Ecosystem Responses to Global Change

Soil Science Society of America Symposium

Indianapolis, IN, November 12-16, 2006

Sponsored by S-7, Co-sponsored by S-3

Co-organizers:  Elise Pendall, University of Wyoming (Pendall@uwyo.edu)

Lindsey Rustad, USDA Forest Service (Rustad@maine.edu)

Josh Schimel, University of California – Santa Barbara (Schimel@lifesci.ucsb.edu)

This symposium examined responses of the belowground ecosystem to individual and combined vectors of global change, including elevated atmospheric CO₂, changes in climate, and increased N deposition. Invited talks and contributed poster presentations focused on belowground biotic (roots, microbial flora and fauna and the processes that they mediate) and abiotic (solid and solution phase soil chemistry and hydrology) responses to global change. Recent perspectives on the influence of temperature on soil organic matter decomposition were presented. New techniques for evaluating root exudation and turnover, respiration partitioning, and microbial activity were featured. 

Invited Speakers and Agenda

Roots & Mycorrhizae:

Mark Johnson (US Environmental Protection Agency, Corvallis, OR)

Dev Joslin (Belowground Forest Research, Costa Rica)

Andy Burton (Michigan Technical University, Houghton, MI)

Kathleen Treseder (University of California- Irvine, CA)

Microbe Function:

Eric Davidson (Woods Hole Research Center, Woods Hole, MA)

Josh Schimel (University of California – Santa Barbara, CA)

Adrien Finzi (Duke University, Durham, NC)

Matt Wallenstein (Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO)

Soil Responses:

Bill Schlesinger (Duke University, Durham, NC)

Teri Balser (University of Wisconsin – Madison, WI)

Techniques and Recent Advances:

Eric Hobbie (Woods Hole Research Center, Woods Hole, MA)

Rich Phillips (Duke University, Durham, NC)

Zoe Cardon (University of Connecticut – Storrs, CT)

Feike Dijkstra (University of California – Santa Cruz, CA)