Marc Abrams

Professor of Forest Ecology and Physiology

Marc Abrams

Research Summary

Community, historical and physiological ecology of tree species; global change biology.

Huck Affiliations

Links

Publication Tags

These publication tags are generated from the output of this researcher. Click any tag below to view other Huck researchers working on the same topic.

Climate Deer Quercus Charcoal Forest Dynamics Odocoileus Virginianus Global Change Paleoecology Oak Eastern United States Pine Pollen Transition Pinus Land Use Loss Vegetation Disturbance Forest Fires Census Data Drought Census North America Coniferous Forests Seedlings

Most Recent Publications

A comparison of witness tree and contemporary compositions for old-growth forests at Savage Mountain, Maryland, and secondary forests of the northern Allegheny Mountains

Marc D. Abrams, Brice B. Hanberry, Charles M. Ruffner, 2022, Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society on p. 151-158

Native American imprint in palaeoecology

Marc D. Abrams, Gregory J. Nowacki, 2020, Nature Sustainability on p. 896-897

Reviewing Fire, Climate, Deer, and Foundation Species as Drivers of Historically Open Oak and Pine Forests and Transition to Closed Forests

Brice B. Hanberry, Marc D. Abrams, Mary A. Arthur, J. Morgan Varner, 2020, Frontiers in Forests and Global Change

Does white-tailed deer density affect tree stocking in forests of the Eastern United States?

Brice B. Hanberry, Marc D. Abrams, 2019, Ecological Processes

Global change impacts on forest and fire dynamics using paleoecology and tree census data for eastern North America

Marc D. Abrams, Gregory J. Nowacki, 2019, Annals of Forest Science

A model for longitudinal data sets relating wind-damage probability to biotic and abiotic factors: A Bayesian approach

Kiyoshi Umeki, Marc D. Abrams, Keisuke Toyama, Eri Nabeshima, 2019, Forest Systems on p. 1-12

Witness Tree Records for the Early Colonial Period (1623-1700) of Eastern Virginia

Marc D. Abrams, Sarah E. Johnson, 2019, American Midland Naturalist on p. 115-122

Recognizing loss of open forest ecosystems by tree densification and land use intensification in the Midwestern USA

Brice B. Hanberry, Marc David Abrams, 2018, Regional Environmental Change on p. 1731-1740

Is increased precipitation during the 20th century statistically or ecologically significant in the eastern US?

Brice B. Hanberry, Marc D. Abrams, Joseph D. White, 2018, Journal of Land Use Science on p. 259-268

A regional assessment of white-tailed deer effects on plant invasion

Kristine M. Averill, David A. Mortensen, Erica A.H. Smithwick, Susan Kalisz, William J. McShea, Norman A. Bourg, John D. Parker, Alejandro A. Royo, Marc D. Abrams, David K. Apsley, Bernd Blossey, Douglas H. Boucher, Kai L. Caraher, Antonio DiTommaso, Sarah E. Johnson, Robert Masson, Victoria A. Nuzzo, 2018, AoB PLANTS

Most-Cited Papers

Is climate an important driver of post-European vegetation change in the Eastern United States?

Gregory J. Nowacki, Marc D. Abrams, 2015, Global Change Biology on p. 314-334

A regional assessment of white-tailed deer effects on plant invasion

Kristine M. Averill, David A. Mortensen, Erica A.H. Smithwick, Susan Kalisz, William J. McShea, Norman A. Bourg, John D. Parker, Alejandro A. Royo, Marc D. Abrams, David K. Apsley, Bernd Blossey, Douglas H. Boucher, Kai L. Caraher, Antonio DiTommaso, Sarah E. Johnson, Robert Masson, Victoria A. Nuzzo, 2018, AoB PLANTS

Recognizing loss of open forest ecosystems by tree densification and land use intensification in the Midwestern USA

Brice B. Hanberry, Marc David Abrams, 2018, Regional Environmental Change on p. 1731-1740

A comparative study of physiological and morphological seedling traits associated with shade tolerance in introduced red oak (Quercus rubra) and native hardwood tree species in southwestern Germany

Christian Kuehne, Peter Nosko, Tobias Horwath, Jürgen Bauhus, Marc Abrams, 2014, Tree Physiology on p. 184-193

Reviewing Fire, Climate, Deer, and Foundation Species as Drivers of Historically Open Oak and Pine Forests and Transition to Closed Forests

Brice B. Hanberry, Marc D. Abrams, Mary A. Arthur, J. Morgan Varner, 2020, Frontiers in Forests and Global Change

Native American imprint in palaeoecology

Marc D. Abrams, Gregory J. Nowacki, 2020, Nature Sustainability on p. 896-897

Global change impacts on forest and fire dynamics using paleoecology and tree census data for eastern North America

Marc D. Abrams, Gregory J. Nowacki, 2019, Annals of Forest Science

Exploring the Early Anthropocene Burning Hypothesis and Climate-Fire Anomalies for the Eastern U.S

Marc D. Abrams, Gregory J. Nowacki, 2015, Journal of Sustainable Forestry on p. 30-48

An interdisciplinary approach to better assess global change impacts and drought vulnerability on forest dynamics

Marc D. Abrams, Gregory J. Nowacki, 2016, Tree Physiology on p. 421-427

Does white-tailed deer density affect tree stocking in forests of the Eastern United States?

Brice B. Hanberry, Marc D. Abrams, 2019, Ecological Processes

News Articles Featuring Marc Abrams

Sep 08, 2023

The fall foliage show’s intensity may be all about the next few weeks of weather

The next few weeks of weather may determine the foliage color woodlands in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic

Full Article

Oct 29, 2021

Climate change is altering the very color of fall foliage

Human decisions about forest management are also having a devastating effect.

Full Article

Oct 08, 2021

Fall foliage in the Philly area may suffer from the unusually warm and wet weather

The next several days should be ideal for morning walks in the Philly region with temperatures in the low 60s, a solid 10 degrees above long-term normals.

Full Article

Oct 07, 2021

Fall foliage could be ruined by summer that won’t quit

The warm, wet conditions persisting into the early days of autumn could dim Pennsylvania’s chances for a great fall foliage season in the coming weeks.

Full Article

Oct 07, 2021

Penn State: Warm, wet autumn could mute, delay foliage in Pennsylvania

Experts with Penn State's College of Agricultural Science say weather conditions will need to be cooler and drier in the next few weeks for Pennsylvania's forests to see the vibrant colors of fall foliage.

Full Article

Oct 06, 2021

Fantastic fall foliage could be ruined by summer that won’t quit

The warm, wet conditions persisting into the early days of autumn could dim Pennsylvania's chances for a great fall foliage season in the coming weeks.

Full Article

Oct 05, 2021

Warm, wet autumn could mute and delay foliage display in Pennsylvania

Because of the warm, wet summer, trees in Pennsylvania are mostly in great shape. But for the state’s forests to exhibit their most vibrant colors, conditions need to be cooler and drier in the next few weeks, according to a Penn State expert.

Full Article

Sep 14, 2020

Penn State professors predict foliage coloration for fall 2020

Marc Abrams has lived in State College for 33 years. Abrams, a Penn State professor of forest ecology and physiology, said he has been called on annually for several years about whether the fall leaves would be as beautiful as years prior, with people picking his brain for his expertise of the foliage.

Full Article

Sep 08, 2020

Fall foliage outlooks are bullish for colors — and leaf-peeping crowds

A refreshing splash of normality is about to enter this disorienting autumn of Zoom classes, quarantines, and masked professors. The annual fall foliage show already is creeping across the woods, and early indications are that it will be more than a pleasant distraction.

Full Article

Sep 07, 2020

Northeast Drought Could Threaten Penn State Fall Foliage Display

Penn State’s fall foliage display might look a little less vibrant and a lot crisper this season. According to university experts, little rain in the long-term weather forecast could threaten Pennsylvania’s usually dynamic fall foliage.

Full Article

Sep 01, 2020

Dry conditions affecting harvest sizes, foliage

The fall foliage and fruit and corn harvests are getting hammered by a lack of rain.

Full Article

Aug 28, 2020

Fall foliage expert offers bleak outlook for some of Pennsylvania this fall

Fall foliage could be disappointing in some areas of Pennsylvania this fall, according to a Penn State forest expert.

Full Article

Aug 05, 2020

Don’t Downplay the Role of Indigenous People in Molding the Ecological Landscape

Climate has been a major driver of changes in vegetation over thousands of years—but not the only one

Full Article

Nov 21, 2019

Research looks into 400 years of Pennsylvania’s forests, which have been ‘completely transformed’

While forests of the northeastern U.S., from Pennsylvania north to Maine, may hold mostly the same tree species as they did 400 years ago, significant differences emerge under closer inspection.

Full Article

Nov 18, 2019

Attack of the acorns: Weather, chaos, or a vast oak conspiracy?

Jason Parker has witnessed the fallen masses, and so have his customers. “We have noticed quite a crop of acorns this fall,” said Parker, district manager for the Davey Tree Expert Co. branch in Horsham.

Full Article

Oct 28, 2019

How weather has impacted this season's fall foliage

AccuWeather meteorologist Lauren Rainson spoke with Penn State's Marc Abrams, professor of Forest Ecology and Tree Physiology on how recent drought conditions impacted peak fall foliage this season.

Full Article

Oct 22, 2019

Rain douses another Philly rush hour, but it might just rescue the foliage show

Yet another round of rain arrived just in time for Tuesday’s peak commuting period, as the region’s reversal of drought fortunes continues.

Full Article

Oct 08, 2019

Central Pa. foliage display is off to a rough start. Is there still hope for leaf peepers?

Fall foliage enthusiasts might not have as much vibrant leaf color to look at again this year — owing to a hot, dry late summer and early fall.

Full Article

Oct 04, 2019

Extremely dry, hot conditions this fall causing early, muted foliage display

With last year being the wettest year on record in Pennsylvania, and this year starting out wet again, 2019 was set up to be the mother of all fall foliage displays. Trees in most areas were in great condition going into late summer.

Full Article

Sep 03, 2019

Deer browsing is not stopping the densification of Eastern US forests

Selective browsing by white-tailed deer has been blamed by many for changing the character and composition of forest understories in the eastern U.S.; however, its impact on the forest canopy was previously unknown.

Full Article

May 22, 2019

Native American Burning Was Key Factor In Shaping Eastern US Forests

Researchers from Pennsylvania State University found that Native Americans had a bigger influence in shaping the forests of the eastern United States.

Full Article

Nov 19, 2018

Winter is Near : Winter Weather Folklore

A lot of folklore surrounds how we can predict the winter ahead. just think right here in PA we have the most famous prognosticator in Punxsutawney Phil. Most folklore is just fun and just not true. However, there are some patterns in nature that can help us figure out what is ahead.

Full Article

Oct 25, 2018

What’s behind the lack of color in autumn foliage across parts of Northeast?

Vibrant autumn foliage in the eastern United States draws in leaf peepers from near and far. The northernmost part of the Northeast, from the uppermost Great Lakes states to the Adirondacks to northern New England, has had fairly good fall color this year.

Full Article

Oct 22, 2018

Leaf colors fall flat

Wet conditions lead to dull foliage

Full Article

Oct 02, 2018

Fall colors expected to be later, duller than usual

The lack of crimson Virginia creeper vines setting off the autumn parade of colors should have been a tip-off: Fall is late with less-spectacular colors expected, according to the latest forecast.

Full Article