Steven S Perakis
I am a Supervisory Research Ecologist at the Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center in Corvallis, OR
I am interested in forest biogeochemistry and ecosystem studies, watershed science, riparian forests, nutrient cycling, forest soil fertility and stable isotopes.
Professional Experience
2001-present: Supervisory Research Ecologist, USGS Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Corvallis, OR
2001: Post Doctoral Position, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Education and Certifications
Ph.D., Cornell University, Ithaca, NY (2000)
M.S., University of Washington, Seattle, WA (1994)
B.S., University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA (1990)
Science and Products
Terrestrial Ecosystems Laboratory (FRESC)
Research in our laboratory centers on the ecology and biogeochemistry of forest ecosystems, as well as grassland and riparian systems. We examine how factors such as natural and human disturbances, climate, succession, and soil fertility shape ecosystem biogeochemistry - and the reciprocal effect of biogeochemical cycles on these and other factors.
If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.
If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.
If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.
Filter Total Items: 82
Nutrient limitation of native and invasive N2-fixing plants in northwest prairies Nutrient limitation of native and invasive N2-fixing plants in northwest prairies
Nutrient rich conditions often promote plant invasions, yet additions of non-nitrogen (N) nutrients may provide a novel approach for conserving native symbiotic N-fixing plants in otherwise N-limited ecosystems. Lupinus oreganus is a threatened N-fixing plant endemic to prairies in western Oregon and southwest Washington (USA). We tested the effect of non-N fertilizers on the growth...
Authors
Andrea S. Thorpe, Steven S. Perakis, Christina Catricala, Thomas N. Kaye
Decomposition and nitrogen dynamics of 15N-labeled leaf, root, and twig litter in temperate coniferous forests Decomposition and nitrogen dynamics of 15N-labeled leaf, root, and twig litter in temperate coniferous forests
Litter nutrient dynamics contribute significantly to biogeochemical cycling in forest ecosystems. We examined how site environment and initial substrate quality influence decomposition and nitrogen (N) dynamics of multiple litter types. A 2.5-year decomposition study was installed in the Oregon Coast Range and West Cascades using 15N-labeled litter from Acer macrophyllum, Picea...
Authors
Tiff L. van Huysen, Mark E. Harmon, Steven S. Perakis, Hua Chen
Regional constraints to biological nitrogen fixation in post-fire forest communities Regional constraints to biological nitrogen fixation in post-fire forest communities
Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) is a key ecological process that can restore nitrogen (N) lost in wildfire and shape the pace and pattern of post-fire forest recovery. To date, there is limited information on how climate and soil fertility interact to influence different pathways of BNF in early forest succession. We studied asymbiotic (forest floor and soil) and symbiotic (the shrub...
Authors
Stephanie Yelenik, Steven S. Perakis, David Hibbs
Nitrate in watersheds: straight from soils to streams? Nitrate in watersheds: straight from soils to streams?
Human activities are rapidly increasing the global supply of reactive N and substantially altering the structure and hydrologic connectivity of managed ecosystems. There is long-standing recognition that N must be removed along hydrologic flowpaths from uplands to streams, yet it has proven difficult to assess the generality of this removal across ecosystem types, and whether these...
Authors
Elizabeth B. Sudduth, Steven S. Perakis, Emily S. Bernhardt
Riparian litter inputs to streams in the central Oregon Coast Range Riparian litter inputs to streams in the central Oregon Coast Range
Riparian-zone vegetation can influence terrestrial and aquatic food webs through variation in the amount, timing, and nutritional content of leaf and other litter inputs. We investigated how riparian-forest community composition, understory density, and lateral slope shaped vertical and lateral litter inputs to 16 streams in the Oregon Coast Range. Riparian forests dominated by deciduous...
Authors
Stephanie K. Hart, David E. Hibbs, Steven S. Perakis
Contribution of calcium oxalate to soil-exchangeable calcium Contribution of calcium oxalate to soil-exchangeable calcium
Acid deposition and repeated biomass harvest have decreased soil calcium (Ca) availability in many temperate forests worldwide, yet existing methods for assessing available soil Ca do not fully characterize soil Ca forms. To account for discrepancies in ecosystem Ca budgets, it has been hypothesized that the highly insoluble biomineral Ca oxalate might represent an additional soil Ca...
Authors
Jenny M. Dauer, Steven S. Perakis
N2-fixing red alder indirectly accelerates ecosystem nitrogen cycling N2-fixing red alder indirectly accelerates ecosystem nitrogen cycling
Symbiotic N2-fixing tree species can accelerate ecosystem N dynamics through decomposition via direct pathways by producing readily decomposed leaf litter and increasing N supply to decomposers, as well as via indirect pathways by increasing tissue and detrital N in non-fixing vegetation. To evaluate the relative importance of these pathways, we compared three-year decomposition and N...
Authors
Steven S. Perakis, Joselin J. Matkins, David E. Hibbs
Nitrogen limitation, 15N tracer retention, and growth response in intact and Bromus tectorum-invaded Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis communities Nitrogen limitation, 15N tracer retention, and growth response in intact and Bromus tectorum-invaded Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis communities
Annual grass invasion into shrub-dominated ecosystems is associated with changes in nutrient cycling that may alter nitrogen (N) limitation and retention. Carbon (C) applications that reduce plant-available N have been suggested to give native perennial vegetation a competitive advantage over exotic annual grasses, but plant community and N retention responses to C addition remain poorly
Authors
Dana L. Witwicki, Paul S. Doescher, David A. Pyke, Nicole M. DeCrappeo, Steven S. Perakis
Sinks for nitrogen inputs in terrestrial ecosystems: a meta-analysis of 15N tracer field studies Sinks for nitrogen inputs in terrestrial ecosystems: a meta-analysis of 15N tracer field studies
Effects of anthropogenic nitrogen (N) deposition and the ability of terrestrial ecosystems to store carbon (C) depend in part on the amount of N retained in the system and its partitioning among plant and soil pools. We conducted a meta-analysis of studies at 48 sites across four continents that used enriched 15N isotope tracers in order to synthesize information about total ecosystem N...
Authors
P.H. Templer, M.C. Mack, F. S. Chapin, L.M. Christenson, J.E. Compton, H.D. Crook, W.S. Currie, C.J. Curtis, D.B. Dail, C. M. D’Antonio, B.A. Emmett, H.E. Epstein, C.L. Goodale, P. Gundersen, S.E. Hobbie, K. Holland, D.U. Hooper, B.A. Hungate, S. Lamontagne, K.J. Nadelhoffer, C.W. Osenberg, S.S. Perakis, P. Schleppi, J. Schimel, I.K. Schmidt, M. Sommerkorn, J. Spoelstra, A. Tietema, W.W. Wessel, D.R. Zak
Interactions of tissue and fertilizer nitrogen on decomposition dynamics of lignin-rich conifer litter Interactions of tissue and fertilizer nitrogen on decomposition dynamics of lignin-rich conifer litter
High tissue nitrogen (N) accelerates decomposition of high-quality leaf litter in the early phases of mass loss, but the influence of initial tissue N variation on the decomposition of lignin-rich litter is less resolved. Because environmental changes such as atmospheric N deposition and elevated CO2 can alter tissue N levels within species more rapidly than they alter the species...
Authors
Steven S. Perakis, Joselin J. Matkins, David E. Hibbs
Amplification and dampening of soil respiration by changes in temperature variability Amplification and dampening of soil respiration by changes in temperature variability
Accelerated release of carbon from soils is one of the most important feed backs related to anthropogenically induced climate change. Studies addressing the mechanisms for soil carbon release through organic matter decomposition have focused on the effect of changes in the average temperature, with little attention to changes in temperature vari-ability. Anthropogenic activities are...
Authors
C.A. Sierra, M. E. Harmon, E. Thomann, S.S. Perakis, H.W. Loescher
Complementary models of tree species-soil relationships in old-growth temperate forests Complementary models of tree species-soil relationships in old-growth temperate forests
Ecosystem-level studies identify plant–soil feedbacks as important controls on soil nutrient availability, particularly for nitrogen and phosphorus. Although site- and species-specific studies of tree species–soil relationships are relatively common, comparatively fewer studies consider multiple co-existing species in old-growth forests across a range of sites that vary in underlying...
Authors
Alison Cross, Steven S. Perakis
Non-USGS Publications**
Perakis, S.S., Hedin, L.O., 2002, Response to commentary on "Nitrogen loss from unpolluted South American forests mainly via dissolved organic compounds": Nature, v. 418, p. 665-665.
Perakis, S.S., Welch, E.B., Jacoby, J.M., 1996, Sediment-to-water blue-green algal recruitment in response to alum and environmental factors: Hydrobiologia, v. 318, no. 3, p. 165-177.
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
To request an interview, contact fresc_outreach@usgs.gov or call (541) 750-1030.
Filter Total Items: 14
Science and Products
Terrestrial Ecosystems Laboratory (FRESC)
Research in our laboratory centers on the ecology and biogeochemistry of forest ecosystems, as well as grassland and riparian systems. We examine how factors such as natural and human disturbances, climate, succession, and soil fertility shape ecosystem biogeochemistry - and the reciprocal effect of biogeochemical cycles on these and other factors.
If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.
If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.
If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.
Filter Total Items: 82
Nutrient limitation of native and invasive N2-fixing plants in northwest prairies Nutrient limitation of native and invasive N2-fixing plants in northwest prairies
Nutrient rich conditions often promote plant invasions, yet additions of non-nitrogen (N) nutrients may provide a novel approach for conserving native symbiotic N-fixing plants in otherwise N-limited ecosystems. Lupinus oreganus is a threatened N-fixing plant endemic to prairies in western Oregon and southwest Washington (USA). We tested the effect of non-N fertilizers on the growth...
Authors
Andrea S. Thorpe, Steven S. Perakis, Christina Catricala, Thomas N. Kaye
Decomposition and nitrogen dynamics of 15N-labeled leaf, root, and twig litter in temperate coniferous forests Decomposition and nitrogen dynamics of 15N-labeled leaf, root, and twig litter in temperate coniferous forests
Litter nutrient dynamics contribute significantly to biogeochemical cycling in forest ecosystems. We examined how site environment and initial substrate quality influence decomposition and nitrogen (N) dynamics of multiple litter types. A 2.5-year decomposition study was installed in the Oregon Coast Range and West Cascades using 15N-labeled litter from Acer macrophyllum, Picea...
Authors
Tiff L. van Huysen, Mark E. Harmon, Steven S. Perakis, Hua Chen
Regional constraints to biological nitrogen fixation in post-fire forest communities Regional constraints to biological nitrogen fixation in post-fire forest communities
Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) is a key ecological process that can restore nitrogen (N) lost in wildfire and shape the pace and pattern of post-fire forest recovery. To date, there is limited information on how climate and soil fertility interact to influence different pathways of BNF in early forest succession. We studied asymbiotic (forest floor and soil) and symbiotic (the shrub...
Authors
Stephanie Yelenik, Steven S. Perakis, David Hibbs
Nitrate in watersheds: straight from soils to streams? Nitrate in watersheds: straight from soils to streams?
Human activities are rapidly increasing the global supply of reactive N and substantially altering the structure and hydrologic connectivity of managed ecosystems. There is long-standing recognition that N must be removed along hydrologic flowpaths from uplands to streams, yet it has proven difficult to assess the generality of this removal across ecosystem types, and whether these...
Authors
Elizabeth B. Sudduth, Steven S. Perakis, Emily S. Bernhardt
Riparian litter inputs to streams in the central Oregon Coast Range Riparian litter inputs to streams in the central Oregon Coast Range
Riparian-zone vegetation can influence terrestrial and aquatic food webs through variation in the amount, timing, and nutritional content of leaf and other litter inputs. We investigated how riparian-forest community composition, understory density, and lateral slope shaped vertical and lateral litter inputs to 16 streams in the Oregon Coast Range. Riparian forests dominated by deciduous...
Authors
Stephanie K. Hart, David E. Hibbs, Steven S. Perakis
Contribution of calcium oxalate to soil-exchangeable calcium Contribution of calcium oxalate to soil-exchangeable calcium
Acid deposition and repeated biomass harvest have decreased soil calcium (Ca) availability in many temperate forests worldwide, yet existing methods for assessing available soil Ca do not fully characterize soil Ca forms. To account for discrepancies in ecosystem Ca budgets, it has been hypothesized that the highly insoluble biomineral Ca oxalate might represent an additional soil Ca...
Authors
Jenny M. Dauer, Steven S. Perakis
N2-fixing red alder indirectly accelerates ecosystem nitrogen cycling N2-fixing red alder indirectly accelerates ecosystem nitrogen cycling
Symbiotic N2-fixing tree species can accelerate ecosystem N dynamics through decomposition via direct pathways by producing readily decomposed leaf litter and increasing N supply to decomposers, as well as via indirect pathways by increasing tissue and detrital N in non-fixing vegetation. To evaluate the relative importance of these pathways, we compared three-year decomposition and N...
Authors
Steven S. Perakis, Joselin J. Matkins, David E. Hibbs
Nitrogen limitation, 15N tracer retention, and growth response in intact and Bromus tectorum-invaded Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis communities Nitrogen limitation, 15N tracer retention, and growth response in intact and Bromus tectorum-invaded Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis communities
Annual grass invasion into shrub-dominated ecosystems is associated with changes in nutrient cycling that may alter nitrogen (N) limitation and retention. Carbon (C) applications that reduce plant-available N have been suggested to give native perennial vegetation a competitive advantage over exotic annual grasses, but plant community and N retention responses to C addition remain poorly
Authors
Dana L. Witwicki, Paul S. Doescher, David A. Pyke, Nicole M. DeCrappeo, Steven S. Perakis
Sinks for nitrogen inputs in terrestrial ecosystems: a meta-analysis of 15N tracer field studies Sinks for nitrogen inputs in terrestrial ecosystems: a meta-analysis of 15N tracer field studies
Effects of anthropogenic nitrogen (N) deposition and the ability of terrestrial ecosystems to store carbon (C) depend in part on the amount of N retained in the system and its partitioning among plant and soil pools. We conducted a meta-analysis of studies at 48 sites across four continents that used enriched 15N isotope tracers in order to synthesize information about total ecosystem N...
Authors
P.H. Templer, M.C. Mack, F. S. Chapin, L.M. Christenson, J.E. Compton, H.D. Crook, W.S. Currie, C.J. Curtis, D.B. Dail, C. M. D’Antonio, B.A. Emmett, H.E. Epstein, C.L. Goodale, P. Gundersen, S.E. Hobbie, K. Holland, D.U. Hooper, B.A. Hungate, S. Lamontagne, K.J. Nadelhoffer, C.W. Osenberg, S.S. Perakis, P. Schleppi, J. Schimel, I.K. Schmidt, M. Sommerkorn, J. Spoelstra, A. Tietema, W.W. Wessel, D.R. Zak
Interactions of tissue and fertilizer nitrogen on decomposition dynamics of lignin-rich conifer litter Interactions of tissue and fertilizer nitrogen on decomposition dynamics of lignin-rich conifer litter
High tissue nitrogen (N) accelerates decomposition of high-quality leaf litter in the early phases of mass loss, but the influence of initial tissue N variation on the decomposition of lignin-rich litter is less resolved. Because environmental changes such as atmospheric N deposition and elevated CO2 can alter tissue N levels within species more rapidly than they alter the species...
Authors
Steven S. Perakis, Joselin J. Matkins, David E. Hibbs
Amplification and dampening of soil respiration by changes in temperature variability Amplification and dampening of soil respiration by changes in temperature variability
Accelerated release of carbon from soils is one of the most important feed backs related to anthropogenically induced climate change. Studies addressing the mechanisms for soil carbon release through organic matter decomposition have focused on the effect of changes in the average temperature, with little attention to changes in temperature vari-ability. Anthropogenic activities are...
Authors
C.A. Sierra, M. E. Harmon, E. Thomann, S.S. Perakis, H.W. Loescher
Complementary models of tree species-soil relationships in old-growth temperate forests Complementary models of tree species-soil relationships in old-growth temperate forests
Ecosystem-level studies identify plant–soil feedbacks as important controls on soil nutrient availability, particularly for nitrogen and phosphorus. Although site- and species-specific studies of tree species–soil relationships are relatively common, comparatively fewer studies consider multiple co-existing species in old-growth forests across a range of sites that vary in underlying...
Authors
Alison Cross, Steven S. Perakis
Non-USGS Publications**
Perakis, S.S., Hedin, L.O., 2002, Response to commentary on "Nitrogen loss from unpolluted South American forests mainly via dissolved organic compounds": Nature, v. 418, p. 665-665.
Perakis, S.S., Welch, E.B., Jacoby, J.M., 1996, Sediment-to-water blue-green algal recruitment in response to alum and environmental factors: Hydrobiologia, v. 318, no. 3, p. 165-177.
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
To request an interview, contact fresc_outreach@usgs.gov or call (541) 750-1030.
Filter Total Items: 14