The goal is to establish an interdisciplinary study to evaluate the interaction among soil, climate and plant communities. Objectives of the research are documentation, quantification, and interpretation of the importance of "contextual" interaction in developing forested ecosystems using replicated, experimental systems.

1. Develop the infrastructure for experimental work on created ecosystems - mesocosms.
    
2. Establish research sites allowing for the study of effects of soils, climate and vegetation on ecosystem development.
    
3. Incorporate interdisciplinary perspectives into the experimental design to allow the integrated study of ecosystem processes including nutrient cycling, biomass accumulation, physiological function, population genetics, competition, weathering, soil formation, nitrogen accumulation and mineralization, mycorrhizal development, microclimate

Web links:

Biotic-Abiotic Interactions Project Website

Relevant Publications:

• Beard, K.H., Wang, D., Waite, C.E., Decker, K.L., Hawley, G.J., DeHayes, D.D., Hughes, J.W., and Cumming, J.R. 2005. Quantifying ecosystem controls and their contextual interactions on nutrient export from developing forest mesocosms. Ecosystems 8(2):210-224.