Speaker: Dr. Kyle Wickings, Cornell University
Invertebrates play diverse ecological roles in both green and brown food webs, yet, their full importance in soil ecosystem processes remains unresolved. In this seminar, Wickings discusses ongoing research in his program examining the impacts that soil invertebrates have on microbial activity and organic matter cycling in residential lawns and other managed grasses. He also discusses the relevance of root-feeding insects for soil carbon cycling and the consequences of their management for soil food webs.