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, global change, 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)
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.
Decomposition of heterogeneous organic matter and its long-term stabilization in soils
Yield responses of ruderal plants to sucrose in invasive-dominated sagebrush steppe of the northern Great Basin
Unearthing Secrets of the Forest
Nitrogen dynamics across silvicultural canopy gaps in young forests of western Oregon
Interannual variation of carbon fluxes from three contrasting evergreen forests: The role of forest dynamics and climate
Four centuries of soil carbon and nitrogen change after stand-replacing fire in a forest landscape in the western Cascade Range of Oregon
Ecosystem N distribution and δ15N during a century of forest regrowth after agricultural abandonment
State factor relationships of dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen losses from unpolluted temperate forest watersheds
Nutrient vectors and riparian processing: A review with special reference to African semiarid savanna ecosystems
Imprint of oaks on nitrogen availability and δ15N in California grassland-savanna: A case of enhanced N inputs?
Coupled nitrogen and calcium cycling in forests of the Oregon Coast Range
Terrestrial C sequestration at elevated CO2 and temperature: the role of dissolved organic N loss
Non-USGS Publications**
**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.
Science and Products
- Science
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 and climate change, succession, and soil fertility shape ecosystem biogeochemistry - and the reciprocal effect of biogeochemical cycles on these and other factors. - Data
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.
- Multimedia
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.
- Publications
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: 75Decomposition of heterogeneous organic matter and its long-term stabilization in soils
Soil organic matter is a complex mixture of material with heterogeneous biological, physical, and chemical properties. Decomposition models represent this heterogeneity either as a set of discrete pools with different residence times or as a continuum of qualities. It is unclear though, whether these two different approaches yield comparable predictions of organic matter dynamics. Here, we compareAuthorsC.A. Sierra, M. E. Harmon, Steven PerakisYield responses of ruderal plants to sucrose in invasive-dominated sagebrush steppe of the northern Great Basin
Restoration of sagebrush-steppe plant communities dominated by the invasive ruderals Bromus tectorum (cheatgrass) and Taeniatherum caput-medusae (medusahead) can be facilitated by adding carbon (C) to the soil, stimulating microbes to immobilize nitrogen (N) and limit inorganic N availability. Our objectives were to determine responses in (1) cheatgrass and medusahead biomass and seed production;AuthorsJessi Brunson, David A. Pyke, Steven S. PerakisUnearthing Secrets of the Forest
Forests are a defining feature for large areas of the Pacific northwestern United States from northern California to Alaska. Coniferous temperate rainforests in the western Cascade and coastal mountain ranges are appreciated for their aesthetic value and abundant natural resources. Few people recognize the riches beneath the forest floor; yet, soil is a key ecosystem component that makes each typeAuthorsSarah I. Beldin, Steven S. PerakisNitrogen dynamics across silvicultural canopy gaps in young forests of western Oregon
Silvicultural canopy gaps are emerging as an alternative management tool to accelerate development of complex forest structure in young, even-aged forests of the Pacific Northwest. The effect of gap creation on available nitrogen (N) is of concern to managers because N is often a limiting nutrient in Pacific Northwest forests. We investigated patterns of N availability in the forest floor and uppeAuthorsA.L. Thiel, S.S. PerakisInterannual variation of carbon fluxes from three contrasting evergreen forests: The role of forest dynamics and climate
Interannual variation of carbon fluxes can be attributed to a number of biotic and abiotic controls that operate at different spatial and temporal scales. Type and frequency of disturbance, forest dynamics, and climate regimes are important sources of variability. Assessing the variability of carbon fluxes from these specific sources can enhance the interpretation of past and current observations.AuthorsC.A. Sierra, H.W. Loescher, M. E. Harmon, A.D. Richardson, D.Y. Hollinger, S.S. PerakisFour centuries of soil carbon and nitrogen change after stand-replacing fire in a forest landscape in the western Cascade Range of Oregon
Episodic stand-replacing wildfire is a significant disturbance in mesic and moist Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) forests of the Pacific Northwest. We studied 24 forest stands with known fire histories in the western Cascade Range in Oregon to evaluate long-term impacts of stand-replacing wildfire on carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) pools and dynamics within the forest floor (FF, OeAuthorsT.W. Giesen, S.S. Perakis, K. CromackEcosystem N distribution and δ15N during a century of forest regrowth after agricultural abandonment
Stable isotope ratios of terrestrial ecosystem nitrogen (N) pools reflect internal processes and input–output balances. Disturbance generally increases N cycling and loss, yet few studies have examined ecosystem δ15N over a disturbance-recovery sequence. We used a chronosequence approach to examine N distribution and δ15N during forest regrowth after agricultural abandonment. Site ages ranged fromAuthorsJ.E. Compton, T.D. Hooker, S.S. PerakisState factor relationships of dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen losses from unpolluted temperate forest watersheds
We sampled 100 unpolluted, old-growth forested watersheds, divided among 13 separate study areas over 5 years in temperate southern Chile and Argentina, to evaluate relationships among dominant soil-forming state factors and dissolved carbon and nitrogen concentrations in watershed streams. These watersheds provide a unique opportunity to examine broad-scale controls over carbon (C) and nitrogen (AuthorsS.S. Perakis, L. O. HedinNutrient vectors and riparian processing: A review with special reference to African semiarid savanna ecosystems
This review article describes vectors for nitrogen and phosphorus delivery to riparian zones in semiarid African savannas, the processing of nutrients in the riparian zone and the effect of disturbance on these processes. Semiarid savannas exhibit sharp seasonality, complex hillslope hydrology and high spatial heterogeneity, all of which ultimately impact nutrient fluxes between riparian, upland aAuthorsShayne M. Jacobs, J.S. Bechtold, Harry C. Biggs, N. B. Grimm, S. Lorentz, M.E. McClain, R.J. Naiman, Steven S. Perakis, G. Pinay, M.C. ScholesImprint of oaks on nitrogen availability and δ15N in California grassland-savanna: A case of enhanced N inputs?
Woody vegetation is distributed patchily in many arid and semi-arid ecosystems, where it is often associated with elevated nitrogen (N) pools and availability in islands of fertility. We measured N availability and δ15N in paired blue-oak versus annual grass dominated patches to characterize the causes and consequences of spatial variation in N dynamics of grassland-savanna in Sequoia-Kings CanyonAuthorsS.S. Perakis, C.H. KelloggCoupled nitrogen and calcium cycling in forests of the Oregon Coast Range
Nitrogen (N) is a critical limiting nutrient that regulates plant productivity and the cycling of other essential elements in forests. We measured foliar and soil nutrients in 22 young Douglas-fir stands in the Oregon Coast Range to examine patterns of nutrient availability across a gradient of N-poor to N-rich soils. N in surface mineral soil ranged from 0.15 to 1.05% N, and was positively relateAuthorsSteven S. Perakis, Douglas A. Maguire, Thomas D. Bullen, Kermit Cromack, Richard H. Waring, James R. BoyleTerrestrial C sequestration at elevated CO2 and temperature: the role of dissolved organic N loss
We used a simple model of carbon–nitrogen (C–N) interactions in terrestrial ecosystems to examine the responses to elevated CO2 and to elevated CO2 plus warming in ecosystems that had the same total nitrogen loss but that differed in the ratio of dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) to dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) loss. We postulate that DIN losses can be curtailed by higher N demand in responseAuthorsEdward B. Rastetter, Steven S. Perakis, Gaius R. Shaver, Goran I. AgrenNon-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.
- News
To request an interview, contact fresc_outreach@usgs.gov or call (541) 750-1030.
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