Vegetation research at ACCS focuses on the biology of rare and invasive plant species and the distribution, status, and trend of vegetation communities across Alaska. Research on rare and invasive plants includes habitat modeling, biogeography, reproductive ecology and evolution, and ecological impacts of non-native plants. Work on vegetation involves mapping, remote sensing, data consolidation, ecological description, and evaluation of community-scale plant associations to landscape-scale biophysical settings. Additionally, the vegetation group offers a range of services including specimen review and voucher curation, vegetation and ecological survey and monitoring, and conservation planning. ACCS also manages the University of Alaska Anchorage Herbarium (UAAH).
As the state’s Natural Heritage Program, ACCS is a central repository of biological information for Alaska: rare plants and lichens and ecosystems of conservation concern and the Alaska Vegetation Plots Database. Information and reports of native and non-native plant species are collected, verified, and cataloged into databases: rare vascular plants, rare lichens, and non-native plants (AKEPIC). Data maintained in these databases are an integral part of ongoing research and reflect the observations of many scientists and institutions. We work closely with botanists and ecologists across Alaska to ensure the most comprehensive and accurate data sets.
Research Focal Areas
People
Lindsey Flagstad, M.S.
Vegetation & Wetland Ecologist | 907-786-4865 | laflagstad (at) alaska.edu
Lindsey specializes in the identification of plant species, the mathematical classification of their communities, and the digital mapping of their extents. She earned an undergraduate degree in geology from the Colorado College and an M.S. in biology from the University of Alaska; she has been involved with ACCS since 2004.
Justin Fulkerson, M.S.
Lead Botanist | 907-786-6387 | jrfulkerson (at) alaska.edu
Justin Fulkerson earned a B.S. in Biology from Humboldt State University and a M.S. in Biology from University of Alaska Anchorage. His research interests are in plant evolutionary ecology, pollination ecology, ethnobotany, and the conservation of rare plants. Justin has over a decade of research and professional experience as a botanist with extensive field experience in Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, and the Intermountain West.
Matthew Carlson, Ph.D.
ACCS Director, Botanist | Professor of Biological Sciences | 907-786-6390 | mlcarlson (at) uaa.alaska.edu
Matt Carlson received a B.S. in Biology and in Art from the Willamette University and a Ph.D. in Biology from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Matt has worked as a botanist with the Alaska Natural Heritage Program since 2002. He has conducted floristic inventories across the state and manages the rare plant and non-native plant databases. Along with students and collaborators, Matt studies the ecology of rare and non-native plants in Alaska and plant evolutionary ecology more generally.
Timm Nawrocki, M.S.
Terrestrial Ecologist | 907-786-6359 | twnawrocki (at) alaska.edu | 
Publications
Timm received a B.S. in Biology from the University of Virginia and a M.S. in Biological Sciences from the University of Alaska Anchorage. He specializes in spatial analyses of terrestrial vegetation, soils, and wildlife; remote sensing; and identification of vascular and non-vascular plants. He is fluent in Python, R, SQL, Javascript, geographic information systems (GIS), and web development including a variety of frameworks, platforms, and languages.
Anjanette Steer, M.S.
Vegetation & Wetland Ecologist | 907-786-6351 | masteer (at) alaska.edu
Anjanette Steer earned a B.S. Biology from Pacific Lutheran University and a M.S. in Environmental Science from Alaska Pacific University, where she used GIS to evaluate wetland loss in the Anchorage area. Anjanette has applied her knowledge of Alaska ecosystems to help identify and map rare wetland ecosystems across Alaska and conduct vegetation monitoring in the arctic and interior Alaska.