World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!

D-Index & Metrics

Ecology and Evolution

D-Index
80
Citations
46011
World Ranking
816
National Ranking
295

Research.com Recognitions

  • 2017 - Fellow of American Geophysical Union (AGU)
  • 2015 - Fellow of the Ecological Society of America (ESA)
  • 2009 - Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

Overview

David D. Breshears is affiliated with the University of Arizona in the United States. Their research spans primarily within the field of Environmental Science, with a strong emphasis on Global and Planetary Change, Nature and Landscape Conservation, Ecology, Atmospheric Science, and Plant Science. Their scholarly contributions reflect a detailed investigation into multiple aspects of ecosystem dynamics and environmental processes.

Their recent publications include:

  • Global field observations of tree die-off reveal hotter-drought fingerprint for Earth's forests, 2022, Nature Communications
  • Mechanisms of woody-plant mortality under rising drought, CO2 and vapour pressure deficit, 2022, Nature Reviews Earth & Environment
  • Underappreciated plant vulnerabilities to heat waves, 2021, New Phytologist
  • How deregulation, drought and increasing fire impact Amazonian biodiversity, 2021, Nature
  • A review of the heterogeneous landscape of biodiversity databases: Opportunities and challenges for a synthesized biodiversity knowledge base, 2022, Global Ecology and Biogeography

Their research topics cover several specialized areas, including:

  • Plant Water Relations and Carbon Dynamics
  • Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
  • Fire effects on ecosystems
  • Plant responses to elevated CO2
  • Tree-ring climate responses
  • Species Distribution and Climate Change
  • Remote Sensing in Agriculture

David D. Breshears has collaborated frequently with a number of coauthors, including Laura López-Hoffman, Cory Merow, Gregory S. Okin, Walter K. Dodds, and Sudeep Chandra.

Their work has been published repeatedly in specific venues, indicative of ongoing contributions to these journals: Ecosphere, Frontiers in Forests and Global Change, Nature Communications, Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, and Environmental Research Letters.

Throughout their career, they have been recognized by multiple professional societies, having been awarded fellowships from the American Geophysical Union (AGU) in 2017, the Ecological Society of America (ESA) in 2015, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in 2009.

Best Publications

  • A global overview of drought and heat-induced tree mortality reveals emerging climate change risks for forests

    Craig D. Allen;Alison K. Macalady;Haroun Chenchouni;Dominique Bachelet

  • Mechanisms of plant survival and mortality during drought: why do some plants survive while others succumb to drought?

    Nate G. McDowell;William T. Pockman;Craig D. Allen;David D. Breshears

  • Regional vegetation die-off in response to global-change-type drought

    David D. Breshears;Neil S. Cobb;Paul M. Rich;Kevin P. Price

  • On underestimation of global vulnerability to tree mortality and forest die‐off from hotter drought in the Anthropocene

    Craig D. Allen;David D. Breshears;Nathan G. McDowell

  • Drought-induced shift of a forest–woodland ecotone:Rapid landscape response to climate variation

    Craig D. Allen;David D. Breshears

  • Temperature sensitivity of drought-induced tree mortality portends increased regional die-off under global-change-type drought

    Henry D. Adams;Maite Guardiola-Claramonte;Greg A. Barron-Gafford;Juan Camilo Villegas;Juan Camilo Villegas

  • The interdependence of mechanisms underlying climate-driven vegetation mortality

    Nate G. McDowell;David J. Beerling;David D. Breshears;Rosie A. Fisher

  • A multi-species synthesis of physiological mechanisms in drought-induced tree mortality

    Henry D. Adams;Melanie J.B. Zeppel;Melanie J.B. Zeppel;William R.L. Anderegg;Henrik Hartmann

  • VEGETATION PATCHES AND RUNOFF–EROSION AS INTERACTING ECOHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES IN SEMIARID LANDSCAPES

    John A. Ludwig;Bradford P. Wilcox;David D. Breshears;David J. Tongway

  • ECOHYDROLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS OF WOODY PLANT ENCROACHMENT

    Travis E. Huxman;Bradford P. Wilcox;David D. Breshears;Russell L. Scott

  • Global field observations of tree die-off reveal hotter-drought fingerprint for Earth’s forests

    Unknown

  • A multi-scale perspective of water pulses in dryland ecosystems: climatology and ecohydrology of the western USA

    Michael E. Loik;David D. Breshears;William K. Lauenroth;Jayne Belnap

  • Tree die-off in response to global change-type drought: mortality insights from a decade of plant water potential measurements.

    David D Breshears;Orrin B Myers;Clifton W Meyer;Fairley J Barnes

  • Tracking the rhythm of the seasons in the face of global change: phenological research in the 21st century.

    Jeffrey T Morisette;Andrew D Richardson;Alan K Knapp;Jeremy I Fisher

  • Ecohydrology of water-limited environments: A scientific vision

    Brent D. Newman;Bradford P. Wilcox;Steven R. Archer;David D. Breshears

  • Research frontiers for improving our understanding of drought-induced tree and forest mortality.

    Henrik Hartmann;Catarina F. Moura;Catarina F. Moura;Catarina F. Moura;William R. L. Anderegg;Nadine K. Ruehr

  • Land degradation in drylands: Interactions among hydrologic-aeolian erosion and vegetation dynamics

    Sujith Ravi;David D. Breshears;Travis E. Huxman;Paolo D'Odorico

  • Effects of woody plants on microclimate in a semiarid woodland: soil temperature and evaporation in canopy and intercanopy patches

    David D. Breshears;John W. Nyhan;Christopher E. Heil;Bradford P. Wilcox

  • Conundrums in mixed woody-herbaceous plant systems

    Joanna I. House;Steve Archer;David D. Breshears;Robert J. Scholes

  • ECOHYDROLOGY OF A RESOURCE‐CONSERVING SEMIARID WOODLAND: EFFECTS OF SCALE AND DISTURBANCE

    Bradford P. Wilcox;David D. Breshears;Craig D. Allen

  • OVERSTORY-IMPOSED HETEROGENEITY IN SOLAR RADIATION AND SOIL MOISTURE IN A SEMIARID WOODLAND

    David D. Breshears;Paul M. Rich;Fairley J. Barnes;Katherine Campbell

  • A Phytocentric View of the World@@@Plants in Changing Environments: Linking Physiological, Population, and Community Ecology

    David D. Breshears;Fakhri A. Bazzaz

Frequent Co-Authors

Travis E. Huxman
Travis E. Huxman University of California, Irvine
Chris B. Zou
Chris B. Zou Oklahoma State University
Craig D. Allen
Craig D. Allen University of New Mexico
Henry D. Adams
Henry D. Adams Washington State University
Scott R. Saleska
Scott R. Saleska University of Arizona
Greg A. Barron-Gafford
Greg A. Barron-Gafford University of Arizona
Peter Troch
Peter Troch University of Arizona
Neil S. Cobb
Neil S. Cobb Northern Arizona University
Bradford P. Wilcox
Bradford P. Wilcox Texas A&M University
Jon D. Pelletier
Jon D. Pelletier University of Arizona

If you think any of the details on this page are incorrect, let us know.

Report an issue

We appreciate your kind effort to assist us to improve this page, it would be helpful providing us with as much detail as possible in the text box below:

Related Online Degrees & Career Pathways

Studying Ecology and Evolution in the USA shares similarities with allied health and science fields when it comes to academic flexibility, career options, and professional growth. Many students transition between different science disciplines, and one emerging trend is the availability of online bridge programs—such as the slp bridge program for Communication Sciences to SLP. These pathways are designed to allow graduates from non-traditional backgrounds to access specialized professions with a streamlined curriculum.

Just as future ecologists can benefit from adaptable learning, nursing students often explore the cheapest online accelerated bsn programs for career advancement without the high financial burden. The ability to upskill online also supports ambitious career paths, including advanced practice roles in healthcare. For example, understanding the psychiatric nurse practitioner salary by state can inform future planning, just as salary expectations can shape decisions in science careers.

If you're considering a multidisciplinary route or a switch to healthcare or environmental sciences, it's valuable to know what’s possible in terms of education speed and costs. Learn more about how to become a nurse practitioner in the shortest time, and explore online degrees that can complement or expand your expertise in ecology, evolution, or related fields.

Best Scientists Citing David D. Breshears

Trending Scientists

Recently Published Articles