Across natural gradients at Harvard Forest and at the Climate Interactions with Forest Fragmentation (CLIFF) experimental site, we are using soil cores and tree seedling excavations to understand the patterns and processes that shape variation in root biomass distributions, intra- and interspecific root trait and morphological plasticity, and a handful of other root-related things!

Please reach out to me for more information regarding these projects!

Led by Lara Roelofs (2024, Dartmouth College '25) and S. Grady Welsh (Lab Manager, 2025)

At the Climate Interactions with Forest Fragmentation (CLIFF) experimental site, we are using soil cores to understand how plant root systems respond to the creation of a forest edge and altered microclimatic conditions across the forest edge to interior gradient. We are also using root ingrowth cores to understand root phenology and species-specific foraging strategies across the forest structural gradient.

Led by Lucy Coleman (Dartmouth College '26)

Using natural moisture gradients at Harvard Forest, we are quantifying root trait and morphological plasticity in red maple seedlings collected from the Black Gum Swamp and adjacent, well-drained upland forest sites.

At Harvard Forest's Black Gum Swamp and a peatland near Dartmouth College we are using peat cores and root tracing to understand variations in root system dynamics between species that could explain differences in above-ground carbon fluxes and plant-mediated transport of soil-derived CH4.