معرفی
Margaret Metz is an Associate Professor of Biology at Lewis & Clark College, affiliated with the Biology department in the Biology-Psychology Hall. Her research focuses on plant community ecology, particularly the dynamics of forest diversity driven by biotic interactions, disturbance, and environmental factors. She leads field studies in coastal US forests and tropical rainforests of Ecuador, investigating how pathogens and natural regeneration influence forest composition and resilience.
Dr. Metz holds a PhD in Integrative Biology from UC Berkeley (2007), an AB in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology from Princeton (1998), and postdoctoral training in Plant Pathology at UC Davis. She teaches courses in biological core concepts, plant biology, and disease ecology.
Her research integrates long-term datasets and experimental approaches to understand how disturbances like wildfire and invasive pathogens interact with forest regeneration processes. Key themes include the role of spatial and temporal variability in maintaining hyperdiverse tropical ecosystems and the cascading effects of climate change on plant reproductive patterns.
Though no specific awards are listed, her work has been supported by collaborative grants exploring cyclic vs. anthropogenic drivers of tropical forest regeneration. The Metz Lab at Lewis & Clark College serves as a hub for student research projects in field ecology and disturbance ecology.
