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The Hobbie Lab

Research Interests

My research focuses on three main areas:

  1. the influence of changes in atmospheric composition and climate on ecosystem processes;
  2. the effects of urbanization and suburbanization on biogeochemical cycles; and
  3. the influence of plant species on biogeochemical processes.

In the area of global change, I aim to understand how atmospheric nitrogen inputs affect decomposition. I am also involved in projects examining how variation in biodiversity, atmospheric carbon dioxide, nitrogen inputs, and precipitation influence grassland ecosystems and the effects of warming on the establishment of boreal and temperate trees at the southern boreal-temperate forest ecotone. A second emphasis of my work is on the effects of urban and suburban development on biogeochemical cycling. In that research, I am collaborating with social scientists to understand how the demography, knowledge, attitudes, and social norms of household members influence element fluxes through households in the Twin Cities, Minnesota. A third focus of my research is on plant-soil interactions. In recent years, most of this work has used on a common-garden study of temperate trees in Poland to link plant traits to biogeochemical processes.

Courses

  • Fall 2008 - Ecosystem Ecology (EEB 4609W/5609)
  • Spring 2009 - Science and Policy of Global Environmental Change (EEB/FR 5146)