“Wet Wet Wet: Sulfur cycling in a Puerto Rican rainforest”
(Introduction by Ron Amundson)
My PhD research explores the terrestrial sulfur cycle along natural gradients. I am investigating the impact of several factors (climate, topography, landscape age and parent material) on soil sulfur. I use stable sulfur isotopes as tracers of sulfur sources and in-soil processes. My work also explores the interactions between the sulfur cycle and those of carbon and nitrogen. I collected samples from the rainforest of Puerto Rico, from the marine terraces at Santa Cruz, CA, and from the Atacama Desert and the Andes in Chile. In addition, I used archived samples from Tanzania and various sites in the US. All together, these sites form a rainfall gradient that ranges from <2 mm to >4000 mm of mean annual precipitation. This broad gradient allows for understanding the effects of climate on sulfur abundance and distribution in terrestrial ecosystems.
Favorite ESPM memory: When our intramurals Ultimate team made it to the playoffs. Go Discus!!!
I wouldn’t be here without: (1) my adviser’s steadfast support; (2) the soil that nourishes us; and (3) a good dose of insanity.
I would like to thank: I would like to thank my family, friends, and all the amazing faculty, students and staff I’ve had a chance to work with here at Berkeley – you’re all such an inspiration!