Faculty Profile
Ruth Yanai
Distinguished Professor
Department of Sustainable Resources Management
176 Baker
Highest Education
Ph.D. Yale University (Forest Ecology), 1990.
Areas of Study
- Multiple-Element Limitation in Northern Hardwood Ecosystems (MELNHE)
- Quantifying Uncertainty in Ecosystem Studies (QUEST)
- Forest ecology, ecosystem nutrient cycling, roots, and forest soils.
Courses Taught
- Writing for Scientific Publication (FOR 694)
- Capstone in Natural Resources (FOR 692)
Recent Publications
Yanai, R.D., J.B. Shanley, J.E. Beidler, R.A. Hallett, B.B. Park, T.G. Siccama, and T.J. Fahey. Cross-site comparison of ecosystem nutrient cycling in hardwood and conifer forests on contrasting soil. 2025. Canadian Journal of Forest Research. Just-IN https://doi.org/10.1139/cjfr-2025-0056
Blumenthal, N.M., H.M. Stevens, S. Goswami, R.D. Yanai, T.J. Fahey, and M.C. Fisk. 2025. N and P co-limitation of forest growth in northern hardwood forests. Ecology, 106(10): e70217. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.70217 | PDF
Fahey, T.J., M.C. Fisk, K.E. Gonzales, J.L. Butt, and R.D. Yanai. 2025. Co-limitation in northern hardwood forest ecosystems: A synthesis of recent studies. Environmental Reviews, 33: 1-15. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/er-2024-0128 | PDF
Harrington, H.C., M.B. Green, J.L. Campbell, W.H. McDowell, A.S. Wymore, R.D. Yanai. 2025. Stuck at Home: Machine Learning Models Predicting Solute Concentrations of One Stream Fail to Predict Solute Concentrations in Other Streams. Hydrological Processes, 39 (5): e70142. https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.70142 | PDF
Zukswert, J.M., T.J. Fahey, M.A. Vadeboncoeur, D.S. Hong, and R.D. Yanai. 2025. Changes in foliar chemistry and nutrient resorption in northern hardwood forests in response to long-term experimental nitrogen and phosphorus addition. Oikos 2025(6): e10867. https://doi.org/10.1111/oik.10867 | PDF
Zukswert, J.M., M.A. Vadeboncoeur, , T.J. Fahey, and R.D. Yanai. 2025. Treatment effects of nitrogen and phosphorus addition on foliar traits in six northern hardwood tree species. Oecologia 207, 23. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-025-05664-w | PDF
Young, A.R., B.N. Innusa, R. Biche, and R.D. Yanai. 2024. Exploring effects of nutrient availability, species composition, stand age, and mesofaunal exclusion on leaf litter decomposition in northern hardwood forests. Forests, 15(11):1911. https://doi.org/10.3390/f15111911 | PDF | Dataset
Bashian-Victoroff, C., R.D. Yanai, T.R. Horton, L.J. Lamit. 2024. Nitrogen and phosphorus availability affect fruiting of ectomycorrhizal fungi in a temperate hardwood forest. Fungal Ecology, 73:101388. doi.org/10.1016/j.funeco.2024.101388| PDF
Mann, T.A., R.D. Yanai, T.J. Fahey, and A.B. Reinmann. 2024. Nitrogen and Phosphorus Addition Affect Soil Respiration in Northern Hardwood Forests. Ecosystems, 27:765–778. doi.org/10.1007/s10021-024-00912-1 | PDF
Butler, B.J., E.M. Sass, J.G.P. Gamarra, J.L. Campbell, M. Olguín, C. Wayson, and R.D. Yanai. 2024. Uncertainty in REDD+ Reporting: Results from a Survey of Report Authors. Carbon Balance and Management, 19(1):1-11. doi.org/10.1186/s13021-024-00267-z | PDF
Yanai, R.D., J.E. Drake, H.L. Buckley, B.S. Case, P. Lilly, and R.C. Woollons. 2024. Propagating uncertainty in predicting individuals and means illustrated with foliar chemistry and forest biomass. Ecosystems, 27:259-264. https://10.1007/s10021-023-00886-6 | PDF
Zukswert, J.M.*, M.A. Vadeboncoeur, and R.D. Yanai. 2024. Responses of stomatal density and carbon isotope composition to N, P, and Ca fertilization in sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) and yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis Britton). Tree Physiology, 44(1):tpad142 https://doi.org/10.1093/treephys/tpad142 | PDF
Nash, J.M.*, M.A. Vadeboncoeur, G.G. McGee, C.W. Woodall, R.D. Yanai. 2023. Biomass accumulation in trees and downed wood in northern hardwood forests: repeated measures of a successional chronosequence in New Hampshire, USA. Canadian Journal of Forest Research, 54(4): 431-446 https://doi.org/10.1139/cjfr-2023-0060| PDF
Li, S., M.C. Fisk, R.D Yanai, and T.J. Fahey. 2023. Co-limitation of root growth by nitrogen and phosphorus in early successional northern hardwood forests. Ecosystems, 27: 33–44 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-023-00869-7 | PDF
Pu, G., J.L. Campbell, M.B. Green, J.L. Merriam, D. Zietlow, and R.D. Yanai. 2023. Uncertainty in stream water fluxes of solutes at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, New Hampshire, USA. Hydrological Processes, 37(8), e14961 doi.org/10.1002/hyp.14961 |PDF
Young, A.R.*, R. Minocha, S. Long, J. E. Drake, and R.D. Yanai. 2023. Responses of physical, chemical, and metabolic leaf characteristics to depth within mature sugar maple crowns and to nitrogen and phosphorus addition. Tree Physiology, 43(7):1118-1129. DOI:10.1093/treephys/tpad04 | PDF
Lin, J., J.G.P. Gamarra, J.E. Drake, A. Cuchietti, and R.D. Yanai. 2023. Scaling up uncertainties in allometric models: How to see the forest, not the trees. Forest Ecology and Management, 537: 120943. DOI: 10.1016/j.foreco.2023.120943 | PDF
Yanai, R.D., A.R. Young, J.L. Campbell, J.A.Westfall, C.J. Barnett, G.A. Dillon, M.B. Green, and C.W. Woodall. 2023. Measurement error in a national forest inventory: results from the Northern Region of the USA. Canadian Journal of Forest Research, 53(3): 163-177. DOI: 10.1139/cjfr-2022-0062 | PDF
Gonzales, K.E.*, R.D. Yanai, T.J. Fahey, and M.C. Fisk. 2023. Evidence for P limitation in eight northern hardwood stands: Foliar concentrations and resorption by three tree species in a factorial N by P addition experiment. Forest Ecology and Management, 529: 120696, DOI: 10.1016/j.foreco.2022.120696 | PDF
Rice, A.M.*, Johnston, M.T., Libenson, A.J., and Yanai, R.D. 2022. Tree variability limits the detection of nutrient treatment effects on sap flux density in a northern hardwood forest. PeerJ, 10:e14410 DOI:10.7717/peerj.14410 | PDF
Rastetter, E.B., B.L. Kwiatkowski, D.W. Kicklighter, A. Barker Plotkin, H. Genet, J. B. Nippert, K. O'Keefe, S.S. Perakis, S. Porder, S.S. Roley, R.W. Ruess, J.R. Thompson, W.R. Wieder, K. Wilcox, and R.D. Yanai. 2022. N and P constrain C in ecosystems under climate change: role of nutrient redistribution, accumulation, and stoichiometry. Ecological Applications, e2684. DOI: 10.1002/eap.2684 | PDF
Hong D.S.*, K.E. Gonzales, T.J. Fahey, and R.D. Yanai. 2022. Foliar nutrient concentrations of six northern hardwood species responded to nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization but did not predict tree growth. PeerJ, 10:e13193. DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13193|PDF
Nash, J.M.*, F.M. Diggs, and R.D. Yanai. 2022. Length and colonization rates of roots associated with arbuscular or ectomycorrhizal fungi decline differentially with depth in two northern hardwood forests. Mycorrhiza, 32:213-219. DOI:10.1007/s00572-022-01071-8 | PDF
Shan, S., H. Devens, T.J. Fahey, R.D. Yanai, and M.C. Fisk. 2022. Fine root growth increases in response to nitrogen addition in phosphorus-limited northern hardwood forests. Ecosystems, 25:1589–1600. DOI: 10.1007/s10021-021-00735-4 | PDF
Yanai, R.D. T.A. Mann*, D. Hong, G. Pu*, and J.M. Zukswert*. 2021. The Current State of Uncertainty Reporting in Ecosystem Studies: A Systematic Evaluation of Peer-Reviewed Literature. Ecosphere, 12( 6):e03535.DOI:10.1002/ecs2.3535 | PDF
Sahu, S.K., K.S. Bakar, J. Zhan, J.L. Campbell, and R.D. Yanai., 2020. Spatio-temporal Bayesian modeling of precipitation using rain gauge data from the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, New Hampshire, USA. Joint Statistical Meetings Proceedings, Statistical Computing Section. Alexandria, VA: American Statistical Association. pp.77-92. Sujit Sahu webpage |PDF
Yanai, R.D., C. Wayson, D. Lee, A.B. Espejo, J.L Campbell, M.B. Green, J.M. Zukswert, S.B. Yoffe, J.E. Aukema, A.J. Lister, J.W. Kirchner , and J.G.P. Gamarra. 2020. Improving Uncertainty in Forest Carbon Accounting for REDD+ Mitigation Efforts. Environmental Research Letters, 15:24002. DOI:10.1088/1748-9326/abb96f
See, C.R., M.B. Green, R.D. Yanai, A.S. Bailey, J.L. Campbell, and J. Hayward. 2020. Quantifying uncertainty in annual runoff due to missing data. PeerJ, 8:e9531. DOI:10.7717/peerj.9531|PDF
Yanai, R.D., Y. Yang, A.D. Wild, K.T. Smith, and C.T. Driscoll. 2020. New Approaches to Understand Mercury in Trees: Radial and Longitudinal Patterns of Mercury in Tree Rings and Genetic Control of Mercury in Maple Sap.Water, Air, & Soil Pollution, 231(5): 248. DOI: 10.1007/s11270-020-04601-2 | PDF
Kattge, J., et.al. 2020. Twelve years of TRY towards a third generation of plant trait data assimilation and sharing. Global Change Biology, 26(1):119-188. DOI:10.1111/gcb.14904 | PDF