venus flytrap


Dr. William (Bill) A. Hoffmann- Assistant Professor
Tropical ecology, ecophysiology, and global change

Research Interests:
My research focuses primarily on the ecology of tropical savannas and forests, with special emphasis on the Cerrado region of central Brazil.  I am primarily interested in understanding the causes of variations in tree density in tropical savannas and the consequences of land-use change on regional climate.  Current projects involve comparative ecology of savanna and forest trees, fire ecology, and land-atmosphere interactions.  These projects involve a range of approaches, including ecophysiology, population dynamics, remote sensing and GCM climate modelling.

Selected Publications:

Gotsch, S.G., Geiger, E.L., Franco, A.C., Goldstein, G., Meinzer, F.C., Hoffmann, W.A. (2010) Allocation to leaf area and sapwood area affects water relations of co-occurring savanna and forest trees. Oecologia, in press.

Hoffmann, W.A., R. Adasme, M. Haridasan, M. Carvalho, E. L. Geiger, M. A. B. Pereira, S. G. Gotsch, and A. C. Franco (2009). Tree topkill, not mortality, governs the dynamics of alternate stable states at savanna-forest boundaries under frequent fire in central Brazil. Ecology 90:1326-1337.

Giambelluca, T.W., Scholz, F.G., Bucci, S.J., Meinzer, F.C., Goldstein, G., Hoffmann, W.A., Franco, A.C., Buchert, M.P. (2009) Evapotranspiration and energy balance of Brazilian savannas with contrasting tree density. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 149:1365-1376.

Rossatto, D.R., Hoffmann, W.A., Franco, A.C. (2009) Differences in growth patterns between co-occurring forest and savanna species affect the forest-savanna boundary. Functional Ecology, 23: 689-698.

Hao, G.-Y. Hoffmann, W.A. Scholz, F.G. Bucci, S.J. Meinzer, F.C. Franco, A.C. Cao, K.-F. Goldstein, G. (2008) Stem and leaf hydraulics of congeneric tree species from adjacent tropical savanna and forest ecosystems. Oecologia 155:405-415.

Hoffmann, W.A., Orthen, B. and Franco, A.C. 2004. Constraints to seedling success of savanna and forest trees across the savanna-forest boundary. Oecologia 140:252-260.

Hoffmann, W.A., W. Schroeder and R.B. Jackson. 2003. Regional feedbacks among climate, fire, and tropical deforestation. Journal of Geophysical Research - Atmospheres, 108, DOI: 2003JD003494.

Hoffmann, W.A., F.A. Bazzaz, N.J. Chatterton, P. Harrison, and R.B. Jackson. 2000. Elevated CO2 enhances resprouting of a tropical savanna tree. Oecologia, 123(3) 312-317.

Hoffmann, W. A. and R.B. Jackson. 2000. Vegetation-climate feedbacks in the conversion of tropical savanna to grassland. Journal of Climate 13:1593-1602.

Hoffmann, W. A. 1999. Fire and population dynamics of woody plants in a Neotropical savanna: matrix model predictions. Ecology 80:1354-1369.

Hoffmann, W. A. 1998. Post-burn reproduction of woody plants in a Neotropical savanna: the relative importance of sexual and vegetative reproduction. Journal of Applied Ecology 35:422-433.