James H. Brown

James Hemphill Brown (born September 25, 1942) is an American biologist and academic known for his contributions to ecology.

Brown is an ecologist and, as of 2001, a Distinguished Professor of Biology at the University of New Mexico. His research has focused on three main areas of ecology:

The population and community ecology of rodents and harvester ants in the Chihuahuan Desert. Large-scale ecological patterns, including the distribution of body size, abundance, and geographic range of animals. This work led to the development of macroecology, a term coined in a paper Brown co-authored with Brian Maurer of Michigan State University. The Metabolic Theory of Ecology, which seeks to explain ecological patterns based on metabolic principles.

In 2005, Brown was awarded the Robert H. MacArthur Award by the Ecological Society of America for his contributions to the field, including his work on the metabolic theory of ecology.

Between 1969 and 2011, Brown was awarded over $18.4 million in research grants. Marsh Ward for Career Achievement, (British Ecological Society), 2002 Robert H. MacArthur Award (Ecological Society of America), 2005 Member of the National Academy of Sciences, 2005

Portal In 1977, Brown, in collaboration with Diane Davidson and James Reichman, initiated a research project in the Chihuahuan Desert near Portal, Arizona, to study competition between rodents and ants and their influence on the annual plant community.

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