. The unwelcome
arrival of Bromus tectorum to high elevations.
Proceedings of the High Altitude Revegetation Workshop. March 3-5, 2004, Fort
Collins, Colorado. Full text in PDF format (176
KB)
J. Fargione, C. S. Brown, and D. Tilman.
Community assembly and invasion: An experimental test of neutral versus niche
processes. Full text in PDF format (131
KB)
C. S. Brown and K. J. Rice. Inputs and
Maintenance for Revegetation with Native Herbaceous Species. Final Report to
the California Department of Transportation, Report No. FHWA/CA/TL-2001/06
(2001). Full text in PDF format (4.9 MB)
C. S. Brown and R. L.
Bugg. Effects of established perennial
grasses on introduction of native forbs in California. Restoration Ecology
9:38-48 (2001). Full text in PDF
format (390 KB)
C. S. Brown and K. J. Rice.
The mark of Zorro: effects of the exotic annual grass Vulpia myuros on a
mixture of California native perennial grasses. Restoration Ecology 8:10-17
(2000). Full text in PDF format (582
KB)
C. S. Brown, K. J. Rice and V. Claassen. The
effects of soil amendments and mulches on establishment of California native
perennial grasses: a summary of selected results. Grasslands 10:1-17 (2000).
C. S. Brown, K. J. Rice and V. Claassen.
Competitive Growth Characteristics of Native and Exotic Grasses, Final Report
to the California Department of Transportation, Report No. FHWA/CA/ESC-98/07
(1998). Full text in PDF format (9.96 MB)
R. L. Bugg, C. S. Brown, and J. H. Anderson.
Restoring native perennial grasses to rural roadsides of the Sacramento Valley
of California: establishment and evaluation. Restoration Ecology 5:
214-225 (1997). Full text in PDF format
(780 KB)
Curriculum vitae Full text in PDF
format (14 KB)