Dissertation Research: Determinants of Shade Tolerance in Temperate Hardwood Tree Species

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The research represents an important contribution to the understanding of how some tree seedings are able to grow in deeply shaded environments while others are not. The approach is unique in the study of shade tolerance. The study ties the physiological processes, photosynthesis and respiration, with allocational patterns (amount of tissue in roots versus stems). The study also examines the effect of fertilization with an important mineral nutrient, nitrogen, on the ability to tree seedings to grow in shade. Fosters have a keen interest in promoting the regrowth of tree seedlings in the shaded environments beneath mature timber. Understanding plant and environmental characteristics affecting seedling growth in shade will assist foresters in selecting and managing forest stands for high long-term productivity.