What the Flux? How First Principles Rule From the Alpine to the Tropics

In the last episode of the fall season, Dr. Mario Bretfeld is the featured researcher from the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology in the College of Science and Mathematics.  

Dr. Bretfeld, who is an assistant professor of biology, discussed using a first-principles approach to research which enables scientists to test and predict plant physiological processes in vastly different biomes and across different spatial scales, from cells to ecosystems. At the KSU Field Station, he and his research team are using a first-principles approach to compare the thermo-biological properties of organic and conventional tomatoes in order to better understand the impacts of growth conditions on the shelf life of tomato fruits.

As a plant ecophysiologist, Dr. Bretfeld studies how plants function in order to understand where they grow and how they interact with one another and the environment. His work integrates ecology and physiology of individual plants and vegetation communities at different spatial scales with the goal to optimize management of natural landscapes and their ecosystem functions.

Dr. Bretfeld earned a Ph.D. in Biological Education from the University of Northern Colorado. The KSU Field Station and its staff had been critical in establishing his research at the university which he considers a major factor in his decision to join the faculty in fall 2019.  

Learn more about Dr. Mario Bretfeld!