Community and Ecosystem Ecology Group

People	Projects	Publications	Broad Impacts and Outreach	Teaching

Jen Schweitzer

Ph.D., 2002, Northern Arizona University

Jen.Schweitzer"at"utk.edu

Phone: 865-974-0856

Using a combination of field research and experimental manipulations our lab has been focused on the ecological and evolutionary links between above- and below-ground processes in forest ecosystems. We take an integrative community and ecosystems genetics approach to understanding the ecosystem consequences of species interactions. With this approach we are interested in broadly addressing questions regarding the importance of biodiversity and genetic diversity, plant-animal interactions and invasive species to ecosystem ecology.

Joe Bailey

Ph.D., 2003, Northern Arizona University

Phone: 865-974-0864

Joe.Bailey"at"utk.edu

I consider myself to be an evolutionary ecologist broadly interested in how species interactions link genes and ecosystems, how natural selection operates in a community context, and how these processes scale geographically and with genetic resolution (i.e., small molecular differences to subpopulation structure). I try to take an integrative view of natural systems and have worked with native and introduced plants and herbivores, from microbes to mammals, linking genes to ecosystems.

Emmi Felker-Quinn

Emmi graduated from Smith College in 2006 with a B.A. in Biology. Her undergraduate thesis focused on the historic presence of introduced plant species in Western Massachusetts. Since June 2006, Emmi has been working as a lab technician for Richard Norby and Aimee Classen at the Oak Ridge National Lab’s FACE and OCCAM sites.

Clara Pregitzer

Clara's undergraduate work focused on "Soils as Agents of Selection" in Populus. Her work is amongst the first to show that the strength, direction, and pace of natural selection on performance and fitness of seedlings varies by soil type. Correlative results indicate that differences in the microbial community, rather than soil structure may be the driver. This manuscript is currenlty being developed for submission to Ecology Letters.

Mark Genung

I am interested in how genetic variation in dominant plant species can affect ecosystem and community level processes and patterns. As an undergraduate, I focused on the effect genetic variation in a goldenrod species (Solidago altissima) affected trophic level interactions between free feeding aphids and their ladybug predators.

I can be reached at: mgenung@utk.edu.

Michelle Stritar

Undergraduate Research

Michelle's research focused on how an introduced herbivore (elk) alter soil nutrient availability, microbial community dynamics and enzyme function across an 18 year fire chronosequence in aspen forests of Northern Arizona. Michelle found that in the presence of elk it would take nearly 20 additional years to restore soil dynamics in aspen forests to conditions that were observed in the absence of elk. This manuscript is currently being developed for submission to Ecology.

Emily Giles

Undergraduate Research

I am interested in the microanalysis of organismal interactions and how these interactions influence community and ecosystem dynamics. I am predominantly interested in factors affecting nutrient cycling dynamics including the relationship between above ground and below ground processes. I am currently researching the “after-dead” affects of herbivory on decomposition rates, and this summer I will be analyzing soil microbial distributions. In the future, I hope to expand my knowledge of community genetics and its role in ecosystem function.

	Jen Schweitzer Ph.D., 2002, Northern Arizona University Jen.Schweitzer"at"utk.edu Phone: 865-974-0856 Using a combination of field research and experimental manipulations our lab has been focused on the ecological and evolutionary links between above- and below-ground processes in forest ecosystems. We take an integrative community and ecosystems genetics approach to understanding the ecosystem consequences of species interactions. With this approach we are interested in broadly addressing questions regarding the importance of biodiversity and genetic diversity, plant-animal interactions and invasive species to ecosystem ecology.
	Joe Bailey Ph.D., 2003, Northern Arizona University Phone: 865-974-0864 Joe.Bailey"at"utk.edu I consider myself to be an evolutionary ecologist broadly interested in how species interactions link genes and ecosystems, how natural selection operates in a community context, and how these processes scale geographically and with genetic resolution (i.e., small molecular differences to subpopulation structure). I try to take an integrative view of natural systems and have worked with native and introduced plants and herbivores, from microbes to mammals, linking genes to ecosystems.
	Emmi Felker-Quinn Emmi graduated from Smith College in 2006 with a B.A. in Biology. Her undergraduate thesis focused on the historic presence of introduced plant species in Western Massachusetts. Since June 2006, Emmi has been working as a lab technician for Richard Norby and Aimee Classen at the Oak Ridge National Lab’s FACE and OCCAM sites.
	Clara Pregitzer Clara's undergraduate work focused on "Soils as Agents of Selection" in Populus. Her work is amongst the first to show that the strength, direction, and pace of natural selection on performance and fitness of seedlings varies by soil type. Correlative results indicate that differences in the microbial community, rather than soil structure may be the driver. This manuscript is currenlty being developed for submission to Ecology Letters.
	Mark Genung I am interested in how genetic variation in dominant plant species can affect ecosystem and community level processes and patterns. As an undergraduate, I focused on the effect genetic variation in a goldenrod species (Solidago altissima) affected trophic level interactions between free feeding aphids and their ladybug predators. I can be reached at: mgenung@utk.edu.
	Michelle Stritar Undergraduate Research Michelle's research focused on how an introduced herbivore (elk) alter soil nutrient availability, microbial community dynamics and enzyme function across an 18 year fire chronosequence in aspen forests of Northern Arizona. Michelle found that in the presence of elk it would take nearly 20 additional years to restore soil dynamics in aspen forests to conditions that were observed in the absence of elk. This manuscript is currently being developed for submission to Ecology.
	Emily Giles Undergraduate Research I am interested in the microanalysis of organismal interactions and how these interactions influence community and ecosystem dynamics. I am predominantly interested in factors affecting nutrient cycling dynamics including the relationship between above ground and below ground processes. I am currently researching the “after-dead” affects of herbivory on decomposition rates, and this summer I will be analyzing soil microbial distributions. In the future, I hope to expand my knowledge of community genetics and its role in ecosystem function.