The theme of my research is the functioning of nutrient-limited ecosystems. At the heart of it all is understanding plant roots: how they are built, how they work, and how long they live. It's not glamorous work, but it's important. My research seeks to integrate multiple aspects of nutrient-limited ecosystems: from soil characteristics that influence nitrogen and phosphorus availability to the functional traits of plants that confer advantages when nutrients are limiting to patterns of herbivory and grazer performance. Of late, I've been exploring the differences in N- and P-limited ecosystems, the determinants of temperature sensitivity of decomposition, continental- to global-scale patterns of nitrogen cycling, and the drivers of bison performance in different grasslands.
Grassland ecosystem ecology. Nitrogen cycling and plant functional traits.
