Rich Phillips

Even though transience is part of lab culture, it’s still hard to say goodbye. This summer we bid adieu to long-time lab manager Elizabeth Huenupi, long-time tech Zoe Worman & (sort of) long-time post-doc Daniel Beverly. We will miss (but not forget) you. You’ll bring awesomeness to your next stops!

two cartoon characters are standing next to each other and the words oh dear are visible ALT: two cartoon characters are standing next to each other and the words oh dear are visible

🚨Interested in plants, microbes & biogeochemistry? If yes, ya'll have 2d to submit your abstract to our session "B088: The Effect of Plant Communities and Their Microbial Associations on Soil Biogeochemistry" agu.confex.com/agu/agu25/b/pa… Convened by @carboncaitlin Amelia Fitch & me

The cuvettarians vs dunkers vs isotopians debate will be one to follow!

Does a plane 1/3 of rhizosphere scientists constitute a rhizoplane? So long Edinburgh - thanks for a great week!! #Rhizosphere6

What’s it all mean? Lots of factors controls MAOM formation! That different factors control C & N stabilization to minerals - microbial synthesis for N; direct sorption for C – also means that efforts to increase soil C storage may not necessarily increase N retention.

We found 1) most variation in MAOM related to FeOx (60-68%), 2) bacterial diversity contributes to MAOM when low (but not high) melanin necromass is present, 3) low melanin forms MAOM more readily than high melanin necromass, & 4) necromass N forms 7x more MAOM than necromass C

We added 15N and 13C labeled necromass (high and low melanin) to soils with diff. mineralogies & microbial communities in a jar incubation. The soils were sourced from across southern Indiana and had iron oxide contents that differed by two orders of magnitude.

Exciting new work from the amazin’ @BeidlerKatilyn, @UMNFuN and others. Much of the OM that “sticks” to minerals comes from dead fungi. But what controls formation rates: input chemistry, mineral reactivity or microbes involved in hyphal decay? authors.elsevier.com/c/1l7Zt8g13f...

So what can we conclude? N resorption has consequences for plant economics & litter-soil-nutrient feedbacks. Given that root foraging is not the only way to acquire soil N, detecting AG-BG trait linkages in forests may require accounting for myco symbionts, tree neighborhoods and site fertility.

Trees in the garden that resorbed more N produced more roots indicating resorption patterns can cascade to affect litter quality & N availability. In mature stands, we couldn't detect resorption-root relationships despite a strong negative relationship between resorption and litter quality.

Assessing carbon and nitrogen economics in temperate forests through the relationship between foliar nutrient resorption and root production - Oecologia Plants both respond to and influence their immediate soil environment, which can yield divergent predictions regarding plant economics and trait coordination. Tree species with high foliar nitrogen (N...

This took a minute but excited to share it now link.springer.com/10.1007/s004... Trees get N by resorbing from foliage & foraging in soil - but are the two coordinated? We tested hypotheses about relationships between resorption & root production for 12 spp in mature forests & 9 spp in a garden.

Today, oh today, I did something indeed. Read The Lorax to second graders, who were grateful I’d agreed.

They sat on the floor in rapt attention, as we traveled to Thneedville, belief in suspension

Smiles became frowns as the tale turned dark, but when we reached the end, I could see the spark!

NSF employees coordinate grant programs, organize and run panels that award grants, and work with awardees to ensure progress, among other functions. Reducing staffing at NSF will not make it more efficient, it will further burden already overburdened employees, making NSF less efficient.

Fungal impacts on Earth’s ecosystems - Nature This Review delves into the fungal kingdom, exploring the relationships among fungi, animals, plants and the environment, and investigating both the threats posed by fungi and their potential benefits...

Review in Nature

Case et al.
Fungal impacts on Earth’s ecosystems

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

PawPaw patrol - amazing!

Hmm, this seems prescient (in last week’s Science)

Agriculture has a N problem. N fuels growth, but too much N pollutes air & water. Here we argue for focusing on internal microbial N cycling - and not merely N inputs. Fun collaboration w/ @stuartsoil.bsky.social, @andreajilling.bsky.social & several others. authors.elsevier.com/c/1kIZ79C~Iu...

Come visit us in Vienna! Submit your abstract to the EGU session BG3.13: Mycorrhizal fungi in forest ecosystems. I am happy to be working with Matthias Mayer and Eva Demullier to create an unforgettable session!

meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU25/sessio...

In other words, Fox News knows exactly what they’re doing..

Thanks #AGU24 algorithm for suggesting that I connect next week w/ @benbondlamberty.bsky.social & Nate McDowell. Any chance we can use some of our registration fees to buy a few drinks?

Source vs sink limitations on tree growth: from physiological mechanisms to evolutionary constraints and terrestrial carbon cycle implications The potential for widespread sink-limited plant growth has received increasing attention in the literature in the past few years. Despite recent evidence for sink limitations to plant growth, there a...

Thought-provoking Tansley about source v sink limitation of tree growth by Trugman & L Anderegg. Strong evidence both are important, not unlike the age-old Q of bottom up v top down controls on energy-nutrient flows. For C cyclists, certainly worth a read
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

Soil microbiomes show consistent and predictable responses to extreme events - Nature Soils from 30 grasslands across Europe were subjected to 4 contrasting extreme climatic events under drought, flood, freezing and heat conditions, with the results suggesting that soil microbiomes fro...

fascinating new work from the lab of @frantecol.bsky.social

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Are those fruiting bodies coming out of your couch?

Etching of the silhouette of a bird seen from below flying in tbe sky surrounded by tree tops

Welcome to WA on Bluesky as requested by you xx

'Breathing Space'
by Janis Goodman

Getting to the root of the problem: Soil carbon and microbial responses to root inputs within a buried paleosol along an eroding hillslope in southwestern Nebraska, USA Large quantities of soil carbon (C) can persist within paleosols for millennia due to burial and subsequent isolation from plant-derived inputs, atmos…

Buried paleosols hold a LOT of #Carbon. What happens when they are exposed? McMurtry et al. show “paleosols defy expectations of C content and reactivity”
Getting to the root of the problem: Soil carbon and microbial response... www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

I’ll be there!

The tide may be turning but pretty sure the popularity of The Last of Us (Cordyceps!) is not helping…

Do you study how microbial growth and death drive soil organic matter cycling?

Submit your work to our #EGU25 session SSS4.10/BG6.7: meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU25/sessio...

👉 Travel support: Dec 1st
👉 Abstracts due: Jan 15th

Asymmetric effects of hydroclimate extremes on eastern US tree growth: Implications on current demographic shifts and climate variability In the eastern United States, land use decisions have impacted what species are present in forests. The climate of the region has also changed and is expected to continue to warm and produce stronger....

I started this in 2017, but this forever paper is finally done! Eastern US forests are shifting to more mesic species and the climate is expected to get drier. The two combined indicate drought will have a bigger impact in the carbon budget in the future. 🧪🌳

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Important question (on my first day here). Greatest song referencing blue sky/skies:

1) Blue Sky (Allman Bros)
2) Mr Blue Sky (ELO)
3 Goodbye Blue Sky (Floyd)