Lehigh University researcher Michelle Spicer, who earned both her undergraduate and graduate degrees from the institution as a class of 2012 and master’s class of 2014 graduate, works as an assistant professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences. Her scientific investigations take her from local campus spaces to distant, scenic tropical rainforests, allowing her to examine canopy plants and ground soil to understand how forest ecosystems adjust to a warming planet. During the university’s fall Research Symposium, Spicer delivered a presentation addressing a fundamental ecological inquiry: how biological communities and microbial populations react when surrounding environments turn significantly hotter and drier.

One primary focus of Spicer’s scientific work centers on epiphytes, which are specialized canopy plants that include species such as orchids, bromeliads, and aroids. These unique plants grow directly on top of other vegetation and spend portions of their life cycle without any direct rooting in ground soil. Because of this growth habit, canopy plants possess a distinct and heightened sensitivity to changes in moisture and temperature levels. This biological trait transforms them into remarkably effective indicators for observing how wider forest environments react to global climate shifts. As Spicer notes, canopy plants offer substantial insights regarding planetary changes, biological responses, and future shifts in biodiversity.

Tropical rainforests feature intense environmental variations across vertical layers. While the shaded forest floor receives less than one percent of ambient sunlight, the raised canopy exposes residing organisms to brilliant light, intense heat, and dry air currents. Spicer utilizes these natural settings as model systems to study organisms that face displacement into warmer habitats due to ongoing climate alterations. When looking at top research projects, students often benefit from understanding broader institutional landscapes, and those seeking advanced academic planning can look into Ivy League strategies to align their goals.

Spicer currently oversees two distinct field investigations involving epiphytes across contrasting ecosystems, ranging from the temperate Hoh Rain Forest located in Washington state down to tropical forests situated in Panama. Within both the temperate Washington environment and the tropical Panamanian locations, her research team evaluates how epiphyte populations assemble and react to environmental disturbances depending on whether they develop in shaded understory locations or exposed canopy zones. Plans for the upcoming summer involve returning to Washington alongside an undergraduate researcher and a technical assistant to survey long-term monitoring plots.

Another major project based in Panama receives backing from a National Science Foundation grant and extends the scope of investigation below the plant surfaces. Collaborating alongside fellow scientists Jane Lucas and Evan Gora from the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Spicer explores how soil microbial communities shift across identical vertical gradients within forests. Field experiments take place inside Santa Fe National Park in Panama, a region where Spicer has conducted fieldwork for nearly ten years, alongside laboratory testing conducted at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. Initial observations indicate that specific microbes thriving within shady understory regions frequently disappear entirely when exposed to sun-drenched canopy conditions, replaced by completely different ecological communities.

Preliminary findings also shed light on how these botanical communities react to physical disturbances. Spicer’s research methodology has involved moving clusters of epiphytes between different layers of the canopy to observe how well they adapt when placed into unfamiliar surroundings. The resulting data suggest that certain species manage to bounce back rapidly following environmental disruptions, whereas others—particularly those originating from hot and dry canopy areas—find it exceptionally difficult to recover. As global climate conditions continue changing, these insights imply that specific plant groups may struggle increasingly to bounce back from environmental stress.

Beyond remote field sites, Spicer directs work closer to home inside a greenhouse on Lehigh’s Mountaintop campus, which has operated for a full year. This facility hosts student-led research experiments where her team cultivates miniature models of tropical ecosystems, maintaining epiphytes in controlled settings that simulate the variable light and moisture found in natural canopies. This setup connects student researchers directly to large-scale global ecological problems and highlights the pressing nature of climate change. Spicer emphasizes the value of maintaining an accessible branch of her research locally, noting that regional challenges affecting forest diversity in Pennsylvania carry significant ecological weight.

Alongside her empirical fieldwork, Spicer has helped support a collaborative network of ecologists right at Lehigh University. Having completed her own undergraduate and master’s studies at the university, she appreciates the importance of strong mentorship. She previously studied under Robert Booth, who currently serves as the chair of the Earth and environmental sciences department, and she now works alongside him as a faculty colleague. Spicer, Booth, and John Paul Balmonte, another assistant professor within the same department, represent the core group of ecologists in their academic unit. Although each faculty member investigates different biological systems across varying time scales, they gather regularly for collective ecology meetings to exchange ideas and build community bonds alongside their students.

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