David Eissenstat

Professor of Woody Plant Physiology

David Eissenstat

Research Summary

Plant physiological ecology. Root biology and physiology. Plant carbon and nutrient economies.

Huck Affiliations

Links

Most Recent Publications

Cover crops and a devigorating rootstock can impart substantial agroecosystem services to high-resource vineyards: A multi-year study

Suzanne M. Fleishman, David M. Eissenstat, Grant M. Hoffer, Michela Centinari, 2023, Agro-Ecosystems

Rock fragment content in soils shift root foraging behavior in xerophytic species

Hui Hu, Weikai Bao, David M. Eissenstat, Long Huang, Jian Liu, Fanglan Li, 2022, Plant and Soil on p. 671-688

Shifts in root dynamics along a hillslope in a mixed, mesic temperate forest

Edward J. Primka, Thomas S. Adams, Alexandra S. Buck, David M. Eissenstat, 2022, Plant and Soil on p. 707-723

Phylogenetic Signal, Root Morphology, Mycorrhizal Type and Macroinvertebrate Exclusion: Exploring Wood Decomposition in Soils Conditioned by 13 Temperate Tree Species

Rondy J. Malik, Mary Ann V. Bruns, Terrence H. Bell, David M. Eissenstat, 2022, Forests on p. 536

Mite density, not diversity, declines with biomass removal in Patagonian woodlands

Margarita M. Fernández, Cecilia Casas, José C. Bedano, David M. Eissenstat, Margot W. Kaye, Ivana M. García, Marcelo E. Kun, Lucas A. Garibaldi, 2022, Applied Soil Ecology

Functionally-explicit sampling can answer key questions about the specificity of plant–microbe interactions

Suzanne M. Fleishman, David M. Eissenstat, Terrence Bell, Michela Centinari, 2022, Standards in Genomic Sciences

Topography Mediates the Response of Soil CO<sub>2</sub> Efflux to Precipitation Over Days, Seasons, and Years

Marissa Kopp, Jason Philip Kaye, Y Smeglin, T Adams, Edward Primka, IV, Edward J. Primka, Brosi Bradley, Yuning Shi, David Eissenstat, 2022, Ecosystems on p. 1--19

Limited evidence of vertical fine-root segregation in a subtropical forest

Wenqi Luo, Ming Ni, Youshi Wang, Runxuan Lan, David M. Eissenstat, James F. Cahill, Buhang Li, Chengjin Chu, 2021, New Phytologist on p. 2308-2318

Topographical shifts in fine root lifespan in a mixed, mesic temperate forest

Edward J. Primka IV, Thomas S. Adams, Alexandra Buck, David M. Eissenstat, 2021, PLoS One

Undervine groundcover substantially increases shallow but not deep soil carbon in a temperate vineyard

Suzanne M. Fleishman, Hayden W. Bock, David M. Eissenstat, Michela Centinari, 2021, Agro-Ecosystems

Most-Cited Papers

Redefining fine roots improves understanding of below-ground contributions to terrestrial biosphere processes

M. Luke McCormack, Ian A. Dickie, David M. Eissenstat, Timothy J. Fahey, Christopher W. Fernandez, Dali Guo, Heljä Sisko Helmisaari, Erik A. Hobbie, Colleen M. Iversen, Robert B. Jackson, Jaana Leppälammi-Kujansuu, Richard J. Norby, Richard P. Phillips, Kurt S. Pregitzer, Seth G. Pritchard, Boris Rewald, Marcin Zadworny, 2015, New Phytologist on p. 505-518

Evolutionary history resolves global organization of root functional traits

Zeqing Ma, Dali Guo, Xingliang Xu, Mingzhen Lu, Richard D. Bardgett, David M. Eissenstat, M. Luke McCormack, Lars O. Hedin, 2018, Nature on p. 94-97

Root morphology and mycorrhizal symbioses together shape nutrient foraging strategies of temperate trees

Weile Chen, Roger T. Koide, Thomas S. Adams, Jared L. DeForest, Lei Cheng, David M. Eissenstat, 2016, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America on p. 8741-8746

Linking root traits to nutrient foraging in arbuscular mycorrhizal trees in a temperate forest

David M. Eissenstat, Joshua M. Kucharski, Marcin Zadworny, Thomas S. Adams, Roger T. Koide, 2015, New Phytologist on p. 114-124

Complementarity in nutrient foraging strategies of absorptive fine roots and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi across 14 coexisting subtropical tree species

Bitao Liu, Hongbo Li, Biao Zhu, Roger T. Koide, David M. Eissenstat, Dali Guo, 2015, New Phytologist on p. 125-136

Building a better foundation: improving root-trait measurements to understand and model plant and ecosystem processes

M. Luke McCormack, Dali Guo, Colleen M. Iversen, Weile Chen, David M. Eissenstat, Christopher W. Fernandez, Le Li, Chengen Ma, Zeqing Ma, Hendrik Poorter, Peter B. Reich, Marcin Zadworny, Amy Zanne, 2017, New Phytologist on p. 27-37

Variability in root production, phenology, and turnover rate among 12 temperate tree species

M. Luke McCormack, Thomas S. Adams, Erica A.H. Smithwick, David M. Eissenstat, 2014, Ecology on p. 2224-2235

Reviews and syntheses: On the roles trees play in building and plumbing the critical zone

Susan L. Brantley, David M. Eissenstat, Jill A. Marshall, Sarah E. Godsey, Zsuzsanna Balogh-Brunstad, Diana L. Karwan, Shirley A. Papuga, Joshua Roering, Todd E. Dawson, Jaivime Evaristo, Oliver Chadwick, Jeffrey J. McDonnell, Kathleen C. Weathers, 2017, Biogeosciences on p. 5115-5142

Soil organic carbon stability in forests: Distinct effects of tree species identity and traits

Gerrit Angst, Kevin E. Mueller, David M. Eissenstat, Susan Trumbore, Katherine H. Freeman, Sarah E. Hobbie, Jon Chorover, Jacek Oleksyn, Peter B. Reich, Carsten W. Mueller, 2019, Global Change Biology on p. 1529-1546

Weathering of rock to regolith: The activity of deep roots in bedrock fractures

Elizabeth A. Hasenmueller, Xin Gu, Julie N. Weitzman, Thomas S. Adams, Gary E. Stinchcomb, David M. Eissenstat, Patrick J. Drohan, Susan L. Brantley, Jason P. Kaye, 2017, Geoderma on p. 11-31

News Articles Featuring David Eissenstat

Sep 10, 2023

Long-term spotted lanternfly study shows limited impact on hardwoods

Hardwood trees may not be less vulnerable to spotted lanternflies as previously thought

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Sep 05, 2023

Invasive spotted lanternfly may not damage hardwood trees as previously thought

New long-term research about the spotted lanternfly led by Penn State has revealed that hardwood trees, such as maple, willow and birch, may be less vulnerable than initially thought.

Full Article

Jul 12, 2023

Growing cover crops under vineyard vines is a sustainability strategy

A new study by Penn State researchers shows that in regions with fertile soils that receive plenty of rainfall, growing cover crops under the vines so that the vineyard floor is completely covered with vegetation is a sustainable strategy.

Full Article

Jan 31, 2023

Five Penn State faculty elected to 2022 cohort of AAAS Fellows

Five Penn State faculty members in areas ranging from the geosciences and atmospheric science to plant ecology and genome editing have been elected to the 2022 cohort of fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world’s largest general scientific society.

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Jan 31, 2023

Eissenstat retires from College of Ag Sciences after three decades at Penn State

David Eissenstat, professor of woody plant physiology, retired recently after a distinguished 28-year career on the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences faculty, including a two-year stint as interim head of the Department of Ecosystem Science and Management.

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Dec 12, 2022

Study examines feeding damage caused by spotted lanternflies on young maples

Short-term, heavy feeding by adult spotted lanternflies on young maple trees inhibits photosynthesis, potentially impairing the tree’s growth by up to 50 percent, according to a new study by Penn State scientists.

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Mar 16, 2022

Huck Students Receive Alumni Awards

Two Huck IGDP students have been recognized as part of the 2021-22 Graduate School Alumni Association faculty and student awards in the Life & Health Sciences section.

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