About the Bird Soil Biogeochemistry Lab
Housed in the School of Earth & Environmental Sciences at Queens College, City University of New York, the Bird Soil Biogeochemistry Lab explores how soils govern the movement of carbon and nitrogen through the environment. Soils rank among the most influential regulators of matter and energy in terrestrial and estuarine ecosystems, and they shape how the planet reacts to climate change—serving both as sources of greenhouse gases released to the atmosphere and as major sinks for plant carbon and nitrogen inputs.
In This Article
Our Mission
We examine how soil fauna and microbial communities, plants, climate, and mineralogy interact to govern the turnover, loss, or stabilization of soil carbon and nitrogen across boreal, temperate, and tropical ecosystems. By clarifying these belowground processes, we seek to illuminate how soils sustain ecological productivity, the production of food and fiber, and environmental quality.
What We Do
- Study carbon and nitrogen cycling in terrestrial and estuarine ecosystems.
- Use stable isotopic tracers (13C and 15N) to follow carbon and nitrogen among plants, soil microbes, and mineral surfaces.
- Examine how soil fauna, microbial communities, plants, climate, and mineralogy interact to control soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics.
- Conduct research across boreal, temperate, and tropical ecosystems.
- Contribute to understanding soils as both sources and sinks of greenhouse gases.
Who We Serve
Our efforts serve students, researchers, and the wider scientific community engaged with soil biogeochemistry and its consequences for climate change, ecosystem health, and sustainable land use. As part of Queens College, CUNY, we are dedicated to expanding knowledge and preparing the next generation of environmental scientists.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Bird Soil Biogeochemistry Lab study?
The lab investigates how soils regulate the flow of carbon and nitrogen in the environment, concentrating on soil carbon and nitrogen cycling in terrestrial and estuarine ecosystems and on soils as both sources and sinks of greenhouse gases.
Where is the lab based?
The lab is based in the School of Earth & Environmental Sciences at Queens College, City University of New York.
Which ecosystems does the lab's research cover?
Research spans boreal, temperate, and tropical ecosystems.
What methods does the lab use?
The lab applies stable isotopic tracers (13C and 15N) to track carbon and nitrogen among plants, soil microbes, and mineral surfaces, and studies how soil fauna, microbial communities, plants, climate, and mineralogy interact to govern soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics.
Who does the lab's work support?
The work serves students, researchers, and the wider scientific community engaged with soil biogeochemistry and its implications for climate change, ecosystem health, and sustainable land use.
How can I learn more about the lab's research, people, and publications?
This site is under construction. Please check back soon for more information about the lab's research, people, and publications.
This site is under construction—please check back soon for more information about our research, people, and publications.
Soil biogeochemistry connects the smallest microbial processes to global climate patterns. The Bird Soil Biogeochemistry Lab brings together field and laboratory approaches to trace how carbon and nitrogen move through soils, helping to inform sustainable land management and ecosystem health.