I am interested in the factors that control organic matter turnover and nutrient dynamics in soils, with a focus on the biotic component, both microbial and faunal. I am also interested in how patterns of these compare across systems and biomes. The overall goal of my research is to improve our mechanistic understanding of soil biogeochemical processes to allow improved predictions of how these processes will be affected by global change.

To address these topics, I have worked in a variety of systems (including temperate deciduous forests, agricultural systems, and a polar desert) to examine consequences of various types of human-induced environmental change (including species diversity, climate change, and land use), and have involved a variety of cross-system comparisons (including terrestrial-aquatic, above- and belowground, and cross-site). My research techniques largely rely on field experimentation, but include laboratory experiments.

My current postdoctoral research examines soil carbon cycling, stoichiometry, and soil biodiversity in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica. Despite a general appearance of uniformity, Antarctic soils have a high degree of spatial and temporal heterogeneity in soil properties, hydrologic regimes, and biological composition. We are working to relate this variability to geological legacies and to the resulting complex distributions of invertebrate communities. This polar desert also provides an opportunity to utilize stoichiometric approaches to understand carbon and nutrient cycing in an ecosystem where biologic diversity and activity are low, and controls over the movement and mass balances of nutrients operate over 10-106 years.

Click here for a more general, non-scientific description of my research.