Publications

Peer Reviewed

California Environments

TitleAuthor(s), YearJournalCitation
Where have the native grasses gone?: what a long term, repeat study can tell us about California’s native prairie landscapesLaris, P., Seymour, C., and Mills, M., 2021Rural Landscapes: Society, Environment, HistoryLaris, P., et al. (2021). Where Have the Native Grasses Gone?: What a Long-Term, Repeat Study Can Tell Us about California’s Native Prairie Landscapes. Rural Landscapes: Society, Environment, History (at press): DOI:
Coyote brush as facilitator of native plant recovery in the Santa Monica Mountains. Brennan, S., Laris, P., & Rodrigue, C.M., 2018MadronoBrennan, S., Laris, P., & Rodrigue, C.M. 2018. Coyote brush as facilitator of native plant recovery in the Santa Monica Mountains. Madrono. 65(1):47-59. 
The Coyote Brush invasion of Southern California grasslands and the legacy of mechanical disturbanceLaris, P., Brennana, S., and Engelberg, K., 2016Geographical ReviewLaris, P., Brennan, S., and Engelberg, K. 2016. The Coyote Brush invasion of Southern California grasslands and the legacy of mechanical disturbance. Geographical Review. 
Comparing the Long-Term Impacts of Different Anthropogenic Disturbance Regimes on California Coastal Sage Scrub RecoveryEngelberg, K., Laris, P., Nagy, B., and Eckardt, S., 2013Professional GeographerEngelberg, K., Laris, P., Nagy, B., and Eckardt, S. 2013. Comparing the Long-Term Impacts of Different Anthropogenic Disturbance Regimes on California Coastal Sage Scrub Recovery Professional Geographer. 
Political Ecology of Emotion and Sacred Space: The Winnemem Wintu struggles with California water policyNgo, M., Dallman,S., Laris, P., and Thien, D., 2012Emotion, Space and SocietyNgo, M., Dallman,S., Laris, P., and Thien, D. 2012. Political Ecology of Emotion and Sacred Space: The Winnemem Wintu struggles with California water policy. Emotion, Space and Society.

Tropical Savanna

TitleAuthor(s), YearJournalCitation
The Pyrogeography of Methane Emissions from Seasonal-Mosaic Burning Regimes in a West African LandscapeLaris, P. Kone, M. Dembele, F., Rodrigue, C.M., Laris, Q., Yang, L., Jacobs, R. 2023FireLaris, P. Kone, M. Dembele, F., Rodrigue, C.M., Laris, Q., Yang, L., Jacobs, R. 2023. The Pyrogeography of Methane Emissions from Seasonal-Mosaic Burning Regimes in a West African Landscape. Fire. 6, 52.   
Methane gas emissions from savanna fires: what analysis of local burning regimes in a working West African landscape tell usLaris, P., Kone, M., Dembele,F., Yang, L., Jacobs, R., F. & Camara, F. 2021Biogeoscience

Laris, P., Kone, M., Dembele,F., Yang, L., Jacobs, R., F. & Camara, F. 2021. Methane gas emissions from savanna fires: What analysis of local burning regimes in a working West African landscape tell us. Biogeoscience 18, 6229–6244, 

. 

On the Problems and Promises of Savanna Fire Regime Change. Commentary on “Emissions mitigation opportunities for savanna countries from early dry season fire management”Laris, P., 2021Nature CommunicationsLaris, P., 2021. On the Problems and Promises of Savanna Fire Regime Change. Commentary on “Emissions mitigation opportunities for savanna countries from early dry season fire management” Lipsett-Moore et al. Nature Communications (In Press).
Fire and Water: The role of grass competition on juvenile tree growth and survival rates in a mesic savanna.Laris, P., Yang, L., Dembele, F., Rodrigue, C.M., 2021Plant EcologyLaris, P., Yang, L., Dembele, F. et al. Fire and water: the role of grass competition on juvenile tree growth and survival rates in a mesic savanna. Plant Ecol 222, 861–875 (2021).  
On the problem of “natural” savanna fires: Commentary on Veenendaal et al.Laris, P. & Jacobs, R., 2021New PhytologistLaris, P. & Jacobs, R. 2021. On the problem of “natural” savanna fires: Commentary on Veenendaal et al, 2018, New Phytologist (forthcoming). 
Determinants of fire intensity and severity in a mesic savanna of AfricaLaris, P., Jacobs, R., Kone, M., Dembele, F., Rodrigue, C.M., and Camara, F., 2020Fire EcologyLaris, P., Jacobs, R., Kone, M. et al., 2020.  Determinants of fire intensity and severity in a mesic savanna of Africa. Fire Ecology. 
Inventaire, typologie et estimation quantitative des gaz émis par les feux de brousse en savane soudanaise dans le sud MaliKone, M., Dembele, F., Laris, P., 2019Revue de Géographie Tropicale et d’Environnement 
The effects of landscape pattern and vegetation type on the fire regime of a mesic savanna in Mali. Laris, P., Jo, Audrey., Wechsler, S., and Dadashi, S., 2018Journal of
Environmental Management		Laris, P., Jo, Audrey., Wechsler, S., and Dadashi, S. 2018. The Effects of Landscape Pattern and Vegetation Type on the Fire Regime of a Mesic Savanna in Mali. Journal of Environmental Management. 227:134-145.
The early/late fire dichotomy: Time for a reassessment of Aubreville’s savanna fire experiments.Laris, P., Kone, M., Dadashi, S., and Dembele, F., 2017Progress in Physical GeographyLaris, P., Kone, M., Dadashi, S., and Dembele, F. 2017. The early/late fire dichotomy: Time for a reassessment of Aubreville’s savanna fire experiments. Progress in Physical Geography 41(1):68-94. 
Buffering the savanna: the human ecology and geography of burning in an unstable environmentLaris, P., Caillault, S., Dadashi, S. and Jo, A., 2015Journal of EthnobiologyLaris, P., Caillault, S., Dadashi, S. and Jo, A. 2015. Buffering the savanna: the human ecology and geography of burning in an unstable environment. Journal of Ethnobiology 35(1):111-139. 
Taking from cotton to grow maize: The shifting practices of small-holder farmers in the cotton belt of MaliLaris, P., Foltz, J.D. & Voorhees, B., 2014Agricultural Systems (online)Laris, P., Foltz, J.D. & Voorhees, B. 2014. Taking from cotton to grow maize: The shifting practices of small-holder farmers in the cotton belt of Mali. Agricultural Systems (on-line).
Cotton as Catalyst?: The Shifting role of fertilizer in Mali’s Cotton BeltLaris, P., & Foltz, J.D, 2014Human Ecology, (online)Laris, P., & Foltz, J.D. 2014. Cotton as Catalyst?: The Shifting role of fertilizer in Mali’s Cotton Belt. Human Ecology, (on-line).
Integrating land change science and savanna fire models in West AfricaLaris, P., & Wardell, D., 2013LandLaris, Paul. 2013. “Integrating Land Change Science and Savanna Fire Models in West Africa” Land 2(4): 609-636. 
Humanizing savanna models: integrating natural factors and anthropogenic disturbance regimes to determine tree-grass dynamics in savannasLaris, P., & Dembele, F., 2012Land Change Science (online)Laris, P., & Dembele, F. 2012. Humanizing savanna models: integrating natural factors and anthropogenic disturbance regimes to determine tree-grass dynamics in savannas. Land Change Science (published online July 14, 2011). 
The Sahel’s Silent Maize Revolution: Analyzing Maize Productivity in Mali at the Farm-LevelFoltz, J.D., Aldana, U.T., Laris, P., 2012NBER Working Paper Series, Working Paper 17801Foltz, J.D., Aldana, U.T., Laris, P. 2012. The Sahel’s Silent Maize Revolution: Analyzing Maize Productivity in Mali at the Farm-Level. NBER Working Paper Series, Working Paper 17801. National Bureau of Economic Research, Cambridge, MA. 
Humanizing savanna biogeography: linking human practices with ecological patterns in a frequently burned savanna of southern MaliLaris, P., 2011Annals of the Association of American GeographersLaris, P. 2011. Humanizing savanna biogeography: linking human practices with ecological patterns in a frequently burned savanna of southern Mali. Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 101 (5): 1067-1088. 
Fire ecology and fire politics in Mali and MadagascarKull, C.A., and Laris, P., 2009Tropical Fire EcologyKull C.A., Laris P. 2009. Fire ecology and fire politics in Mali and Madagascar. Tropical Fire Ecology. Springer Praxis Books. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg.
An anthropogenic escape route from the “Gulliver syndrome” in the West African SavannaLaris, P., 2008Human EcologyLaris, P. 2008.   Human Ecology 36:789-805 (2008)
West African Environmental Narratives and Development‐Volunteer PraxisMoseley, W.G., and Laris, P., 2008Geographical ReviewMoseley, W.G., and Laris, P., 2008.  West African environmental narratives and development‐volunteer praxis. Geographical Review 98(1): 59-81. 
Managing a burned mosaic: A landscape-scale human ecological model of savanna fires in MaliLaris, P., 2006in Savannas and Dry Forests: Linking People with Nature
Good, bad or ‘necessary evil’? Reinterpreting the colonial burning experiments in the savanna landscapes of West AfricaLaris, P., & Wardell, D., 2006Geographical JournalLaris, P., and Wardell, D.A., 2006. Good, bad or ‘necessary evil’? Reinterpreting the colonial burning experiments in the savanna landscapes of West Africa. The Geographical Journal 172(4): 271-290.
Spatiotemporal problems with detecting and mapping mosaic fire regimes with coarse-resolution satellite data in savanna environmentsLaris, P., 2005Remote Sensing of EnvironmentLaris, P., 2005. Spatiotemporal problems with detecting and mapping mosaic fire regimes with coarse-resolution satellite data in savanna environments. Remote Sensing of Environment 99(4): 412-424. .
Burning the seasonal mosaic: preventative burning strategies in the wooded savanna of southern MaliLaris, P., 2002Human Ecology, (online)Laris, P. Burning the Seasonal Mosaic: Preventative Burning Strategies in the Wooded Savanna of Southern Mali. Human Ecology 30, 155–186 (2002).

Masters’ Theses

TitleAuthor(s), YearUniversityPDF
Estimating Oak Tree Biomass Using Canopy-Based Estimates of Trunk Diameter Derived from High Resolution SUAS ImageryBrendan Schultheis 2024California State University, Long Beach
Reading Between the Branches: Exploring the Geography of Tree Mortality in Blue Oak WoodlandsMina Nada 2024California State University, Long Beach
Effects of Fire Disturbance and Grass Removal on Tree Growth in Mesic SavannasLilian L. Yang, 2020California State University, Long Beach
Determinants of Fire Intensity in a Mesic West Africa Savanna: A Statistical Analysis of Fire CharacteristicsRebecca L. Jacobs, 2018California State University, Long Beach
Natives versus Exotics and Grasses versus Forbes: A Long-Term Study of Vegetation in La Jolla ValleyChelsea R. Seymour, 2017California State University, Long Beach
The Effect of Landscape Pattern and Vegetation Cover Types on the Fire Regime of a Savanna in Southern MaliAurahm Jo, 2016California State University, Long Beach
Assessment of Wildfire Frequency and Coastal Sage Scrub Vegetation Dynamics in the Santa Monica Mountains of Southern CaliforniaScott W. Eckardt, 2006California State University, Long Beach
Anthropogenic Disturbance Regimes and Coastal Sage Scrub: Comparing the Long Term Impacts of Grazing and Cultivation in Southern CaliforniaKyra R. Engelberg, 2011California State University, Long Beach