Curriculum Vitae

 

                                                    Marc D. Abrams

 

Birthdate:    April 17, 1954                                               Address

 

Birthplace:  Poughkeepsie, New York                    School of Forest Resources

                                                                                The Pennsylvania State University

Marital Status: married with                                   307 Forest Resources Building

        three children                                                  University Park, PA  16802

                                                                                Tel. (814) 865-4901

                                                                                email:  agl@psu.edu

Educational background

 

          Michigan State University         Ph.D. Forestry 1982

          Michigan State University         M.S. Forestry 1979

          S.U.N.Y. Binghamton                B.S. Biology 1976

 

Employment history

 

7/01 - present:                 Nancy and John Steimer Endowed Professor in Agricultural Sciences,                                           The Pennsylvania State University.

 

7/97 - present:                 Full Professor, Forest Ecology and Tree Physiology, School of Forest                                        Resources, The Pennsylvania State University.

 

9/94 - 6/97:                     Assistant Director for Graduate Studies and Research, School of Forest Resources, The Pennsylvania State University.

 

7/93 - 6/97:                     Associate Professor, Forest Ecology and Tree Physiology, School of                                         Forest Resources, The Pennsylvania State University.

 

8/87 - 6/93:                     Assistant Professor, Forest Ecology and Tree Physiology, School of Forest Resources, The Pennsylvania State University.

 

8/85 - 8/87:                     Assistant Professor, Forest Ecology and Tree Physiology, College of Natural Resources, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.  Taught courses in Forest Ecology, Tree Physiology and Dendrology.

 

3/83 - 7/85:                     Post-Doctoral Research Associate, Division of Biology, Kansas State University.  Plant ecologist for Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) project on Konza Prairie.

 

8/82 - 3/83:                     Instructor of undergraduate and graduate courses in Forest Ecology, Michigan State University.

 

 

Professional societies, activities and awards

          Sigma Xi

          Xi Sigma Pi

          Ecological Society of America (ESA) (1980-present)

          Society of American Foresters (1980-1992)

         

          Ad-hoc Reviewer -

          Granting Agencies: National Academy of Sciences COBASE Program, National Science           Foundation Ecology Program and Ecological and Evolutionary Physiology Program, USDA           Forest Biology and NRI Competitive Grants, Natural Sciences & Engineering           Research Council of Canada Strategic Grants.       

         

    Scientific Journals: Ecology, Ecological Monographs, Ecological Applications, Journal of Ecology, Bioscience, Oecologia, The American Naturalist, Functional Ecology, Journal of Experimental Botany, Canadian Journal of Forest Research, Forest Science, Tree Physiology, Trees-Structure and Function, American Journal of Botany, Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club, American Midland Naturalist, International Journal of Plant Sciences, Vegetatio, Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research, Annales des Sciences Forestieres, The Southwestern Naturalist, The Natural Areas Journal, Northern Journal of Applied Forestry, Forestry Chronicle, Restoration Ecology, EcoScience, New Forests, Castanea, Plant Ecology, Plant Sciences.

 

          Judge for M. F. Buell and E. L. Braun Awards for ESA (1989,1991)

         

          Associate Editor for Canadian Journal of Forest Research  (June 1991- May 1995)

 

          Session Moderator - 1991 Eighth Central Hardwood Forest Conference, University Park, PA.

         

          Session Moderator - 1992 Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, Honolulu, Hawaii.

 

          Reviewer of proposals for new Forest Ecology textbooks being considered by Academic Press,

          Chapman & Hall, and John Wiley and Sons (1992-1995).

 

          Scientific Committee for comprehensive ecosystem management study, USDA-Forest

          Service, Northeast Forest Experiment Station, January 1994, Warren, PA.

 

          Scientific Committee and Editorial Review Board of Annales des Sciences Forestieres 

          for the International Symposium and Proceedings "Environmental Constraints and Oaks:

          Ecological and Physiological Aspects", September 1994, Nancy, France.

         

          Session Organizer and Moderator for the 21st Annual Natural Areas Conference,

          October 1994, West Palm Beach, Florida.

 

          Scientific Committee for Shawangunk Ridge and Panther Knob Ecosystem Research Program,

          The Nature Conservancy, Eastern New York Chapter (1995-95).

 

          National Science Foundation , Division of Environmental Biology, Panel Member for

          Collaborative Research for Undergraduate Institutions (CRUI) Grants.   (1994-95)

 

          Ecological Society of America, Member of Vegetation Classification Panel (national level), to

          support  and facilitate the creation of a standardized North American vegetation classification

          system. (1995-2002)

         

          Invited Participant, National Science Foundation Sponsored Workshop on "Large-scale Vegetation

          Mapping and Classification", Houston, Texas.   (June 1995)

 

          Associate Editor- Trees-Structure and Function (Springer-Verlag; November 1995 - Dec. 2000)

 

          Editorial Review Board - Tree Physiology (Heron Publishing; January 1997 - present)

 

          External Reviewer for Promotion and Tenure Dossiers for the University of Michigan (1996),

          Virginia Tech University (1998), University of Kentucky (1999), State of Israel, Agricultural

          Research Organization, The Volcani Center (1999), Northern Arizona University (2001),

          University of Putra Malaysia (2002), Michigan State University (2003), University of Missouri-

          Columbia (2003), Ohio State University (2003), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (2005),

          University of Vermont (2006), Ohio University (2006).

 

          Program Committee for Eastern Old-Growth Conference, June 1997, Clarion, PA.

 

          Hokkaido Japan Guest Researcher Award (June-September 1997) - to fund living expenses and

          research during a sabbatical in Bibai, Japan.         

 

          Program Committee and Field Trip Organizer for IUFRO Conference on "Diversity and Adaptations

          of Oak Species". October, 1997, State College, PA.

 

          Harvard University, Charles Bullard Fellowship in Forest Research. May - August 1998.

 

          Editorial Review Board - Ecology and Ecological Monographs (1998- 2001)

 

          External Reviewer for Ph.D. Dissertation - The University of Western Australia, Nedlands (1998)

 

          New York Times- Science Times section lead article entitled “Eastern forests change color as

          red maples proliferate”, based on my research and interview provided. April 27, 1999

 

          Served as a panel Chair assessing research and management priorities at the Holden Arboretum

          (Kirtland Ohio), September 1999.

 

          Gamma Sigma Delta Research Award (2000) - Penn State Chapter

 

          Committee member for “State of the Nation’s Ecosystems - Forests”, The H. John Heinz Center

          for Science, Economics and the Environment. (July 2000 – present). In 2004, this work was selected

          for the 2004 Outstanding Achievement Award from the Renewable Natural Resources Foundation.

 

          Gamma Sigma Delta Faculty Awards Committee (2001)

 

Biosphere-Atmosphere Research Training, National Science Foundation IGERT- University of

Michigan Biological Station, Pellston, MI.  Faculty Participant and Mentor (May 2001- present)

 

2002 recipient of the Alex and Jesse C. Black Award for Excellence in Research by the Penn State

College of Agricultural Sciences.

 

           Invited Participant, National Science Foundation sponsored LTER Workshop on "Disturbance,

           Ecological Legacies, and Disequilibrium", Sevilleta Field Station, New Mexico (May 2003).

 

          Invited Participant, The Nature Conservancy sponsored fire and pitch pine ecosystems workshop.

          New Paltz, New York (November 2004).

 

         

                Research grants

 

          1978-81 - Research on early plant succession on jack pine sites. U.S.D.A. Forest Service

          Cooperative Research Agreement, with D. I. Dickmann.                                           ($20,000)                                     

 

1983-84 - Research on the use of prescribed burning for Kirtland's warbler habitat. Michigan Dept.of Natural Resources - Wildlife Division, with D. I. Dickmann.                        ($8,400)                                                                                                                                                                                     

1986-88 - The effects of fire on community dynamics and ecophysiology in the northern red oak type.  University of Wisconsin Consortium for Extension and Research in Agriculture and Natural Resources, with C. G. Lorimer.                                                              ($26,312)

 

1986-87 - The effects of fire on community dynamics, soils and ecophysiology in a northern hardwood stand.  University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Program for the Development of University Personnel.                                                                                                 ($5,120)

 

1987-88 - Post-fire changes in community structure and ecophysiology in a northern hardwood stand.  University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Program for the Development of University Personnel.                                                                                                  ($3,500)                                                                                               

1988 - Needle water status of Douglas Fir Christmas trees sold in Pennsylvania:  A comparison of west-coast versus Pennsylvania sources.  Pennsylvania Christmas Tree Growers' Association.                                                                                                ($3,000)                                                        

1988-92 - Stress-mediated interaction among oaks, the gypsy moth, and a baculovirus.  National Science Foundation, Ecology Panel, with J. C. Schultz.                          ($300,000)

 

1988-90 - Vegetation survey of Friendship Hill:  A national historic site in Pennsylvania.       U. S. Department of Interior, National Park Service.                                                ($20,519)                                                

1989 -  Keepability of Douglas-fir Christmas trees in the Northeastern United States.   Northeastern Christmas Tree Grower's Associations, with J. C. Finley.                  ($6,700)

 

          1989-1992 - Effects of watering regime, fertilization and cover type on nutrient export  at           Circleville Student Farm. Program for Experiential Learning, Penn  State University,

          with J. R. Pratt and H. Elliott.                                                                                  ($11,000)

         

          1989-90 - Strategies for drought and drought responses of woody plants in south-central Florida.  Archbold Biological Station, with E. S. Menges.                                      ($3,000)

 

1989-91 - Woody vegetation and fuel survey for evaluating wildfire hazard in Spotsylvania National Military Park, U.S. Department of Interior, National Park Service.        ($24,324)

 

1990-93 - Factors affecting regeneration of northern red oak.  College Research Initiatives Program, College of Agriculture, Penn State University, with K. C. Steiner, and R. H. Yahner.                                                                                                                    ($114,955)

 

          1990 - Analysis of biological data on eight national historic sites in Pennsylvania.  U.S.           Department of Interior, National Park Service.                                                         ($12,792)

 

1990-95 - Post-fire ecology of red oak and competing hardwood regeneration in Wisconsin.  USDA Forest Biology Competitive Research Grants Program, with P. Reich and S. Gower.                                                                                                                                         ($130,000)

 

1991-96 - Woody vegetation and fuel survey for evaluating wildfire hazard in three battlefields of the Fredericksburg National Military Park.  U. S. Department of Interior, National Park Service.                                                                                            ($110,000)

   

1991-93 - Historical and ecological analysis of early charcoal pits at Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site.  U. S. Department of Interior, National Park Service.       ($30,000)                  

 

1992-94 - Ecological classification of forest types on the Monongahela National Forest,

West Virginia. USDA Forest Service                                                                     ($27,000)

                                                

1994-1999 - Plant responses to the environment: biochemical basis, physiological responses and ecological consequences. National Science Foundation BIO Research Training Group Program. Faculty Participant (J. C. Schultz and E. J. Pell, PI's).                          ($1,250,000)

 

          1994 - Ecological classification for remote sensing application in the Monongahela National      Forest. Life Sciences NASA Space Grant, with D.Hurst.                                         ($2,500)               

 

          1995-96 - Pre-European settlement warrant tree analysis for sugar maple. USDA Forest           Service, Warren, PA.                                                                                                 ($4,072)

 

1996-2000 - A re-evaluation of multiple successional pathways and the impact of regional climate variations on a post-fire jack pine chronosequence. USDA Forest Service    Cooperative Agreement.                                                                                            ($50,000)

 

          1996-98 - Ecosystem-based assessment of biodiversity associated with eastern hemlock

          forests and the hemlock woolly adelgid. U.S.D.I. National Park Service and National           Biological Service.                                                                                                   ($207,000) 

          1997 - Hokkaido Japan Guest Researcher Award. To support forest ecology research and           teaching in Japan.  Hokkaido Government, Japan.                                                     ($50,000)                                                     

          1998 - Fire ecology and management evaluations of five National Parks in the mid-Atlantic           region. U.S.D.I. National Park Service.                                                                    ($10,000)

 

          1998 - Dendroecological investigation of an old-growth mixed-oak forest at the Great Falls            National Park, Virginia.  U.S.D.I. National Park Service .                                        ($7,500)

         

          1998 - Charles Bullard Research Fellowship, Harvard University. To support forest ecology       research at Harvard Forest, MA during a sabbatical visit.                                        ($15,000)

 

                1999 - Dendroecological analysis of a mature loblolly pine-mixed hardwood forest at the                 George Washington Birthplace NM eastern Virginia. U.S. National Park Service.  ($7,500)                                                                                 

                2000-01 - Investigating the role of fire in red maple proliferation and decline of oak forests     in Pennsylvania. Penn State College of Ag. Sci. Seed Grant.                                  ($10,000)       

          2000-03 - Stem recruitment patterns in oak forests following the 1985 Tionesta Tornado.

                U.S.D.A. Forest Service.                                                                                          ($56,000)

 

2002-2004 – Forest canopy, ecosystem and atmospheric responses to insect defoliation in the northern hardwood forest. National Science Foundation Biosphere-Atmosphere Research and Training Grant Program                                                                      ($64,000)

 

2002-04 - Investigating the role of fire history in the development of vegetation types at   Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania. Department of Environmental Protection and Department of Military and Veteran Affairs.                                                      ($101,000)

 

2004 – Incorporating global change issues into the forestry ecology curriculum at Penn State University. Office of International Programs, Penn State to fund trip to northwest Russia.                                                                                                                      ($4000)

         

2004-07 - Investigating fire history and landscape ecology at Fort Indiantown Gap, Penn. Department of Environmental Protection and Department of Military and Veteran Affairs.                                                                                                                            ($217,000)

 

2005-07 – Forest stand age, composition, and structure associated with the State endangered northern flying squirrel in Pennsylvania. Wild Resources Conservation Fund. Subcontract for tree-ring work through Carolyn Mahan (PI)                                     ($5545)

 

2006-07 - Forest composition and structure, fire history and soils analysis for oak-hickory and oak-beech forests on the Mashomack Preserve, Shelter Island, New York.              The Nature Conservancy                                                                                        ($75,000)

 

2006-08 -  Assessing historical fire regimes and prescribed fire for fuel management and forest health on the Menominee Indian Tribal Lands; Bureau of Indian Affairs.   ($80,000)

 

 

   Research presentations at scientific meetings

 

          i. Invited Papers and International Presentations:

 

1988:           INVITED PAPER:  Western Forest Insect Work Conference.  Flagstaff, AZ.            "Osmotic adjustment as a drought adaptation in trees".

 

1989:           INVITED PAPER:  Tall Timbers Research Station's 17th Fire Ecology Conference, Tallahassee, FL. "Post-fire revegetation of jack pine sites in Michigan:  An example of successional complexities". 

 

1990:           INVITED PAPER:  Northeast Regional Christmas Tree Growers Meeting. White Haven, PA.  "Keepability of Pennsylvania versus west-coast grown Douglas-fir in relation to subfreezing temperatures".

 

1991:           IUFRO Meeting.  Biological Systems in Tree Breeding. Finland and  Sweden.  "Physiological and morphological responses to shade and drought in two contrasting genotypes of Prunus serotina", with B. D. Kloeppel and M. E. Kubiske. 

 

1992:           INVITED TALK:  USDA Forest Service.  Workshop on Ecological  Processes and Functions.  Eastern Regional University, Milwaukee, WI.  "Introduction to the concepts of succession".

 

1992:           INVITED PAPER: 19th Annual Natural Areas Conference. Bloomington, IN. "Can oak be maintanied in old-growth forests without fire?".

 

1992:           Eighth International Symposium on Insect-Plant Relationships. Wageningen, The Netherlands. "Impact of water and nutrient stress on oak leaf quality and gypsy moth performance", with K.W. Kleiner and J. C. Schultz.

 

1993:           IUFRO Meeting. Ecophysiology and genetics of trees and forests in a changing environment. Viterbo, Italy. "Genotypic and phenotypic variation as stress adaptations in woody plants".

 

1993:           INVITED TALK: Biology of Trees and Shrubs-USDA Soil Conservation Service, University Park, PA. "Physiology, Ecology  and Morphology of Woody Plants".

 

1994:           INVITED TALK: Botanical Society of America-Symposium. The Ecological Society of America 79th Annual Meeting, Knoxville, TN. "Fire and the successional status of eastern oak forests".

 

1994:           INVITED PLENARY LECTURE: Environmental constraints and oaks: Ecological and physiological aspects. Nancy, France. "Relating ecological distribution and community dynamics to ecophysiological adaptations in North American oak species".

 

1994:           VI International Congress of Ecology (INTECOL). Manchester, England. "Land-use history and tree species recruitment in mixed-oak forests".

 

1994:           INVITED PAPER: 21st Annual Natural Areas Conference, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. "Composition, structure, and dynamics of old-growth oak and pine forests in the mid-Atlantic Region".

                   

1995:           INVITED KEYNOTE PAPER: IUFRO Meeting. Interactive environmental effects on forest stands. Christchurch, New Zealand. "Physiological and morphological responses to interactions among light, site and drought  in contrasting temperate tree species".

 

1995:           INVITED PAPER: Forest Resources Issues Conference. Ecosystem Management: Translating Concepts to Practice. State College, PA. "History of Eastern Forests: Pre- and Post-European Settlement".

 

1995:           INVITED PAPER: IUFRO XX World Congress. Tampere, Finland. "Dendroecological and ecophysiological attributes of mixed-oak forests in the eastern U.S".

 

1996:           INVITED PAPER: The IV New York Natural History Conference. Albany, New York. "Dendroecology and recent climatic variations of a 320-year-old Pinus rigida community".

 

1996:           14th North American Forest Biology Workshop. Quebec City, Canada. "Radial growth dynamics and successional status of mesic versus xeric old-growth oak forests on the Blue Ridge Mountains, Virginia".