Effects of rodents on ecosystem structure and function

Leigh MoorheadExit Seminar

Friday April 7, 330pmSERF 307

What structures systems across the landscape and over time has long been a focus of ecosystem ecology. Together, abiotic and biotic components interact to shape the flow of nutrients and energy through a system. My dissertation explores how rodents directly and indirectly affect ecosystem structure and function using a manipulation experiment in an old-field system in East Tennessee. Despite previous research showing herbivores have large and sustained impacts on ecosystems, rodents, specifically, are oft overlooked despite their ubiquitous presence. Specifically, I will discuss how rodents contribute to above and belowground community structure, nutrient cycling and decomposition, and how they influence an ecosystem’s response to fire disturbance.