 |
James Dyer Associate Professor of Geography Ph.D. 1992, University of Georgia |
Last
Updated July 2006
|
James Dyer Associate Professor of Geography Ph.D. 1992, University of Georgia |
Last
Updated July 2006
My research focuses on North American
forests, especially in the
eastern
United States. As a biogeographer, I am interested in the
patterns
that emerge from the interactions of the physical environment, biotic
processes,
and disturbance. Incorporating field work, spatial modeling, and
geographic information science techniques, I am especially
concerned with the role of humans
in altering "natural" disturbance regimes, and the implications for
such
change on biotic communities.
Recent research has explored predicting vegetation-site relationships, as a means to assess impacts of future climatic change, or to evaluate changes related to historic land use patterns. Results support the use of the climatic water budget, which incorporates both moisture supply and demand, as an effective predictor of species occurrence across a wide range of spatial scales (individual forest plot to continental range limits). Additional research has explored changes in forest composition and structure in southeastern Ohio since settlement. Baseline vegetation patterns were constructed from an analysis of witness tree records; archival land use records, historic air photos, and field sampling are examining the role of historic land use in shaping the present-day flora of central Appalachian forests.
I am also serving as a co-PI on an EPA STAR grant, that seeks to develop a classification system for gaging stream health. I am utilizing GIS to evaluate the role of landscape variables in affecting the chemical and biological conditions of streams in the Western Allegheny Plateau.Graduate Student Theses I've Advised (click here to view Abstracts):