A5033383281- Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics
- Plant nutrient uptake and metabolism
- Agronomic Practices and Intercropping Systems
- Protist diversity and phylogeny
- Plant Water Relations and Carbon Dynamics
- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
- Tree Root and Stability Studies
- Plant responses to water stress
- Botany and Geology in Latin America and Caribbean
- Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant Interactions
- Soil and Unsaturated Flow
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Agroforestry and silvopastoral systems
- Forest ecology and management
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Fire effects on ecosystems
- Soil Geostatistics and Mapping
- Irrigation Practices and Water Management
- Clay minerals and soil interactions
- Plant Physiology and Cultivation Studies
- Forest Ecology and Biodiversity Studies
- Forest Management and Policy
- Plant Stress Responses and Tolerance
- Sustainable Agricultural Systems Analysis
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
2019-2025
Universität Hamburg
2022-2024
University of Tennessee at Knoxville
2019-2021
University of Puerto Rico System
2019-2021
National Transportation Research Center
2020
Summary Tropical forest root characteristics and resource acquisition strategies are underrepresented in vegetation global models, hampering the prediction of forest–climate feedbacks for these carbon‐rich ecosystems. Lowland tropical forests often have globally unique combinations high taxonomic functional biodiversity, rainfall seasonality, strongly weathered infertile soils, giving rise to distinct patterns traits functions compared with higher latitude We provide a roadmap integrating...
Macroecological rules have been developed for plants and animals that describe large-scale distributional patterns attempt to explain the underlying physiological ecological processes behind them. Similarly, microorganisms exhibit in relative abundance, distribution, diversity, traits across space time, yet it remains unclear extent which follow macroecological initially macroorganisms. Additionally, usefulness of these as a null hypothesis when surveying has be fully evaluated. With rapid...
Abstract Large areas of highly productive tropical forests occur on weathered soils with low concentrations available phosphorus (P). In such forests, root and microbial production acid phosphatase enzymes capable mineralizing organic is considered vital to increasing P for plant uptake. We measured both soil throughout depth alongside a variety factors better understand the potential roots biota increase availability constrain estimates biochemical mineralization within ecosystem models....
Vegetation processes are fundamentally limited by nutrient and water availability, the uptake of which is mediated plant roots in terrestrial ecosystems. While tropical forests play a central role global water, carbon, cycling, we know very little about tradeoffs synergies root traits that respond to resource scarcity. Tropical trees face unique set limitations, with rock-derived nutrients moisture seasonality governing many ecosystem functions, versus availability often separated spatially...
Tree species that are successful in tropical lowlands have different acquisition strategies to overcome soil phosphorus (P) limitations. Some of these belowground include adjustments fine-root traits, such as morphology, architecture, association with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, and phosphatase activity. Trade-offs among P-acquisition expected because their respective carbon cost. However, empirical evidence remains scarce which hinders our understanding processes forests. Here, we...
Tropical forests are expected to experience unprecedented warming and increases in hurricane disturbances the coming decades; yet, our understanding of how these productive systems, especially their belowground component, will respond combined effects varied environmental changes remains empirically limited. Here we evaluated responses root dynamics (production, mortality, biomass) soil understory (+4°C) after two consecutive tropical hurricanes situ experiment a forest Puerto Rico:...
Abstract Fine roots play an important role in plant nutrition, as well carbon, water, and nutrient cycling. account for a third of terrestrial net primary production (NPP), inclusion their structure function global carbon models should improve predictions ecosystem responses to climate change. However, studies focusing on underground components are much less frequent than those aboveground structure. This is more marked the tropics, where one‐third planet's NPP produced. Some tropical...
Leaf-cutting ants of the genus Atta are widely distributed throughout American tropics and subtropics rival other herbivores in consumption surrounding foliage. Although numerous studies have been conducted on role these insects play herbivory organic matter dynamics, only a handful examined their impacts soil greenhouse gas emissions. Our study investigated fluxes carbon dioxide (CO2) methane (CH4) from three nests cephalotes using portable analyzer, measured CO2 CH4 emissions soils...
Understanding the factors controlling relative abundance, distribution, and diversity of organisms is a fundamental challenge in ecology. For plants animals, macroecological rules have been developed that describe these large-scale distributional patterns attempt to explain underlying physiological ecological processes behind them. Similarly, microorganisms exhibit across space time, yet it remains unclear extent which follow initially for macroorganisms. With rapid advancements sequencing...
African montane forests harbor some of the greatest biodiversity worldwide, with high levels species endemism. However, loss these through fragmentation, deforestation and climate change has been rapidly increasing in recent years. Montane Africa are more susceptible to changes than their lowland counterparts, yet ecological value is still underrepresented. These have recently highlighted as a major aboveground carbon (C) stock. The estimated 149.4 Mg C ha −1 from live trees surpasses...
International Minirhizotron Working Group; Oak Ridge, Tennessee, 9–11 January 2019
Understanding the factors controlling relative abundance, distribution, and diversity of organisms is a fundamental challenge in ecology. For plants animals, macroecological rules have been developed that describe these large-scale distributional patterns attempt to explain underlying physiological ecological processes behind them. Similarly, microorganisms exhibit across space time, yet it remains unclear extent which follow initially for macroorganisms. With rapid advancements sequencing...