Professor Dr. James Dalling

Biography

James W. Dalling is a Professor in the School of Integrative Biology at Illinois University, where he serves as the Director of the Integrative Biology Honors Program. His research specializes in tropical forest dynamics, focusing on plant-soil interactions, plant-fungal interactions, and seed ecology. He investigates how population and community ecology in tropical forests is influenced by soil nutrient availability and microbial communities that affect the composition and diversity of tree communities. His work prominently engages with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama, particularly at Barro Colorado Island and other sites in the Panama Canal Watershed. Dalling's current projects explore various aspects of plant-pathogen interactions, the factors influencing plant defense traits, and the intricacies of tree communities in relation to soil nutrient dynamics.

Research Interests