Matthew J Germino, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Plant Physiological Ecology
germmatt@isu.edu
(208) 282-3285
Gale Life Sciences Bldg Rm 409
Plant Physiological Ecology Lab
Physiology and ecology of wildland plants, invasive forbs of sagebrush steppe, alpine treeline ecology.
Education
PhD Botany, 2000 University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY
MS Botany, 1996 University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY
BS Environmental Science, 1994 University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
Biographical Sketch
Matt Germino is an Associate Professor of Plant Physiological Ecology at Idaho State University. He is interested in functional diversity among upland plants, and its significance to the larger problem of species change in plant communities. Matt's current projects are on tree invasion of subalpine meadows and exotic plant invasions of sagebrush steppe. Matt addresses problems in these topics with approaches and perspectives ranging from photosynthetic ecophysiology and plant-soil water relationships to community ecology, remote sensing, and landscape ecology. He received his PhD from University of Wyoming in 2000, where he worked on physiological adaptation and ecology of alpine plants. Subsequently, Matt studied plant responses to the hot soils of geothermal springs in Yellowstone NP as a postdoc at Montana State University. Matt's research is supported by grants from the Mellon Foundation, NSF, NASA, DOE, and USDA.
Teaching
BIOS g404L, 4 cr Plant Physiology
BIOS 607, 3 cr Environmental Physiology
BIOS g405, 3 cr Plant Form & Function
BIOS 408g, 4 cr Plant Ecology
BIOS g489, 4 cr Field Ecology
Recent Publications
(*student, **MS student at ISU, ***PhD student at ISU)
DiCristina K**, Germino MJ. (In press) Correlation of neighborhood relationships, carbon assimilation, and water status of sagebrush seedlings establishing after fire. Western North American Naturalist (ms# 05-132).
Maher E**, Germino MJ. (In press) Microsite differentiation among conifer species during seedling establishment at alpine-treeline. Ecoscience (ms# ECO-2869)
Germino MJ, Hasselquist NJ**, McGonigle TM, Smith WK, Sheridan P. 2006. Colonization of conifer seedling roots by fungal mycelium in an alpine-treeline ecotone: Relationships to microsite, developmental stage, and ecophysiology of seedlings. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 36: 901-909
Broderson C*, Germino MJ, Smith WK. 2006. Photosynthesis during an episodic drought in Abies lasiocarpa and Picea engelmannii across an alpine treeline. Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research 38:34-41
Hill JP***. Germino MJ. Wraith JM. Olson B, Swan M. 2006. Advantages in water relations contribute to greater photosynthesis in Centaurea maculosa compared to established grasses. International Journal of Plant Sciences 167:269-277
Hill JP***, Germino MJ. 2005. Coordinated variation in ecophysiological properties among life stages and tissue types in an invasive forb of shrub steppe. Canadian Journal of Botany 83:1488-1495
Maher E**, Germino MJ, Hasselquist NJ**. 2005. Interactive effects of tree and herb cover on survivorship, physiology, and microclimate of conifer seedlings at the alpine-treeline ecotone. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 35: 567-574
Hasselquist NJ**, Germino MJ, McGonigle TC, Smith WK. 2005. Variability of Cenoccocum
infection and its ecophysiological significance for young conifers at alpine-treeline. New Phytologist 165: 867-873
Smith SD, Naumburg E, Niinements U, Germino MJ. 2004. Environmental Limitations:
Dry and cold environments. In: Photosynthetic Adaptation from the Chloroplast to the
Landscape. Eds: Smith WK, Vogelmann, TC, Critchley, C. Academic Press
Johnson DM*, Germino MJ, Smith WK. 2004. Abiotic factors limiting photosynthesis in Abies
lasiocarpa and Picea engelmannii seedlings below and above alpine timberline. Tree Physiology 24:377-387
Smith WK, Germino MJ, Hancock TE*, Johnson DM*. 2003. A more unified approach for
interpreting elevational limits of upper timberlines. Tree Physiology 23:1101-1113
Germino MJ, Wraith JM. 2003. Plant water relations influence carbon gain along sharp gradients of soil temperature. New Phytologist 157:241-250
Germino MJ, Resor, CAC, Smith WK. 2002. Conifer seedling distribution and survival in an
alpine-treeline ecotone. Plant Ecology 162:157-168
Germino MJ, Smith WK. 2001. Relative importance of microhabitat, plant form, and
photosynthetic physiology to carbon gain in two alpine herbs. Functional Ecology 15:243-251
Germino MJ, Smith WK. 1999. Sky exposure, crown architecture, and low-temperature
photoinhibition in conifer seedlings at alpine treeline. Plant, Cell, & Environment 22:407-415