Member of the Faculty,
Biology, Graduate Center, CUNY
PhD Program in Earth and Environmental Sciences, Graduate School, CUNY
PhD, University of California
Office: SB E-219
Telephone: (718) 997-3332
FAX: (718) 997-3299

Research Interests

Soil biogeochemistry and ecosystem ecology: My primary research interests address the underlying soil processes that drive biogeochemical dynamics in terrestrial ecosystems with an emphasis on the movement of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous, and water. My research aims to advance our understanding of how biological, chemical, and physical factors interact and control the flux of these fundamental building blocks of life on process and ecosystem levels.

Current research interests include:

• Microbial community ecology of N and C cycling: How does the composition of soil microbial communities control soil N and C transformations including soil organic matter formation, N dynamics, and trace gas production?
• Plant-microbial interactions: How do plant communities interact with soil microorganisms in regulating the C and N fluxes in soil?
• Mechanisms of soil C stabilization: What are the critical physical, chemical, and biological factors that combine to influence the stabilization of C and N in soils? How does the nature of organic matter control pollutant dynamics in soils?

Selected On-going Research Projects:

• Microbial communities as biochemical inputs to forest soil humification processes. NSF (2004-2008)
• Root x microbial interactions in humification and decomposition processes. Kearney Foundation (2003-2007)
• Above versus belowground C and N allocation in temperate forest DOE (2001-2008)
• Soil and microbial community control over black C turnover. CUNY and DOE (2007-2008)

Teaching Philosophy and Interests

A list of classes taught:

Undergraduate Classes

• ENSCI 111 Introduction to the Environment
• ENSCI 383/Geol 393 Soils in the Environment

Graduate Classes

• GEOL 768 Soils, Wetlands and Bioremediation
• GEOL 799.1 Current Topics in Biogeochemistry

Selected Publications

Bird, J.A. and M.S. Torn. 2006. Fine roots versus needles: A comparison of 13C and 15N dynamics in a Ponderosa pine forest soil. Biogeochemistry 79:361-382.

Bird, J.A., van Kessel, C. and W.R. Horwath. 2003. Stabilization of 13C-carbon and immobilization of 15N-nitrogen from rice straw in humic fractions. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 67:806-815.

Torn, M.S., Davis, S., Bird J.A., Shaw, M.R. and M. Conrad. 2003. Automated analyses of 13C/12C ratios in CO2 and dissolved inorganic carbon for ecological and environmental applications. Rapid Commun. Mass Spectrom. 17:2575-2582.

Bird, J.A., van Kessel, C. and W.R. Horwath. 2002. Nitrogen dynamics in humic fractions under alternative straw management in temperate rice. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 66:478-488.

Bird, J.A., Pettygrove, G.S., and J.M. Eadie. 2000. The impact of waterfowl foraging on the decomposition of rice straw: mutual benefits for rice growers and waterfowl. J. Appl. Ecol. 37:728-741.