Plant Science Area of Study for M.S., M.P.S. or Ph.D. in Environmental Biology
Plants, as the base for ecological food chains, serve as the structural and functional foundation of natural and managed systems. The study of plant science and biotechnology provides opportunity in a broad range of specialties fundamental to the understanding of plants and their interaction with other organisms and for specializing in plant biotechnology.
Emphasis is on forests and related plant systems. Current research interests include dynamics of plant communities as affected by humans and the environment; mechanisms of plant succession; epidemiology of forest and urban tree diseases; taxonomy, physiology, growth and ultrastructure of fungi; heritability of wood properties and disease resistance of trees; biochemistry and physiology of plant stress response; photosynthesis; mycorrhizae; plant reproductive biology; genetic engineering; transformation; molecular evolution; phylogenetics; taxonomy; plant-pathogen interactions, tissue culture and study of ancient DNA.
Participating Faculty
- Martin Dovciak; mdovciak@esf.edu
Plant Ecology, Forest Ecosystems, Biodiversity, Global Change, Ecosystem Management and Restoration - Danilo D. Fernando; dfernando@esf.edu
plant structure and development, reproductive biology of conifers, pollen transformation, genomics and proteomics of pine pollen tube development, willow flowering and tissue culture, genetic diversity of rare and endangered ferns, and plant evolution, diversity and conservation. - Thomas R. Horton; trhorton@esf.edu
mycorrhizal plant ecology, molecular ecology, ecology, fungal communities, mycology, fire ecology - Robin W. Kimmerer; rkimmer@esf.edu
plant restoration ecology, bryology, bryoecology, restoration ecology, ethnobotany, conservation biology and bryophyte ecology, traditional ecological knowledge - Donald J. Leopold; djleopold@esf.edu
forest and freshwater wetland ecology, conservation, and restoration, peatland ecology and conservation, local and regional controls of species richness and rarity, dynamics of plant communities as affected by man and environment, management for unique communities and rare species, dendrology, native plants, restoration ecology, rare species conservation - Gregory McGee; ggmcgee@esf.edu
ecology, management and restoration of forest ecosystems; STEM education - William A. Powell; wapowell@esf.edu
forest biotechnology, molecular plant-microbe interactions, genetic engineering in plant conservation, antimicrobial peptide design, plant gene design, plant pathology, molecular biology
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Current Graduate Students in Plant Science
Current Students Only currently registered students appear new names appear at start of academic year
Graduate Research Topic
Characterization and utilization of biotechnologies in American Chestnut (Castanea dentata).
Undergraduate Study:
University of North Dakota (Biology)
Graduate Research Topic
Genetic diversity of beach grass (Ammophila breviligulata) around Lake Ontario.
Favorite Quote
"The commonest way in which we deceive either ourselves or others about understanding is by assuming something as familiar, and accepting it on that account; with all its pros and cons, such knowing never gets anywhere, and it knows not why." - G.W.F. Hegel
Graduate Research Topic
Phytoremediation of per-and polyfluoroalkyl compounds using wetland and phreatophytic plants.
Development of novel non-invasive detection methods to identify environmental contaminants.
Graduate Research Topic
Regulatory Biotechnology, focusing on the federal review process for genetically engineered plants to be distributed or used for restoration.
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