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Sari Palmroth

Research Professor in the Division 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 in the Division 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


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 Cite

Xylem 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 Cite

Hydraulic 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 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.