Research Interests
Propster is generally interested in soil ecology and microbial nutrient cycling. His current research involves investigating mycorrhizal fungal production in tropical forests (
Global Ecosystem Monitoring Network) and its role in carbon cycling and climate feedbacks. He is also interested in using molecular techniques to characterize soil microbial communities across ecosystems and identify which taxa influence these processes. Propster also participates in the analytical side of ECOSS research as the manger of NAU’s Environmental Analytical Lab (
EAL). The lab is equipped to analyze most nutrients in soil, water, and biological tissue. He is also a member of the Colorado Plateau Stable Isotope Lab (
CPSIL) where he specializes in the analysis of C, N, and O isotopes.
Selected Publications
Propster, J.R., & Johnson, N.C. (2015) Uncoupling the effects of phosphorus and precipitation on arbuscular mycorrhizas in the Serengeti. Plant and soil. 388(1-2):21-34.
Stevens, B.M., Propster, J.R., Wilson, G.W.T., Abraham, A., Ridenour, C., Doughty, C.E., Johnson, N.C. (2018) Mycorrhizal symbioses influence the trophic structure of the Serengeti. Journal of Ecology. in press