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Dr. Michelle Wong

Biogeochemist | PhD, Cornell University

www.michelleywong.com

845 677-7600 x129

Dr. Wong's research focuses on how nutrients cycle in the environment and how forests obtain nutrients to grow and support their role in the global carbon cycle.

Current research

Nutrient limitation in regenerating forests

Regenerating secondary tropical forests grow rapidly and are a large land sink for anthropogenic carbon dioxide. A key uncertainty in climate forecasts is whether secondary forests will continue to take up carbon dioxide at the same rates indefinitely, or whether nutrients will eventually limit growth. To combat nutrient limitation, tree species may use different nutrient acquisition strategies.

Dr. Wong will be studying the role individual species have in responding to nutrient conditions. This will help us predict future forest productivity under global change.

Zhou, Yong, Arielle Biro, Michelle Y. Wong, Sarah A. Batterman, and Carla Staver. 2022. “Fire Decreases Soil Enzyme Activities And Reorganizes Microbially Mediated Nutrient Cycles: A Meta‐Analysis”. Ecology 103 (11). Wiley. doi:10.1002/ecy.3807.
Fork, M.L., Elsa C. Anderson, Adrian Castellanos, Ilya R. Fischhoff, Marissa Matsler, Chelsey Nieman, Isabella Oleksy, and Michelle Y. Wong. (OCT) 2021. “Creating Community: A Peer-Led, Adaptable Postdoc Program To Build Transferable Career Skills And Overcome Isolation”. Ecosphere 12 (10). doi:10.1002/ecs2.3767.
Almaraz, Maya, Michelle Y. Wong, EK Geoghegan, and BZ Houlton. 2021. “A Review Of Carbon Farming Impacts On Nitrogen Cycling, Retention, And Loss”. Annals Of The New York Academy Of Sciences. doi:10.1111/nyas.14690.
Soper, Fiona M., Benton N. Taylor, Joy B. Winbourne, Michelle Y. Wong, Katherine A. Dynarski, Carla R. G. Reis, Mark B. Peoples, et al. 2021. “A Roadmap For Sampling And Scaling Biological Nitrogen Fixation In Terrestrial Ecosystems”. Jessica Royles. Methods In Ecology And Evolution. Wiley. doi:10.1111/2041-210x.13586.
Wong, Michelle Y., Sagar D. Rathod, Roxanne Marino, Longlei Li, Robert W. Howarth, Andres Alastuey, Maria Grazia, et al. 2021. “Anthropogenic Perturbations To The Atmospheric Molybdenum Cycle”. Global Biogeochemical Cycles 35 (2). American Geophysical Union (AGU). doi:10.1029/2020gb006787.
Cusack, DF, SD Addo-Danso, EA Agee, KM Andersen, M Arnaud, Sarah A. Batterman, FQ Brearley, et al. (DEC 2) 2021. “Tradeoffs And Synergies In Tropical Forest Root Traits And Dynamics For Nutrient And Water Acquisition: Field And Modeling Advances”. Frontiers In Forests And Global Change 4. doi:10.3389/ffgc.2021.704469.
Wong, Michelle Y., Natalie M. Mahowald, Roxanne Marino, Earle R. Williams, Shankar Chellam, and Robert W. Howarth. 2020. “Natural Atmospheric Deposition Of Molybdenum: A Global Model And Implications For Tropical Forests”. Biogeochemistry 149 (2). Springer Science and Business Media LLC: 159-174. doi:10.1007/s10533-020-00671-w.