Tala Awada, a physiological plant ecologist and associate dean for research in the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Agricultural Research Division, has spent years learning about climate change through the study of trees and plants. She’s also trekked through the Nebraska Sandhills and the pine forests of Greece to study plants in their environments and solve problems, such as the management of invasive species, changed ecosystems and disease.

Nebraska Today sat down with Awada to talk about her research, how trees and plants act as a window into the future, and what motivated her to become a scientist.

I think at first it was the position itself, and the ability to work in a new ecosystem — the Sandhills of Nebraska. I hadn’t worked in a similar ecosystem before. It was an exciting opportunity to come and work on the ecology of the Sandhills. Twenty years later, we’ve been here and I love the community. I love Lincoln and value the friendships and the connections that we’ve developed.

I think I was a curious kid. I don’t know if I was interested in science, but I was very interested with how things work. I remember that my parents used to give me toys and such, and nothing lasted more than a week. I always had to see how they worked. Even my first watch didn’t make it beyond the week. I was convinced if I put the pieces in sequence, I could disassemble it and assemble it again myself. Obviously, it didn’t work out. I destroyed many toys. I think I was always curious. Finding the specific area I work in now, it came much later, and I think it’s whom you meet throughout your life and how they influence you that really determines where you end up.

I am a plant ecophysiologist by training, which means I study the physiological interaction of plants with their environment. We can divide this environment into two aspects: the biological environment, such as competition from other plants, microbiome and insects and diseases, and the abiotic environment, which is the temperature, drought, precipitation and so on. This will enable you to understand the mechanisms of plant functions and help you find solutions to problems.

Agricultural and Biological Research (AGBIR) is an International peer reviewed open access journal that publishes articles in the field of agro-sciences, biological, ecological and toxicological Studies.

AGBIR is a scientific journal that provides academicians and researchers a unique platform to collect and disseminate latest research on agriculture and biological sciences. The journal focuses on improving agricultural production systems, enhancing agricultural sustainability and addressing issues of toxicology and food security whilst protecting the environment.

How we work:

• After submission, an acknowledgement with manuscript number is sent to the corresponding author within 7 working days.
• A 21 day window time frame is allotted for peer-review process wherein multiple experts are contacted.
• Author proof is generated within 7 working days after the acceptance decision.

Benefits on Publication:

Open Access: Permanent free access to your article upon publication ensures extensive global reach and readership.

Easy Article Sharing: Our open access enables you to share your article directly with colleagues through email and on social media via a single link, permitting third party reuse with appropriate citation in addition to the retention of content copyright by the author.

Global Marketing: Through promotion in a targeted global email announcement or press release, your article will be seen by thousands of the top-most thought-leaders in your field.

Reprints: Distribute your work to colleagues and at conferences as we provide hard copy color reprints of your article on order.

Authors are requested to submit articles directly to Online Manuscript Submission System.
https://www.scholarscentral.org/submissions/agricultural-biological-research.html

Media Contact:
Mercy Eleanor
Journal Manager
Agricultural and Biological Research