Ruth Yanai

Ruth Yanai is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Sustainable Resources Management at SUNY's Environmental Sciences and Forestry College. Her research focuses on ecosystem nutrient cycling, forest ecology, and biogeochemistry. She leads projects such as the Multiple-Element Limitation in Northern Hardwood Ecosystems (MELNHE) and Quantifying Uncertainty in Ecosystem Studies (QUEST), addressing nutrient dynamics, forest recovery after disturbance, and uncertainty in environmental modeling.

Education: Ph.D. in Forest Ecology from Yale University (1990). Current roles include advising graduate students on topics ranging from microbial community analysis to REDD+ methodologies. She has authored/co-authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications, with recent work emphasizing uncertainty quantification in carbon accounting and nutrient limitation mechanisms.

Research Interests span forest floor dynamics, root biology, and the impacts of climate change on nutrient cycling. Her work integrates field experiments, modeling, and data analysis to understand ecosystem resilience and management strategies.

Advising includes 5 current graduate students focusing on nutrient availability, forest biomass estimation, and GHG emission uncertainties. Grants and collaborations include funding from USDA Forest Service and international SilvaCarbon initiatives. Her lab contributes to global efforts in sustainable resource management through interdisciplinary approaches.