Research in the Santiago Lab

In this lab our research is focused on interactions between plants and their environment. We are interested in physiological and ecological strategies of plant species, and how plant species are distributed along environmental gradients. We are also interested in how plant characteristics affect the cycling of nutrients.

We employ a variety of approaches including plant physiological measurements (photosynthesis, transpiration, chlorophyll fluorescence, and hydraulics). We also utilize chemical measures of the environment, including plant tissue nutrient concentration, as well as stable isotopic composition of plants, soil, air, and water. In addition, statistical, modeling, and phylogenetic analyses are used in this laboratory to understand the relationship between plants and their environment over ecological and evolutionary time scales.

Opportunities exist for graduate, undergraduate, and postdoctoral research in this lab. Please contact santiago@ucr.edu for further information.