Research Area: Analysis of plant-environment relationships; responses of plants to environmental stresses.
Description of Research
Work is underway to identify physiological principles of plant responses to environmental change. Emphasis is on probing responses of native plants and crops to environmental stresses resulting from changes in the availability of nutrients, water, light, carbon dioxide, and toxicity from air pollutants. Research involves crops, seedlings, and mature trees in controlled environment experiments developed in the laboratory and field. Concepts are emerging as to how plants respond to environmental factors in a "multiple stress" perspective. These concepts are useful for predicting plant response to environmental change and resource management.
Related Publications
Mooney, H.A., W.E. Winner and E.J. Pell (eds). 1990. Response of Plants to Multiple Stresses. Academic Press, 422 p.
Winner, W.E. 1994. Mechanistic analysis of plant responses to air pollution. Ecological Applications 4:651-661.