EDUCATION

University of Vermont Law School, So. Royalton, VT, USA. Masters of Science in Law. Emphasis on environmental law and natural resource policy.

1976-1982:

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA. Ph.D. in Silviculture and Forest Ecology, especially forest biology, soils, and hardwood stand dynamics.

1974-1976:

Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA. Masters of Forestry. Emphasis in botany, soils, and forest management.

1966-1970:

Muhlenberg College, Allentown, Pa., USA. Bachelor of Science (Natural Sciences).

WORK EXPERIENCE

Research Scientist, Southeastern Environmental Research Center, Florida International University.

1988-1993

Research Scientist and Principal Investigator, Florida Keys Terrestrial Ecosystem Study, Ecosystem Research Unit, National Audubon Society, Tavernier, FL.

1987:

Teaching assistant and independent investigator, University of Michigan Biological Station. Assist in plant ecology courses, conduct research on growth and establishment of eastern white pine.

1986-1987:

Research Associate, Department of Forestry, Michigan Tech University, Houghton, MI. Analyze and synthesize data from recovery program for endangered roundleaf birch (Betula uber Ashe).

1983-1986:

Post-doctoral Research Fellow, Dept. of Botany, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Director of Hondo Research Laboratory. Multi-disciplinary research on aspects of boreal forest ecology.

1979-1982:

Graduate Research Assistantship in Forest Biology Section, Department of Forestry, VPI&SU. Focus on problem of natural regeneration of oak stands.

1980:

Instructor, Silviculture Laboratory, VPI&SU.

1976-1979:

Graduate Teaching Assistantship in Silviculture and Forest Ecology, VPI&SU.

THESES AND DISSERTATIONS

Oak Regeneration after Clearcutting on Steep Slopes in the Ridge and Valley Province of Southwest Virginia. Ph.D. Dissertation, VPI&SU, 1982.

PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS

Multi-taxon analysis of the "white zone", a common ecotonal feature of South Florida coastal wetlands. M.S. Ross, E.E. Gaiser, J.F. Meeder, and M.T. Lewin. In: Linkages between ecosystems in the South Florida hydroscape. J. W. Porter and K.G. Porter, eds. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, USA. Submitted 7/99.

Vegetation pattern and process in tree islands of the southern Everglades and adjacent areas. Armentano, T.V., D.T. Jones, M.S. Ross, and B.W. Gamble. In: Tree Islands of the Greater Everglades. F. Sklar and A. van der Valk, eds. Kluwer Press. Submitted 5/99.

Estimating aboveground biomass and production in mangrove communities of Biscayne National Park, Florida (USA). Ross, M.S., P.L. Ruiz, G.J. Telesnicki, and J.F. Meeder. Mangroves & Salt Marshes. Submitted 1/99.

The Southeast Saline Everglades revisited: a half-century of coastal vegetation change. Ross, M.S., J.F. Meeder, J.P. Sah, P.L. Ruiz, and G.J. Telesnicki. Journal of Vegetation Science. In press.

Sea level rise and the decline of Pine Rockland forests in the Lower Florida Keys. Ross, M., J. O'Brien and L. Sternberg. Ecological Applications 4(1): 144-156. 1994.

Ecological site classification of Florida Keys terrestrial habitats. Ross, M., J. O'Brien, and L. Flynn. Biotropica 24:488-502. 1992.

Water utilization of tropical hardwood hammocks of the Lower Florida Keys. Ish-Shalom, N. L. Sternberg, M. Ross, J. O'Brien, and L. Flynn. Oecologia 92:108-112. 1992.

Water relations of coastal plant communities near the ocean/freshwater boundary. Sternberg, L.d.S.L., N. Ish-Shalom-Gordon, M.S. Ross, and J.J. O'Brien. Oecologia 88:305-310. 1991.

Aboveground biomass allocation by four understory vascular plant species in central Alberta jack pine, Pinus banksiana, forests. Ross, M.S. and G.H. La Roi. Can. Field. Nat. 104(3):394-402. 1990.

Analysis of chestnut and scarlet oak stump sprout growth. Tworkoski, T.J., M.S. Ross, and G.M. Hopper. Can. Jour. For. Res. 20:112-116. 1990.

Structure and function of boreal forest ecosystems. IV. Seasonal and successional changes in light characteristics. Ross, M.S., L.L.Flanagan, and G.H. La Roi. Can. Jour. Bot. 64: 2792-2799. 1986.

Oak regeneration on steep slopes in southwest Virginia. Ross, M.S., T.L. Sharik, and D. Wm. Smith. Forest Sci. 32(1): 157-169. 1986.

Early fruiting in chestnut oak. Sharik, T.L., M.S. Ross, and G.M. Hopper. Forest Sci. 29(2): 221-224. 1983.

A micro-borer for extracting increment cores from small stems of woody plants. Sharik, T.L., M.S. Ross, and A.H. Price. Forest Sci. 29(2): 329-331. 1983.

Species and site relationships among oak regeneration types after clearcutting in the Virginia Ridge and Valley. Ross, M.S., T.L. Sharik, and D. Wm. Smith. In Proceedings of the Second Biennial Southern Silvicultural Research Conference, Atlanta, Ga. (Nov. 1982). USDA For. Serv. Gen. Tech. Report SE-24. pp. 151-156.

Age-structure relationships of tree species in an Appalachian oak forest in southwest Virginia. Ross, M.S., T.L. Sharik, and D. Wm. Smith. Bull. Torr. Bot. Club 109(3): 287-298. 1982.

TECHNICAL REPORTS

Vegetation analysis in the C-111/Taylor Slough basins. Meeder, J. F., M. S. Ross, G. Telesnicki, P. L. Ruiz, and J. P. Sah. for the South Florida Water Management District. November 1996. 150 pp. + appendices.

A study of the distribution of several South Florida endemic plants in the Florida Keys. Ross, M. S. and P. L. Ruiz. for The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. May 1996. 45 pp. + appendices.

An action plan to conserve the native plants of Florida. Ross, M. S. for the Center for Plant Conservation. November 1995. 41 pp. + appendices.

Terrestrial ecosystems of the Crocodile Lakes National Wildlife Refuge: the effects of Hurricane Andrew. Ross, M. S., J. F. Meeder, G. Telesnicki, and C. Weekley. for Department of Interior, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. May 1995. 156 pp + 2 appendices.

The Curry Hammock Tract of the Middle Florida Keys: terrestrial ecosystems and recommendations for their management. Ross, M. and J. O'Brien for The Nature Conservancy and Florida Department of Natural Resources. February 1992. 35 pp.

Vegetation and landscape ecology of central Big Pine Key. Ross, M., J. O'Brien, and L. Flynn. For The Nature Conservancy and the South Florida Water Management District. February 1992. 62 pp.

Effects of hydrologic factors on the vegetation of Big Pine Key. Ross, M.S. For The Nature Conservancy. November 1989. 9 pp.

Integrated final report on ecological monitoring research in the Athabasca Oil Sands and Hondo-Lesser Slave Lake study areas during the period 1981-1984. La Roi, G.H., M.S. Ross, and R.A. Ellis. For Research Management Division, Alberta Environment (RMD-80/35A). 329 pp.

Structural dynamics of boreal forest ecosystems on three habitat types in the Hondo-Lesser Slave Lake area of north central Alberta in 1983. Ross, M.S. and G.H. La Roi. For Research Management Division, Alberta Environment (RMD-80/35A) and Alberta Environmental Research Trust. Oct. 1984. 147 p.

Structural dynamics of boreal forest ecosystems on three habitat types in the Hondo-Lesser Slave Lake area of north central Alberta in 1982. La Roi, G.H., M.S. Ross, and M. Ostafichuk. For Research Management Division, Alberta Environment (RMD-80/35A) and Recreation, Parks and Wildlife Foundation. May 1983. 93 p.

PAPERS PRESENTED

Integrating ecological criteria into fire management in South Florida rocklands. Pine Rocklands Fire Managers Symposium. Key Largo, FL. December 1997.

Nitrogen and phosphorus in the Florida Keys: groundwater-vegetation relationships. 1992 Symposium on Florida Keys Regional Ecosystem, Miami, Florida, November 1992.

Has 20th Century sea level rise caused the migration of Florida Keys plant communities? Botanical Society of America annual meeting, San Antonio, Texas, August 1991.

Pineland decline in the Florida Keys. Ecological Society of America annual meeting, San Antonio, Texas, August 1991.

Subtropical hammock successional trends in North Key Largo, Florida. Ecological Society of America annual meeting, San Antonio, Texas, August 1991.

Plant community architecture across habitat gradients in the Florida Keys. Ecological Society of America annual meeting, San Antonio, Texas, August 1991.

Ecological site classification of terrestrial habitats of the Florida Keys. Ecological Society of America annual meeting, Snowbird, Utah, August 1990.

Fire history and the forest mosaic near Lesser Slave Lake, Alberta. Northwest Scientific Association annual meeting, Cheney, WA, March 1986.

Stem unit analysis in oak. 7th Forest Tree Physiology Workshop, Raleigh, N.C., 1983.

Oak regeneration development after clearcutting in the Ridge and Valley province of Virginia. Virginia Academy of Science annual meeting, Norfolk, VA, May 1981.

Age structure of an Appalachian oak forest. Virginia Academy of Science annual meeting, Charlottesville, VA, May 1980.

GRANTS AND CONTRACTS RECEIVED

1991. Vegetation and landscape ecology of central Big Pine Key. The Nature Conservancy. $15,000.

1992. Terrestrial ecosystems of the Curry Tract, Fat Deer and Long Point Keys, Florida. The Nature Conservancy. $9,000.

1993. Effects of Hurricane Andrew on the terrestrial ecosystems of the Florida Keys. John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. $50,000. (with Wayne Hoffman)

1993. Effects of Hurricane Andrew on the Crocodile Lakes National Wildlife Refuge. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. $75,000.

1993. L-31E flow redistribution monitoring. South Florida Water Management District. $380,000. (with Jack Meeder).

1993. Vegetation analysis of C-111 and Taylor Slough basins. South Florida Water Management District. $196,000. (with Jack Meeder).

1993. Effects of Hurricane Andrew on the distribution of rare plants in south Florida pine rocklands, with emphasis on edaphic factors. U.S. National Park Service. $84,000. (with Jack Meeder)

1994. A strategic plan for conservation of Florida plants. Center for Plant Conservation. $12,000.

1995. Effects of Hurricane Andrew on the upland forests of Biscayne National Park. U. S. National Park Service. $70,000. (with Jack Meeder).

1996. Effects of L-31E flow redistribution on nearshore benthic communities in Biscayne National Park. U. S. National Park Service. $50,000. (with Jack Meeder).

1996. Shark Slough vegetation monitoring. U. S. National Park Service. $215,000.

1996. L-31E flow redistribution monitoring (addition). South Florida Water Management District. $275,000. (with Jack Meeder).

TEACHING ACTIVITIES

Department of Biology --- 1 completed, 3 in progress (Jay Sah, Jason Steindler, Hong Liu)
Department of Environmental Studies --- 2 in progress (Elizabeth Mayo, Paul Granville)

Independent study courses directed, Florida International University --- 3

Numerous university classroom lectures presented, field trips lead.

RECENT SERVICE ACTIVITIES

• Big Pine Key fresh water lens working group
• Miami-Dade County Environmentally Endangered Lands Program - Technical Review Team
• Everglades conceptual model working groups - mangrove estuary, marl prairie, ridge and slough
• Manuscript review for several ecological journals

MEMBERSHIPS

• International Association of Vegetation Science
• Ecological Society of America
• Association for Tropical Biology
• Society of American Foresters