One my most rewarding moments while conducting research occurs when I begin to see how two seemingly unrelated components of the environment affect one another. My research focuses on improving our knowledge of how biotic and abiotic components of an ecosystem interact to affect the exchange of matter and energy between plants and the atmosphere.
“How can something as small as a lichen possibly affect the hydrology of a forest?”
The ultimate goal of my research is to improve our knowledge of how changes in climate and/or land-use will affect ecosystems and water resources. My research uses state-of-the-art techniques (e.g. sap flow, stable isotopes, micrometeorology) to reveal patterns and processes at scales ranging from the leaf to the ecosystem. Current research projects include: the effect of lichens and bryophytes on stand water and energy budgets; how the introduction of foreign species affects forest water resources; forest carbon dynamics; and the development of new methods to monitor ecosystem metabolism in mountainous terrain.
