I am interested in soil biota and their functions in terrestrial ecosystem nutrient cycles. The soil component of ecosystems is amazingly diverse and structurally complex. Soil organisms include plant roots, mycorrhizal and saprophytic fungi, bacteria, and a multitude of soil fauna. Together, these form the detrital food web and are responsible for the decomposition of organic matter and the recycling of nutrients. Research in my laboratory investigates the interactions among plants and various types of soil organisms, with a general goal to learn about the biotic complexities that underlie responses of forest ecosystems to environmental change.
Our work focuses on plant and microbial responses to interactions among multiple nutrient elements (nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, and carbon), to better understand potential consequences of environmental change in forest ecosystems. We also examine the impacts of exotic earthworms in hardwood forest ecosystems. These large decomposer organisms completely alter the soil environment, and our studies test the consequences for other organisms in the detrital foodweb and for nutrient cycling.
501 E. High Street
Oxford, OH 45056
1601 University Blvd.
Hamilton, OH 45011
4200 N. University Blvd.
Middletown, OH 45042
7847 VOA Park Dr.
(Corner of VOA Park Dr. and Cox Rd.)
West Chester, OH 45069
Chateau de Differdange
1, Impasse du Chateau, L-4524 Differdange
Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
217-222 MacMillan Hall
501 E. Spring St.
Oxford, OH 45056, USA