Program Overview
Forests are the dominant land use in the United States, occupying almost 304 million hectares (750 million acres), fully a third of the nation's area. Forest ecosystems serve many ecological roles, including regulation of the planet's carbon and water cycles. Forests are also important components of economic systems. In Florida, forest products are the most important agricultural commodity, contributing over $12 billion per year to the state's economy. Research in the Forest Ecophysiology Lab is intended to produce biological knowledge that can be used to better manage forest resources for sustainable production of economic and non-economic values.
The forest ecophysiology research program focuses on quantifying physiological and structural controls over carbon and water fluxes in forest trees and forest ecosystems. The overarching goal is to quantify the influence of genetics, climate, environmental stresses, and forest management inputs on forest productivity and carbon sequestration, and to understand the physiological mechanisms underlying these responses. Research efforts are concentrated in three areas: (1) biological responses to management actions; (2) influence of stand development on forest structure and function; and (3) physiological genetics.
Forests are the dominant land use in the United States, occupying almost 304 million hectares (750 million acres), fully a third of the nation's area. Forest ecosystems serve many ecological roles, including regulation of the planet's carbon and water cycles. Forests are also important components of economic systems. In Florida, forest products are the most important agricultural commodity, contributing over $12 billion per year to the state's economy. Research in the Forest Ecophysiology Lab is intended to produce biological knowledge that can be used to better manage forest resources for sustainable production of economic and non-economic values.
The forest ecophysiology research program focuses on quantifying physiological and structural controls over carbon and water fluxes in forest trees and forest ecosystems. The overarching goal is to quantify the influence of genetics, climate, environmental stresses, and forest management inputs on forest productivity and carbon sequestration, and to understand the physiological mechanisms underlying these responses. Research efforts are concentrated in three areas: (1) biological responses to management actions; (2) influence of stand development on forest structure and function; and (3) physiological genetics.
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