Erica Smithwick
Director of the Ecology Institute; Professor of Geography

-
323 Walker
University Park, PA - She/Her
- eus17@psu.edu
- 814-865-6693
Research Summary
Uunderstanding how a wide range of disturbances, especially fire, affect ecosystem function at landscape scales.
Huck Affiliations
Publication Tags
Nitrogen Soil Climate Basalt Water Herbivores Carbon Turnover Deer Rate Herbivore Soil Moisture Resilience Soils Fine Root Forage Plain National Park Phenology Fires National Parks Grazing Rhizosphere Biomass ForestsMost Recent Papers
Robust paths to net greenhouse gas mitigation and negative emissions via advanced biofuels
John L. Field, Tom L. Richard, Erica A.H. Smithwick, Hao Cai, Mark S. Laser, David S. LeBauer, Stephen P. Long, Keith Paustian, Zhangcai Qin, John J. Sheehan, Pete Smith, Michael Q. Wang, Lee R. Lynd, 2020, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America on p. 21968-21977
Seed source pattern and terrain have scale-dependent effects on post-fire tree recovery
Jamie L. Peeler, Erica A.H. Smithwick, 2020, Landscape Ecology on p. 1945-1959
Patch-scale selection patterns of grazing herbivores in the central basalt plains of Kruger National Park
Cyanne Young, Hervé Fritz, Erica A.H. Smithwick, Jan A. Venter, 2020, African Journal of Range and Forage Science on p. 199-213
The landscape-scale drivers of herbivore assemblage distribution on the central basalt plains of Kruger National Park
Cyanne Young, Hervé Fritz, Erica A.H. Smithwick, Jan A. Venter, 2020, Journal of Tropical Ecology on p. 13-28
Complex interactions among successional trajectories and climate govern spatial resilience after severe windstorms in central Wisconsin, USA
Melissa S. Lucash, Kelsey L. Ruckert, Robert E. Nicholas, Robert M. Scheller, Erica A.H. Smithwick, 2019, Landscape Ecology on p. 2897-2915
Carbon stocks and biodiversity of coastal lowland forests in South Africa
Erica A H. Smithwick, 2019, Carbon Management on p. 349-360
The value of linking paleoecological and neoecological perspectives to understand spatially-explicit ecosystem resilience
B. Buma, B. J. Harvey, D. G. Gavin, R. Kelly, T. Loboda, B. E. McNeil, J. R. Marlon, A. J.H. Meddens, J. L. Morris, K. F. Raffa, B. Shuman, Erica A H. Smithwick, K. K. McLauchlan, 2019, Landscape Ecology on p. 17-33
Estimating root zone soil moisture across the Eastern United States with passive microwave satellite data and a simple hydrologic model
Douglas Baldwin, Salvatore Manfreda, Henry Lin, Erica A.H. Smithwick, 2019, Remote Sensing
Forest pattern, not just amount, influences dietary quality in five African countries
Laura Vang Rasmussen, Matthew E. Fagan, Amy Ickowitz, Sylvia L.R. Wood, Gina Kennedy, Bronwen Powell, Frédéric Baudron, Sarah Gergel, Suhyun Jung, Erica A.H. Smithwick, Terry Sunderland, Stephen Wood, Jeanine M. Rhemtulla, 2019, Global Food Security
Fine-scale spatial homogenization of microbial habitats
Jessica B. Moon, Denice H. Wardrop, Erica A.H. Smithwick, Kusum J. Naithani, 2019, Ecological Applications on p. e01816
Most-Cited Papers
Continued warming could transform greater yellowstone fire regimes by mid-21st century
Anthony L. Westerling, Monica G. Turner, Erica A.H. Smithwick, William H. Romme, Michael G. Ryan, 2011, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America on p. 13165-13170
Predicting fine root lifespan from plant functional traits in temperate trees
M. Luke Mccormack, Thomas Adams, Erica A H. Smithwick, David Eissenstat, 2012, New Phytologist on p. 823-831
Variability in root production, phenology, and turnover rate among 12 temperate tree species
M. Luke McCormack, Thomas S. Adams, Erica A.H. Smithwick, David M. Eissenstat, 2014, Ecology on p. 2224-2235
Regional scale patterns of fine root lifespan and turnover under current and future climate
M. Luke McCormack, David M. Eissenstat, Anantha M. Prasad, Erica A.H. Smithwick, 2013, Global Change Biology on p. 1697-1708
Deer feeding selectivity for invasive plants
Kristine M. Averill, David A. Mortensen, Erica A.H. Smithwick, Eric Post, 2016, Biological Invasions on p. 1247-1263
Predicting root zone soil moisture with soil properties and satellite near-surface moisture data across the conterminous United States
D. Baldwin, S. Manfreda, K. Keller, E. A.H. Smithwick, 2017, Journal of Hydrology on p. 393-404
Variation in Aboveground Cover Influences Soil Nitrogen Availability at Fine Spatial Scales Following Severe Fire in Subalpine Conifer Forests
Monica G. Turner, William H. Romme, Erica A H. Smithwick, Daniel B. Tinker, Jun Zhu, 2011, Ecosystems on p. 1081-1095
Post-Fire Spatial Patterns of Soil Nitrogen Mineralization and Microbial Abundance
Erica A.H. Smithwick, Kusum J. Naithani, Teri C. Balser, William H. Romme, Monica G. Turner, 2012, PLoS One on p. e50597
Sensitivity of four ecological models to adjustments in fine root turnover rate
M. Luke McCormack, Elizabeth Crisfield, Brett Raczka, Frank Schnekenburger, David M. Eissenstat, Erica A.H. Smithwick, 2015, Ecological Modelling on p. 107-117
A regional assessment of white-tailed deer effects on plant invasion
Kristine M. Averill, David Mortensen, Erica A H. Smithwick, Susan Kalisz, William J. McShea, Norman A. Bourg, John D. Parker, Alejandro A. Royo, Marc David Abrams, David K. Apsley, Bernd Blossey, Douglas H. Boucher, Kai L. Caraher, Antonio DiTommaso, Sarah E. Johnson, Robert Masson, Victoria A. Nuzzo, 2018, AoB PLANTS
News Articles Featuring Erica Smithwick
Aug 25, 2020
Advanced biofuels show promise for replacing some fossil fuels
Plant-based biofuels can play a key role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and removing excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and growing these crops in certain landscapes offers net climate benefits compared to other land use options, according to a team of international scientists.
Full Article
Jul 15, 2020
Ecology Institute announces grant recipients
The Ecology Institute has awarded 11 proposals from across the University as part of its Flower Grant program, including five projects submitted by faculty at Commonwealth Campuses.
Full Article
Jun 05, 2020
The Penn State Ecology Community is Committed to Combatting Racism and Injustice
The leadership of the Penn State Ecology community wishes to express solidarity with marginalized members of our society, and has prepared the following statement of support to all those who struggle against systemic injustices. We can and must do better.
Full Article
Apr 01, 2020
Proposals being accepted for ecology research funding
The Ecology Institute announced a call for proposals for its Flower Grant program. The funds aim to support ecology research focused across the institute’s five core themes: resilience and adaptation; provision of ecosystem goods and services; ecology at the interface; rapid evolutionary change; and ecological foundations.
Full Article
Jun 19, 2019
South African forests show pathways to a sustainable future
Native forests make up one percent of the landscape in South Africa but could play a key role in reducing atmospheric carbon and identifying sustainable development practices that can be used globally to counter climate change, according to a Penn State researcher.
Full Article