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Stephen W. Pacala
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Ecology and Evolution
USA
2026

D-Index & Metrics

Ecology and Evolution

D-Index
111
Citations
61257
World Ranking
159
National Ranking
64

Stephen W. Pacala publication distribution in Ecology and Evolution in 2026

The chart shows the distribution of publications by all Research.com ranked scientists in the field of Ecology and Evolution in 2026. The highlighted bar marks where Stephen W. Pacala sits on this spectrum.

37–41 publications: 2 scientists 42–46 publications: 9 scientists 47–51 publications: 10 scientists 52–56 publications: 31 scientists 57–61 publications: 56 scientists 62–66 publications: 91 scientists 67–71 publications: 92 scientists 72–76 publications: 127 scientists 77–81 publications: 173 scientists 82–86 publications: 236 scientists 87–91 publications: 227 scientists 92–96 publications: 240 scientists 97–101 publications: 333 scientists 102–106 publications: 280 scientists 107–111 publications: 300 scientists 112–116 publications: 285 scientists 117–121 publications: 305 scientists 122–126 publications: 287 scientists 127–131 publications: 278 scientists 132–136 publications: 289 scientists 137–141 publications: 273 scientists 142–146 publications: 262 scientists 147–151 publications: 246 scientists 152–156 publications: 235 scientists 157–161 publications: 205 scientists 162–166 publications: 199 scientists 167–171 publications: 174 scientists 172–176 publications: 164 scientists 177–181 publications: 173 scientists 182–186 publications: 189 scientists 187–191 publications: 170 scientists 192–196 publications: 139 scientists 197–201 publications: 128 scientists 202–206 publications: 117 scientists 207–211 publications: 115 scientists 212–216 publications: 107 scientists 217–221 publications: 124 scientists 222–226 publications: 81 scientists 227–231 publications: 82 scientists 232–236 publications: 85 scientists 237–241 publications: 75 scientists 242–246 publications: 66 scientists 247–251 publications: 81 scientists 252–256 publications: 69 scientists 257–261 publications: 70 scientists 262–266 publications: 55 scientists 267–271 publications: 64 scientists 272–276 publications: 49 scientists 277–281 publications: 48 scientists 282–286 publications: 44 scientists 287–291 publications: 45 scientists 292–296 publications: 36 scientists 297–301 publications: 39 scientists 302–306 publications: 38 scientists 307–311 publications: 30 scientists 312–316 publications: 34 scientists 317–321 publications: 25 scientists 322–326 publications: 22 scientists 327–331 publications: 28 scientists 332–336 publications: 30 scientists 337–341 publications: 22 scientists 342–346 publications: 30 scientists 347–351 publications: 26 scientists 352–356 publications: 22 scientists 357–361 publications: 29 scientists 362–366 publications: 21 scientists 367–371 publications: 12 scientists 372–376 publications: 18 scientists 377–381 publications: 17 scientists 382–386 publications: 13 scientists 387–391 publications: 21 scientists 392–396 publications: 13 scientists 397–401 publications: 10 scientists 402–406 publications: 15 scientists 407–411 publications: 8 scientists 412–416 publications: 9 scientists 417–421 publications: 8 scientists 422–426 publications: 4 scientists 427–431 publications: 10 scientists 432–436 publications: 10 scientists 437–441 publications: 5 scientists 442–446 publications: 4 scientists 447–451 publications: 10 scientists 452–456 publications: 2 scientists 457–461 publications: 4 scientists 462–466 publications: 7 scientists 467–471 publications: 7 scientists 472–476 publications: 6 scientists 477–481 publications: 6 scientists 482–486 publications: 3 scientists 487–491 publications: 3 scientists 492–496 publications: 4 scientists 497–501 publications: 4 scientists 502–506 publications: 8 scientists 507–511 publications: 5 scientists 512–516 publications: 4 scientists 517–521 publications: 5 scientists 522–526 publications: 4 scientists 527–530 publications: 5 scientists 531+ publications: 100 scientists
37 publications 531+

This scientist: 266 publications — 88th percentile

88% of scientists in this discipline score the same or lower.

The last bar groups every scientist with 531 publications or more.

Stephen W. Pacala D-index placement in Ecology and Evolution in 2026

The chart shows the D-index (discipline H-index) distribution of Ecology and Evolution scientists ranked by Research.com in 2026. The highlighted bar marks where Stephen W. Pacala sits on this spectrum.

30 D-Index: 95 scientists 31 D-Index: 123 scientists 32 D-Index: 191 scientists 33 D-Index: 245 scientists 34 D-Index: 252 scientists 35 D-Index: 244 scientists 36 D-Index: 249 scientists 37 D-Index: 244 scientists 38 D-Index: 254 scientists 39 D-Index: 254 scientists 40 D-Index: 280 scientists 41 D-Index: 274 scientists 42 D-Index: 266 scientists 43 D-Index: 233 scientists 44 D-Index: 248 scientists 45 D-Index: 208 scientists 46 D-Index: 201 scientists 47 D-Index: 213 scientists 48 D-Index: 207 scientists 49 D-Index: 172 scientists 50 D-Index: 209 scientists 51 D-Index: 199 scientists 52 D-Index: 153 scientists 53 D-Index: 169 scientists 54 D-Index: 163 scientists 55 D-Index: 148 scientists 56 D-Index: 120 scientists 57 D-Index: 146 scientists 58 D-Index: 137 scientists 59 D-Index: 140 scientists 60 D-Index: 104 scientists 61 D-Index: 119 scientists 62 D-Index: 118 scientists 63 D-Index: 99 scientists 64 D-Index: 77 scientists 65 D-Index: 100 scientists 66 D-Index: 86 scientists 67 D-Index: 83 scientists 68 D-Index: 75 scientists 69 D-Index: 94 scientists 70 D-Index: 57 scientists 71 D-Index: 68 scientists 72 D-Index: 59 scientists 73 D-Index: 63 scientists 74 D-Index: 66 scientists 75 D-Index: 60 scientists 76 D-Index: 42 scientists 77 D-Index: 49 scientists 78 D-Index: 39 scientists 79 D-Index: 37 scientists 80 D-Index: 43 scientists 81 D-Index: 41 scientists 82 D-Index: 45 scientists 83 D-Index: 34 scientists 84 D-Index: 40 scientists 85 D-Index: 35 scientists 86 D-Index: 55 scientists 87 D-Index: 24 scientists 88 D-Index: 24 scientists 89 D-Index: 30 scientists 90 D-Index: 23 scientists 91 D-Index: 25 scientists 92 D-Index: 27 scientists 93 D-Index: 27 scientists 94 D-Index: 13 scientists 95 D-Index: 23 scientists 96 D-Index: 12 scientists 97 D-Index: 14 scientists 98 D-Index: 19 scientists 99 D-Index: 16 scientists 100 D-Index: 14 scientists 101 D-Index: 5 scientists 102 D-Index: 21 scientists 103 D-Index: 16 scientists 104 D-Index: 10 scientists 105 D-Index: 7 scientists 106 D-Index: 7 scientists 107 D-Index: 7 scientists 108 D-Index: 6 scientists 109 D-Index: 9 scientists 110 D-Index: 11 scientists 111 D-Index: 12 scientists 112 D-Index: 9 scientists 113 D-Index: 7 scientists 114 D-Index: 3 scientists 115 D-Index: 8 scientists 116 D-Index: 5 scientists 117 D-Index: 11 scientists 118 D-Index: 4 scientists 119 D-Index: 2 scientists 120 D-Index: 5 scientists 121+ D-Index: 100 scientists
30 D-Index 121+

This scientist: 111 D-Index — 98th percentile

98% of scientists in this discipline score the same or lower.

The last bar groups every scientist with 121 D-Index or more.

Research.com Recognitions

  • 2026 - Research.com Ecology and Evolution in United States Leader Award
  • 2025 - Research.com Ecology and Evolution in United States Leader Award
  • 2012 - Fellow of the Ecological Society of America (ESA)
  • 2007 - Member of the National Academy of Sciences
  • 2005 - Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
  • 2003 - Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
  • 1997 - George Mercer Award, The Ecological Society of America
  • Honorary Member of the British Ecological Society
  • Honorary Member of the British Ecological Society
  • Honorary Member of the British Ecological Society

Overview

Stephen W. Pacala is affiliated with Princeton University in the United States. Their research spans key areas within environmental science and agricultural and biological sciences, focusing extensively on global and planetary change, nature and landscape conservation, and ecology. The scope of their work also includes plant science and economics related to environmental systems.

The scientist's research addresses multiple interconnected topics, notably:

  • Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
  • Plant Water Relations and Carbon Dynamics
  • Plant and animal studies
  • Atmospheric and Environmental Gas Dynamics
  • Climate Change Policy and Economics
  • Forest ecology and management
  • Tree Root and Stability Studies

Stephen W. Pacala frequently publishes in several scientific journals, including:

  • Ecology Letters
  • Ecological Monographs
  • Global Change Biology
  • Science
  • Environmental Research Letters

Among their recent published papers are:

  • Climate-driven risks to the climate mitigation potential of forests, 2020, Science
  • Acting rapidly to deploy readily available methane mitigation measures by sector can immediately slow global warming, 2021, Environmental Research Letters
  • The exploitative segregation of plant roots, 2020, Science
  • Mission net-zero America: The nation-building path to a prosperous, net-zero emissions economy, 2021, Joule
  • Indicate separate contributions of long-lived and short-lived greenhouse gases in emission targets, 2022, npj Climate and Atmospheric Science

The scientist collaborates regularly with several colleagues including Jonathan M. Levine, Matteo Detto, Ciro Cabal, Fernando Valladares, and Elena Shevliakova.

Over the course of their career, Stephen W. Pacala has been recognized with several professional honors. These include being named a Fellow of the Ecological Society of America in 2012, a Member of the National Academy of Sciences in 2007, and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2005. Additional distinctions include Fellowship in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2003, the George Mercer Award from The Ecological Society of America in 1997, and an Honorary Membership of the British Ecological Society.

Best Publications

  • A Large and Persistent Carbon Sink in the World’s Forests

    Yude Pan;Richard A. Birdsey;Jingyun Fang;Jingyun Fang;Richard Houghton

  • Stabilization Wedges: Solving the Climate Problem for the Next 50 Years with Current Technologies

    Stephen Wilson Pacala;Robert Socolow

  • Beneficial Biofuels—The Food, Energy, and Environment Trilemma

    David Tilman;Robert Socolow;Jonathan A. Foley;Jason Hill

  • Recent patterns and mechanisms of carbon exchange by terrestrial ecosystems

    D. S. Schimel;J. I. House;K. A. Hibbard;P. Bousquet

  • Forest models defined by field measurements : Estimation, error analysis and dynamics

    Stephen W. Pacala;Charles D. Canham;John Saponara;John A. Silander

  • Pervasive drought legacies in forest ecosystems and their implications for carbon cycle models

    W. R.L. Anderegg;C. Schwalm;F. Biondi;J. J. Camarero

  • A Large Terrestrial Carbon Sink in North America Implied by Atmospheric and Oceanic Carbon Dioxide Data and Models

    S. Fan;M. Gloor;J. Mahlman;S. Pacala

  • Assessment of methane emissions from the U.S. oil and gas supply chain

    Ramón A. Alvarez;Daniel Zavala-Araiza;David R. Lyon;David T. Allen

  • Consistent land- and atmosphere-based U.S. carbon sink estimates.

    S. W. Pacala;G. C. Hurtt;D. Baker;P. Peylin

  • The maintenance of species richness in plant communities

    D. Tilman;Stephen Wilson Pacala

  • Juvenile Tree Survivorship as a Component of Shade Tolerance

    Richard K. Kobe;Stephen W. Pacala;John A. Silander;Charles D. Canham

  • Causes and consequences of resource heterogeneity in forests : interspecific variation in light transmission by canopy trees

    Charles D. Canham;Adrien C. Finzi;Stephen W. Pacala;Diane H. Burbank

  • Greater focus needed on methane leakage from natural gas infrastructure

    Ramón A. Alvarez;Stephen Wilson Pacala;James J. Winebrake;William L. Chameides

  • A METHOD FOR SCALING VEGETATION DYNAMICS: THE ECOSYSTEM DEMOGRAPHY MODEL (ED)

    P. R. Moorcroft;G. C. Hurtt;Stephen Wilson Pacala

  • Reid's Paradox of Rapid Plant Migration Dispersal theory and interpretation of paleoecological records

    James S. Clark;Chris Fastie;George Hurtt;Stephen T. Jackson

  • Mechanisms of long-distance dispersal of seeds by wind

    Ran Nathan;Gabriel G. Katul;Henry S. Horn;Suvi M. Thomas

  • Long-Term Studies of Vegetation Dynamics

    Mark Rees;Richard S. Condit;Mick Crawley;Steve Pacala

  • Climate-driven risks to the climate mitigation potential of forests

    William R.L. Anderegg;Anna T. Trugman;Grayson Badgley;Christa M. Anderson

  • The emergence and promise of functional biogeography

    Cyrille Violle;Peter B. Reich;Peter B. Reich;Stephen W. Pacala;Brian J. Enquist;Brian J. Enquist

  • Contributions of Land-Use History to Carbon Accumulation in U.S. Forests

    John P. Caspersen;Stephen W. Pacala;Jennifer C. Jenkins;George C. Hurtt

  • SEEDLING RECRUITMENT IN FORESTS: CALIBRATING MODELS TO PREDICT PATTERNS OF TREE SEEDLING DISPERSION'

    Eric Ribbens;John A. Silander;Stephen W. Pacala

  • Spatial Moment Equations for Plant Competition: Understanding Spatial Strategies and the Advantages of Short Dispersal.

    Benjamin M. Bolker;Stephen Wilson Pacala

Frequent Co-Authors

Elena Shevliakova
Elena Shevliakova Princeton University
George C. Hurtt
George C. Hurtt University of Maryland, College Park
William R. L. Anderegg
William R. L. Anderegg University of Utah
Simon A. Levin
Simon A. Levin Princeton University
Robert H. Socolow
Robert H. Socolow Princeton University
John A. Silander
John A. Silander University of Connecticut
Jeremy W. Lichstein
Jeremy W. Lichstein University of Florida
John P. Caspersen
John P. Caspersen University of Toronto
Jorge L. Sarmiento
Jorge L. Sarmiento Princeton University
Richard A. Houghton
Richard A. Houghton Woods Hole Research Center

External Links

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Related Online Degrees & Career Pathways

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There are also routes such as accelerated nursing programs for non nurses, which help students fast-track into healthcare. These programs provide a blueprint for making a quick transition into new careers—an attractive option for science graduates looking to broaden their opportunities.

Examining potential career outcomes is crucial. For example, if you are considering advanced nursing opportunities, knowing the psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner salary by state can help guide your decision. Curious about the path and commitment required? Explore how to become nurse practitioner to compare timelines and requirements with your ecology and evolution career aspirations.

Best Scientists Citing Stephen W. Pacala

Peter B. Reich

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Shilong Piao

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Peking University

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Stephen P. Hubbell

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Christian Messier

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Benjamin Poulter

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Goddard Space Flight Center

Publications: 89

Jingyun Fang

Jingyun Fang

Peking University

Publications: 89

Yiqi Luo

Yiqi Luo

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Publications: 87

Brian J. Enquist

Brian J. Enquist

University of Arizona

Publications: 85

Yadvinder Malhi

Yadvinder Malhi

University of Oxford

Publications: 81

David A. Coomes

David A. Coomes

University of Cambridge

Publications: 79

Simon L. Lewis

Simon L. Lewis

University College London

Publications: 78

Charles D. Canham

Charles D. Canham

Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies

Publications: 78

Andreas Huth

Andreas Huth

Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research

Publications: 76

James S. Clark

James S. Clark

Duke University

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Rattan Lal

The Ohio State University

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Richard A. Houghton

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Woods Hole Research Center

Publications: 72

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