John S. King

John S. King is a Professor and Director of Graduate Programs in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources at NC State University. He holds a B.S. in Environmental Science from Stockton State College (1985), an M.S. in Forest Ecology from Duke University (1991), and a Ph.D. in Forest Ecophysiology from Duke University (1997). His research focuses on forest ecosystem responses to climate variability, including carbon and water cycling, drought resilience, and sustainable bioenergy systems.

Key research areas include the impacts of climate warming on forest productivity, methane emissions in wetlands, and short-rotation woody crops for bioenergy. He leads the NCSU Tree Physiology Laboratory and teaches courses such as FOR 303 (Silvics and Forest Tree Physiology), FOR 503 (Tree Physiology), and FOR 575 (Advanced Terrestrial Ecosystem Ecology).

• Grants & Leadership: Principal investigator on USDA-funded projects analyzing forest carbon-water dynamics and bioenergy systems, including multi-million-dollar initiatives like the AmeriFlux Management Project and Sycamore bioenergy trials.
• Labs & Networks: Maintains AmeriFlux sites (US-NC2, US-NC3) and collaborates with the USDA Forest Service on forest stress monitoring via the RAFES network.
• Capacity Building: Mentors undergraduate students through USDA-funded programs, focusing on forest ecosystem stress assessment and sensor network analysis.

His work integrates field experiments, sensor networks, and modeling to address global challenges like climate change and sustainable agriculture. Over 20 years of research has produced >50 peer-reviewed publications and shaped policy-relevant insights on forest resilience and bioenergy sustainability.