Peter Reich

Peter Reich is a Research Professor and Distinguished McKnight University Professor affiliated with the Forest Ecology Lab at the University of Minnesota. His work bridges plant physiology, community dynamics, and ecosystem function in the context of global environmental challenges.

• Ph.D., Cornell University (1983)

Reich’s research spans temperate and boreal ecosystems, focusing on climate change impacts, biodiversity loss, carbon cycling, and the interplay between ecological complexity and functional traits. He employs field experiments, observational studies, and modeling across scales from leaf to global systems.

His recent publications highlight phenological responses to warming, synergistic climate change drivers on carbon cycling, and biodiversity effects on forest productivity. These works integrate biogeochemistry, remote sensing, and long-term ecological monitoring.

• Member, National Academy of Sciences (2018)
• BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Ecology and Conservation Biology (2010)
• Fellow, Ecological Society of America (2017)
• American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2011)
• PLUS Award (2018, shared with Jacek Oleksyn)

Reich mentors graduate students, postdocs, and early-career scientists through collaborative research and public outreach, including co-founding the popular science platform MinuteEarth with over 350 million views.