Marc Abrams

Professor of Forest Ecology and Physiology

Marc Abrams

Research Summary

Community, historical and physiological ecology of tree species; global change biology.

Huck Affiliations

Links

Publication Tags

Climate Deer Quercus Charcoal Forest Dynamics Oak Global Change Paleoecology Odocoileus Virginianus Pollen Vegetation Seedlings Pine Land Use Transition Loss Temperature Pinus Eastern United States Disturbance Forest Fires Census Data Drought Census North America

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

Environmental control of daily stem growth patterns in five temperate broad-leaved tree species

Paul Köcher, Viviana Horna, Christoph Leuschner, Marc Abrams, 2012, Tree Physiology on p. 1021-1032

Long-term impacts of deer exclosures on mixed-oak forest composition at the Valley Forge National Historical Park, Pennsylvania, USA

Marc D. Abrams, Sarah E. Johnson, 2012, Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society on p. 167-180

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

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

A comparative study of physiological and morphological seedling traits associated with shade tolerance in introduced red oak (Quercus rubra) and native hardwood tree species in southwestern Germany

Christian Kuehne, Peter Nosko, Tobias Horwath, Jürgen Bauhus, Marc Abrams, 2014, Tree Physiology on p. 184-193

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

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

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

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

News Articles Featuring Marc Abrams

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