See my up-to-date Google Scholar profile

Books

Laughlin, D.C. 2023. Plant Strategies: The Demographic Consequences of Functional Traits in Changing Environments. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK.

Keddy, P.A & D.C. Laughlin. 2022. A Framework for Community Ecology: Species Pools, Filters and Traits. Cambridge University Press.

 

 

 

Articles

Letter to a Young Ecologist (Read in the ESA Bulletin) or Listen:

 

2024

Laughlin, D.C., B.J. McGill. 2024. Trees have overlapping potential niches that extend beyond their realized niches. Science 385:75-80. https://www.science.org/stoken/author-tokens/ST-1967/full

Laughlin, D.C. 2024. Unifying functional and population ecology to test the adaptive value of traits. Biological Reviews. In press. https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.13107

Lusk, C. H., S. Paula, D. C. Laughlin, R. Fritz and L. Parra-Darmendrail. 2024. Environmental filtering of regeneration patterns in a forest dynamic mosaic in south-central Chile. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 63: 125793. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ppees.2024.125793

Fajardo, A., A. Siefert, and D. C. Laughlin. 2024. Wood density and leaf size jointly predict woody plant growth rates across (but not within) species along a steep precipitation gradient. Journal of Ecology 112: 374-388. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.14240

2023

Springer, J. D., M. T. Stoddard, K. C. Rodman, D. W. Huffman, P. J. Fornwalt, R. J. Pedersen, D. C. Laughlin, C. M. McGlone, M. L. Daniels, P. Z. Fulé, M. M. Moore, B. K. Kerns, J. T. Stevens, J. E. Korb, and S. Souther. 2023 Increases in understory plant cover and richness persist following restoration treatments in Pinus ponderosa forests. Journal of Applied Ecology 61: 25-35. http://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.14538

Mount, H., M. Smith, A. Knapp, R. Griffin-Nolan, S. Collins, D. Atkins, A. Stears, D.C. Laughlin. 2023. Drought-tolerant grassland species are generally more resistant to competition. Journal of Ecology 112: 416-426. http://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.14243

Laughlin, D. C., A. Siefert, J. R. Fleri, S. J. Tumber-Dávila, W. M. Hammond, F. M. Sabatini, G. Damasceno, I. Aubin, R. Field, M. Z. Hatim, S. Jansen, J. Lenoir, F. Lens, J. K. McCarthy, Ü. Niinemets, O. L. Phillips, F. Attorre, Y. Bergeron, H. H. Bruun, C. Byun, R. ?ušterevska, J. Dengler, M. De Sanctis, J. Dolezal, B. Jiménez-Alfaro, B. Hérault, J. Homeier, J. Kattge, P. Meir, M. Mencuccini, J. Noroozi, A. Nowak, J. Peñuelas, M. Schmidt, Ž. Škvorc, F. Sultana, R. M. Ugarte, and H. Bruelheide. 2023. Rooting depth and xylem vulnerability are independent woody plant traits jointly selected by aridity, seasonality, and water table depth. New Phytologist 240: 1774-1787. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.19276

Bertuol-Garcia, D., E. Ladouceur, L. A. Brudvig, D. C. Laughlin, S. M. Munson, M. F. Curran, K. W. Davies, L. N. Svejcar, and N. Shackelford. Testing the hierarchy of predictability in grassland restoration across a gradient of environmental severity. Ecological Applications 33:e2922. https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.2922

Weigelt, A., L. Mommer, K. Andraczek, C. M. Iversen, J. Bergmann, H. Bruelheide, G. T. Freschet, N. R. Guerrero-Ramírez, J. Kattge, T. W. Kuyper, D. C. Laughlin, I. C. Meier, F. van der Plas, H. Poorter, C. Roumet, J. van Ruijven, F. M. Sabatini, M. Semchenko, C. J. Sweeney, O. J. Valverde-Barrantes, L. M. York, and M. L. McCormack. 2023. The importance of trait selection in ecology. Nature 618:E29-E30. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-06148-8

Siefert, A., and Laughlin, D.C. 2023. Estimating the net effect of functional traits on fitness across species and environments. Methods in Ecology and Evolution 14:1035-1048. https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.14079

2022
Rodman, K. C., R. A. Andrus, A. R. Carlson, T. A. Carter, T. B. Chapman, J. D. Coop, P. J. Fornwalt, N. S. Gill, B. J. Harvey, A. E. Hoffman, K. C. Kelsey, D. Kulakowski, D. C. Laughlin, J. E. Morris, J. F. Negrón, K. M. Nigro, G. S. Pappas, M. D. Redmond, C. C. Rhoades, M. E. Rocca, Z. H. Schapira, J. S. Sibold, C. S. Stevens-Rumann, T. T. Veblen, J. Wang, X. Zhang, and S. J. Hart. Rocky Mountain forests are poised to recover following bark beetle outbreaks, but with altered composition. Journal of Ecology 110:2929-2949 https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.13999

Stears, A.E., Adler, P.B., Albeke, S.E., Atkins, D.H., Studyvin, J., & Laughlin, D.C. 2022. plantTracker: An R package to translate maps of plant occurrence into demographic data. Methods in Ecology and Evolution 13:2129-2137. https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.13950

Díaz, S., Kattge, J., …, Laughlin, D.C., …, Gerhard, Z. 2022. The global spectrum of plant form and function: enhanced species-level trait dataset. Scientific Data 9:75. ISSN 2052-4463. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41597-022-01774-9

Stears, A.E., Adler, P.B., Blumenthal, D.M., Kray, J.A., Mueller, K.E., Ocheltree, T.W., Wilcox, K. R., Laughlin, D.C. 2022. Water availability dictates how plant traits predict demographic rates. Ecology 103: e3799. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.3799

Springer, J.D., Stoddard, M.T., Huffman, D.W., Laughlin, D.C., Fulé, P.Z., and Daniels, M.L. 2022. Long-term plant community responses to resource objective wildfires in montane coniferous forests of Grand Canyon National Park, USA. Forest Ecology and Management 515: 120224. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2022.120224

Chalmandrier, L., Stouffer, D.B., Purcell, A.S.T., Lee, W.G., Tanentzap, A.J., and Laughlin, D.C. 2022. Predictions of biodiversity are improved by integrating trait-based competition with abiotic filtering. Ecology Letters 25:1277-1289. https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.13980

Moore, M.M., Jenness, J.S., Laughlin, D.C., Strahan, R.T., Bakker, J.D., Dowling, H.E., Springer, J.D. 2022. Data paper: Cover and density of southwestern ponderosa pine understory plants in permanent chart quadrats (2002-2020). Ecology 103(5): e3661. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.3661

Carter, T.A, P.J. Fornwalt, K.A. Dwire, and D.C. Laughlin. 2022. Understory plant community responses to widespread spruce mortality in a subalpine forest. Journal of Vegetation Science 33: e13109. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.13109

Kirk, M. A., F. J. Rahel, and D. C. Laughlin. 2022. Environmental filters of freshwater fish community assembly along elevation and latitudinal gradients. Global Ecology and Biogeography 31:470-485. https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.13439

2021

Falster, D., R. Gallagher, E. H. Wenk, et al., D.C. Laughlin, …, and K. Ziemiska. 2021. AusTraits, a curated plant trait database for the Australian flora. Scientific Data 8:254.

Weigelt, Alexandra; Mommer, Liesje; Andraczek, Karl; Iversen, Colleen; Bergmann, Joana; Bruelheide, Helge; Freschet, Grégoire; Guerrero-Ramirez, Nathaly; Kattge, Jens; Kuyper, Thomas; Laughlin, Daniel; Meier, Ina; van der Plas, Fons; Poorter, Hendrik; Fan, Ying; Roumet, Catherine; van Ruijven, Jasper; Sabatini, Francesco; Semchenko, Marina; Sweeney, Christopher; Valverde-Barrantes, Oscar; York, Larry; McCormack, M. Luke. 2021. TANSLEY REVIEW: An integrated framework of plant form and function: The belowground perspective. New Phytologist 232:42-59

Laughlin, D. C., L. Mommer, F. M. Sabatini, H. Bruelheide, T. W. Kuyper, M. L. McCormack, J. Bergmann, G. T. Freschet, N. R. Guerrero-Ramírez, C. M. Iversen, J. Kattge, I. C. Meier, H. Poorter, C. Roumet, M. Semchenko, C. J. Sweeney, O. J. Valverde-Barrantes, F. van der Plas, J. van Ruijven, L. M. York, I. Aubin, O. R. Burge, C. Byun, R. ušterevska, J. Dengler, E. Forey, G. R. Guerin, B. Hérault, R. B. Jackson, D. N. Karger, J. Lenoir, T. Lysenko, P. Meir, Ü. Niinemets, W. A. Ozinga, J. Peñuelas, P. B. Reich, M. Schmidt, F. Schrodt, E. Velázquez, and A. Weigelt. 2021. Root traits explain plant species distributions along climatic gradients yet challenge the nature of ecological trade-offs. Nature Ecology & Evolution 5: 1123-1134.

Chalmandrier, L., F. Hartig, D.C. Laughlin, H. Lischke, M. Pichler, D. B. Stouffer, and L. Pellissier. 2021. Linking functional traits and demography to model species-rich communities. Nature Communications 12: 2724.

Fleri, J., S. Wessel, D. Atkins, S. Albeke, N. Case, and D.C. Laughlin. 2021. Global Vegetation Project: an interactive online map of open-access vegetation photos. Vegetation Classification and Survey 2: 41-45.

Puhlick, J.J., D.C. Laughlin, M.M. Moore, C.H. Sieg, S.T. Overby, and J.D. Shaw. 2021. Soil properties and climate drive ponderosa pine seedling presence in the southwestern USA. Forest Ecology and Management 486: 118972

2020

Lusk, C.H., S. Wiser, D.C. Laughlin. 2020. Climate influences the value of a plant structural defence against browsing. Journal of Ecology 109(3): 1411-1424.

Laughlin, D.C., J.R. Gremer, P. Adler, R.M. Mitchell, M.M. Moore. 2020. The net effect of functional traits on fitness. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 35:1037-1047.

Guerrero-Ramirez, N. R., L. Mommer, G. T. Freschet, C. M. Iversen, M. L. McCormack, J. Kattge, H. Poorter, F. van der Plas, J. Bergmann, T. W. Kuyper, L. M. York, H. Bruelheide, D. C. Laughlin, I. C. Meier, C. Roumet, M. Semchenko, C. J. Sweeney, J. van Ruijven, O. J. Valverde-Barrantes, I. Aubin, J. A. Catford, P. Manning, A. R. Martin, R. Milla, V. Minden, J. G. Pausas, S. W. Smith, N. A. Soudzilovskaia, C. Ammer, B. Butterfield, J. Craine, J. H. C. Cornelissen, F. T. de Vries, M. E. Isaac, K. Kramer, C. König, E. G. Lamb, V. G. Onipchenko, J. Peñuelas, P. B. Reich, M. C. Rillig, L. Sack, B. Shipley, L. Tedersoo, F. Valladares, P. van Bodegom, P. Weigelt, J. P. Wright, and A. Weigelt. 2020. Global Root Traits (GRooT) Database. Global Ecology and Biogeography 30(1): 25-37.

Laughlin, D.C., S. Delzon, M. Clearwater, M. McGlone, P. Bellingham, S.J. Richardson. 2020. Climatic limits of temperate rainforest tree species are explained by xylem embolism resistance among angiosperms but not among conifers. New Phytologist 226(3):727-740.

Bergmann, J., A. Weigelt, F. van der Plas, D. C. Laughlin, T. W. Kuyper, N. Guerrero-Ramirez, O. J. Valverde-Barrantes, H. Bruelheide, G. T. Freschet, C. M. Iversen, J. Kattge, M. L. McCormack, I. C. Meier, M. C. Rillig, C. Roumet, M. Semchenko, C. J. Sweeney, J. van Ruijven, L. M. York, and L. Mommer. 2020. The fungal collaboration gradient dominates the root economics space in plants. Science Advances 6: eaba3756.

Lusk, C.H., S. Wiser, D.C. Laughlin. 2020. Macroclimate and topography interact to influence the abundance of divaricate plants in New Zealand. Frontiers in Plant Science 11:507.

Worthy, S.J., D.C. Laughlin, J. Zambrano, M.N. Umaña, Caicai Zhang, Luxiang Lin, Min Cao, N.G. Swenson. 2020. Alternative designs and tropical tree seedling growth performance landscapes. Ecology.

Bottos, E., D.C. Laughlin, C. Herbold, C. Lee, I. McDonald, S. Cary. 2020. Abiotic factors influence patterns of bacterial diversity and community composition in the Dry Valleys of Antarctica. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 96(5): fiaa042.

Kattge, J., Bönisch, G., Díaz, S., et al. 2020. TRY plant trait database – enhanced coverage and open access. Global Change Biology 26:119-188.

Boonman, C. C. F., A. Benítez-López, A. M. Schipper, W. Thuiller, M. Anand, B. E. L. Cerabolini, J. H. C. Cornelissen, A. Gonzalez-Melo, W. N. Hattingh, P. Higuchi, D. C. Laughlin, V. G. Onipchenko, J. Peñuelas, L. Poorter, N. A. Soudzilovskaia, M. A. J. Huijbregts, and L. Santini. 2020. Assessing the reliability of predicted plant trait distributions at the global scale. Global Ecology and Biogeography 29(6):1034-1051.

2019

Laughlin, D.C. & J.B. Grace. 2019. Discoveries and novel insights in ecology using structural equation modeling. Ideas in Ecology and Evolution 12:28-34.

Flores-Moreno, H., F. Fazayeli, A. Banerjee, A. Datta, J. Kattge, E. E. Butler, O. K. Atkin, K. Wythers, M. Chen, M. Anand, M. Bahn, C. Byun, J. H. C. Cornelissen, J. Craine, A. Gonzalez-Melo, W. N. Hattingh, S. Jansen, N. J. B. Kraft, K. Kramer, D. C. Laughlin, V. Minden, Ü. Niinemets, V. Onipchenko, J. Peñuelas, N. A. Soudzilovskaia, R. L. Dalrymple, and P. B. Reich. Robustness of trait connections across environmental gradients and growth forms. Global Ecology and Biogeography, In press.

Lusk, C.H., E. Grierson, D.C. Laughlin. 2019. Large leaves in warm, moist environments confer an advantage in seedling light interception efficiency. New Phytologist 223 (3): 1319-1327.

Lee, C. K., D. C. Laughlin, E. M. Bottos, T. Caruso, K. Joy, J. E. Barrett, L. Brabyn, U. N. Nielsen, B. J. Adams, D. H. Wall, D. W. Hopkins, S. B. Pointing, I. R. McDonald, D. A. Cowan, J. C. Banks, G. A. Stichbury, I. Jones, P. Zawar-Reza, M. Katurji, I. D. Hogg, A. D. Sparrow, B. C. Storey, T. G. Allan Green, and S. C. Cary. 2019. Biotic interactions are an unexpected yet critical control on the complexity of an abiotically driven polar ecosystem. Communications Biology 2:62.

Kpodonu, A. T. N. K., D. P. Hamilton, C. H. Lusk, A. Hartland, D. C. Laughlin, and P. Verburg. 2019. Long-term changes in the water quality of a deep temperate oligotrophic lake in response to catchment disturbance: evidence from sediment cores. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research X:1-17.

Purcell, A. S. T., W. G. Lee, A. J. Tanentzap, and D. C. Laughlin. 2019. Fine root traits are correlated with flooding duration while aboveground traits are related to grazing in an ephemeral wetland. Wetlands 39(2): 291-302.

2018

Strahan, R.T., D.C. Laughlin, and M.M Moore. 2018. An experimental test of the Community Assembly by Trait Selection (CATS) model. PLoS ONE 13(11): e0206787.

Wallace, K., D.C. Laughlin, Schipper, L., B.D. Clarkson. 2018. Forest canopy restoration has indirect effects on litter decomposition and no effect on denitrification. Ecosphere 9(12): e02534.

Moreno-Martínez, Á., G. Camps-Valls, J. Kattge, N. Robinson, M. Reichstein, P. van Bodegom, K. Kramer, J. H. C. Cornelissen, P. Reich, M. Bahn, Ü. Niinemets, J. Peñuelas, J. M. Craine, B. E. L. Cerabolini, V. Minden, D. C. Laughlin, L. Sack, B. Allred, C. Baraloto, C. Byun, N. A. Soudzilovskaia, and S. W. Running. 2018. A methodology to derive global maps of leaf traits using remote sensing and climate data. Remote Sensing of Environment 218:69-88.

Milla, R., J. M. Bastida, M. M. Turcotte, G. Jones, C. Violle, C. P. Osborne, J. Chacón-Labella, Ê. E. Sosinski, J. Kattge, D. C. Laughlin, E. Forey, V. Minden, J.H.C. Cornelissen, B. Amiaud, K. Kramer, G. Boenisch, T. He, V. D. Pillar, C. Byun. 2018. Phylogenetic patterns and phenotypic profiles of the species of plants and mammals farmed for food. Nature Ecology & Evolution 2:1808-1817.

Bruelheide, H., J. Dengler, O. Purschke, J. Lenoir, B. Jiménez-Alfaro, S. M. Hennekens, Z. Botta-Dukát, M. Chytrý, R. Field, F. Jansen, J. Kattge, V. D. Pillar, F. Schrodt, M. D. Mahecha, R. K. Peet, B. Sandel, P. van Bodegom, J. Altman, E. Alvarez-Dávila, M. A. S. Arfin Khan, F. Attorre, I. Aubin, C. Baraloto, J. G. Barroso, M. Bauters, E. Bergmeier, I. Biurrun, A. D. Bjorkman, B. Blonder, A. ?arni, L. Cayuela, T. ?erný, J. H. C. Cornelissen, D. Craven, M. Dainese, G. Derroire, M. De Sanctis, S. Díaz, J. Doležal, W. Farfan-Rios, T. R. Feldpausch, N. J. Fenton, E. Garnier, G. R. Guerin, A. G. Gutiérrez, S. Haider, T. Hattab, G. Henry, B. Hérault, P. Higuchi, N. Hölzel, J. Homeier, A. Jentsch, N. Jürgens, Z. K?cki, D. N. Karger, M. Kessler, M. Kleyer, I. Knollová, A. Y. Korolyuk, I. Kühn, D. C. Laughlin, F. Lens, J. Loos, F. Louault, M. I. Lyubenova, Y. Malhi, C. Marcenò, M. Mencuccini, J. V. Müller, J. Munzinger, I. H. Myers-Smith, D. A. Neill, Ü. Niinemets, K. H. Orwin, W. A. Ozinga, J. Penuelas, A. Pérez-Haase, P. Pet?ík, O. L. Phillips, M. Pärtel, P. B. Reich, C. Römermann, A. V. Rodrigues, F. M. Sabatini, J. Sardans, M. Schmidt, G. Seidler, J. E. Silva Espejo, M. Silveira, A. Smyth, M. Sporbert, J.-C. Svenning, Z. Tang, R. Thomas, I. Tsiripidis, K. Vassilev, C. Violle, R. Virtanen, E. Weiher, E. Welk, K. Wesche, M. Winter, C. Wirth, and U. Jandt. 2018. Global trait–environment relationships of plant communities. Nature Ecology & Evolution 2:1906-1917.

Laughlin, D.C., L. Chalmandrier, C. Joshi, M. Renton, J.M. Dwyer, J.L. Funk. 2018. Generating species assemblages for restoration and experimentation: a new method that can simultaneously converge on average trait values and maximize functional diversity. Methods in Ecology and Evolution 9(7):1764-1771.

Lusk, C.H., M. Clearwater, D.C. Laughlin, S.P. Harrison, I. Prentice, M. Nordenstahl, B. Smith. 2018. Frost and leaf-size gradients in forests: global patterns and experimental evidence. New Phytologist 219(2):565-573.

Gill, R.A., R.C. O’Connor, A. Rhodes, T.B. Bishop, D.C. Laughlin, and S.B. St. Clair. 2018. Niche opportunities for invasive annual plants in dryland ecosystems are controlled by disturbance, trophic interactions, and rainfall. Oecologia 187(3):755-765.

Laughlin, D.C., R.T. Strahan, P.B. Adler, M.M. Moore. 2018. Survival rates indicate that correlations between community-weighted mean traits and environments can be unreliable estimates of the adaptive value of traits. Ecology Letters 21:411-421.

Laughlin, D.C., and B.D. Clarkson. 2018. Tree Seedling Survival Depends on Canopy Age, Cover and Initial Composition: An Important Trade-off in Forest Restoration Enrichment Planting. Ecological Restoration 36:52-61.

Laughlin, D.C. 2018. Rugged fitness landscapes and Darwinian demons in trait-based ecology. New Phytologist 217:501-503.

Colbach, N., S. Cordeau, A. Garrido, S. Granger, D.C. Laughlin, B. Ricci, F. Thomson, A. Messean. 2018. Landsharing vs landsparing: how to reconcile crop production and biodiversity? A simulation study focusing on weed impacts. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 251:203-217.

Li, Y., Shipley, B., Price, J.N., Dantas, V.d.L., Tamme, R., Westoby, M., Siefert, A., Schamp, B.S., Spasojevic, M.J., Jung, V., Laughlin, D.C., Richardson, S.J., Bagousse-Pinguet, Y.L., Schöb, C., Gazol, A., Prentice, H.C., Gross, N., Overton, J., Cianciaruso, M.V., Louault, F., Kamiyama, C., Nakashizuka, T., Hikosaka, K., Sasaki, T., Katabuchi, M., Frenette Dussault, C., Gaucherand, S., Chen, N., Vandewalle, M. & Batalha, M.A. Habitat filtering determines the functional niche occupancy of plant communities worldwide. Journal of Ecology 106:1001-1009.

2017

Butler, E. E., A. Datta, H. Flores-Moreno, M. Chen, K. R. Wythers, F. Fazayeli, A. Banerjee, O. K. Atkin, J. Kattge, B. Amiaud, B. Blonder, G. Boenisch, B. Bond-Lamberty, K. A. Brown, C. Byun, G. Campetella, B. E. L. Cerabolini, J. H. C. Cornelissen, J. M. Craine, D. Craven, F. T. de Vries, S. Díaz, T. F. Domingues, E. Forey, A. González-Melo, N. Gross, W. Han, W. N. Hattingh, T. Hickler, S. Jansen, K. Kramer, N. J. B. Kraft, H. Kurokawa, D. C. Laughlin, P. Meir, V. Minden, Ü. Niinemets, Y. Onoda, J. Peñuelas, Q. Read, L. Sack, B. Schamp, N. A. Soudzilovskaia, M. J. Spasojevic, E. Sosinski, P. E. Thornton, F. Valladares, P. M. van Bodegom, M. Williams, C. Wirth, and P. B. Reich. 2017. Mapping local and global variability in plant trait distributions. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 114: E10937-E10946.

Laughlin, D.C., C.H. Lusk, P. Bellingham, D. Burslem, A.H. Simpson, and K.R. Kramer-Walter. 2017. Intraspecific trait variation can weaken interspecific trait correlations when assessing the whole-plant economic spectrum. Ecology and Evolution 7(21): 8936-8949.

Laughlin, D.C. 2017. Global drivers of fine root trait variation: Commentary on Freschet et al. (2017). Journal of Ecology 105:1197-1198.

Dwyer, J.M., and D.C. Laughlin. 2017. Selection on trait combinations along environmental gradients. Journal of Vegetation Science 28:672-673.

Laughlin, D.C., Strahan, R., Moore, M.M., Fule, P.Z., Huffman, D.W., Covington, W.W. 2017. The hierarchy of predictability in ecological restoration: are vegetation structure and functional diversity more predictable than community composition? Journal of Applied Ecology 54:1058-1069.

Brudvig, L., R. Barak, J. Bauer, T. Caughlin, D.C. Laughlin, L. Larios, J. Matthews, K. Stuble, N. Turley, C. Zirbel. 2017. Interpreting variation to advance predictive restoration science. Journal of Applied Ecology 54:1018-1027.

Dwyer, J.M. & Laughlin, D.C. 2017. Constraints on trait combinations explain climatic drivers of biodiversity: the importance of trait covariance in community assembly. Ecology Letters 20:872-882.

Kramer-Walter, K.R. & Laughlin, D.C. 2017. Root nutrient concentration and biomass allocation are more plastic than morphological traits in response to nutrient limitation. Plant and Soil 416: 539-550.

Wallace, K.J., D.C. Laughlin, B.D. Clarkson. 2017. Exotic weeds and fluctuating microclimate can constrain native plant regeneration in urban forest restoration. Ecological Applications 27:1268-1279.

Greenwood, S., Ruiz Benito, P., Martinez-Vilalta, J., Lloret, F., Kitzberger, T., Allen, C., Fensham, R., Laughlin, D.C., Kattge, J., Boehnisch, G., Kraft, N., Jump, A. 2017. Tree mortality across biomes is promoted by drought intensity, lower wood density and higher specific leaf area. Ecology Letters 20 (4): 539-553.

McNally, S. R., D. C. Laughlin, S. Rutledge, M. B. Dodd, J. Six, and L. A. Schipper. 2017. Herbicide application during pasture renewal initially increases root turnover and carbon input to soil in perennial ryegrass and white clover pasture. Plant and Soil 412: 133-142.

Lusk, C.H., D.C. Laughlin. 2017. Regeneration patterns, environmental filtering and tree species coexistence in a temperate forest. New Phytologist 213: 657-668.

Lee, M., E. Bernhardt, P. van Bodegom, J.H. Cornelissen, J. Kattge, D.C. Laughlin, U. Niinemets, J. Peñuelas, P. Reich, B. Yguel, J. Wright. 2017. Invasive species’ leaf traits and dissimilarity from natives shape their impact on nitrogen cycling: a meta-analysis. New Phytologist 213: 128-139.

Funk, J.L., J.E. Larson, G.M. Ames, B.J. Butterfield, J. Cavender-Bares, F. Firn, D.C. Laughlin, A.E. Sutton-Grier, L. Williams, and J. Wright. 2017. Revisiting the Holy Grail: using plant functional traits to understand ecological processes. Biological Reviews 92: 1156-1173.

Laughlin, D. C., R. T. Strahan, D. W. Huffman, and A. S. Meador. 2017. Using trait-based ecology to restore resilient ecosystems: historical conditions and the future of montane forests in western North America. Restoration Ecology 25: S135-S146.

2016

Kpodonu, A.T.N.K., D.P. Hamilton, A. Hartland, D.C. Laughlin, C.H. Lusk. 2016. Coupled use of sediment phosphorus speciation and pigment composition to infer phytoplankton phenology over 700 years in a deep oligotrophic lake. Biogeochemistry 129:181-196.

Strahan, R., A. Sanchez Meador, D. Huffman, D.C. Laughlin. 2016. Shifts in community-level traits and functional diversity in a mixed conifer forest: a legacy of land-use change. Journal of Applied Ecology 53:1755-1765.

Simpson, A.H., S.J. Richardson, D.C. Laughlin. 2016. Soil-climate interactions explain variation in foliar, stem, root, and reproductive traits across temperate forests. Global Ecology and Biogeography 25:964-978.

Kramer-Walter, K. R., P. J. Bellingham, T. Millar, R. Smissen, S. J. Richardson, D. C. Laughlin. 2016. Root traits are multidimensional: specific root length is independent from root tissue density and the plant economic spectrum. Journal of Ecology 104:1299-1310.

Kunstler G, Falster D, Coomes DA, Hui F, Kooyman RM, Laughlin DC, Poorter L, Vanderwel M, Vieilledent G, Wright SJ, Aiba M, Baraloto C, Caspersen J, Cornelissen JHC, Gourlet-Fleury S, Hanewinkel M, Herault B, Kattge J, Kurokawa H, Onoda Y, Peñuelas J, Poorter H, Uriarte M, Richardson S, Ruiz-Benito P, Sun IF, Ståhl G, Swenson NG, Thompson J, Westerlund B, Wirth C, Zavala MA, Zeng H, Zimmerman JK, Zimmermann NE, Westoby M (2016) Plant functional traits have globally consistent effects on competition. Nature 529:204-207.

Shipley, B., De Bello, F., Cornelissen, J.H.C., Laliberté, E. Laughlin, D.C., Reich, P.B. 2016. Reinforcing loose foundation stones in trait-based ecology. Oecologia 180:923-931.

2015

Richardson, S.J., D.C. Laughlin, M.J. Lawes, R.J. Holdaway, J. Wilmshurst, M. Wright, T. Curran, P. Bellingham, M. McGlone. 2015. Functional and environmental determinants of bark thickness in fire-free temperate rain forest communities. American Journal of Botany 102:1590-1598.

Laughlin, D. C. and J. Messier. 2015. Fitness of multidimensional phenotypes in dynamic adaptive landscapes. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 30(8):487-496.

Laughlin, D.C., S.J. Richardson, E. Wright, P.J. Bellingham. 2015. Environmental filtering and positive plant litter feedback simultaneously explain correlations between leaf traits and soil fertility. Ecosystems 18:1269-1280.

Laughlin, D.C., C. Joshi. 2015. Theoretical consequences of trait-based environmental filtering for the breadth and shape of the niche: new testable hypotheses generated by the Traitspace model. Ecological Modelling 307:10-21.

McNally, S.R., D.C. Laughlin, S. Rutledge, M.B. Dodd, J. Six, L.A. Schipper. 2015. Root carbon inputs under moderately diverse sward and conventional ryegrass-clover pasture: implications for soil carbon sequestration. Plant and Soil 392:289-299.

Strahan, R.T., D.C. Laughlin, J.D. Bakker, M.M. Moore. 2015. Long-term protection from heavy livestock grazing affects ponderosa pine understory composition and functional traits. Rangeland Ecology and Management 68:257-265.

Jager, M.M., S.J. Richardson, P.J. Bellingham, M.J. Clearwater, and D.C. Laughlin. 2015. Soil fertility induces coordinated responses of multiple independent functional traits. Journal of Ecology 103(2):374-385.

Laughlin, D.C., C. Joshi, S.J. Richardson, D.A. Peltzer, N.W.H. Mason, D.A. Wardle. 2015. Quantifying multimodal trait distributions improves trait-based predictions of species abundances and functional diversity. Journal of Vegetation Science 26(1):46-57.

2014

Fierer, N., A. Barberán, D.C. Laughlin. 2014. Seeing the forest for the genes: Using metagenomics to infer the aggregated traits of microbial communities. Frontiers in Microbiology 5:614.

Laughlin, D.C. 2014. Applying trait-based models to achieve functional targets for theory-driven ecological restoration. Ecology Letters 17(7):771-784.

Laughlin, D.C. 2014. The intrinsic dimensionality of plant traits and its relevance to community assembly. Journal of Ecology 102:186-193.

Brabyn, L., P. Zawar-Reza, G. Stichbury, C. Cary, B. Storey, D.C. Laughlin, M. Katurji. 2014. Accuracy assessment of land surface temperature retrievals from Landsat 7 ETM+ in the Dry Valleys of Antarctica using iButton temperature loggers and weather station data. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 186:2619-2628.

2013

Laughlin, D.C., and D.E. Laughlin. 2013. Advances in modelling trait-based plant community assembly. Trends in Plant Science 18:584-593.

Grady, K.C., D.C. Laughlin, S.M. Ferrier, T.E. Kolb, S.C. Hart, G.J. Allan, and T.G. Whitham. 2013. Conservative leaf economic traits correlate with fast growth of genotypes of a foundation riparian species near the thermal maximum extent of its geographic range. Functional Ecology 27(2):428-438.

Overdyck, E., B. Clarkson, D.C. Laughlin, C. Gemmill. 2013. Testing broadcast seeding methods to restore urban forest in the presence of seed predators. Restoration Ecology 21:763-769.

2012

Laughlin, D.C., C. Joshi, P. van Bodegom, Z. Bastow, P.Z. Fulé. 2012. A predictive model of community assembly that incorporates intraspecific trait variation. Ecology Letters 15:1291-1299.

Laughlin, D.C. 2012. Topical gradients in plant ecology. Plant Ecology 213(11):1769-1780.

Springer, J.D., Michael T. Stoddard, D.C. Laughlin, D.L. Crisp, B.G. Phillips. 2012. Ecology of Rusby’s Milkvetch (Astragalus rusbyi), a rare endemic of northern Arizona ponderosa pine forests. Calochortiana 1:157-163.

Lusk, C.H., M.M. Pérez-Millaqueo, A.O. Saldaa, B.R. Burns, D.C. Laughlin, D.S. Falster. 2012. Seedlings of temperate rainforest conifer and angiosperm trees differ in self-shading and leaf area display. Annals of Botany 110:177-188.

Roccaforte, J.P., P.Z Fulé, W.W. Chancellor, and D.C. Laughlin. 2012. Woody debris and tree regeneration dynamics following severe wildfires in Arizona ponderosa pine forests. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 42:593-604.

Puhlick, J., D.C. Laughlin, and M.M. Moore. 2012. Factors influencing ponderosa pine regeneration in the Southwest USA. Forest Ecology and Management 264:10-19.

2011

Laughlin, D.C., P.Z. Fulé, D.W. Huffman, J. Crouse, and E. Laliberte. 2011. Climatic constraints on trait-based forest assembly. Journal of Ecology 99:1489-1499.

Laughlin, D.C., J.P. Roccaforte, and P.Z. Fulé. 2011. Effects of a second-entry prescribed fire in a mixed conifer forest. Western North American Naturalist 71:557-562.

Laughlin, D.C. 2011. Nitrification is linked to dominant leaf traits rather than functional diversity. Journal of Ecology 99:1091-1099. *Editor’s Choice*

Kattge, J., S. Díaz, S. Lavorel, I. C. Prentice, P. Leadley, G. Bönisch, E. Garnier, M. Westoby, P. B. Reich, I. J. Wright, … D. Laughlin, … and C. Wirth. 2011. TRY – a global database of plant traits. Global Change Biology 17:2905-2935.

Stoddard, M.T., C.M. McGlone, P.Z. Fulé, D.C. Laughlin, and M.L. Daniels. 2011. Native plants dominate understory vegetation following ponderosa pine forest restoration treatments. Western North American Naturalist 71:206-214.

Laughlin, D.C., M.M. Moore, and P.Z. Fulé. 2011. A century of increasing pine density and associated shifts in understory plant strategies. Ecology 92:556-561.

Shipley, B., D.C. Laughlin, G. Sonniér, R. Otfinowski. 2011. A strong test of the maximum entropy model of trait-based community assembly. Ecology 92:507-517.

2010

Laughlin, D.C., J.J. Leppert, M.M. Moore, and C.H. Sieg. 2010. A multi-trait test of the leaf-height-seed plant strategy scheme with 133 species from a pine forest flora. Functional Ecology 24:493-501.

Laughlin, D.C., S.C. Hart, J.P. Kaye, and M.M. Moore. 2010. Evidence for indirect effects of plant diversity and composition on net nitrification. Plant and Soil 330:435-445.

2009

McGlone, C.M., J.D. Springer, and D.C. Laughlin. 2009. Can pine forest restoration increase native plant diversity and abundance and simultaneously resist non-native invasion? Forest Ecology and Management 258:2638-2646.

Huffman, D.W., D.C. Laughlin, K.M. Pearson, and S. Pandey. 2009. Effects of vertebrate herbivores and shrub characteristics on arthropod assemblages in a northern Arizona forest ecosystem. Forest Ecology and Management 258:616-625.

Laughlin, D.C., and M.M. Moore. 2009. Climate-induced temporal variation in the productivity-diversity relationship. Oikos 118:897-902.

2008

Laughlin, D.C., J.D. Bakker, M.L. Daniels, M.M. Moore, C.A. Casey, and J.D. Springer. 2008. Restoring plant species diversity and community composition in a ponderosa pine-bunchgrass ecosystem. Plant Ecology 197:139-151.

Laughlin, D.C., and P.Z. Fulé. 2008. Wildland fire effects on understory plant communities in two fire-prone forests. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 38:133-142.

2007

Korb, J.E., M.L. Daniels, D.C. Laughlin, and P.Z. Fulé. 2007. Understory communities of warm-dry, mixed-conifer forests in southwestern Colorado. Southwestern Naturalist 52:493-503.

Laughlin, D.C., and S.R. Abella. 2007. Abiotic and biotic factors explain independent gradients of community composition in ponderosa pine forests. Ecological Modelling 205: 231-240.

Laughlin, D.C., S.R. Abella, W.W. Covington, J.B. Grace. 2007. Species richness and soil properties in a Pinus ponderosa forest: a structural equation modeling analysis. Journal of Vegetation Science 18: 231-242.

Fulé, P.Z., and D.C. Laughlin. 2007. Wildland fire effects on forest structure over an altitudinal gradient, Grand Canyon National Park, USA. Journal of Applied Ecology 44:136-146.

2006

Laughlin, D.C. and J.B. Grace. 2006. A multivariate model of plant species richness in forested systems: old-growth montane forests with a long history of fire. Oikos 114:60-70.

Laughlin, D.C., M.M. Moore, J.D. Bakker, C.A. Casey, J.D. Springer, P.Z., Fulé, and W.W. Covington. 2006. Assessing targets for the restoration of herbaceous vegetation in ponderosa pine forests. Restoration Ecology 14:548-560.

Moore, M.M., C.A. Casey, J.D. Bakker, J.D. Springer, P.Z. Fulé, W.W. Covington, and D.C. Laughlin. 2006. Herbaceous response to restoration treatments in a ponderosa pine forest, 1992-2004. Rangeland Ecology and Management 59:135-144.

2005

Fulé, P.Z., D.C. Laughlin, and W.W. Covington. 2005. Pine-oak forest dynamics five years after ecological restoration treatments, Arizona, USA. Forest Ecology and Management 218: 129-145.

Huisinga, K.D., D.C. Laughlin, P.Z. Fulé , J.D. Springer, and C.M. McGlone. 2005. Effects of an intense prescribed fire on understory vegetation in a mixed conifer forest. Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society 132: 590-601.

Laughlin, D.C., J.D. Bakker, and P.Z. Fulé. 2005. Understorey plant community structure in lower montane and subalpine forests, Grand Canyon National Park, USA. Journal of Biogeography 32: 2083-2102.

2004

Laughlin, D.C., J.D. Bakker, M.T. Stoddard, M.L. Daniels, J.D. Springer, C.N. Gildar, A.M. Green and W.W. Covington. 2004. Toward reference conditions: wildfire effects on flora in an old-growth ponderosa pine forest. Forest Ecology and Management 199:137-152.

Laughlin, D.C. 2004. Woody plant invasion and the importance of anthropogenic disturbance in xeric limestone prairies. Journal of the Pennsylvania Academy of Science 78:12-28.

Laughlin, D.C. 2004. Did tallgrass prairie extend into Pennsylvania? The Prairie Naturalist 36:11-22.

2003

Laughlin, D.C., and C.F. Uhl. 2003. The xeric limestone prairies of Pennsylvania. Castanea 68:300-316.

Laughlin, D.C. 2003. Lack of native propagules in a Pennsylvania, USA, limestone prairie seed bank: futile hopes for a role in ecological restoration. Natural Areas Journal 23:158-164.

Laughlin, D.C. 2003. Geographic distribution and dispersal mechanisms of Bouteloua curtipendula in the Appalachian Mountains. American Midland Naturalist 149:268-281.

2002

Laughlin, D.C. 2002. Flora of the pine savanna at Monkey Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, Belize.  Caribbean Journal of Science 38: 151-156.

1999

Warners, D.P., and D.C. Laughlin. 1999.  Evidence for a species-level distinction of two co-occurring asters: Aster puniceus L. and Aster firmus Nees.  The Michigan Botanist 38: 19-31.