Prof. Pivovaroff uses plant eco-physiology techniques to understand how forests respond to global change.
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Research Description
My research integrates plant physiological ecology with process-based modeling to understand how forests respond to global change. I focus on the role of plant water transport, from xylem conduits and stomatal regulation to whole-plant hydraulics, in shaping tree performance under environmental stress. I use field and laboratory measurements together with modeling approaches to examine how plant hydraulic traits govern water use, carbon assimilation, and vulnerability to stress, and to improve predictions of forest responses to a hotter, drier climate.
Students learn:
- Fieldwork approaches, including sample collection and surveys
- Lab techniques, including optical vulnerability curves
- Data management
- Statistics in R
Courses
Introductory Biology: Biodiversity, Ecology, and Evolution (BIO 110)
Biostatistics (BIO 268)
Global Change Biology (BIO 372)
Plant Physiological Ecology (BIO 380)
Student Research Opportunities
If you are interested in joining the lab, email Dr. Pivovaroff explaining your background and interests. No prior research experience required, but students should be self-motivated, organized, and able to work on a team.
Select Publications
Medeiros, CD, Henry C, Trueba S, Anghel I, Dannet Diaz de Leon Guerrero S, Pivovaroff A, Fletcher L, John GP, Lutz J, Mendez Alonso R, Sack L. (2023) Predicting plant species climate preferences on the basis of mechanistic traits. Functional Ecology, 37(11): 2786- 2808.
Davidson, KJ, Lamour J, Rogers A, Ely KS, Li Q, McDowell N, Pivovaroff AL, Wolfe BT, Wright SJ, Zambrano A, Serbin SP. (2023) Short term variation in leaf level water use efficiency in a tropical forest. New Phytologist, 237(6): 2069-2087.
Scho虉nbeck, L, Schuler P, Lehmann MM, Mas E, Mekarni L, Pivovaroff AL, Turberg P, Grossiord C. (2022) Increasing temperature and vapor pressure deficit lead to strong hydraulic damages in absence of soil drought. Plant, Cell & Environment, 45(11): 3275- 3289.
Li, W, McDowell N, Zhang H, Wang W, Mackay S, Leff R, Zhang P, Ward N, Norwood M, Yabusaki S, Myers-Pigg A, Pennington S, Pivovaroff A, Waichler S, Xu C, Bond-Lamberty B, Bailey V. (2022) The influence of increasing atmospheric CO2, temperature, and vapor pressure deficit on seawater-induced tree mortality. New Phytologist, 234(5): 1767-1779.
McDowell, N, Sapes G, Pivovaroff AL, Adams H, Allen CD, Anderegg WRL, Arend M, Breshears DD, Brodribb T, Choat B, Cochard H, De Caceres M, De Kauwe MG, Grossiord C, Hammond WM, Hartmann H, Hoch G, Kahmen A, Klein T, Mackay DS, Mantova M, Martinez-Vilalta J, Medlyn BE, Mencuccini M, Nardini A, Oliveira RS, Sala A, Tissue DT, Torres-Ruiz JM, Trowbridge A, Trugman AT, Wiley E, Xu C. (2022) Mechanisms of woody-plant mortality under rising drought, CO2, and vapour pressure deficit. Nature Reviews Earth and Environment, 3: 294-308.
Wang, W, Zhang P, Zhang H, Grossiord C, Pennington S, Norwood M, Li W, Pivovaroff AL, Ferna虂ndez de Un虄a L, Leff R, Yabusaki SB, Waichler S, Bailey VL, Ward ND, McDowell NG. (2022) Severe declines in hydraulic capacity and associated carbon starvation drive mortality in sweater exposed Sitka-spruce (Picea sitchensis) trees. Environmental Research Communications, 4(3): 035005.
Pivovaroff, AL, McDowell N, Barrozo Rodrigues T, Brodribb T, Cernusak L, Chambers J, Choat B, Grossiord C, Ishida Y, Jardine K, Laurance S, Leff R, Li W, Liddell M, Mackay DS, Pacheco H, Peters J, Sampaio I, Souza D, Wang W, Zhang P. (2021) Stability of tropical forest tree carbon-water relations in a rainfall exclusion treatment through shifts in effective water uptake depth. Global Change Biology, 27(24): 6454-6466.
Hongxia Zhang, Xinrong Li, Wenzhi Wang, AL Pivovaroff, Weibin Li, Peipei Zhang, Nicholas Ward, Allison Myers-Pigg, Henry D. Adams, Riley Leff, Anzhi Wang, Fenghui Yuan, Jiabin Wu, Steven Yabusaki, Scott Waichler, Vanessa Bailey, Dexin Guan, Nate McDowell. (2021) Seawater exposure causes hydraulic damage in dying Sitka-spruce trees. Plant Physiology, 187(2): 873-885.
Pivovaroff, AL, Wolfe B, McDowell N, Christoffersen B, Davies S, Dickman LT, Grossiord C, Leff R, Rogers A, Serbin S, Wright SJ, Wu J, Xu C, Chambers J. (2021) Hydraulic architecture explains species moisture dependency but not mortality rates across a tropical rainfall gradient. Biotropica, 53(4): 1213-1225.