Welcome to the plant ecophysiology lab in the Forest and Rangeland Stewardship Department at CSU!

Our lab is working to better understand the mechanisms the control plant responses to variability in their environmental conditions. We take a structure/function approach, attempting to identify relationships between anatomical and morphological traits that control physiological processes in plants. Once these mechanisms are identified, we apply this understanding to understand plant community composition and species distributions. Currently, we have a strong emphasis on research related to quantifying the hydraulic characteristics of leaves and roots in order to describe drought tolerance and water-use strategies of different plant species.

We utilize a range of methods and techniques in order to accomplish these goals; we do controlled experiments in growth chambers and greenhouses as well as experiments in the field.  Additionally, our research spans a range of spatial scales from cellular processes to regional scale patterns. If you have any questions about our research or joining our lab please feel free to send me or anyone in our lab an email.