Bethany Bradley
Professor of Biogeography and Spatial Ecology University of Massachusetts Amherst
University of Massachusetts Amherst
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Expertise
Biography
She is interested in how terrestrial ecosystems respond to anthropogenically driven changes, particularly interactions between invasive species, land use and climate change. She aims 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.
Bradley is a co-founder of the Northeast Regional Invasive Species & Climate Change (RISCC) Network and co-director of the Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center (NE CASC).
Education
Brown University
Ph.D.
Geological Sciences (Terrestrial Remote Sensing)
2006
Brown University
M.Sc.
Geological Sciences
2003
Pomona College
B.A.
Geology
2000
Links
Select Recent Media Coverage
10 plants experts say you should never grow in your garden
Martha Stewart Living online
2025-09-17
You might assume that if a plant is bad for the environment where you live, it won’t be for sale in your region. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work that way. Many states do not have regulations prohibiting the sale of plants that have been identified as invasive, says Bethany Bradley with the University of Massachusetts Amherst. And even in the states that do regulate invasive plant species, legislation lags far behind the research, she says.
As US ramps up fossil fuels, communities will have to adapt to the consequences − yet climate adaptation funding is on the chopping block
The Conversation online
2025-05-12
It’s no secret that warming temperatures, wildfires and flash floods are increasingly affecting lives across the United States. With the U.S. government now planning to ramp up fossil fuel use, the risks of these events are likely to become even more pronounced.
That leaves a big question: Is the nation prepared to adapt to the consequences?
‘There are species that have gone and will go extinct because of this.’
The Boston Globe online
2024-02-28
What do the updates to the USDA plant hardiness map mean for area gardeners? Don’t try to grow bananas just yet. How we can protect native species.
Select Publications
A Quantitative Classification of the Geography of Non-Native Flora in the United States
Global Ecology and BiogeographyBethany A. Bradley, Annette E. Evans, Helen R. Sofaer, Montserrat Vilà, David T. Barnett, Evelyn M. Beaury, Dana M. Blumenthal, Jeffrey D. Corbin, Jeffrey S. Dukes, Regan Early, Inés Ibáñez, Ian S. Pearse, Laís Petri, Cascade J. B. Sorte
2025-04-14
Non-native plants have the potential to harm ecosystems. Harm is classically related to their distribution and abundance, but this geographical information is often unknown. Here, we assess geographical commonness as a potential indicator of invasive status for non-native flora in the United States. Geographical commonness could inform invasion risk assessments across species and ecoregions.
Observed and Potential Range Shifts of Native and Nonnative Species with Climate Change
Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and SystematicsBethany A. Bradley, Evelyn M. Beaury, Belinda Gallardo, Inés Ibáñez, Catherine Jarnevich, Toni Lyn Morelli, Helen R. Sofaer, Cascade J.B. Sorte and Montserrat Vilà
2024-06-17
There is broad concern that the range shifts of global flora and fauna will not keep up with climate change, increasing the likelihood of population declines and extinctions. Many populations of nonnative species already have advantages over native species, including widespread human-aided dispersal and release from natural enemies. But do nonnative species also have an advantage with climate change? Here, we review observed and potential range shifts for native and nonnative species globally. We show that nonnative species are expanding their ranges orders of magnitude faster than native species, reflecting both traits that enable rapid spread and ongoing human-mediated introduction. We further show that nonnative species have large potential ranges and range expansions with climate change, likely due to a combination of widespread introduction and broader climatic tolerances. With faster spread rates and larger potential to persist or expand, nonnative populations have a decided advantage in a changing climate.
Invasive Species Policy Must Embrace a Changing Climate
BioScienceBethany A Bradley, Evelyn M Beaury, Emily J Fusco, Bianca E Lopez
2022-12-07
With increasing impacts of climate change observed across ecosystems, there is an urgent need to consider climate change in all future environmental policy. But existing policy and management might be slow to respond to this challenge, leading to missed opportunities to incorporate climate change into practice. Furthermore, invasive species threats continue to rise and interact with climate change—exacerbating negative impacts. Enabling natural resource managers and individuals to be proactive about climate-driven invasive species threats creates a win–win for conservation. Recommendations include expanding opportunities for information sharing across borders, supporting proactive screening and regulation of high-risk species on the horizon, and incentivizing individual actions that reduce ecological impacts. In addition, invasive species risk should be considered when crafting climate mitigation and adaptation policy to reduce compounding stressors on ecosystems. As we develop much-needed tools to reduce harm, policy and management must consider the combined threats of invasions and climate change.
