Plant Physiological Ecology
Jennifer Nagel Boyd , Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Ph.D., Columbia University
Research interests:
Plant Physiological Ecology:
I am primarily interested in the physiological ways that plants respond to and interact with their environments. Specifically, my interests focus on gas-exchange (photosynthesis, respiration and transpiration) and resource-use efficiency across environmental gradients, as well as how these physiological processes could potentially influence the success of plant species at the community level. My research has included comparative ecophysiological studies of co-occurring plant species in forest, wetland, and desert systems as a mechanistic explanation of their relative abundance in those settings.
Biological Invasions:
While the competitive success of many invasive plant species over co-occurring native species has become observably clear in many ecosystems, the physiological factors that may underlie this competitive success often are less evident. I am interested in the roles that both photosynthesis, as a fundamental measure of energy available for growth and related processes, and the efficient use of environmental resources like light, water, and soil nutrients potentially play in facilitating species invasions.
Species Conservation & Restoration:
Currently, I am using both growth and photosynthetic measurements to assess the success of transplantation of rare largeflower skullcap into clear-cut and burned areas of a local military training site. I am also comparing the photosynthetic light-responses of American chestnut, Chinese chestnut, and blight-resistant hybrid chestnuts produced by an active breeding program to determine how this variable may be inherited and how its inheritance could impact the success of local American chestnut restoration efforts.
Global Change Biology:
Plants have both the capacity to respond to future changes in atmospheric CO2, temperature, and precipitation, and the ability to subsequently impact these factors through adjustments in their gas-exchange processes and growth. I am interested in the differential responses of co-occurring species to global change factors and resultant changes in plant communities, including those that are inhabited by invasive or rare species.
I am currently seeking undergraduate and graduate students interested in any of the topics and projects described above, as well as related interests. Studies should contact me at jennifer-boyd@utc.edu.
Sample Grants:
2009-2011. The Tennessee Army National Guard. Effects of transplantation, prescribed burning, and canopy clearning on Scutellaria montana in the Volunteer Training Site. [with J. Shaw, co-PI].
2009-2011. The American Chestnut Foundation. Comparing the shade tolerance of American chestnut, Chinese chestnut, and their hybrids. [with J.H. Craddock, co-PI]
Sample papers:
Boyd, Jennifer Nagel and Xu, Cheng-Yuan and Griffin, Kevin L. (2009) Cost-effectiveness of leaf energy and resource investment of invasive Berberis thunbergii and co-occurring native shrubs. Canadian Journal of Forest Research, 39 (11). pp. 2109-2118.
Boyd, J. and J. Shaw. 2009 Plant Species of Interest Report 2009: SR2 Bridge over Nickajack Reservoir, Marion County, TN Prepared for the Tennessee Department of Transportation.
Shaw, J. and J. Boyd. 2009. Large Flowered Skullcap (Scutellaria montana, Lamiaceae) Monitoring 2009 at Volunteer Training Site, Catoosa Co., Georgia. Prepared for the Tennessee Army National Guard.
Shaw, J. and J. Boyd. 2009. Hypericum adpressum Evaluation Report: SR2 Bridge over Nickajack Reservoir, Marion County, TN. Prepared for the Tennessee Department of Transportation.
Boyd, J.N, Xu, C.Y., and K.L. Griffin. 2009. Cost-effectiveness of leaf energy and resource investment of invasive Berberis thunbergii (Japanese barberry) and co-occurring native shrubs. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 39: 2109-2018.
Nagel, J.M., Wang, X.Z., Lewis, J.D., Fung, H.A., Tissue, D.T., and K.L. Griffin. 2005. Atmospheric CO2 enrichment alters energy-use efficiency and patterns of energy investment and allocation in Xanthium strumarium. New Phytologist 166: 513-523.
Nagel, J.M. and K.L. Griffin. 2004. Can gas-exchange characteristics help explain the invasive success of Lythrum salicaria? Biological Invasions 6: 101-111.
Nagel, J.M., Huxman, T.E., Griffin, K.L., and S.D. Smith. 2004. CO2 enrichment reduces the energetic cost of biomass construction in an invasive desert grass. Ecology 85: 100-106.
