Lindsey Slaughter

Biography

 Dr. Lindsey Slaughter joined the PSS faculty in September 2016, and specializes in studying soil ecology and plant-soil interactions. She serves as an instructor for the Plant and Soil Science Department's introductory soil science course for undergraduates, and teaches both undergraduate and graduate level courses in soil microbial ecology and biochemistry. Dr. Slaughter received her bachelor's degree in Natural Resource Management from the University of Tennessee-Martin, and her master's degree in Plant and Soil Sciences is from the University of Kentucky. Her doctorate in Soil Science is from the University of Kentucky. She is a member of the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, Soil Science Society of America, and the Ecological Society of America.

Research Interest

As principal agents of nutrient cycling, soil microbial communities play a critical role in ecosystem function and soil quality. Dr. Slaughter's lab investigates how soil microbial community structure, function, and interactions with other biota affect and are affected by environmental disturbance, such as water and nutrient scarcity or urban development and runoff, and agricultural management conditions, such as grazing and crop production practices. Her research group employs methods which assess carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions, microbial biomass and community structure, and delivery of critical ecosystem services such as decomposition and nutrient cycling. She also frequently targets the response of specific microbes associated with drought resistance and improved soil physical properties, such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), through microscopy and biochemical analyses. A primary goal of Dr. Slaughter's research is to inform management decisions in semi-arid systems that lead to greater soil health and ecosystem function. Overall, she hopes to increase our ecological understanding of plant-microbe-soil symbioses and interactions that affect and are affected by management practices aimed at increasing the sustainability of agricultural production, and improving the natural resource base now and under future global conditions.