Ross Fitzhugh

 

Assistant Professor of Plant Biology

Program in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology

Education

Ph.D., 2000, Syracuse University
M.S., 1996, University of Virginia
B.S., 1993, University of Virginia

Teaching

IB516  Ecosystem Biogeochemistry

Research Overview

The research program in the Fitzhugh lab currently focuses on the biogeochemistry of forest ecosystems in the Northeast U.S. Dr. Fitzhugh and his colleagues study the cycling, retention, and loss of nutrients at temporal scales varying from minutes to decades and at spatial scales varying from soil aggregates to regions. Our fundamental objectives are to elucidate the biotic and abiotic controls on nutrient cycles and to understand how these cycles respond to anthropogenic and natural disturbances. We employ an integrative approach to ecosystem science, by studying how biological, chemical, and physical processes interact to produce element dynamics. Our work combines observational studies, manipulation experiments, and modeling to gain insight into ecosystem structure and function.

 

Current projects in the Fitzhugh lab examine: i) the roles of exotic pests, tree species, and atmospheric nitrogen deposition in the biogeochemistry of forest ecosystems in the Catskill Mountains of New York, and ii) the potential effects of climate change on nutrient cycling and loss in forest ecosystems of the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

Recent Publications

Lovett GM, Canham CD, Arthur MA, Weathers KC, Fitzhugh RD  (2006)  Forest ecosystem responses to exotic pests and pathogens in eastern North America.  Bioscience 56: 395-405.

 

Fahey TJ, Tierney GL, Fitzhugh RD, Wilson GF, Siccama TG  (2005)  Soil respiration and soil carbon balance in a northern hardwood forest ecosystem.  Canadian Journal of Forest Research 35: 244-253.

 

Fitzhugh RD, CT Driscoll, PM Groffman, GL Tierney, TJ Fahey & JP Hardy (2003) Soil freezing and the acid-base chemistry of soil solutions in a northern hardwood forest. Soil Science Society of America Journal 67:1897-1908.

 

Fitzhugh RD, GM Lovett & RT Venterea (2003) Biotic and abiotic immobilization of ammonium, nitrite, and nitrate in soils developed under different tree species in the Catskill Mountains, New York, USA.  Global Change Biology 9:1591-1601.