George P. Malanson
Coleman-Miller Professor
Ph.D. UCLA - 1983

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"My research program has had a continuing focus on biodiversity, and diverse aspects are linked by a focus on the interaction of spatial pattern and process. I address how spatial patterns (e.g., fragmentation) and processes (e.g., dispersal) affect vegetation dynamics and ecological sustainability in response to human-induced changes such as climatic change and altered disturbance regimes."
My research integrates fieldwork, including quantitative vegetation sampling and some tree-ring work, computer simulations, and statistical analyses. I use simulations to investigate dispersal and plant community dynamics in fragmented landscapes. Much of my ongoing fieldwork is based in the northern Rocky Mountains, where I am interested in patterns and processes at alpine treeline. Simulation work has addressed the spatial configuration of nature reserves.  I am starting new work on simulations related to climate change and to invasive species in the Galapagos, pending funding.

 

My teaching philosophy arises from a background in liberal arts. My purpose is to have students learn how to think, how to organize information, how to evaluate ideas, and how to present their own ideas. At a graduate level I stress critical analysis through a wide reading of the literature, through a sharper critique of current theory, and finally through bringing new data to bear on what students have defined as an assailable frontier of knowledge.

 

Graduate students usually work closely with me as a research assistant at an early stage of their program, where they are introduced to the problems and quickly gain experience. This work often leads to co-authored publications. Students doing field work in the Rockies also learn about larger scale teamwork, joining students and faculty from four other universities on projects that involve remote sensing, GIS, microclimatology, and geomorphology in addition to biogeography.

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Advisees:

 

Theses and Dissertations Supervised:

 

MA Theses:

 

PhD Dissertations:

 

Current Graduate Students:

 

Sunday Goshit, Yu Zeng, Darren Grafius, Jonathan Rose

 

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Courses:

 

Undergraduate:

 

 

Upper Division/Graduate:

 

 

Graduate:

 


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Grants:



Research Grants (1997-present):

 


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Other Information:



Awards and honors:

2008 Sagarmatha Career Award, AAG Mountain Geography Specialty Group

2007 Henry C. Cowles Award for outstanding publication, with J.A. Kupfer and S.B. Franklin, AAG Biogeography Specialty Group

2006 Henry C. Cowles Award for outstanding publication, with K.J. Alftine, AAG Biogeography Specialty Group

2004 James J. Parsons Distinguished Career Award, AAG Biogeography Specialty Group
2003-present Coleman - Miller Professor, University of Iowa
2003 elected Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science

Offices held, service (1998-):

 

 

Editorial Service:


Associate Editor: Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research, 2005-present

Editor for Biogeography, Physical Geography, 2006-present

Biogeography Editor, Geography Compass, 2008-present

 

 

Other Editorial Boards:

Physical Geography, 1994-2006
Geographical & Environmental Modelling, 1996-2002
Landscape Ecology, 1997-2005
Annals, Association of American Geographers, 2000-present
Advances in Water Resources, 2004-present

Geography Compass, 2006-2007

Research Info:

 

 

Lee Ridge
 

Hidden Lake

Daniel Brown: Webpage


Dave Cairns: Webpage

David Butler : Webpage

Matt Bekker Webpage
Steve Walsh : Webpage
Dan Fagre: Webpage


Lynn Resler : Webpage


Carol Sawyer : Webpage
Forrest Wilkerson : Webpage
  

     Zehao Shen

 

 

 

Office:

 

Mailing Address:

 

Links:

 

 Homepage of the Center for Global and Regional Environmental Research

The Biogeographer, newsletter & the AAG Biogeography Specialty Group
Glacier National Park
USGS Glacier Field Station


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Publications:

Recent Publications (2002-):

 

Malanson, G.P.& Butler, D.R. 2002. The Western Cordillera. In Physical Geography of North America, A. Orme, ed. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp. 363-379.

Malanson, G.P. 2002. Effects of spatial representation of habitat in competition-colonization models. Geographical Analysis 34: 141-154.

Malanson, G.P. 2002. Extinction debt trajectories and spatial pattern of habitat destruction. Annals, Association of American Geographers 92: 177-188.

Malanson, G.P., Butler, D.R., Cairns, D.M., Welsh, T.E., Resler, L.M. 2002. Variability in a soil depth indicator in alpine tundra. Catena. 49: 203-215.

Cairns, D.M., Butler, D.R. & Malanson, G.P. 2002. Geomorphic and biogeographic setting of the Rocky Mountains. In J.S. Baron, ed. Rocky Mountain Futures. Island Press, Washington, DC, 27-39.

Malanson, G.P. 2003. Habitats, hierarchical scales, and nonlinearities: an ecological perspective on linking household and remotely sensed data on land-use/cover change. In Fox, J. Rindfuss, R.R., Walsh, S.J. and Mishra, V., eds. People and the Environment: Approaches for Linking Household and Community Surveys to Remote Sensing and GIS. Kluwer, Dordrecht, 265-283.

Walsh, S.J., Butler, D.R., Malanson, G.P., Crews-Meyer, K.A., Messina, J.P. & Xiao, N. 2003. Mapping, modeling, and visualization of the influences of geomorphic processes on the alpine treeline ecotone, Glacier National Park, Montana, USA. Geomorphology 53: 129-145.

Butler, D.R., Malanson, G.P., Bekker, M.F. and Resler, L.M. 2003. Lithologic, structural, and geomorphic controls on ribbon forest patterns. Geomorphology 55: 203-217.

Butler, D.R., Walsh, S.J. & Malanson, G.P. 2003. Introduction to the special issue: mountain geomorphology integrating earth systems, Geomorphology 55: 1-4.

Malanson, G.P. 2003. Dispersal across continuous and binary representations of landscapes. Ecological Modelling 169: 17-24.

Alftine, K.J., Malanson, G.P. & Fagre, D.B. 2003. Feedback-driven response to multi-decadal climatic variability at an alpine forest-tundra ecotone. Physical Geography 24: 520-535.

Kupfer, J.A., Malanson, G.P. & Franklin, S.B. 2004. Identifying the Biodiversity Research Needs Related to Forest Fragmentation. National Commission on Science for Sustainable Forestry (www.ncseonline.org/ewebeditpro/items/O62F3754.pdf)

Alftine, K.J. & Malanson, G.P. 2004. Directional positive feedback and pattern at an alpine tree line. Journal of Vegetation Science 15:3-12.

Malanson, G.P., Butler, D.R. & Walsh, S.J. 2004. Ecological response to global climatic change. In WorldMinds. (D.G. Janelle, B. Warf, & K. Hansen, eds.) Kluwer, Dordrecht, 469-473.

Kupfer, J.A. & Malanson, G.P. 2004. The biodiversity crisis. In WorldMinds. (D.G. Janelle, B. Warf, & K. Hansen, eds.) Kluwer, Dordrecht, 273-277.

Walsh, S.J., Weiss, D.J., Butler, D.R. & Malanson, G.P. 2004. An assessment of snow avalanche paths and forest dynamics using Ikonos satellite data. Geocarto International 19: 85-94.

Marion, D. & Malanson, G.P. 2004. Ordination of woody vegetation in a Ouachita National Forest watershed. US Forest Service General Technical Report SRS-74, pp. 198-204.

Butler, D.R., Malanson, G.P. & Resler, L.M. 2004. Turf-banked terrace treads and risers, turf exfoliation, and possible relationships with advancing treeline. Catena 58: 259-274.

Allen, T.R., Walsh, S.J., Cairns, D.M., Messina, J., Butler, D.R. and Malanson, G.P. 2004. Geostatistics and spatial analysis: characterizing form and pattern at the alpine treeline. In M. Bishop and J. Shroder, eds. Geographic Information Science and Mountain Geomorphology. Springer Verlag-Praxis Scientific, London, 189-214.

Malanson, G.P. & Zeng, Y. 2004. Uncovering spatial feedbacks at alpine treeline using spatial metrics in evolutionary simulations. In GeoDynamics, P.M. Atkinson, G. Foody, S. Darby & F. Wu, eds. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 137-150.

Resler, L.M., Butler, D.R. & Malanson, G.P. 2005.Topographic shelter and conifer establishment and mortality in an alpine environment, Glacier National Park, Montana. Physical Geography 26: 112-125.

Butler, D.R. and Malanson, G.P. 2005. The geomorphic influences of beaver dams and failures of beaver dams. Geomorphology 71: 48-60.

Kupfer, JA, Malanson, GP & Franklin, SB. 2006. Not seeing the ocean for the islands: The mediating influence of matrix-based processes on forest fragmentation effects. Global Ecology & Biogeography 15: 8-20.


Malanson, G.P., Zeng, Y. & Walsh, S.J. 2006. Complexity at advancing ecotones and frontiers. Environment & Planning A 38: 619-632.


Malanson, G.P., Scott, K., Fagre, D. & Holzer, K. 2006. Ordination Context of GLORIA Sites in Glacier National Park, USA. In M.F. Price, ed. Global Change in Mountain Regions. Sapiens Publishing, Duncow, UK, pp. 154-155 (extended abstract).


Zeng, Y. & Malanson, G.P. 2006. Endogenous fractal dynamics at alpine treeline ecotones. Geographical Analysis 38: 271-287.


Malanson, GP, Zeng, Y. & Walsh, SJ. 2006. Landscape frontiers, geography frontiers: lessons to be learned. Professional Geographer 58: 383-396.


Malanson, G.P., Wang, Q. & Kupfer, J.A. 2007. Ecological processes and spatial patterns before, during and after simulated deforestation. Ecological Modelling 202: 397-409.


Malanson, G.P., Butler, D.R. and Fagre, D.B. 2007. Alpine ecosystem dynamics and change: a view from the heights. In: Sustaining Rocky Mountain Landscapes: Science, Policy and Management of the Crown of the Continent Ecosystem (T. Prato and D. Fagre, eds.), RFF Press, Washington D.C., 85-101.


Yadav, V. & Malanson, G.P. 2007. Progress in soil organic matter research: Litter decomposition, modelling, monitoring and sequestration. Progress in Physical Geography 31: 131-154..


Zeng, Y., Malanson, G.P. & Butler, D.R. 2007. Geomorphic limits to self organization in alpine forest-tundra ecotone vegetation. Geomorphology 91: 378-392.


Wang, Q. and Malanson, G.P. 2007. Patterns of correlation among landscape metrics. Physical Geography 28: 170-182.

Malanson GP, DR Butler, DB Fagre, SJ Walsh, DF Tomback, LD Daniels, LM Resler, WK Smith, DJ Weiss, DL Peterson, AG Bunn, CA Hiemstra, D Liptzin, PS Bourgeron, Z Shen, and CI Millar. 2007 Alpine treeline of western North America: Linking organism-to-landscape dynamics. Physical Geography 28: 378-396.


Butler DR, Malanson GP, Walsh SJ, Fagre DB. 2007 Influences of Geomorphology and Geology on Alpine Treeline in the American West – More Important Than Climatic Influences? Physical Geography 28: 434-450.


Wang, Q. and Malanson, G.P. 2008. Spatial hyperdynamism in a post-disturbance simulated forest. Ecological Modelling 215: 337-344.

Yadav, V. and Malanson, G.P. 2008. Spatially explicit land use land cover and soil organic carbon transformations in southern Illinois. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 123: 280-292.


Wang, Q. and Malanson, G.P. 2008. Neutral landscapes: bases for exploration in landscape ecology. Geography Compass 2: 10.111/j.1749-8198.2008.00090.x [online only].

Walsh SJ, Messina, JP, Mena CF, Malanson GP, Page PH. 2008. Complexity theory, spatial simulation models, and land use dynamics in the Northern Ecuadorian Amazon. Geoforum 39: 867-878.


Wang, Q. and Malanson, G.P. 2008. Spatial hyperdynamism in a post-disturbance simulated forest. Ecological Modelling 215: 337-344.


Rindfuss, R.R. and 24 coauthors. 2008. Land use change: complexity and comparisons. Journal of Land Use Science 3: 1-10.


Parker, D.C., B. Entwisle, R.R. Rindfuss, L.K. Van Wey, S. Manson, E. Moran, L. An, P. Deadman, T.P. Evans, M. Linderman, S.M.M. Rizi and G. Malanson. 2008. Case studies, cross-site comparisons, and the challenge of generalization: Comparing agent-based models of land-use change in frontier regions. Journal of Land Use Science 3: 41-72.


Yadav, V., Del Grosso, S.J., Parton, W.J. and Malanson, G.P. 2008. Adding ecosystem function to agent-based land use models. Journal of Land Use Science 3: 27-40.


Entwisle, B., Malanson, G.P., Rindfuss, R.R. and Walsh, S.J. 2008. An agent based model of household dynamics and land use change: getting inside the black box. Journal of Land Use Science 3: 73-93.


Malanson GP. 2008. Extinction debt: origins, developments, and applications of a biogeographic trope. Progress in Physical Geography 32: 277-291.


Bekker, MF & Malanson, GP. 2008. Linear forest patterns in subalpine environments. Progress in Physical Geography 32: 635-653.

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Entwisle, B., J. Edmeades, G. Malanson, C. Podhisita, P. Prasartkul, R.R. Rindfuss, S.J. Walsh. 2008. Village settlement, deforestation, and the expansion of agriculture in a frontier region: Nang Rong, Thailand. In A. Millington & W. Jepson, eds. Land-Change Science in the Tropics. Springer, New York, 165-179.


Tang, W., Malanson, G.P., Entwisle, B.: Simulated village locations in Thailand using a multi-scale model including a neural network approach. Landscape Ecology 24: 557-575.


Malanson GP, Brown DG, Butler DR, Cairns DM, Fagre DB, Walsh SJ. 2009. Ecotone dynamics: invasibility of alpine tundra by tree species from the subalpine forest. In DR Butler, GP Malanson, SJ Walsh & DB Fagre, eds. The Changing Alpine Treeline of Glacier National Park, Montana, USA. Elsevier, Amsterdam, 35-61.


Bekker, MF & Malanson, GP. 2009. Modeling feedback effects on linear patterns of subalpine forest advancement. In DR Butler, GP Malanson, SJ Walsh & DB Fagre, eds. The Changing Alpine Treeline of Glacier National Park, Montana, USA. Elsevier, Amsterdam, 167-190.


Butler DR, Malanson GP, Resler LM, Walsh SJ, Wilkerson FD, Schmid GL & Sawyer CF. 2009. Geomorphic patterns and processes at alpine treeline. In DR Butler, GP Malanson, SJ Walsh & DB Fagre, eds. The Changing Alpine Treeline of Glacier National Park, Montana, USA. Elsevier, Amsterdam, 63-84.


Schmid GL, Butler DR, Malanson GP, Resler LM. 2009. Soils and pedogenesis at alpine treeline. In DR Butler, GP Malanson, SJ Walsh & DB Fagre, eds. The Changing Alpine Treeline of Glacier National Park, Montana, USA. Elsevier, Amsterdam, 107-108.


Butler DR, Malanson GP, Walsh SJ. 2009. The future of treeline. In DR Butler, GP Malanson, SJ Walsh & DB Fagre, eds. The Changing Alpine Treeline of Glacier National Park, Montana, USA. Elsevier, Amsterdam, 191-194.


Yadav V, Malanson GP. 2009. Modeling impacts of erosion and deposition on soil organic carbon in the Big Creek Basin of southern Illinois. Geomorphology 106: 304-314.


Yadav V, Malanson GP, Bekele EG, Lant C. Modeling watershed-scale sequestration of soil organic carbon for carbon credit programs. Applied Geography, in press.

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