Retired USDA Forest Service Plant Physiologist

I coordinated a diverse, collaborative group of scientists from the USDA Forest Service, University of Vermont, and other institutions that evaluate the influence of human-associated stress (e.g., pollution additions, climate change, etc.) on forest health and productivity. This research concentrated on the impacts of anthropogenic stress on aspects of tree physiology, including tissue cold tolerance, carbohydrate and nutrient relations, foliar pigments and antioxidant enzymes. Issues that I worked on include: red spruce winter injury and other aspects of conifer cold tolerance, sugar maple decline, the impacts of calcium depletion on tree health, the biological basis of red pigment expression in the fall, and cold tolerance as a limitation to American chestnut restoration in the north.

I am now retired and a Volunteer with the USDA Forest Service as I finalize my research projects.

Publications

Butnor, John R; Johnsen, Kurt H; Anderson, Peter H; Hall, Kevin B; Halman, Joshua M; Hawley, Gary J; Maier, Christopher A; Schaberg, Paul G. 2019. Growth, Photosynthesis, and Cold Tolerance of Eucalyptus benthamii  planted in the Piedmont of North Carolina. Forest Science. 65(1): 59-67.

Fahey, Timothy J.; Schaberg, Paul G. 2019. Forest physiology and phenology. Chapter 14. In: Fahey, T.J., ed. Synthesis of scientific research at Hubbard Brook. Woodstock , VT: Hubbard Brook Research Foundation. 19p.

Asbjornsen, Heidi; Campbell, John L.; Jennings, Katie A.; Vadeboncoeur, Matthew A.; McIntire, Cameron; Templer, Pamela H.; Phillips, Richard P.; Bauerle, Taryn L.; Dietze, Michael C.; Frey, Serita D.; Groffman, Peter M.; Guerrieri, Rosella; Hanson, Paul J.; Kelsey, Eric P.; Knapp, Alan K.; McDowell, Nathan G.; Meir, Patrick; Novick, Kimberly A.; Ollinger, Scott V.; Pockman, Will T.; Schaberg, Paul G.; Wullschleger, Stan D.; Smith, Melinda D.; Rustad, Lindsey E. 2018. Guidelines and considerations for designing field experiments simulating precipitation extremes in forest ecosystems. Methods in Ecology and Evolution. 9(12): 2310-2325.

Horn, Kevin J.; Thomas, R. Quinn; Clark, Christopher M.; Pardo, Linda H.; Fenn, Mark E.; Lawrence, Gregory B.; Perakis, Steven S.; Smithwick, Erica A. H.; Baldwin, Douglas; Braun, Sabine; Nordin, Annika; Perry, Charles H.; Phelan, Jennifer N.; Schaberg, Paul G.; St. Clair, Samuel B.; Warby, Richard; Watmough, Shaun. 2018. Growth and survival relationships of 71 tree species with nitrogen and sulfur deposition across the conterminous U.S. PLOS ONE. 13(10): e0205296-. 19 p.

Janowiak, Maria K.; D'Amato, Anthony W.; Swanston, Christopher W.; Iverson, Louis; Thompson, Frank R., III; Dijak, William D.; Matthews, Stephen; Peters, Matthew P.; Prasad, Anantha; Fraser, Jacob S.; Brandt, Leslie A.; Butler-Leopold, Patricia; Handler, Stephen D.; Shannon, P. Danielle; Burbank, Diane; Campbell, John; Cogbill, Charles; Duveneck, Matthew J.; Emery, Marla R.; Fisichelli, Nicholas; Foster, Jane; Hushaw, Jennifer; Kenefic, Laura; Mahaffey, Amanda; Morelli, Toni Lyn; Reo, Nicholas J.; Schaberg, Paul G.; Simmons, K. Rogers; Weiskittel, Aaron; Wilmot, Sandy; Hollinger, David; Lane, Erin; Rustad, Lindsey; Templer, Pamela H. 2018. New England and northern New York forest ecosystem vulnerability assessment and synthesis: a report from the New England Climate Change Response Framework project. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-173. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 234 p.

Kosiba, Alexandra M.; Schaberg, Paul G.; Rayback, Shelly A.; Hawley, Gary J. 2018. The surprising recovery of red spruce growth shows links to decreased acid deposition and elevated temperature. Science of The Total Environment. 637-638: 1480-1491.

Paul Schaberg

Areas of Expertise and/or Research

Tree physiology, air pollution ecology, climate change, species restoration

Education

  • Ph.D. 1996 Botany, University of Vermont
  • Teaching certificate 1989 Southern Connecticut State University
  • M.S. 1985 Forestry, University of Vermont
  • B.S. 1981 Forestry with a coordinate major in Environmental Studies, University of Vermont

Contact

Email:

paul.schaberg@usda.gov