How do plants interact with the changing world around them? This is the primary question driving our research.
See example collaborative projects below!
See example collaborative projects below!
Current Projects
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Phloem and drought
How the phloem (the carbon transport pathway in the plant) functions during drought is a huge unknown in plant ecophysiology. We are investigating this topic in order to create a clearer picture of how photosynthetic rates change and how plants die during climate-change induced droughts, which will help inform predictions of tree mortality and forest functioning.
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Northeastern forests and changing environments
In the northeastern US, severe summer droughts have been occurring (2016, 2020) and are predicted to increase. Additionally, the northeastern US is a hotspot for increased temperatures. We are investigating how these forests will respond to drought, as well as to other environmental changes induced by pest outbreaks, to better understand the role of this forest in the regional and global carbon cycle now and in the future.
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Fundamental plant physiology
We have collaborated on multiple projects investigating how plants as a whole respond to drought, as well as how the phloem functions, generally. These types of fundamental research projects are crucial for gaining a holistic understanding of plant biology.
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Former Projects
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Arctic plant biology and climate change
The arctic is facing accelerated warming due to a multitude of positive feedback cycles. We have collaborated on projects investigating how plants are responding to this changing climate, which will help inform our understanding of how other plant communities will function in the future when they experience similar changes in climate.
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