Working to improve the success of wetland restoration
At our laboratory, we study the biogeochemical cycling of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) in coastal and inland wetlands, focusing on linkages among soils, vegetation, and microorganisms in ecosystems and landscapes. We aim to explain how natural and anthropogenic environmental drivers structure C, N, and P cycles across landscapes and over time (in other words, succession and ecosystem development).
Our research aims to link basic and applied ecology to understand the effects of natural (nutrients, sea level rise) and anthropogenic (eutrophication, climate change) stressors on wetland structure, function, and ecosystem development, including societal benefits such as water quality improvement, shoreline protection, and carbon sequestration. We are particularly interested in how C, N, and P cycles develop over human time scales with the goal of aiding and improving the success of wetland restoration projects.
Our undergraduate, masters, and doctoral students are enrolled in the Environmental Science program in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University. We are also involved with IU's Integrated Program in the Environment.