Matthew Carlson

Matthew Carlson is Professor of Biological Sciences and Director of the Alaska Center for Conservation Science at the University of Alaska Anchorage. His research examines plant reproductive biology and pollination ecology using multi-scale approaches from population-level experiments to landscape modeling.

Conservation Leadership: Manages Alaska's rare plant and invasive species databases, overseeing over 80,000 spatial records. Leads significant conservation projects with federal and state agencies including BLM rare species assessments and Arctic pollinator studies.

Research Focus: Investigates genomic and ecological consequences of anthocyanin pathway mutations in Arctic plants, impacts of invasive species on pollination networks, and vulnerability assessments of Alaskan flora. Fieldwork spans Arctic tundra and boreal ecosystems.