Laura Toro. Ph.D.
Scientist 1
Center for Conservation and Sustainable Development
Research Interests
• Restoration ecology
• Belowground ecology
• Natural regeneration
Kelly Andersen, Ph.D.
Scientist 3
Latin America Department
Research Interests
• Forest ecology
• Plant–soil interactions
Tropical Root Responses to Global Changes. Toro is a Restoration Ecologist interested in understanding how degraded tropical forests can be recovered in a cost-effective way. Andersen is a Tropical Forest Scientist whose research interests include forest ecology and plant–soil interactions. The project focuses on synthesizing existing data on root traits (biomass, morphology, chemistry, physiology, anatomy, architecture, phenology, symbionts) and their responses to global changes, including fire, nitrogen deposition, cyclones, warming, floods in tropical ecosystems. The goal is to understand how these changes affect root responses and consequently ecosystem carbon stocks and fluxes. This work is critical for improving knowledge of forest-climate feedbacks and integrating this understanding into predictive models. The project builds on an initial synthesis that identified root trait data to build TropiRoot 2.0 and incorporate into the Fine-Root Ecology Database (FRED), improving the tropical representativity of this global database. The student(s) will conduct a renewed literature search to uncover additional relevant studies during the screening phase of the systematic review using the Covidence tool. The student(s) will then read and extract data from the from previously identified papers, including working with tables, supplementary materials, and figures, using tools such as WebPlotDigitizer for digitization when needed and excel for entering the data, as well as enter ancillary data from each study, including detailed characterization of disturbances (e.g., frequency, magnitude, extent), plant functional types, and site information. Finally, the student(s) will analyze existing and new data extracted to understand how roots respond to global changes in the tropics. The data extracted will be integrated into the TropiRoot and FRED databases and used to train and validate root dynamics in the Energy Exoscale Earth System Model (E3SM) Functionally Assembled Terrestrial Ecosystem Simulator (FATES) model. The student(s) will receive comprehensive training in best practices for data extraction to ensure accuracy and consistency. Basic knowledge of Excel is required. It is possible for the student(s) participating in this project to receive co-authorship on a publication resulting from this work.