Connie Harrington, Silviculturist & Tree Physiologist

A silviculturist studies how trees interact with each other and how changing a tree’s neighborhood influences how it grows and the other plants that grow with it. A tree physiologist studies the biological processes that influence tree growth.

I am curious and like to ask questions. But I think it is also very important to understand the research that other people have done so reading and web browsing are critical to ensure that I don’t rediscover information that was already known.

How do temperatures during the winter influence the timing of budburst in the spring?

We use lasers to map out the distribution of trees in the forest and special gauges to record their growth. We use growth chambers and greenhouses to control temperature, moisture and light so we can test which factors are most important.

Very different types of trees from around the world have the same ability to sense and remember the temperature conditions they experienced during the winter.

I always liked science and math in school, but it was when I was in college I realized I wanted to be one of the people who comes up with new ideas and discovers different ways to think about plants and how they react to their environment.