Biology

Christy Brigham

Christy Brigham
Adjunct Professor
Email:
Phone:
805-370-2386
Office location:
Biology Department CR 5101

Biography

Education

The Evergreen State College, B.S., Ecology
University of California-Davis, PhD, Ecology

Research Specialties

I am the restoration ecologist for the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. Our work in the park focuses on restoring damaged lands, removing non-native invasive species, conservation of rare plants, and protecting resources through prevention of future invasions. Research interests include: understanding the relative impacts of invasive species on native biodiversity, identifying effective ecological restoration techniques, evaluating ecotypic differentiation in native species and the impact of this differentiation on restoration design, evaluating techniques to disrupt the cycle of weed recolonization in degraded lands, understanding the direct and indirect impacts of non-native species on threatened and endangered plants, impacts of fragmentation on native plants, and identifying effective tools for management and conservation of rare plants. As an adjunct faculty member, my students always are co-advised by a faculty member on campus. 

Selected Publications (*student)

In prep. Ann Dorsey, Erin Avina, and Christy Brigham.Complex interactions in invasive species response to fire: Euphorbia terracina growth following fire in the Santa Monica Mountains.

In review. Pucci, Jolene, P. Schiffman, and C.A. Brigham. Multiple effects of invasive species on the federally endangered plant, Pentachaeta lyonii. In review in Plant Ecology.

2008. Erin C. Riordan, Philip W. Rundel, Christy Brigham, and John Tiszler. Morphological traits and invasibility of the alien Euphorbia terracina in coastal southern California. Madrono v.55 no.1 pp. 52-59.

2007. Brigham, C.A. Managing Rare Plants at the Wildland Urban Interface: An Example from the Santa Monica Mountains and Simi Hills. Crossoma.

2006. Kelso, Sierra, C.A. Brigham, J. Pucci, J. Tiszler. Visual Cues to Seed Viability in Two Non-Native Invasive Plant Species, Poison Hemlock (Conium maculatum) and Harding Grass (Phalaris aquatica). Ecological Restoration 24(4):279-280.

2005. Lyons, K.G., C.A. Brigham, B.H. Traut, and M.W. Schwartz. Rare species and ecosystem functioning. Conservation Biology 19:1019-1024.

2004. Brigham, Christy. Clumped planting arrangement reduces weed establishment in coastal sage scrub restoration experiment (California). Ecological Restoration 22(4): 299.

2003. Brigham, C.A. and M.W. Schwartz, eds. Population Viability in Plants: Conservation, Management, and Modeling Rare Plants. Springer-Verlag.

2003. Brigham, C.A. Factors affecting persistence in rare plants: a review of the evidence for effects of reduced genetic diversity, competition, pollinator-limitation, and herbivory on rare species plus an evaluation of a new framework for rare plants. In: Population Viability in Plants, C.A. Brigham and M. W. Schwartz, Editors.

2003. Brigham, C.A. and D.M. Thomson. Approaches to modeling population viability in plants: An overview. . In: Population Viability in Plants, C.A. Brigham and M. W. Schwartz, Editors.

2002. Brigham, C.A., A.G. Power, and A. Hunter. An evaluation of the consistency of recovery plans for endangered species: a tool for assessing the efficacy of endangered species planning. Ecological Applications 12(3):648-654.

2000. Schwartz, M.W., C.A. Brigham, J.D. Hoeksema, K.E. Lyons, M.H. Mills, and P.J. vanMantgem. Linking biodiversity to ecosystem function: implications for conservation ecology. Oecologia 112:297-305.