Collaborator
Plant Physiology & Genetics Research UnitUSDA-ARS, Arid-Land Agricultural Research Center
Education: Ph.D. Soil Physics, Cornell University, 1970 M.S. Soil Physics, Iowa State University, 1965 B.S. Soil Physics, University of Minnesota, 1963
Research Interests: For most of professional career have studied the effects of elevated CO2 concentrations on plant growth and water relations. Have assembled and analyzed the published literature on this topic, as well as the likely effects of global change on water resources. Have led or co-lead large cooperative multi-variate experiments using open-top chambers (OTC) and free-air CO2 enrichment (FACE) to expose field-grown crops to elevated CO2, including sour orange, cotton, wheat, and sorghum. Besides management role, have been responsible for the measurement of canopy microclimate, energy balance, and evapotranspiration. Have established the feasibility of using arrays of infrared heaters in order to study the effects of global warming on open-field plots (T-FACE). Led 2-year Hot Serial Cereal experiment wherein wheat was serially planted every six weeks and exposed to infrared warming on some of the planting dates, thereby producing a dataset for wheat response to a huge range of natural and artificial temperatures under open-field conditions. Have facilitated the use of the FACE and T-FACE data for validating crop growth models as a means to extrapolate the knowledge gained to other locations and future times. Most recently am helping other groups to start new T-FACE experiments to simulate global warming in various managed and natural ecosystems. Am also working to improve aspects of plant growth models that involve canopy temperature, energy balance, and water use. This research will help develop strategies to adapt agricultural productivity in the U.S. and around the world to the increasing atmospheric CO2 concentration and associated global warming, and therefore it benefits all consumers of food.
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