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Sari Palmroth

Research Professor of Environmental Natural Sciences
Environmental Natural Science
Box 90328, Durham, NC 27708-0328
A246A Lev Sci Res Ctr, Durham, NC 27708

Overview


Dr. Palmroth's research focuses on the effects of resource availability and climatic variability on carbon uptake and allocation of individual shoots, trees and forest ecosystems. She studies ecophysiological processes in trees from leaf to stand scales, with special emphasis on conifers. In particular, Dr. Palmroth is interested in the radiative transfer in forest canopies, how the radiation regime is affected by conifer shoot structure, and what the feedbacks are between availability of solar energy and allocation on carbon and nitrogen within canopies. She is also interested in how the carbon fixed in photosynthesis is allocated between above and belowground pools and what are the possible interaction effects on the allocation of the availabilities of nutrients and water and the level of atmospheric [CO2].

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Research Professor of Environmental Natural Sciences · 2024 - Present Environmental Natural Science, Nicholas School of the Environment

In the News


Published April 24, 2018
Keeping the Land in the Family

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Recent Publications


Similar response of canopy conductance to increasing vapor pressure deficit and decreasing soil conductivity with drought among five morphologically contrasting but co-occurring pine species

Journal Article Agricultural and Forest Meteorology · May 1, 2025 Knowledge of plant hydraulics facilitates our understanding of the capabilities of forests to withstand droughts. This common-garden study quantified the hydraulic response to variation in sandy soil conductivity and atmospheric vapor pressure deficit (VPD ... Full text Cite

Extramatrical mycelial biomass is mediated by fine root mass and ectomycorrhizal fungal community composition across tree species.

Journal Article The Science of the total environment · November 2024 In many ecosystems, a large fraction of gross primary production is invested in mycorrhiza. Ectomycorrhizal (ECM) mycelium is involved in regulating soil carbon and nutrient cycling. However, little is known about how mycelial biomass, production and turno ... Full text Cite

Overlooked branch turnover creates a widespread bias in forest carbon accounting.

Journal Article Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · October 2024 Most measurements and models of forest carbon cycling neglect the carbon flux associated with the turnover of branch biomass, a physiological process quantified for other organs (fine roots, leaves, and stems). Synthesizing data from boreal, temperate, and ... Full text Cite
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Recent Grants


Human and Natural Forcings of Critical Zone Dynamics and Evolution at the Calhoun Critical Zone Observatory

ResearchCo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2013 - 2018

Duke Forest FACE Experiment: Forest-Atmosphere Carbon Transfer and Storage

ResearchCo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by Department of Energy · 2001 - 2015

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Education, Training & Certifications


University of Helsinki (Finland) · 2000 Ph.D.