Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Brian Sedio, assistant professor of integrative biology at The University of Texas at Austin, is conducting a census of trees at sites across the Texas Field Station network, including the newest addition, the Hill Country Field Station west of Austin. The resulting census maps, made every five years, can then be compared to study how the types and numbers of trees in each plot evolves over time. He can also compare them with dozens of field sites around the world that are part of the Smithsonian’s ForestGEO network. In addition to the census maps, he analyzes metabolites in tree leaves from these sites to understand how herbivores and pathogens interact with chemical defenses in plants to drive the diversity of tree species in different forests.
Brian Sedio, assistant professor of integrative biology at The University of Texas at Austin, is conducting a census of trees at sites across the Texas Field Station network, including the newest addition, the Hill Country Field Station west of Austin. The resulting census maps, made every five years, can then be compared to study how the types and numbers of trees in each plot evolves over time. He can also compare them with dozens of field sites around the world that are part of the Smithsonian’s ForestGEO network. In addition to the census maps, he analyzes metabolites in tree leaves from these sites to understand how herbivores and pathogens interact with chemical defenses in plants to drive the diversity of tree species in different forests.
