Projects per year
Personal profile
University profile
Dr. Dirk Vanderklein's research focuses on how plants grow in the environmental conditions they live in and how plants affect the environment that they live in.
Currently, his research is concentrating on these areas: the impact of Japanese knotweed (an invasive plant) on our water supply, what is the status of the street trees in Montclair, NJ, and how to help first-year first-generation students succeed in science and college. All of this work has involved and continues to involve undergraduate and graduate students. The results from the knotweed work suggest that for some of the local streams, Japanese knotweed is removing as much as 9% of our water supply during the summer months. Given that the state is already experiencing water shortages in northern New Jersey, this additional loss of water is very worrisome. Dr. Vanderklein and his research team members are currently trying to understand the impact of this plant at the watershed scale.
Research interests
Focuses on how plants grow in the environmental conditions they live in and how plants affect the environment that they live in.
Scholarly Interests
Plant ecology, Tree Growth, Plant Physiology, Ecophysiology
Teaching
Dr. Vanderklein mostly teaches BIOL113 (Principles of Biology 2), BIOL213 (Introduction to Ecology), and BIOL425/520 (Plant physiology). In his teaching he tries to engage students in their learning. His goal is to have students become fully engaged in their learning so that they go beyond rote learning and instead try to achieve deep learning (i.e. true understanding), through a combination of in-class exercises, group projects out of class, hands-on learning in lab, and student reflection pieces in class. As part of his dedication to achieving deep learning by the students who attend my classes, he has joined the Office for Faculty Advancement at MSU as a fellow and mentor in the Engaged Teaching Mentors and Fellows Program.
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities -
SDG 13 Climate Action -
SDG 15 Life on Land
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Recent external collaboration on country/territory level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots or
Projects
- 4 Finished
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STEM Pioneers: A 3-year pilot study to increase science literacy and STEM enrollment among first-year first-generation students
Vanderklein, D. (PI), Goodey, N. (CoPI), Galster, J. (CoPI) & Dalley, J. J. (CoPI)
1/10/16 → 30/09/21
Project: Research
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A True Undergraduate Life-Science Research Community: Classroom to Career
Kight, S. (PI), Gaynor, J. (CoPI), Smallwood, J. (CoPI) & Vanderklein, D. (CoPI)
1/08/00 → 31/07/03
Project: Research
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A True Undergraduate Life-Science Research Community: Classroom to Career
Kight, S. (PI), Gaynor, J. (CoPI), Smallwood, J. (CoPI) & Vanderklein, D. (CoPI)
1/08/00 → 31/07/03
Project: Research
Research output
- 26 Article
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Synergistic Effects of Salinization and Artificial Root Exudates on Soil Phosphatase Activity in Coastal Soil
Lentine, N., Krisak, S. E., Vanderklein, D. W., Schuler, M. & Goodey, N. M., 2026, (Accepted/In press) In: Land Degradation and Development.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
The impact of Japanese knotweed on river discharge at the watershed scale in New Jersey, USA
Galster, J. C. & Vanderklein, D., Dec 2023, In: River Research and Applications. 39, 10, p. 2019-2025 7 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access1 Link opens in a new tab Scopus citations -
Interdisciplinary Lessons on Energy and Entropy
Munakata, M., Vaidya, A. & Vanderklein, D., 2022, In: Journal of College Science Teaching. 51, 5, p. 10-15 6 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
1 Link opens in a new tab Scopus citations -
A stomatal optimization approach improves the estimation of carbon assimilation from sap flow measurements
Hu, Y., Duman, T., Vanderklein, D., Zhao, P. & Schäfer, K. V., 15 Dec 2019, In: Agricultural and Forest Meteorology. 279, 107735.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
9 Link opens in a new tab Scopus citations -
Photosynthesis and aboveground carbon allocation of two co-occurring poplar species in an urban brownfield
Radwanski, D., Gallagher, F., Vanderklein, D. W. & Schäfer, K. V. R., 2017, In: Environmental Pollution. 223, p. 497-506 10 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access14 Link opens in a new tab Scopus citations