Mark J. Potosnak, Ph.D.
Basic Information
Assistant Professor
Environmental Sciences and Studies
PhD, Columbia University, 2002
Areas of interest: Interactions
between the terrestrial biosphere and the atmosphere. Specifically,
understanding how plant impacts on atmospheric chemistry will change
in the future.
Phone: 773-325-7867
Fax: 773-325-7447
E-mail: mpotosna@depaul.edu
Office: McGowan South 203F
Address:
Environmental Science and Studies
McGowan South 203F
1110 W Belden Ave
Chicago, IL 60614
Curriculum vitae (PDF)
Research agenda
The goal of my research is to understand the complex interactions between the terrestrial biosphere and the atmosphere. In particular, I design field and laboratory experiments to test hypotheses focused on how isoprene emissions are impacted by global change factors. My studies have been conducted in temperate, tropical, urban/arid and tundra ecosystems. Many of these ecosystems are understudied and also susceptible to global change factors. For example, unlike the deciduous forests characteristic of temperate ecosystems, there have been few studies on the seasonal controls of isoprene emissions for tundra ecosystems. Preliminary research has revealed surprisingly high isoprene emission rates and the potential for rapid increases induced by climate change. Another project focused on land use change in a rapidly expanding urban area of the arid southwestern United States and was published in Atmospheric Environment (PDF).
Current student projects
Photo credit: Flip Chalfant
- Monica Pocs Measuring landscape-scale CO2 fluxes using a high-altitude balloon platform.
- Othon Nunez Understanding the relationship between isoprene emissions and drought stress.
Past student projects
- Lauren LeStourgeon Understanding the physiological controls of leaf-level isoprene emissions. Lauren used leaf-level measurements of isoprene emissions to probe plant physiology with the goal of developing mechanistic models to predict future isoprene emissions under global climate change scenarios. In particular, Lauren explored the combinational effects of elevated carbon dioxide concentrations and leaf temperature. Lauren worked with plants in the greenhouse, and accompanied Dr. Potosnak to Alaska and Missouri.
- Agnes Kalat Source of lead in leaves from Lincoln Park trees. Agnes measured lead concentrations in leaves and compared them to soil lead concentrations.
- Zach Wahrenburg Measured plant metabolites that are relevant to isoprene production using the fast-kill apparatus of Thomas Sharkey at Michigan State University.
- Kathleen Roberts Urban carbon dioxide concentrations. Katie conducted high-altitude balloon flights that measured vertical concentration gradients in carbon dioxide. This research was supported by the Illinois Space Grant Consortium.
- Amelia Menton Relationships between ground-based measures of canopy size (allometry) and metrics derived from Google Earth. Amelia was a minor in environmental studies.
- Marian Vernon University Hall power monitoring competition. Marian was an Environmental Studies major. She has been worked for several years to run residence hall energy competitions and used them to test hypotheses concerning environmental attitudes, beliefs and actions.
- Caitlin Schulze Effects of drought stress on isoprene emission rates. Cait conducted a series of greenhouse experiments with potted oak trees subjected to drought stress. She measured leaf-level rates of isoprene emission and explored their relationship to the plant's physiology.
Current experiments with near-real-time data
Courses
Fall 2008
- ENV 101: Introduction to Environmental Science (without lab)
- ENV 102: Introduction to Environmental Science (with lab)
Winter 2009
Spring 2009
- ENV 101: Introduction to Environmental Science (without lab)
Fall 2009
Winter 2010
Spring 2010
Fall 2010
Winter 2011
Spring 2011
- ENV 230: Global Climate Change
Autumn 2011
Winter 2012
- ENV 216: Earth System Science
Spring and Fall 2012
- On research leave
Winter 2013
- ENV 216: Earth System Science
Spring 2013
- ENV 316: Chemistry of Earth Systems