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Taylor Feild

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Research Interests

Evolutionary ecophysiology of plants

My research explores the evolution of how plants function, in particular the evolution of xylem hydraulic networks and the feedbacks of these systems on whole plant biology. My research weaves together a network of multidisciplinary lines of evidence, such as plant physiology and developmental biology, phylogenetic systematics, paleobiology, and structural botany, to dissect the hows and whys of major transitions in plant functional evolution. Currently, a major research focus is aimed at understanding the evolution of two related physiological processes that cascaded to effect expansive ecosystem biogeochemical change during the Mesozoic - the evolution of highly photosynthetically-active and rapidly transpiring leaves. Here I am investigating the roles played by the evolution of leaf venation and hydraulic function in enabling the unprecedented capacities of angiosperms to grow and reproduce. Other interests include the role of plant water balance in molding flower function, the ecology and physiology of key Southern Hemisphere taxa (Nothofagus and Winteraceae), and the evolution of drought tolerance at the scale of the xylem. For a more detailed look at the projects on-going in the lab, please see our lab web page.

Education

  • 2001- Ph.D., Harvard University

Selected Publications

  • Feild TS, Chatelet DS, Balun L, Schilling E (in review) The evolution of angiosperm lianescence without vessels - climbing mode and wood structure-function in Tasmannia cordata (Winteraceae). New Phytologist
  • Feild TS, Brodribb TJ, Iglesias A, Chatelet DS, Baresch A, Upchurch GR, Gomez B, Mohr BAR, Coiffard C, Kvacek J, Jaramillo C (2011) Fossil evidence for Cretaceous escalation in angiosperm leaf vein evolution. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA, in press
  • Zhang Q, Antonelli A, Feild TS, Kong H (2011) Revisiting taxonomy, morphological evolution and fossil calibration strategies in Chloranthaceae. Journal of Plant Systematics and Evolution, in press
  • Feild TS, Hudson PJ, Balun L, Chatelet DS, Patino AA, Sharma CA, McLaren K (2011) The ecophysiology of xylem hydraulic constraints by "basal" vessels in Canella winterana (Canellaceae). International Journal of Plant Sciences, in press
  • Feild TS, Upchurch GR, Chatelet DS, Brodribb TJ, Grubbs KC, Samain M-S, Wanke S (2011) Fossil evidence for low gas exchange capacities for Early Cretaceous angiosperm leaves. Paleobiology, in press.
  • Hughes NM, Reinhardt K, Gierardi A, Feild TS, and Smith WK (2010) Association between winter anthocyanin production and drought stress in angiosperm evergreen species. Journal of Experimental Botany 61:1699-1709.
  • Brodribb TJ, Feild TS (2010) A surge in leaf photosynthetic capacity during early angiosperm diversification. Ecology Letters 13:175-183.
  • Hudson PJ, Razanatsoa J, Feild TS. (2010) Early vessel evolution and the diversification of wood function - insights from Malagasy Canellales. American Journal of Botany 97:80-93.
  • Brodribb TJ, Feild TS, Sack L (2010) Viewing leaf structure and evolution from hydraulic perspective. Functional Plant Biology 37:488-498.
  • Brodribb TJ, McAdam SAM, Jordan GJ, Feild TS (2009) Evolution of stomatal responsiveness to CO2 and optimization of water-use efficiency among land plants. New Phytologist 183:839-847.
  • Feild TS, Chatelet DS, Brodribb TJ (2009) Giant flowers of Southern Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) are hydrated by the xylem. Plant Physiology 150:1587-1597.
  • Feild TS, Chatelet DS, Brodribb TJ (2009) Ancestral xerophobia: A hypothesis on the whole plant ecophysiology of early angiosperms. Geobiology 7:237-264.
  • Feild TS (2009) Regeneration ecology of early angiosperm seeds and seedlings: integrating inferences from extant basal lineages and fossils. In Leck MA, Parker VT, Simpson RL (eds). Seedling ecology and evolution. Cambridge University Press.
  • Boyce CK, Brodribb TJ, Feild TS, Zwieniecki MA (2009) Angiosperm leaf vein evolution was physiologically and environmentally transformative. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series B
  • Feild TS (2009) Regeneration ecology of early angiosperm seeds and seedlings: integrating inferences from extant basal lineages and fossils. In Leck MA, Parker VT,Simpson RL (eds). Seedling ecology and Evolution. Cambridge University Press.
  • Brodribb TJ, Feild TS (2008) The evolutionary significance of a flat-leaved Pinus in the Vietnamese rainforest. New Phytologist 198:201-209 (cover article with commentary).
  • Feild TS, Balun L (2008) Xylem hydraulic and photosynthetic function of Gnetum (Gnetales) from Papua New Guinea. New Phytologist 197: 665-675.
  • Feild TS, Arens NC (2007) The ecophysiology early angiosperms. Plant, Cell, and Environment 30: 291 - 309.
  • Brodribb TJ, Feild TS, Jordan GJ (2007) Leaf maximum photosynthetic rate and venation are linked by hydraulics. Plant Physiology 144:1890-1898.
  • Sperry JS, Hacke U, Feild TS, Sano, Sikkema E (2007) Hydraulic consequences of vessel evolution in angiosperms. International Journal of Plant Sciences 168:1127-1139.
  • Hacke UG, Sperry JS, Feild TS, Sano Y, Sikkema E, Pittermann J (2007) Water transport in vesselless angiosperms: conducting efficiency and cavitation safety. International Journal of Plant Sciences 168:1113-1126.
Taylor Feild

Contact Information

Taylor Feild
Associate Professor
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
569 Dabney Hall
University of Tennessee
Knoxville, TN 37996-1610

Phone: (865) 974-6041
Fax: (865) 974-6042
Email: tfeild@utk.edu