Paulette L. Ford
Research Ecologist
B.S. Biology & Psychology, University of New Mexico, 1989
M.S. Biology, University of New Mexico, 1992
Ph.D. Renewable Natural Resources, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Minor, University of Arizona, 2000
email: plford@fs.fed.us



Research Interests:

The role of disturbance in structuring grassland and desert communities; scale, fire ecology, community ecology, biogeography, ecosystem management.


Current long-term research:

Ongoing research on the Kiowa National Grassland in northeastern New Mexico uses a long-term (18-year) experimental framework to analyze the effects of season and frequency of fire on shortgrass steppe.


Links:

The Ecological Society of America
The Wildlife Society
Society for Range Management
The Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems
The Fire Effects Information System

Selected Publications:

Ford. P. L. Evolution, use and management of grasslands. UNESCO Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems. In prep.

Ford, P. L. Small mammal community response to fire in shortgrass steppe of the southern Great Plains. Proceedings of the 2nd International Wildlife Management Congress. In press.

Ford, P. L. 2000. Scale, ecosystem resilience, and fire in shortgrass steppe. Ph.D. Dissertation. University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona.

Ford, P. L. 1999. Response of buffalograss (Buchloe dactyloides) and blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis) to fire. Great Plains Research 9:1-16.

Ford, P. L. and G. R. McPherson. 1999. Ecology of fire in shortgrass communities of the Kiowa National Grassland. Pp. 71-76. In C. Warwick, (ed.), Fifteenth North American Prairie Conference Proceedings, October 1996; St. Charles, IL. The Natural Areas Association, Bend, OR.

Ford, P. L. and G. R. McPherson. 1998. Experimental fire research in semi-arid shortgrass prairie. Pp. 107-116. In B. Tellman, D. M. Finch, C. Edminster, and R. Hamre (eds.), The future of arid grasslands: identifying issues, seeking solutions. 1996 Oct. 9-13; Tucson, AZ. USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountian Reserach Station, Proceedings RMRS-P-3. Fort Colins,CO.

Ford, P. L. and G. R. McPherson. 1996. Ecology of fire in shortgrass prairie of the southern Great Plains. Pp. 20-39. In D. M. Finch, ed., Ecosystem disturbance and wildlife conservation in western grasslands: a symposium proceedings. USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, General Technical Report RM-GGTR-285. Fort Collins, CO.