Catherine Zabinski
Associate Professor; Ph.D. 1991, University of Minnesota; B.A. 1983, College of St. Benedict, Minnesota. My work in belowground ecology takes place in the context of restoration, comparing disturbed, undisturbed and restored sites; in the context of natural extreme sites, particularly the thermal sites in Yellowstone National Park; and increasingly on questions related to sustainable agriculture. I am interested in mycorrhizal ecology, root system dynamics, plant-microbe interactions, and soil processes including decomposition and nutrient cycling.
Recent Publications:
- Lekberg, Y., J. Meadow, J.R. Rohr, D. Redecker, C. A. Zabinski. 2011. Importance of dispersal and thermal environment for mycorrhizal communities: Lessons from Yellowstone National Park. Ecology, 92: 1292-1302.
- DeLuca, T. and C. Zabinski. 2011. Prairie ecosystems and the carbon problem. Ecological Frontiers, doi: 10.1890/100063
- Taylor, C., O. Stein, P. Hook, and C. Zabinski. 2011. Seasonal effects of 19 plant species on COD removal in subsurface treatment wetland microcosms. Ecological Engineering, 37: 197-203.
- Hoeksema, J., V. Chaudhary, C. Gehring, N. Johnson, J. Karst, R. Koide, A. Pringle, C. Zabinski, J. Bever, J. Moore, G. Wilson, J. Klironomos, John; J. Umbanhowar. 2010. A meta-analysis of context dependency in plant response to mycorrhizal fungi. Ecology Letters. 13: 394-407.
- Bunn, R., Y. Lekberg, C. Zabinski. 2009. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi ameliorate temperature stress in thermophilic plants. Ecology. 90:1378-88
Recent Grants:
- “Using cover crop mixtures to improve soil health in low rainfall areas of the northern Plains”, Western SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Extension), with Perry Miller and Clain Jones, 2011-2014
- “Nutritional value of locally grown vegetables: Determining management effects and marketing potential”, Montana Department of Agriculture Specialty Crop Grant, with Bruce Maxwell and Karin Neff, 2010-2013
- “Understanding carbon dynamics: Agronomic, socioeconomic, and biophysical tradeoffs in determining the sustainability of multifunctional cropping systems in the Northern Great Plains”, USDA NRI, with Bruce Maxwell, Perry Miller, and David Buschena, 2009-2011
Current Instructional Responsibilities:
- ENSC 499 - LRES Capstone
- ENSC 461 - Restoration Ecology (Fall)
- LRES 561 - BelowGround Plant Ecology (Spring, odd years)
