Research Interests

Sustainable agriculture and forest management practices on soil health
Fire as a driver of soil and ecosystem processes
Pyrogenic carbon and biochar in terrestrial ecosystems
Global change and soil organic matter and nutrient dynamics

Research Highlights

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 in wildfires and prescribed fires represents a significant 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 semi-natural rangelands can improve ecosystem nitrogen and phosphorus retention

Pyrogenic carbon helps buffer excess nutrient flux and reduce nutrient leaching in soils exposed to fire retardant

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)