email: lawrensack@ucla.edu
phone: (310) 825-6525
office: Botany 118; Warren Hall 23-139
lab: Warren Hall 23-171, 23-177
homepage: http://www.eeb.ucla.edu/Faculty/Sack |
CV
research interests: Ecology and physiology of plant species coexistence. Hydraulics of plant water transport. Evolution and functional consequences of diversity in leaf size, shape and venation. Forest dynamics and ecohydrology. Conservation physiology.
Recent Courses
EE BIOL 162 - Plant PhysiologyEE BIOL 194B - Research Group or Internship Seminars: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Education
B.Sc., McGill University 1995
Ph.D., Cambridge University 2001
Research Interests
We are interested broadly in mechanisms underlying function and co-existence of plant species-- including responses to resources, tolerance of environmental challenges, and competition-- as well as the evolution and functional consequences of diversity in plant traits. We explore processes across scales ranging from molecules to ecosystems. Examples of current research areas include hydraulics of leaves and whole plants; evolution and functional consequences of diversity in leaf designs; plant responses to resource supply combinations; scaling laws of plant design during evolution and ontogeny; evolutionary, ecological and conservation plant physiology; ecohydrology of native vs invasive dominated forests.
Selected Publications
Coomes, D.A., Heathcote, S., Godfrey, E.R. and Shepherd, J.J. and Sack, L.. 2008. Scaling of xylem vessels and veins within the leaves of oak species Biology Letters 4: 302-306 .
Sack, L., Dietrich, E.M., Streeter, C.M., Sanchez-Gomez, D. and Holbrook, N.M.. 2008. Leaf palmate venation and vascular redundancy confer tolerance of hydraulic disruption Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 105: 1567-1572 .
Arcand, N., Kagawa, A.K., Sack, L. and Giambelluca, T.W.. 2008. Scaling of frond form in Hawaiian tree fern Cibotium glaucum: compliance with global trends, and application for field estimation Biotropica 40: 686-691 .
Pratt, R.B., Jacobsen, A.L., North, G.B., Sack, L. and Schenk, H.J.. 2008. Plant hydraulics: new discoveries in the pipeline. New Phytologist 179: 590-593 .
Quero, J.L., Villar, R., Marañón, T., Zamora, R., Vega, D. and Sack, L.. 2008. Relating leaf photosynthetic rate to whole plant growth: drought and shade effects on seedlings of four Quercus species Functional Plant Biology 35: 725-737 .
Scoffoni, C., Pou, A., Aasamaa, K. and Sack, L.. 2008. The rapid light response of leaf hydraulic conductance: new evidence from two experimental methods Plant, Cell & Environment 31: 1803-1812 .
Martin, R.E., Asner, G.P. and Sack, L.. 2007. Genetic variation in leaf pigment, optical and photosynthetic function among diverse phenotypes of Metrosideros polymorpha grown in a common garden Oecologia 151: 387-400 .
Cavender-Bares, J., Sack, L. and Savage, J.. 2007. Atmospheric and soil drought reduce nocturnal conductance in live oaks Tree Physiology 27: 611-620 .
Cornwell, W.K., Bhaskar, R., Sack, L., Cordell, S. and Lunch, C.. 2007. Adjustment of structure and function of Hawaiian Metrosideros polymorpha at high versus low precipitation Functional Ecology 21: 1063-1071 .
Sack, L. and Holbrook, N.M.. 2006. Leaf hydraulics Annual Review of Plant Biology 57: 361-381 .