Research

I am broadly interested in the ecological, physiological, pathological, and biochemical mechanisms plants employ in response to stress, especially the myridad of stressors associated with anthropogenic disturbance regimes.  “Stress” here is taken to mean any external factor or force which influences an organism’s performance.

In the context of my current work, I study the ecophysiology of arid and semi-arid shrublands in the San Joaquin Desert of California (specifically Atriplex spp.) in relation to invasive species, disturbance,  drought stress, and altered fire ecology.  I hope to extend this line of research into a broader perspective looking at the widespread effects of stress on vegetation in a rapidly changing environment.