Dr. Feagin's research focuses on sand dunes, salt marshes, beaches, and other coastal ecosystems with particular emphasis on the effects of global climate change and urbanization upon coastal plant community distribution using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and its related technologies. The central question of study is how coastal vegetation responds to and modifies its sedimentary environment, particularly in the context of long-term sea level rise versus short-term extreme disturbances. Dr. Feagin's interests range from basic to applied science, and include community ecology, restoration ecology, coastal geomorphology, ecological complexity, and spatial analysis. He typically integrates field-based manipulative experiments with lab-based spatial analysis/modeling.
- Ph.D. in Rangeland Ecology and Management, Texas A&M University - (College Station, Texas, United States) 2003
- B.A. in Environmental Studies, University of California, Santa Cruz - (Santa Cruz, California, United States) 1996
Academic Articles70
- Patrick, C. J., Kominoski, J. S., McDowell, W. H., Branoff, B., Lagomasino, D., Leon, M., ... Zou, X. (2022). A general pattern of trade-offs between ecosystem resistance and resilience to tropical cyclones.. Sci Adv. 8(9), eabl9155.
- Hutchings, J. A., Bianchi, T. S., Najjar, R. G., Herrmann, M., Kemp, W. M., Hinson, A. L., & Feagin, R. A. (2020). Carbon Deposition and Burial in Estuarine Sediments of the Contiguous United States. GLOBAL BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES. 34(2),
- Feagin, R. A., Johns, N., Huff, T. P., Abdullah, M. M., & Fritz-Grammond, K. (2020). Restoration of Freshwater Inflows: the Use of Spatial Analysis for Hydrologic Planning in the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge, USA. WETLANDS. 40(6), 2561-2576.
- Feagin, R. A., Forbrich, I., Huff, T. P., Barr, J. G., Ruiz-Plancarte, J., Fuentes, J. D., ... Miao, G. (2020). Tidal Wetland Gross Primary Production Across the Continental United States, 2000-2019. GLOBAL BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES. 34(2),
- Yeager, K. M., Wolfe, P. C., Feagin, R. A., Brunner, C. A., & Schindler, K. J. (2019). Active near-surface growth faulting and late Holocene history of motion: Matagorda peninsula, Texas. GEOMORPHOLOGY. 327, 159-169.
Conference Papers1
- Sigren, J. M., Figlus, J., Highfield, W., Armitage, A. R., & Feagin, R. A. (2017). Methods Evaluating the Economic Effects of Coastal Dunes in Reducing Storm-Induced Property Damage: Hurricane Ike and Texas Coast Case Study. Coastal Structures and Solutions to Coastal Disasters 2015, Coastal Structures and Solutions to Coastal Disasters 2015. 88-97.
Principal Investigator4
Co-Principal Investigator1
- ECCB205 Fundamentls Of Ecology Instructor
- ECCB691 Research Instructor
- ESSM420 Wetland Ecol Restoration Instructor
- ESSM485 Directed Studies Instructor
- ESSM491 Research Instructor
- Furman, Matthew Robbins (2016-08). Dune Plant Biophysical Traits and Their Impacts on Erosion. (Master's Thesis)
- Tapaneeyakul, Sasathorn (2015-12). Spatial Valuation of Ecosystem Services in Agricultural Lands. (Doctoral Dissertation)
- Benjamin, Lisa A. (2009-08). An Environmental Perspective to Decision-making for the Control of Johne's Disease on Beef Ranches. (Doctoral Dissertation)