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Jennifer Rudgers

Jennifer Rudgers

Regent's' Professor, Department of Biology, University of New Mexico

jrudgers@unm.edu

845-705-0363

Department of Biology
University of New Mexico
MSC03 2020
Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001

Titles

  • Regent's' Professor, Department of Biology, University of New Mexico
  • Director, Sevilleta Long-term Ecological Research

Biography

Ecological theory has traditionally held that abiotic factors and antagonistic interactions are the primary determinants of population and community dynamics. In contrast, mutualistic interactions, in which both species benefit from their association, have received much less attention. My research program uses plants, microbes, and arthropods to explore how mutualistic interactions affect population dynamics, community structure, and the process of evolution.  Mutualistic microbes, in particular, contribute an important, but often overlooked, layer of diversity in ecosystems, and their inclusion in ecological research can increase predictive power and improve management solutions.

I currently direct the Sevilleta Long-Term Ecological Research Program based in central New Mexico: Climate Variability at Dryland Ecotones. The fluctuating nature of drylands makes them excellent study systems to advance general understanding of the biological consequences of environmental variability.

Education

  • PhD, Population Biology, University of California-Davis, 2002
  • BS, Environmental Science, Denison University, 1996

External Links

Journal Articles

2023

Ochoa-Hueso, R., M. Delgado-Baquerizo, A. C. Risch, L. Ashton, D. Augustine, N. Belanger, S. Bridgham, A. J. Britton, V. J. Bruckman, J. J. Camarero, G. Cornelissen, J. A. Crawford, F. A. Dijkstra, A. Diochon, S. R. Earl, J. Edgerley, H. Epstein, A. J. Felton, J. Fortier, D. Gagnon, K. Greer, H. M. Griffiths, C. Halde, H. M. Hanslin, L. I. Harris, J. A. Hartsock, P. Hendrickson, K. Anders Hovstad, J. Hu, A. D. Jani, K. Kent, D. Kerdraon-Byrne, S. S. Khalsa, D. Y. Lai, F. Lambert, J. M. LaMontagne, S. Lavergne, B. Lawrence, K. Littke, A. C. Leeper, M. A. Licht, M. A. Liebig, J. S. Lynn, J. E. Maclean, V. Martinsen, M. D. McDaniel, A. C. McIntosh, J. R. Miesel, J. Miller, M. J. Mulvaney, G. Moreno, L. Newstead, R. J. Pakeman, J. Pergi, B. D. Pinno, J. Pineiro, K. Qulgley, T. M. Radtke, P. Reed, V. Rolo, J. A. Rudgers, P. M. Rutherford, E. J. Sayer, L. Serrano-Grijalva, M. Strack, N. Sukdeo, A. F. Taylor, B. Truax, L. J. Tsuji, N. van Gestel, B. M. Vaness, K. Van Sundert, M. Vitkova, R. Weigel, M. J. Wilton, Y. Yano, E. Teen and E. Bremer. 2023. Bioavailability of macro and micronutrients across global topsoils: Main drivers and global change impacts. Global Biogeochemical Cycles 37(6):e2022GB007680. DOI: 10.1029/2022GB007680. (link )

2022

Hudson, A. R., D. P. Peters, J. M. Blair, D. L. Childers, P. T. Doran, K. Geil, M. N. Gooseff, K. Gross, N. M. Haddad, M. A. Pastore, J. A. Rudgers, O. E. Sala, E. W. Seabloom and G. Shaver. 2022. Cross-site comparisons of dryland ecosystem responses to climate change in the US Long-Term Ecological Research network. BioScience 72(9):889-907. DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biab134. (link )

2021

Harms, T. K., P. M. Groffman, L. Aluwihare, C. Craft, W. R. Wieder, S. E. Hobbie, S. G. Baer, J. M. Blair, S. D. Frey, C. K. Remucal, J. A. Rudgers, S. L. Collins, J. S. Kominoski, B. A. Ball and . LTER OM Working Group. 2021. Patterns and trends of organic matter processing and transport: Insights from the US long-term ecological research network. Climate Change Ecology 2(Dec):100025. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecochg.2021.100025. (link )

Hou, E., M. E. Litvak, J. A. Rudgers, L. Jiang, S. L. Collins, W. T. Pockman, D. Hui, S. Niu and Y. Luo. 2021. Divergent responses of primary production to increasing precipitation variability in global drylands. Global Change Biology 27(20):5225-5237. DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15801. (link )

Hou, E., J. A. Rudgers, S. L. Collins, M. E. Litvak, C. S. White, D. I. Moore and Y. Luo. 2021. Sensitivity of soil organic matter to climate and fire in a desert grassland. Biogeochemistry 156:59-74. DOI: 10.1007/s10533-020-00713-3. (link )

Lagueux, D., A. Jumpponen, A. Porras-Alfaro, J. Herrera, Y. A. Chung, L. E. Baur, M. D. Smith, A. K. Knapp, S. L. Collins and J. A. Rudgers. 2021. Experimental drought re-ordered assemblages of root-associated fungi across North American grasslands. Journal of Ecology 109(2):775-792. DOI: 10.1111/1365-2745.13505. (link )

Stricker, E., G. Crain, J. Rudgers, R. Sinsabaugh, V. Fernandes, C. Nelson, A. Giraldo-Silva, F. Garcia-Pichel, J. Belnap and A. Darrouzet-Nardi. 2021. What could explain δ13C signatures in biocrust cyanobacteria of drylands?. Microbial Ecology 81:134-145. DOI: 10.1007/s00248-020-01536-3. (link )

Zinnert, J. C., J. B. Nippert, J. A. Rudgers, S. C. Pennings, G. Gonzalez, M. Alber, S. G. Baer, J. M. Blair, A. Burd, S. L. Collins, C. Craft, D. Di Iorio, W. K. Dodds, P. M. Groffman, E. Herbert, C. Hladik, F. Li, M. E. Litvak, S. Newsome, J. O'Donnell, W. T. Pockman, J. Schalles and D. R. Young. 2021. State changes: insights from the U.S. Long Term Ecological Research Network. Ecosphere 12(5):e03433. DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3433. (link )

2020

Collins, S. L., Y. A. Chung, L. E. Baur, A. Hallmark, T. J. Ohlert and J. A. Rudgers. 2020. Presss-pulse interactions and long-term community dynamics in a Chihuahuan Desert grassland. Journal of Vegetation Science 5:722-732. DOI: 10.1111/jvs.12881. (link )

Collins, S. L., Y. A. Chung, L. E. Baur, A. Hallmark, T. J. Ohlert and J. A. Rudgers. 2020. Press–pulse interactions and long-term community dynamics in a Chihuahuan Desert grassland. Journal of Vegetation Science 31(5):722-732. DOI: 10.1111/jvs.12881. (link )

Kent, D. R., J. S. Lynn, S. C. Pennings, L. Souza, M. D. Smith and J. A. Rudgers. 2020. Weak latitudinal gradients in insect herbivory for dominant rangeland grasses of North America. Ecology and Evolution 10(13):6385-6394. DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6374. (link )

2019

Chung, Y. A., S. L. Collins and J. A. Rudgers. 2019. Connecting plant–soil feedbacks to long-term stability in a desert grassland. Ecology 100(8):e02756. DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2756. (link )

Whitney, K. D., J. Mudge, D. O. Natvig, A. Sundararajan, W. T. Pockman, J. Bell, S. L. Collins and J. A. Rudgers. 2019. Experimental drought reduces genetic diversity in the grassland foundation species Bouteloua eriopoda. Oecologia 189(4):1107-1120. DOI: 10.1007/s00442-019-04371-7. (link )

2018

Carlton, L., N. C. Duncritts, Y. A. Chung and J. A. Rudgers. 2018. Plant-microbe interactions as a cause of ring formation in Bouteloua gracilis. Journal of Arid Environments 152(May):1-5. DOI: 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2018.02.001. (link )

Cavazos, B. R., T. F. Bohner, M. L. Donald, M. E. Sneck, A. Shadow, M. Omacini, J. A. Rudgers and T. E. Miller. 2018. Testing the roles of vertical transmission and drought stress in the prevalence of heritable fungal endophytes in annual grass populations. New Phytologist 219(3):1075-1084. DOI: 10.1111/nph.15215. (link )

Chung, Y. A., A. Jumpponen and J. A. Rudgers. 2018. Divergence in diversity and composition of root-associated fungi between greenhouse and field studies in a semiarid grassland. Microbial Ecology DOI: 10.1007/s00248-018-1277-y. (link )

Dettweiler-Robinson, E., R. L. Sinsabaugh and J. A. Rudgers. 2018. Biocrusts benefit from plant removal. American Journal of Botany 105(7):1133-1141. DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1120. (link )

Rudgers, J. A., Y. A. Chung, G. E. Maurer, D. I. Moore, E. H. Muldavin, M. E. Litvak and S. L. Collins. 2018. Climate sensitivity functions and net primary production: A framework for incorporating climate mean and variability. Ecology 99(3):576-582. DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2136. (link )

Rudgers, J. A., E. D. Robinson, J. Belnap, L. E. Green, R. L. Sinsabaugh, K. E. Young, C. E. Cort and A. Darrouzet-Nardi. 2018. Are fungal networks key to dryland primary production?. American Journal of Botany 105(11):1783-1787. DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1184. (link )

2017

Bell-Dereske, L., C. Takacs-Vesbach, S. N. Kivlin, S. M. Emery and J. A. Rudgers. 2017. Leaf endophytic fungus interacts with precipitation to alter belowground microbial communities in primary successional dunes. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 93(6):fix036. DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fix036. (link )

Chung, Y. A., R. L. Sinsabaugh, C. R. Kuske, S. C. Reed and J. A. Rudgers. 2017. Spatial variation in edaphic characteristics is a stronger control than nitrogen inputs in regulating soil microbial effects on a desert grass. Journal of Arid Environments 147(Jul):59-65. DOI: 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2017.03.005. (link )

2014

Collins, S. L., J. Belnap, N. B. Grimm, J. A. Rudgers, C. N. Dahm, P. D'Odorico, M. E. Litvak, D. O. Natvig, D. C. Peters, W. T. Pockman, R. L. Sinsabaugh and B. O. Wolf. 2014. A multiscale, hierarchical model of pulse dynamics in arid-land ecosystems. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 45:397-419. DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-120213-091650. (link )

Posters

2019

Hallmark, A., J. A. Rudgers, S. L. Collins, D. I. Moore and S. Baker. 2019. Optimizing plant size:biomass allometric relationships at the Sevilleta LTER. Poster presented at the 21st Annual CAP LTER All Scientists Meeting and Poster Symposium, Januay 11, 2019, Skysong, Scottsdale, AZ. (link )

Kazenel, M. R., K. W. Wright, T. I. Griswold, J. Bettinelli, J. A. Rudgers and K. D. Whitney. 2019. Native bees exhibit species- and ecosystem-specific changes in abundance with aridity. Poster presented at the 21st Annual CAP LTER All Scientists Meeting and Poster Symposium, January 11, 2019, Skysong, Scotttsdale, AZ. (link )