Seth M. Munson | Lightnews

Seth Munson

@smmunson.bsky.social

650 followers 110 following 53 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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Reposted by Anping Chen

Seth Munson @smmunson.bsky.social · 20h

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

Botanical Society of America @botsocamerica.bsky.social · 1d

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 Julie L. Lockwood, Dawn J. Wright, Robert C. Richards , and 4 more Julie L. Lockwood, Dawn J. Wright, Robert C. Richards, J. Warner, Tim Stephens, Seth M. Munson, Drew Peltier

Katharine Hayhoe @katharinehayhoe.com · 1d

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

Seth Munson @smmunson.bsky.social · 13d

Thanks for covering this. Many U.S. fed scientists have strict travel caps or are not receiving approval to attend

Seth Munson @smmunson.bsky.social · 13d

“Notably, desert species had the most cold and heat tolerant leaves, and therefore the widest thermal tolerance breadth”

Journal of Ecology @journalofecology.bsky.social · 14d

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

Journal of Ecology @journalofecology.bsky.social · 14d

Reposted by Seth M. Munson

Science Magazine @science.org · 19d

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.

Seth Munson @smmunson.bsky.social · 19d

This paper was led by two top-notch early career researchers Laura Shriver and Sarah Costanzo

Seth Munson @smmunson.bsky.social · 19d

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

Yoder Lang Syne 🗓️🥂 🎆 @jbyoder.org · 19d

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 Southwestern Chapter @esa-sw.bsky.social · 20d

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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 Jens‐Christian Svenning, Brian J. Enquist, Julie L. Lockwood, Anthony Ricciardi, Stephen D. Murphy, Seth M. Munson, Joan Dudney

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

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 Brian J. Enquist, Monica G. Turner, Jason Stajich, Stephen D. Murphy, Jesse R. Lasky, Seth M. Munson, Chhaya M. Werner, Connor Morozumi

Seema Sheth @seemasheth.bsky.social · Nov 7

Amy Angert and I are recruiting a #postdoc to participate in a collaborative NSF-funded study of demographic responses to climate across the geographic range of the scarlet monkeyflower. Please repost! jobs.ncsu.edu/postings/224...

Reposted by Julian Schrader, Seth M. Munson

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

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.)

Reposted by Ben Bond‐Lamberty, Stephen D. Murphy, Seth M. Munson , and 3 more Ben Bond‐Lamberty, Stephen D. Murphy, Seth M. Munson, Elise S. Gornish, Darío Martin‐Benito, Orlando Schwery

Magda Garbowski @magdagarbowski.bsky.social · Oct 23

Hello! I’m recruiting three graduate students (MS or PhD) to start in summer or fall 2026 . Projects are broadly focused on the ecology, restoration, and management of rangelands, deserts, and forests. Please share!

Lab website: functionalrestoration.nmsu.edu

Students collecting vegetation data in the Organ Mountains

Students collecting plants from forest understory

Reposted by Brian J. Enquist, Kevin J. Anchukaitis

Seth Munson @smmunson.bsky.social · Oct 21

Court document reveals that the USGS Ecosystems Mission Area would be cut severely, and maybe entirely, along with critical natural resource management staff. This would be devastating for our public lands!

Virginia Gewin @virginiagewin.bsky.social · Oct 21

“The Monday filing outlines where 2,050 positions would be eliminated; the U.S. Geological Survey, the Bureau of Land Management, and the main Interior office would be especially hard hit. Regional offices with the National Park Service are also targeted for significant cuts.”

Inside Trump's plan to eviscerate USGS and beyond - Center for Western Priorities

Forced by a federal judge to partially reveal plans for firing federal employees, the Trump administration on Monday said it plans to “imminently” terminate more than 2,000 employees at the Interior d...

westernpriorities.org

Reposted by Brian J. Enquist, Kevin J. Anchukaitis, Patrick A. Jansen , and 1 more Brian J. Enquist, Kevin J. Anchukaitis, Patrick A. Jansen, Seth M. Munson

Virginia Gewin @virginiagewin.bsky.social · Oct 21

Inside Trump's plan to eviscerate USGS and beyond - Center for Western Priorities

westernpriorities.org

Reposted by Fernando T. Maestre, Klaus E. Meyer, A. E. Dessler , and 4 more Fernando T. Maestre, Klaus E. Meyer, A. E. Dessler, Meelis Pärtel, Emili García‐Berthou, Jussi T. Eronen, Seth M. Munson

Science Magazine @science.org · Oct 21

Although many ecosystems can weather several years of moderate drought, consecutive years of extreme dryness push them past a tipping point, resulting in dramatic declines in plant growth, researchers report in Science. https://scim.ag/4ogN9I8

Drought intensity and duration interact to magnify losses in primary productivity

As droughts become longer and more intense, impacts on terrestrial primary productivity are expected to increase progressively. Yet, some ecosystems appear to acclimate to multiyear drought, with cons...

scim.ag

Reposted by Meelis Pärtel, Akira Mori, Ben Bond‐Lamberty , and 4 more Meelis Pärtel, Akira Mori, Ben Bond‐Lamberty, John Parker, Nicolas Gross, Seth M. Munson, Karl Andraczek

DroughtNet @droughtnet.bsky.social · Oct 16

The latest DroughtNet paper is out in Science today! Using coordinated experiments across six continents and 74 sites, the International Drought Experiment found differences between the effects of extreme droughts and more typical droughts... (1/3) www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Drought intensity and duration interact to magnify losses in primary productivity

www.science.org

Seth Munson @smmunson.bsky.social · Oct 13

I’ve had as many as 14 and definitely have invited more recently. Need a new model for journal reviews

Reposted by Seth M. Munson, Korina Ocampo‐Zuleta

Botanical Society of America @botsocamerica.bsky.social · Oct 13

🔥🌱 From the upcoming #AJB Special Issue: “Understanding novel #ﬁre regimes using plant trait‐based approaches" 🌱🔥

Modifications in fire frequency impact belowground plant components in old-growth grasslands, posing risks to their resilience

doi.org/10.1002/ajb2... @leveg.bsky.social

Campos Rupestres landscape with open-field vegetation. On the right, two images show belowground organs: above, samples of belowground bud-bearing organs; below, samples of fine roots.

Reposted by Seth M. Munson

DroughtNet @droughtnet.bsky.social · Oct 11

We are really excited to announce… that our next big DroughtNet paper will be published… next week. And that’s about all we can say for now! 😁
🧪🌐🌎🌍🌏
🚫💧☘️🌾🗓️

A view from underneath a rainout shelter made of clear corrugated plastic slats on a wood frame at the Purdue Wildlife Area, near West Lafayette, Indiana. These shelters reduced precipitation in a restored prairie as part of the International Drought Experiment. Credit: Jeff Dukes

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