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.
Nitrogen limitation, 15N tracer retention, and growth response in intact and Bromus tectorum-invaded Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis communities
Sinks for nitrogen inputs in terrestrial ecosystems: a meta-analysis of 15N tracer field studies
Interactions of tissue and fertilizer nitrogen on decomposition dynamics of lignin-rich conifer litter
Amplification and dampening of soil respiration by changes in temperature variability
Complementary models of tree species-soil relationships in old-growth temperate forests
Marine West Coast forests
Decomposition of heterogeneous organic matterand its long-term stabilization in soils
Effects of nitrogen deposition and empirical nitrogen critical loads for ecoregions of the United States
Synthesis: Chapter 19
Tree species and soil nutrient profiles in old-growth forests of the Oregon Coast Range
δ15N constraints on long-term nitrogen balances in temperate forests
Biogeochemistry of a temperate forest nitrogen gradient
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: 75Nitrogen 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 understooAuthorsDana L. Witwicki, Paul S. Doescher, David A. Pyke, Nicole M. DeCrappeo, Steven S. PerakisSinks 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 retentionAuthorsP.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. ZakInteractions 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 composition of eAuthorsSteven S. Perakis, Joselin J. Matkins, David E. HibbsAmplification 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 likely to modiAuthorsC.A. Sierra, M. E. Harmon, E. Thomann, S.S. Perakis, H.W. LoescherComplementary 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 soil fertilitAuthorsAlison Cross, Steven S. PerakisMarine West Coast forests
No abstract available.AuthorsSteven S. Perakis, Linda H. Geiser, Erik A. LilleskovDecomposition of heterogeneous organic matterand 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 compareAuthorsCarlos A. Sierra, Mark E. Harmon, Steven S. PerakisEffects of nitrogen deposition and empirical nitrogen critical loads for ecoregions of the United States
Human activity in the last century has led to a significant increase in nitrogen (N) emissions and atmospheric deposition. This N deposition has reached a level that has caused or is likely to cause alterations to the structure and function of many ecosystems across the United States. One approach for quantifying the deposition of pollution that would be harmful to ecosystems is the determinationAuthorsL.H. Pardo, M.E. Fenn, C.L. Goodale, L.H. Geiser, C. T. Driscoll, E.B. Allen, Jill Baron, R. Bobbink, W.D. Bowman, C.M. Clark, B. Emmett, F.S. Gilliam, T.L. Greaver, S.J. Hall, E.A. Lilleskov, L. Liu, J.A. Lynch, K.J. Nadelhoffer, S.S. Perakis, M. J. Robin-Abbott, J.L. Stoddard, K.C. Weathers, R.L. DennisSynthesis: Chapter 19
Human activity in the last century has led to a substantial increase in nitrogen (N) emissions and deposition (Galloway et al. 2003). Because of past, and, in some regions, continuing increases in emissions (Lehmann et al. 2005, Nilles and Conley 2001), this N deposition has reached a level that has caused or is likely to cause alterations and damage in many ecosystems across the United States. InAuthorsL.H. Pardo, L.H. Geiser, M.E. Fenn, C. T. Driscoll, C.L. Goodale, E.B. Allen, Jill Baron, R. Bobbink, W.D. Bowman, C.M. Clark, B. Emmett, F.S. Gilliam, T. Greaver, S.J. Hall, E.A. Lilleskov, L. Liu, J.A. Lynch, K. Nadelhoffer, S.S. Perakis, M. J. Robin-Abbott, J.L. Stoddard, K. C. WeathersTree species and soil nutrient profiles in old-growth forests of the Oregon Coast Range
Old-growth forests of the Pacific Northwest provide a unique opportunity to examine tree species – soil relationships in ecosystems that have developed without significant human disturbance. We characterized foliage, forest floor, and mineral soil nutrients associated with four canopy tree species (Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirbel) Franco), western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) SargAuthorsAlison Cross, Steven S. Perakisδ15N constraints on long-term nitrogen balances in temperate forests
Biogeochemical theory emphasizes nitrogen (N) limitation and the many factors that can restrict N accumulation in temperate forests, yet lacks a working model of conditions that can promote naturally high N accumulation. We used a dynamic simulation model of ecosystem N and δ15N to evaluate which combination of N input and loss pathways could produce a range of high ecosystem N contents characteriAuthorsS.S. Perakis, E.R. Sinkhorn, J.E. ComptonBiogeochemistry of a temperate forest nitrogen gradient
Wide natural gradients of soil nitrogen (N) can be used to examine fundamental relationships between plant–soil–microbial N cycling and hydrologic N loss, and to test N-saturation theory as a general framework for understanding ecosystem N dynamics. We characterized plant production, N uptake and return in litterfall, soil gross and net N mineralization rates, and hydrologic N losses of nine DouglAuthorsSteven S. Perakis, Emily R. SinkhornNon-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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