Faculty/Staff Directory

Robert

Hollister

hollistr@gvsu.edu

Professor

https://www.gvsu.edu/aep/bob-hollister-21.htm

3390K Kindschi Hall of Science

616-331-8582

Ecology, Botany, Polar Systems, Wetland Ecology, Global Change Biology

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
American Geophysical Union (AGU)
Arctic Observatory Network (AON)
Arctic Research Consortium of the United States (ARCUS)
Ecological Society of America (ESA)
International Tundra Experiment (ITEX)

BIO 105 Environmental Science
BIO 109 Plants in the world
BIO 120 General Biology I
BIO 215 General Ecology
BIO 243 Plant Identification & Natural History
BIO 323 Aquatic & Wetland Plants
BIO 573 Plants of the Great Lakes Region

My research and teaching interests are broad. I am an ecologist interested in the interactions between humans and natural ecosystems. While my area or expertise is vegetation change, I am always interested in taking on new student led projects. My research focus is in northern Alaska examining the influence of climate change and land use change on tundra ecosystems. I am also interested in Michigan vegetation especially in wetlands.

My research in Alaska is funded by the National Science Foundation. This long-term project uses small chambers to experimentally warm plots of vegetation in an attempt to simulate future climate change. We monitor the response of the plant species and important ecosystem parameters. I am the lead Primary Investigator for a project examining terrestrial ecosystem change in Northern Alaska.  My research takes place in Utqiagvik (formerly Barrow) and Atqasuk, Alaska. This work is in close collaboration with the International Tundra Experiment (ITEX); currently I serve as co-chair of the network.  The results from this work are being used to better forecast vegetation change in the Arctic.

While not part of my research, I am also active in faculty governance and I serve as chair of the Faculty Salary and Budget Committee (FSBC).

Ph.D. Plant Biology / Ecology, Evolutionary Biology & Behavior, Michigan State University, 2003.
M.S. Botany and Plant Pathology, Michigan State University, 1998.
B.S. Lyman Briggs Zoology with Honor, Michigan State University, 1994.

See Google Scholar for most current

Note: GVSU students in bold italics .

2022

Henry, G.H.R., R.D. Hollister, K. Klanderud, R.G. Björk, A.D. Bjorkman, C. Elphinstone, I.S. Jónsdóttir, U. Molau, A. Petraglia, S.F. Oberbauer, C. Rixen, and P.A. Wookey. 2022. The International Tundra Experiment (ITEX): 30 years of research on tundra ecosystems. Arctic Science 8:550–571.

Harris, J.A. , R.D. Hollister, T.F. Botting , C.E. Tweedie, K.R. Betway , J.L. May, R.T.S. Barrett , J.A. Leibig , H.L. Christoffersen , S.A. Vargas, M. Orejel, and T.L. Fuson. 2022. Understanding the climate impacts on decadal vegetation change in northern Alaska. Arctic Science 8:878–898.

Betway-May, K.R. , R.D. Hollister, J.L. May, J.A. Harris , W.A. Gould, and S.F. Oberbauer. 2022. Can plant functional traits explain shifts in community composition in a changing Arctic? Arctic Science 8:899–915.

Jeanbille, M., K. Clemmensen, J. Juhanson, A. Michelsen, E.J. Cooper, G.H.R. Henry, A. Hofgaard, R.D. Hollister, I.S. Jónsdóttir, K. Klanderud, A. Tolvanen, and S. Hallin. 2022. Site-specific responses of fungal and bacterial abundances to experimental warming in litter and soil across Arctic and alpine tundra. Arctic Science 8:992–1005.

Lett, S., I.S. Jónsdóttir, A. Becker-Scarpitta, C.T. Christiansen, H. During, F. Ekelund, G.H.R. Henry, S.I. Lang, A. Michelsen, K. Rousk, J.M. Alatalo, K.R. Betway , S.B. Rui, T. Callaghan, M. Carbognani, E.J. Cooper, J.H.C. Cornelissen, E. Dorrepaal, D. Egelkraut, T.G. Elumeeva, S.V. Haugum, R.D. Hollister, A.K. Jägerbrand, F. Keuper, K. Klanderud, E. Lévesque, X. Liu, J. May, P. Michel, M. Mörsdorf, A. Petraglia, C. Rixen, B.J.M. Robroek, A.M. Rzepczynska, N.A. Soudzilovskaia, A. Tolvanen, V. Vandvik, I. Volkov, I. Volkova, and K. van Zuijlen. 2022. Can bryophyte groups increase functional resolution in tundra ecosystems? Arctic Science 8:609–637.

May, J.L., S.F. Oberbauer, S.L. Unger, M.J. Simon, K.R. Betway , and R.D. Hollister. 2022. Shading decreases and delays NDVI and flowering of prostrate Arctic shrubs. Arctic Science 8:967–978.

Prevéy, J.S., S.C. Elmendorf, A. Bjorkman, J.M. Alatalo, I. Ashton, J.J. Assmann, R.G. Björk, M.P. Björkman, N. Cannone, M. Carbognani, C. Chisholm, K. Clark, C.G. Collins, E.J. Cooper, B. Elberling, E.R. Frei, G.R.H. Henry, R.D. Hollister, T.T. Høye, I.S. Jónsdóttir, J.T. Kerby, K. Klanderud, C. Kopp, E. Levesque, M. Mauritz, U. Molau, I.H. Myers-Smith, S.M. Natali, S.F. Oberbauer, Z. Panchen, A. Petraglia, E. Post, C. Rixen, H. Rodenhizer, S.B. Rumpf, N.M. Schmidt, T. Schuur, P. Semenchuk, J.G. Smith, K. Suding, Ø. Totland, T. Troxler, H. Wahren, J. M. Welker, S. Wipf, and Y. Yang. 2022. The tundra phenology database: more than two decades of tundra phenology responses to climate change. Arctic Science 8:1026–1039.

Note: First names are provided for GVSU students; Middle initials denote graduate students; † denotes the presenter

2022

Poster- Nina Gropp ^† & R Hollister.  GVSU Student Scholarship Day.  April 13, 2022.  Grand Valley State University [on-line].  

2021

Poster- K Huemmrich ^† , S Vargas, C Tweedie, P Campbell, R Hollister & E Middleton.  Examining Tundra Greening from Ground-based to Satellite Observations.  Annual Sciences & Exploration Directorate Poster Party, Goddard Space Flight Center.  January 23, 2021.  Greenbelt, Maryland. 

2020

Poster- Katlyn R. Betway ^† , R Hollister, J May, Jacob A. Harris , W Gould & S Oberbauer.  Linking vegetation change with functional traits in a changing Arctic.  GVSU Student Scholarship Day.  April 8, 2020.  Grand Valley State University [on-line].

Poster- Hannah Clarida ^† & R Hollister.  Effects and changes in permafrost depth in Atqasuk, Alaska.  GVSU Student Scholarship Day.  April 8, 2020.  Grand Valley State University [on-line].

Poster- Rebecca Daigle ^† & R Hollister.  Using GIS to analyze graminoid and shrub composition change from 1997 to 2017 at Atqasuk, Alaska.  GVSU Student Scholarship Day.  April 8, 2020.  Grand Valley State University [on-line].

Poster- Jacob A. Harris ^† , R Hollister & Timothy F. Botting .  Annual vegetation change on the ARCSS subplots at Atqasuk and Utqia!vik, Alaska.  GVSU Student Scholarship Day.  April 8, 2020.  Grand Valley State University [on-line].

Poster- Mackenzie Lift ^† & R Hollister.  Linking C-flux with tundra vegetation.  GVSU Student Scholarship Day.  April 8, 2020.  Grand Valley State University [on-line].

Talk- R Hollister^† .  The New Arctic: Terrestrial ecosystem change.  KBS Seminar Series, Michigan State University.  September 11, 2020.  Hickory Corners, Michigan [on-line].

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