Research Interests

My research interests focuses on the physiological and ecological consequences of global climate change on natural and agricultural ecosystems. We have extensively examined how plants respond to increased levels of solar UV-B irradiation resulting from stratospheric ozone depletion. We are interested in characterizing morphometric and biochemical changes by understanding their underlying mechanistic bases. For instance, we presently know that plant tolerance to UV-B radiation is the product of various plant protective and repair processes. Current studies include research on mechanisms of UV tolerance in plants native to high UV-B environments, such as the tropical mountains of Hawaii; how plants respond to multiple environmental changes such as increase CO2 and temperatures resulting from global climate change; how global climate changes may affect natural ecosystems particularly those at high latitudes, where relative changes are quite large. Besides interests in Hawaii, we have active collaborations in Germany, Sweden, Patagonia and the U.S. mainland.