We are studying the functional significance of accessory pigments such as the anthocyanin found commonly in newly developing leaves on growing tips in a wide variety of plant species. These red leaves contrast sharply with the mature leaves found at older nodes lower on the branch. Some species have leaves that turn red when exposed…
We are currently funded by the Ecology and Evolutionary Physiology program of the NSF to study the interaction of low temperature and exceptionally high sunlight levels on the photosynthesis of alpine species, with particular emphasis on species growing within the alpine/timberline ecotone. The common occurrence of freezing leaf temperatures just before sunrise on very clear…
Coastal barrier islands serve a vital role in the ecology of coastal ecosystems, providing the physical barriers needed for the formation of the highly productive coastal wetlands of many major continents. Global warming will bring higher sea levels and an increased frequency of intense oceanic storms such as hurricanes, a particularly acute threat to barrier…
We are evaluating forest regeneration in both the south-central Rocky Mountains (Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho) and the southern Appalachian Mountains (western North Carolina and Virginia) under current global change scenarios that include warming temperature, precipitation, and cloud cover regimes. This work attempts to identify points of sensitivity in the regeneration process by using quantitative comparisons…
Dr. William K. Smith 
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