James McGraw
Encyclopedia
James B. McGraw (born July 10, 1956, Columbus, Ohio
) is an American
ecologist
and Eberly Professor of Biology at West Virginia University
.
in Biological Sciences
from Stanford University
in 1978 and his Ph.D.
in Botany
at Duke University
in 1982. He is a plant population biologist
, with specific interests in ecological
and evolution
ary responses of natural plant populations to regional and global environmental change.
was responsible for sharp morphological differences among plant populations over short distances in the arctic tundra
. This was followed by a series of studies demonstrating rapid evolution on the century time scale, investigated by germinating old viable seeds
from tundra soils. Since 1998, his lab has focused on demographic and evolutionary studies of rapidly expanding invasive plants
or species that are threatened with extinction due to human activities.
His lab is particularly known for its studies of American Ginseng
(Panax quinquefolius L.), North America’s premier wild-harvested medicinal plant species. His 2005 Science
paper with graduate student Mary Ann Furedi documented overbrowsing of Ginseng by white-tailed deer
as a serious threat to long-term population viability; the paper was featured on NPR
’s "All Things Considered", Scientific American
, National Geographic, and The New York Times
. As a scientist and Aldo Leopold Leadership Program Fellow, he has been an advocate for communicating science to the public and policymakers.
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
) is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
ecologist
Ecology
Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
and Eberly Professor of Biology at West Virginia University
West Virginia University
West Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Other campuses include: West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg; West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery; Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser;...
.
Education
McGraw earned his B.S.Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in Biological Sciences
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
from Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
in 1978 and his Ph.D.
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
in Botany
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
at Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
in 1982. He is a plant population biologist
Population biology
Population biology is a study of populations of organisms, especially the regulation of population size, life history traits such as clutch size, and extinction...
, with specific interests in ecological
Ecology
Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
and evolution
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
ary responses of natural plant populations to regional and global environmental change.
Research
McGraw's early work focused on how natural selectionNatural selection
Natural selection is the nonrandom process by which biologic traits become either more or less common in a population as a function of differential reproduction of their bearers. It is a key mechanism of evolution....
was responsible for sharp morphological differences among plant populations over short distances in the arctic tundra
Tundra
In physical geography, tundra is a biome where the tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons. The term tundra comes through Russian тундра from the Kildin Sami word tūndâr "uplands," "treeless mountain tract." There are three types of tundra: Arctic tundra, alpine...
. This was followed by a series of studies demonstrating rapid evolution on the century time scale, investigated by germinating old viable seeds
Soil Seed Bank
The soil seed bank refers to the natural storage of seeds, often dormant, within the soil of most ecosystems. The study of soil seed banks started in 1859 when Charles Darwin observed the emergence of seedlings using soil samples from the bottom of a lake. The first scientific paper on the subject...
from tundra soils. Since 1998, his lab has focused on demographic and evolutionary studies of rapidly expanding invasive plants
Invasive species
"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....
or species that are threatened with extinction due to human activities.
His lab is particularly known for its studies of American Ginseng
American Ginseng
American ginseng, Panax quinquefolius, is a herbaceous perennial plant in the ivy family, commonly used as Chinese or herbal medicine.It is native to eastern North America, though it is also cultivated in places such as China....
(Panax quinquefolius L.), North America’s premier wild-harvested medicinal plant species. His 2005 Science
Science (journal)
Science is the academic journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and is one of the world's top scientific journals....
paper with graduate student Mary Ann Furedi documented overbrowsing of Ginseng by white-tailed deer
White-tailed Deer
The white-tailed deer , also known as the Virginia deer or simply as the whitetail, is a medium-sized deer native to the United States , Canada, Mexico, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru...
as a serious threat to long-term population viability; the paper was featured on NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
’s "All Things Considered", Scientific American
Scientific American
Scientific American is a popular science magazine. It is notable for its long history of presenting science monthly to an educated but not necessarily scientific public, through its careful attention to the clarity of its text as well as the quality of its specially commissioned color graphics...
, National Geographic, and The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
. As a scientist and Aldo Leopold Leadership Program Fellow, he has been an advocate for communicating science to the public and policymakers.