Our research is focused on understanding
the fate of soil C and nutrients in a changing world. Climate change, nutrient deposition, and other disturbances have the potential to
fundamentally alter ecosystem carbon (C) and nutrient cycling and runoff. Soils contain more than twice as much C as
the atmosphere, mostly as organic matter. This large reservoir of soil
organic C may be decomposed to CO2 to influence atmospheric concentrations. Furthermore, excess nutrients may runoff and impact ground and surface water. However,
in many cases we do not understand the mechanisms controlling soil C and nutrient cycling well enough to predict the
magnitude or even direction of changes in response to disturbances.
Because soil microorganisms mediate C and nutrient fluxes, we need a
better understanding of their role in regulating soil processes in
order to predict how ecosystems will respond to changes. My
research program is dedicated to developing a mechanistic understanding
of terrestrial biogeochemical processes, such as decomposition and
nutrient cycling to gain insight into how terrestrial
ecosystems function, and to help predict how they will respond to
disturbances.
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