3333 University Way
Prince George, BC
V2N 4Z9, Canada
| The Belowground Environment Research Group | |
 |
Integrated soil, microbial and plant studies at UNBC include soil scientists (Arocena, McGill, Rutherford, Sanborn), microbial ecologists (Egger, Kennedy, Lewis, Massicotte) and plant ecologists with an interest in belowground linkages (Coxson, Fredeen, Green). Synergies between researchers create a dynamic and interdisciplinary environment for studies of belowground ecosystems. |
Researchers
|
Lito Arocena
Professor & Canada Research Chair
|
 |
Lito's interests centre on geochemistry of natural processes in terrestrial environments, such as cation balances in forest ecosystems, acid mine drainage and other industrial wastes, paleopedology and soil minerology and chemistry. |
|---|---|---|
| Darwyn Coxson
Professor |
 |
Darwyn’s
research examines the role of non-vascular plants, such
as lichens, mosses, and free-living algal crusts, in
mediating soil surface nutrient and carbon fluxes.
Recent studies in rain shadow grasslands of the
Chilcotin plateau (BC) and Kluane ranges (Yukon), for
instance, documented enrichment of soil surface horizons
by nitrogen fixing cryptogamic crusts. Other studies
have examined how boreal forest feather moss mats
function as ecosystem capacitors, capturing nutrients
such as phosphorus at extreme low concentrations from
rainwater, which are subsequently released in pulse form
(and thus available to higher plants) during wetting
events. A description of related research and
publications is available on my web site.
|
|
Keith Egger
Professor |
 |
Keith uses molecular approaches to study microbial ecology, biodiversity and phylogeny. His research is focused on the link between biodiversity and ecosystem function, particularly mycorrhizal fungi and microbes involved in nitrogen cycling. He has research projects studying climate change in arctic and alpine tundra ecosystems, and forest regeneration in the boreal forest, Douglas-fir dominated forests in south central BC, and the coastal forest on Vancouver Island. |
| Art Fredeen Associate
Professor |
 |
Art is a forest ecophysiologist. Primary research interests include the measurement of CO2 and H2O fluxes in logged, disturbed and undisturbed forests using conventional gas-exchange and Eddy Covariance systems, and the importance of terrestrial and epiphytic cyanolichens and lichen diversity to nitrogen inputs into sub-boreal forests. |
| Scott Green Assistant
Professor |
 |
Scott is a forest ecologist with a background in tree physiology. His research activities focus on tree/ecosystem adaptive responses to environmental variation. He has a particular interest in the responses of northern and high-elevation forests to climate change and how belowground processes influence growth and adaptation. |
| Nabla Kennedy Postdoctoral
Fellow |
 |
Nabla's research interests focus on microbial ecology of terrestrial systems (forests and grasslands), including bacterial and fungal components and their interactions. Current research is focused on the impacts of ecological disturbance to mycorrhizal fungi and nitrogen-cycling bacteria. |
|
Kathy Lewis
Associate Professor & Chair |
 |
Kathy is a forest pathologist/microbial ecologist with research interests in the role of pathogenic fungi in natural ecosystem processes, and the long term effects of forest practices on forest health. Kathy studies population genetics of forest pathogens as influenced by forest management practices. |
| Hugues Massicotte
Associate Professor |
 |
Hugues' research interests include the structure and biodiversity of mycorrhizae, tree and rhizosphere biology, and forest mycology. |
| William McGill
Professor & Dean |
 |
Bill studies biogeochemical cycles of C and N with an emphasis on terrestrial ecosystems; C and N sequestration in soils and ecosystems; bioavailability of organic constituents to microbes; decomposition and ecotoxicity of organic constituents; exchange of C and N between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere. Tools and practical applications include, simulation modeling of C and N dynamics, resource recovery from by-products, land remediation, soil management and conservation, and greenhouse gas mitigation. |
| Michael Rutherford
Associate Professor |
 |
Mike has research interests in several areas related to soil science and environmental science: (i) the chemistry, biology and ecotoxicity of contaminated soils, (ii) biogeochemical cycling of carbon and nitrogen, (iii) the utilization of various waste materials for environmental restoration, and (iv) the bioremediation of contaminated environments. |
| Paul Sanborn
Associate Professor |
 |
Paul's current research emphasizes soils as a recorder of long-term environmental change in northwestern Canada. Major themes include the influence of fire on soil genesis in northern environments, soils of glaciated and unglaciated landscapes in the Yukon and NWT, and the paleosol record of Beringian environments. He also has a strong interest in soil science as applied to forest management, reflecting his 11 years as a regional soil scientist in the BC Ministry of Forests. |
|
Please send all comments,
suggestions and corrections to the web master.
© The Belowground Environment Research Group, UNBC. |