Research in the Gotsch lab is focused on understanding how plant communities are affected by changes in climate and the ecosystem services that plant communities provide. We conduct most of our research in the Tropical Montane Cloud Forest in Costa Rica but have recently begun to also conduct research in the urban landscape in Lancaster, PA. Our tropical research efforts are focused on understanding how decreases in water availability will affect a vulnerable community of plants that reside high in tree canopies (i.e. epiphytes). Locally, we are exploring the ability of different street trees to provide ecosystem benefits including water and particulate interception. This website contains descriptions (and accompanying photo galleries) of our current research and Dr Gotsch's teaching efforts. If you would like additional information, Dr Gotsch's email is on the people page. Thanks for visiting!
LAB NEWS
October 2019: The Gotsch Lab is conducting a pilot study on the form and function of epiphytes in the Redwood canopies of Jedediah State Park in California. February 2019: Our local work to determine the ecosystem services of street trees is featured in a Franklin and Marshall publication
November 2018: Gotsch receives an NSF supplemental award to expand upon the lab's work evaluating drought resistance in cloud forest canopy plants.
May 2018: Gotsch is back in action following back surgery. She and students Laura Green and Renee Bicaba join the project post-doc Cameron Williams and our local crew in Costa Rica for summer field work.
December 2017: Winter field season in Monteverde! Gotsch got some heavy climbing in before undergoing back surgery in January of 2018. A few photos here.
August 2017: Our research team (Sybil Gotsch, Cam Williams, Rikke Naesborg, Nalini Nadkarni and Autumn Amici (U Utah) will all be giving talks at the Ecological Society of America Conference in Portland Oregon.
June 5, 2017: Gotsch presented data from the stormwater research project at the Water and Society Conference in Sevilla, Spain
May 1, 2017: Our 2017 field season is underway, check out our photos
March 26, 2017: F&M Tree Climbing Training has begun, check out our photos