Scientific Research at Holden

Holden has a strong tradition of breeding superior, woody ornamental plants for the landscape; a tradtion that continues. In addition, the Holden property encompasses extensive high quality natural forest ecosystems (~3,000 acreas) that are in close proximity to a large metropolitan area. Thus, conserving native forests and understanding the function of disturbed forests is a natural fit for the Holden Research program. Our staff scientists, post-doctoral scholars and graduate students focus their research in three general areas that are consistent with the Arboretum's mission:

How plants and soils respond to natrual and human-induced stress
	Rhododendron health without (left) and with (right) Phytophthora root pathogens
	The mechanisms by which organisms and ecosystems tolerate disturbance and environmental change
Studying the effects of snow cover on soil microbes
The importance of biological diversity to the function and management of forest ecosystems
	The distribution and abundance of forest fungi are important for the function of healthy forests

Please visit the links to the left to learn more about our staff, facilities, and some of our current research projects.