Research Interests
My background includes a PhD in Ecology, ten years听of experience conducting applied and fundamental research in academic and applied settings, and peer-reviewed papers across a diversity of topics. Areas of expertise include community ecology, experimental design of field and greenhouse studies, species distribution modeling, climate change vulnerability analyses, phylogenetic comparative methods, plant-soil feedback, and statistical modeling.
In 2015, I joined the City of Boulder's Open Space and Mountain Parks department in the role of Science Officer. My job is to oversee the natural resource studies and听to serve as a bridge between OSMP and the outside scientific community. My adjunct position at CU formalizes the connection between OSMP and CU, helping students and faculty conduct local, conservation-relevant research while advancing OSMP鈥檚 commitment to science.
Publications
Brian Anacker, John Klironomos, Hafiz Maherali, Kurt Reinhart, and Sharon Strauss. In press.听Phylogenetic conservatism in plant-soil feedback and its implications for plant abundance.听Ecology Letters.
Kurt Reinhart and听Brian Anacker. In press. More closely related plants have more distinct mycorrhizal communities.听AOB Plants.
Brian Anacker, Sharon Strauss. 2014. The geography and ecology of plant speciation:听Range overlap and niche divergence in sister species.听Proceedings of the Royal Society-B.听
Brian Anacker.听2014. The nature of serpentine endemism.American Journal of Botany. 101: 219-224.
Brian Anacker, Melanie Gogol-Prokurat, Krystal Leidholm, and Steve Schoenig. 2013. Climate change vulnerability assessment of rare plants in California.听Madro苍虄o听60: 193-210.
Barbara Fernandez-Going, Susan Harrison,听Brian Anacker, Hugh Safford. 2013. Climate interacts with soil to produce beta diversity in Californian plant communities.听Ecology听94: 2007-2018.
Brian Anacker, Susan Harrison. 2012. Historical and ecological controls on phylogenetic diversity in California plant communities.听American Naturalist听180: 257-269.
Brian Anacker, Susan Harrison. 2012. Climate and the evolution of serpentine endemism in California.听Evolutionary Ecology听26: 1011-1023.
Barbara Fernandez-Going,听Brian听Anacker, and Susan Harrison 2012. Temporal variability in California grasslands: soil fertility and species functional traits mediate response to climate.听Ecology听93: 2104-2114.
Ellen Damschen, Susan Harrison, David Ackerly, Barbara Fernandez-Going, and听Brian Anacker. 2012. Endemic plants on serpentine soils: Early victims or hardy survivors of climate change?听Journal of Ecology听100: 1122-1130.
*Selected as cover story.
Brian Anacker, Justen Whittall, Emma Goldberg, and Susan Harrison. 2011.听Origins and consequences of serpentine endemism in the California flora.听Evolution听65: 365-376.
Brian Anacker. 2011.听Phylogenetic patterns of endemism and diversity, pp 49-79听in听Serpentine: The Evolution and Ecology of a Model System, S.P. Harrison and N. Rajakaruna (eds), University of California Press.
Brian Anacker,听Nishi Rajakaruna, David Ackerly, Susan Harrison, Jon Keeley, and Mike Vasey. 2011. Ecological strategies in California chaparral: Interacting effects of climate, soils, and fire on specific leaf area.听Plant Ecology and Diversity听4: 179-188.
Ellen Damschen, Susan Harrison, Barbara Going, and听BrianAnacker. 2011. Climate change and special soil communities, pp 359-383听in听Serpentine: The Evolution and Ecology of a Model System, S.P. Harrison and N. Rajakaruna (eds), University of California Press.
Brad Hawkins, Christy McCain, T. Jonathan Davies, Lauren Buckley,听Brian听Anacker, Howard Cornell, Ellen Damschen, John Grytnes, Susan Harrison, Robert Holt, Nathan Kraft, and Patrick Stephens. 2011. Different evolutionary histories underlie congruent species richness gradients of birds and mammals.听Journal of Biogeography听39: 825-841.
John Wiens, David Ackerly, Andrew Allen,听Brian听Anacker, Lauren Buckley, Howard Cornell, Ellen Damschen, T. Jonathan Davies, John Grytnes, Susan Harrison, Brad Hawkins, Robert Holt, Christy McCain, and Patrick Stephens.听2010.听Niche conservatism as an emerging principle in ecology and conservation biology.听Ecology Letters听13: 1310-1324.
Buckley, Lauren, T. Jonathan Davies, David Ackerly, Nathan Kraft, Susan Harrison,听Brian Anacker, Howard Cornell, Ellen Damschen, John Grytnes, Brad Hawkins, Christy McCain, Patrick Stephens, and John Wiens. 2010.听Mammalian climate-diversity gradients: an inevitable product of aggregating clades with distinct evolutionary histories?听Proceedings of the Royal Society-B听277: 2131-2138.
Brian听Anacker, Nathan Rank, Daniel Huberli, Mateo Garbelotto, Sarah Gordon, Tami Harnik, Richard Whitkus, and Ross Meentemeyer. 2008.听Susceptibility to听Phytophthora ramorum听in a key infectious host: landscape variation in host genotype, phenotype, and environmental factors.听New Phytologist听177: 756-766.
Ross Meentemeyer,听Brian Anacker, Walter Mark, and David Rizzo. 2008. Early detection of emerging forest disease using dispersal estimation and ecological niche modeling.听Ecological Applications听18: 377-390.
Ross Meentemeyer, Nathan Rank,听Brian Anacker, David Rizzo, and J. Hall Cushman. 2008.听Influence of land-cover change on the spread of an invasive forest pathogen.听Ecological Applications听18: 159-171.
Brian Anacker听and Chad Kirschbaum. 2006. Vascular flora of the Kinzua Quality Deer Cooperative, northwestern Pennsylvania, USA.听Bartonia听64: 11-29.
Chad Kirschbaum and听Brian听Anacker. 2005. The utility of听Trilliumand听Maianthemum听as phyto-indicators of deer impact in northwestern Pennsylvania, USA.听Forest Ecology and Management听217: 54-66.听