College of Forestry
Beschta, Robert
Professor Emeritus
Specialty:
Hydrologic effects, watershed processes, riparian areas, trophic cascades
Educational Background:
- B.S., 1965, Colorado State University
- M.S., 1967, Utah State University
- Ph.D., 1974, University of Arizona
Research Interests:
Hydrologic processes in forest and rangeland ecosystems, trophic cascades
Selected Publications:
- Beschta, R.L., D.L. Donahue, D.A. DellaSala, J.J. Rhodes, J.R. Karr, M.H. O’Brien, T.L. Fleischner, C. Deacon Williams. 2012. Adapting to climate change on western public lands: addressing the ecological effects of domestic, wild, and feral ungulates. Environmental Management DOI 10.1007/s00267-012-9964-9. PDF
- Beschta, R.L. and W.J. Ripple. 2012 The role of large predators in maintaining riparian plant communities and river morphology. Geomorphology 157-158: 88-98. PDF
- Beschta, R.L. and W.J. Ripple. 2012. Berry-producing shrub characteristics following wolf reintroduction in Yellowstone National Park. Forest Ecology and Management 276: 132-138. PDF
- Ripple, W.J. and R.L. Beschta. 2012. Large predators limit herbivore densities in northern forest ecosystems Eur J Wildl Res DOI 10.1007/s10344-012-0623-5. PDF
- Ripple, W.J. and R.L. Beschta. 2011. Trophic cascades in Yellowstone: The first 15 years after wolf reintroduction. Biological Conservation 145: 205-213. PDF
- Beschta, R.L. and W.J. Ripple. 2011. Are wolves saving Yellowstone's aspen? A landscape-level test of a behaviorally mediated trophic cascade. Comment Ecology. doi:10.1890/11-0063.1. PDF
- Ripple, W.J., A.J. Wirsing, R.L. Beschta, and S.W. Buskirk. 2011. Can Restoring Wolves Aid in Lynx Recovery? Wildlife Society Bulletin 35: 514-518. PDF
- Ripple, W.J, L.E. Painter, R.L. Beschta, and C.C. Gates. 2010. Wolves, Elk, Bison, and Secondary Trophic Cascades in Yellowstone National Park. The Open Ecology Journal 3: 31-37. PDF
- Beschta, R.L., and W.J. Ripple. 2010. Mexican wolves, elk, and aspen in Arizona: Is there a trophic cascade? Forest Ecology and Management 260: 915-922. PDF
- Swanson, M.E., J.F. Franklin, R.L. Beschta, C.M. Crisafulli, D.A. DellaSalla, R.L. Hutto, D.B. Lindenmayer, and F.J. Swanson. 2010. The forgotten stage of forest succession: early-successional ecosystems on forest sites. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. PDF
- Beschta, R.L., and W.J. Ripple. 2010. Recovering riparian plant communities with wolves, in northern Yellowstone USA. Restoration Ecology 18(3):380-389. PDF
- Ripple, W.J., T.P. Rooney, and R.L. Beschta. 2010. Large predators, deer, and trophic cascades in boreal and temperate ecosystems. Pp. 141-161 in J. Terborgh and J. Estes. Trophic Cascades: predators, prey, and the changing dynamics of nature. Island Press, Washington, D.C. PDF
- Beschta, R.L., and W.J. Ripple. 2009. Large predators and trophic cascades in terrestrial ecosystems of the western United States. Biological Conservation 142:2401-2414. PDF
- Beschta, R.L. and W.J. Ripple. 2008. Wolves, trophic cascades, and rivers in the Olympic National Park, USA. Ecohydrology 1:118-130. PDF
- Halofsky, J.S., Ripple, W.J., and R.L. Beschta. 2008. Recoupling fire and aspen recruitment after wolf reintroduction in Yellowstone National Park, USA. Forest Ecology and Management 256:1004-1008.
- Ripple, W.J. and R.L. Beschta. 2008. Trophic cascades involving cougar, mule deer, and black oaks in Yosemite National Park. Biological Conservation 141:1249-1256.
- Beschta, R.L. and W.J. Ripple. 2007. Increased willow heights along northern Yellowstone's Blacktail Deer Creek following wolf reintroduction. Western North American Naturalist 67(4):613-617. PDF
- Beschta, R.L. and W.J. Ripple. 2007. Wolves, elk, and aspen in the winter range of Jasper National Park, Canada. Can. J. For. Res. 37:1873-1885. PDF
- Ripple, W.J. and R.L. Beschta. 2007. Hardwood tree decline following large carnivore loss in the Great Plains, USA. Front. Ecol. Environ. 5(5):241-246. PDF
- Ripple, W.J. and R.L. Beschta. 2007. Restoring Yellowstone's aspen with wolves. Biological Conservation. 138:514-519.
- Beschta, R.L. and W.J. Ripple. 2006. River channel dynamics following extirpation of wolves in northwestern Yellowstone National Park, USA. Earth. Surf. Process. Landforms 31:1525-1539. PDF
- Ripple, W.J. and R.L. Beschta. 2006. Linking a cougar decline, trophic cascade, and catastrophic regime shift in Zion National Park. Biological Conservation 133:397-408.
- Ripple, W.J. and R.L. Beschta. 2006. Linking wolves to willows via risk-sensitive foraging by ungulates in the northern yellowstone ecosystem. Forest Ecology and Management 230:96-106.
- Ripple, W.J. and R.L. Beschta. 2005. Linking wolves and plants: Aldo Leopold on trophic cascades. Bioscience 55(7):613-621. PDF
- Beschta, R.L. 2005. Reduced cottonwood recruitment following extirpation of wolves in Yellowstone's northern range. Ecology 86(2) pp. 391-403.
- Beschta, R.L., et. al. 2004. Postfire Management on Forested Public Lands of the Western United States. Conservation Biology 18:957-967. PDF
- Karr, J.R., Rhodes, J.J., Minshall, G.W., Hauer, F.R., Beschta, R.L., Frissell, C.A., and D.A. Perry. 2004. The effects of post fire salvage logging on aquatic ecosystems in the American west. Bioscience 54(11) pp.1029-1033.
- Ripple, W.J., and R.L. Beschta. 2004. Wolves and the Ecology of Fear: Can Predation Risk Structure Ecosystems? BioScience 54:755-766. PDF
- Ripple, W.J., and R.L. Beschta. 2004. Wolves, elk, willows, and trophic cascades in the upper Gallatin Range of Southwestern Montana, USA. Forest Ecology and Management 200:161-181.