Doctoral Dissertation Research: Soil Resource Aggregation and Ecosystem Function

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The use of nitrogen fertilizers has dramatically increased food production globally. Nonetheless, nitrogen fertilizer use can also have negative impacts on water, air, and soil quality. Many of the processes that regulate nitrogen movement in ecosystems have been determined; however, environmental heterogeneity makes predicting the behavior of these processes in the field difficult. To date, strategies to examine nitrogen cycle processes have largely ignored the role of spatial heterogeneity for regulating important processes such as soil organic matter decomposition and its associated nitrogen release. This proposal seeks to better understand how heterogeneity affects soil microbial processes, plant root growth, and nitrogen acquisition by plants. Results from this research will add significant insight into predictions of biogeochemical cycling rates in complex systems. They will also aid outreach efforts in K-12 science teacher training and agricultural land management in the southern Michigan area.