Serita Frey
Research
My goal as a scientist and educator is to understand and communicate to students and the general public how human activities impact terrestrial ecosystems, with an emphasis on soil biota and nutrient cycling processes. My research specifically examines how anthropogenic stressors (e.g., climate change, nitrogen deposition, agricultural management, invasive species) affect the composition and diversity of soil microbial communities and microbial-mediated carbon and nitrogen cycles. We work at the interface between ecosystem science, microbial ecology and soil science, combining microbiological methods with stable isotope analysis and a variety of soil physical and chemical fractionation techniques to examine structure-function linkages. We work in a variety of ecosystems, including temperate forests, freshwater wetlands, and agroecosystems.
Detailed Description of Research Projects
Prospective Students
I welcome enquiries from potential graduate students who are motivated, have prior research experience, and are interested in working at the interface between ecosystem and microbial ecology. If you are interested in applying to work with me, please send your CV and a brief description of your background and research experience and interests. While I typically support students on my research grants, I strongly encourage students to seek external sources of funding from programs such as:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Program: http://es.epa.gov/ncer/fellow/
National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program: https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/grfp/
NSF Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grants Program: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5234
Graduate Students / Students Advised
| Ph.D. Students | |||
| Sarah Andrews | |||
| Alexandra Contosta | |||
| Alumni :: 2000-present | |||
| Gail Dailey | September 2007 | M.S. | |
| William Errickson | September 2007 | M.S. | |
| Lindsay O'Reilly | May 2007 | M.S. | |
| Eric Saas | May 2007 | M.S. | |
| Heather Smith | December 2005 | M.S. | |
| Janice Gilbert (Ohio State University) |
2004 | Ph.D. | |
| Rodney Simpson | September 2003 | M.S. | |
| Rachel Thiet | 2003 | Postdoc | |
| Tonia White (Ohio State University) |
2002 | M.S. | |
Primary Teaching Responsibilities
- NR 501: Introduction to Soil Sciences
- NR 706/806: Soil Ecology
- NR 903: Approach to Research (co-taught with Kimberly Babbitt)
Selected Publications
Frey, S.D. 2007. Spatial distribution of soil organisms. In, Soil Microbiology, Ecology and Biochemistry, E.A. Paul (ed.), 3rd ed. Academic Press, London, 23 pp.
Frey, S.D. 2006. Forest ecosystem responses to chronic nitrogen additions. Teaching Issues and Experiments in Ecology Volume 4, April 2006 (http://tiee.ecoed.net/).
Six, J., S.D. Frey, R.K. Thiet, and K.M. Batten. 2006. Bacterial and fungal contributions to carbon sequestration in agroecosystems. Soil Science Society of America Journal 70, 555-569.
Thiet, R.K., S.D. Frey, and J. Six. 2006. Growth yield efficiencies of soil microbial communities with different fungal:bacterial ratios. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 38, 837-844.
Knorr, M., S.D. Frey, and P.S. Curtis. 2005. Nitrogen additions and litter decomposition: a meta-analysis. Ecology 86, 3252-3257.
Väisänen, R.K., M.S. Roberts, J.L. Garland, S.D. Frey, and L.A. Dawson. 2005. Physiological and molecular characterization of microbial communities associated with different water-stable aggregate size fractions. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 37, 2007-2016.
Averett, J.M., R.A. Klips, L.E. Nave, S.D. Frey, and P.S. Curtis. 2004. The effects of soil carbon amendment on nitrogen availability and plant growth in an experimental tallgrass prairie restoration. Restoration Ecology 12, 567-573.
Frey, S.D., M. Knorr, J. Parrent, and R.T. Simpson. 2004. Chronic nitrogen enrichment affects the structure and function of the soil microbial community in a forest ecosystem. Forest Ecology and Management 196, 159-171.
Simpson, R.T., S.D. Frey, J. Six, and R.K. Thiet. 2004. Preferential accumulation of microbial carbon in aggregate structures of no-tillage soils. Soil Science Society of America Journal 68, 1249-1255.
Paul, E.A., H.P. Collins, KI. Paustian, E.T. Elliott, S. Frey, N. Juma, H. Janzen, C.A. Campbell, R.P. Zentner, G.P. Lafond, and A.P. Moulin. 2004. Management effects on the dynamics and storage capacity of soil organic matter in the Canadian prairies. Canadian Journal of Soil Science 84, 49-61.
Frey, S.D., J. Six and E.T. Elliott. 2003. Reciprocal transfer of carbon and nitrogen by decomposer fungi at the soil-litter interface. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 35, 1001-1004.
Bossuyt, H., K. Denef, J. Six, S.D. Frey and R. Merckx. 2001. Influence of microbial populations and residue quality on aggregate stability. Applied Soil Ecology 16, 195-208.
Denef K., Six J., Bossuyt H., Frey S.D., Elliott E.T., Merckx R., and Paustian K. 2001. Influence of dry-wet cycles on aggregate, particulate organic matter, and microbial community dynamics. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 33, 1599-1611.
Frey, S.D., V.V.S.R. Gupta, E.T. Elliott and K. Paustian. 2001. Protozoan grazing affects estimates of carbon utilization efficiency of the soil microbial community. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 33, 1759-1768.
Frey, S.D., E.T. Elliott, K. Paustian and G. Peterson. 2000. Fungal translocation as a mechanism of exogenous nitrogen inputs to decomposing surface residues in a no-tillage agroecosystem. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 32, 689-698.
Frey, S.D., E.T. Elliott and K. Paustian. 1999. Bacterial and fungal abundance and biomass in conventional and no-tillage agroecosystems along two climatic gradients. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 31, 573-585.
Frey, S.D., E.T. Elliott and K. Paustian. 1999. Application of the hexokinase/glucose-6-phosphate-dehydrogenase enzymatic assay for measurement of glucose in soil. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 31, 933-935.
Guggenberger, G., S.D. Frey, J. Six, E.T. Elliott, and K. Paustian. 1999. Glucosamine and muramic acid patterns in conventional and no-tillage agroecosystems. Soil Science Society of America Journal 63, 1188-1198.
Guggenberger, G., E.T. Elliott, S.D. Frey, J. Six and K. Paustian. 1998. Microbial contributions to the aggregation of a cultivated grassland soil amended with starch. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 31(3), 407-419.
Education
| 1999 | Ph.D. (Ecology), Colorado State University |
| 1992 | M.S. (Environmental Science), University of Virginia |
| 1988 | B.S. (Environmental Science), University of Virginia |
- Coordinator, Environmental Sciences Program, University of New Hampshire
- Review team member, Biodiversity Exploratories, German Science Foundation (2006-2007)
- Member, Biogeochemical Cycles Subcommittee, NEON Design Consortium (2005)
- Member, Climate Change Group, LTER Network Strategic Planning Project (2005-2006)
- Invited participant, Meeting of 100—LTER Network Strategic Planning Conference (2004)
- Subject Editor, Soil Biology & Biochemistry and Pedobiologia
- Member, Undergraduate Research Conference Committee, College of Life Sciences and Agriculture
- Panelist, NSF Carbon & Water in the Earth System Program (2006), USDA-NRI Soil ProcessesProgram (2005), USDA-NRI Air Quality Program (2004), NSF Integrated Carbon Cycle Research Program (2002), NSF Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grants (2000-2001)
- Member, Soil Science Graduate Studies Committee, Ohio State University, 2001-2002
- Member, Director’s Fellowship Committee, Ohio State University, 2000-2001
- Member, Environmental Science Graduate Program Recruitment Committee, Ohio State University, 2000-2001
- Member, Seminar Committee, School of Natural Resources, Ohio State University, 1999-2001
- Co-Chair, OARDC Annual Conference, “Hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico: Contributions and Solutions from Ohio”, Ohio State University, 2001
- Member, Faculty for the Future Committee, School of Natural Resources, OSU, 1999-2000
- Committee member for 20 M.S. and 12 Ph.D. students, 1999-present
- Mentor, McNair Scholars Program, Colorado State University, 1997
