Catherine H. Borer

Dr. Borer’s primary research focus is physiological plant ecology and plant conservation. Projects address the relationships among ecological conditions, human activities, and plant health. Current projects include investigations of Ca partitioning in understory trees and shrubs and the influence of flowering dogwood, foliar Ca partitioning as a mechanism of tolerance of an extremely high-calcium site, conservation of the seaside alder, GA trillium, and native milkweed in GA, identification and analysis of plant roots growing in caves, and mapping of plants in a historically significant cemetery. Additional projects have examined the role of flowering dogwood in ecosystem-level Ca cycling, invertebrates in Ca cycling, nutrient resorption during foliar senescence, Al toxicity, modeling causes and consequences of red spruce decline, and cave ecology and conservation. Student participation is a key component in all aspects of this work. Dr. Borer also mentors student assistants taking care of our plant collection in the Biology Department’s teaching greenhouse, and serves as an active faculty advisor for two student clubs: Society of Outdoor Life and Exploration (SOLE) and the Eco Club.