Areas of Research
My research is rooted in principles of Landscape Ecology with a focus on understanding the responses of biodiversity and ecological systems to changing landscapes. I work at a variety of scales from regional to local and use a multitude of quantitative tools to address questions in two primary areas.
Climate change and landuse change, specifically we are modeling the habitat dynamics of tree and bird species across the Eastern United States. This research theme addresses macroecological processes with a strong interest toward linking these patterns to regional management decisions.
Wildlife ecology, we are exploring influences of forest management practices and urbanization on the behavioral decisions and habitat utilization of vertebrates. This research theme focuses heavily on movement ecology to understand habitat requirements for birds and salamanders.
Links to Associated Web Sites
Climate change atlas for 134 tree species and 147 bird species http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/atlas/
USDA Forest Service - Northern Research Station http://nrs.fs.fed.us/people/snmatthews
Terrestrial Wildlife Ecology Laboratory http://twel.osu.edu/
Ohio Biodiversity Conservation Partnership http://obcp.osu.edu/
Links to News Articles
Avian migration research
Even small patches of urban woods are valuable for migrating birds. OSU Research by Jeff Grabmeier.
http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/urbanforest.htm
Urban trees 'help migrating birds'. BBC Science and Environment by Mark Kinver.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10130458
Climate change research
Of birds and trees and climate change. Twineline (in conjunction with OSU Climate Change Webinar Series) by Christina Dierkes.
http://ohioseagrant.osu.edu/_documents/twineline/v33i3.pdf
Global climate change: what could happen to our northern forests? USDA Forest Service - Northern Research Station Research Review by Rebecca Nisley.
http://nrs.fs.fed.us/news/review/1
A Bird's-eye view of climate change. UMaine Today by Nick Houtman.
http://magarchive.umaine.edu/issues/v5i1/birds.html
Courses Offered
ENR 3300 - Introduction to Forestry, Fisheries, and Wildlife
ENR 5360 - Principles of Wildlife Ecology and Management
ENR 5370 - Management of Wildlife Habitat
ENR 8980 - Environment and Natural Resources Seminar Series, fall semester
Selected Publications (a 5 year span)
Matthews, S.N., Iverson, L.R., Peters, M.P., Prasad, A.M., and Subburayalu, S. 2014. Assessing and comparing risk to climate changes among forested locations: implications for ecosystem services. Landscape Ecology 29:213-228
Duval, R.P., McConnell, T.E., Hix, D.M., Matthews, S.N., and Williams, R.A. 2014. Ohio Hardwood Sawlog Price Trends. Wood and Fiber Science 46:85-96.
Peters, M.P., Matthews, S.N., Iverson, L.R., Prasad, A.M. 2013. Delineating generalized species boundaries from species distribution data and a species distribution model. International Journal of Geographical Information Science (In press) DOI:10.1080/13658816.2013.840381
Prasad, A.M., Gardiner, J., Iverson, L.R., Matthews, S.; and Peters, M. 2013. Exploring tree species colonization potentials using a spatially explicit simulation model: implications for four oaks under climate change. Global Change Biology 19:2196-2208
Peters, M.P., Iverson, L.R., Matthews, S.N., and Prasad, A.M. 2013. Wildfire hazard mapping: Exploring site conditions in eastern U.S. wildland-urban interfaces. International Journal of Wildland Fire 22:567-578.
Yaussy, D.A., Iverson, L.R., Matthews, S.N. 2013. Competition and climate affects U.S. hardwood-forest tree mortality. Forest Science 59:416-430.
Iverson, L.R., Matthews, S.N., Prasad, A.M., Peters, M., and Yohe, G. 2012. Development of risk matrices for evaluating climatic change responses of forested habitats. Climatic Change 114:231-243.
Matthews, S.N., Iverson, L.R., Prasad, A.P., and Peters, M.P. 2011. Changes in potential habitat of 147 North American breeding bird species in response to redistribution of trees and climate following predicted climate change. Ecography 34:933-945.
Iverson, L.R., Prasad, A.M., Matthews, S.N., and Peters, M. 2011. Lessons learned while integrating habitat, dispersal, disturbance, and life-history traits into species habitat models under climate change. Ecosystems 14:1005-1020.
Matthews, S.N., Iverson, L.R., Prasad, A.M., Peters, M.P., and Rodewald, P.G. 2011. Modifying climate change habitat models using tree species-specific assessments of model uncertainty and life history factors. Forest Ecology and Management 262:1460-1472.
Matthews, S.N. and Rodewald, P.G. 2010. Movement behaviour of a forest songbird in an urbanized landscape: the relative importance of patch-level effects and body condition during migratory stopover. Landscape Ecology 25:955-965.
Hellmann, J.J., Nadelhoffer, K.J., Iverson, L.R., Matthews, S.N., Myers, P., Prasad, A.M., and Peters, M.P. 2010. Climate change impacts on terrestrial ecosystems in the Chicago region. Journal of Great Lakes Research 36:74-85.
Prasad, A.M., Iverson, L.R., Peters, M.P., Matthews, S.N., Bossenbroek, J.M., Sydnor T.D., Schwartz, M. 2010 Modeling the invasive emerald ash borer risk of spread using a spatially explicit cellular model. Landscape Ecology 25:353-360.
Matthews, S.N. and Rodewald, P.G. 2010. Urban forest patches and stopover duration of migratory Swainson's Thrushes. Condor 112:96-104.
