Bethany Bradley 
Professor of Biogeography and Spatial Ecology in the Department of Environmental Conservation | University of Massachusetts Amherst
Amherst, MA, UNITED STATES
Bethany Bradley studies the interactions between invasive species, land use and climate change.
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Expertise (8)
Invasive Plant Species
Invasive Plant Issue
Invasion Ecology
Climate Change Adaptation
Climate Change
Biogeography
Spatial Ecology
Invasive Plants
Biography
An expert on the interactions between invasive species, land use and climate change, Bethany Bradley has commented for national and international media including The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Los Angeles Times and PBS.
In her work at the Northeast Climate Science Center and UMass Amherst Department of Environmental Conservation, she seeks to improve forecasting of future changes to ecosystems, particularly risks of non-native plant invasions, using tools from biogeography and landscape ecology. Her research has implications for invasion ecology, natural resource management and biological conservation.
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Education (3)
Brown University: Ph.D., Geological Sciences
Pomona College: B,A,, Geology
Brown University: M.A., Geological Sciences
Links (3)
Media Coverage (4)
Managing invasive species can improve climate resilience
Earth.com online
2022-06-03
In a new study led by the University of Massachusetts Amherst, researchers have found that the ecological impacts of non-native species alone are similar to those associated with the combination of invasives, warming temperatures, drought, and artificial fertilizers. The study shows that climate change will not amplify the negative effects of non-native species as much as previously estimated. “The good news is that the bad news isn’t quite as bad as we thought,” said study senior author Bethany Bradley.
Invasive grasses are taking over the American West’s sea of sagebrush
ScienceNews online
2021-12-06
Though the scale of the problem can seem overwhelming, free remote sensing technology like RAP may help land managers better target efforts to slow the spread of these invasive grasses and explore their connection to wildfires. Smith, for instance, is now researching how mapping annual grasses in the spring might help forecast summer wildfires. “If we don’t know where the problem is, then we don’t know where to focus solutions,” says Bethany Bradley, an invasion ecologist and biogeographer at the University of Massachusetts Amherst who wasn’t involved in the research. “Mapping invasive grasses can certainly help people stop the grass-fire cycle by knowing where to treat them with herbicides.”
California Cities Turn To Hired Hooves To Help Prevent Massive Wildfires
WGBH radio
2020-01-05
A recent study from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, found that grasses are increasing the frequency of wildfires because of how easily they burn. "If you throw a bunch of matches into a forest, some small percentage of them might actually start a fire, but if you throw a bunch of matches into a big hay pile," says Bethany Bradley, professor of environmental conservation at UMass Amherst, and co-author of the study. "There's a good chance that many of those will catch fire."
Alien grasses are making wildfires more frequent in the U.S., study finds
Los Angeles Times print
2019-12-07
For much of the United States, invasive grass species are making wildfires more frequent, especially in fire-prone California, a new study finds. Twelve non-native species act as “little arsonist grasses,” said study co-author Bethany Bradley, a University of Massachusetts professor of environmental conservation.
Publications (1)
Disentangling the abundance–impact relationship for invasive species
Proceedings of the National Academy of SciencesBethany A. Bradley et al
2019-04-29
To predict the threat of biological invasions to native species, it is critical that we understand how increasing abundance of invasive alien species affects native populations and communities.
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