My research focuses on the physiological ecology of managed and unmanaged sugar maple forests. I am interested in how changes in stand nutrition induced by anthropogenic deposition and land-use practices affect forest growth and health as well as sap yields. A current area of research is identifying sources and sinks of heavy metals in maple sap and syrup Another line of my research deals with the decline of red spruce in high elevation forests in eastern North America. Periodic surveys on Camels Hump and other mountains have shown extensive branch dieback and mortality of red spruce since the mid-1960s.
CF provides a simple, rapid measure of plant response to environmental conditions.
We use CF extensively to examine seasonal effects of temperature and light conditions on plant health. We also use CF to detect damage caused by desiccation, freezing injury, and photoinhibition. S.T. Lawson, P.G. Schaberg, and S.G. McNulty. Lawson, S.T., T.D. Perkins, and G.T. Adams. Schaberg, P.G., T.D. Perkins, and S.G. McNulty.