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Brian R. Maricle Research

 (Download Brian R. Maricle's Curriculum Vitae)

 Interests

 Responses of plants to flooding

  • Environmental factors influencing species zonation in estuaries and wetlands
  • Physiological, biochemical, and anatomical factors influencing flooding tolerance in plants
  • Effects of low oxygen levels on respiration and nitrogen assimilation in plants
  • Roles of flooding tolerance in the success of wetland invasive specie
  • Novel capabilities of plants beneficial to agriculture and phytoremediation

 Effects of environment on photosynthesis in plants

  • Effects of drought and salinity on stomatal conductance, photosynthesis, and transpiration
  • Physiological, biochemical, and anatomical factors influencing drought and salinity tolerance in plant
  • Roles of latent, sensible, and radiative heat exchange under changing environmental conditions
  • Physiological and biochemical responses to oxidative stress in plants
  • Carbon and hydrogen isotope discrimination in photosynthesis and transpiration
  • Effects of chilling on photosynthetic light harvesting, gas exchange, and carbon metabolism

 

My research involves investigating physiological, biochemical, anatomical, and biophysical adaptations that enable plants to live under conditions of environmental stress. Much of my earlier work focused on responses of wetland and estuarine plants to conditions of flooding and salinity. During my graduate research, I studied how estuarine Spartina grasses (Poaceae) tolerate coastal mudflat conditions. I identified several physiological and biochemical features that contribute to flooding tolerance and estuarine zonation, including internal oxygen transport, anaerobic respiration capacity, aerobic demand, and oxygen affinity. Since then, my students and I have expanded my work to investigate processes in other systems. My students are now working on projects to characterize species zonation in freshwater wetlands, mechanisms of flooding tolerance in freshwater plants, effects of drought on prairie grasses, effects of creek drying on riparian plants, effects of oil well brine on plant productivity, and nitrate assimilation in wetland plants. Our work is helping to characterize general mechanisms of drought or waterlogging tolerance across plants, including other economically important crop species or ecologically relevant systems like wetlands.

 Killer_Bs

The "Killer B's" lab group on 5/1/2012. Back row: Bliss Betzen, Brian Maricle, Keri Caudle, and Shaley White.
Front row: Alondra Meraz, Nyasha Maforo, and Cera Smart.
Not pictured: Jake Olsen, Karina Barrett, and Taylor Biggs.

 

Publications 

Current Projects in the Lab

  1. Environment and genotype interactions in big bluestem
  2. Effects of anthropogenic pollutants on aquatic/riparian plant communities
  3. Mechanisms of flooding tolerance in freshwater marsh species
  4. Explaining the success of aquatic invasive species by physiological mechanisms
  5. Halophyte water relations, photosynthesis, and energy balances
  6. Effects of oil on plant photosynthesis and respiration
  7. Nitrate assimilation in native versus introduced grasses
  8. Mechanisms of chilling-tolerant C4 photosynthesis in Spartina
  9. Effects of drought on native prairie grasses
  10. Factors influencing aerenchyma development in Spartina roots
  11. The role of ethanol toxicity on flooding tolerance in plants
  12. Effects of nitrate/ammonium nitrogen source on photosynthesis and nitrate reductase activity in Phalaris arundinacea

 
 Killer_Bs_small

Current Lab Members

Jake_Olsen2 Jacob T. Olsen, M.S. student
B.S., University of Utah
Hometown:
Morgan, UT
Lab member since: July 2010
Thesis project: Gas exchange and anatomical variation of big bluestem over a precipitation gradient
 Karina_Barrett Karina M. Barrett, M.S. student
B.S., Fort Hays State University
Hometown: Holcomb, KS
Lab member since: August 2011
Thesis project: Effects of nitrate and phosphate concentrations on growth and performance of native and introduced aquatic and riparian plants
Keri_Caudle_oil
Keri L. Caudle, B.S. student
Major: Biology
Hometown: Burkburnett, TX
Lab member since: June 2010
Project:
Effects of oil spills on native and introduced coastal species
Project:
Effects of NO3- concentration on N uptake rates, assimilation,and photosynthesis in native and introduced grasses 
 Alondra_Meraz Alondra Meraz
Major: KAMS
Hometown: Hugoton, KS
Lab member since: September 2011
Project: The role of ethanol toxicity on flooding susceptibility in plants
 
 
Shaley_White Shaley J. White
Major: KAMS
Hometown: Leoti, KS
Lab member since: September 2011
Project: The role of ethanol toxicity on flooding susceptibility in plants
 
 
 Taylor_Biggs Taylor N. Biggs, B.S. student
Major: Chemistry
Hometown: Lincoln, KS
Lab member since: January 2012
Project: Effects of wind on NO3-/NH4+ nutrition in reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea)
 Cera_Smart
Cera M. Smart
Major: KAMS
Hometown:
Lab member since: January 2012
Project: Physiological effects of salinity on inland salt marsh species
 Bliss_Betzen
Bliss M. Betzen
Major: KAMS
Hometown:
Lab member since: February 2012
Project:
Physiological effects of salinity on inland salt marsh species
Nyasha_Maforo
Nyasha G. Maforo
Major: KAMS
Hometown: Winfield, KS
Lab member since: February 2012
Project:
The role of ethanol toxicity on flooding susceptibility in plants

  

Past Lab Members

 Lizz_Waring Elizabeth (Lizz) F. Waring, M.S. student
B.S., U
niversity of Wisconsin Milwaukee
Hometown: Milwaukee, WI
Lab member: 2008-2010
Thesis:
 Flooding tolerance ofnative and nonnative grasses: variation in photosynthesis, transpiration, respiration,and carbon isotope discrimination

Fellowship project: Mechanisms of chilling-tolerant C4 photosynthesis in Spartina
 
Kristen_Polacik Kristen A. Polacik, M.S. student
B.S., Marshall University
Hometown: New Martinsville, WV
Lab member: 2008-2010
Thesis: Effects of floodingon photosynthesis and root respiration in saltcedar (Tamarix ramosissima), an invasive riparian shrub
 
 Jordan_Brungardt Jordan J. Brungardt, B.S. student
Major: Biology
Hometown: Hays, KS
Lab member: 2007-2010
Project: Effects of oil well brine on soil salinity and plant performance
Project: Root hair curling during nodulation in legumes
Project: Factors influencing aerenchyma development in Spartina (Poaceae)
 
 Rika_Isomura2 Rika Isomura, B.S. student
Major: Biology
Hometown: Ena, Japan
Lab member: 2010
Project: Effects of soil flooding in Celosia
 
Aaron Pfeifer Aaron M. Pfeifer, B.S. student
Major: Pre-Med
Hometown: Hays, KS
Lab member: 2007 - 2009
Project: Effects of diet and activity on food usage and storage in FHSU students by stable isotope analyses
Project: Survey of ascorbic acid concentration and osmolality in orange juice and apple juice from a localgrocer
 
Cali Parker

Cali R. Parker, B.S. student
Major: Accounting
Hometown:
Lab member: 2008-2009
Project: Mechanisms of chilling-tolerant C4 photosynthesis in Spartina
 

Shi He Shi He
B.S., Wuhan University
Hometown: Wuhan, China
Lab member: 2007-2008
Project: Nitrate reductase activity and expression in Spartina (Poaceae)
 
Sam Zwenger Aaron Pfeifer Sam R. Zwenger, Lab technician
M.S. and B.S., Fort Hays State University
Hometown: Hays, KS
Lab member: Summer 2007
Project: Effect of creek drying on photosynthesis and transpiration of riparian trees
 

 

Student Involvement

My work is well-suited for student involvement, and I have always involved students in my work. Students can gain valuable lab/field experience and ″hands-on″ learning, and I am happy for the help in the lab or field. If you are a current FHSU student and are interested in work similar to what is described here, feel free to contact me to discuss the possibility of work in my lab. Feel free to get in touch to discuss possibilities.

 

 Interested in becoming a graduate student in my lab? Read this.

Text and photos by Brian R. Maricle (photos of Bliss Betzen, Taylor Biggs, and Cera Smart by Keri Caudle)

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 last updated 13 May 2012