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Contact Information:

photo of Sue Phillips
Name:
Phillips, Sue
Title:
Biologist
Discipline(s):
Not Specified
Research Station:
CRS
Work Address:
2290 West Resource Blvd.
Telephone Number:
(435)719-2347
Email Address:
sue_phillips@usgs.gov

Biographical Sketch:

Sue Phillips has been a USGS Biologist and Jayne Belnap's right-hand woman since 1997. Before that, she spent nearly 8 years as Jim Ehleringer's right-hand woman at the University of Utah, where she got her M.S. in plant physiological ecology in 1996. Prior to that, she spent 3 years as Oren Pollack's right-hand woman at the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research. As a consummate right-hand woman, her scientific goal is to become the second author on more peer-reviewed papers than any other second author. Her count is currently at about 12, but due to circumstances beyond her control, a pile of 3rd and 4th-authored, and the odd first-authored papers slipped through the cracks, detracting from her goal.

Sue's research has focused on the plant, soil and physiological ecology of desert ecosystems, primarily those of the southwestern US, but includes forays into the savannahs of east Africa, hyperarid deserts of Oman and United Arab Emirates, mulga woodlands of Australia, and central Mexican Chihuahua. She's also worked in western US grasslands, chaparral, the Colorado alpine and subalpine, and tropical rainforest in Equador. However since the birth of her daughter in 2003, her research has focused primarily on her computer screen, where she analyzes data, supervises 14 unruly technicians, and manages a dizzying array of research projects.

Project List

  • Not Specified

Publications, Maps, and other Products

  1. Bowker, M.A., J. Belnap, D.W. Davidson, S.L. Phillips. 2005. Evidence for micronutrient limitation of biological soil crusts: Importance to arid-lands restoration. Ecological Applications 15(6): 1941-1951. [Journal Article]
  2. Belnap, J., S.L. Phillips, S. Sherrod, A. Moldenke. 2005. Soil biota can change after exotic plant invasion: Does this affect ecosystem processes. Ecology 86(11): 3007-3017. [Journal Article]
  3. Evans R. D., J. Belnap, F. Garcia-Pichel, S. L. Phillips. 2003. Global change and the future of biological soil crusts. In: J. Belnap and O. L. Lange, editors. Biological Soil Crusts: Structure, Function, and Management. Ecological Studies Series 150, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, pp.417-429. [Book Chapter]
  4. Brooks, R. J., Buchmann, N., Phillips, S., Ehleringer, B., Evans, R. D., Lott, M., Martinelli, L. A., Pockman, W. T., Sandquist, D., Sparks, J. P., Sperry, L., Williams, D., Ehleringer, J. R. 2002. Heavy and light beer: A carbon isotope approach to detect C4 carbon in beers of different origins, styles and prices. Agricultural and Food Chemistry 50:6413-6418. [Journal Article]
  5. Davidson D. W., M. Bowker, D. George, S. L. Phillips, J. Belnap. 2002. Treatment effects on performance of N-fixing lichens in disturbed soil crusts of the Colorado Plateau. Ecological Applications 12(5):1391-1405. [Journal Article]
  6. Belnap J., S. L. Phillips. 2001. Soil biota in an ungrazed grassland: Response to annual grass (Bromus tectorum) invasion. Ecological Applications 11(5):1261-1275. [Journal Article]
  7. Belnap J., R.L. Reynolds, M. Reheis, S.L. Phillips. 2001. What makes the desert bloom? The contribution of dust and crusts to soil fertility on the Colorado Plateau. in 11th Wild Shrubland Symposium: Shrubland Ecosystem Genetics and Biodiversity, June 13-15, 2000, Provo, Utah, US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, p. 147-153. [Abstract]
  8. Belnap J., D. Ojima, S. Phillips, N. Barger. 1999. Biological soil crusts of Mongolia: Impacts of grazing and precipitation on nitrogen inputs. In. D. Eldridge and D. Freudenberger, Eds. People and Rangelands: Building the Future: Proceedings of the VI International Rangeland Congress, July 17-23, 1999, Townsville, Queensland, Australia, Vol. 1, pp. 264-265. [Abstract]
  9. Phillips S.L., J.R. Ehleringer, D.R. Sandquist. 1998. Burning coal seams in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument: A natural system for studies of plant responses to elevated CO2. In: Proceedings, Science in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. BLM Technical Report BLM/UT/GI-98/006+1220. [Technical Report]
  10. Ehleringer J.R., D.R. Sandquist, S.L. Phillips. 1997. Burning coal seams in southern Utah: a natural system for studies of plant responses to elevated CO2. In: A. Raschi, F. Migleietta, R. Tugnetti and P. van Gardingen (eds), Plant responses to Elevated CO2: Evidence from Natural Springs. Cambridge Univ Press. pp 56-68. [Book Chapter]
  11. Phillips S. L. 1996. Comparative water use patterns of Quercus gambelii and Acer grandidentatum in Red Butte Canyon, Utah. MS Thesis, University of Utah. [Thesis/Dissertation]
  12. Ehleringer J. R., S.L. Phillips. 1996. Ecophysiological factors contributing to the distributions of several Quercus species in the Intermountain West. Ann For. Sci. 53:291-302. [Journal Article]
  13. Lin G., S.L. Phillips, J.R. Ehleringer. 1996. Monsoonal precipitation responses of shrubs in a cold deser community on the Colorado Plateau. Oecologia 106:8-17. [Journal Article]
  14. Phillips S. L., J.R. Ehleringer. 1995. Limited uptake of summer precipitation by bigtooth maple (Acer grandidentatum Nutt.) and Gambel's oak (Quercus gambelii Nutt.). Trees 9:214-219. [Journal Article]
  15. Schuster W. S. F., D.R. Sandquist, S.L. Phillips, J.R. Ehleringer. 1994. High levels of genetic variation in populations of four dominant aridland plant species in Arizona. J. of arid Environ. 27:159-167. [Journal Article]
  16. Flanagan L. B., S.L. Phillips, J.R. Ehleringer, J. Lloyd, G.D. Farquhar. 1994. Effect of changes in leaf water oxygen isotopic changes on discrimination against C18O16O during photosynthetic gas exchange. Aust. J. Plant Phys. 21:221-234. [Journal Article]
  17. Sandquist, D. R., Schuster, W. S. F., Donovan, L. A., Phillips, S. L., Ehleringer, J. R. 1993. Differences in carbon isotope discrimination between seedlings and adults of southwestern desert perennial plants. Southwestern nat. 38(3):212-217. [Journal Article]
  18. Schuster W. S. F., S.L. Phillips, D.R. Sandquist, J.R. Ehleringer. 1992. Heritability of carbon isotope discrimination in Gutierrezia microcephala (Asteraceae). Amer. J. Bot. 79(2):216-221. [Journal Article]
  19. Schuster W. S. F., D.R. Sandquist, S.L. Phillips, J.R. Ehleringer. 1992. Comparisons of carbon isotope discrimination in populations of aridland plant species differing in lifespan. Oecologia 91:332-337. [Journal Article]
  20. Ehleringer J. R., Phillips S. L., Comstock J. P. 1992. Seasonal variation in the carbon isotopic composition of desert plants. Functional Ecology 6:396-404. [Journal Article]
  21. Ehleringer J. R., S. L. Phillips, W.S.F. Schuster, D.R. Sandquist. 1991. Differential utilization of summer rains by desert plants. Oecologia 88(3): 430-434. [Journal Article]
  22. Pollak O., S.L. Phillips, K. Shaw, L. Herger. 1988. Procedures manual for plant community dynamics subproject. Long-Term Ecological Research Data Report 88/1, Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, Boulder, CO. [Book Chapter]