J. Leighton Reid

The main question driving my research is how and where can we best restore endangered and biodiverse ecosystems? Virtually all visions for a sustainable future now include a strong role for ecosystem restoration, and the practice of ecological restoration has been invigorated in recent years by large-scale restoration commitments spanning hundreds of millions of hectares in more than 100 countries. As these ambitions are put into practice, my lab’s role includes identifying the most suitable locations for restoration and matching them to efficient restoration strategies. Currently, the Restoration Ecology Lab has active research projects focused on lowland rainforest restoration and tropical forest assembly in the Ecuadorian Choco, top-down impacts of mammalian herbivores on threatened high-elevation ecosystems in the southern Appalachians, floristics, restoration, and seed production in Virginia’s Piedmont grasslands, population ecology and recovery of endangered Appalachian plants, and restoring Monacan land management practices.

• ENSC 3644 Plant Materials for Environmental Restoration (Fall)
• ENSC 4244 Ecological Restoration (Spring)
• ENSC 4344 Ecological Restoration Field Practicum (Spring Break)
• ENSC 5244 Advanced Ecological Restoration (Spring)
• HIST 6984 Special Study: The Global Biodiversity Standard

Associate Professor | 2025 – present
School of Plant and Environmental Sciences
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Assistant Professor | 2019 – 2025
School of Plant and Environmental Sciences
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Assistant Scientist | 2016-2019
Center for Conservation and Sustainable Development
Missouri Botanical Garden

Postdoctoral Researcher | 2014-2016
Center for Conservation and Sustainable Development
Missouri Botanical Garden

Postdoctoral Researcher | 2013-2014
Forest Ecosystems and Society
Oregon State University

• Saied and Parynaz Mostaghimi Excellence in Basic Research Award. College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Virginia Tech, 2026
• NSF CAREER Award. 2024
• Editor’s Choice Award. Applied Vegetation Science, 2016
• Atlas Award. Elsevier, 2015

1. Lussier, N, J Woodlief, CB Adams, G Paladines, J Karubian, JL Reid & C Kwit. Vegetation structure and morphology shape functional diversity metrics of understory bird communities during tropical forest succession, northwest Ecuador. Oikos. In Press.
2. Reid, JL, V Amaral, R Miles, M Yin & S Murphy. 2026. How to review an opinion. Restoration Ecology. In Press.
3. Reid, JL, Q Campbell, N Duerr, HM Fitzgerald, P Judge, ND Polk, GN Ripa, B Sapperstein, EJ Staengl & S Vrh. 2026. Undammed: freeing rivers and bringing communities to life. Tara Lohan. Island Press. ISBN 978-1-642-83334-8, ISBN 978-1-642-83335-5 (eBook). Restoration Ecology. In Press.
4. Bartholomew, D et al. 2026. Open letter: The need for a site-based biodiversity standard measuring and certifying impacts from nature-based projects. Plants People Planet 8:1394-1402. DOI:10.1002/ppp3.70169 (228 authors)
5. Shiveley, TJ, SM Salom, JL Reid, JN Barney. 2026. Active revegetation of Ailanthus altissima stands treated with the bioherbicide Verticillium nonalfalfae is met with limited success. Natural Areas Journal 46(2):107-121
6. Lussier, NM, G Paladines, G Loor, M Quiñonez, JC Woodlief, CB Adams, E Ortega, L Russo, JL Reid, J Karubian, C Kwit. 2026. Seed dispersal networks become more structured and stable with forest regeneration. Restoration Ecology e70311.
7. Logan, C, E Colberg, DM Hill, M Velo & JL Reid. 2025. Trade-offs between machete and fire as site preparation techniques for native tree planting in eastern Madagascar. Tropical Conservation Science 18. https://doi.org/10.1177/19400829251400468
8. Reid, JL, M Velo, S Aparicio Vera, Q Campbell, E Colberg, JT Coscia, M Fitzgerald, L Frelich, L Hyatt, C Logan, P MacDougal, RA Montgomery, GN Ripa, EJ Staengl, DM Hill, C Sangotra Hill. 2025. Tree planting choices mediate wildfire damage to tropical forest restoration in eastern Madagascar. Restoration Ecology e70251. 10.1111/rec.70251
9. Fricke, E, C Bello, R Chaplin-Kramer, DH Dent, KJ Feely, M Galetti, JP González-Varo, R Heleno, JL Reid. 2025. Drivers and impacts of seed disperser decline. Nature Reviews Biodiversity 1:386-400. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44358-025-00053-w
10. Shively, TJ, JN Barney, A Baudoin, CJ Fearer, JL Reid & SM Salom. 2025. Range expansion of a Verticillium nonalfalfae isolate suppresses Ailanthus altissima with variable results along environmental gradients. Forest Pathology 55(2).
11. Viani, RAG & JL Reid. 2025. A global analysis of strengths and weaknesses in our knowledge of tropical forest restoration. Restoration Ecology e70067. https://doi.org/10.1111/rec.70067
12. Kubesch, JOC, S Greiner, G Pent, JL Reid & B Tracy. 2025. Diversifying tall fescue pastures with native warm-season grasses and white clover improves beef cattle performance. Crop Science. 65.
13. De Almeida, C, JL Reid, RA Ferreira de Lima, LF Guedes Pinto & RAG Viani. 2024. High-diversity Atlantic Forest restorations fail to represent local floras. Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation. 23:6-11.
14. Coscia, JT, JBC Harris, D Floyd, M Beall, D Bellangue, D Chaney, J Gorrell, E Sackett, E Staengl & JL Reid. 2024. Floristics of Virginia's northern and central Piedmont grasslands. Vegetation Classification and Survey 5:267-278.
15. Bellangue, D, BF Tracy, JOC Kubesch, M Flessner, JN Barney & JL Reid. 2024. Site preparation and planting strategies to improve native forb establishment in pasturelands. Agronomy 14:2676.
16. Shively, TJ, JN Barney, JL Reid & SM Salom. 2024. The bioherbicide Verticillium nonalfalfae effectively removes Ailanthus altissima but leaves many other nonnative plants. Invasive Plant Science and Management 17:305-310.
17. Holl, KD, JL Reid, RA Zahawi, LP de Siqueira, & P Brancalion. 2024. A call for practical spatially patterned restoration methods. Restoration Ecology 32.
18. Lussier, N, R Crafford, JL Reid & C Kwit. 2024. Seeding success: Integrating seed dispersal networks in tropical forest restoration. Biotropica 23:852-860.
19. Kubesch, JOC, S Greiner, G Pent, JL Reid & B Tracy. 2024. Evaluating different methods to establish biodiverse swards of native grasses and wildflowers for pasturelands. Agronomy 14:1041.
20. Beall, M, JN Barney, GE Welbaum & JL Reid. 2024. Implications of germination tolerances on invasion potential of Arthraxon hispidus. PLoS One 19: e0303638.
21. Reid, JL, MA Burt, Q Campbell, JT Coscia, JC Huston, JOC Kubesch, P MacDougal, GN Ripa, EJ Staengl & RAG Viani. 2024. Ecological Restoration: Moving Forward Using Lessons Learned, Singarayer Florentine, Paul Gibson-Roy, Kingsley Dixon, and Linda Broadhurst (editors) (2023), Springer, ISBN 978–3–031–25411-6, ISBN 978–3–031–25412–3 (eBook). Restoration Ecology 32.
22. Brant, RA, CE Edwards, JL Reid, B Bassuner, B Delfeld, SA Mangan, V de la Paz Bernasconi Torres & MA Albrecht. 2024. Restoration age alters soil microbial communities and shapes interactions between microbiota and plant growth in an oak woodland. Ecology and Evolution 14.
23. Joyce, F, JA Rosales, KD Holl, RA Zahawi, A Bui & JL Reid. 2024. Active restoration accelerates recovery of tropical bird assemblages over two decades. Biological Conservation 293:110593.
24. De Almeida, C, JL Reid, RA Ferreira de Lima, LFG Pinto, RAG Viani. 2024. Restoration plantings in the Atlantic Forest use a small, biased, and homogeneous set of tree species. Forest Ecology and Management 553:121628.
25. Kaul, A, N Dell, M Engelhardt, Q Long, JL Reid, M Saxton, J Trager, M Albrecht. 2023. High-diversity seed additions promote herb-layer recovery during restoration of degraded oak woodland. Ecological Solutions and Evidence e12202.
26. Reid, JL, MC Beall, D Bellangue, MA Burt, JT Coscia, JOC Kubesch, CM Logan, MP Mellett, RW Smith & DM Uhelski. 2022. A Framework for Community Ecology: Species Pools, Filters, and Traits. Paul A. Keddy and Daniel C. Laughlin. 2022. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 370 pages, $44.99 (paperback), ISBN: 9781316512609 (paperback). Restoration Ecology 30.
27. Chaves, RF, JL Reid, C Hohlenwerger, A Calaboni, M Mendes, MSP Baptista, DP Mori, LR Tambosi. 2022. Welcome small patches, beware the risks of changing conservation priorities. Conservation Letters e12917.
28. San-José, M, LK Werden, F Joyce, JL Reid, KD Holl & RA Zahawi. 2022. Effects of landscape structure on restoration success in tropical premontane forest. Scientific Reports 12:13542.
29. Culbertson, KA, T Treuer, A Mondragon-Botero, T Ramiadantsoa, & JL Reid. 2022. The eco-evolutionary history of Madagascar presents unique challenges to tropical forest restoration. Biotropica doi:10.1111/btp.13124.
30. Logan, CM, DM Hill, JF Solofoniaina Fidy, JC Robertho & JL Reid. 2022. Assaying techniques to improve dry season plantings in eastern Madagascar. Restoration Ecology. doi:10.1111/rec.13715
31. Londe, V, JL Reid, FT Farah, RR Rodrigues & FR Martins. 2022. Estimating optimal sampling area for monitoring tropical forest restoration. Biological Conservation 269:109532.
32. Holl, KD, F Joyce, & JL Reid. 2022. Alluring restoration strategies to attract seed-dispersing animals need more rigorous testing. Journal of Applied Ecology 59:649-652.
33. Fernandez Barrancos, EP^†, RJ Marquis & JL Reid. 2022. Restoration plantations accelerate dead wood accumulation in tropical premontane forests. Forest Ecology and Management 508:120015.
34. Albrecht, MA, ND Dell, JL Reid, M Saxton, J Trager, C Waldman & QG Long. 2022. Recovery of herb-layer vegetation and soil properties after pile burning in a Midwestern oak woodland. Restoration Ecology e13547.
35. Reid, JL, U Korrman, D Zarrate-Chary, KD Holl, & RA Zahawi. 2021. Multi-scale habitat selection of key frugivores predicts large-seeded tree recruitment in tropical forest restoration. Ecosphere. 12:e03868.
36. Nerfa, L, SJ Wilson, JL Reid, & JM Rhemtulla. 2021. Practitioner views on the determinants of tropical forest restoration longevity. Restoration Ecology 29:e13345.
37. Zahawi, RA, JL Reid, & ME Fagan. 2020. Potential impacts of COVID-19 on tropical forest recovery. Biotropica 52:803-807. Top 10 most-downloaded article of the year in Biotropica.
38. Holl, KD, JL Reid, RJ Cole, F Oviedo-Brenes, JA Rosales, RA Zahawi. 2020. Applied nucleation facilitates tropical forest recovery: Lessons from a 15-year study. Journal of Applied Ecology 57: 2316-2328.
39. Fagan, ME, JL Reid, MB Holland, JG Drew, & RA Zahawi. 2020. How feasible are global forest restoration commitments? Conservation Letters 13:e12700. Top-cited article for the year in Conservation Letters.
40. Reid, JL, NJ Holmberg, MA Albrecht, S Arango-Caro, O Hajek*, Q Long, & J Trager. 2020. Annual floristic dynamics in a temperate woodland mosaic during a decade of ecological restoration. Natural Areas Journal 40:23-34.
41. Fagan, ME, JL Reid & RA Zahawi. 2019. Forests: Questioning carbon stores after restoration. Nature 570:446.
42. Brancalion, PHS, A Niamir, E Broadbent, R Crouzeilles, FSM Barros, AM Almedya Zambrano, A Baccini, J Aronson, S Goetz, JL Reid, BBN Strassburg, S Wilson & R Chazdon. 2019. Global restoration opportunities in tropical rainforest landscapes. Science Advances 5: eaav3223.
43. Fernandez-Barrancos, EP^†, JL Reid & JS Hall. 2020. Lack of Araceae in young forests highlights the importance of mature forest conservation. Tropical Conservation Science 12:1-5.
44. Miandrimanana, C, JL Reid, T Rivoharison & C Birkinshaw. 2019. Planting position and shade enhance native seedling performance in forest restoration for an endangered Malagasy plant. Plant Diversity 41:118-123.
45. Evans, JP, CA Oldfield, & JL Reid. 2019. Differential resistance to tree species loss between two dominant communities in a resilient southeastern landscape. Natural Areas Journal. 39:182-188.
46. Reid, JL, ME Fagan, J Lucas^†, J Slaughter & RA Zahawi. 2019. The ephemerality of regenerating forests in southern Costa Rica. Conservation Letters 12:e12607.
47. Reid, JL. 2018. Restoration Ecology’s Silver Jubilee: Big time questions for restoration ecology. Restoration Ecology 26:1029-1031.
48. Holl, KD, JL Reid, F Oviedo-Brenes, A Kulikowski & RA Zahawi. 2018. Rules of thumb for predicting tropical forest recovery. Applied Vegetation Science 21:669-677.
49. Zahawi, RA & JL Reid. 2018. Tropical secondary forest enrichment with giant stakes of keystone fig species. Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation 16:133-138.
50. Brancalion, PHS, C Bello, RL Chazdon, M Galetti, P Jordano, RAF Lima, A Medina, MA Pizo & JL Reid. 2018. Maximizing biodiversity conservation and carbon stocking in restored tropical forests. Conservation Letters 11:e12454.
51. Reid, JL, ME Fagan & RA Zahawi. 2018. Positive site selection bias in meta-analyses comparing natural regeneration to active forest restoration. Science Advances 4:eaas9143.
52. Reid, JL & J Aronson. 2017. Ecological restoration in a changing biosphere. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 102: 185-187.
53. Reid, JL, S Wilson, G Bloomfield, M Cattau, ME Fagan, KD Holl & RA Zahawi. 2017. How long do restored ecosystems persist? Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 102: 258-265.
54. Holl, KD, JL Reid, JM Chaves-Fallas, F Oviedo-Brenes & RA Zahawi. 2017. Local forest restoration strategies affect biodiversity recovery more strongly than does landscape forest cover. Journal of Applied Ecology 54: 1091-1099.
55. Hudson, LN et al. 2017. The database of the PREDICTS (Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity in Changing Terrestrial Systems) Project. Ecology and Evolution 7.1 145-188.
56. Fernandez-Barrancos, EP^†, JL Reid & J Aronson. 2017. Tank bromeliad transplants as an enrichment strategy in southern Costa Rica. Restoration Ecology 25: 569-576.
57. Reid JL, JM Chaves-Fallas, KD Holl & RA Zahawi. 2016. Tropical forest restoration enriches vascular epiphyte recovery. Applied Vegetation Science 19:508-517.
58. McAlpine, C, C Catterall, R Mac Nally, D Lindenmayer, JL Reid, KD Holl, AF Bennett, RK Runting, K Wilson, RJ Hobbs, L Seabrook, S Cunningham, A Moilanen, M Maron, L Shoo, I Lunt, P Vesk, L Rumpff, TG Martin, J Thomson, & H Possingham. 2016. Integrating plant- and animal-based perspectives for more effective restoration of biodiversity. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 14:37-45.
59. Reid, JL. 2016. Knowledge and experience predict indiscriminate bat killing intentions among Costa Rican men. Biotropica 48:394-404.
60. Reid, JL. 2015. Indicators of success should be sensitive to compositional failures: reply to Suganuma and Durigan. Restoration Ecology 23:519-520.
61. Reid, JL, CD Mendenhall, RA Zahawi, & KD Holl. 2015. Scale-dependent effects of forest restoration on Neotropical fruit bats. Restoration Ecology 23:681-689.
62. Zahawi, RA, JL Reid & KD Holl. 2015. Passive restoration can be an effective strategy: a reply to Prach and del Moral. Restoration Ecology 23:347-348.
63. Zahawi, RA, JP Dandois, KD Holl, D Nadwodny, JL Reid & EC Ellis. 2015. Using lightweight unmanned aerial vehicles to monitor tropical forest recovery. Biological Conservation 186:287-295.
64. Reid, JL, KD Holl & RA Zahawi. 2015. Seed dispersal limitations shift over time in tropical forest restoration. Ecological Applications 25:1072-1082.
65. Hudson, LN et al. 2014. The PREDICTS database: a global database of how local terrestrial biodiversity responds to human impacts. Ecology and Evolution 4:4701-4735.
66. Zahawi, RA, JL Reid & KD Holl. 2014. Hidden costs of passive restoration. Restoration Ecology 22:284-287.
67. Reid, JL, CD Mendenhall, JA Rosales, RA Zahawi & KD Holl. 2014. Landscape context mediates avian habitat choice in tropical forest restoration. PLoS One 9:e90573.
68. Reid, JL, EK Holste, KD Holl, & RA Zahawi. 2014. Does any bat box facilitate forest recovery? - Reply to Kelm. Biological Conservation 170:330-331.
69. Holl, KD, VM Stout, JL Reid & RA Zahawi. 2013. Testing heterogeneity-diversity relationships in tropical forest restoration. Oecologia 173:569-578.
70. Reid, JL, EK Holste & RA Zahawi. 2013. Artificial bat roosts did not accelerate forest regeneration in abandoned pastures in southern Costa Rica. Biological Conservation 167:9-16.
71. Lindell, CA, JL Reid & RJ Cole. 2013. Planting design effects on avian seed dispersers in a tropical forest restoration experiment. Restoration Ecology 21:515-522.
72. Zahawi, RA, KD Holl, RJ Cole & JL Reid. 2013. Testing applied nucleation as a strategy to facilitate tropical forest recovery. Journal of Applied Ecology 50:88-96.
73. Reid, JL & KD Holl. 2013. Arrival ≠ survival. Restoration Ecology 21:153-155.
74. Reid, JL, KN Katsuki* & KD Holl. 2012. Do birds bias measurements of seed rain? Journal of Tropical Ecology. 28:421-422.
75. Reid, JL, JBC Harris & RA Zahawi. 2012. Avian habitat preference in tropical forest restoration in southern Costa Rica. Biotropica 44:350-359.
76. Harris, JBC, JL Reid, BR Scheffers, TC Wanger, NS Sodhi, DA Fordham & BW Brook. 2012. Conserving imperiled species: a comparison of the IUCN Red List and US Endangered Species Act. Conservation Letters 5:64-72.
77. Harris, JBC, JL Reid & Z Wonggor. 2011. Papua (Irian Jaya). Kukila 15:132-133.
78. Reid, JL & A Sánchez-Gutiérrez. 2010. Observaciones de dos presas nuevas de vertebrados para el momoto común (Momotus momota). Zeledonia 14:68-72.
79. Reid, JL, JBC Harris, LJ Martin, JR Barnett & RA Zahawi. 2008. Distribution and abundance of nearctic-neotropical songbird migrants in a forest restoration site in southern Costa Rica. Journal of Tropical Ecology 24:685-688.
80. Reid, JL, JP Evans, JK Hiers & JBC Harris. 2008. Ten years of forest change in two adjacent communities on the southern Cumberland Plateau, U.S.A. Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society 135:224-235.
81. Greene, MP, E Wilichowski, AW Whelan & JL Reid. 2007. Hemidactylus turcicus (Mediterranean House Gecko). Herpetological Review 38:483.