Research interests

My research focuses on understanding the controls over carbon, water, and energy fluxes through terrestrial ecosystems. This includes the interaction between abiotic and biotic processes and the feedbacks to global biogeochemical cycles and climate change. I am particularly interested in understanding these processes across multiple scales (e.g. internal plant signals to continental level carbon dynamics) using plant physiological ecology as a foundation for my research. My research makes use of the latest environmental instrumentation to understand the relationships among climate, biogeochemistry, and plant physiology. For more detailed information regarding my current research projects visit the Starr Laboratory Site.

Ecosystems of Study
Over the past decade I have been involved with research in a multitude of ecosystems around the world, these include but are not limited to: Arctic Tundra, Everglades, Southern Pine, and Lowland Neo-Tropical Rain Forest Ecosystems. I would encourage my students to focus their studies on these ecosystems but I would not restrict them to these systems.

Left: Everglades Saw Grass Prairie. Right: Long Leaf Pine Canopy and Eddy Covariance Equipment at the Joseph W. Jones Ecological Research Center.

Research Opportunities
Motivated undergraduate and graduate students interested in joining my laboratory should contact me directly, gstarr@bama.ua.edu. Interested individuals should be open to working on ecosystem or individual species addressing questions associated with plant physiological ecology, ecosystems ecology, or atmospheric transport. Both basic and applied approaches are appropriate. I expect all students to incorporate ecological theory into their studies.

Selected publications

Starr, G., S.F. Oberbauer, L.A. Alhquist. 2008. The physiological response of tundra plants to an experimental lengthening of the growing season and soil warming. Arctic, Antarctic and Alpine Research. 40(1): 181-191.

Oberbauer, S.F., C. E. Tweedie, J. M. Welker, J. T. Fahnestock, G. H. Henry, P. J. Webber, M.D. Walker, E. Elmore, A. Kuchy, and G. Starr. 2007. Tundra carbon fluxes in response to experimental warming along moisture and latitudinal gradients. Ecological Monographs. 77(2): 221-238.

Binford, M.W., H.L. Gholz, G. Starr and T.A. Martin. (2007). Regional carbon dynamics of the Southeastern Coastal Plain: balancing ecosystem type, timber harvesting, environmental variation, and fire. Journal of Geophysical Research 111, doi10.1029/2005JD006820.

Loescher, H.W., G. Starr, T.A. Martin, M. Binford, H.L. Gholz. (2006). The effect of daytime circulations on carbon dioxide flux measurements over a Pinus elliottii canopy. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology. 45, 1127-1140.

Karipot, A., M. Y. Leclerc, G. Zhang, T. A. Martin, G. Starr, L. Hipps, S. Verma, D. Hollinger and D. Anderson. (2006). Impact of low-level jets on eddy-covariance fluxes inside and above a forest canopy. Journal of Theoretical and Applied Climatology. DOI 10.1007/500704-005-0183-7.

Powell, T., G. Starr, K. L. Clark, H. L. Gholz, and T. A. Martin. (2005). Water and energy exchange of a mature, naturally regenerated slash pine forest in North Florida. Canadian Journal of Forest Research. 35(7):1568-1580.

Starr, G., D.S. Newman, S.F. Oberbauer, (2004). Ecophysiological analysis of two arctic sedges under reduced root temperatures. Physiologia Plantarum. 120, 458-464.

Starr, G., and S.F. Oberbauer (2003). Photosynthesis of arctic evergreens under snow: Implications for tundra ecosystem carbon balance. Ecology. 84(6), 1415-1420.

Pop, E.W., S.F. Oberbauer, G. Starr (2000). Predicting bud break in two arctic deciduous shrubs: Betula nana and Salix pulchra. Oecologia. 124, 176-184.

Starr, G., S.F. Oberbauer, E.W. Pop (2000). Effects of lengthened growing season and soil warming on the phenology and physiology of Polygonum bistorta. Global Change Biology. 6, 357-369.