Collaborative Research

NSF Eager Grant: Plant Sex & Ecosystem Function

The National Science Foundation funded our collaborations with US Forest Service scientist Shannon Claeson and Dr. Deb Finn at Missouri State University to explore in-stream successional patterns and stream development since the Mount St. Helens eruption in 1980. We published these papers between 2019-2025:

  1. Variation in riparian and stream assemblages across the primary succession landscape of Mount St. Helens, U.S.A. in the journal Freshwater Biology (2019)
  2. Plant sex influences aquatic–terrestrial interactions  in the journal Ecosphere (2020)
  3. Summer flower pulses: Catkin litter processing in headwater streams in the journal Fundamental and Applied Limnology (2021)
  4. The influence of weevil herbivory on leaf litter chemistry in dioecious willows in the journal Ecology and Evolution (2022)
  5. Specimen records of benthic macroinvertebrate samples collected by Norman H. Anderson in the vicinity of Mount St. Helens, 1980-1990 in the Catalog of the Oregon State Arthropod Collection (2022)
  6. Canopy development influences early successional stream ecosystem function but not biotic assemblages in the journal Aquatic Sciences (2023)
  7. Spatial habitat structure assembles willow-dependent communities across the primary successional watersheds of Mount St. Helens, USA in the journal Forests (2023)
  8. Plant sex influences on riparian communities and ecosystems in the journal Ecology & Evolution (2023)
  9. Insect herbivores, plant sex, and elevated nitrogen influence willow litter decomposition and detritivore colonization in early successional streams in the journal Forests (2024)
  10. Highly variable physical and biological characteristics of hyporheic zones among young streams undergoing primary succession in the journal Freshwater Science (2025)

Global Studies of Leaf Litter Decomposition

Global collaborations and meta-analyses of leaf litter decomposition:

  1. Human activities shape global patterns of decomposition rates in rivers with Scott Tiegs and CELLDEX team in Science (2024)
  2. Global patterns and controls of nutrient immobilization on decomposing cellulose in riverine ecosystems with CELLDEX in the journal Global Biogeochemical Cycles (2022)
  3. Plant phylogenetic history explains in‐stream decomposition at a global scale with Andrew Hipp in the Journal of Ecology (2020)
  4. Synergistic effects: A common theme in mixed-species litter decomposition with Jun Liu and collaborators in the journal New Phytologist (2020)
  5. Global patterns and drivers of ecosystem functioning in rivers and riparian zones by collaboration CELL-DEX, directed by Scott Tiegs in the journal Science Advances (2019)
  6. Global synthesis of the temperature sensitivity of leaf litter breakdown in streams and rivers with scientists supported by Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network in the journal Global Change Biology (2017)
  7. LandComp global collaboration with Chris Swan and Luz Boyero – in process

Elwha Dam Removal & Recovery

Collaboration with NOAA scientist Sarah Morley and USGS scientist Jeff Duda to investigate carbon cycling in Elwha River following largest dam removal in history. We published Leaf litter decomposition and detrital communities following the removal of two large dams on the Elwha River (WA, USA) in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution in a special issue on Large-Scale Dam Removal and Ecosystem Restoration.  

Endophytes and Ecosystem Function

Fungal endophyte influences leaf litter decomposition – two linked papers showing the effect of infection by Rhytisma punctatum on bigleaf maple litter dynamics: 

  1. A fungal endophyte slows litter decomposition in streams in the journal Freshwater Biology (2011). Collaboration with Evergreen undergraduates Kate Halstead and Margaret Pryor.
  2. Fungal endophyte-infected leaf litter alters in-stream microbial communities and negatively influences aquatic fungal sporulation in the journal Oikos (2019). Collaboration with Evergreen undergraduate Emily Wolfe.

Genes to Ecosystems Research

Within-species genetic diversity and aquatic ecosystem function – In the US Southwest we examined the effects of leaf litter diversity on aquatic decomposition and macroinvertebrate community structure:

  1. Plant genes link forests and streams in the journal Ecology (2006)
  2. Community and Ecosystem Genetics – A review of major advances in the fields of community and ecosystem genetics in the journal Nature Reviews Genetics. (2006)
  3. Within-species variation in foliar chemistry influences leaf-litter decomposition in a Utah river in the Journal of the North American Benthological Society (2007)
  4. Genotype and soil nutrient environment influence aspen litter chemistry and in-stream decomposition in the journal Freshwater Science (2012)
  5. Do genetically-specific tree canopy environments feed back to affect genetically specific leaf decomposition rates? in the journal Plant & Soil (2019)
  6. Plant sex influences aquatic- terrestrial interactions in the journal Ecosphere (2020)
  7. Plant Sex Influences on Riparian Communities and Ecosystems – Review paper with student River Scheuerell in the journal Ecology and Evolution. (2023)

See all published research on Google Scholar.