Peter Melcher

Professor, Biology
School: School of Humanities and Sciences

Publications

Publications and Citation Index on Google Scholar or Research Gate 

  1. Swensen SM, Gomez AM, Piasecki-Masters C, Chime N, Wine A, Rodriguez NC, Conklin J, Melcher PJ (2024), Minimal impacts of invasive Scaevola taccada on Scaevola plumieri via pollinator competition in Puerto Rico. Front. Plant Sci., Vol. 15.
    https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2024.1281797
  2. Huber AE, Melcher PJ, & Bauerle T. (2022). Hydraulic integrity of plant organs during drought stress and drought recovery in herbaceous and woody plant species. Journal of Experimental Botany. Published online: https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/erac451
  3. Huber AE, Melcher PJ, Piñeros MA, Setter TL, & Bauerle T. (2019). Signal coordination before, during and after stomatal closure in response to drought stress. New Phytologist. Published online, open access: doi:10.1111/nph.16082
  4. Griffin-Nolan RJ, Zelehowsky A, Hamilton J, & Melcher PJ. (2018). Green light drives photosynthesis in mosses, Journal of Bryology, 1-8. DOI: 10.1080/03736687.2018.1516434
  5. Sack L, et al., 2016. Plant hydraulics as a central hub integrating plant and ecosystem function: meeting report for ‘Emerging Frontiers in Plant Hydraulics’(Washington, DC, May).  Plant, Cell & Environment. 39. 2085-2094
  6. Melcher PJ. (2015). Seeing into the xylem using non‐invasive techniques provides clarity in understanding mechanisms involved in long‐distance sap transport in plants. Plant, cell & environment 38, 2497-2499.
  7. Melcher PJ and Zwieniecki MA. (2013). Functional analysis of embolism induced by air injection in Acer rubrum and Salix nigra. Frontiers in Plant Sciences: Plant Biophysics and Modeling. Published online, open access: doi:10.3389/fpls.2013.00368.
  8. Zwieniecki MA, Melcher PJ, and Ahrens ET. (2013). Analysis of spatial and temporal dynamics of xylem refilling in Acer rubrum L. using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Frontiers in Plant Sciences: Plant Biophysics and Modeling. Published online, open access: doi: 10.3389/fpls/2013.00265
  9. Melcher PJ, Holbrook NM, Burns MJ, Zwieniecki MA, Cobb AR, Brodribb TJ, Choat B, and Sack L. (2012) Measurements of stem xylem hydraulic conductivity in the laboratory and field. Methods in Ecology and Evolution. 3:685-694.
  10. Sack L, Melcher PJ, Liu W, Middleton E, Pardee T. (2006)  How strong is intra-canopy leaf plasticity in temperate deciduous trees? American Journal of Botany 57: 361-381.
  11. Pickard WF and Melcher PJ. (2005) Perspectives on the Biophysics of Xylem Transport. In: Vascular Transport in Plants. Eds: Holbrook NM and Zwieniecki MA. Elsevier/Academic Press, Oxford, 3-18.
  12. Choat B, Lahr E, Melcher PJ, Zwieniecki MA, Holbrook NM. (2005) Variation in air seeding threshold along the axis of mature sugar maple trees. Plant Cell and Environment. 28: 1082-1089.
  13. Zwieniecki MA, Melcher PJ, Feild TS, Holbrook NM (2004). A potential role for xylem-phloem interactions in the hydraulic architecture of trees: effects of phloem girdling on xylem hydraulic conductance. Tree Physiology 24: 911-917.
  14. Angeles G, Bond B, Boyer JS, Brodribb T, Brooks JR, Burns MJ, Cavender-Bares J, Clearwater M, Cochard H, Comstock J, Davis SD, Domec J-C, Donovan L, Ewers F, Gartner B, Hacke U, Hinckley T, Holbrook NM, Jones HG, Kavanagh K, Law B, López-Portillo J, Lovisolo C, Martin T, Martínez-Vilalta J, Mayr S, Meinzer FC, Melcher PJ, Mencuccini M, Mulkey S, Nardini A, Neufeld HS, Passioura J, Pockman WT, Pratt RB, Rambal S, Richter H, Sack L, Salleo S, Schubert A, Schulte P, Sparks JP, Sperry J, Teskey R, Tyree M. (2004). Letter: The cohesion-tension theory. New Phytologist 163, 451-452.
  15. Melcher PJ, Zwieniecki MA, Holbrook NM. (2003) Vulnerability of xylem vessels to cavitation in sugar maple. Scaling from individual vessels to whole branches.  Plant Physiology 131: 1775-1780.
  16. Zwieniecki MA, Orians CM, Melcher PJ, Holbrook NM (2003) Ionic control of the lateral exchange of water between vascular bundles in tomato. Journal of Experimental Botany 54: 1399-1405.
  17. Zwieniecki MA, Melcher PJ, Boyce CK, Sack L, Holbrook NM. (2002) Hydraulic architecture of leaf venation in Laurus nobilis L. Plant, Cell and Environment 25:1445-1450.
  18. Sack L, Melcher PJ, Zwieniecki MA, Holbrook NM (2002) The hydraulic conductance of the angiosperm leaf lamina: a comparison of three measurement methods. Journal of Experimental Botany 53: 2177-2184.
  19. Holbrook NM, Zwieniecki MA, Melcher PJ.  (2002) The dynamics of “dead” wood: maintenance of water transport through plant stems.  Integrative and Comparative Biology 42, 492-496.
  20. Melcher PJ, Goldstein G, Meinzer FC, Jones TJ, Holbrook NM, Huang C.  (2001) Water relations of coastal and estuarine Rhizophora mangle: The dynamics of embolism formation and repair. Oecologia 126:182-192.
  21. Zwieniecki MA, Melcher PJ, Holbrook NM (2001) Hydrogel control of xylem hydraulic resistance in plants. Science. February 9, 291:1059-1062.
  22. Zwieniecki MA, Melcher PJ, Holbrook NM. (2001) Hydraulic properties of individual xylem vessels of Fraxinus americana. Journal of Experimental Botany 52 (355): 257-264.
  23. Melcher PJ, Cordell S, Jones T, Giambelluca T, Scowcroft P, Goldstein G. (2000) Supercooling capacity increases from sea level to treeline in the Hawaiian tree species Metrosideros polymorpha. International Journal of Plant Sciences 161(3) 369-379.
  24. Cordell S, Goldstein G, Melcher PJ, Meinzer FC. (2000) Photosynthesis and freezing avoidance in Ohia (Metrosideros polymorpha) at treeline in Hawai'i.  Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research 32(4) 381-387.
  25. Santiago L, Lau TS, Melcher PJ, Steele OC, Goldstein G. (2000) Morphological and physiological responses of Hawaiian Hibiscus tiliacius populations to light and salinity. International Journal of Plant Sciences 161(1) 99-106.
  26. Scowcroft P, Meinzer FC, Goldstein G, Melcher PJ, Jeffery J. (2000) Moderating night radiative cooling reduces frost damage to Metrosideros polymorpha seedlings used for forest restoration in Hawaii. Restoration Ecology 8(2) 161-169.
  27. Melcher PJ, Meinzer FC, Yount DE, Goldstein G. (1998) Measuring High Tensions in Plants. In:  High Pressure Biology and Medicine. Eds. Bennet PB, Demchenko I, Marquis RE. University of Rochester Press. NewYork. (Chap 13. pp 93-101).
  28. Melcher PJ, Meinzer FC, Yount DE, Goldstein G, Zimmermann U. (1998) Comparative measurements of xylem pressure in transpiring and non-transpiring leaves by means of the pressure chamber and the xylem pressure probe. Journal of Experimental Botany 49(327) 1757-1760.
  29. Schneider H, Wistuba N, Miller B, Gessner P, Thürmer F, Melcher PJ, Meinzer FC, and Zimmermann U. (1997) Diurnal variation in the radial reflection coefficient of intact maize roots determined with the xylem pressure probe. Journal of Experimental Botany 48(317) 2045-2053.
  30. Goldstein G, Drake DR, Melcher PJ, Giambelluca TW, Heraux J. (1996)  Photosynthetic gas exchange and temperature-induced damage in seedlings of the tropical alpine species Argyroxiphium sandwicense. Oecologia 106:298-307.
  31. Goldstein G, Drake DR, Alpha C, Melcher PJ, Heraux J, and Azocar A. (1996)  Growth and photosynthetic responses of Scaevola sericea, a Hawaiian coastal shrub, to substrate salinity and salt spray. International Journal of Plant Sciences 157(2) 171-179.
  32. Zimmermann U, Zhu JJ, Meinzer FC, Goldstein G, Schneider H, Zimmermann G, Benkert R, Thürmer F, Melcher PJ, Webb D, and Haase A. (1994) High molecular weight organic compounds in the xylem sap of mangroves: Implications for long distance water transport. Botanica Acta 107: 218-229.
  33. Melcher PJ, Goldstein G, Meinzer FC, Minyard B, Giambelluca TW, Loope LL. (1994) Determinants of thermal balance in the Hawaiian giant rosette plant, Argyroxiphium sandwicense. Oecologia 98:412-418.