Search Results for: paul

Early morning at the Carbon in Permafrost Experimental Heating Project (CiPEHR) in Alaska with permafrost in the foreground, mountains in the background.

Future Ecosystems

Early morning at the Carbon in Permafrost Experimental Heating Project (CiPEHR) in Alaska with permafrost in the foreground, mountains in the background.

Early morning at the Carbon in Permafrost Experimental Heating Project (CiPEHR) in Alaska

Global change affects plants and soil in ecosystems across the globe. By doing so, it can alter the composition of ecosystems and the functions they provide. For instance, even small changes in plant growth and soil properties can have a large impact on the amount of CO2 and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. At Ecoss, we use field experiments to manipulate the temperature, rainfall and other environmental factors in various ecosystems. This allows us to mimic future conditions, and helps us understand how future ecosystems will differ from the ones today. (more…)

By Ecoss, ago
Field site in Antarctica with a crate in the foreground and steep mountains in background.

Environments

We study soil microbial communities in Antarctica, microbes in hot spring ecosystems in Tengchong, China, methane production at Axel Heiberg Island near Greenland as an analog for life on other planets, and the distribution of soil microbial communities across the arid Southwest.

By Ecoss, ago
Close-up of cheatgrass

Soil Microbial Legacies of Invasive Species

Invasive plants like cheatgrass have huge and costly effects on ecosystems. Restoring native plants to areas invaded by cheatgrass is challenging, and one explanation for poor seedling establishment is the absence of beneficial soil microbes. In this project, we are testing the idea that restoring microbial communities promotes ecosystem recovery and the re-establishment of native plants.

By Ecoss, ago

Support Us

Please consider a charitable gift to the Center for Ecosystem Science and Society this year. Scientific research in the service of society can enhance quality of life and pique human curiosity. Generous support from the university and grants from federal agencies cover only a part of our work, so your […]

By ecossuser, ago