Faculty

Dennis A Gravatt, Ph.D.

     Dr. Gravatt earned his B.S. in systematics and ecology ('88) and a M.A. in botany ('91) from the University of Kansas. In 1994, Dr. Gravatt completed his Ph.D. from LSU.

     Dr. Gravatt maintains active research in the areas of how plants adapt to environmental stress. He use the understanding of plant physiology to elucidate the mechanisms of plant responses to different growth limiting factors. Adaptation of interest include physiological, biochemical, and morphological to such stresses. He is particularly interested in the environmental and biochemical limitations on photosynthetic capacity in stressful environments.

     An emphasis in the lab includes efforts to understand the physiology, morphology and anatomy of developing plantlets of the genus Sedum. The purpose of this work is to gain an understanding of how Sedum reproduces using vegetative propagules. In addition, he is interested in the physiological ecology of all species found on shallow soils through out the United States.

     Not all research is with succulent plants. His group searchs for answers to questions relating to the physiological and ecological adaptations of plants to stress. Such studies include biochemical and morphological response to flooding, canopy level physiology in loblolly pine stands, and physiological responses to increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations.

Dr. Gravatt teaches:

BIO 131- Introductory Botany
BIO 250-Economic Botany
BIO 300-Medicinal Plants
BIO 404-Plant Physiology
BIO 523-Advanced Plant Physiology
BIO 571-Plant Ecophysiology

Contact Information:
 
Dr. Dennis Gravatt, Associate Professor and Chairman
Stephen F. Austin State University
Department of Biology
Miller Science Building, Room 110A
Box 13003 SFA Station Nacogdoches, TX 75962
phone (936) 468-2276
fax (936) 468-2056
email: dgravatt@sfasu.edu