Association of Southeastern Biologists

Mike Madritch
Assistant Professor
Ph.D. University of Georgia

madritchmd@appstate.edu
828-262-7793
Rankin South 216

Ph.D. Ecology; Institute of Ecology; University of Georgia; Athens, GA; 2002
B.S. Biochemistry; North Carolina State University; Raleigh, NC; 1998
B.S. Biological Sciences; North Carolina State University; Raleigh, NC; 1998
B.A. Chemistry; North Carolina State University; Raleigh, NC; 1998

Areas of expertise:

• Ecosystem processes
• Terrestrial biogeochemistry, nutrient cycling
• Plant-animal interactions
• Community and ecosystem process linkages
• Biodiversity (intra- and interspecific) influences on community and ecosystem processes
• Invasive species

Research:

My research focuses on linking population and community processes with ecosystem functions. I am interested in how global changes—such as reductions in biodiversity, shifts in atmospheric chemistry, and spread of invasive species—influence critical ecosystem services. A common theme of my past and current work has been the effects of plant genetic variation on nutrient cycling and carbon flux in temperate forest ecosystems. Current emphases also include how plant secondary metabolites and invasive species influence nutrient fluxes and soil microbial communities. Alterations in fundamental ecosystem processes affect all biota, and my work has contributed important insights into how humans influence these natural processes.

Selected Publications:

Schweitzer, J.A., Madritch, M.D., Bailey, J.K., LeRoy, C.J., Fischer, D.G., Rehill, B.J., Lindroth, R.L., Wooley, S.C., Hart, S.C., Whitham, T.G. In press. Ecological impacts of condensed tannins in plants: a genes-to-ecosystem approach. Ecosystems.

Madritch, M.D., and R.L. Lindroth. In press. Removal of invasive shrubs reduces exotic earthworm populations. Biological Invasions.

Griffiths, R.P., Madritch, M.D., and A.K. Swanson. In press. The effects of topography on forest soil characteristics in the Oregon Cascade Mountains, (USA): implications for the effects of climate change on soil properties. Forest Ecology and Management.

Madritch, M.D., L.M. Jordan, and R.L. Lindroth. 2007. Interactive effects of condensed tannin and cellulose additions on soil respiration. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 37: 2063-2067.

Madritch, M.D., and B.J. Cardinale. 2007. Impacts of tree species diversity on litter decomposition in northern temperate forests of Wisconsin: a multi-site experiment along a latitudinal gradient. Plant and Soil 292: 147-159.

Madritch, M.D., J.R. Donaldson, and R.L. Lindroth. 2007. Canopy herbivory mediates the influence of plant genotype on soil processes through frass deposition. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 39: 1192-1201.

Madritch, M.D., J.R. Donaldson, and R.L. Lindroth. 2006. Genetic identity of Populus tremuloides litter influences decomposition and nutrient release in a mixed forest stand. Ecosystems 9: 528-537.