Scott L. Collins

scollins
Title: 
Distinguished Professor, Department of Biology, University of New Mexico
Email Address: 
Phone: 
505.277.6303
Office Address: 

3586 Castetter Hall

Education: 
Ph.D., Botany, University of Oklahoma, 1981
M.S., Botany, Miami University, 1977
B.A., Biology, Wittenberg University, 1975
Curriculum Vitae: 
application/pdf iconCV_full_09222021.pdf
Bio: 

I received my PhD from the University of Oklahoma in 1981. Paul Risser was my PhD advisor. After a postdoc with Dr. Ralph Good at Rutgers University I returned to the University of Oklahoma as an Assistant and then Associate Professor of Botany. In 1992 I moved to the National Science Foundation where I served as a Program Director in various programs including Ecology, LTER, Conservation and Restoration Biology, TECO, and Integrated Research Challenges. I was the original NSF Program Director for NEON helping to organize six NEON planning workshops from 2000 through 2002. In 2003 I moved to the University of New Mexico where I am now a Distinguished Professor of Biology. I served as PI on the Sevilleta Long-term Ecological Research Program (LTER) from March 2003 through March 2014. My research uses both long term measurements and experimental manipulations to determine how disturbances, such as fire and drought, interact with global environmental change to affect affect aridland plant community composition and structure. I have also worked extensively in tallgrass prairie as part of the Konza Prairie Long-term Ecological Research (LTER) Program since 1988 where I am  involved in a multi-institution project on Ecosystem Convergence in which we are comparing fire, climate and herbivore effects on tallgrass prairie in North America and mesic Savanna grassland in Kruger National Park, South Africa (see current projects). I also collaborate with John Blair (Kansas State Univ) and Sara Baer (Southern Illinois Univ) on a long-term grassland restoration project assessing how environmental heterogeneity and dispersal limitation affect plant species richness during grassland restoration. I have served as Chair of the Vegetation and Long-term Studies sections, Chair of the Publications Committee, Vice President for Public Affairs and as President of the Ecological Society of America. I served on the Editorial Boards of Community Ecology, Journal of Vegetation Science, Oecologia, Ecosphere and Journal of Ecology. I am currently Editor-in-Chief of BioScience and a member of the Editorial Board of Ecology. After coming to UNM in 2003, I helped to establish a SEEDS Chapter in the Biology Department in association with the Sevilleta LTER. I have been the lead PI on the Sevilleta LTER Summer REU Program since 2008 (see opportunities page).

Research Interests: 

Plant community dynamics, gradient models and gradient structure, the role of disturbance in communities, fire ecology, patch dynamics, grassland ecology, effects of N deposition on herbaceous communities, analysis of species distribution and abundance, local-regional interactions, productivity-diversity relationships, dynamics of aridland ecosystems.

Professional Experience: 
2016-present, Distinguished Professor, University of New Mexico
2012-2016, Regents' Professor, University of New Mexico
2012-present, Loren Potter Chair of Plant Ecology, Department of Biology, University of New Mexico
2003-2012, Professor of Biology, University of New Mexico
2003-2014, Principal Investigator, Sevilleta LTER Program
2001-present, Professor, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University
1998-present, Adjunct Professor, Division of Biology, Kansas State University
1995-2003, Adjunct Professor, Department of Zoology, University of Maryland
1999-2002, Program Director, NEON, NSF
1995-2001, Program Director, Long-term Ecological Research, NSF
1992-2003, Program Director, Ecological Studies, NSF
1991-1994, Associate Professor of Botany, University of Oklahoma
1988-1990, 1992, Visiting Assistant Professor, University of Minnesota Forestry and Biological Station (summer)
1985-1991, Assistant Professor of Botany, University of Oklahoma
1984, Postdoctoral Fellow, Dr. Ralph E. Good, Rutgers University
1981-1983, Visiting Assistant Professor of Botany, University of Oklahoma
1981, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Dr. Bernd Heinrich, University of Vermont
1979-1981, Research Assistant, Dr. Paul G. Risser, University of Oklahoma
1978, Summer Research Assistant, Oklahoma Natural Heritage Program
1977-1979, Teaching Assistant, Botany Department, Miami University
Courses Taught: 
Introductory Ecology Lab (BIO 321, Arizona State)
Population and Community Ecology (BIO 423/523, Arizona State)
Community Ecology (BIOL 474/575, University of New Mexico)
Ecosystem Ecology (BIOL 514, University of New Mexico)
Field Biology (BIOL 515, University of New Mexico)
Graduate Core Ecology (BIOL 516, University of New Mexico)
Ecosystem Dynamics (BIO 405/505, University of New Mexico)
Ecological and Evolutionary Genomics (BIO 410/510, UNM)
Ecology and Evolution (BIO 203, University of New Mexico)
Graduate seminars (various topics, University of Oklahoma)
Aridland Ecology (BIO 502, University of New Mexico)
Community Structure and Function (University of Minnesota Forestry and Biological Station)
Boreal Flora (University of Minnesota Forestry and Biological Station)
Plant Community Ecology (BOT 6484, University of Oklahoma)
General Botany (BOT 1114, University Oklahoma)
Plant Ecology (BOT 3454, University of Oklahoma)
General Biology (BOT 1045, University of Oklahoma)
Fundamentals of Ecology (BIO 320, Arizona State
Grants: 
2017 Quantifying the effects of species range shifts and management of post-fire recovery on regional carbon dynamics in a changing climate. USDA -$850,000 (7/1/2017-6/30/2020) PI: Matthew Hurteau, CoPIs: Marcy Litvak, Dan Krofchek, Scott Collins
2017 REU Site: Dynamics of aridland ecosystems in the northern Chihuahuan Desert. NSF - $298,462 (2/1/2017-1/31/2020) PI: Scott Collins, CoPI: Amaris Swann
2017 RAPID: Impact of exceptional drought on transformation of a South African savanna grassland. NSF - $70,439 (1/1/2017-12/31/2018) PI: Melinda Smith, CoPIs: Scott Collins, Alan Knapp, Sally Koerner, Deron Burkepile
2015 Collaborative Research: Parsing the effects of host specificity and geography on plant-fungal symbioses under climate change. NSF - $1,089,436 (UNM portion $406,128) (6/1/15-5/31/19); PI: Jennifer Rudgers, CoPIs: Scott Collins
2015 Sevilleta LTER V: Abiotic pulses and constraints: effects on dynamics and stability in an aridland ecosystem. NSF - $1,960,000 (4/1/15- 3/31/18); PI: Will Pockman, CoPIs: Scott Collins, Cliff Dahm, Marcy Litvak, Kristin Vanderbilt
2015 Interannual variability in net primary production. US Forest Service RMRS - $37,999 (1/1/15-12/31/15); PI: Scott Collins
2013 Dissertation Research: Semiarid soil microbial response to global change. NSF - $19,479 (4/15/13-4/14/15). PI: Laura Ladwig, CoPI: Scott Collins.
2013 Collaborative Research (U Wisconsin, UNM, UCSB): ABI Development: A toolbox for analysis of long-term ecological dynamics using the Kepler Workflow System. NSF - $887,101 (UNM portion $272,160) (4/15/13-3/31/16); UNM PI: Scott Collins.
2013 Sevilleta LTER V: Abiotic pulses and constraints: effects on dynamics and stability in an aridland ecosystem. NSF - $1,960,000 (1/1/13-12/31/14) plus supplements (2014 - $12,000); PI: Scott Collins, CoPIs: C Dahm, M Litvak, W Pockman, K Vanderbilt
2012 Student research and teaching improvements at the Sevilleta Field Station. NSF - $96,750. (9/1/12-8/31/13). PI: Don Natvig, CoPIs: Scott Collins, Jennifer Johnson
2012 Collaborative Research (Southern Illinois U, Kansas State, UNM): LTREB: The role of ecological heterogeneity in a long-term grassland restoration experiment. NSF – $450,000 (7/1/12-6/30/17); PI: Sara Baer, CoPIs: John Blair, Scott Collins.
2012 Collaborative Research (CSU, UNM, U Oklahoma): Grassland sensitivity to climate change at local to regional scales: assessing the role of ecosystem attributes versus environmental context. NSF - $3,755,556 (UNM portion $1,079,257) (1/15/12-1/14)
2011 Long-term carbon dynamics in aridland ecosystems. US Forest Service RMRS - $148,000 (6/1/10-5/31/15); PI: Scott Collins, CoPIs: Marcy Litvak, Paulette Ford, Deb Finch, Matt Reeves
2011 REU Sites: Pulse dynamics research in aridland ecosystems. NSF - $452,640 (4/1/11-3/1/16); PI: Scott Collins, CoPI: Les McFadden.
2010 ULTRA-Ex: Collaborative research: Land and Water Use Decision-Making and Ecosystem Services along a Southwestern Socio-Ecological Gradient. NSF - $120,000. (9/1/10-8/31/12). PI: Scott Collins, CoPIs: Kristine Grimsrud, Cliff Dahm & Kristin Vanderbilt
2010 RAPID: Ecosystem reconstruction under climate change conditions following fire. NSF - $150,055. (6/1/10-12/31/11). PI: Scott Collins, CoPIs: Marcy Litvak, Will Pockman, Bob Sinsabaugh, Blair Wolf.
2010 Student research and teaching improvements at the Sevilleta Field Station. NSF - $95,290. (10/1/09-9/30/10). PI: Don Natvig, CoPI: Scott Collins.
2009 Dissertation Research: Effects of global climate change, loss of mega-herbivore biodiversity, and altered fire regimes on savanna grassland ecosystems. NSF - $14,860 (5/1/09-4/30/11). PI: Sally Koerner, CoPI: Scott Collins.
2009 Roots with a view: the eukaryotic microbial metatranscriptome of blue grama grass rhizosphere soils shows the way to transformational lignocellulose degrading technologies and elucidates carbon flux through aridland ecosystems. DOE JGR
2009 Collaborative Research (Yale, CSU, UNM, KSU): Convergence and contingencies in savanna grasslands (renewal). NSF- $707,000 (UNM portion $140,038) (2/1/09-1/31/12); PIs Melinda Smith, Alan Knapp, Scott Collins, John Blair.
2008 Collaborative research (UNM and UVa): Do vegetation-microclimate feedbacks promote shrub encroachment in the southwestern United States? NSF-$553,989 (UNM portion $289,008) (2/1/02-1/31/11); UNM PI Marcy Litvak, CoPIs Will Pockman, Scott Collins; UVa
2008 Sevilleta LTER REU Sites Program. NSF-$246,705 (3/1/08-2/28/11); PI Scott Collins, CoPI Les McFadden.
2008 Ecosystem consequences of precipitation extremes in semiarid grassland and shrubland. DoE/NICCR-$374,829 (4/1/08-3/31/11); PI Will Pockman, CoPIs Scott Collins, Eric Small-Tilden.
2007 Renovations to increase residence capacity at the UNM Sevilleta Field Research Station. NSF-$250,000 (10/15/07-10/14/10); PI Scott Collins, CoPIs Don Natvig, Will Pockman, Tim Lowery, Mike Friggens.
2006 Sevilleta LTER IV: Abiotic pulses and constraints: effects on dynamics and stability in an aridland ecosystem. NSF-$4,920,000 plus supplements (11/1/06-10/31/12); PI Scott Collins, CoPIs Cliff Dahm, Marcy Litvak, Will Pockman, Kristin Vanderbilt.
2006 Track 1, GK-12: E-MRGE: Ecohydrogeology in the Middle Rio Grande Environment. NSF-$1,663,165 (5/1/06-4/30/09); PI: Scott Collins, CoPIs Laura Crossey, Douglas Earick.
2006 Enabling distributed network sensing of arid ecosystem adaptation resulting from global climate change. UNM-LANL-$90,000 (6/1/2006-8/31/2007); PI: Scott Collins, Luis Bettencourt; CoPIs: Aric Hagberg, Alejandro Aceves, Gabriel Huerta.
2005 Global change effects on grass-shrub interactions in an arid ecosystem. NSF-$297,494 (7/15/05-6/30/09); PI: Joe Fargione, CoPIs Scott Collins, Will Pockman.
2005 The nitrogen cycle of a semiarid grassland: a fungal loop? NSF-$120,000 (7/1/05-6/30/06); PI: Robert Sinsabaugh, CoPIs Scott Collins, Mike Allen, David Hanson.
2005 Collaborative Research (UNM, CSU, KSU, Yale): Convergence and contingencies in savanna grasslands. NSF- $830,000 (UNM portion $60,000) (9/1/05-8/31/08); PIs Alan Knapp, John Blair, Melinda Smith, Scott Collins.
2005 LTREB: Long-term ecosystem responses to more extreme precipitation patterns and warming. NSF - $300,000 (5/1/05-4/30/10); PI: John Blair, CoPIs: Alan Knapp, Phil Fay, Scott Collins, Melinda Smith.
2004 Preparing the LTER Network for collaborative science, education and synthesis: a planning proposal. NSF - $1,135,461 (9/1/04-3/31/08); PI: Scott Collins, Co-PIs: Barbara Benson, Dan Childers, Allison Whitmer.
2003 The Sevilleta Field Research Station: Infrastructure enhancements for high-quality water resources and wireless data transmission. NSF - $76,270+$25,424 UNM Match (3/1/04-10/31/08); PI: Don Natvig, CoPIs: Scott Collins, Will Pockman, Robert Parmenter
1997 Evaluating the role of resource heterogeneity in restoring grasslands. NSF - $178,196 (4/1/97 to 9/30/00); PI: Alan Knapp, CoPIs: John Blair, Scott Collins.
1994 Experimental analysis of species percolation through communities. NSF - $147,000 (1/1/94 to 12/31/96); PI: Susan Glenn, CoPI: Scott Collins).
Recent Awards/Honors: 
Chair, LTER Science Council and Executive Board, 2011-2014
President, Ecological Society of America, 2012-2013
Vice President for Public Affairs, Ecological Society of America, 2014-2015
Editor-in-Chief, BioScience 2016-
Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science
Fellow, Ecological Society of America
Distinguished Service Citation, Ecological Society of America