Primack has authored or coauthored more than 210 peer-reviewed scientific papers and his writings have been cited more than 25,000 times. His most highly cited publications are his conservation biology textbooks, papers on the ecological effects of climate change on
phenology, and papers on flower longevity and pollination ecology.
Impacts of climate change in eastern Massachusetts Primack's most recent research focuses on the impacts of climate change on the flowering, fruiting, leaf out, and leaf senescence times of plants, the spring arrival and autumn departure of birds, and the timing and diversity of insects visiting flowers in Massachusetts. This research has focused on eastern Massachusetts because of the availability of historical natural history records in the region. These records include extensive records of flowering, leaf out, bird arrivals, and other phenological events made by Henry David Thoreau in the 1850s.
The role of botanical gardens in climate change research Much of Primack's research has been carried out at botanical gardens, especially the
Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University. He has written about the importance of botanical gardens in climate change research and has facilitated the creation of international networks of botanical gardens to investigate questions about how plants are responding to climate change.
Tropical forest biology Primack has investigated how
rain forests in
Malaysian Borneo change over time in terms of species diversity and forest structure, and how selective logging affects these processes. Primack worked with Richard Corlett to write a book,
Tropical Rain Forests: An Ecological and Biogeographical Comparison, contrasting tropical rain forests on different continents.
Impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on conservation Primack has worked with colleagues to describe the impacts of the
COVID-19 pandemic and the associated lockdowns and changes in human activity on conservation. These projects have examined impacts on US national parks, noise pollution, and the formation of social trails in protected areas.
Leading the scientific journal Biological Conservation As editor-in-chief of
Biological Conservation, Primack handled approximately 17,000 manuscripts, of which 3,000 were published following peer-review. During his tenure, the journal published special issues on a range of topics, including several that highlighted research of scientists from under-represented countries. Primack authored editorials and papers about the publication process and the careers of scientists, including pieces about the challenges faced by women ecologists and scientists from developing countries. == Conservation biology textbook project ==