Research

My research program is driven by a general fascination for the natural world, and the overall enjoyment I get from ecological investigation. Most of what I do can be fit within two broad themes: 1) the microbial and plant ecology of peatlands, and 2) the role of plant identity (e.g., genotype, hybrid type, species, nativity) and plant traits in shaping plant-microbial interactions. This work integrates greenhouse experiments, high throughput DNA sequencing, bioinformatics, statistical modeling and fieldwork (my favorite part!). Below are brief descriptions of the three primary contexts in which I have investigated these themes.

Peatland ecology

Peatlands are carbon accumulating wetlands. They are estimated to contain up to 30% Earth's soil carbon, while occupying only about 3% of its terrestrial surface. Their role in carbon cycling is an important reason to study them, however first and foremost I think peatland habitats and the organisms inhabiting them are just plane awesome. All sorts of details jumps out when you look closely at a patch of Sphagnum in a bog.

I started research in peatlands while a postdoc at Michigan Tech, where I was lucky enough to work on an impressive mesocosm experiment called PEATcosm and also helped initiate a global survey of peatland microbial communities (fungi, bacteria, archaea) called the Global Peatland Microbiome Project (GPMP). I have carried on the GPMP work beyond my time as a postdoc, and I have also expanded to collaborate on new projects. These include a NASA-funded effort incorporating microbial information into modeling and estimating methane fluxes from melting permafrost peatlands, and a project on mercury in tropical peat swamps. In the future I am interested in further exploring the dynamics and functions of peatland microbes along vertical peat profiles, within the context of carbon cycling.

Invasive and native understory woody plants

Shortly after moving to Syracuse I began collaborating on a NSF-funded project investigating the interactions of native and invasive woody plants with root-associated fungi. This work uses a large range of plant taxa, often with congeneric invasive and native species, to examine the relative importance of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) vs. pathogens on the growth of native vs. invasive species. So far, it looks like AMF are quite a bit more impactful than potential pathogens, and invasive plant species are less responsive to AMF than natives. However, there are piles of data still to sort through! Some of the patterns that have emerged are clearly linked to root traits (e.g., specific root length, root diameter), which has led me to develop a general interest in the connections between belowground plant strategy and root-associated fungal communities. There is much more to explore in this line of inquiry.

Cottonwood community genetics

Populus angustifolia (narrowleaf cottonwood) is a foundation species of mid to upper elevation riparian ecosystems of intermountain western North America. My dissertation focused on the influence of different tree genotypes, growing in a common garden, on ectomycorrhizal fungi associated with roots, endophytes in twigs and bark lichens. The structure of each of these communities varies among tree genotypes in response to genetic variation in tree traits to which the fungi are sensitive. This work sets the stage for more in-depth research on the extended evolutionary and ecological implications of communities responding to host plant genotype, and there are many directions to go. For example, how does natural selection on a tree population influence the associated communities of fungi? Do different fungal communities vary in their influence on their host genotype's fitness? Do species of fungi locally adapt to individual tree genotypes or populations? Does tree genotype modulate interactions between below and aboveground fungi?

My work in the cottonwood system is highly collaborative. I have had the good fortune to be part of the cottonwood ecology group at Northern Arizona University. This has allowed me to be involved with other projects, outside my primary focus, including work characterizing genetic variation in functional traits, tree genotype influences on arthropod-pathogen interactions, and tree genotype effects on spiders. I look forward to continued collaborations in the cottonwood system and other model systems for community genetics work.