Howard E. Epstein
Professor · Ph.D. Colorado State University, 1997.
Contact Information
- Office: 211 Clark Hall
- 434-924-4308 ext 688
- hee2b@virginia.edu
My current research efforts are in the arctic tundra of North America and Russia, the grass-shrub ecosystems of the Chihuahuan Desert, and subalpine forest-grass systems of the Rocky Mountains in Montana. In the Arctic, we are examining the dynamics of tundra vegetation in response to climate change and interactions among tundra vegetation, nitrogen cycling and freeze-thaw disturbances. In the Chihuahuan Desert of New Mexico, we are studying the interactions between vegetation structure and wind erosion of soils. In Montana, we are examining the linkages between carbon and water cycling at the small watershed scale.
Recent Publications
Epstein, H.E., D.A. Walker, M.K. Raynolds, G.J. Jia, and A.M. Kelley. 2008. Phytomass patterns across the full temperature gradient of the arctic tundra. Journal of Geophysical Research -Biogeosciences doi: 10.1029/2007JG000555.
Aranibar, J.N., S.A. Macko, I.C. Anderson, H.E. Epstein, C.J.W. Feral, R.J. Swap, H.H. Shugart, and J. Ramontsho. 2008. Nitrogen isotope composition of soils, C3 and C4 plants along land use gradients in southern Africa. Journal of Arid Environments 72:326-337.
Cook, B.I., G.B. Bonan, S. Levis, and H.E. Epstein. 2008. Rapid vegetation responses and feedbacks amplify climate model response to snow cover changes. Climate Dynamics 30:391-406.
Cook, B.I., G.B. Bonan, S. Levis, and H.E. Epstein. 2008. The thermal insulative effect of snow in the climate system. Climate Dynamics 31:107-124.
Daanen, R.P., D. Misra, and H.E. Epstein. 2008. Hydrological complexity in non-sorted circle ecosystems of the arctic tundra. Journal of Geophysical Research-Biogeosciences doi: 10.1029/2008JG000682.
Kelley, A.M, and H.E. Epstein. Effects of nitrogen fertilization on plant communities of non-sorted circles in moist nonacidic tundra, northern Alaska Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research in press.
Li, J., G.S. Okin, L.J. Alvarez, and H.E. Epstein. 2008. Effects of wind erosion on the spatial heterogeneity of soil nutrients in two desert grassland communities. Biogeochemistry 88:73-88.
Li, J., G.S. Okin, L.J. Alvarez, and H.E. Epstein. Sediment flux and soil nutrient variation in deposition-dominated desert ecosystems, southern New Mexico. Plant and Soil in press.
Michaelson, G.J, C.L. Ping, H. Epstein, J.M. Kimble, V. Romanovsky, C. Tarnocai, and D.A. Walker. 2008. Soil properties and patterned ground across the North American Arctic Transect: Trends in physiochemical properties. JGR-Biogeosciences 10.1029/2007JG000672.
Ping, C-L., G.J. Michaelson, M.T. Jorgenson, J.M. Kimble, H.E. Epstein, V.E. Romanovsky, and D.A. Walker. 2008. High stocks of soil organic carbon in the North American Arctic region. Nature-Geosciences 1:615-619.
Walker, D.A., H.E. Epstein, W.A. Gould, C.L. Ping, V.E. Romanovsky, Y. Shur., C.T. Tarnocai, R.P. Daanen, G. Gonzalez, A.N. Kade, A.M. Kelley, W.B. Krantz, P. Kuss, N.V. Matveyeva, G.J. Michaelson, C.A. Munger, D.J. Nicolsky, R.A Peterson, M.K. Raynolds, C.M. Vonlanthan. 2008. Biocomplexity of small patterned-ground features along the North American Arctic Transect. Journal of Geophysical Research -Biogeosciences doi: 10.1029/2007JG000504.
Walker, D.A., H.E. Epstein, and J. Welker. 2008. Biocomplexity of arctic tundra ecosystems. Journal of Geophysical Research - Biogeosciences doi: 0.1029/2008JG000740.
Yu, M., Q. Gao, H.E. Epstein and X. Zhang. 2008. An ecohydrological analysis for optimal use of redistributed water in sandy grasslands. Ecological Applications 18:1679-1688.
Epstein, H.E., J.O. Kaplan, H. Lischke, and Q. Yu. 2007. Simulating future changes in arctic and sub-arctic vegetation. Computing in Science and Engineering 9:12-23.
Daanen, R.P., D. Misra, and H.E. Epstein. 2007. Active layer hydrology in non-sorted circle ecosystems of the arctic tundra. Vadose Zone Journal 6, 694-704 doi:10.2136/vzj2006.0173.
Emanuel, R.E., P. D'Odorico, and H.E. Epstein. 2007. Evidence of optimal water use by vegetation across a range of North American ecosystems. Geophysical Research Letters 34, doi:10.1029/2006GL028909.
Emanuel, R.E., P. D'Odorico, and H.E. Epstein. 2007. A dynamic soil water threshold for vegetation water-stress derived from stomatal conductance models. Water Resources Research 43, doi:10.1029/2005WR00483.
Li, J., G. Okin., L. Alvarez and H. Epstein. 2007. Quantitative effects of vegetation cover on wind erosion and soil nutrient loss in a desert grassland of southern New Mexico, USA. Biogeochemistry 85:317-332.
Riveros-Iregui, D.A., R.E. Emanuel, D.J. Muth, B.L. McGlynn, H.E. Epstein, and D.E. Welsch. 2007. Diurnal hysteresis between soil temperature and soil CO2 is controlled by soil moisture content. Geophysical Research Letters 34 (17): Art. No. L17404.
Wang, L., G.S. Okin, J. Wang, H.E. Epstein, and S.A. Macko. 2007. Predicting leaf and canopy 15N compositions from reflectance spectra. Geophysical Research Letters 34, doi:10.1029/2006GL028506.
Emanuel, R.E., J.D. Albertson, H.E. Epstein and C.A. Williams. 2006. Carbon dioxide fluxes across the temporal transition from agriculture to early succession. Journal of Geophysical Research - Biogeosciences: 111, G01011, doi:10.1029/2005JG000069.