| Biography: | Perkins is Research Associate Professor of Plant Biology and Director of the UVM Proctor Maple Research Center. His interests include forest physiological ecology and stress physiology. His research focuses on the physiological ecology of managed and unmanaged sugar maple forests, studying how changes in stand nutrition induced by anthropogenic deposition and land-use practices affect forest growth and health as well as sap yields. A current area of research is the chemistry of sap and maple syrup. Another line of research deals with decline of red spruce in high elevation forests in eastern North America, with investigation of winter injury in coniferous foliage to determine effects of pollutants on wintertime sensitivity. He also examines use of chlorophyll fluorescence (CF) as a tool for detecting stresses in plants. Among Perkins' publications are: "Long-term nitrogen fertilization increases winter injury in montane red spruce (Picea rubens) foliage" (Journal of Sustainable Forestry, 1998, in press, co-authors); and, "Winter-time patterns of chlorophyll fluorescence in red spruce (Picea rubens) foliage" (Journal of Sustainable Forestry, 1998, in press, co-authors). |
