Scott Mangan

Scott Mangan is an Associate Professor of Ecology in the Biological Sciences department at Arkansas State University's Beck College of Sciences & Mathematics. His research program investigates the mechanisms driving biological community organization through the lens of plant-microbial interactions, spanning tropical and temperate ecosystems.

Education:

• PhD in Ecology, Indiana University – Bloomington (2006)
• MS in Ecology, University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh (1999)
• BS in Botany, University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh (1996)

Dr. Mangan's work fundamentally re-evaluates classic plant ecology theories by incorporating microbial interactions, demonstrating their critical role in species coexistence, abundance patterns, and ecosystem functioning. His research integrates field experiments in tropical forests and temperate woodlands with greenhouse studies, molecular techniques, and analytical modeling. Key focus areas include plant-soil feedbacks, conspecific density dependence, and the conservation implications of microbial symbioses for endangered species. The Mangan Lab actively explores how anthropogenic disturbances like land-use change alter plant-microbe dynamics and community assembly processes.

Recent publications reveal a dominant research trajectory centered on plant-soil-microbial feedback loops across diverse ecosystems, with significant emphasis on conservation applications for endangered legumes and tropical tree communities. His work consistently bridges theoretical ecology with practical restoration challenges, particularly examining how microbial communities mediate responses to habitat fragmentation and land-use history.

Scientific Awards: No awards specified in source materials.

Dr. Mangan mentors undergraduate and graduate students through the Biological Sciences program, welcoming energetic researchers to join his lab. His collaborative projects include NSF-funded research on genetic diversity and pathogen-mediated density dependence in tropical tree dynamics, reflecting his commitment to large-scale ecological questions requiring interdisciplinary approaches.

The Mangan Lab operates from Lab Science West (Room 330-B) at Arkansas State University, maintaining active field sites in tropical forests and temperate ecosystems. The lab's research philosophy, captured by their motto 'Nothing in Ecology makes sense except in the light of microbial interactions,' drives investigations into how microscopic processes scale to ecosystem-level patterns.