Kara Webster - Soil biogeochemistry

Name:  Kara Webster
Field of Expertise: Soil biogeochemistry
Education: Ph.D. in Biology and Environmental Science, University of Western Ontario
Works at: Natural Resources Canada’s Great Lakes Forestry Centre in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario

What she studies

Kara is interested in understanding how soil works to support natural forests, and how forest management and climate change impact the key ecosystem services they provide (e.g., water storage and carbon sequestration). She does this by combining field monitoring, empirical and ecosystem modelling, and GIS mapping to investigate soil processes across various spatial scales.

What is the importance of her research?

Kara’s research will provide knowledge to better understand the role of soils as an ecological indicator of productive forests. In particular, her work addresses the uncertainties of soil dynamics (e.g., decomposition, nutrient cycling) to inter-annual variability in weather conditions, climate change and the impact of forest management. This knowledge will be used to improve policies for forest sustainability and carbon management in a changing climate.

Current research projects

Mapping critical source areas in forests on complex terrain (Forest Ecosystem Integrity and Dynamics: Turkey Lakes Watershed). The impact of silviculture methods such as biomass removal for bioenergy production on soil microbial function and nutrient cycling (Bioenergy: Chapleau jack pine biomass trial). Carbon dynamics and greenhouse gas production of boreal wetlands and permafrost peatlands (Carbon: White River, Hudson Plain).

Interesting fact

The soil beneath our feet breathes as a result of the metabolism of millions of micro-organisms such as fungi and bacteria as they recycle the dead organic matter that accumulates in forests. This “heterotrophic” respiration offsets the carbon dioxide fixed by trees and vegetation through photosynthesis and is very sensitive to changing temperature and moisture conditions. Because of this sensitivity, the magnitude of microbial respiration within the soil is important in determining how much carbon dioxide our forests can store.

Key publications:

Webster, K.L., Creed, I.F., Beall, F.D., Bourbonniere, R.A. (2011). A topographic template for estimating soil carbon pools in forested catchments. Geoderma, 160, 457 - 467.

Webster, K.L., McLaughlin, J.W. (2010). Importance of the water table in controlling dissolved carbon along a fen nutrient gradient. Soil Science Society of America, 74, 2254 - 2266.

Webster, K.L., Creed, I.F., Beall, F.D., Bourbonniere, R.A. (2008). Sensitivity of catchment-aggregated estimates of soil carbon dioxide efflux to topography under different climatic conditions. Journal of Geophysical Research, 113, 1 - 14.

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