Biogeochemistry Update

Stephen C. Hart & Asmeret BerheSSCZO Annual Meeting

Aug. 4, 2014

2013-2014 Progress

• M.S. Student Emma McCorkle completed her thesis research (to be presented later)

• REU Student Alex Newman continued analysis of water samples for organic C and N (to be presented later)

• Initiated “Dust Project” and received an NSF RAPID grant (Emma Aronson PI, collaborators Cliff Riebe , Sarah Aciego; to be presented later)

2013-2014 Progress

• Continued Monitoring of Dale Johnson’s infamous “Hot Spot-Hot Moment” plots

2013-2014 Progress

• Successful recruitment of four new SSCZO (biogeochemistry-oriented) Ph.D. students– Nicholas Dove (Hart Advisor)– Paige Austin (Hart Advisor)– Kimber Moreland (Berhe Advisor)– Morgan Barnes (co-advised by Hart and Berhe)

2014-2015 Plans

• Specific directions depend, in part, on interests of recently recruited Ph.D. students

• Some new possibilities include:– Mechanisms responsible for hot-spot, hot moment

biogeochemical phenomena– Estimating plant fine-root production along the altitudinal

gradient– Role of mycorrhizae in water and nutrient acquisition and

how mycorrhizal diversity changes along altitudinal gradient

– Impact of the KREW land mgmt. treatments on soil erosion and C, N and P retention within low-order watersheds