Pacific Southwest Research Station

Education

B.A. Aquatic Biology, 1987, University of California, Santa Barbara
M.S. Botany, 1996, University of Hawaii, Manoa
Ph.D. Botany, 1999, University of Hawaii, Manoa

Research Interests/Duties

Ecophysiology, Restoration Ecology, Functional Ecology, Tropical Dry Ecosystems, Grass Invasions, Hawaiian Ecosystems

Current Emphases, Studies, Projects

Ecosystem level impacts of invasive grasses on Hawaiian dry forest ecosystems.

Mechanisms by which fountain grass limits Hawaiian dry forest native plant establishment and growth by manipulating fountain grass, available water, and available light separately and in concert.

Functional ecology and phenology of dry forest canopy trees.

Investigating the role that native plant reforestation plays in reducing fine fuel load hazards and reversing the cumulative adverse ecosystem level effects of monotypic stands of invasive grasses in leeward Hawaii

Impacts of invasive species on lowland forest ecosystem processes, specifically, rainfall interception, plant water use and acquisition, light availability and plant productivity.

Selected Publications

Holl, K.D., Zahawi, R.A., Cole, R.J., Ostertag, R., and Cordell, S. 2011 Restoration Ecology. Planting seedlings in tree islands versus plantations as a large-scale tropical forest restoration strategy. Restoration Ecology. 19 (4).

Adkins, E.N., Cordell, S., and Drake, D.R. 2011. The germination ecology of Pennisetum setaceum (Fountain Grass), an invasive African bunchgrass in Hawaii. Pacific Science. 65, 17-25.

Thaxton, J.M., Cole, T.C., Cordell, S., Cabin, R.J., Sandquist, D.R., and Litton, C.M. 2010. Native species regeneration following ungulate exclusion and non-native grass removal in remnant Hawaiian Dry Forest. Pacific Science. 64, 533-544.

Inman-Narahari, F., Ostertag, R., Cordell, S., Giardina, C., Sack, L. 2010. A comparison of digital and paper data collection methods for mapping and measuring trees in tropical forest plots. Methods in Ecology and Evolution. 1, 274-279.

Cordell, S, Ostertag, R., Rowe, B., Sweinhart, L., Vasquez-Radonic, L., Michaud, J., Cole, T.C., Schulten, J.R. 2009. Evaluating barriers to native seedling establishment in an invaded Hawaiian lowland wet forest. Biological Conservation. 142, 2997-3004.

Ostertag, R., Cordell, S., Michaud, J., Cole, T.C., Schulten, J.R., Publico, K.M., and Enoka, J.H. 2009. Ecosystem and restoration consequences of invasive woody species removal in Hawaiian lowland wet forest. Ecosystems. 12: 503-515

Brooks, S., Cordell, S., Perry, L., 2009. Broadcast Seeding as a Potential Tool to Reestablish Native Species in Degraded Dry Forest Ecosystems in Hawaii. Ecological Restoration. 27, 300-305.

Cordell, S., McClellan, M., Yarber Carter, Y. Hadway, L.J. 2008. Towards Restoration of Hawaiian Tropical Dry Forests: The Kaupulehu Outplanting Program. Pacific Conservation Biology. 14: 279–284

Cordell, S., and Sandquist, D.R. 2008. The impact of an invasive African bunchgrass (Pennisetum setaceum) on water availability and productivity of canopy trees within a tropical dry forest in Hawaii. Functional Ecology. 22: 1008-1017

Ostertag, R. Giardina, C.P., and Cordell, S. 2008. Understory invasion of Eucalyptus plantations in relation to light and nutrient levels. Restoration Ecology 16:475-485

Zimmerman N., Flint Hughes R., Cordell S., Hart P., Chang H.K., Perez D., Like R.K. and Ostertag R. 2008. Patterns of Primary Succession of Native and Introduced Plants in Lowland Wet Forests in Eastern Hawaii. Biotropica 40: 277-284

Litton C.M., Sandquist D.R. and Cordell S. 2008. A non-native invasive grass increases soil carbon flux in a Hawaiian tropical dry forest. Global Change Biology 14: 726-739

Sandquist D.R. and Cordell S. 2007. Functional diversity of carbon-gain, water-use, and leaf-allocation traits in trees of a threatened lowland dry forest in Hawaii. Am. J. Bot. 94: 1459-1469

Giardina, C. P., Litton, C.M., Thaxton, J.M., Cordell, S., and Sandquist, D.R. 2007 Science driven restoration: A candle in a demon haunted world – Response to Cabin (2007). Restoration Ecology. 15: 171-176

Fisher, J.B., Goldstein, G., Jones, T.J., and Cordell, S. 2007. Wood vessel Diameter is related to elevation and Ecotype in the tree Metrosideros polymorpha (Myrtaceae). American Journal of Botany.94: 709-715

Cornwell, W. K., Bhaskar, R., L. Sack, L., and Cordell, S. 2007. Hydraulic strategies of Hawaiian Metrosideros polymorpha at high and low precipitation. Functional Ecology. 21: 1063-1071

Wong, C.P. 2006. Hawaiian Lowland Wet Forests: Impacts of Invasive Plants on Light Availability, Advisors: Susan Cordell (1) and Rebecca Ostertag (2) Journal of Young Investigators. 6 (16): http://www.jyi.org/research/re.php?id=1080

Litton, C.M., Sandquist, D.R., and Cordell, S. 2006. Aboveground live biomass in pristine, invaded and converted tropical dry forests of Hawai‘i. Forest Ecology and Management 231: 105-113

Baskin, J.M., B. H. Davis, C. C. Baskin, S. M. Gleason, and S. Cordell. 2004. Physical dormancy in seeds of Dodonaea viscosa (Sapindales, Sapindaceae) from Hawaii. Seed Science Research 14: 81-90

James, S. A., S. Cordell, C.F. Puttock, and R.P. Adams. 2004 Morphological and genetic variation within Metrosideros polymorpha (Myrtaceae) populations from different habitats on Hawai‘i. New Zealand Journal of Botany 42: 263-270

Cordell, S.; Sandquist, D.R.; Litton, C.; Cabin, R.J.; Thaxton, J.; Hadway, L.; Castillo, J.M.; Bishaw, D. 2004. An invasive grass has significant impacts on tropical dry forest ecosystems in Hawaii: The role of science in landscape level resource management and native forest restoration in West Hawaii. In: Proceedings of the Society for Ecological Restoration annual meeting, 2004 August 24-27; Victoria, Canada

Cabin, R.J., Cordell, S., Sandquist, D.R., Thaxton, J., Litton, C., 2004. Restoration of tropical dry forests in Hawaii: Can scientific research, habitat restoration and educational outreach happily co-exist within a small private preserve? In: Proceedings of the Society for Ecological Restoration annual meeting, 2004 August 24-27; Victoria, Canada

Cordell, S., R.J. Cabin, R.J., and L.J. Hadway. 2002. Physiological ecology of native and alien dry forest shrubs in Hawaii. Biological Invasions 4:387-396

Cordell, S., R.J. Cabin, S.G. Weller, and D.H Lorence. 2002. Simple and Cost-Effective Methods Control Fountain Grass in Dry Forests (Hawaii). Ecological Restoration 20: 139-140

Cordell, S. 2002. Outplanting at Ka’upulehu; Restoring Native Hawaiian Dry Forests. Hawaii Landscape 6: 12-13

Cabin, R.J., S.G. Weller, D.H. Lorence, S. Cordell, and J.J. Hadway. 2002. Effects of microsite, water, weeding and direct seeding on the regeneration of native and alien species within a Hawaiian dry forest preserve. Biological Conservation 104: 181-190

Cabin, R. J., S. G. Weller, D. H. Lorence, S. Cordell, L. J. Hadway, R. Montgomery, D. Goo, and A. Urakami. 2002. Effects of light availability, alien grass control, and native species additions on the restoration of a degraded tropical dry forest in Hawai‘i. Ecological Applications 12:1595-1610