Research Interests
Terrestrial biogeochemistry, ecosystem ecology, stable isotope ecology, soil-atmosphere greenhouse gas dynamics, climate change
Research Description
I am broadly interested in how human activities are changing how natural and managed ecosystems function and how ecosystem responses to global change can feedback to drive or slow future global change. My research is in terrestrial biogeochemistry and ecosystem ecology with a focus on determining process rates and drivers of chemical transformations in the environment. I am particularly interested in the controls on greenhouse gas emissions, the effects of anthropogenic nitrogen inputs on soil nitrogen retention and loss, the effects of plant community composition shifts on soil nitrogen and carbon dynamics, and the coupling of biogeochemical cycles beyond carbon and nitrogen. An important component of my research is the development of novel methodological approaches using tracer and natural abundance stable isotope techniques, in particular to quantify soil dinitrogen emissions and gross fluxes of greenhouse gases.
My research program currently includes projects within two major themes:
- Controls on Redox-Sensitive Biogeochemical Processes
- Plant Community Composition Effects on Biogeochemical Processes
Specific projects include:
- Effects of Rainfall Intensification on Soil Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the Midwest
- Controls on Dissimilatory Nitrate Reduction to Ammonium in Upland Soils
- Iron-mediated Biogeochemistry in Terrestrial Ecosystems
- Woody Polycultures as a Transformative Solution to Sustainable Agriculture
- Mycorrhizal Mediation of Forest Nutrient and Carbon Cycling
- Invasive Species Effects on Ecosystem Nitrogen Dynamics
- Plant-Soil-Microbe Interactions in Bioenergy Cropping Systems as part of the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI)
Education
Ph.D., 2010, University of California, Berkeley
B.A., 2003, Harvard University
Additional Campus Affiliations
Professor, Plant Biology
Professor, Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment
Affiliate, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology
Professor, Center for Digital Agriculture, National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA)
External Links
Recent Publications
Berardi, D. M., Hartman, M. D., Brzostek, E. R., Bernacchi, C. J., DeLucia, E. H., von Haden, A. C., Kantola, I., Moore, C. E., Yang, W., Hudiburg, T. W., & Parton, W. J. (2024). Microbial-explicit processes and refined perennial plant traits improve modeled ecosystem carbon dynamics. Geoderma, 443, Article 116851. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2024.116851
Edwards, J. D., Krichels, A. H., Seyfried, G. S., Dalling, J., Kent, A. D., & Yang, W. H. (2024). Soil microbial community response to ectomycorrhizal dominance in diverse neotropical montane forests. Mycorrhiza, 34(1-2), 95-105. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00572-023-01134-4
Hu, Y., Yu, Z., Yang, W., Margenot, A. J., Gentry, L. E., Wander, M. M., Mulvaney, R. L., Mitchell, C. A., & Guacho, C. E. (2024). Deciphering the Isotopic Imprint of Nitrate to Reveal Nitrogen Source and Transport Mechanisms in a Tile-Drained Agroecosystem. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, 129(8), Article e2024JG008027. https://doi.org/10.1029/2024JG008027
Hu, M., Yu, Z., Griffis, T. J., Yang, W. H., Mohn, J., Millet, D. B., Baker, J. M., & Wang, D. (2024). Hydrologic Connectivity Regulates Riverine N2O Sources and Dynamics. Environmental Science and Technology, 58(22), 9701-9713. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.4c01285
Jang, C., Lee, J. W., Namoi, N., Kim, J., Lee, M. S., Crozier, D., Yang, W., Rooney, W., & Lee, D. K. (2024). Optimizing bioenergy sorghum productivity and nutrient removal in Illinois: Impact of nitrogen fertilization under diverse marginal conditions. Field Crops Research, 315, Article 109475. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2024.109475
