Examining coupled C and N cycles to manage GHG emissions

The overarching goal of my research is to elucidate broad patterns in landscape features, soil processes, biogeochemical nutrient cycling, and microbial ecology and physiology to predict GHG flux dynamics and effectively manage their emissions from ecosystems.

There is a general expectation that increasing soil C will support soil health and agricultural productivity and mitigate climate change. However, I am concerned that increasing soil organic carbon (SOC) could have problematic outcomes for N2O or CH4 emissions. Investigating this problem warrants examining C and N cycling in conjunction, but despite the general acknowledgement that these cycles are coupled, there are surprisingly few studies that do this. I spearhead studies that examine the coupling of C and N cycles to manage GHG emissions and identify sustainable practices for land managers. 

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What does Arctic warming mean for  new food production in the North?

How does increasing SOC interact with GHG production and consumption in agroecosystems? ​

Which process(es) govern the fate of soil C and N cycling in response to permafrost thaw?

Northern Canada will become more suitable for certain crops under future climate change, making the north one of the most important agricultural frontiers. Increasing productivity on northern soils will impact the N cycle in a variety of ways that are largely unknown, and it will be critical for future cultivation and environmental management to understand how agriculture impacts C and N pools and fluxes. We are developing a research program that will converge local, scientific, and Indigenous Knowledge to identify, test, and refine best farm management practices that enhance local food production while minimizing environmental impacts such as permafrost thaw, soil nutrient depletion, and increased greenhouse gas emissions. Stay tuned for updates!​

​I examine the potential for microbes to utilize distinct SOC pools in their metabolism to emit or consume GHGs. I incubated soils from maize fields and found that OC residing in particulate organic matter (POM) was the most important predictor of denitrification potential.

​I am currently investigating how variation among SOC pools impact GHG fluxes from thawing permafrost in Arctic boreal forests and peatlands throughout the soil depth profile. In a series of laboratory soil incubations and broad-scale field campaigns, I am disentangling how microbial metabolism of C and N pools that range in age, lability, and bulk density respond to warming-mediated shifts in soil chemistry and microbial community composition.











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