Research Projects

Current projects focusing on Phytophthora ramorum and Sudden Oak Death:

Assessing the ecological impacts of Sudden Oak Death in the Big Sur region and throughout coastal California forests.

Examining nutrient cycling in Sudden Oak Death impacted forests.

Understanding the aquatic ecology of P. ramorum.

Monitoring the spread of P. ramorum throughout California by tracking pathogen presence in waterways.

Current projects focusing on native and exotic pathogens in conifer forests:

Ecological and genetic studies examining interactions between disease pressure, environment, and evolutionary processes on the population dynamics of white pine species impacted by white pine blister rust in California. 

Pathogen and insect response to forest management, and subsequent effects on forest structure and development in Sierra Nevada mixed conifer forests, including studies in the Teakettle Experimental Forest and Yosemite Valley. 

Compiling, organizing, and analyzing data collected through the USDA Pest Trend Impact Plots project, in collaboration with the U.S. Forest Service.