World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!

D-Index & Metrics

Ecology and Evolution

D-Index
55
Citations
15534
World Ranking
2924
National Ranking
1037

Research.com Recognitions

  • 1954 - Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

Overview

George W. Koch is affiliated with Northern Arizona University in the United States. Their research primarily focuses on environmental and Earth sciences, with significant contributions to subfields such as global and planetary change, atmospheric science, nature and landscape conservation, ecology, and plant science.

The scientist has published extensively in the areas of plant water relations and carbon dynamics, tree-ring climate responses, fire effects on ecosystems, forest ecology and management, ecology and vegetation dynamics studies, forest ecology and biodiversity studies, and tree root and stability studies.

Frequent co-authors in their work include Thomas E. Kolb, Jessica Guo, Kiona Ogle, Helen M. Poulos, and Andrew M. Barton. Their publications appear repeatedly in venues such as Tree Physiology, Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation, Frontiers in Forests and Global Change, The Journal of Urology, and SSRN Electronic Journal.

Selected recent papers highlight diverse aspects of environmental change and plant dynamics:

  • "How close are we to the temperature tipping point of the terrestrial biosphere?" (2021), published in Science Advances
  • "Non-structural carbohydrate dynamics associated with antecedent stem water potential and air temperature in a dominant desert shrub" (2020), published in Plant Cell & Environment
  • "Wildfire severity and vegetation recovery drive post-fire evapotranspiration in a southwestern pine-oak forest, Arizona, USA" (2021), published in Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation
  • "Temperature memory and non-structural carbohydrates mediate legacies of a hot drought in trees across the southwestern USA" (2021), published in Tree Physiology
  • "Old reserves and ancient buds fuel regrowth of coast redwood after catastrophic fire" (2023), published in Nature Plants

George W. Koch's research portfolio demonstrates a strong emphasis on understanding the interactions between climate factors, plant physiology, and ecosystem responses, particularly in the context of drought, temperature extremes, and wildfire impacts.

The scientist was recognized as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in 1954.

Best Publications

  • Responses of terrestrial ecosystems to temperature and precipitation change: a meta-analysis of experimental manipulation.

    Zhuoting Wu;Paul Dijkstra;George W. Koch;Josep Peñuelas

  • Convergence across biomes to a common rain-use efficiency

    Travis E. Huxman;Melinda D. Smith;Melinda D. Smith;Philip A. Fay;Alan K. Knapp

  • The limits to tree height

    George W. Koch;Stephen C. Sillett;Gregory M. Jennings;Stephen D. Davis

  • Pervasive drought legacies in forest ecosystems and their implications for carbon cycle models

    W. R.L. Anderegg;C. Schwalm;F. Biondi;J. J. Camarero

  • Global patterns of drought recovery

    Christopher R. Schwalm;Christopher R. Schwalm;William R. L. Anderegg;Anna M. Michalak;Joshua B. Fisher

  • Carbon dioxide and terrestrial ecosystems

    George W. Koch;Harold A. Mooney

  • Photosynthesis, carboxylation and leaf nitrogen responses of 16 species to elevated pCO2 across four free‐air CO2 enrichment experiments in forest, grassland and desert

    David S Ellsworth;Peter B Reich;Elke S Naumburg;George W Koch

  • Plants actively control nitrogen cycling: uncorking the microbial bottleneck

    Samantha K. Chapman;J. Adam Langley;Stephen C. Hart;George W. Koch

  • Accelerated microbial turnover but constant growth efficiency with warming in soil

    Shannon B. Hagerty;Kees Jan van Groenigen;Steven D. Allison;Bruce A. Hungate

  • Effect of temperature on metabolic activity of intact microbial communities: Evidence for altered metabolic pathway activity but not for increased maintenance respiration and reduced carbon use efficiency

    Paul Dijkstra;Scott C. Thomas;Paul L. Heinrich;George W. Koch

  • Carbon protection and fire risk reduction: toward a full accounting of forest carbon offsets

    Matthew D Hurteau;George W Koch;Bruce A Hungate

  • INSECT HERBIVORY INCREASES LITTER QUALITY AND DECOMPOSITION: AN EXTENSION OF THE ACCELERATION HYPOTHESIS

    Samantha K. Chapman;Stephen C. Hart;Neil S. Cobb;Thomas G. Whitham

  • Global change and terrestrial ecosystems. The operational plan.

    W. L. Steffen;B. H. Walker;J. S. Ingram;George W Koch

  • Increasing wood production through old age in tall trees

    Stephen C. Sillett;Robert Van Pelt;George W. Koch;Anthony R. Ambrose

  • How close are we to the temperature tipping point of the terrestrial biosphere

    Katharyn A. Duffy;Christopher R. Schwalm;Christopher R. Schwalm;Vickery L. Arcus;George W. Koch

  • Does elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration inhibit mitochondrial respiration in green plants

    Bert G. Drake;J. Azcon-Bieto;J. Berry;J. Bunce

  • Carbon and water fluxes from ponderosa pine forests disturbed by wildfire and thinning

    S. Dore;T. E. Kolb;M. Montes-Helu;S. E. Eckert

  • Recovery of ponderosa pine ecosystem carbon and water fluxes from thinning and stand‐replacing fire

    Sabina Dore;Mario Montes-Helu;Stephen C. Hart;Bruce A. Hungate

  • The influence of thinning on components of stand water balance in a ponderosa pine forest stand during and after extreme drought

    K. Simonin;T.E. Kolb;M. Montes-Helu;G.W. Koch

  • Long-term impact of a stand-replacing fire on ecosystem CO2 exchange of a ponderosa pine forest

    Sabina Dore;T. E. Kolb;M. Montes-Helu;B. W. Sullivan

  • Leaf litter mixtures alter microbial community development: mechanisms for non-additive effects in litter decomposition.

    Samantha K. Chapman;Gregory S. Newman;Stephen C. Hart;Jennifer A. Schweitzer

  • CO2 Inhibits Respiration in Leaves of Rumex crispus L.

    Jeffrey S. Amthor;George W. Koch;Arnold J. Bloom

Frequent Co-Authors

Bruce A. Hungate
Bruce A. Hungate Northern Arizona University
Paul Dijkstra
Paul Dijkstra Northern Arizona University
Stephen C. Hart
Stephen C. Hart University of California, Merced
Thomas Kolb
Thomas Kolb Northern Arizona University
Matthew D. Hurteau
Matthew D. Hurteau University of New Mexico
Christopher R. Schwalm
Christopher R. Schwalm Woodwell Climate Research Center
Aimée T. Classen
Aimée T. Classen University of Vermont
Kiona Ogle
Kiona Ogle Northern Arizona University
William R. L. Anderegg
William R. L. Anderegg University of Utah
Malcolm P. North
Malcolm P. North US Forest Service

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