Christa P. H. Mulder
Associate Professor, Plant
Ecology
Department of
Biology and Wildlife and

Email cpmulder@alaska.edu
Tel: +1 (907) 474 7152; Fax: +1 (907) 474 6769
Office: 410A Irving I
RASP (Rats and Seabirds Project)
SEAPRE (Seabird Islands and Introduced
predators) network
Cold Sick Plants
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Queen's University,
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Professional
experience:
·
Associate Professor,
·
Assistant Professor,
·
Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Ecology, School of Biological
Sciences,
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Post-doctoral fellow, Swedish
My main research interests fall into two main
areas. I usually combine fieldwork with laboratory
experiments and some modeling.
1) Plant-animal interactions.
This
includes direct effects of animals on plants (e.g. vertebrate and invertebrate
herbivory, physical damage such as trampling), indirect effects (such as
changes in nutrient availability) and subsequent changes in plant interspecific
interactions. There are currently two
large, multi-person projects in the area of plant-animal interactions in my
lab:
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RASP (Rats
and

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SEAPRE (Seabird Islands and
Introduced Predators: Impacts of Presence and Eradication on Island Function): I am the
Principal Coordinator of this Research Coordination Network, which aims to
bring together people from across the world for cross-system comparisons and
synthesis of the impacts of seabirds and introduced seabird predators on island
ecology, with the further aim of improving restoration plans for islands on
which these introduced predators have been or are being eradicated. If you work on seabird islands and are
interested in joining the network, please click here for more information or contact me
or Julie Ellis (Julie.Ellis@tufts.edu), the Co-Coordinator, directly.
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The Cold
Sick Plant project.
This is a joint venture between my lab and that of Bitty Roy (

Past research in plant-animal interactions:
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I have worked extensively in the
·
The RASP project (see above) was inspired by
a short study I did in 1999, when I at how fairy prions (Pachyptila turtur)
and tuatara (Sphenodon
punctatus, an ancient reptile) affected seed germination, seedling growth,
and diversity of native plants on Stephens Island, a small island in Cook
Strait of high conservation interest (see Mulder and Keall 2001 below).
2) Relationships between species richness and
ecosystem processes.
I first became interested in relationships between species diversity
and ecosystem functioning during a postdoc on a large European project called BIODEPTH
(Biological Diversity and Ecosystem Processes in Terrestrial Herbaceous
Ecosystems). The experiments tested the notion that ecosystem processes
(physical and chemical processes within systems) change in some predictable
fashion with plant diversity in grassland communities by performing the same
experiment in eight different countries.
In this project I also asked whether the presence of invertebrates
changes the relationships between plant diversity and ecosystem processes. It
appears that the presence of insects can change modify this relationship: in
our case, productivity increased with increased diversity much faster in plots
with reduced insects compared to untreated plots (see Mulder et al. 1999
below).
While in

At
UAF I currently teach five courses:
1)
Introduction to Plant Biology (Biol. 239 most recent
syllabus). This is a general plant
course that includes topics like plant morphology, diversity, plant-animal
interactions, and plant conservation.
2)
Community Ecology (Biol.
472 most recent syllabus),. This
course consists of a mix of lectures, discussions of primary literature,
computer exercises, and independent research projects in community ecology.
3)
Community Structure and Ecosystem Function (Biol.
694-03 most recent syllabus). This
is a graduate-level seminar style course focusing on the interface between
community ecology and ecosystem ecology.
4)
Fundamentals of Biology II (Biol. 116, previously Biol. 105). I teach the ecology and plant diversity
sections of this introductory sequence.
5)
5) Scientific Writing, Editing, and Revising (Biol 693 most recent
syllabus). This course is aimed at graduate students who have completed the
data analysis sections of their research and are ready to write a manuscript
for publication.
At
Victoria University of Wellington I taught parts of an introductory ecology
lecture course, an introductory ecology field course, an upper-level plant
ecology course, an upper level conservation course, and a graduate-level plant
ecology course.
Scientific
Teaching:
In
June of 2008 I attended a one-week course on Scientific Teaching aimed at
improving undergraduate education in biology, particularly in large
introductory classes. The course was sponsored by the Howard Hughes Medical
Institute and the
Other members of the Mulder
lab:
Member of the
following graduate student committees:
Kendra Calhoun (M.S. Biology
– Ruess lab)
Ian Herriott (M.S. Biology –
L. Taylor lab)
Ina Timling (Ph.D. Biology –
L. Taylor lab)
Chris Babcock (Ph.D. Biology
– Ruess lab)
Mike Anderson (Ph.D. Biology
– Ruess lab)
Past graduate
students, postdoctoral fellows, and visiting researchers:
At UAF:
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Jennifer Rohrs-Richey M.S. (2004). Current position: Ph.D. student in my lab.
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Joni Reese, M.S. (2006). Current position: high school teacher
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Katie Villano, M.S. (2008). Current position: Program
coordinator, Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies, Homer,
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Nikki Grant-Hoffman, Ph.D. (2009). Current position: BLM, Colorado
Springs
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Sonja Wipf, visiting researcher (Ph.D., U. of
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Christian
Rixen, postdoctoral fellow.
At
Note: downloading pdf’s for any reason other than personal use in research or education is a violation of copyright.
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Grant-Hoffman, M.N.,
C.P.H. Mulder, and P. Bellingham. Invasive rat and
burrowing seabird effects on seeds and seedlings on
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Grant-Hoffman, M.N., C.P.H. Mulder, and P. Bellingham. Invasive
rats and burrowing seabirds affect woody seedling composition on northern
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Bellingham, P.J., D.R. Towns, E.K. Cameron, J. Davis,
D.A. Wardle, J.M. Wilmshurst and C.P.H. Mulder.
2010. New
Zealand island restoration: seabirds, predators, and the importance of history.
New Zealand Journal of Ecology 34(1),
in press.
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Rixen, C., and
C.P.H. Mulder. Interactive effects of species
removal and experimental warming on a subarctic tundra plant community. Oecologia 161: 173-186.
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Towns, D.R., D.A.
Wardle, C.P.H. Mulder, G.W. Yeates, B.M.
Fitzgerald, G.R. Parrish, P.J. Bellingham, and K.I. Bonner. 2009. Predation of seabirds by invasive rats:
multiple indirect consequences for invertebrate communities. Oikos 118: 420-430.
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Mulder, C.P.H.,
M.N. Grant-Hoffman, D. Towns, P. Bellingham, M. Durrett, D. Wardle, and T.
Fukami. 2009. Direct and indirect
effects of rats: will their eradication restore functioning of New Zealand
seabird islands? Biological Invasions
11: 1671-1688.
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Wardle, D.A.,
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Mulder,
C.P.H., B. Roy, and S. Güsewell. 2008. Herbivores and pathogens on Alnus viridis subsp. fruticosa in Interior Alaska: I. Effects of leaf, tree,
and neighbor characteristics on damage levels. Botany
(formerly Canadian Journal of Botany)
86: 408-421.
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Hector, A., J.
Joshi, M. Scherer-Lorenzen, B. Schmid, E.M. Spehn, L. Wacker, M. Weilenmann, E.
Bazeley-White, C. Beierkuhnleinen, M.C. Calderia, P.G. Dimitrakopoulos, J.A.
Finn, K. Huss-Danell, A. Jumpponen, P.W. Leadley, M. Loreau, C.P.H. Mulder, C. Neßhöver, C. Palmborg, D.J.
Read, A.S.D. Siamantziouras, A.C. Terry, and A.Y. Troumbis. 2007.
Biodiversity and ecosystem functioning: reconciling the results of
experimental and observational studies. Functional Ecology 21: 998-1002.
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Wardle, D.A.,
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Rohrs-Richey, J.
K., and C.P.H. Mulder. 2007.
Effects of local changes in active layer and soil climate on seasonal
foliar nitrogen concentrations of three boreal forest shrubs. Canadian
Journal of
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Fukami, T., D. A. Wardle, P. J. Bellingham, C.P.H. Mulder, D.R. Towns, G.W. Yeates, K. I. Bonner, M.S. Durrett,
M.N.Grant-Hoffman and
W.M. Williamson. 2006. Above-
and below-ground impacts of introduced predators on seabird-dominated islands. Ecology
Letters 9: 1299-1307.
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Wipf, S, C.
Rixen, and C.P.H. Mulder. 2006 Advanced snowmelt
causes shift towards positive neighbour interactions in a subarctic tundra
community . Global Change Biology 12:
1496-1506.
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Rixen, C., and
C.P.H. Mulder. 2005. Improved water retention links
high species richness with increased productivity in arctic tundra moss
communities. Oecologia 146 (2):
287-199.
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Jumpponen, A.,
C.P.H. Mulder, K. Huss-Danell, and
P. Högberg. 2005. Winners and losers in herbaceous
plant communities: insights from foliar carbon isotope composition in
monocultures and mixtures. Journal of Ecology 96(3): 1136-1147.
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E. M. Spehn, A.
Hector, J. Joshi, M. Scherer-Lorenzen, B. Schmid, E. Bazeley-White, C.
Beierkuhnlein, M. C. Caldeira, M. Diemer, P. G. Dimitrakopoulos, J.A. Finn, H.
Freitas, P. S. Giller, J. Good, R. Harris, P. Högberg, K. Huss-Danell, A.
Jumpponen, J. Koricheva, P. W. Leadley, M. Loreau, A. Minns, C. P. H. Mulder, G. O'Donovan, S. J. Otway, C.
Palmborg, J. S. Pereira, A. B. Pfisterer, A. Prinz, D. J. Read, E-D. Schulze,
A-S. D. Siamantziouras, A. C. Terry, A. Y. Troumbis, F. I. Woodward, S. Yachi,
J. H. Lawton. 2005. Ecosystem effects of
biodiversity manipulations in European grasslands. Ecological
Monographs 75(1): 37-63.
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Mulder, CPH., E. Bazeley-White, P.G. Dimitrakopoulos, A.
Hector, M. Scherer-Lorenzen, B. Schmid.
2004. Species evenness and productivity
in experimental plant communities.
Oikos 107:50-63.
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Armbruster, W.S., C. Pélabon, T.F. Hansen and C.P.H. Mulder.
2004. Floral integration,
modularity, and accuracy. In: Pigliucci,
M. and
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Mulder, C.P.H., A. Jumpponen, P.
Högberg, and K. Huss-Danell. 2002. How species
richness and legumes affect nitrogen dynamics in experimental grassland
communities. Oecologia 133: 412-421.
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Jumpponen, A., P. Högberg, K. Huss-Danell and C.P.H.
Mulder. 2002. Plants
in mixed grassland communities express a plastic niche separation in nitrogen
acquisition depth. Functional
Ecology, 16: 454-461.
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Drake, D.R., C.P.H. Mulder,
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Armbruster, W.S., C.P.H. Mulder, B.G. Baldwin, S. Kalisz, B.
Wessa, and H. Nute. 2002. Comparative analysis of
late floral development and mating-system evolution in tribe Collinsieae
(Scrophylariaceae s.l.). American
Journal of Botany 89(1): 37-49.
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Mulder,
C.P.H., D.D. Uliassi, and D.F. Doak.
2001. Physical stress and
diversity-productivity relationships: the role of positive interactions.
Proceedings of the
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Mulder, C.P.H., and R.W.
Ruess. 2001. Long-term effects of changes in goose grazing
intensity on arrowgrass populations: a spatially explicit model. Journal of Ecology 89: 406-417.
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Mulder, C.P.H. and S.N.
Keall. 2001. Burrowing
seabirds and reptiles: impacts on seeds, seedlings and soils in an island
forest in New Zealand. Oecologia 127: 350-360.
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Joshi, J., B. Schmid, M.C. Caldeira, P.G.
Dimitrakopoulis, J. Good, R. Harris, A. Hector, K. Huss-Danell, A. Jumpponen,
A. Minns, C.P.H. Mulder, J.S. Pereira, A. Prinz, M. Scherer-Lorenzen, A.S.D.
Siamantziouras, A.C. Terry, A.Y. Troumbis, and J.H. Lawton. 2001. Local adaptation enhances performance of
common plant species. Ecology
Letters 4: 1-9.
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Hector, A., Schmid, B., Beierkuhnlein, C., Caldeira, M.C., Diemer, M.,
Dimitrakopoulos, P.G., Finn, J., Freitas, H., Giller, P.S., Good, J., Harris,
R., Högberg, P., Huss-Danell, K., Joshi, J., Jumpponen, A., Körner, C.,
Leadley, P.W., Loreau, M., Minns, A., Mulder,
C.P.H., O'Donovan, G., Otway, S.J., Pereira, J.S., Prinz, A., Read, D.J.,
Scherer-Lorenzen, M., Schulze, E.-D., Siamantziouras, A.-S.D., Spehn, E.M.,
Terry, A.C., Troumbis, A.Y., Woodward, F.I., Yachi, S. & Lawton, J.H.
(2001). Biodiversity and the functioning
of grassland ecosystems: Multisite studies.
In: Functional Consequences of Biodiversity: Experimental Progress and
Theoretical Extensions (eds. A. Kinzig, D. Tilman, & S. Pacala).
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Hector, A., Schmid, B., Beierkuhnlein, C., Caldeira, M.C., Diemer, M.,
Dimitrakopoulos, P.G., Finn, J., Freitas, H., Giller, P.S., Good, J., Harris,
R., Högberg, P., Huss-Danell, K., Joshi, J., Jumpponen, A., Körner, C.,
Leadley, P.W., Loreau, M., Minns, A., Mulder,
C.P.H., O'Donovan, G., Otway, S.J., Pereira, J.S., Prinz, A., Read, D.J.,
Scherer-Lorenzen, M., Schulze, E.-D., Siamantziouras, A.-S.D., Spehn, E.M.,
Terry, A.C., Troumbis, A.Y., Woodward, F.I., Yachi, S. & Lawton, J.H. 2000.
No consistent effect of plant diversity on productivity - Response. Science,
289, 1255a.
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Koricheva, J., C.P.H. Mulder,
B. Schmid, J. Joshi and K. Huss-Danell.
2000. Numerical
responses of different trophic groups of invertebrates to manipulations of
plant diversity in grasslands. Oecologia
125:271-282.
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Hector, A., B. Schmid, C.
Beierkuhnlein, M.C. Caldeira, M. Diemer, P.G. Dimitrakopoulos, J. Finn, H.
Freitas, P.S. Giller, J. Good, R. Harris, P. Högberg, K. Huss-Danell, J. Joshi,
A. Jumpponen, C. Körner, P.W. Leadley, M. Loreau, A. Minns, C.P.H. Mulder, G. O’Donovan, S.J. Otway, J.S. Pereira, A. Prinz, D.J.
Read, M. Scherer-Lorenzen, E.-D. Schulze, A-S.D. Siamantziouras, E. Spehn, A.C.
Terry, A.Y.Troumbis, F.I. Woodward, S. Yachi, J.H. Lawton. 1999. Plant
diversity and productivity in European grasslands. Science
286: 1223-1127.
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Mulder, C.P.H. 1999.
Vertebrate herbivores and plants in the
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Mulder, C.P.H., J.
Koricheva, K. Huss-Danell, P. Högberg, and J. Joshi. 1999.
Insects affect relationships between plant species richness and
ecosystem processes. Ecology Letters 2: 237-246.
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Mulder, C.P.H., and
R.W. Ruess. 1998b. Relationships between size, biomass
allocation, reproduction and survival in Triglochin
palustris: implications for the effects of goose herbivory. Canadian
Journal of Botany 76:2164-2176
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Mulder, C.P.H., and R.W. Ruess.
1998a. Effects of herbivory on
arrowgrass: interactions between geese, neighboring plants, and abiotic
factors. Ecological Monographs 68(2): 275-293.
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Ruess, R.W., D.D. Uliassi, C.P.H.
Mulder, and B.T. Person. 1997. Growth responses of Carex ramenskii to variations
in grazing, salinity and nitrogen availability: Implications for geese
ecosystem dynamics in western
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Mulder, C.P.H, R.W. Ruess, and
J.S. Sedinger. 1996. Effects of environmental manipulations on Triglochin palustris: implications for the role of goose herbivory in
controlling its distribution. Journal of
Ecology 84(2): 267-278.
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Mulder, C.P.H., and R.
Harmsen. 1995. The effect of muskox herbivory on growth and
reproduction in an arctic legume. Arctic and Alpine Research 27: 44-53.
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Guest editor, special issue of Journal of
Biogeography on “Ecology of Insular Biotas” following from a conference of the
same name held in
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Ad-hoc reviewer for:
o Journals: Acta
Oecologica, American Naturalist, Basic
and Applied Ecology, Biological Invasions, Canadian Journal of Botany,
Ecology, Ecology Letters, Frontiers in
Ecology, Functional Ecology, Global Change Ecology, Journal of Applied Ecology,
Journal of Biogeography, Journal of Ecology, New Zealand Journal of Botany, Oecologia, Oikos, Plant and Soil, Plant
Ecology, Wetlands.
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National Science Foundation panel member (2002,
2003, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009).
2007 National Science Foundation
Research Coordination Network: “SEAPRE:
2006 Center for Invasive Plant
Management: “Assessing wildfire burn susceptibility to invasive plant
colonization in black spruce forests of interior
2003 NSF: “Rats on islands: direct and indirect effects on plant communities”.
2003 Western Regional Center (WESTGEC) of the National Institute for Global Environmental Change (NIGEC): Will global warming alter plant parasite loads in the boreal
understory?" (with B. Roy)
2002 Marsden
Foundation (New Zealand): “Impacts of
alien organisms on ecosystem functioning: a test using island ecosystems”
(with D. Wardle, P. Bellingham, D. Towns, G. Yeates and W. Williamson)
1999 Research grant, Victoria
University of Wellington (with D. Drake)
1997 Research grant, Oscar and Lilli
Lamm Foundation,
1993 Research
Grant, Center for Global Change and Arctic System Research, UAF
2008-2009 National Education Fellow in the Life
Sciences,
2007-2008 Outstanding Teaching Award,
1995 Dissertation
Year Fellowship,
1991-1993
Chancellor's Fellowship, UAF
1991-1992
National Science and Engineering Research Council Post-Graduate
Scholarship 3 (declined)
1990-1991
National Science and Engineering
Research Council Post-Graduate Scholarship 2
1989-1990
Queen's Graduate Fellowship,
Queen's University
1988 Dean's
Merit Award,
1988 Elected
to Phi Beta Kappa
1988 Elected
to Bates Key Honors Society,
1988 Paul
Hardy Award,
1985-1988
Dean's Award,