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Projects: Current and Past
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​N-fixer facilitation and competition in the plant community: a meta-analysis
I conducted a meta-analysis to derive a comprehensive understanding of N-fixer facilitation and inhibition in plant communities, and how this dynamic can change in different ecological contexts. This analysis demonstrated that N-fixer facilitation and inhibition effects are highly variable within, and across ecosystems, but overall have positive effects on Soil N and plant productivity. Additionally, I found that the common factors invoked to explain this variation in N-fixer interactions are insufficient. ESA poster available here.
​Biodiversity and ecosystem function from a belowground perspective
In collaboration with the Farrior Lab, we are conducting a large-scale Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning field experiment in which species diversity, phylogenetic diversity, and functional trait diversity are factorially manipulated across drought and insect removal treatments. Within this setup, I aim to understand the importance of root trait diversity within plant communities as well as study the potential effects of AMF on Ecosystem Functioning across biodiversity levels.
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Exploring the effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on N-fixers under different resource gradients
This project aims to understand the varying degrees of influence that AMF and rhizobial associations have on annual and perennial N-fixer productivity, nutrient uptake, and N-fixation rates. I will explore these differences using root morphological traits, life history strategy, and the net carbon (C) demand from the symbionts to test potential mechanisms that control the rate of N-fixation rates by legumes in a greenhouse study. This will be paired with an optimization model that tracks the C cost of Nitrogen (N) and Phosphorous (P) uptake through various pathways, to examine the exchange of resources between a legume and belowground symbionts as a function of extrinsic resource availability. Together, I will be able to predict the optimal acquisition strategy under a given resource scenario.
Assessing competition as a mechanism of coexistence in temperate grasslands
My undergraduate thesis centered around competition-mediated plant coexistence. More specifically, how N-fixer fitness can be affected by species composition within a small community. I designed an experiment in which the ratio of N-fixers to non-fixers was altered to see if there was any change in the fitness. I found that non-fixing plants were devoting more biomass to fine roots than N-fixers. Additionally, when the N-fixers produced nodules, individuals had less fine root growth.
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