Dr. Merritt Turetsky
Assistant Professor
Email: mrt@uoguelph.ca
Office: SCIE 2469
Ext.: 56166
Lab: SCIE 2405/06 - Ext.: 56008 - Lab website
Profile | Education | Research | Publications | Teaching | Grad Students | Links |
Profile
I am an ecosystem ecologist broadly interested in plant ecology and biogeochemistry. Research in my lab centers on ecosystem analysis, with emphasis on the interactions between soil, water, plants, and the atmosphere that control biological communities and the cycling of nutrients. We use a variety of approaches, from large-scale manipulations to laboratory experiments and paleoecological reconstructions, to understand the resilience of plant communities and ecosystem processes to environmental changes. I am excited by integrative research questions that span levels of biological organization, particularly questions that explore the evolutionary, physiological, and ecological mechanisms that contribute to species controls on ecosystem processes.
We work on a variety of research issues including permafrost degradation and changing wildfire regimes that are important to global change and environmental policy arenas. However, lab members work on a diversity of topics that range from microbial and plant species controls on trace gas emissions to paleoanalysis of peat deposits.
Education
B.Sc. - Villanova University 1997
Ph.D - University of Alberta 2002
Mendenhall Postdoctoral Fellow, U.S. Geological Survey 2002-2004
Research
Several important research themes in my lab include:
Plant Controls on Biogeochemical Cycling.
Plants can have direct and indirect influences on ecosystem processes and soil environments. In boreal regions, I examine how mosses, particularly Sphagnum species, influence decomposition and nutrient cycling. In many regions, wetlands are vulnerable to invasive species invasions due to their hydrologic function. We are beginning to examine the role of invasive species on biogeochemical processes in wetlands of the Great Lakes basin.
Climate change and disturbance in boreal regions.
The boreal region is a landscape mosaic shaped by disturbances, but in many regions climate change has caused pronounced shifts in the frequency and severity of disturbances such as wildfire, permafrost degradation, and insect outbreaks. Fire has strong controls over carbon sequestration across boreal landscapes, and we are beginning to examine the influence of burning on other aspects of biogeochemistry such as mercury cycling. I am particularly interested in how fire impacts peatlands, given the large organic matter stocks that reside in these ecosystems. We also are very interested in rates of permafrost degradation, and the impacts of thaw on greenhouse gas emissions between ecosystems and the atmosphere.
Whole Ecosystem Experiments in Climate Change.
Given that many boreal regions are experiencing or will experience warmer and drier conditions, we are examining how wetland communities and biogeochemical processes will respond to changing climatic and fire regimes. We recently established a series of water table drawdown and soil warming experiments in fens in interior Alaska. This work is affiliated with the Bonanza Creek LTER site. See the Turetsky lab website for more details on this project
Currently funded projects in the Turetsky lab:
The effects of drought on the vulnerabilty of forested peatlands to wildfire. NSERC Strategic (2010-2013)
Vulnerability of North American Boreal peatlands to interactions between climate, hydrology, and wildland fires. NASA (2010-2013).
Climate change and disturbance effects on boreal ecosystem health. Ontario Early Researcher Award (2009-2014).
Effects of plant species and disturbance on ecosystem function in Boreal peatlands. NSERC Discovery (2009-2014).
Soil climate controls on wetland C balance in interior boreal Alaska. National Science Foundation (2007-2012).
Improving estimates of atmospheric emissions from Canadian wildfires in association with the NASA ARCTAS summer aircraft mission. NSERC Special Research Opportunity (2007-2008).
Forested peatlands and changing fire regimes: implications for peat resources and fire management. NSERC Strategic (2007-2009).
Selected Publications
Turetsky, M.R., R.K. Wieder, D.H. Vitt, R. Evans, and K. D. Scott. The disappearance of relict permafrost in boreal regions: effects on peatland carbon storage and fluxes. Global Change Biology 13, 1-13. See coverage by the AAAS and the National Post
Turetsky, M.R., J.W. Harden, H. Friedli, M. Flannigan, N. Payne, J. Crock, L. Radke. 2006. Wildfires threaten mercury stocks in northern soils. Geophysical Research Letters 33, 10.1029/2005GL025595. See coverage in Science News, TIME magazine, Christian Science Monitor, AAAS radio
Kasischke, E.S., and M.R. Turetsky. 2006. Recent changes in the fire regime across the North American boreal region. Geophysical Research Letters 33, 10.1029/2006GL025677. Featured as an journal highlight and cover page story
Turetsky, M.R., S. Manning, and R.K. Wieder. 2004. Dating recent peat deposits. Wetlands 24: 324-356
Turetsky, M.R. 2003. Bryophytes in carbon and nitrogen cycling. Invited essay for New Frontiers in Bryology and Lichenology. The Bryologist 106: 395-409
Turetsky, M.R., R.K. Wieder, and D.H. Vitt. 2002. Boreal peatland C fluxes under varying permafrost regimes. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 34: 907-912
Complete list of publications can be found here
Teaching
Effective teaching and mentoring both in and out of the formal classroom are important components of my program. My goal as a teacher is to challenge students to think, to communicate, and to become life-long learners. I currently am teaching IBIO*6630 (Scientific Communications) and BIOL*2060 (Ecology).
Graduate Students
Graduate students in my lab are expected to identify novel research hypotheses, develop approaches to testing these hypotheses, and take advantage of opportunities and research interests in the lab. My goals as a faculty advisor are to mentor students through the scientific process, to challenge students to achieve their academic potential and meet career goals, and to encourage a creative, interactive, and fun learning environment. If you are interested in joining our research team, please view our lab website for more information on how to apply.
Current Graduate Students
Agnieszka Kotowska (MSc)
Courtney Miller (MSc)
Katie Shea (MSc)
Links
Turetsky lab website
PeatNet: fostering international collaborations in peatland science
APEX: The Alaska Peatland Experiment