My group studies the fundamental processes controlling carbon and nitrogen cycling in soil, litter, and streams within both natural and managed ecosystems. Much of our recent work focuses on soil dynamics within intensively managed landscapes stretching from the coastal irrigated deserts in Peru, to the plains of Northeast China, to the agricultural fields of the glaciated Midwest of the United States. A primary goal of this work is to develop a stronger scientific basis for modeling soil organic matter dynamics, ecosystem and critical zone processes, and the global carbon cycle with an emphasis on how perturbations to ecosystems (e.g., woody plant encroachment, fire, agriculture, invasive species, storm events) influence soil properties to sequester or release carbon and nitrogen. Our biogeochemistry studies utilize a variety of analytical approaches, including organic geochemistry, microbial activity assays, and stable isotope techniques integrated with remote sensing.
I am the inaugural director of the Institute for Resilient Environmental and Energy Systems in the OU Office of Vice President for Research and Partnerships.
