Stephen F. Zitzer

Assistant Research Professor (Plant Ecology) and Teaching Professor (Biology)

Division of Earth and Ecosystem Sciences

Email: szitzer@dri.edu

Education

Professional Interests

Dr. Zitzer has current research interests that focus on global change biology including the effects of elevated CO2 on ecosystem, community and population level carbon sequestration, biodiversity and net primary productivity. He is also actively involved in determining the impacts of wild horses on the diversity and productivity of Great Basin plant communities located on the Nevada Test and Training Range. Currently he is developing proposals to investigate symbiotic biological N2-fixation by actinorhizal plants in arid communities with a specific focus on Cowania, Purshia and Cercocarpus shrub communities in southern Nevada.

Selected Publications

Housman, D.C., S.F. Zitzer, T.E. Huxman, and S.D. Smith, 2002:

Functional ecology of shrub seedlings after a natural recruitment event at the Nevada Desert FACE Faciltiy. Submitted to Global Change Biology.

Billings, S.A., S.M. Schaeffer, S. Zitzer, T. Charlet, S.D. Smith, and R.D. Evans, 2002:

Alterations of nitrogen dynamics under elevated CO2 in an intact Mojave Desert ecosystem: evidence from 15N. Oecologia. 131: 463-467.

Miller, D.L., S. Archer, S.F. Zitzer, M.T. Longnecker, 2000:

Annual rainfall, topoedaphic heterogeneity and growth of an arid land tree (Prosopis glandulosa). J. Arid Environments 48: 22-33.

Smith, S.D., T.E. Huxman, S.F. Zitzer, T.N. Charlet, D.C. Housman, R.S. Nowak, J.S. Coleman, and J.R. Seemann,

2000:Elevated CO2 increases productivity and invasive species success in an arid ecosystem. Nature 408:79-82.

Pataki, D.E., T.E. Huxman, D.N. Jordan, S.F. Zitzer, J.S. Coleman, S.D. Smith, R.S. Nowak, and J.R. Seemann,

2000:Water use of two Mojave Desert shrubs under elevated CO2. Global Change Biology 6: 1-9.

Jordan, D.N., S.F. Zitzer, E.P. Hamerlynck, R.S. Nowak, J.R. Seemann, S.D. Smith, and J.S. Coleman, 1999:

Biotic, abiotic and engineering aspects of the Mojave Desert Free-Air CO2 Enrichment (FACE) facility. Global Change Biology 5: 659-668.

Boutton, T.W., S.R. Archer, A.J. Midwood, S.F. Zitzer, and R. Bol. 1998:

d13C values of soil organic matter and their use in documenting vegetation change in a subtropical savanna ecosystem. Geomderma 85:5-41.

Zitzer, S.F., S.R. Archer and T.W. Boutton. 1996:

Spatial variability in symbiotic N2-fixation potential of woody plants in a subtropical savanna ecosystem. J. Applied Ecology 33: 1125-1137.

Zitzer, S.F. and J.O. Dawson, 1992:

Soil properties and actinorhizal vegetation influence nodulation of Alnus glutinosa and Elaeagnus angustifolia by Frankia. Plant and Soil 140: 197-204.

Zitzer, S.F. and J.O. Dawson, 1989:

Season changes in nodular nitrogenase activity of Alnus glutinosa and Elaeagnus angustifolia. Tree Physiology 5: 185-194.