Carrie Woods

Carrie Woods is an Associate Professor in the Biology Department at the University of Puget Sound. She conducts research on plant community ecology with a focus on understanding the mechanisms underlying species diversity and coexistence in both tropical and temperate forest ecosystems.

Dr. Woods received her academic training at:

• BS from University of Guelph (2002)
• MS from University of Guelph (2008)
• PhD from Clemson University (2013)

Dr. Woods' research focuses on plant community ecology, particularly examining how abiotic interactions combine with variations in nutrient acquisition and ecophysiological processes to influence diversity and species distributions. She is fascinated by species-rich communities, especially those threatened by human impacts. Much of her work has been conducted in tropical rainforest canopies, which she describes as 'one of the most diverse yet poorly understood and threatened ecosystems on the planet.' Her research has particularly focused on epiphytes (plants that inhabit the canopy), finding that microhabitat heterogeneity significantly influences vascular epiphyte diversity at both tree and forest scales.

She also maintains several research projects in the temperate rainforests of the Olympic peninsula in Washington State, examining factors that influence the distribution and diversity of non-vascular epiphytes in Big Leaf Maple trees and how nurse logs and their non-vascular plant communities influence seedling and tree communities. As a proponent of observational-based hypothesis development, Dr. Woods encourages students to develop research projects based on their own observations of local ecosystems.

Analysis of Dr. Woods' recent publications reveals a strong focus on epiphyte ecology across different forest ecosystems. Her work spans tropical and temperate forests, examining how structural heterogeneity influences plant communities. A significant portion of her research examines sacred church forests in Ethiopia, documenting how human disturbance affects these unique cultural and ecological spaces. Her publications consistently demonstrate an interest in understanding the mechanisms behind species coexistence and the impacts of environmental change on plant communities.

Dr. Woods has received notable research funding, including:

• NSF-funded post-doc position for Michelle Spicer to examine epiphyte community assembly
• Murdock Charitable Trust research grant to study epiphytes in northern temperate rainforests on the Olympic peninsula

Dr. Woods actively mentors undergraduate students in her research lab, with numerous students contributing as co-authors on publications (denoted by asterisks in her publication list). Her lab has been well-represented at professional conferences including the Ecological Society of America (ESA) meetings and the Murdock College Science Research Conference. She encourages students to develop their own research projects guided by observations, fostering independent scientific thinking. Her lab has conducted field seasons on the Olympic peninsula nearly every summer, with multiple concurrent projects examining different aspects of plant community ecology.

The Woods Lab at University of Puget Sound conducts primarily field-based research in both temperate and tropical forests, supplemented by controlled lab-based ecophysiological studies. The lab relies heavily on observation-based hypothesis development and rigorous quantitative analyses. Current research directions include examining the role of habitat heterogeneity in plant distributions, studying how plant communities are impacted by disturbances like climate change and deforestation, and investigating nurse log ecology in temperate rainforests. The lab maintains active collaborations with researchers studying Ethiopian church forests and tropical canopy ecology.