Agroecology Lab
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Jennifer DenbowM.Sc. Student
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EDUCATION
M.S., Soils and Biogeochemistry, University of California, Davis (in progress).
B.S., Hydrogeology and Environmental Sciences, University of Texas at Austin. 2007.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
My undergraduate thesis in hydrogeology, and subsequent research in the Geology Department at the University of Texas at Austin, was based on the isolation, identification and ecological characterization of an arsenite-oxidizing microorganism found in the discharge waters of the El Tatio Geyser Field in northern Chile. This research is presently being prepared for publication. I hope that one day such research will lead to methods that can improve the quality of arsenic contaminated drinking water, a problem in many countries worldwide.
My graduate studies at UC Davis will focus on different microbial communities, but continue my interest and concern with improving quality of life for people in developing nations. Specifically, my studies will center on how microbial communities in soils impact the accumulation of soil organic matter (SOM), an important consideration in the sustainability of agricultural systems. Since soil microbial communities play an integral role in long term SOM stabilization, it is important to understand how they are affected by environmental parameters and agricultural management practices. I am particularly interested in how organic resources and mineral nutrients combine to affect microbial community structure and activity in differing soil ecologies and climates.