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 in the Division of Environmental Natural Sciences
·
2024 - Present
Environmental Natural Science,
Nicholas School of the Environment
Recent Publications
Increasing pathlength resistance and within-canopy shading similarly attenuate transpiration in accruing collocated stands of five pine species
Journal Article Agricultural and Forest Meteorology · February 15, 2026 In forested regions dominated by management for timber production, quantifying biosphere-atmosphere exchange of mass and energy over accruing forests is essential for accurate estimates of water yield and carbon sequestration. Environmental conditions driv ... Full text CiteXylem Hydraulic Properties of Five Pinus Species Grown in Common Environment Vary From Needles to Roots With Needle Length and Native-Range Climate.
Journal Article Plant, cell & environment · October 2025 Plant hydraulics govern water transport linking root to mesophyll surfaces, affecting gas-exchange, survival and growth. Xylem and leaf structural and functional characteristics vary widely among Pinus species, even when growing under similar conditions. W ... Full text CiteHydraulic conductivity-induced systematic parameter variation in a widely used thermal dissipation sap-flow technique.
Journal Article The New phytologist · October 2025 The Granier-type thermal-dissipation method (TDM) is the most widely used sap-flow technique. However, its original calibration coefficients often underestimate high flow rates, limiting their generality. We derived TDM coefficients (scaling factors and ex ... Full text CiteRecent 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 - 2018Constraining the Simultaneous Effects of Elevated CO2, Temperature, and Shifts in Rainfall Patterns on Ecosystem Carbon Fluxes Using Multi-Scale Resource Optimization Theories
ResearchCo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by Department of Energy · 2011 - 2016Duke Forest FACE Experiment: Forest-Atmosphere Carbon Transfer and Storage
ResearchCo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by Department of Energy · 2001 - 2015View All Grants
Education, Training & Certifications
University of Helsinki (Finland) ·
2000
Ph.D.