Sandy beaches and dunes compose approximately one-third of the world’s ice-free coastlines, and Great Lakes coastal dunes represent the largest freshwater dunes complex in the world. My lab's research for the past 20 years has focused on understanding dune ecology in order to better conserve dune biodiversity and improve dune ecosystem functioning in a changing world.
Our current research in this system examines plant-fungal interactions in response to nitrogen (N) enrichment in Great Lakes sand dunes. This work involves collaboration with Dr. Natalie Christian (UofL), post-doctoral fellow Dr. Connor Morozumi (UofL) and my former PhD student Dr. Kylea Garces (Northeastern Univ), and is currently funded by NSF award #2217765. Past collaborators included Dr. Jennifer Rudgers (University of New Mexico) and Dr. Lukas Bell-Dereske (Czech Academy of Sciences). Key Papers:
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Agricultural soil degradation, influenced heavily by farmland mismanagement and overexploitation of natural resources, has led to a reduction in ecosystem functions and services. Conventional agricultural practices also contribute to anthropogenic climate change, being responsible for up to 10% of greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions in the U.S. as of 2021 (EPA, 2023). A variety of sustainable agriculture management practices, such as planting perennial crops, minimizing synthetic fertilizers, or adding microbial soil amendments have been suggested as a means to slow or reverse the loss of soil organic matter, mitigate the negative effects of climate change, and increase resilience of our food production systems.
Past research in our lab evaluated the effects of synthetic fertilizers on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in annual row crop and perennial switchgrass bioenergy systems, and have characterized the direct and indirect consequences that management has on productivity, pathogen loads, crop drought tolerance, and soil carbon. This work was funded by DOE and USDA and involved collaboration with Dr. Kay Gross (Michigan State University, W.K. Kellogg Biological Station), Dr. Karen Stalheber (Univ. Wisconsin Green Bay), Dr. Lukas Bell-Dereske (MSU), former PhD student Dr. Binod Basyal (MSU), former PhD student Dr. Brad Gottshall, and former MS student Erin Kinnetz. Current research in our lab is examining whether soil biochar amendments can improve plant and soil health in row crop systems. This work is in collaboration with American Farmland Trust and led by PhD student Aysha Tapp Ross. Key Papers:
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Through a 10 year collaboration with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in Michigan and the National Park Service (NPS) at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, my lab evaluated the local and landscape-level effects of the invasive plant species Baby’s Breath (Gypsophila paniculata) and Blue lymegrass (Leymus arenarius) on plant and insect diversity aboveground, and mycorrhizal and nematode diversity belowground. This work involved former PhD student Dr. Matthew Reid and former MS student Andrea Howes.
Key papers:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum) is an invader of forest understories throughout the Eastern U.S. From 2008-2010 in collaboration with Dr. Luke Flory (Univ. Florida), my lab evaluated the effectiveness of prescribed fire as a management tool for stiltgrass. Work by former PhD student Dr. Judy Metcalf examined how stiltgrass invasion altered arthropod communities. Former PhD student Dr. Kimberly Koenig examined whether plant-soil feedbacks were responsible for stiltgrass invasion success. Key papers:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ammophila breviligulata is native to the Great Lakes and Atlantic coast, but invasive along the Pacific coast of the US. In 2016, I evaluated whether shifts in soil organisms associated with Ammophila could explain its invasion success in Oregon and Washington dune sites. This work involved collaboration with Dr. Sally Hacker (Oregon State Univ) and former PhD student Dr. Matthew Reid. Key paper:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------ My lab has also conducted research on several invasive species that are successful in disturbed urban forests, including Ranunculus ficaria (lesser celandine) and Lonicera maackii (bush honeysuckle). This work was conducted in nearby Cherokee Park and involved Dr. Margaret Carreiro (UofL), former PhD student Dr. Jeff Masters, and former MS student Catherine Fargen. Key papers:
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