Nutrient Biogeochemistry I

This program is aimed to characterize biogeochemical processes in reclaimed soils by explicitly linking nutrient release rates to organic matter quality, the structural and functional diversity of microbial communities and soil moisture regimes. It included three avenues of research: 1) Sites reclaimed with selectively salvaged upland forest floor (LFH) were compared to peat-amended sites to determine whether forest floor material provides an advantage compared to peat in terms of nitrogen release. 2) Factors of soil sustainability were identified to include nutrient availability, organic matter quality, and microbial communities. 3) Seasonal and spatial variability in soil moisture, nutrient availability, and microbial biodiversity were quantified at a series of constructed instrumented slopes encompassing a range of mineral soil texture, aspect, and peat quality.

See published papers.