Plant Community Ecology

Our research is driven by an interest in understanding species coexistence,
particularly the processes that maintain high forest diversity.
Our projects are field-based and long-term, in temperate and tropical forests,
and we address our research questions with a wide variety of rigorous, quantitative tools.

Tropical Seedling dynamics

Many of the most prominent hypotheses about the maintenance of tropical forest diversity describe processes that occur early in a plant’s life history. Since 2002, we have been monitoring regeneration within the long-term forest dynamics plot in Yasuní National Park, Ecuador. ...more

Endemic forest Pathogens

We know groups like the oomycetes to be destructive agricultural pests or the causes of widespread tree mortality when introduced to new systems. But we know very little about the roles these pathogens play when endemic. In Summer 2016, we started investigating regeneration dynamics and potential roles for ooymcetes in determining tree diversity in an old growth forest near Portland. This study is funded by NSF's Dimensions of Biodiversity program and is in collaboration with Oregon State University, Southern Oregon University, and Utah State University. ...more

Disturbance Interactions

Coastal California forests have experienced extensive mortality from Phytophthora ramorum, the causal agent of sudden oak death (SOD). The effects of this mortality cascade through the system to alter forest structure and interact with disturbances like wildfire. ...more

Latest News

April 2021 - Congratulations to Metz Lab junior Mila Pruiett on her research fellowship award from the American Conifer Society! And to alum Holden Jones '18 on his Fulbright Award and acceptance to a PhD program at University of Hawaii!  

February 2021 - Dr. Metz awarded Lokey Faculty Excellence Award!

September 2020 - Dr. Metz is working remotely this academic year.  Stay distanced, masked, and with reduced contacts, everyone.

June 2020 - Tenured!  Celebration to come post-pandemic... 

May 2020 - Metz Lab featured in LC's alumni magazine The Chronicle. Check out a behind-the-scenes account of the lab's work. 

September 2018 - Thrilled to announce the start of another five years of seed and seedling monitoring in Ecuador and Puerto Rico with support from NSF's LTREB program. 

September 2017 - Fall semester starts after a busy, busy summer field season on multiple continents.  Whew...

Recent Lab adventures

More photo fun here....