“Blackjack oak is the only deciduous tree I’ve ever seen that exhibits that same trait of retaining dead branches to that extent,” DeSantis said.

“Red cedar is expanding into rangelands as well as forests because of fire exclusion,” DeSantis said. “Also, when you do not have fire, dead material accumulates in forests and trees like blackjack oak die because they cannot out-compete other species. In effect, if blackjack oak does sprout prolifically following fire, fire could be blackjack oak’s only real competitive advantage.”

We know that trees remove carbon dioxide from the air through photosynthesis and we know that more CO2 is going into the environment due to increased car emissions.

“Animals also exhale CO2,” he said. “It is important to understand the process and how we are impacting the natural balance of the Earth’s atmosphere. By looking at tree rings, we can draw conclusions as to what effect our automobiles could have on this planet.”

After earning a bachelor’s degree, DeSantis served as a U.S. Peace Corps ecological volunteer for two years in Bulgaria where he worked with a local branch of Bulgaria’s forest service to help plant trees in the town he lived in.

“Local goats were left to wander and ate the young trees,” DeSantis said. “The next year we worked harder at the project and put wire mesh around the trees after they were planted. First the wire was stolen and then the goats ate the trees. It was frustrating at the time but I can’t help but laugh when I think about it now.”

After the Peace Corps, DeSantis earned a master’s degree in applied ecology in Michigan, worked at Cape Cod National Seashore and Grand Teton National Park. When he finishes his doctoral project, he hopes to teach and work at making our world a better place for future generations.