Our research area is plant ecology. More specifically, we are doing research on the (1) life cycle and germination ecology of woody and herbaceous species of angiosperms, (2) biology, conservation, and geographical ecology of plant taxa endemic to cedar (limestone) glades of unglaciated eastern United States, and (3) plant geography of Kentucky.

Major emphasis in our research program is on the ecological life history of plant species, with particular reference to the seed germination stage of the life cycle. Our goal is to explain the ecological, biogeographical, and evolutionary origins and relations of the various types of seed dormancy. Thus, we have studied the germination ecology and ecophysiology of species from different habitats and biomes, and with different life cycle, life forms, and phylogenetic relationships.

• Baskin, C.C., J.M. Baskin, and E.W. Chester. Seed germination ecology of summer annual species of dewatered reservoir shorelines (mudflats), a temporally unpredictable habitat. Pp. 353-368. In: E. W. Chester and J. s. Fralish (eds.). Land Between The Lakes, Kentucky and Tennessee : Four decades of Tennessee Valley Authority stewardship. The Center for Field Biology, Austin Peay State University , Clarksville , Tennessee , 2002.
• Baskin, J.M. and C.C. Baskin. New approaches to the study of the evolution of physical and physiological dormancy, the two most common classes of seed dormancy on earth. Pp. 371-380. In: Nicolás, G., K.J. Bradford, D. Côme, and H.W. Pritchard (eds.). The Biology of Seeds: Recent Research Advances. CABI Publishing, Wallingford , UK, 2003.
• Baskin, J.M. and C.C. Baskin. Classification, biogeography, and phylogenetic relationships of seed dormancy. Pp. 518-544. In: R. D. Smith, J. B. Dickie, S. H. Linington, H.W. Pritchard, and R. J. Probert (Eds.). Seed conservation: turning science into practice. The Royal Botanic Gardens , Kew , London. 2003.
• Baskin, C.C. and J.M. Baskin. Determining dormancy-breaking and germination requirements from the fewest seeds. Pp. 162-179. In: E. Guerrant, K. Havens, and M. Maunder (eds.). Strategies for Survival. Island Press, Washington , DC, 2004.
• Baskin, C.C. and J.M. Baskin. Seed dormancy in trees of climax tropical vegetation types. Invited paper for special issue of Tropical Ecology. (D. Teketay, ed.). (in press).
• Baskin, C.C. and J.M. Baskin. Seed dormancy in wild flowers. pp. 163-185. In M. B. McDonald and F. Kwong (eds.), Flower Seeds: Biology and technology. CABI Wallingford , UK, 2005.