Research in my lab broadly addresses issues of agricultural sustainability. We study the ecology of field crop ecosystems and landscapes. We focus on the plant, soil, and microbial interactions that affect the delivery of important ecosystem services such as climate stability, water quality, and yield.
We are particularly interested in questions of nitrogen cycling and loss, soil carbon dynamics, and fluxes of the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane. Our studies range in scale from microbial to global. At the local scale we work in contemporary field crop systems such as corn, soybean, and wheat, in unmanaged systems such as old fields and woodlots, and in potential biofuel crops such as switchgrass and restored prairie. We ask fundamental questions that inform the design of resource-efficient, high-yielding cropping systems; strategies to reduce nitrogen loss from agricultural landscapes; and national greenhouse gas mitigation policies. We work closely with agronomists, social scientists, and stakeholders to develop practical, evidence-based solutions for a more sustainable future.