Title: Assistant Professor, Restoration Ecology
Major Field of Interest: My core research goals are to understand how components of global change alter rangeland plant communities and to apply this understanding to ecosystem restoration.
Email: garbowsk@nmsu.edu
Office Location: Knox Hall 321

• Google Citations
• Restoration Lab

Education:

• B.S., Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Environmental Studies, University of Colorado (2010)
• M.S., Ecology, Colorado State University (2016)
• Ph.D., Ecology, Colorado State University (2020)
• Postdoctoral Researcher, German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research (2021)
• USDA-NIFA Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Wyoming (2022 – 2023)
  Baker Postdoctoral Fellow in Climate Change and Human Resilience (2023)

Research:
I use a variety of approaches rooted in community and functional ecology to understand how various components of global change (e.g., drought, invasive species, nutrient enrichment) alter plant communities and ecosystems. I then seek to apply this understanding to the restoration of degraded ecosystems. Specifically, my lab seeks to answer the following research questions:

1. ​How can we manipulate abiotic and biotic filters to promote the establishment of native species and hinder the spread of invasive species in restoration projects?
2. Which functional traits drive plant establishment, survival, and persistence in restored communities?
3. How can the restoration of degraded ecosystems enhance biodiversity, ecosystem functions, and ecosystem services?