Research Interests

Sustainable agriculture and forest management practices on soil health
Pyrogenic organic matter in terrestrial ecosystems
Fire disturbance on ecosystem functions
Soil carbon and nutrient dynamics in response to global change

Research Highlights

Pyrogenic carbon in forest, agricultural, and rangeland soils of the western US

How does locally produced wood biochar influence soil nutrient dynamics and crop productivity in organic agriculture of the Pacific Northwest?

How do soil phosphorus cycling and microbial communities respond to short-term wood biochar addition to sandy agricultural soils?

Pyrogenic carbon generated from wildfire and prescribed fire represents a fraction of forest ecosystem carbon gain

Wood biochar can immediately stimulate labile soil nitrogen flux in "charosphere" detected by microdialysis

Use of charcoal with manure on soils of semi-natural rangelands can improve ecosystem nitrogen and phosphorus retention

Pyrogenic carbon can help buffer excess nutrient flux and reduce nutrient leaching in soils exposed to fire retardant chemicals (Phos-Chek)

In the Media

"Time for another look at biochar?" on  TimberWest  by  Jack Petree  (Visit Website Here)
"Is biochar a game-changer for sustainable farms?" on  Civil Eats  by  Anna Guth  (Visit Website Here)