A Little Bit About MyselfHeather M. Joesting
A Little Bit About Myself
I received a Bachelors of Science in Environmental Science (with concentration in Biology) from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington in May of 2001.
I received a Masters of Science in p lant biology from Ohio University in June of 2005. My research focused on the physiology and leaf characteristics of American chestnut seedlings, saplings, and mature trees in Wisconsin and Ohio.
About My Research
The first part of my research was to determine what light condition American chestnut seedlings most efficiently utilize light for photosynthesis. This study was conducted at the U.S. Forest Service Fire and Fire Surrogate sites at Zaleski State Forest and the Raccoon Ecological Management Area, which are both located in southeastern Ohio. These areas are divided into four treatments: a control treatment, a thinned treatment (30% basal area removed), a burned treatment (underwent a prescribed burn), and a thinned/burned treatment (combination of thinned and burned). For this study, only the control and thinned treatment were used to represent a low light and high light environment. The photosynthetic performance of one-year-old seedlings was assessed using an infrared gas-exchange analyzer (IRGA; pictured below), and leaf discs 12 mm in diameter were collected for leaf mass per area (LMA) and nitrogen content analyses.
The second part of my research was to determine the photosynthetic performance of American chestnut trees throughout their ontogeny (or life-time). This research was conducted in one of the few remaining American chestnut dominated forests located in West Salem, Wisconsin. Three class of tree sizes were used for this study: "seedling" (a diameter at breast height (DBH) less than 2.5 cm), "sapling" (DBH between 2.5 and 10 cm), and "mature" (adult flowering trees with DBH greater than 10cm). As in the light experiment, the photosynthetic performance of seedlings, saplings, and mature trees was assessed using the IRGA, and leaves were collected for LMA and nitrogen content analyses. Leaves were also collected from various heights throughout the canopy for LMA analyses. The light characteristics of the stand were analyzed using hemispherical photography to measure the percent canopy openness, and the leaf area index (LAI) of the stand was assessed using the TRAC instrument and the LAI-2000. For more information on American chestnut trees and their disappearance from the Eastern Deciduous Forest, please visit The American Chestnut Foundation.
Thanks for visiting my homepage. If you have any questions regarding my research, please email me at hj308003@ohio.edu.
Curriculum Vitae
Masters of Science, Plant Biology, June 2005
Department of Environmental and Plant Biology
Ohio University
Athens, Ohio
Advisor: Dr. Kim J. Brown
Thesis Topic: Photosynthetic Performance of American Chestnut
Bachelor of Science (Cum Laude), Environmental Science, May 2001
University of North Carolina at Wilmington
Wilmington, NC
Professional Experience
June 2005 - August 2005 Upward Bound Science Instructor
Ohio University
Athens, Ohio
April 2005 – June 2005 Maintenance, West State Garden
Department of Environmental and Plant Biology
Ohio University
Athens, Ohio
April 2005 – Present Teaching Assistant T3402B (Alternative Agriculture)
Department of Environmental and Plant Biology
Ohio University
Athens, Ohio
Jan 2005 – March 2005 Teaching Assistant PBIO 100 (World of Plants)
Department of Environmental and Plant Biology
Ohio University
Athens, Ohio
Sept 2003 – Nov 2004 Teaching Assistant BIOL 101 (Principles of Biology) Laboratories
Department of Environmental and Plant Biology
Ohio University
Athens, Ohio
Jun 2003 – Jul 2003 Teaching Assistant PBIO 103 (Plants and People)
Department of Environmental and Plant Biology
Ohio University
Athens, Ohio
Apr 2003 – Jun 2003 BIO 101 (Principles of Biology) Laboratory Setup
Department of Environmental and Plant Biology
Ohio University
Athens, Ohio
Guest Lecture, “American Chestnut and the Chestnut Blight: An Introduction to Fungal Pathogens”, PBIO 103 (Plants and People), May 2004
Seminars
"Physiology and leaf characteristics of American chestnut seedlings, saplings, and mature trees", Department of Environmental and Plant Biology Colloquium Seminar Series, Ohio University, May 19, 2005
Other Academic Experience/Skills
Software Skills (Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, Photosynthesis Assistant, GLA Software, Sigma Plot, Scion Image, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe PageMill, FV2000, C2000)
Statistical Software Skills (SPSS, NCSS, SAS)
Microscopy and Molecular Technique Skills
Ecophysiology Gear and Maintenance Skills (LI-6400 carbon dioxide gas exchange analyzer, C:N combustion analyzer, 8000M Ball Grinder, Decagon par sensors, LAI-2000, Hemispherical photography)
Graduate Assistantship, Department of Environmental and Plant Biology, Ohio University, March 2003 – June 2005
Summer Scholar Associate (SSA) Fellowship, Summer 2004
First Place, Ohio Creativity and Research Fair, Ohio University, May 12, 2005
Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award, Department of Environmental and Plant Biology, Ohio University, June 3, 2005
Special Topics: Teaching in Plant Biology, Department of Environmental and Plant Biology, March 2004 – June 2004
Midwest American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB) Sectional Meeting, Columbus, Ohio, March 19 – 20, 2004
89th Annual Ecological Society of America (ESA) National Meeting, Portland, Oregon, August 1 – 6, 2004
“Thinning promotes the performance of American chestnut seedlings in the understory of southeastern Ohio forests”, 89th Annual Ecological Society of America (ESA) National Meeting, Portland, Oregon, August 1 – 6, 2004 (poster)
Brown, K.J., H.M Joesting, and B.C. McCarthy (2005). Within-canopy variance in leaf photosynthesis and leaf density within a mature stand of American Chestnut. (National Ecological Society of America, Montreal, Canada)
Professional Affiliations
The American Chestnut Foundation, 2003 – Present
The Ecological Society of America, 2003 – Present
Midwest Section of the American Society of Plant Biologist, 2004 - Present
Last updated 29 July 2005