# positions[].organizations[].parent[].label
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

# overview
Dr. Smeins' research focuses on understanding the structure and dynamics of rangeland (grassland, wetland, savannah) ecosystems as influenced by herbivory, soil, fire and weather. Factors that control the pattern and rate of plant succession and retrogression are primary objects of study. Primary production, plant competition, woody/herbaceous plant interactions, soil seed banks, species diversity patterns and endangered species are investigated. Research is conducted in tallgrass prairies, Edwards Plateau savannahs, longleaf pine savannahs and coastal marshes. He has conducted research and development work in Kenya, Somalia, Morocco, Venezuela and Italy. Over 85 technical papers, book chapters and bulletins have been published. Current research includes life history and successional studies of Ash juniper, life history studies of Olney bulrush, impact of snow geese on coastal marsh plant communities, habitat features of Golden Cheeked Warblers, influence of summer burning on Edwards Plateau rangelands and Blackland Prairie Restoration.

# keywords[]
30 Agricultural, Veterinary And Food Sciences

# educationAndTraining[].organization.label
University of Saskatchewan - (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada)

# publications[].label
Herbaceous vegetation change in variable rangeland environments: The relative contribution of grazing and climatic variability

# publications[].label
Herbivore species and grazing intensity regulate community composition and an encroaching woody plant in semi-arid rangeland

# publications[].label
Modern pollen rain and vegetation on the edwards plateau, texas

# publications[].label
Scaling effects of grazing in a semi-arid grassland

# publications[].label
Mid-Texas coastal marsh change (1939-1991) as influenced by lesser snow goose herbivory

# publications[].label
Pastures for upland birds: Landowner incentive program restores native species in Bermudagrass pastures (Texas)

# publications[].label
COMPOSITION, CLASSIFICATION AND SPECIES RESPONSE PATTERNS OF REMNANT TALLGRASS PRAIRIES IN TEXAS

# publications[].label
Spring habitat requirements of captive-reared attwater's prairie chicken

# publications[].label
Browsing and tree size influences on Ashe juniper understory

# publications[].label
Regional land cover patterns, changes and potential relationships with scaled quail (Callipepla squamata) abundance

# publications[].label
Spatial scale influence on longterm temporal patterns of a semi-arid grassland

# publications[].label
Incorporating local-scale variables into distribution models enhances predictability for rare plant species with biological dependencies

# publications[].label
GRADIENT ANALYSIS OF REMNANT TRUE AND UPPER COASTAL PRAIRIE GRASSLANDS OF NORTH-AMERICA

# publications[].label
Regeneration of Scirpus americanus in a Texas coastal marsh following lesser snow goose herbivory

# publications[].label
Harvester ant nests improve recovery performance of drought impacted vegetation in grazing regimes of semiarid savanna, Texas

# publications[].label
The influence of soil depth on plant species response to grazing within a semi-arid savanna

# publications[].label
Spatial patterns of grass seedling recruitment imply predation and facilitation by harvester ants.

# publications[].label
Flooding-induced landscape changes along dendritic stream networks and implications for wildlife habitat

# publications[].label
A unified framework for assessment and application of ecological thresholds

# publications[].label
Contour ripping is more beneficial than composted manure for restoring degraded rangelands in Central Texas.

# publications[].label
Species distribution modelling for conservation of an endangered endemic orchid.

# publications[].label
Ecology of Owens Valley vole (Microtus californicus vallicola)

# publications[].label
Monk parakeet nest-site selection of electric utility structures in Texas

# publications[].label
Ashe juniper (Juniperus ashei : Cupressaceae) canopy and litter effects on understory vegetation in a juniper-oak savanna

# publications[].label
Simulation of a fire-sensitive ecological threshold: A case study of Ashe juniper on the Edwards plateau of Texas, USA

# publications[].label
Multiple-scale habitat modeling approach for rare plant conservation

# publications[].label
Predicting grassland community changes with an artificial neural network model

# publications[].label
SOME ANATOMICAL AND MORPHOLOGICAL-CHARACTERISTICS OF THE NORTH-AMERICAN SPECIES OF ERIOCHLOA (POACEAE, PANICEAE)

# publications[].label
Differential influence of weather on regional quail abundance in Texas

# publications[].label
Response of a Texas distichlis spicata coastal marsh following lesser snow goose herbivory

# publications[].label
Long-term vegetation dynamics mediated by herbivores, weather and fire in a Juniperus-Quercus savanna

# publications[].label
Mid-Texas, USA coastal marsh vegetation pattern and dynamics as influenced by environmental stress and snow goose herbivory

# publications[].label
Grassland composition affects season shifts in seed preference by Pogonomyrmex barbatus (Hymenoptera: Myrmicinae) in the Edwards Plateau, Texas.

# publications[].label
Vegetation dynamics on rangelands: a critique of the current paradigms

# publications[].label
State-and-Transition Models, Thresholds, and Rangeland Health: A Synthesis of Ecological Concepts and Perspectives

# publications[].label
Individual versus community level processes and pattern formation in a model of sand dune plant succession

# researcherOn[].label
Assessing the condition of upland vegetation in four intermountain regions parks, and planning for the restoration of grassland prairie habitats in nine national park units

# researcherOn[].awardedBy.label
National Park Service - (Washington D.C., District of Columbia, United States)

# streetAddress
TEXAS A&M AGRILIFE RESEARCH; Ecosystem Science & Management; 2126 TAMU

# schools[]
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences