Inland waters are important players in global carbon and nitrogen cycles. They are biogeochemical hotspots and connectors between the land, ocean, and atmosphere. In aquatic ecosystems, high rates of biogeochemical activity and terrestrial subsidies of carbon and nitrogen result in the production and emission of greenhouse gases. My research explores carbon and nitrogen biogeochemistry in freshwater ecosystems, and in this talk, I will use greenhouse gases as a lens into this topic.
Kelly Aho,
Michigan State University
Specifically, I will present on processes controlling production and emission of greenhouse gases, including how inland waters route terrestrially derived solutes to the atmosphere and how direct measurements of greenhouse gases can provide novel insights into existing biogeochemical theory. This work has implications not only for understanding how inland waters function, but also for understanding their response to climate change and potential climate feedbacks.
Professor Kelly Aho is an aquatic biogeochemist interested in carbon and nitrogen cycling in inland waters. She is currently an assistant professor at Michigan State University in the Departments of Earth and Environmental Science and Integrative Biology. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College and an MESc and Ph.D. from Yale University. She completed a postdoc at the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON). She has also worked as a field technician for the USFS in the Tongass National Forest and a sustainable agriculture volunteer for Peace Corps in Panama.