Marc Abrams
Professor of Forest Ecology and Physiology
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307 Forest Resources Building
University Park, PA 16802 - agl@psu.edu
- 814-865-4901
Research Summary
Community, historical and physiological ecology of tree species; global change biology.
Huck Affiliations
Links
Most Recent Publications
A comparison of witness tree and contemporary compositions for old-growth forests at Savage Mountain, Maryland, and secondary forests of the northern Allegheny Mountains
Marc D. Abrams, Brice B. Hanberry, Charles M. Ruffner, 2022, Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society on p. 151-158
Native American imprint in palaeoecology
Marc D. Abrams, Gregory J. Nowacki, 2020, Nature Sustainability on p. 896-897
Reviewing Fire, Climate, Deer, and Foundation Species as Drivers of Historically Open Oak and Pine Forests and Transition to Closed Forests
Brice B. Hanberry, Marc D. Abrams, Mary A. Arthur, J. Morgan Varner, 2020, Frontiers in Forests and Global Change
Does white-tailed deer density affect tree stocking in forests of the Eastern United States?
Brice B. Hanberry, Marc D. Abrams, 2019, Ecological Processes
Global change impacts on forest and fire dynamics using paleoecology and tree census data for eastern North America
Marc D. Abrams, Gregory J. Nowacki, 2019, Annals of Forest Science
A model for longitudinal data sets relating wind-damage probability to biotic and abiotic factors: A Bayesian approach
Kiyoshi Umeki, Marc D. Abrams, Keisuke Toyama, Eri Nabeshima, 2019, Forest Systems on p. 1-12
Witness Tree Records for the Early Colonial Period (1623-1700) of Eastern Virginia
Marc D. Abrams, Sarah E. Johnson, 2019, American Midland Naturalist on p. 115-122
Recognizing loss of open forest ecosystems by tree densification and land use intensification in the Midwestern USA
Brice B. Hanberry, Marc David Abrams, 2018, Regional Environmental Change on p. 1731-1740
Is increased precipitation during the 20th century statistically or ecologically significant in the eastern US?
Brice B. Hanberry, Marc D. Abrams, Joseph D. White, 2018, Journal of Land Use Science on p. 259-268
A regional assessment of white-tailed deer effects on plant invasion
Kristine M. Averill, David A. Mortensen, Erica A.H. Smithwick, Susan Kalisz, William J. McShea, Norman A. Bourg, John D. Parker, Alejandro A. Royo, Marc D. Abrams, David K. Apsley, Bernd Blossey, Douglas H. Boucher, Kai L. Caraher, Antonio DiTommaso, Sarah E. Johnson, Robert Masson, Victoria A. Nuzzo, 2018, AoB PLANTS
Most-Cited Papers
Is climate an important driver of post-European vegetation change in the Eastern United States?
Gregory J. Nowacki, Marc D. Abrams, 2015, Global Change Biology on p. 314-334
A regional assessment of white-tailed deer effects on plant invasion
Kristine M. Averill, David A. Mortensen, Erica A.H. Smithwick, Susan Kalisz, William J. McShea, Norman A. Bourg, John D. Parker, Alejandro A. Royo, Marc D. Abrams, David K. Apsley, Bernd Blossey, Douglas H. Boucher, Kai L. Caraher, Antonio DiTommaso, Sarah E. Johnson, Robert Masson, Victoria A. Nuzzo, 2018, AoB PLANTS
Recognizing loss of open forest ecosystems by tree densification and land use intensification in the Midwestern USA
Brice B. Hanberry, Marc David Abrams, 2018, Regional Environmental Change on p. 1731-1740
Reviewing Fire, Climate, Deer, and Foundation Species as Drivers of Historically Open Oak and Pine Forests and Transition to Closed Forests
Brice B. Hanberry, Marc D. Abrams, Mary A. Arthur, J. Morgan Varner, 2020, Frontiers in Forests and Global Change
Native American imprint in palaeoecology
Marc D. Abrams, Gregory J. Nowacki, 2020, Nature Sustainability on p. 896-897
Global change impacts on forest and fire dynamics using paleoecology and tree census data for eastern North America
Marc D. Abrams, Gregory J. Nowacki, 2019, Annals of Forest Science
Exploring the Early Anthropocene Burning Hypothesis and Climate-Fire Anomalies for the Eastern U.S
Marc D. Abrams, Gregory J. Nowacki, 2015, Journal of Sustainable Forestry on p. 30-48
Does white-tailed deer density affect tree stocking in forests of the Eastern United States?
Brice B. Hanberry, Marc D. Abrams, 2019, Ecological Processes
An interdisciplinary approach to better assess global change impacts and drought vulnerability on forest dynamics
Marc D. Abrams, Gregory J. Nowacki, 2016, Tree Physiology on p. 421-427
Large-scale catastrophic disturbance regimes can mask climate change impacts on vegetation – a reply to Pederson et al. (2014)
Marc David Abrams, Gregory J. Nowacki, 2018, Global Change Biology on p. e395-e396
News Articles Featuring Marc Abrams
May 08, 2025
Cultural burning by Indigenous peoples increased oak in forests near settlements
New study shows fire-tolerant trees were more abundant around historic Native American villages in southern New England
Full Article
Apr 16, 2025
To save our trees, we must burn down our forests
Fire suppression is causing the oak to disappear from our forests and landscapes.
Full Article
Sep 08, 2024
Foliage forecasts are bullish, despite summer’s heat. Here’s what leaf peepers in Philly and elsewhere can expect.
The foliage-color prospects are 'great' says a Pennsylvania state forestry specialist. But the next few weeks of weather are critical, and watch for the acorn factor.
Full Article
Sep 08, 2023
The fall foliage show’s intensity may be all about the next few weeks of weather
The next few weeks of weather may determine the foliage color woodlands in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic
Full Article
Oct 29, 2021
Climate change is altering the very color of fall foliage
Human decisions about forest management are also having a devastating effect.
Full Article
Oct 08, 2021
Fall foliage in the Philly area may suffer from the unusually warm and wet weather
The next several days should be ideal for morning walks in the Philly region with temperatures in the low 60s, a solid 10 degrees above long-term normals.
Full Article
Oct 07, 2021
Fall foliage could be ruined by summer that won’t quit
The warm, wet conditions persisting into the early days of autumn could dim Pennsylvania’s chances for a great fall foliage season in the coming weeks.
Full Article
Oct 07, 2021
Penn State: Warm, wet autumn could mute, delay foliage in Pennsylvania
Experts with Penn State's College of Agricultural Science say weather conditions will need to be cooler and drier in the next few weeks for Pennsylvania's forests to see the vibrant colors of fall foliage.
Full Article
Oct 06, 2021
Fantastic fall foliage could be ruined by summer that won’t quit
The warm, wet conditions persisting into the early days of autumn could dim Pennsylvania's chances for a great fall foliage season in the coming weeks.
Full Article
Oct 05, 2021
Warm, wet autumn could mute and delay foliage display in Pennsylvania
Because of the warm, wet summer, trees in Pennsylvania are mostly in great shape. But for the state’s forests to exhibit their most vibrant colors, conditions need to be cooler and drier in the next few weeks, according to a Penn State expert.
Full Article
Sep 14, 2020
Penn State professors predict foliage coloration for fall 2020
Marc Abrams has lived in State College for 33 years. Abrams, a Penn State professor of forest ecology and physiology, said he has been called on annually for several years about whether the fall leaves would be as beautiful as years prior, with people picking his brain for his expertise of the foliage.
Full Article
Sep 08, 2020
Fall foliage outlooks are bullish for colors — and leaf-peeping crowds
A refreshing splash of normality is about to enter this disorienting autumn of Zoom classes, quarantines, and masked professors. The annual fall foliage show already is creeping across the woods, and early indications are that it will be more than a pleasant distraction.
Full Article
Sep 07, 2020
Northeast Drought Could Threaten Penn State Fall Foliage Display
Penn State’s fall foliage display might look a little less vibrant and a lot crisper this season. According to university experts, little rain in the long-term weather forecast could threaten Pennsylvania’s usually dynamic fall foliage.
Full Article
Sep 01, 2020
Dry conditions affecting harvest sizes, foliage
The fall foliage and fruit and corn harvests are getting hammered by a lack of rain.
Full Article
Aug 28, 2020
Fall foliage expert offers bleak outlook for some of Pennsylvania this fall
Fall foliage could be disappointing in some areas of Pennsylvania this fall, according to a Penn State forest expert.
Full Article
Aug 05, 2020
Don’t Downplay the Role of Indigenous People in Molding the Ecological Landscape
Climate has been a major driver of changes in vegetation over thousands of years—but not the only one
Full Article
Nov 21, 2019
Research looks into 400 years of Pennsylvania’s forests, which have been ‘completely transformed’
While forests of the northeastern U.S., from Pennsylvania north to Maine, may hold mostly the same tree species as they did 400 years ago, significant differences emerge under closer inspection.
Full Article
Nov 18, 2019
Attack of the acorns: Weather, chaos, or a vast oak conspiracy?
Jason Parker has witnessed the fallen masses, and so have his customers. “We have noticed quite a crop of acorns this fall,” said Parker, district manager for the Davey Tree Expert Co. branch in Horsham.
Full Article
Oct 28, 2019
How weather has impacted this season's fall foliage
AccuWeather meteorologist Lauren Rainson spoke with Penn State's Marc Abrams, professor of Forest Ecology and Tree Physiology on how recent drought conditions impacted peak fall foliage this season.
Full Article
Oct 22, 2019
Rain douses another Philly rush hour, but it might just rescue the foliage show
Yet another round of rain arrived just in time for Tuesday’s peak commuting period, as the region’s reversal of drought fortunes continues.
Full Article
Oct 08, 2019
Central Pa. foliage display is off to a rough start. Is there still hope for leaf peepers?
Fall foliage enthusiasts might not have as much vibrant leaf color to look at again this year — owing to a hot, dry late summer and early fall.
Full Article
Oct 04, 2019
Extremely dry, hot conditions this fall causing early, muted foliage display
With last year being the wettest year on record in Pennsylvania, and this year starting out wet again, 2019 was set up to be the mother of all fall foliage displays. Trees in most areas were in great condition going into late summer.
Full Article
Sep 03, 2019
Deer browsing is not stopping the densification of Eastern US forests
Selective browsing by white-tailed deer has been blamed by many for changing the character and composition of forest understories in the eastern U.S.; however, its impact on the forest canopy was previously unknown.
Full Article
May 22, 2019
Native American Burning Was Key Factor In Shaping Eastern US Forests
Researchers from Pennsylvania State University found that Native Americans had a bigger influence in shaping the forests of the eastern United States.
Full Article
Nov 19, 2018
Winter is Near : Winter Weather Folklore
A lot of folklore surrounds how we can predict the winter ahead. just think right here in PA we have the most famous prognosticator in Punxsutawney Phil. Most folklore is just fun and just not true. However, there are some patterns in nature that can help us figure out what is ahead.
Full Article