Stephen D. Davis

Natural Science Division , Pepperdine University Malibu, CA 90263-4321

EDUCATION:

  • 1998 Chautauqua short course (NSF) -- Tropical Forests in Costa Rica
  • 1993 Chautauqua short course (NSF) -- Human Virology
  • 1980 Chautauqua short course (NSF) -- Life in the Oceans
  • 1976 Postgraduate course (Marine Algae), Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University
  • 1975 Postgraduate course (Invertebrate Zoology), Hopkins Marine Statio , Stanford University
  • 1974 Ph.D. in Biology, Texas A&M University
  • 1971 Short courses in parasitology and malariology, 24th Evacuation Hospital, Viet Nam
  • 1970 Medical Laboratory Technology, U.S. Army, San Antonio, Texas
  • 1968 M.S. in Biology, Abilene Christian University, Abilene, Texas
  • 1967 B.S. in Biology, Abilene Christian University, Abilene, Texas

GRANTS:

  • 2007-09 U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service (Task Award, Post-fire Ecology)
  • 2007-2008 Mountains Restoration Trust Award (Post-fire Ecology)
  • 2005-09 National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates Site Award
  • 2003-04 U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service (Task Award, Post-fire Ecology)
  • 2003-04 National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates Site Award
  • 2002-05 National Science Foundation (RUI: Linking Xylem Functional Traits to Life-History Type)
  • 2000-03 National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates Site Award
  • 1997-00 National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates Site Award
  • 1993-96 National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates Site Award
  • 1995-97 National Science Foundation (Mechanisms of Low Temperature Tolerance in Chaparral)
  • 1991-93 National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates Site Award
  • 1991-93 National Science Foundation (RUI: Xylem Embolism in Drought Hardy Chaparral)
  • 1990-91 National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates Site Award
  • 1989-90 National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates Site Award
  • 1981-82 National Science Foundation Faculty Professional Developrnent Award, Stanford University
  • 1979-83 John Stauffer Charitable Trust Grants, Plant Physiology Equipment

ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS:

  • 1997, 2002, 2007 Distinguished Professor of Biology, Pepperdine University
  • 1996-97 Visiting Scholar, University of Utah
  • 1989 Visiting Scholar, University of California at Los Angeles
  • 1987-96 Professor of Biology, Pepperdine University
  • 1981-82 Visiting Scholar, Stanford University
  • 1978-86 Associate Professor of Biology, Pepperdine University
  • 1974-78 Assistant Professor of Biology, Pepperdine University

HONORS:

  • Robert Foster Cherry Award for Great Teaching (2008, Baylor University)
  • Professor of the Year, Pepperdine University (2002)
  • Phi Sigma: Biological Sciences Honor Society
  • Golden Key National Honor Society
  • Distinguished Professor (1997, 2002, 2007)
  • Harriet and Charles Luckman Distinguished Teaching Fellow (1990-1995)

MEMBERSHIP:

  • Botanical Society of America
  • Ecological Society of America
  • American Institute of Biological Science
  • American Society for the Advancement of Science
  • Council on Undergraduate Research

UNDERGRADUATE COURSES:

  • Biology of Plants
  • Plant Physiological Ecology
  • Plants and the Environment (General Studies)
  • Plant Ecology: Sustaining Our Life Support System (Freshman Seminar)
  • Tropical Forest Ecology of Costa Rica
  • Science as a Way of Knowing
  • Microbiology
  • Microbes and Infectious Diseases (Freshman Seminar)

ADMINISTRATION:

  • Director of Summer Undergraduate Research in Biology (SURB)

RESEARCH INTERESTS:

  • Plant water relations in chaparral and coastal sage scrub vegetation of California
  • Adaptations of coastal chaparral to wildfire, drought and freezing
  • Plant senescence and stomatal regulation of gas exchange

PUBLICATIONS: (*denotes undergraduate student)

  • Jacobsen, A.L., R.B. Pratt, S.D. Davis, and F.W. Ewers. 2008 Convergence and non-convergence of seasonal water relations in three arid plant communities of southern California. New Phytologist (in press).
  • Pratt, R.B., R. *Mohla, A.L. Jacobsen, F.W. Ewers, S.D. Davis.  2008. Linkage between water stress tolerance and life history type in seedlings of nine chaparral species (Rhamnaceae). Journal of Plant Ecology (in press).
  • Davis, S.D., A. M. *Helms, M.S. *Heffner, A.R. *Shaver, A.C. *Deroulet, N.L. *Stasiak, S.M. *Vaughn, C.B. *Leake, H.D. *Lee and E.T. *Sayegh. 2007. Chaparral Zonation in the Santa Monica Mountains: The Influence of Freezing Temperatures. Fremontia 35:12-15.
  • Jacobsen, A.L., R.B. Pratt, S.D. Davis, and F.W. Ewers. 2007. Xylem cavitation resistance and seasonal hydraulics of shrub species from three arid Californian plant communities. Plant, Cell and Environment 30:1599-1609.
  • Witter, M., R.S. Taylor, and S.D. Davis. 2007. Fire history and vegetation response to wildfire in the Santa Monica Mountains, California. Crossosoma. In: Flora and Ecology of Santa Monica Mountains: Proceedings of 32nd  Annual Southern California Botanists Symposium. D. A. Knapp (Ed.). Page 173-194. Southern California Botanists Special Publication No. 4, Fullerton, California.
  • Davis, S.D., R. B. Pratt, F.W. Ewers and J.L. Jacobsen. 2007. Freezing tolerance impacts chaparral species distribution in the Santa Monica Mountains. In: Flora and Ecology of Santa Monica Mountains: Proceedings of 32nd  Annual Southern California Botanists Symposium. D. A. Knapp (Ed.). Page 159-172. Southern California Botanists Special Publication No. 4, Fullerton, California.
  • Pratt, R.B., A.L. *Jacobsen, K. *Golgotiu, J.S. Sperry, F.W. Ewers, S.D. Davis.  2007. Life history type and water stress tolerance in nine California chaparral species (Rhamnaceae). Ecological Monographs. 77:239-253.
  • Pratt, R.B., A.L. *Jacobsen, F.W. Ewers, and S.D. Davis. 2007. Relationships among xylem transport, biomechanics and storage in stems and roots of nine Rhamnaceae species of the California chaparral. New Phytologist 74:7787-798.
  • Jacobsen, A.L., L. Agenbag, K.J.  Esler, R.B. Pratt, F.W. Ewers, S.D.  Davis.  2007. Xylem density, biomechanics and anatomical traits correlate with water stress in 17 evergreen shrub species of the Mediterranean-type climate region of South Africa. Journal of Ecology. 95:171-183.
  • *Jacobsen, A.L., R. Brandon Pratt, F.W. Ewers, and S.D. Davis. 2007. Cavitation resistance among twenty-six chaparral species of southern California. Ecological Monographs. 77:99-115.
  • Davis, S.D., F.W. Ewers, R.B. Pratt, P.L. *Brown, T.J.*Bowen 2005. Interactive effects of freezing and drought on long distance transport: A case study for chaparral shrubs of California. In: Vascular Transport in Plants, N. Michele Holbrook, Maciej A. Zwieniecki (Ed.). Elsevier/AP co-imprint, Oxford, 20:425-435.
  • *Jacobsen, A.L., F.W. Ewers, R.B. Pratt, W.A. Paddock III, S.D. Davis. 2005. Do xylem fibers affect vessel cavitation resistance? Plant Physiology. 139:546-556.
  • Pratt, R.B., F.W. Ewers, M.C. Lawson, A.L. *Jacobsen, M. *Brediger, and S.D. Davis. 2005. Mechanisms for tolerating freeze-thaw stress of two evergreen chaparral species: Rhus ovata and Malosma laurina (Anacardiaceae). American Journal of Botany 92:1102-1113.
  • Koch, G.W., S.C. Sillett, G.M. Jennings, S.D. Davis. 2004. The limits of tree height. Nature. 428:851-854.
  • Baas, P., F.W. Ewers, S.D. Davis and E.A. Wheeler 2004 Evolution of xylem physiology. In: Evolution of Plant Physiology, Imogen Poole and Alan Hemsley (Ed.). Elsevier Ltd., Oxford, UK. 15: 277-299.
  • Ewers, F.W., M.C. Lawson, *T.J.Bowen, and S.D. Davis 2003. Freeze/thaw stress in Ceanothus of southern California chaparral. Oecologia (Berlin) 136:213-219.
  • Balsamo, R. A., A. M. Bauer, S. D. Davis and *B. M. Rice. 2003. Leaf biomechanics, morphology and anatomy of the deciduous mesophyte Prunus serrulata and the evergreen sclerophyllous shrub Heteromeles arbutifolia. American Journal of Botany. 90:72-77.
  • Davis, S.D., F.W., Ewers, J.S. Sperry, *K.A. Portwood, *M.C. Crocker, and C. Adams 2002. Shoot dieback during prolonged drought in Ceanothus chaparral of California: a possible case of hydraulic failure.American Journal of Botany. 89:820-828.
  • Hacke, U.G., J.S. Sperry, W. T. Pockman, S.D. Davis, K.A. McCulloh. 2001. Trends In wood density and structure are linked to prevention of xylem implosion by negative pressure. Oecologia. 126:457-461.
  • Davis, S.D., J.S. Sperry and U.G. Hacke. 1999. The relationship between xylem conduit diameter and cavitation caused by freeze-thaw events. American Journal of Botany. 86:1367-1372.
  • Davis, S.D., F.W. Ewers, *J. Wood, *J.J. Reeves. and *K.J. Kolb. 1999. Differential susceptibility to xylem cavitation among three pairs of Ceanothus species in the Transverse Mountain Ranges of Southern California. Ecoscience. 6:180-186
  • Davis, S.D, *K.J. Kolb and *K.P. Barton. 1998. Ecophysiological processes and demographic patterns in the structuring of California chaparral. In: Rundel, P. W., G. Montenegro, and F Jaksic (eds.) Landscape Disturbance and Biodiversity in Mediterranean-Type Ecosystems. Springer Verlag, Berlin. 136:297-310
  • *Wagner, K.R., F. W. Ewers, and S.D. Davis. 1998. Tradeoff between hydraulic efficiency and mechanical strength in the stems of four co-occurring species of chaparral shrubs. Oecologia. 117:53-62.
  • Gamon, J.A., L-F. Lee, H-L. Qiu, S.D. Davis, D.A. Roberts, and S.L. Ustin. 1998 A multi-scale sampling strategy for detecting physiologically significant signals in AVIRIS imagery. In: Green, R.O. (Ed) Summaries of the Seventh JPL Earth Science Workshop, January 12-16, 1998. 1: 111-120
  • *Boorse, G.C., F.W. Ewers, and S.D. Davis. 1998. Differential response of chaparral shrubs to below freezing temperatures. American Journal of Botany. 85:1224-1230.
  • *Boorse, G.C., *T.L. Gartman, *A.C. Meyer, F.W. Ewers, and S.D. Davis. 1998. Comparative methods of estimating freezing temperatures and freezing injury in leaves of chaparral shrubs. International Journal of Plant Science. 159:513-521
  • *Pratt, D.S., *A.S. Konopka, M.A. Murry, F.W. Ewers and S.D. Davis. 1997. Impact of water relations on the nodulation frequency of post-fire seedlings of Ceanothus spp. growing in the Santa Monica Mountains of southern California. Physiologia Plantarum. 99:673-679
  • *Langan, S. J., F.W. Ewers, and S.D. Davis. 1997. Differential susceptibility to xylem embolism caused by freezing and water stress in two species of chaparral shrubs. Plant Cell and Environment. 20:425-437.
  • Williams, J.E. , S.D. Davis and *K.A. Portwood. 1997. Xylem embolism in seedlings and resprouts of Adenostoma fasciculatum after fire. Australian Journal of Botany. 45:291-300.
  • *Redtfeldt, R.A. and S.D. Davis. 1996. Physiological evidence of niche segregation between two co-occurring species of Adenostoma in California chaparral. Ecoscience. 3:290-296
  • Sperry J.S., N.Z. Saliendra, W.T. Pockman, H. Cochard, P. Cruiziat, S.D. Davis, F.W. Ewers, and M.T. Tyree. 1996. New evidence for large negative xylem pressures and their measurement by the pressure chamber method. Plant, Cell and Environment. 19:427-436
  • *Jarbeau, J.A., F.W. Ewers, and S.D. Davis. 1995. The mechanism of water stress-induced embolism in two species of chaparral shrubs. Plant, Cell and Environment, 18:189-196
  • *Hargrave, K.R., *K.J. Kolb, F.W. Ewers and S.D. Davis. 1994. Conduit diameter and drought induced embolism in Salvia mellifera Greene (Labiatae). New Phytologist. 126:695-705
  • *Kolb, K.J. and S.D. Davis. 1994. Drought-induced xylem embolism in co-occurring species of coastal sage and chaparral of California. Ecology. 75:648-659
  • Tyree, M.T., S.D. Davis and H. Cochard. 1994. Biophysical Perspectives on xylem evolution: is there a tradeoff of hydraulic efficiency for vulnerability to dysfunction? International Association of Wood Anatomists. 15:335-360.
  • Davis, S.D. 1991. Lack of niche differentiation in adult shrubs implicates the importance of the regeneration niche. Trends in Ecology and Evolution. 9:272-274.
  • *Thomas, C., S.D. Davis and G. Tallman. 1991. Responses of stomata of senescing and nonsenescing leaves of Nicotiana glauca to changes in intercellular concentrations of leaf carbon dioxide. Plant Cell and Environment 14:971-978.
  • Williams K., S.D. Davis, B.L. Gartner, S. Karlsson. 1991. Factors limiting the establishment of chaparral oak, Quercus durata jeps, in grassland. A Research Symposium: Oak Woodlands and Hardwood Rangeland Management, October 31- November 2, 1990.
  • *Stoddard, R.J. and S.D. Davis. 1990. Photosynthesis, water relations, and nutrient status of burned, unburned, and clipped Rhus laurina after chaparral wildfire. Bull. Southern Calif. Acad.of Science. 89:26-38.
  • Davis, S.D. 1989. Patterns in mixed chaparral stands: differential water status and seedling survival during summer drought. In: Keeley, S.C. (ed) The California Chaparral: Paradigms Reexamined. Symposium Proceedings of Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Ca. 34:97-105.
  • Field, C.A. and S.D. Davis 1989. The physiological ecology of chaparral: past assumptions and future research. In: Keeley, S.C. (ed) The California Chaparral: Paradigms Reexamined. Symposium Proceedings of Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Ca. 34:154-164.
  • *Saruwatari, M.W. and S.D. Davis. 1989. Tissue water relations of three chaparral shrub species after wildfire. Oecologia (Berlin).80:303-308.
  • *Thomas, C.M. and S.D. Davis 1989. Recovery patterns of three chaparral shrub species after wildfire. Oecologia (Berlin). 80:309-320.
  • *Frazer, J.M. and S.D. Davis. 1988. Differential survival of chaparral seedlings during the first summer drought after wildfire. Oecologia (Berlin) 76:215-221.
  • Davis, S.D. and H.A. Mooney. 1986. Water use patterns of four co-occurring chaparral shrubs. Oecologia (Berlin) 70:172-177.
  • Davis, S.D. and H.A. Mooney. 1986. Tissue water relations of four co-occurring chaparral shrubs. Oecologia (Berlin) 70:527-535.
  • *DeSouza, J., *P. Silka, and S. D. Davis. 1986. Comparative physiology of burned and unburned Rhus laurina after chaparral wildfire. Oecologia (Berlin) 71:63-68.
  • *Yera, R., S.D. Davis, *J. M. Frazer and G. Tallman. 1986. Differential sensitivities of stomata to light on abaxial and adaxial leaf surfaces of Vicia faba (faba bean). Plant Physiology 82:384-389.
  • Davis, S.D. and H.A. Mooney. 1985. Comparative water relations of adjacent California shrub and grassland communities. Oecologia (Berlin) 66:530-535.
  • Davis, S.D., J.B. Williams, *W.J. Adams, and *Stephanie L. Brown. 1984. The Effect of Egg temperature on attentiveness in the Belding's Savannah Sparrow. Auk 101:556-566.
  • Davis, S.D. and K.J. McCree. 1978. Photosynthetic rate and diffusion conductance as a function of age in leaves of the bush bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). Crop Sci. 18:280-282.
  • Davis, S.D., C.H.M. van Bavel, and K.J. McCree. 1977. Effect of leaf aging on stomatal resistance in bean plants. Crop Sci. 17:640-645.
  • McCree, K.J. and S.D. Davis. 1974, Effects of water stress and temperature on leaf size and on size and number of epidermal cells in grain sorghum. Crop Sci. 14:751-755.