Saara DeWalt

Saara J. DeWalt is an American biologist who specializes in plant ecology, and has co-authored over 50 peer-reviewed publications in scientific journals.[1] She has been the dean of the College of Biological Sciences at the University of Minnesota since 2023,[2] and was formerly the chair of the Department of Biological Sciences at Clemson University (2019–2023).[3]

Professional experience

DeWalt spent nearly 20 years at Clemson University's Department of Biology, starting as an assistant professor in 2005, gaining tenure in 2011 and being promoted to full professor in 2017. She served as interim chair of the department starting in 2018 before becoming chair in 2019.[3]

Since 2023, DeWalt has been the dean of the College of Biological Sciences as well as a professor in the Department of Plant and Microbial Biology at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.[2]

DeWalt has been actively involved in The Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC) where she served as President-elect (2019), President (2020) and Past-President (2021). Earlier she was involved in creating mentoring circles[4] to support new researchers and worked to increase broader regional inclusion in the organization.

Scientific contributions

DeWalt studies forest ecosystems around the world, focusing on the neotropics[5]. Her published papers cover a wide variety of topics directed at understanding the biodiversity, evolution and ecology of complex plant communities[6][7][8]. Key questions addressed in her studies include trying to understand why some plants are invasive when introduced to new environments but are less abundant in their original environments[9]. Her research also assesses forest succession patterns and impacts of species diversity and abundance on the health of forest communities.[7]

Education

Representative publications

  1. Schorn, M. E., S. Kambach, R. L. Chazdon, D. Craven, C. E. Farrior, J. A. Meave, R. Munoz, M. van Breugel,  L. Amissah, F. Bongers, B. Herault, C. C. Jakovac, N. Norden, L. Poorter, M. T. van der Sande, C. Wirth, D. Delgado, D. H. Dent, S. J. DeWalt, J. M. Dupuy, B. Finegan, J. S. Hall, J. L. Hernandez-Stefanoni, O. R. Lopez, N. Rueger. 2024. Tree demographic strategies largely overlap across succession in Neotropical wet and dry forest communities. Ecology 105: e4321. DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4321[5]
  2. Taylor, B. N.*, E. Stedman, S. J. Van Bloem, S. L. Whitmire, and S. J. DeWalt. 2023. Widespread stem snapping but limited mortality caused by category 5 hurricane on the Caribbean Island of Dominica. Forest Ecology and Management 532: DOI: 10.1016/j.foreco.2023.120833.[10]
  3. Jakovac, C. C., and numerous co-authors including S. J. DeWalt. 2022. Strong floristic distinctiveness across Neotropical successional forests. Science Advances 8: DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abn1767.[6]
  4. Poorter, L., and numerous co-authors including S. J. DeWalt. 2021. Functional recovery of secondary tropical forests. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 118: DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2003405118.[7]
  5. Poorter, L., and numerous co-authors including S. J. DeWalt. 2019. Wet and dry tropical forests show opposite successional pathways in wood density but converge over time. Nature Ecology & Evolution 3:928–934.[8]
  6. Gei, M., and numerous co-authors including S. J. DeWalt. 2018. Legume abundance along successional and rainfall gradients in Neotropical forests. Nature Ecology & Evolution 2:1104–1111.[11]
  7. Chazdon, R. L., and numerous co-authors including S. J. DeWalt. 2016. Carbon sequestration potential of second-growth forest regeneration in the Latin American tropics. Science Advances 2: e1501639. [12]
  8. DeWalt, S. J., B. N. Taylor*, and K. Ickes. 2015. Density-dependent survival in seedlings differs among woody life-forms in tropical wet forests of a Caribbean island. Biotropica 47:310–319.[13]
  9. Woods, C. L.*, C. L. Cardelús, and S. J. DeWalt. 2015. Microhabitat associations of vascular epiphytes in a wet tropical forest canopy. Journal of Ecology 103:421–430.[14]
  10. Woods, C. L.*, and S. J. DeWalt. 2013. The conservation value of secondary forests for vascular epiphytes in central Panama. Biotropica 45:119–127.[15]
  11. DeWalt, S. J., E. Siemann, and W. E. Rogers. 2011. Geographic distribution of genetic variation among native and introduced populations of Chinese tallow tree, Triadica sebifera. American Journal of Botany 98:1128–1138.[9]
  12. DeWalt, S. J. 2006. Population dynamics and potential for biological control of an exotic invasive shrub in Hawaiian rainforests. Biological Invasions 8:1145–1158.[16]
  13. DeWalt, S. J., K. Ickes, R. Nilus, K. E. Harms, and D. F. R. P. Burslem. 2006. Liana habitat associations and community structure in a Bornean lowland tropical forest. Plant Ecology 136:203–216.[17]
  14. DeWalt, S. J., and J. Chave. 2004. Structure and biomass of four lowland Neotropical forests. Biotropica 36:7–19.[18]
  15. DeWalt, S. J., J. S. Denslow, and K. Ickes. 2004. Natural-enemy release facilitates habitat expansion of the invasive tropical shrub Clidemia hirta. Ecology 85:471–483.[19]
  16. DeWalt, S. J., S. A. Schnitzer, and J. S. Denslow. 2000. Density and diversity of lianas along a chronosequence in a central Panamanian tropical forest. Journal of Tropical Ecology 16:1–19.[20]

References

  1. ^ "Google Scholar citations for Saara J. DeWalt".
  2. ^ a b "Dean Saara J. DeWalt".
  3. ^ a b c d "Clemson Chair of Biology". 24 May 2019.
  4. ^ "ATBC mentoring circles". tropicalbiology.org. Retrieved 2025-08-01.
  5. ^ a b Schorn, Markus E.; Kambach, Stephan; Chazdon, Robin L.; Craven, Dylan; Farrior, Caroline E.; Meave, Jorge A.; Muñoz, Rodrigo; van Breugel, Michiel; Amissah, Lucy; Bongers, Frans; Hérault, Bruno; Jakovac, Catarina C.; Norden, Natalia; Poorter, Lourens; van der Sande, Masha T. (July 2024). "Tree demographic strategies largely overlap across succession in Neotropical wet and dry forest communities". Ecology. 105 (7): e4321. Bibcode:2024Ecol..105E4321S. doi:10.1002/ecy.4321. ISSN 0012-9658. PMID 38763891.
  6. ^ a b Jakovac, Catarina C.; Meave, Jorge A.; Bongers, Frans; Letcher, Susan G.; Dupuy, Juan Manuel; Piotto, Daniel; Rozendaal, Danaë M. A.; Peña-Claros, Marielos; Craven, Dylan; Santos, Braulio A.; Siminski, Alexandre; Fantini, Alfredo C.; Rodrigues, Alice C.; Hernández-Jaramillo, Alma; Idárraga, Alvaro (July 2022). "Strong floristic distinctiveness across Neotropical successional forests". Science Advances. 8 (26): eabn1767. Bibcode:2022SciA....8N1767J. doi:10.1126/sciadv.abn1767. ISSN 2375-2548. PMC 10883372. PMID 35776785.
  7. ^ a b c Poorter, Lourens; Rozendaal, Danaë M. A.; Bongers, Frans; Almeida, de Jarcilene S.; Álvarez, Francisco S.; Andrade, José Luís; Arreola Villa, Luis Felipe; Becknell, Justin M.; Bhaskar, Radika; Boukili, Vanessa; Brancalion, Pedro H. S.; César, Ricardo G.; Chave, Jerome; Chazdon, Robin L.; Dalla Colletta, Gabriel (2021-12-07). "Functional recovery of secondary tropical forests". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 118 (49). Bibcode:2021PNAS..11803405P. doi:10.1073/pnas.2003405118. ISSN 0027-8424. PMC 8670493. PMID 34845017.
  8. ^ a b Turner, A. J.; Hick, P. E. (1975-09-15). "Inhibition of aldehyde reductase by acidic metabolites of the biogenic amines". Biochemical Pharmacology. 24 (18): 1731–1733. doi:10.1016/0006-2952(75)90016-7. ISSN 0006-2952. PMID 16.
  9. ^ a b Worathumrong, N.; Grimes, A. J. (2011). "The effect of o-salicylate upon pentose phosphate pathway activity in normal and G6PD-deficient red cells". British Journal of Haematology. 30 (2): 225–231. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2141.1975.tb00536.x. ISSN 0007-1048. PMID 35.
  10. ^ Taylor, Benton N.; Stedman, Elvis; Van Bloem, Skip J.; Whitmire, Stefanie L.; DeWalt, Saara J. (March 2023). "Widespread stem snapping but limited mortality caused by a category 5 hurricane on the Caribbean Island of Dominica". Forest Ecology and Management. 532 120833. Bibcode:2023ForEM.53220833T. doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2023.120833.
  11. ^ Halaris, A. E.; Belendiuk, K. T.; Freedman, D. X. (1975-10-15). "Antidepressant drugs affect dopamine uptake". Biochemical Pharmacology. 24 (20): 1896–1897. doi:10.1016/0006-2952(75)90412-8. ISSN 0006-2952. PMID 19.
  12. ^ Ardenne, M.; Reitnauer, P. G. (September 1975). "[Demonstration of tumor inhibiting properties of a strongly immunostimulating low-molecular weight substance. Comparative studies with ifosfamide on the immuno-labile DS carcinosarcoma. Stimulation of the autoimmune activity for approx. 20 days by BA 1, a N-(2-cyanoethylene)-urea. Novel prophylactic possibilities]". Arzneimittel-Forschung. 25 (9): 1369–1379. ISSN 0004-4172. PMID 22.
  13. ^ Thornton, J. A.; Harrison, M. J. (2015). "Letter: Duration of action of AH8165". British Journal of Anaesthesia. 47 (9): 1033. doi:10.1093/bja/47.9.1033. ISSN 0007-0912. PMID 28.
  14. ^ Maneksha, S.; Harry, T. V. (July 1975). "Lorazepam in sexual disorders". The British Journal of Clinical Practice. 29 (7): 175–176. ISSN 0007-0947. PMID 29.
  15. ^ Beck, M. L.; Freihaut, B.; Henry, R.; Pierce, S.; Bayer, W. L. (January 1975). "A serum haemagglutinating property dependent upon polycarboxyl groups". British Journal of Haematology. 29 (1): 149–156. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2141.1975.tb01808.x. ISSN 0007-1048. PMID 32.
  16. ^ Duggleby, R. G.; Kaplan, H. (1975-11-18). "A competitive labeling method for the determination of the chemical properties of solitary functional groups in proteins". Biochemistry. 14 (23): 5168–5175. doi:10.1021/bi00694a023. ISSN 0006-2960. PMID 42.
  17. ^ Gilbert, H. F.; O'Leary, M. H. (1975-11-18). "Modification of arginine and lysine in proteins with 2,4-pentanedione". Biochemistry. 14 (23): 5194–5199. doi:10.1021/bi00694a027. ISSN 0006-2960. PMID 43.
  18. ^ Jaton, J. C.; Huser, H.; Blatt, Y.; Pecht, I. (1975-12-02). "Circular dichroism and fluorescence studies of homogeneous antibodies to type III pneumococcal polysaccharide". Biochemistry. 14 (24): 5308–5311. doi:10.1021/bi00695a013. ISSN 0006-2960. PMID 50.
  19. ^ Fahnestock, S. R. (1975-12-02). "Evidence of the involvement of a 50S ribosomal protein in several active sites". Biochemistry. 14 (24): 5321–5327. doi:10.1021/bi00695a016. ISSN 0006-2960. PMID 52.
  20. ^ Balerna, M.; Fosset, M.; Chicheportiche, R.; Romey, G.; Lazdunski, M. (1975-12-16). "Constitution and properties of axonal membranes of crustacean nerves". Biochemistry. 14 (25): 5500–5511. doi:10.1021/bi00696a019. ISSN 0006-2960. PMID 58.
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