Kevin T. Smith
Title: Project Leader / Supervisory Plant Physiologist
Unit: Biological and Environmental Influences on Forest Health and Productivity
Previous Unit: Forest sustainability and tree response to injury, infection and environmental change
Address: Northern Research Station
271 Mast Road
Durham, NH 03824
Phone: 603-868-7624
E-mail: Contact Kevin T. Smith
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Education
- Ph.D. Degree, University of Georgia, Department of Plant Pathology
- M.S. Degree, University of New Hampshire, Department of Botany & Plant Pathology
- B.A. Degree, Connecticut College, Department of Botany
Civic & Professional Affiliations
Biodeterioration Society, International Society of Arboriculture, Tree Ring Society
Current Research
My research is focused on the response of trees to injury, infection, and environmental change. Sources of injury may be obvious such as those from fire, storms, and human activity. Less obvious yet significant change may come from perturbations in soil chemistry due to acid rain.
Current research examines:
- the recovery of surviving trees following injury from fires, storms, and tree care practices,
- the applicability and limitations of dendrochemistry to provide markers of environmental change, and
- the role of the wood decay process to replenish essential elements to forest soils.
Why is This Important
Mechanical injury, subsequent infection, and environmental change are facts of life for wild, rural, and urban trees. Their impact depends on the diverse goals of forest management and wildlife conservation, high-quality wood products, or safe and healthy trees in our communities. Maximizing the benefits of trees for forests and communities requires understanding how those goals are linked to tree biology and responses to change.
Future Research
- Improve application of information in tree rings to better understand the impacts of land use, climate, and disturbance on trees.
- Identify indicators of physiological processes that contribute to tree mortality or recovery after disturbance or injury.
- Improve methods to communicate relevant science findings to practicing arborists, loggers, and foresters
Featured Publications
- Smith, Kevin T. 2008. Disposable Landscapes
- Smith, Kevin T.; Shortle, Walter C.; Jellison, Jody; Connolly, Jon; Schilling, Jonathan. 2007. Concentrations of Ca and Mg in early stages of sapwood decay in red spruce, eastern hemlock, red maple, and paper birch
- Smith, Kevin T. 2007. Plants' essential chemical elements
- Smith, Kevin T. 2006. Compartmentalization today
- Smith, Kevin T.; Sutherland, Elaine Kennedy. 2006. Resistance of eastern hardwood stems to fire injury and damage
Additional
Online Publications
- Smith, Kevin T.; Lewis, Phillip A. 2005. Potential concerns for tree response from stem injection
- Smith, K.T. 2005. Tree biology and problem trees
- Smith, K.T. 2005. Tree health and energy budgets
- Smith, Kevin T.; Shortle, Walter C. 2003. Radial growth of hardwoods following the 1998 ice storm in New Hampshire and Maine
- Shortle, Walter C.; Smith, Kevin T.; Dudzik, Kenneth R. 2003. Tree Survival and Growth Following Ice Storm Injury
- McLaughlin, Samuel B.; Shortle, Walter C.; Smith, Kevin T. 2002. Dendroecological applications in air pollution and environmental chemistry: research needs
- Smith, Kevin T.; Shortle, Walter C. 2001. Conservation of element concentration in xylem sap of red spruce
- Smith, Kevin; Shortle, Walter; Dudzik, Kenneth. 2001. Patterns of Storm Injury and Tree Response
- Smith, Kevin T.; Sutherland, Elaine Kennedy. 2001. Terminology and biology of fire scars in selected central hardwoods
- Sutherland, Elaine Kennedy; Smith, Kevin. 2000. Resistance is not futile: The response of hardwoods to fire-caused wounding
- Shortle, Walter C.; Smith, Kevin T.; Minocha, Rakesh; Minocha, Subhash; Wargo, Philip M.; Vogt, Kristina A. 2000. Tree health and physiology in a changing environment
- Torelli, N.; Shortle, W.C.; Cufar, K.; Ferlin, F.; Smith, K.T. 1999. Detecting changes in tree health and productivity in silver fir-beech forests of Slovenia
- Shortle, Walter C.; Smith, Kevin T.; Minocha, Rakesh; Minocha, Subhash C.; Wargo, Philip M.; Vogt, Kristiina A. 1999. Tree health and physiology in a changing environment
- Smith, Kevin T.; Shortle, Walter C. 1998. A first look at tree decay. An introduction to how injury and decay affect trees
- Shortle, Walter C.; Smith, Kevin T.; Minocha, Rakesh; Lawrence, Gregory B.; David, Mark B. 1997. Acidic deposition, cation mobilization, and biochemical indicators of stress in healthy red spruce
- Ostrofsky, A.; Jellison, J.; Smith, K.T.; Shortle, W.C. 1997. Changes in cation concentrations in red spruce wood decayed by brown rot and white rot fungi
- Shortle, Walter C.; Smith, Kevin T.; Dudzik, Kenneth R. 1996. Decay diseases of stemwood: Detection, diagnosis, and management
- Smith, Kevin T.; Shortle, Walter C.; Minocha, Rakesh; Alexeyev, Vladislav A. 1996. Dynamics of calcium concentration in stemwood of red spruce and Siberian fir
- Smith, Kevin T.; Shortle, Walter C. 1996. Tree biology and dendrochemistry
- Smith, K.T.; Shortle, W.C.; Ostrofsky, W.D. 1995. Aluminum and calcium in fine root tips of red spruce collected from the forest floor
- Shortle, W.C.; Smith, K.T.; Dudzik, K.R.; Parker, S. 1995. Response of maple sapwood to injury and infection
- Shortle, W.C.; Smith, K.T.; Minocha, R.; Alexeyev, V.A. 1995. Similar patterns of change in stemwood calcium concentration in red spruce and Siberian fir
Last Modified:
11/19/2008