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BELOWGROUND WORK
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Research
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Fischer-LeRoy Ecology Lab
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Our belowground ecology work focuses primarily on riparian forests along
large western rivers. These forests are generally cottonwood dominated, and
we have used our studies to address questions related to how forest genetics
might affect carbon flux and fine root production. More recently, we have
begun looking at carbon balance and fine root production to determine how
carbon fluxes change with tree diversity in second-growth temperate
forests. |
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Utah
Cottonwood System
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South Puget Sound Second-growth Forests |
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Nisqually River (Coming Soon) |
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Root Scanner "Minrhizotron"
The CI-600 "minirhizotron" we use is a
scanner based technology which takes large images (21.59 x 19.56 cm) in 6.99 cm
diam. acrylic tubes. For more information please see
www.cid-inc.com.
200 dpi root images
600 dpi root images
Recently, in collaboration with
Greg Stewart
we have begun using ESRI GIS software to analyze our large format images. This
exciting development is leading our lab in new directions. Specifically, it will
allow us to use advanced spatial statistics to analyze roots. See image below
for a screen-shot of these analyses.
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05/07/2008
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Belowground Carbon Flux
RECENT
PUBLICATIONS
Fischer, DG,
SC Hart, CJ LeRoy and TG Whitham. 2007
Variation in Belowground
Carbon Fluxes along a Populus
Hybridization Gradient. New Phytologist.
176: 415-425
Bangert, RK, EV
Lonsdorf, GM Wimp, , S M Shuster, DG Fischer, JA
Schweitzer, GJ Allan, JK Bailey, TG Whitham.
2006. Genetic structure of a foundation species: scaling community
phenotypes from the individual to the region.
Heredity. 18 October 2006
Fischer, D.G.,
S.C. Hart, B.J. Rehill, R.L.
Lindroth, P. Keim
and T.G. Whitham.
2006.
Do high-tannin leaves require more roots?
Oecologia
149:668–675
Whitham TG, Bailey JK, Schweitzer JA, LeRoy CJ,
Fischer, DG, Lonsdorf E, Shuster SM,
Lindroth RL, Hart SC, Allan GJ,
Gehring CA, Keim
P, Potts BM, and Woolbright S.
2006. From Genes to Ecosystems: How Genes Structure Communities and
Affect Ecosystem Processes. Nature: Genetics.
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