Projects: Current and Past
​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.
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.
