Sara Baer

Biography

Ph.D. 2001, Kansas State University

Research Interest

My research centers on bridging ecological theory with restoration ecology to improve the structure and function of degraded ecosystems. I am particularly interested in the degree to which the recovery of soil microbiological processes, carbon pools, and nitrogen dynamics influence floristic diversity in disturbed, restored, and native ecosystems. Much of my research has focused on agroecosystems restored to tallgrass prairie species. These studies have demonstrated that grassland restorations are dynamic ecosystems belowground, with continual increases in total soil carbon and rapid recovery of labile organic matter pools, while becoming increasing nitrogen limited. I am also involved in long-term studies examining the role of soil resource heterogeneity on diversity in a prairie restoration at the Konza Prairie Long Term Ecological Research site. Intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms underlying patterns of species dominance in restored ecosystems are of great interest to me, specifically the role of soil nutrient supply rates as affected by carbon sequestration, species variation in resource allocation patterns, and hierarchical consequences of selective breeding of dominant species used in restorations.