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smmunson.bsky.social
Seth Munson
@smmunson.bsky.social
660 followers 110 following 57 posts

Plant, ecosystem, restoration ecologist in the southwestern US researching global drylands.

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Environmental science 80%
Geography 20%
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smmunson.bsky.social
Seth Munson @smmunson.bsky.social · 1d
Our new paper out on how desert annual plants, which make up ~50% of diversity, respond to large scale solar energy development. Native annual plant diversity can increase with more microclimate heterogeneity in low-impact facilities
#ecovoltaics
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Reposted by Seth M. Munson, Maya A. Zomer

jgpausas.bsky.social
juli g pausas @jgpausas.bsky.social · 9d
Fire buffers drought impacts on reproduction in a resprouting shrub
nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

Under drought, burned plants had ⬆️prob. of flowering, produced +flowers, set +seeds & heavier seeds, than unburned
Saiz-Blanco et al @oikosjournal.bsky.social

🧪🌍🔥🌿🪴🌾🌱 Anthyllis
One of the graphics of the paper on Anthyllis cytisoides resprouiting after drought, showing model predictions and observations of the data analysed in 2022 and 2023; fire occurred in 2021. For flowering and fruiting, the negative effects of drought are stronger on unburned plants (A and C). Burned plants produced nearly four times more flowers than unburned plants (B), and had a higher seed set and heavier seeds than unburned plants in both years (D and E).

Reposted by Brian J. Enquist, Jesse H. Kroll, Karen R. Lips , and 9 more

klangin.bsky.social
Katie Langin @klangin.bsky.social · 11d
How many STEM Ph.D.s were lost from the U.S. federal government last year?

My colleagues @mghersher.bsky.social and @policyhound.bsky.social dug into a recent data release to find the answer. A @science.org exclusive.

www.science.org/content/arti...

Reposted by Seth M. Munson

tomgillpredicts.bsky.social
Tom Gill @tomgillpredicts.bsky.social · 12d
www.sfgate.com/news/article...
Joshua trees are flowering in the Calif. desert. That’s bad news.
Joshua trees rely on a single moth species to reproduce.
www.sfgate.com

smmunson.bsky.social
Seth Munson @smmunson.bsky.social · 22d
Nice write up that explains the study
www.dri.edu/a-rare-deser...
A Rare Desert Plant Shows Benefits of Sustainability Efforts at a Large Solar Array in the Mojave Desert
Although sunlight is one of the cleanest forms of renewable energy available, clearing large swathes of desert habitat to build solar arrays has consequences for the plants and animals it displaces. R...
www.dri.edu

Reposted by Seth M. Munson

journalofecology.bsky.social
Journal of Ecology @journalofecology.bsky.social · 25d
📖 Published!

Seed germination traits of native temperate European herbs predict naturalization success in different climatic zones, offering a simple but effective tool for assessing naturalization risk globally 🌱 🌳

🔎 Read more: buff.ly/O2S2Hfd

Reposted by Seth M. Munson

nicolas-p-gross.bsky.social
Nicolas Gross @nicolas-p-gross.bsky.social · Jan 7
Grazing is a major land use in drylands with major impact on ecosystems

In a new paper, we found that plant diversity is key to increase ecosystem resistance to increasing grazing pressure. This effect is driven by complementarity in plant traits

🧪🌐

Find more here⬇️

www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Plant diversity enhances ecosystem resistance to increasing grazing pressure in global drylands - Nature Ecology & Evolution
Grazing affects plant diversity, but plant diversity in turn may modulate the effect of grazing on the plant community. This global analysis explores the association between plant species richness and...
www.nature.com

smmunson.bsky.social
Seth Munson @smmunson.bsky.social · Dec 31
Similar results in the Mojave Desert, although elevated moisture levels likely due to shading

bsky.app/profile/smmu...
smmunson.bsky.social Seth Munson @smmunson.bsky.social · Dec 29
How does a solar energy facility built with low disturbance methods affect microclimate?

We found lower evaporative demand, less heat loading, and higher soil moisture inside compared to outside the facility, potentially benefitting desert flora and fauna

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Ecovoltaic solar energy development effects to microclimate, temperature, and soil moisture in panel array interspaces in a warm desert
Solar energy development is increasing in warm deserts of the southwestern United States, and ecovoltaics has emerged as an approach to maintain ecosy…
www.sciencedirect.com

Reposted by Anping Chen

smmunson.bsky.social
Seth Munson @smmunson.bsky.social · Dec 29
How does a solar energy facility built with low disturbance methods affect microclimate?

We found lower evaporative demand, less heat loading, and higher soil moisture inside compared to outside the facility, potentially benefitting desert flora and fauna

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Ecovoltaic solar energy development effects to microclimate, temperature, and soil moisture in panel array interspaces in a warm desert
Solar energy development is increasing in warm deserts of the southwestern United States, and ecovoltaics has emerged as an approach to maintain ecosy…
www.sciencedirect.com

Reposted by Seth M. Munson

botsocamerica.bsky.social
Botanical Society of America @botsocamerica.bsky.social · Dec 29
Intraspecific variation in stomatal architecture, gas exchange, & #drought response of a dominant #prairie #grass sourced from broad climatic gradients

New #AJB research by @j-sytsma-56.bsky.social, Allison Ricker, Helen Winters, Brian Maricle et al.

doi.org/10.1002/ajb2... #botany #plantscience
Conceptual diagram illustrating how climate influences stomatal traits and drought responses in Andropogon gerardii. The top panel compares populations: warm, dry environments are shown with leaves having smaller, more numerous stomata to reduce water loss, while cool, moist environments have leaves with larger, fewer stomata that enhance transpiration. The bottom panel depicts drought responses: dry-adapted populations maintain similar stomatal traits and continue carbon gain (drought tolerant), whereas wet-adapted populations show pronounced stomatal closure or reduction in size and density, leading to lower photosynthesis (drought susceptible).

Reposted by Mark Lubell, Julie L. Lockwood, Dawn J. Wright , and 6 more

katharinehayhoe.com
Katharine Hayhoe @katharinehayhoe.com · Dec 29
You probably heard the US admin is threatening to break up the National Center for Atmospheric Research: but did you know they already froze funding for the 9 regional Climate Science Adaptation Centers? From tracking invasives to helping tribes with drought, here's why the CASCs matter ⬇️
From invasive species tracking to water security – what’s lost with federal funding cuts at US Climate Adaptation Science Centers
The people who manage America’s aquifers, wetlands, shorelines and recreation areas rely on federal science as they face new and rising risks in a changing climate.
theconversation.com

smmunson.bsky.social
Seth Munson @smmunson.bsky.social · Dec 17
Thanks for covering this. Many U.S. fed scientists have strict travel caps or are not receiving approval to attend

smmunson.bsky.social
Seth Munson @smmunson.bsky.social · Dec 17
“Notably, desert species had the most cold and heat tolerant leaves, and therefore the widest thermal tolerance breadth”
journalofecology.bsky.social Journal of Ecology @journalofecology.bsky.social · Dec 16
Published!📖

Plants have remarkably wide thermal tolerance breadth. By measuring both heat and cold tolerance in 69 diverse species from 3 contrasting biomes in the field, we revealed associations between physiological tolerance and local climate factors🏔️

Read more:https://buff.ly/i5DcHsY

Reposted by Seth M. Munson

journalofecology.bsky.social
Journal of Ecology @journalofecology.bsky.social · Dec 16
Published!📖

Plants have remarkably wide thermal tolerance breadth. By measuring both heat and cold tolerance in 69 diverse species from 3 contrasting biomes in the field, we revealed associations between physiological tolerance and local climate factors🏔️

Read more:https://buff.ly/i5DcHsY

Reposted by Seth M. Munson

science.org
Science Magazine @science.org · Dec 11
Long before flowers dazzled pollinators with brilliant colors and sweet scents, ancient plants used another feature to signal insects: heat. The findings in Science offer insights into what shaped the earliest eras of plant-animal coevolution.

Read more in this week's issue: https://scim.ag/4rVtArQ
Cycad plants use thermogenesis to warm their reproductive cones. A beetle dusted with pollen and fluorescent dyes lands on the warm cone of a cycad. High concentrations of dye have been deposited on the cone’s hottest regions during previous visits by other labeled beetles. Beetle pollinators use these thermal infrared patterns as a guide to locate host pollen and ovulate cones.

smmunson.bsky.social
Seth Munson @smmunson.bsky.social · Dec 11
This paper was led by two top-notch early career researchers Laura Shriver and Sarah Costanzo

smmunson.bsky.social
Seth Munson @smmunson.bsky.social · Dec 11
Seed-based restoration often fails. Find out how seed enhancement technologies can improve outcomes by shifting emergence to target favorable climate windows and bet-hedge against variable precipitation. Our new paper in @restorationecology.bsky.social

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Seed coating treatments alter emergence timing of native Intermountain West U.S. grasses under different regimes of water availability
We demonstrate that seed coatings can alter seedling emergence percent and timing across different timings and amounts of water availability in a greenhouse setting. Seed coatings designed to acceler...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Reposted by Seth M. Munson, Drew Peltier, Tyson Wepprich

jbyoder.org
Jeremy Yoder says no war @jbyoder.org · Dec 10
I started getting reports of an unseasonal Joshua tree bloom in the last few weeks, and looking over records on @inaturalist.bsky.social it's pretty widespread! So we're putting out the call for folks to record this "bonus bloom" and help us study it 🌿

lab.jbyoder.org/2025/12/10/w...
Weird wet weather has Joshua trees flowering early — or late? Help the Yoder Lab map this “bonus bloom” to understand why
A flowering tree in Yucca Valley, CA, observed by iNaturalist contributor wanderingmojave on December 9. A tree with lots of flowers in Tehachapi, CA, observed by iNaturalist contributor tina9294 o…
lab.jbyoder.org

Reposted by Seth M. Munson

esa-sw.bsky.social
ESA Southwestern Chapter @esa-sw.bsky.social · Dec 9
Meet the 2026 team for the ESA Southwest Chapter! 🌵☀️ We're super excited to serve our community and support your science in any way we can! Got questions or ideas? Send them our way! Stay tuned for introduction posts of each of our amazing new leaders!

smmunson.bsky.social
Seth Munson @smmunson.bsky.social · Nov 29
We compared the responses of aboveground and seed bank communities at five perennial grass-dominated sites across an elevational gradient to 6 years of extreme drought and deluge. New paper led by Jenny Gremer

link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Divergent responses of seed banks and aboveground vegetation to drought and deluge in grasslands across an elevational gradient - Oecologia
Increased variability in precipitation associated with climate change creates extreme conditions of drought and deluge that can have profound effects on the abundance and composition of plant communit...
link.springer.com

smmunson.bsky.social
Seth Munson @smmunson.bsky.social · Nov 28
Can rare species coexist with energy generation from large solar facilities? We show this may be possible with alternative construction methods that reduce disturbance. #ecovolataics

www.frontiersin.org/journals/eco...
Frontiers | Rare milkvetch (Astragalus) persistence at a utility-scale solar energy facility in the Mojave Desert
Utility-scale solar energy (USSE) development is driving the projected growth in global renewable energy capacity but comes with environmental tradeoffs. New...
www.frontiersin.org

Reposted by Seth M. Munson, Joan Dudney

globalchangebio.bsky.social
Global Change Biology @globalchangebio.bsky.social · Nov 12
Insights Into Water Vapor Uptake by Dry Soils Using a Global Eddy Covariance Observation Network

🔗 buff.ly/O9bovwm

Reposted by Seth M. Munson

tomgillpredicts.bsky.social
Tom Gill @tomgillpredicts.bsky.social · Nov 11
A wetter future for the Sahara?
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/202...
Scientists predict a wetter, greener future for the Sahara Desert
UIC researchers predict that the Sahara Desert could see up to 75% more rain by the end of this century due to rising global temperatures. Using 40 climate models, the team found widespread precipitat...
www.sciencedaily.com

Reposted by Seth M. Munson

restorecal.bsky.social
Dr. Elise Gornish @restorecal.bsky.social · Nov 11
Call to Artists – Grant Opportunity for Projects about Invasive Plants in the Sonoran Desert: artsfoundtucson.org/call-to-arti...
Call to Artists - Grant Opportunity for Projects about Invasive Plants in the Sonoran Desert - Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona
Now accepting proposals for one $3,000 grant to fund an art project that promotes increased public understanding around the issue of invasive plants in the Sonoran Desert. Proposed projects must […]
artsfoundtucson.org

Reposted by Stephen D. Murphy, Seth M. Munson, Billur Bektaş

esajournals.bsky.social
ESA Journals @esajournals.bsky.social · Nov 10
🆕 in "Ecological Monographs": Static models miss the mark—adding nonlinear, density-based facilitation helps predict coexistence, persistence, and realistic community dynamics

📄Neighbor density-dependent facilitation promotes coexistence and internal oscillation
doi.org/10.1002/ecm....
Schematic illustrating how species interactions can depend on neighborhood density and identity.

Reposted by Jens‐Christian Svenning, Brian J. Enquist, Julie L. Lockwood , and 4 more

milanchytry.bsky.social
Milan Chytrý @milanchytry.bsky.social · Nov 10
Our new paper in Ecology Letters, led by Jan Divíšek, shows that non-invasive alien plant species that successfully establish within local plant communities tend to resemble the resident native species. In contrast, invasive alien species usually differ from native plants.
doi.org/10.1111/ele....

Reposted by Seth M. Munson

restorecal.bsky.social
Dr. Elise Gornish @restorecal.bsky.social · Nov 8
Bridging theory and practice to inform seed selection for restoration: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1...
Bridging theory and practice to inform seed selection for restoration
Key differences between the agency guidance and scientific literature indicate opportunities to integrate theory and practice to improve seed selection. Research and guidance to mitigate the genetic ....
onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Reposted by Brian J. Enquist, Monica G. Turner, Jason Stajich , and 5 more

Reposted by Julian Schrader, Seth M. Munson

jvs-avs.bsky.social
Journal of Vegetation & Applied Vegetation Science @jvs-avs.bsky.social · Nov 3
‼️ Call for papers!
We're looking forward to your submissions to our Special Feature on “Scaling laws in (vegetation) ecology”
🌿First deadline for abstract submission: 30 November 2025
🌿Second deadline: Spring 2026
🌿Last deadline: Summer 2026
Invitation to contribute to a Special Feature on “Scaling laws in (vegetation) ecology” in the Journal of Vegetation Science - vegsciblog.org
Posted by Jürgen Dengler (Chair of the Guest Editors) Outline: Scaling laws are ubiquitous in ecology. Ignoring them can lead
vegsciblog.org

Reposted by Aníbal Pauchard, Ben Bond‐Lamberty, Seth M. Munson

botsocamerica.bsky.social
Botanical Society of America @botsocamerica.bsky.social · Oct 30
🔥🌱 The new #AJB Special Issue, “Understanding novel #fire regimes using plant trait‐based approaches," is now online! 🌱🔥

This issue features studies from evolutionary, ecological, organismal, physiological, fire management & conservation perspectives.

bsapubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/15372197...
Prescribed ecological burn conducted at Como in southeastern Queensland, Australia. Fires were implemented in either autumn or winter, and obligate seeding species were subsequently monitored over time to see if recovery differed with fire seasonality. The work was undertaken as a joint collaboration between the University of New South Wales (Sydney, Australia), Queensland Fire and Biodiversity Consortium, Queensland Parks and Wildlife and HQ Plantations. (Photo credit: Mark Ooi.)