forest responses & resilience to global change

We study temperate forest ecosystems under pressure — from biological invasions, climate change, and the management decisions that shape how forests recover, persist, and function over time. Underlying all of our work is a fundamental interest in how temperate forest ecosystems respond to global change. How do shifts in species composition — driven by invasion, climate, or management — alter the flow of energy and nutrients through forest systems? How do phenological mismatches between plants, pollinators, and herbivores ripple through food webs and ecosystem processes? We bring observational, experimental, and quantitative approaches to these questions, often in collaboration with long-term ecological research networks and data synthesis initiatives. Our work is organized around the following interconnected themes:

invasive species and forest community dynamics

Invasive plants, pests, and pathogens are among the most pervasive drivers of change in eastern North American forests. We study how invasive species alter forest communities and ecosystem functions — not just singly, but in combination. When multiple invaders co-occur, their interactions can be surprising: removing one invasive species can release another, less competitive invader, allowing it to persist and spread. Understanding these multi-species dynamics is essential for designing effective management strategies.

We also study how invasive shrubs reshape the physical and light environment of forest understories, creating earlier and denser shade that disrupts the physiology and phenology of native wildflowers and tree seedlings. This work connects invasion biology to climate change, as warming temperatures and phenological shifts interact with invasion to compound their effects on native biodiversity.

carbon accounting & climate-smart forest management

Forests are central to climate mitigation strategies, but our ability to measure, predict, and manage their carbon benefits remains limited. We work to improve the scientific foundation for forest carbon accounting — developing better methods for estimating carbon stocks and sequestration across managed forest landscapes, and critically evaluating the assumptions underlying forest carbon markets and policy frameworks.

At the same time, we ask how forests can be managed to enhance their resilience to climate change, pests, and extreme events. Through partnerships with state agencies, federal organizations, and conservation NGOs, we embed ecological research within active management contexts — asking not just what forests are doing, but what we can do to help them thrive.