Research Overview
Our group investigates belowground carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling across terrestrial and estuarine ecosystems. Soils govern how matter and energy move through the environment, and they play a central role in how the Earth responds to climate change — functioning both as a source of greenhouse gases and as a substantial sink for plant-derived C and N. We examine how soil fauna and microbial communities, plants, climate and mineralogy together shape the turnover, loss or stabilization of soil C and N in boreal, temperate and tropical systems. A large share of our work relies on stable isotopic tracers (13C and 15N) to track carbon and nitrogen among plants, soil microbes and mineral surfaces, helping clarify how soils sustain ecological productivity, the production of food and fiber, and environmental quality.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Bird Soil Biogeochemistry Lab study?
Our group examines belowground carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling in terrestrial and estuarine ecosystems. We explore how soil fauna and microbial communities, plants, climate and mineralogy interact to govern the turnover, loss or stabilization of soil C and N in boreal, temperate and tropical systems.
Why are soils important in the context of climate change?
Soils regulate the flow of matter and energy through the environment and are seen as especially significant in how the Earth responds to climate change. They serve simultaneously as a source of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere and as a considerable sink for plant-derived C and N.
What methods does the lab use to trace carbon and nitrogen?
A large portion of our research applies stable isotopic tracers (13C and 15N) to track carbon and nitrogen among plants, soil microbes and mineral surfaces, deepening our understanding of how soils sustain ecological productivity, the production of food and fiber, and environmental quality.
Which ecosystems does the lab work in?
Our work covers boreal, temperate and tropical ecosystems, spanning both terrestrial and estuarine environments.
Where is the lab based?
The lab sits within the School of Earth & Environmental Sciences at Queens College, City University of New York (CUNY), and is connected to the CUNY Graduate Center's Earth and Environmental Sciences program.
How can I learn more about the lab's research, people and publications?
Browse the site navigation to explore our Research, People, Publications, and Courses & Teaching sections. Note that the site is still under construction, so more content will appear over time.
Understanding how soils store and release carbon and nitrogen is central to predicting ecosystem responses to environmental change. By combining isotopic tracing with studies of soil fauna, microbial communities, plants, climate and mineralogy, the lab connects fine-scale soil processes to broader questions about productivity and environmental quality across boreal, temperate and tropical systems.