Frances Podrebarac

 

I am currently a Ph.D. Candidate at Memorial University (Environmental Sciences) in the Biogeochemistry of Boreal Ecosystems Research Group (BBERG) and supported by NSERC-CREATE Training Program in Climate Science. My current research is focused on soil carbon and nutrient cycling within the Newfoundland Labrador Boreal Ecosystem Latitudinal Transect (NL-BELT). I am utilizing the results of laboratory incubations to develop an understanding of climate impacts on boreal forest soil carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus reservoirs. I am also currently completing a soil survey to further investigate deep soil carbon, soil nutrients, and soil mineralogy across the NL-BELT. The long-term objective of my research is to apply this understanding to soil profiles in situ within different climate regimes to enable the interpretation of climate impacts on soil carbon and nutrient stocks.

I received my M.Sc. in Soil Sciences and B.Sc. in Crop and Weed Sciences from the North Dakota State University (Fargo). During my M.Sc., I investigated the effect of iron deficiency chlorosis of soybeans on associated symbioses for which I was awarded the North Dakota Soybean Council scholarship. As an undergraduate, I received the Plant Sciences Research Fellowship where I focused on production agriculture specifically dry bean variety trials. My interest in environmental research and educational outreach developed from an internship at the Northern Great Plains Laboratory USDA-ARS (Mandan, ND) with Dr. Rebecca Phillips where we studied greenhouse gasses in prairie and arable soils.

You can reach me via email at: frances.podrebarac@mun.ca

Current Publications and Presentations

Podrebarac, F., Laganiere, J., Billings, S.A., Edwards, K. and S.E. Ziegler (2016) Soils isolated during incubation underestimate temperature sensitivity of respiration and its response to climate history. Soil Biology and Biochemistry. 93: 60-68.

Podrebarac, F.A., R. Dove, S.A. Billings, K. Edwards, and S.E. Ziegler. (2015) Soil Nutrient Status Along a Boreal Forest Climate Transect. ASA-CSSA-SSSA 2015 International Annual Meetings. 16-19 November. Minneapolis, MN.

Podrebarac, F.A., J. Laganière, S.A. Billings, K. Edwards, and S.E. Ziegler (2015) Study of individual soil organic horizon cannot predict the elevated temperature sensitivity of respiration observed in warmer climate boreal forests. Geological Association of Canada Newfoundland and Labrador Section Technical Meeting. 16-17 February. St. John’s, NL.

Podrebarac, F.A., J. Laganière, S.A. Billings, K. Edwards, and S.E. Ziegler (2013) A warmer climate induces greater temperature sensitivity in boreal forest organic horizon soil respiration. American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting. 9-13 December. San Francisco, CA.

Phillips, R.L, F.A. Podrebarac (2009) Net fluxes of CO2, but not N2O or CH4, are affected following agronomic-scale additions of urea to prairie and arable soils. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 51(1):33-39.

 

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