Martha Apple - Department of Biological Sciences

Martha AppleProfessor
Chemistry & Biology Building (CBB) 221
Phone: 406-496-4575
Email: mapple@mtech.edu

Biography

  • Ph.D., Biological Sciences, University of Rhode Island, 1994
  • M.A., Botany, University of Montana, 1985
  • B.A., Botany, University of Montana, 1981
  • B.A., Geography, University of Montana, 1981

Research Interests

The Apple lab's current research interests include investigations of:

  1. The effects of elevated CO2 on plants and mycorrhizal fungi, with contributions to experimental programs at ZERT (Zero Emissions Research and Technology); FACE (Free Air Carbon Enrichment) and TERA (Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Associates);
  2. Responses of alpine plants to climate change, for which we have a GLORIA (Global Observational Research Initiative in Alpine Environments) site on four mountain summits in Southwestern Montana; an ongoing study of alpine plants growing on the edges of snowfields that are retreating due to climate change, and research on the role of plant functional traits in determining responses of alpine plants to climate change.

Non-Research Academic Interests

  • The education and mentoring of students
  • Ethnobotany
  • The influence of microbes on human history and culture
  • Pollination biology

Selected Honors & Awards

  • Distinguished Researcher Award, 2011, Montana Tech
  • National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellowship Award, 1995-98
  • University of Rhode Island Graduate Fellowship, 1990

Career in Brief

  • Professor, Biological Sciences, Montana Tech. 2014-present.
  • Associate Professor, Biological Sciences, Montana Tech. 2006-2014.
  • Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences, Montana Tech. 2003-2006.
  • Visiting Assistant Professor, Biology, Central Washington University, 2003.
  • Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Nevada, Reno. 2001-2002.
  • Courtesy Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Forest Sciences, Oregon State University. 1999-2000.
  • NRC Postdoctoral Research Associate, U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Western Ecology Research Laboratory, 1995-1998.
  • Visiting Assistant Professor, Roger Williams University, Bristol, RI. 1992.

Career in Brief

  • Professor, Biological Sciences, Montana Tech, 2014-present
  • Associate Professor, Biological Sciences, Montana Tech, 2006-2014
  • Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences, Montana Tech, 2003-2006
  • Visiting Assistant Professor, Biology, Central Washington University, 2003
  • Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Nevada, Reno, 2001-2002
  • Courtesy Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Forest Sciences, Oregon State University, 1999-2000
  • NRC Postdoctoral Research Associate, U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Western Ecology Research Laboratory, 1995-1998
  • Visiting Assistant Professor, Roger Williams University, Bristol, RI. 1992

Courses Taught

  • Plant Ecology
  • Plant Ecology Lab
  • Plant Physiology
  • Plant Physiology Lab
  • General Microbiology
  • Microbiology for Health Sciences
  • Introduction to Biodiversity Lab
  • Undergraduate Research
  • Graduate Research

Selected Publications

Nadine Praeg, Michael Steinwandter, Davnah Urbach, Mark A. Snethlage, Rodrigo P. Alves, Martha E. Apple, Andrea J. Britton, Estelle P. Bruni, Ting-Wen Chen, Kenneth Dumac, Fernando Fernandez-Mendoza, Michele Freppaz, Beat Frey, Nathalie Fromin, Stefan Geisen, Martin Grube, Elia Guariento, Antoine Guisan, Qiao-Qiao Ji, Juan J. Jiménez, Stefanie Maier, Lucie A. Malard, Maria A. Minor, Cowan C. Mc Lean, Edward A.D. Mitchell, Thomas Peham, Roberto Pizzolotto, Andy F. S. Taylor, Philippe Vernon, Johan J. van Tol, Yunga Wu, Donghui Wu, Zhijeng Xie, Bettina Weber, Paul Illmer, Julia Seeber. 2023. Biodiversity in mountain soils above the treeline.

Romano Wyss, Tobias Luthe, Lydia Pedoth, Thomas Thaler, S Schneiderbauer, Carolina E. Adler, Martha Apple, Eduardo Erazo Acosta, Haley Fitzpatrick, Jamila Haider, Gozde Ikizer, Angelo Jonas Imperiale, Ayse Nuray Karanci, Eva Posch, Olimjon Saidmamatov, Thomas Thaler. Mountain Research and Development: 42(2): A23-A36. 2022. Mountain Resilience: A Systematic Literature Review and Paths to the Future, DOI: 10.1659/MRD-JOURNAL-D-21-00044.1.

Martha Apple, Macy Kara Ricketts, Alice C. Martin, Dennis J. Moritz. In book: Mountain Landscapes in Transition. 2022. Distance from Retreating Snowfields Influences Alpine Plant Functional Traits at Glacier National Park, Montana, DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-70238-0_12.

Taeoh Kwon, Hidaeki Shibata, Sebastian Kepfer Rojas, Inger K. Schmidt, Klaus S. Larsen, Claus Beier, Björn Berg, Kris Verheyen, Jean-Francois Lamarque, Frank Hagedorn, Nico Eisenhauer, Ika Djukic and TeaComposition Network. Frontiers in Forests and Global Change: (4). 2021. Effects of Climate and Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition on Early to Mid-Term Stage Litter Decomposition Across Biomes, DOI: 10.3389/ffgc.2021.678480.

Martha Apple. EcoMont 13(1):67-70. 2021. On the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on alpine research projects in Montana, DOI: 10.1553/eco.mont-13-1s67.

Zhaoming Zhou, Xiaobing Zhou, Martha E. Apple, Jiaqing Miao, Gary Wyss, and Lee Spangler. International Journal of Remote Sensing 40(23):8764-8792. 2019.1620378. 2019. Quantification of cell concentration in biofuel-important microalgae using hyperspectral reflectance and hyperspectral extinction coefficient, DOI:10.1080/01431161.

Martha Apple, Macy Kara Ricketts, Alice Caroline Martin. 2019. Plant functional traits and microbes vary with position on striped periglacial patterned ground at Glacier National Park, Montana. Journal of Geographical Sciences 29(7):1127-1141. DOI: 10.1007/s11442-019-1649-3.

Xiaobing Zhou, Zhaoming Zhou, Jiaqing Miao, Martha Apple, Lee Spangler. 2019. Quantification of water and exposed lined areas of coal-bed methane water ponds using regular true-color images by developing a novel uniformness based multi-component algorithm. Journal of Hydrology 575(12) DOI: 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2019.03.015.

Ika Djukic, Sebastian Kepfer-Rojas, Inger Kappel Schmidt b, Klaus Steenberg Larsen, Claus Beier, Björn Berg, Kris Verheyen TeaComposition: Adriano Caliman, Alain Paquette, Alba Gutiérrez-Girón, Alberto Humber, Alejandro Valdecantos, Alessandro Petraglia, Heather Alexander, Algirdas Augustaitis, Amélie Saillard, Ana Carolina Ruiz Fernández, Ana I. Sous, Ana I. Lillebø, Anderson da Rocha Gripp, André-Jean Francez, Andrea Fischer, Andreas Bohner, Andrey Malyshev, Andrijana Andrić, Andy Smith, Angela Stanisci, Anikó Seres, Anja Schmidt, Anna Avila, Anne Probst, Annie Ouin, Anzar A. Khuroo, Arne Verstraeten, Arely N. Palabral-Aguilera, Artur Stefanski, Aurora Gaxiola, Bart Muys, Bernard Bosman, Bernd Ahrends, Bill Parker, Birgit Sattler, Bo Yang, Bohdan Juráni, Brigitta Erschbamer, Carmen Eugenia Rodriguez Ortiz, Casper T. Christiansen, E. Carol Adair, Céline Meredieu, Cendrine Mony, Charles A. Nock, Chi-Ling Chen, Chiao-Ping Wang, Christel Baum, Christian Rixen, Christine Delire, Christophe Piscart, Christopher Andrews, Corinna Rebman, Cristina Branquinho, Dana Polyanskaya, David Fuentes Delgado, Dirk Wundram, Diyaa Radeideh, Eduardo Ordóñez-Regil, Edward Crawford, Elena Preda, Elena Tropina, Elli Groner, Eric Lucot, Erzsébe Hornung. Esperança Gacia, Esther Lévesque, Evanilde Benedito, Evgeny A. Davydov, Evy Ampoorter, Fabio Padilha Bolzan, Felipe Varela, Ferdinand Kristöfel, Fernando T. Maestre, Florence Maunoury-Danger, Florian Hofhansl, Florian Kitz, Flurin Sutter, Francisco Cuesta, Francisco de Almeida Lobo, Franco Leandro de Souza, Frank Berninger, Franz Zehetner, Georg Wohlfahrt, George Vourlitis, Geovana Carreño-Rocabado, Gina Arena, Gisele Daiane Pinha, Grizelle González, Guylaine Canut, Hanna Lee, Hans Verbeeck, Harald Auge, Harald Pauli, Hassan Bismarck Nacro, Héctor A. Bahamonde, Heike Feldhaar, Heinke Jäger, Helena C. Serrano, Hélène Verheyden, Helge Bruelheide, Henning Meesenburg, Hermann Jungkunst, Hervé Jactel, Hideaki Shibata, Hiroko Kurokawa, Hugo López Rosas, Hugo L. Rojas Villalobos, Ian Yesilonis, Inara Melece, Inge Van Halder, Inmaculada García Quirós, Isaac Makelele, Issaka Senou, István Fekete, Ivan Mihal, Ivika Ostonen, Jana Borovská, Javier Roales, Jawad Shoqeir, Jean-Christophe Lata, Jean-Paul Theurillat, Jean-Luc Probst, Jess Zimmerman, Jeyanny Vijayanathan, Jianwu Tang, Jill Thompson, Jiří Doležal, Joan-Albert Sanchez-Cabeza, Joël Merlet, Joh Henschel, Johan Neirynck, Johannes Knops, John Loehr, Jonathan von Oppen, Jónína Sigríður Þorláksdóttir, Jörg Löffler, José-Gilberto Cardoso-Mohedano, José-Luis Benito-Alonso, Jose Marcelo Torezan, Joseph C. Morina, Juan J. Jiménez, Juan Dario Quinde, Juha Alatalo, Julia Seeber, Jutta Stadler , Kaie Kriiska, Kalifa Coulibaly, Karibu Fukuzawa, Katalin Szlavecz, Katarína Gerhátová, Kate Lajtha, Kathrin Käppeler, Katie A. Jennings, Katja Tielbörger, Kazuhiko Hoshizaki, Ken Green , Lambiénou Yé, Laryssa Helena Ribeiro Pazianoto, Laura Dienstbach, Laura Williams, Laura Yahdjian, Laurel M. Brigham, Liesbeth van den Brink, Lindsey Rustad, Lipeng Zhang, Lourdes Morillas, Lu Xiankai, Luciana Silva Carneiro, Luciano Di Martino, Luis Villar, Maaike Y. Bader, Madison Morley, Marc Lebouvier, Marcello Tomaselli , Marcelo Sternberg, Marcus Schaub, Margarida Santos-Reis, Maria Glushkova, María Guadalupe Almazán Torres, Marie-Andrée Giroux, Marie-Anne de Graaff, Marie-Noëlle Pons, Marijn Bauters, Marina Mazó, Mark Frenzel, Markus Didion, Markus Wagner, Maroof Hamid, Marta L. Lopes, Martha Apple, Martin Schädler, Martin Weih, Matteo Gualmini, Matthew A. Vadeboncoeur, Michael Bierbaumer, Michael Danger, Michael Liddell, Michael Mirtl, Michael Scherer-Lorenzen, Michal Růžek, Michele Carbognani, Michele Di Musciano, Michinari Matsushita, Miglena Zhiyanski, Mihai Pușcas, Milan Barna, Mioko Ataka, Mo Jiangming, Mohammed Alsafran, Monique Carnol, Nadia Barsoum, Naoko Tokuchi, Nico Eisenhauer ,Nicolas Lecomte, Nina Filippova, Norbert Hölzel, Olga Ferlian, Oscar Romero, Osvaldo B. Pinto Jr, Pablo Peri, Paige Weber, Pascal Vittoz, Pavel Dan Turtureanu, Peter Fleischer, Peter Macreadie, Peter Haase, Peter Reich, Petr Petřík, Philippe Choler, Pierre Marmonier, Priscilla Muriel, Quentin Ponette, Rafael Dettogni Guariento, Rafaella Canessa, Ralf Kiese, Rebecca Hewitt, Regin Rønn, Rita Adrian, Róbert Kanka, Robert Weigel, Roberto Cazzolla Gatti, Rodrigo Lemes Martins, Romain Georges, Rosa Isela Meneses, Rosario G. Gavilán, Sabyasachi Dasgupta, Sally Wittlinger, Sara Puijalon, Sarah Freda, Satoshi Suzuki, Sean Charles, Sébastien Gogo, Simon Drollinger, Simone Mereu, Sonja Wipf, Stacey Trevathan-Tackett, Stefan Löfgren, Stefan Stoll, Stefan Trogisch, Stefanie Hoeber, Steffen Seitz, Stephan Glatzel, Sue J. Milton, Sylvie Dousset, Taiki Mori, Takanori Sato, Takeshi Ise, Takuo Hishi, Tanaka Kenta,Tatsuro Nakaji, Thaisa Sala Michelan, Thierry Camboulive, Thomas J. Mozdzer, Thomas Scholten, Thomas Spiegelberger, Thomas Zechmeister, Till Kleinebecker, Tsutom Hiura, Tsutomu Enoki, Tudor-Mihai Ursu, Umberto Morra di Cella, Ute Hamer, Valentin H. Klaus, Vanessa Mendes Rêgo, Valter Di Cecco, Verena Busch, Veronika Fontana, Veronika Piscová,Victoria Carbonell, Victoria Ochoa, Vincent Bretagnolle, Vincent Maire, Vinicius Farjalla, Wenjun Zhou, Wentao Luo, William H. McDowell, Yalin Hu, Yasuhiro Utsumi, Yuji Kominami, Yulia Zaika, Yury Rozhkov, Zsolt Kotroczó, Zsolt Tóth. 2018. Early-stage litter decomposition across biomes. Science of the Total Environment 628–629 (2018) 1369–1394. DOI: 01.0120048-9697.

Olakunle Richard Ogunsakin, Martha Apple. 2018. Microalgae and Crop Bio-Fertilization. Frontiers in Chemistry 6 DOI: 10.3389/conf.fchem.2018.01.00053.

Damian Valles, Martha Apple, Christopher Andrews. 2017. Visual Simulations Correlate Plant Functional Trait Distribution with Elevation and Temperature in the Cairngorm Mountains of Scotland. . DOI: 10.1109/CSCI.2017.220. Conference: The 2017 International Conference on Computational Science and Computational Intelligence, Las Vegas, NV.

Scott Jewell, Xiaobing Zhou, Martha Apple, Laura M. Dobeck, Lee H. Spangler, Alfred B. Cunningham. 2015. Bulk electric conductivity response to soil and rock CO2 concentration during controlled CO2 release experiments: Observations and analytic modelling. Geophysics 80(6): E293-E308. DOI: 10.1190/geo2014-0118.1.

Martha Apple, Macy Kara Ricketts, Lindsey Grey Carlson. 2015. Rhizomes and Roots of Rare Arctic-Alpine Snowfield Plants on the Edges of Retreating Snowfields at Glacier National Park, Montana. Microscopy and Microanalysis 21(S3):709-710. DOI: 10/1017/S1431927615004341.

Damian Valles, Martha Apple, Jan Dick, Chris Andrews, Alba Gutiérrez-Girón, Harald Pauli. 2015. Modeling Plant Functional Traits and Elevation in the Cairngorm Mountains of Scotland. Int'l Conf. Modeling, Sim. and Vis. Methods | MSV'15 |.

Sharma, B., Apple, M.E., Zhou, X., Olson, J.M., Dorshorst, C., Dobeck, L.M., Cunningham, A.B., and Spangler, L.H. 2014. Physiological responses of dandelion and orchard grass leaves to experimentally released upwelling soil CO2. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control (24): 139-148.

Apple, M.E., 2014. Alpine Plants and Climate Change. Montana Professor, (24)1:11-14.

Apple, M.E. 2012. Measuring Impacts to Rare Peripheral Arctic-Alpine Plants at the Edges of Permanent Snowfields/Glaciers that are Receding due to Climate Change in Glacier National Park. RM-CESU Report P12AC10557, MT-02.

Clark, N.M., Apple, M.E., and Nowak, R.S. 2010. The effects of elevated CO2 on root respiration rates of two Mojave Desert shrubs. Global Change Biology (2010) 16, 1566–1575, doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2009.02075.x

Apple, M.E. 2010. Aspects of Mycorrhizae in Desert Plants, DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-02550-1_6

 

Personal Interests

Martha enjoys reading, writing, painting, drawing, photography, skiing, bicycling, hiking, walking and swimming.