Carl Roland - Plant Ecologist

Carl Roland in the field.

Carl A Roland, M.S.
Plant Ecologist
Denali National Park and Preserve
National Park and Preserve
4175 Geist Road
Fairbanks, AK 99709
[e-mail]
Research Gate Bio

Education

M. Sc. Botany, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, 1996

B.A. Environmental Studies, University of California at Santa Cruz, 1986.

Thesis: C. A. Roland: The Floristics and Community Ecology of Extrazonal Steppe in the Yukon and Kolyma River Drainages. 01/1996, Degree: M.Sc. University of Alaska-Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA

Professional Experience
2000-present: Plant Ecologist, National Park Service, Fairbanks, Alaska, United States; Denali plant ecologist and principal investigator for Central Alaska Network vegetation monitoring program and plant inventory which includes Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve and Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve.

1998-2000: Botanist, National Park Service, Washington, D. C., United States
Plant inventory and long term vegetation monitoring lead.

1994-1998: Botanist, National Park Service, Washington, D. C., United States
We performed a 4-year vascular floristic inventory of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve

1990-1992: Biological Technician, National Park Service, Washington, D. C., United States

1990-present: Research Associate, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Department of Biology and Wildlife, Fairbanks, United States

1988-1989: Biological Technician, National Park Service, Three Rivers, California, United States

Awards
2013 Award: Alaska Region - Excellence in Natural Resource Research Award (NPS)

2002 Award: Alaska Region - Summit Award for Natural Resource Research (NPS)

1994 Scholarship: University of Alaska Chancellors Resource Fellowship

Journal Publications

Mizel, J. D., J. H. Schmidt, C. A. Roland, and C. L. McIntyre. 2023. Tree and shrub expansion at treeline drive contrasting responses in a subarctic passerine community. Journal of Animal Ecology 92(6): 1256-1266.

Frost, G. V., C. A. Roland, and J. H. Schmidt. 2023. Dynamic disequilibrium: Recent widespread increases in vegetation cover on subarctic floodplains of Interior Alaska. Ecosphere 14(1): e4344.

Stehn, S. and C. Roland. 2022. A Recipe for Plant Diversity in Subarctic Alaska. Frontiers for Young Minds 10: 703708.

Raiho, A. M., E. F. Nicklen, A. C. Foster, C. A. Roland, and M. B. Hooten. 2021. Bridging implementation gaps to connect large ecological datasets and complex models. Ecology and Evolution.

Walker, X. J., B. K. Howard, M. Jean, J. F. Johnstone, C. A. Roland, B. M. Rogers, E. A. G. Schuur, K. K. Solvik, and M. C. Mack. 2021. Impacts of pre-fire conifer density and wildfire severity on ecosystem structure and function at the forest-tundra ecotone. PLOS ONE 16(10): e0258558.

Baltzer, J. L., N. J. Day, X. J. Walker, D. Greene, M. C. Mack, H. D. Alexander, D. Arseneault, J. Barnes, Y. Bergeron, Y. Boucher, L. Bourgeau-Chavez, C. D. Brown, S. Carriere, B. K. Howard, S. Gauthier, M. A. Parisien, K. A. Reid, B. M. Roger, C. Roland, L. Sirois, S. Stehn, D. K. Thompson, M. R. Turetsky, S. Veraverbeke, E. Whitman, J. Yang, and J. F. Johnstone. 2021. Increasing fire and the decline of fire adapted black spruce in the boreal forest. PNAS 118(45): e2024872118.

Nicklen, E. F., C. A. Roland, R. W. Ruess, T. Scharnweber, and M. Wilmking. 2021. Divergent responses to permafrost and precipitation reveal mechanisms for the spatial variation of two sympatric spruce. Ecosphere 12(7): e03622.

Roland, C., J. H. Schmidt, S. E. Stehn, C. J. Hampton-Miller, and E. F. Nicklen. 2021. Borealization and its discontents: Drivers of regional variation in plant diversity across scales in interior Alaska. Ecosphere 12(5): e03485.

Sardoti, G., S. A. McAfee, E. F. Nicklen, P. J. Sousanes, and C. A. Roland. 2020. Evaluating multiple historical climate products in ecological models under current and projected temperatures. Ecological Applications 0(0): e2240.

Macander, M. J., E. C. Palm, G. V. Frost, J. D. Herriges, P. R. Nelson, C. Roland, K. L. M. Russell, M. J. Suitor, T. W. Bentzen, K. Joly, S. J. Goetz, and M. Hebblewhite. 2020. Lichen cover mapping for caribou ranges in interior Alaska and Yukon. Environmental Research Letters 15: 055001

Roland, Carl A., Giancarlo Sadoti, E. Fleur Nicklen, Stephanie A. McAfee, and Sarah E. Stehn. 2019. A structural equation model linking past and present plant diversity in Alaska: A framework for evaluating future change. Ecosphere 10(8): e02832.

Roland, Carl A., Joshua H. Schmidt, Samantha G. Winder, Sarah E. Stehn, and E. Fleur Nicklen. 2019. Regional variation in interior Alaskan boreal forests is driven by fire disturbance, topography, and climate. Ecological Monographs https://doi.org/10.1002/ecm.1369

Brodie, J. F., C. A. Roland, S. E. Stehn, and E. Smirnova. 2019. Variability in the expansion of trees and shrubs in boreal Alaska. Ecology 00(00):e02660. 10.1002/ecy.2660

Nicklen, E. F., C. A. Roland, A. Z. Csank, M. Wilmking, R. W. Ruess, and L. A. Muldoon. 2018. Stand basal area and solar radiation amplify white spruce climate sensitivity in interior Alaska: Evidence from carbon isotopes and tree rings. Global Change Biology 25(3): 911-926.

Nelson, P. R., K. Joly, C. A. Roland, and B. McCune. 2018. Evaluating relocation extent versus covariate resolution in habitat selection models across spatiotemporal scales. Ecological Infomatics DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2018.10.001

Sadoti, G., S. A. McAfee, C. A. Roland, E. F. Nicklen, and P. J. Sousanes. 2018. Modelling high-latitude summer temperature patterns using physiographic variables. Journal of Climatology

Stehn, S. E. and C. A. Roland. 2018. Concordant community similarity patterns across functional groups in subarctic plant assemblages. Ecosphere 9(4):e02181.

Wuerth, D. G., P. Eusemann, M. Trouillier, A. Burras, A.s Burger, M. Wilmking, C. A. Roland, G. P. Juday, M. Schnittler. 2018. Environment drives spatio-temporal patterns of clonality in white spruce (Picea glauca) in Alaska. Canadian Journal of Forest Research DOI: 10.1139/cjfr-2018-0234

Joshua H. Schmidt, Carol L. McIntyre, Carl A. Roland, Margaret C. MacCluskie, Melanie J. Flamme. 2018. Bottom‐up processes drive reproductive success in an apex predator. Ecology and Evolution 01/2018; DOI:10.1002/ece3.3800

Joshua H. Schmidt, Eric A. Rexstad, Carl A. Roland, Carol L. McIntyre, Margaret C. MacCluskie, Melanie J. Flamme. 2017. Weather-driven change in primary productivity explains variation in the amplitude of two herbivore population cycles in a boreal system. Oecologia 11/2017; DOI:10.1007/s00442-017-4004-3

Carl A Roland, Sarah E. Stehn, Joshua H. Schmidt. 2017. Species richness of multiple functional groups peaks in alpine tundra in subarctic Alaska. Ecosphere 06/2017; 8(6):e01848-n/a., DOI:10.1002/ecs2.1848

Fleur E Nicklen, Carl A Roland, Roger W. Ruess, Joshua H. Schmidt, Andrea H. Lloyd. 2016. Local site conditions drive climate–growth responses of Picea mariana and Picea glauca in interior Alaska. Ecosphere 10/2016; 7(10):e01507-n/a., DOI:10.1002/ecs2.1507

Carl A Roland, Sarah E. Stehn, Joshua Schmidt, Brian Houseman. 2016. Proliferating poplars: The leading edge of landscape change in an Alaskan subalpine chronosequence. Ecosphere 07/2016; 7(7):n/a-n/a., DOI:10.1002/ecs2.1398

Jeremy D. Mizel, Joshua H. Schmidt, Carol L. McIntyre, Carl A Roland. 2016. Rapidly shifting elevational distributions of passerine species parallel vegetation change in the subarctic. Ecosphere 03/2016; 7(3):e01264. 10.1002/ecs2.1264., DOI:10.1002/ecs2.1264

Sarah E. Stehn, James K. Walton, Peter R. Nelson, Celia J. Hampton-Miller, Carl A. Roland. 2015. A Lichen Species List for Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska, with Comments on Several New and Noteworthy Records. 12/2015; 32(4):195-215., DOI:10.1639/0747-9859-32.4.195

H. C. Wheeler, J. D. Chipperfield, C. Roland, J.-C. Svenning. 2015. How will the greening of the Arctic affect an important prey species and disturbance agent? Vegetation effects on arctic ground squirrels. Oecologia 02/2015; 178(3):1-15., DOI:10.1007/s00442-015-3240-7

Peter R. Nelson, Bruce McCune, Carl Roland, Sarah Stehn. 2015. Non-parametric methods reveal non-linear functional trait variation of lichens along environmental and fire age gradients. Journal of Vegetation Science 02/2015; 26(5)., DOI:10.1111/jvs.12286

Carl A. Roland, Joshua H. Schmidt. 2014. A diverse alpine species pool drives a ‘reversed’ plant species richness–elevation relationship in interior Alaska. Journal of Biogeography 12/2014; 42(4)., DOI:10.1111/jbi.12446

Carl A Roland, Joshua H Schmidt, Jill F Johnstone. 2014. Climate sensitivity of reproduction in a mast-seeding boreal conifer across its distributional range from lowland to treeline forests. Oecologia 02/2014; 174:665-677., DOI:10.1007/s00442-013-2821-6

Carl A Roland, Sarah E. Stehn: Denali Repeat Photography Project Reveals Dramatic Changes: A Drier, Woodier, and More Densely Vegetated Park.

Peter R. Nelson, Carl Roland, Matthew J. Macander, Bruce McCune: Detecting continuous lichen abundance for mapping winter caribou forage at landscape spatial scales. Remote Sensing of Environment 10/2013; 137:43-54., DOI:10.1016/j.rse.2013.05.026

Sarah E. Stehn, Peter R. Nelson, Carl A. Roland, Jennifer R. Jones: Patterns in the occupancy and abundance of the globally rare lichen Erioderma pedicellatum in Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska. The Bryologist 04/2013; 116(1-1):2-4., DOI:10.1639/0007-2745-116.1.002

Sarah E. Stehn, James K. Walton, Carl A. Roland: A Bryophyte Species List for Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska, with Comments on Several New and Noteworthy Records. 03/2013; 30(1-1):31-45., DOI:10.1639/079.030.0105

Matthew L. Carlson, Rob Lipkin, Carl Roland, Amy E. Miller: New and Important Vascular Plant Collections from South-Central and Southwestern Alaska: A Region of Floristic Convergence. Rhodora 01/2013; 115(961-961):61-95., DOI:10.3119/11-20

Carl A. Roland, Joshua H. Schmidt, E. Fleur Nicklen: Landscape-scale patterns in tree occupancy and abundance in subarctic Alaska. Ecological Monographs 08/2012; 83(1):19-48., DOI:10.1890/11-2136.1

Carl A. Roland, Peter Nelson, James Walton: Erioderma pedicellatum (Hue) P.M. Jørg, New to the United States and Western North America, Discovered in Denali National Park and Preserve and Denali State Park, Alaska.

Carl Roland, Carol McIntyre: Integrated Monitoring of Physical Environment, Plant, and Bird Communities in Denali.

Philip Hooge, Guy Adema, Thomas Meier, Carl Roland, Phil Brease, Pam Sousanes, Lucy Tyrrell: Ecological Overview of Denali National Park and Preserve.

Mary B. Cook, Carl A. Roland: Notable Vascular Plants from Alaska in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve with Comments on the Floristics. 04/2002; 116(2-2):192.

Carl A. Roland, Mary B. Cook: A notable range extension for the globally rare endemic plant, Cryptantha shackletteana L.C. Higgins, in East-central Alaska. 01/1998; 112:158.

Selected Technical Reports

Mary Beth Cook, Carl A. Roland: An Inventory of the Vascular Flora of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska.

Carl Roland, Karen Oakley, Carol McIntyre: Evaluation of a Study Design for Detecting Ecological Change in Denali National Park and Preserve at Multiple Spatial Scales. Volume 1.

Amy Larsen, Claudia Rector, Carl A. Roland, Mary B. Cook: Results of an Inventory of the Vascular Plants of Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve. Edited by Carl A. Roland, Mary B. Cook, 10/2004; National Park Service.

Carl A. Roland: The Vascular Plant Floristics of Denali National Park and Preserve. A Summary, Including the Results of Plant Inventory Fieldwork 1998-2001. 01/2004; National Park Service.

Roseann V Densmore, Paul C McKee, Carl A Roland: Exotic plants in Alaskan National Park Units. 01/2001; US Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center.