Wendy M. Mahaney, PhD
Phone: |
440.946.4400, ext. 265 |  |
E-mail: |
wendy.mahaney@case.edu | |
Title: |
Case Western Reserve University Postdoctoral Scholar | |
Education: |
Ph.D. 2007, Michigan State University M.S. 2001, Penn State University B.S. 1999, Cornell University |
Curriculum Vitae
Research Interests
Human activities, such as land use change and the introduction of invasive species, can dramatically affect ecosystem structure and function. My research focuses on how human activities alter the relationships between plant communities and their soil environment. Many factors affect plant community composition, including availability of seeds, soil fertility and competitive interactions between species. Disturbances can affect these and other environmental factors, thereby altering plant community composition and function. One theme of my research has been to understand how communities are affected by human disturbances at a variety of scales, from individual plants to whole communities, and what the implications of these changes in plant communities are for ecosystem processes and services. Thus, I am interested in the relationships between plant species, plant communities and ecosystem processes (i.e., carbon and nutrient cycling). Understanding the linkages between plant species and soil processes is imperative to improving our ability to predict how future disturbances may affect both plant communities and ecosystem processes.
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For me, research begins with an observation that sparks my curiosity, which then leads to an interesting question about how something functions or interacts. Then, I think of ways to empirically answer that question, which invariably leads to more questions and more experiments. I find this iterative process of learning exciting and it fuels my passion for science and research, a passion which I hope to share with others. I have worked in a variety of ecosystems, including forests, wetlands and successional fields. My empirical approaches include a mix of observational studies, greenhouse and laboratory experiments, and field manipulations. I employ a variety of techniques such as biogeochemical process rate measurements, natural abundance isotopic analyses, plant trait measurements, plant community metrics, basic soil chemistry and molecular-based microbial analyses.
My research is driven by answering questions that intrigue me, rather than a desire to work in a particular system, so I expect my research projects to be flexible and constantly evolving. My current research focuses on strengthening the mechanistic connections between plant species, plant traits and soil processes. I study the impacts of invasive species on plant communities and ecosystem processes; in particular to focus on the potential of invasive species to create positive feedbacks that maintain their competitive advantage in systems. I am interested in exploring relationships between global change and species invasions, and how these factors may interact to alter plant diversity and soil processes. A greater understanding of the interactions between disturbances, plant traits, and soil properties is needed to achieve this goal.
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Current Projects
- Impacts of Invasion and Disturbance on Wetland Ecosystems (more).
- Disturbance effects on forested ecosystems in the Great Lakes Region (more).
- After the disturbance: restoring native prairie grasses into abandoned agricultural fields (more).
Publications
Mahaney, W.M. 2009. Plant controls on decomposition rates: the benefits of restoring abandoned agricultural lands with native prairie grasses. Plant and Soil in press.
Mahaney, W.M., K.A. Smemo, and K.L. Gross. 2008. Decadal scale impacts of C4 grass re-introductions on soil carbon and nitrogen cycling in successional ecosystems. Oecologia 157:295–305.
Mahaney, W.M., K.A. Smemo, and J.B. Yavitt. 2006. Impacts of Lythrum salicaria invasion on plant community and soil properties in two wetlands in Central New York, USA. Canadian Journal of Botany 84: 477-484.
Miller, S.J., D.H. Wardrop, W.M. Mahaney and R.P. Brooks. 2006. A plant-based index of biological integrity (IBI) for headwater wetlands in central Pennsylvania. Ecological Indicators 6(2): 290-312.
Mahaney, W.M., D.H. Wardrop, and R.P. Brooks. 2004. Impacts of stressors on the germination and growth of 14 wetland plant species in Pennsylvania, USA. Wetlands 24: 538-549.
Mahaney, W.M., D.H. Wardrop, and R.P. Brooks. 2004. Impacts of human-mediated stressors on wetland plant community development. Plant Ecology 175: 227-243.
