Steven Archer
· ProfessorUniversity of Arizona · Geography and Environmental Studies
Active 1978–2025
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About
Steve Archer is a Regents Professor Emeritus at the University of Arizona, affiliated with the School of Natural Resources and the Environment. His research focuses on natural resources, ecology, management, and restoration of rangelands, with particular emphasis on conservation and sustainable management practices. As a distinguished faculty member, he has contributed significantly to the understanding of ecological processes and resource management strategies. Throughout his career, Professor Archer has been involved in advancing ecological research and education, contributing to the development of sustainable practices for natural resource conservation. His work has had a notable impact on the field of environmental science, particularly in the context of rangeland ecology and management.
Research topics
- Ecology
- Biology
- Environmental science
- Agronomy
- Soil science
- Geography
- Environmental resource management
- Agroforestry
Selected publications
Ecological Applications · 2022 · 32 citations
Woody-plant encroachment is a global phenomenon that has been affecting the southwestern United States since the late 1800s. Drought, overgrazing, herbivory, and competition between grasses and shrub seedlings have been hypothesized as the main drivers of shrub establishment. However, there is limited knowledge about the interactions among these drivers. Using a rainfall manipulation system and various herbivore exclosures, we tested hypotheses about how precipitation (PPT), competition between…
Supplying ecosystem services on US rangelands
Nature Sustainability · 2023-09-04 · 25 citations
articleA climate change indicator framework for rangelands and pastures of the USA
Climatic Change · 2020 · 20 citations
Sandblasting promotes shrub encroachment in arid grasslands
New Phytologist · 2023-09-02 · 18 citations
articleOpen accessShrub encroachment is a common ecological state transition in global drylands and has myriad adverse effects on grasslands and the services they provide. This physiognomic shift is often ascribed to changes in climate (e.g. precipitation) and disturbance regimes (e.g. grazing and fire), but this remains debated. Aeolian processes are known to impact resource distribution in drylands, but their potential role in grassland-to-shrubland state changes has received little attention. We quantified the…
Ecohydrology · 2021-01-16 · 17 citations
articleAbstract Cross‐scale structural and functional connectivity feedbacks can amplify exogenous forces in dryland environments leading to ecosystem state change (e.g., from grassland to shrubland). Attenuation of these connectivity feedbacks would ostensibly be required to restore transitioned ecosystems to their former state. We compared structural, hydrologic, and sediment connectivity on a shrub‐encroached semi‐arid grassland in south‐eastern Arizona, USA, to that of a nearby site experiencing an…
Recent grants
Collaborative Proposal: Aeolian Processes: An Overlooked Driver of State Change in Drylands?
NSF · $388k · 2016–2021
COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: Decomposition in drylands: Soil erosion and UV interactions
NSF · $582k · 2008–2013
Frequent coauthors
- 21 shared
Thomas W. Boutton
Texas A&M University
- 19 shared
Edith Bai
Northeast Normal University
- 18 shared
Brandon T. Bestelmeyer
New Mexico State University
- 17 shared
Heather L. Throop
- 14 shared
Debra P. C. Peters
Agricultural Research Service
- 13 shared
Feng Liu
Wuhan Botanical Garden
- 13 shared
X. Ben Wu
Nanjing Tech University
- 13 shared
Gregory S. Okin
University of California, Los Angeles
Labs
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