Heidi Renninger

Dr. Heidi Renninger is an Associate Professor at Mississippi State University's College of Forest Resources, specializing in Forest Ecophysiology. Her work focuses on environmental drivers of tree functioning, impacts of disturbances on forest systems, and ecosystem service provision under climate change.

• Ph.D. in Geography from Boston University
• M.S. in Forest Science from Oregon State University
• B.S. in Biology from Millersville University of Pennsylvania

Her research bridges physiological plant function with hydrology and biogeochemical cycling, particularly in short rotation bioenergy crops like Populus species. She investigates water use efficiency, photosynthetic capacity, and stomatal dynamics in bottomland hardwoods and upland pine forests.

Recent publications highlight her expertise in deep learning for sap flow analysis, LIDAR-based biomass estimation, and physiological plasticity in hybrid poplar. Key subfields include climatic adaptation, genomic trait analysis, and drought resilience strategies.

Scientific Awards:

• College of Forest Resources Research Award
• College of Forest Resources Early Career Achievement Award

Dr. Renninger collaborates with researchers like Dr. Chris Siegert and Dr. Ron Rousseau, advising graduate students Daniel Bononcini, Joseph Thomas, and Jiaxin Wang. She actively contributes to forest-climate modeling and bioenergy crop optimization.