Bartlett Experimental Forest; Bartlett, New Hampshire
I am a forest ecosystem ecologist and science writer interested in bridging the gap between those who conduct research and those who use the results.
My research interests lie in forest ecosystem ecology with a focus on function. I am especially interested in thinking about biogeochemistry as "the physiology of the landscape" (J. Aber in Forests in Time), and in exploring how forest ecosystem processes are affected by changes in the environment and by the characteristics of plants.
For my PhD research at SUNY ESF, I am involved in the Multiple Element Limitation in Northern Hardwood Ecosystems (MELNHE) project, studying the effects of long-term nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization on litter and foliage in New Hampshire. My past research has mostly focused on leaf-litter decomposition and soil nutrient cycling as they are influenced by tree species; these topics remain of interest to me.
After graduating with an MSc from the University of British Columbia, I wanted to spend time outside of academia to get a sense for who was using research, how, and why. Accordingly, I spent a year and a half working in horticulture management at an urban arboretum in Massachusetts and another year working in nearly the opposite setting as a research and communications coordinator for a forestry research cooperative in Maine. Through these jobs, I gained a better sense for how management decisions that range from the care of an individual tree in a city to the management of hundreds of acres of forests in a rural area are made. After seeing the role and relevance of research in this process, I was inspired to return to research.
My research interests lie in forest ecosystem ecology with a focus on function. I am especially interested in thinking about biogeochemistry as "the physiology of the landscape" (J. Aber in Forests in Time), and in exploring how forest ecosystem processes are affected by changes in the environment and by the characteristics of plants.
For my PhD research at SUNY ESF, I am involved in the Multiple Element Limitation in Northern Hardwood Ecosystems (MELNHE) project, studying the effects of long-term nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization on litter and foliage in New Hampshire. My past research has mostly focused on leaf-litter decomposition and soil nutrient cycling as they are influenced by tree species; these topics remain of interest to me.
After graduating with an MSc from the University of British Columbia, I wanted to spend time outside of academia to get a sense for who was using research, how, and why. Accordingly, I spent a year and a half working in horticulture management at an urban arboretum in Massachusetts and another year working in nearly the opposite setting as a research and communications coordinator for a forestry research cooperative in Maine. Through these jobs, I gained a better sense for how management decisions that range from the care of an individual tree in a city to the management of hundreds of acres of forests in a rural area are made. After seeing the role and relevance of research in this process, I was inspired to return to research.
