The Templer Lab focuses on ecosystem ecology and the influence that plant-microbial interactions have on nutrient cycling, retention and loss. We are particularly interested in the impacts that human activities, such as fossil fuel combustion, human-induced climate change and land use change have on forest ecosystems. We currently examine a variety of nitrogen sources including rain, snow, fog water and anthropogenic nitrogen deposition. We explore how plant-microbial interactions influence nitrogen retention and forest productivity within natural and managed ecosystems.

We currently work in temperate forests of the northeastern United States, redwood forests of California and tropical rainforests in Puerto Rico. We focus on three major themes within plant and ecosystem ecology:

1. Impacts of climate change, particularly in the winter months, on growing season plant nutrient uptake and productivity in northern forest ecosystems.
2. The interaction between plant species composition and ecosystem nitrogen retention in temperate and tropical forests.
3. Effects of land-use change and forest regeneration on nutrient cycling and retention.

Much of our work is done in collaboration with scientists at other institutions and universities. Take a look at our research page to get more information about our projects. Pamela currently welcomes the participation of undergraduates in the lab and will be accepting graduate students for the fall 2010 semester. Please notify me if you are interested in working in the lab as an undergraduate, graduate student or postdoc.

Pamela Templer
Department of Biology
Boston University
5 Cummington Street
Boston, MA 02215
617-353-6978