Current Projects
The ecology of biological soil crusts in temperate coastal dune ecosystems
Composed of phototrophic microorganisms, fungi, moss, and lichen, biological soil crusts (or "biocrusts") are the living skin of the Earth. Covering 12% of terrestrial land, it is well known that biocrusts provide a multitude of ecosystem services within arid and semi-arid environments. Biocrusts are also known to colonize temperate ecosystems where vegetation cover is limited, such as Northeastern US pine barrens and coastal dunes. However, the distribution and function of biocrusts in these environments are understudied. To address this, my current research seeks to understand the ecology of biocrusts in the coastal dunes of southern Lake Michigan. My primary questions include (1) how are biocrusts distributed along the coastal dunes within the Indiana Dunes National Park, (2) how does dune geomorphology impact biocrust distribution, and (3) how do biocrusts influence soil fertility and soil microbial community composition and function?