Jack is a Biologist with the Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center
Science and Products
Response of plant, microbial, and soil functions to drought and fire in California
California is experiencing changes in precipitation and wildfire regimes. Longer, hotter fire seasons along with extremes in precipitation are expected to continue. Not only do these disturbances affect the productivity and resilience of ecosystems, they also directly impact human health and wellbeing. Soils hold an immense amount of our terrestrial carbon pool, and the microorganisms and minerals...
Arctic Biogeochemical Response to Permafrost Thaw (ABRUPT)
Warming and thawing of permafrost soils in the Arctic is expected to become widespread over the coming decades. Permafrost thaw changes ecosystem structure and function, affects resource availability for wildlife and society, and decreases ground stability which affects human infrastructure. Since permafrost soils contain about half of the global soil carbon (C) pool, the magnitude of C losses...
Abiotic sorption of glucose, glutamic acid, hydroxybenzoic acid, and oxalic acid onto amorphous aluminum hydroxide, feldspar, ferrihydrite, and kaolinite
Abiotic sorption experiments were conducted with four carbon substrates (glucose, glutamic acid, oxalic acid, para-hydroxybenzoic acid) on four clay minerals (kaolinite, feldspar, ferrihydrite, amorphous aluminum hydroxide) after sterilization by gamma irradiation. The adsorption isotherms were carried across a range of substrate carbon concentrations (0, 20, 100, and 500 mg carbon per L) and pH c
Short vs intermediate-term fate of glucose and oxalic acid in surface and subsurface soils of a coastal grassland near Santa Cruz California
Though the primary sources of organic matter to soil are plant inputs, the role of microorganisms as mediators of soil organic carbon preservation is increasingly recognized in the context of biological contributions to long-lived soil organic matter. However, current knowledge of sub-soil processes is insufficient to model microbial-derived carbon flow particularly at depth. Using a previously st
Permafrost greenhouse gas and microbial data from the Alaska Peatland Experiment (APEX) 2017 to 2019
These data include permafrost gas concentration data from the Alaska Peatland Experiment at various depths, times, and locations
Permafrost characterization at the Alaska Peatland Experiment (APEX) site: Geophysical and related field data collected from 2018-2020
Geophysical measurements and related field data were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) at the Alaska Peatland Experiment (APEX) site in Interior Alaska from 2018 to 2020 to characterize subsurface thermal and hydrologic conditions along a permafrost thaw gradient. The APEX site is managed by the Bonanza Creek LTER (Long Term Ecological Research). In April 2018, seven boreholes were em
Microbial Carbon and Nitrogen Metabolism Across a Late Pleistocene Permafrost Chronosequence
This data release includes all of the data presented in the peer-reviewed publication "Life at the frozen limit: Microbial Carbon Metabolism Across a Late Pleistocene Permafrost Chronosequence". We collected permafrost from a Pleistocene chronosequence (19 ka to 33 ka) to examine (1) changes in the functional genetic potential of extant microbial communities to metabolize polysaccharides, (2) shif
Filter Total Items: 14
Permafrost microbial communities and functional genes are structured by latitudinal and soil geochemical gradients
Permafrost underlies approximately one quarter of Northern Hemisphere terrestrial surfaces and contains 25–50% of the global soil carbon (C) pool. Permafrost soils and the C stocks within are vulnerable to ongoing and future projected climate warming. The biogeography of microbial communities inhabiting permafrost has not been examined beyond a small number of sites focused on local-scale variatio
Authors
Mark Waldrop, Chris Chabot, Susanne Liebner, Sheila Holmes, Marcia Snyder, Martin L. Dillon, S Dudgeon, Thomas A. Douglas, Mary-Catherine Leewis, Katie M Walter- Anthony, Jack McFarland, Christopher D. Arp, Allen C. Bondurant, Neslihan Taş, Rachel Mackelprang
The influence of soil development on the depth distribution and structure of soil microbial communities.
Although it has been shown that the interaction of climate and time shape the dynamics of soil organic matter (SOM) storage and preservation in soil, the role of soil microbial communities in this dynamic remains unclear. Microbial communities are present throughout soil profiles and likely play critical roles in SOM and nutrient cycling, however the influence of other factors such as soil develop
Authors
Mary-Catherine Leewis, Corey Lawrence, Marjorie S. Schulz, Malak M. Tfaily, Christian Orlando Ayala-Ortiz, Gilberto E. Flores, Rachel Mackelprang, Jack McFarland
Mechanisms for retention of low molecular weight organic carbon varies with soil depth at a coastal prairie ecosystem
Though primary sources of carbon (C) to soil are plant inputs (e.g., rhizodeposits), the role of microorganisms as mediators of soil organic carbon (SOC) retention is increasingly recognized. Yet, insufficient knowledge of sub-soil processes complicates attempts to describe microbial-driven C cycling at depth as most studies of microbial-mineral-C interactions focus on surface horizons. We leverag
Authors
Jack McFarland, Corey Lawrence, Courtney Creamer, Marjorie S. Schulz, Christopher H. Conaway, Sara Peek, Mark Waldrop, Sabrina N. Sevilgen, Monica Haw
The biophysical role of water and ice within permafrost nearing collapse: Insights from novel geophysical observations
The impact of permafrost thaw on hydrologic, thermal, and biotic processes remains uncertain, in part due to limitations in subsurface measurement capabilities. To better understand subsurface processes in thermokarst environments, we collocated geophysical and biogeochemical instruments along a thaw gradient between forested permafrost and collapse-scar bogs at the Alaska Peatland Experiment (APE
Authors
Stephanie R. James, Burke J. Minsley, Jack McFarland, Eugenie S. Euskirchen, Colin W. Edgar, Mark Waldrop
Carbon fluxes and microbial activities from boreal peatlands experiencing permafrost thaw
Permafrost thaw in northern ecosystems may cause large quantities of carbon (C) to move from soil to atmospheric pools. Because soil microbial communities play a critical role in regulating C fluxes from soils, we examined microbial activity and greenhouse gas production soon after permafrost thaw and ground collapse (into collapse-scar bogs), relative to the permafrost plateau or older thaw featu
Authors
Mark Waldrop, Jack McFarland, Kristen L. Manies, Mary-Cathrine Leewis, Steve Blazewicz, Miriam C. Jones, Rebecca Neumann, Jason Keller, Rachel Cohen, Eugenie S. Euskirchen, Colin W. Edgar, Merritt R. Turetsky, William Cable
Life at the frozen limit: Microbial carbon metabolism across a Late Pleistocene permafrost chronosequence
Permafrost is an extreme habitat yet it hosts microbial populations that remain active over millennia. Using permafrost collected from a Pleistocene chronosequence (19 to 33 ka), we hypothesized that the functional genetic potential of microbial communities in permafrost would reflect microbial strategies to metabolize permafrost soluble organic matter (OM) in situ over geologic time. We also hypo
Authors
Mary-Cathrine Leewis, Renaud Berlemont, David C. Podgorski, Archana Srinivas, Phoebe Zito, Robert G. M. Spencer, Jack McFarland, Thomas A. Douglas, Christopher H. Conaway, Mark Waldrop, Rachel Mackelprang
Geese mediate vegetation state changes with parallel effects on N cycling that leave nutritional legacies for offspring
Along the coastal fringe of the Yukon–Kuskokwim River Delta in southwestern Alaska, geese maintain grazing lawns dominated by a rhizomatous sedge that, when ungrazed, transitions to a taller, less palatable growth form that is taxonomically described as a different species. Nutrients recycled in goose feces, in conjunction with grazing, are critical to the rapid, nutritious growth of grazing lawns
Authors
Roger W. Ruess, Jack McFarland, Brian T. Person, James S. Sedinger
Large loss of CO2 in winter observed across pan-arctic permafrost region
Recent warming in the Arctic, which has been amplified during the winter1,2,3, greatly enhances microbial decomposition of soil organic matter and subsequent release of carbon dioxide (CO2)4. However, the amount of CO2 released in winter is not known and has not been well represented by ecosystem models or empirically based estimates5,6. Here we synthesize regional in situ observations of CO2 flux
Authors
Susan M Natali, Jennifer D. Watts, Stefano Potter, Brendan M. Rogers, Sarah M. Ludwig, Anne-Katrin Selbmann, Patrick F. Sullivan, Benjamin W. Abbott, Kyle A. Arndt, Leah Birch, Mats P. Bjorkman, Anthony Bloom, Gerardo Celis, Torben R. Christiensen, Casper T. Christiansen, Roisin Commane, Elisabeth J. Cooper, Patrick Crill, Claudia Czimczik, Sergey Davydov, Jinyang Du, Jocelyn E. Egan, Bo Elberling, Eugenie S. Euskirchen, Thomas Friborg, Helene Genet, Mathias Gockede, Jordan P. Goodrich, Paul Grogan, Manuel Helbig, Elchin E. Jafarov, Julie Jastrow, Aram A.M. Kalhori, Yongwon Kim, John S Kimball, Lars Kutzbach, Mark J. Lara, Klaus S. Larsen, Michael M Loranty, Magnus Lund, Massimo Lupascu, Nima Madani, Avni Malhorta, Jack McFarland, David A. McGuire, Anders Michelson, Christina Minions, Walter C. Oechel, David Olefeldt, Frans-Jan Parmentier, Norbert Pirk, Benjamin Poulter, William L. Quinton, Fereidoun Rezanezhad, David Risk, Torsten Sachs, Kevin Schaefer, Neils M. Schmidt, Edward A. Schuur, Philipp R. Semenchuk, Gaius Shaver, Oliver Sonnentag, Gregory Starr, Claire C. Treat, Mark P. Waldrop, Yihui Wang, Jeffrey Welker, Christian Wille, Xiaofeng Xu, Zhen Zhang, Qianlai Zhuang, Donatella Zona
Mineralogy dictates the initial mechanism of microbial necromass association
Soil organic matter (SOM) improves soil fertility and mitigates disturbance related to climate and land use change. Microbial necromass (the accumulated cellular residues of microorganisms) comprises the majority of soil C, yet the formation and persistence of necromass in relation to mineralogy is poorly understood. We tested whether soil minerals had different microbial necromass association mec
Authors
Courtney Creamer, Andrea L. Foster, Corey Lawrence, Jack McFarland, Marjorie S. Schulz, Mark Waldrop
Biological and mineralogical controls over cycling of low molecular weight organic compounds along a soil chronosequence
Low molecular weight organic compounds (LMWOC) represent a small but critical component of soil organic matter (SOM) for microbial growth and metabolism. The fate of these compounds is largely under microbial control, yet outside the cell, intrinsic soil properties can also significantly influence their turnover and retention. Using a chronosequence representing 1200 ka of pedogenic development, w
Authors
Jack McFarland, Mark P. Waldrop, Daniel Strawn, Courtney Creamer, Corey R. Lawrence, Monica Haw
Warming effects of spring rainfall increase methane emissions from thawing permafrost
Methane emissions regulate the near‐term global warming potential of permafrost thaw, particularly where loss of ice‐rich permafrost converts forest and tundra into wetlands. Northern latitudes are expected to get warmer and wetter, and while there is consensus that warming will increase thaw and methane emissions, effects of increased precipitation are uncertain. At a thawing wetland complex in I
Authors
Rebecca B. Neumann, C.J. Moorberg, J.D. Lundquist, J.C. Turner, Mark P. Waldrop, Jack W. McFarland, E.S. Euskirchen, C.W. Edgar, M. R. Turetsky
Spatially explicit estimation of aboveground boreal forest biomass in the Yukon River Basin, Alaska
Quantification of aboveground biomass (AGB) in Alaska’s boreal forest is essential to the accurate evaluation of terrestrial carbon stocks and dynamics in northern high-latitude ecosystems. Our goal was to map AGB at 30 m resolution for the boreal forest in the Yukon River Basin of Alaska using Landsat data and ground measurements. We acquired Landsat images to generate a 3-year (2008–2010) compos
Authors
Lei Ji, Bruce K. Wylie, Dana R. N. Brown, Birgit E. Peterson, Heather D. Alexander, Michelle C. Mack, Jennifer R. Rover, Mark P. Waldrop, Jack W. McFarland, Xuexia Chen, Neal J. Pastick
Science and Products
- Science
Response of plant, microbial, and soil functions to drought and fire in California
California is experiencing changes in precipitation and wildfire regimes. Longer, hotter fire seasons along with extremes in precipitation are expected to continue. Not only do these disturbances affect the productivity and resilience of ecosystems, they also directly impact human health and wellbeing. Soils hold an immense amount of our terrestrial carbon pool, and the microorganisms and minerals...Arctic Biogeochemical Response to Permafrost Thaw (ABRUPT)
Warming and thawing of permafrost soils in the Arctic is expected to become widespread over the coming decades. Permafrost thaw changes ecosystem structure and function, affects resource availability for wildlife and society, and decreases ground stability which affects human infrastructure. Since permafrost soils contain about half of the global soil carbon (C) pool, the magnitude of C losses... - Data
Abiotic sorption of glucose, glutamic acid, hydroxybenzoic acid, and oxalic acid onto amorphous aluminum hydroxide, feldspar, ferrihydrite, and kaolinite
Abiotic sorption experiments were conducted with four carbon substrates (glucose, glutamic acid, oxalic acid, para-hydroxybenzoic acid) on four clay minerals (kaolinite, feldspar, ferrihydrite, amorphous aluminum hydroxide) after sterilization by gamma irradiation. The adsorption isotherms were carried across a range of substrate carbon concentrations (0, 20, 100, and 500 mg carbon per L) and pH cShort vs intermediate-term fate of glucose and oxalic acid in surface and subsurface soils of a coastal grassland near Santa Cruz California
Though the primary sources of organic matter to soil are plant inputs, the role of microorganisms as mediators of soil organic carbon preservation is increasingly recognized in the context of biological contributions to long-lived soil organic matter. However, current knowledge of sub-soil processes is insufficient to model microbial-derived carbon flow particularly at depth. Using a previously stPermafrost greenhouse gas and microbial data from the Alaska Peatland Experiment (APEX) 2017 to 2019
These data include permafrost gas concentration data from the Alaska Peatland Experiment at various depths, times, and locationsPermafrost characterization at the Alaska Peatland Experiment (APEX) site: Geophysical and related field data collected from 2018-2020
Geophysical measurements and related field data were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) at the Alaska Peatland Experiment (APEX) site in Interior Alaska from 2018 to 2020 to characterize subsurface thermal and hydrologic conditions along a permafrost thaw gradient. The APEX site is managed by the Bonanza Creek LTER (Long Term Ecological Research). In April 2018, seven boreholes were emMicrobial Carbon and Nitrogen Metabolism Across a Late Pleistocene Permafrost Chronosequence
This data release includes all of the data presented in the peer-reviewed publication "Life at the frozen limit: Microbial Carbon Metabolism Across a Late Pleistocene Permafrost Chronosequence". We collected permafrost from a Pleistocene chronosequence (19 ka to 33 ka) to examine (1) changes in the functional genetic potential of extant microbial communities to metabolize polysaccharides, (2) shif - Publications
Filter Total Items: 14
Permafrost microbial communities and functional genes are structured by latitudinal and soil geochemical gradients
Permafrost underlies approximately one quarter of Northern Hemisphere terrestrial surfaces and contains 25–50% of the global soil carbon (C) pool. Permafrost soils and the C stocks within are vulnerable to ongoing and future projected climate warming. The biogeography of microbial communities inhabiting permafrost has not been examined beyond a small number of sites focused on local-scale variatioAuthorsMark Waldrop, Chris Chabot, Susanne Liebner, Sheila Holmes, Marcia Snyder, Martin L. Dillon, S Dudgeon, Thomas A. Douglas, Mary-Catherine Leewis, Katie M Walter- Anthony, Jack McFarland, Christopher D. Arp, Allen C. Bondurant, Neslihan Taş, Rachel MackelprangThe influence of soil development on the depth distribution and structure of soil microbial communities.
Although it has been shown that the interaction of climate and time shape the dynamics of soil organic matter (SOM) storage and preservation in soil, the role of soil microbial communities in this dynamic remains unclear. Microbial communities are present throughout soil profiles and likely play critical roles in SOM and nutrient cycling, however the influence of other factors such as soil developAuthorsMary-Catherine Leewis, Corey Lawrence, Marjorie S. Schulz, Malak M. Tfaily, Christian Orlando Ayala-Ortiz, Gilberto E. Flores, Rachel Mackelprang, Jack McFarlandMechanisms for retention of low molecular weight organic carbon varies with soil depth at a coastal prairie ecosystem
Though primary sources of carbon (C) to soil are plant inputs (e.g., rhizodeposits), the role of microorganisms as mediators of soil organic carbon (SOC) retention is increasingly recognized. Yet, insufficient knowledge of sub-soil processes complicates attempts to describe microbial-driven C cycling at depth as most studies of microbial-mineral-C interactions focus on surface horizons. We leveragAuthorsJack McFarland, Corey Lawrence, Courtney Creamer, Marjorie S. Schulz, Christopher H. Conaway, Sara Peek, Mark Waldrop, Sabrina N. Sevilgen, Monica HawThe biophysical role of water and ice within permafrost nearing collapse: Insights from novel geophysical observations
The impact of permafrost thaw on hydrologic, thermal, and biotic processes remains uncertain, in part due to limitations in subsurface measurement capabilities. To better understand subsurface processes in thermokarst environments, we collocated geophysical and biogeochemical instruments along a thaw gradient between forested permafrost and collapse-scar bogs at the Alaska Peatland Experiment (APEAuthorsStephanie R. James, Burke J. Minsley, Jack McFarland, Eugenie S. Euskirchen, Colin W. Edgar, Mark WaldropCarbon fluxes and microbial activities from boreal peatlands experiencing permafrost thaw
Permafrost thaw in northern ecosystems may cause large quantities of carbon (C) to move from soil to atmospheric pools. Because soil microbial communities play a critical role in regulating C fluxes from soils, we examined microbial activity and greenhouse gas production soon after permafrost thaw and ground collapse (into collapse-scar bogs), relative to the permafrost plateau or older thaw featuAuthorsMark Waldrop, Jack McFarland, Kristen L. Manies, Mary-Cathrine Leewis, Steve Blazewicz, Miriam C. Jones, Rebecca Neumann, Jason Keller, Rachel Cohen, Eugenie S. Euskirchen, Colin W. Edgar, Merritt R. Turetsky, William CableLife at the frozen limit: Microbial carbon metabolism across a Late Pleistocene permafrost chronosequence
Permafrost is an extreme habitat yet it hosts microbial populations that remain active over millennia. Using permafrost collected from a Pleistocene chronosequence (19 to 33 ka), we hypothesized that the functional genetic potential of microbial communities in permafrost would reflect microbial strategies to metabolize permafrost soluble organic matter (OM) in situ over geologic time. We also hypoAuthorsMary-Cathrine Leewis, Renaud Berlemont, David C. Podgorski, Archana Srinivas, Phoebe Zito, Robert G. M. Spencer, Jack McFarland, Thomas A. Douglas, Christopher H. Conaway, Mark Waldrop, Rachel MackelprangGeese mediate vegetation state changes with parallel effects on N cycling that leave nutritional legacies for offspring
Along the coastal fringe of the Yukon–Kuskokwim River Delta in southwestern Alaska, geese maintain grazing lawns dominated by a rhizomatous sedge that, when ungrazed, transitions to a taller, less palatable growth form that is taxonomically described as a different species. Nutrients recycled in goose feces, in conjunction with grazing, are critical to the rapid, nutritious growth of grazing lawnsAuthorsRoger W. Ruess, Jack McFarland, Brian T. Person, James S. SedingerLarge loss of CO2 in winter observed across pan-arctic permafrost region
Recent warming in the Arctic, which has been amplified during the winter1,2,3, greatly enhances microbial decomposition of soil organic matter and subsequent release of carbon dioxide (CO2)4. However, the amount of CO2 released in winter is not known and has not been well represented by ecosystem models or empirically based estimates5,6. Here we synthesize regional in situ observations of CO2 fluxAuthorsSusan M Natali, Jennifer D. Watts, Stefano Potter, Brendan M. Rogers, Sarah M. Ludwig, Anne-Katrin Selbmann, Patrick F. Sullivan, Benjamin W. Abbott, Kyle A. Arndt, Leah Birch, Mats P. Bjorkman, Anthony Bloom, Gerardo Celis, Torben R. Christiensen, Casper T. Christiansen, Roisin Commane, Elisabeth J. Cooper, Patrick Crill, Claudia Czimczik, Sergey Davydov, Jinyang Du, Jocelyn E. Egan, Bo Elberling, Eugenie S. Euskirchen, Thomas Friborg, Helene Genet, Mathias Gockede, Jordan P. Goodrich, Paul Grogan, Manuel Helbig, Elchin E. Jafarov, Julie Jastrow, Aram A.M. Kalhori, Yongwon Kim, John S Kimball, Lars Kutzbach, Mark J. Lara, Klaus S. Larsen, Michael M Loranty, Magnus Lund, Massimo Lupascu, Nima Madani, Avni Malhorta, Jack McFarland, David A. McGuire, Anders Michelson, Christina Minions, Walter C. Oechel, David Olefeldt, Frans-Jan Parmentier, Norbert Pirk, Benjamin Poulter, William L. Quinton, Fereidoun Rezanezhad, David Risk, Torsten Sachs, Kevin Schaefer, Neils M. Schmidt, Edward A. Schuur, Philipp R. Semenchuk, Gaius Shaver, Oliver Sonnentag, Gregory Starr, Claire C. Treat, Mark P. Waldrop, Yihui Wang, Jeffrey Welker, Christian Wille, Xiaofeng Xu, Zhen Zhang, Qianlai Zhuang, Donatella ZonaMineralogy dictates the initial mechanism of microbial necromass association
Soil organic matter (SOM) improves soil fertility and mitigates disturbance related to climate and land use change. Microbial necromass (the accumulated cellular residues of microorganisms) comprises the majority of soil C, yet the formation and persistence of necromass in relation to mineralogy is poorly understood. We tested whether soil minerals had different microbial necromass association mecAuthorsCourtney Creamer, Andrea L. Foster, Corey Lawrence, Jack McFarland, Marjorie S. Schulz, Mark WaldropBiological and mineralogical controls over cycling of low molecular weight organic compounds along a soil chronosequence
Low molecular weight organic compounds (LMWOC) represent a small but critical component of soil organic matter (SOM) for microbial growth and metabolism. The fate of these compounds is largely under microbial control, yet outside the cell, intrinsic soil properties can also significantly influence their turnover and retention. Using a chronosequence representing 1200 ka of pedogenic development, wAuthorsJack McFarland, Mark P. Waldrop, Daniel Strawn, Courtney Creamer, Corey R. Lawrence, Monica HawWarming effects of spring rainfall increase methane emissions from thawing permafrost
Methane emissions regulate the near‐term global warming potential of permafrost thaw, particularly where loss of ice‐rich permafrost converts forest and tundra into wetlands. Northern latitudes are expected to get warmer and wetter, and while there is consensus that warming will increase thaw and methane emissions, effects of increased precipitation are uncertain. At a thawing wetland complex in IAuthorsRebecca B. Neumann, C.J. Moorberg, J.D. Lundquist, J.C. Turner, Mark P. Waldrop, Jack W. McFarland, E.S. Euskirchen, C.W. Edgar, M. R. TuretskySpatially explicit estimation of aboveground boreal forest biomass in the Yukon River Basin, Alaska
Quantification of aboveground biomass (AGB) in Alaska’s boreal forest is essential to the accurate evaluation of terrestrial carbon stocks and dynamics in northern high-latitude ecosystems. Our goal was to map AGB at 30 m resolution for the boreal forest in the Yukon River Basin of Alaska using Landsat data and ground measurements. We acquired Landsat images to generate a 3-year (2008–2010) composAuthorsLei Ji, Bruce K. Wylie, Dana R. N. Brown, Birgit E. Peterson, Heather D. Alexander, Michelle C. Mack, Jennifer R. Rover, Mark P. Waldrop, Jack W. McFarland, Xuexia Chen, Neal J. Pastick - Multimedia