Past Research Projects

Soil Carbon Responses to Salt Water Intrusion from Projected Sea-level Rise

Mesocosm Fullscale

The interlinked biological processes that drive carbon cycling in Everglades coastal wetlands are poorly understood but critically important for predicting responses to sea-level rise, climate change, and outcomes of Everglades restoration. In conjunction with several co-investigators, our overall objective for this work is to quantify the effects of multiple drivers on C cycling in Florida Coastal Everglades ecosystems. Results of this and future experiments will guide development of biogeochemical models leading to an understanding of the effects of sea-level rise and water management strategies on coastal peat stability….Read more about this projects


Coastal Peatland Studies in Bocas del Toro, Panama

coastal peatland

Tropical peatlands have important conservation value. These wetlands often support animal and plant species that are rare or of otherwise limited distribution, maintain freshwater and coastal water quality and preserve large stocks of atmospheric carbon despite their small spatial extent. Natural gradients such as those arising from peatland ecosystem development provide an important framework for investigating patterns and processes contributing to ecosystem structure. Research on tropical peatlands is growing but these systems are still poorly studied, especially in the Neotropics. Our overall goal for this work is to contribute to a growing understanding of the importance of peatland ecosystem conservation in Tropical America. Our studies focus on plant-soil interactions mediated by nutrient status, especially in the context of community structure linkages, organic matter decomposition and ecosystem carbon storage.…Read more about this project


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