Biography
I was born and raised in Hamilton, New York (USA) on a dairy farm, my
first experience studying plant/soil interactions! I received a BA in
Biology (1982) with a minor in Environmental Studies from Williams College
(Williamstown, MA). After graduation, I spent almost one year in India
as an agricultural research intern, then worked as a laboratory technician
for the Hubbard Brook Ecosystem Project. Following a one year internship
at the Rodale Research Center in Kutztown, PA, I entered graduate school
at Colorado State University (Fort Collins, CO). While at Colorado State,
I completed my MSc. (Dept. of Agronomy: Soil Science/Ecology (1991)),
and my Ph.D (Dept. of Forest Sciences: Forest Ecology (1996)) –
both theses explored the impacts of plant/soil interactions on ecosystem
processes. I then went to work at Landcare Research in Palmerston North
New Zealand (until 2000), where I applied my experience in plant/soil
interactions and contributed to the development of a national carbon monitoring
system for plants and soils. I also studied land-use impacts, particularly
afforestation and reforestation, on greenhouse gas emissions. This experience
introduced me to the excitement of interdisciplinary research, and the
rewards of applying my research to national policy development. I joined
the staff at the Woods Hole Research Center in 2000, continuing with my
research on land-use change and greenhouse gas emissions. I joined the
Geography Department at Queen’s in 2005 as a Canada Research Chair
(II) in Greenhouse Gas Dynamics and Ecosystem Management.
Teaching Interests
GPHY 207 Principles of Biogeography
GPHY 819 Modeling the Earth System
I currently teach two courses. GPHY 207 explores the ecological, biological,
and environmental factors that control the distribution and abundance
of organisms. Particular emphasis is given to current issues such as the
impact of invasive species on biogeographical patterns. My graduate course
(GPHY 819) will introduce students to basic concepts and tools needed
to incorporate simulation modeling into their research. Topics include:
systems modeling, model analysis, model comparison.
In the future, I plan to develop an additional undergraduate course exploring
Soils in the Environment. This course will have a strong field and laboratory
component geared towards understanding how physical, chemical, and biological
processes interact in soils. I also plan to develop a graduate course
in Carbon Cycle Science.
All of my courses will include a strong writing component, and encourage
students to connect what they learn in class to real-life issues. When
possible, field work will be integrated into my courses.
Research
My research program strives to increase our understanding of the processes
of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling in terrestrial ecosystems, and
how human-induced disturbances influence these processes. Perturbation
of these cycles has enormous consequences to humans. Changes in the C
cycle, particularly those that release C to the atmosphere, will contribute
to rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and rates of climatic
change. Nitrogen deposition may enhance forest growth rates, but excess
N can lead to reduced soil and water quality and increased emissions of
greenhouse gases such as N2O. The key questions I am addressing at present
include 1) how do forest management practices and other disturbances,
particularly non-stand-replacing events, alter rates of C exchange with
the atmosphere 2) how will soil disturbance and climate-related shifts
in plant community distribution in the high Arctic influence soil biogeochemical
processes 3) what is the fate of different forms of N added to forest
ecosystems, and how does this exogenous N influence rates of C exchange
between the forest and the atmosphere, and 4) is biomass production for
bioenergy sustainable, and how does it impact the climate system (both
through GHG production and changes in surface reflectance). I am also
interested in the impact of invasive plant species on plant/soil interactions,
and the impact of historical land-use patterns on contemporary C and N
cycling processes. My research approach includes field studies, development
and testing of process-based terrestrial C and N cycling models, and use
of remote sensing and GIS to extrapolate research results in space and
time. When possible, I try to use my research results to help address
key environmental policy issues.
Current funded projects include:
High Arctic hydrological, landscape and ecosystem responses to climate
change: integrated watershed research and modeling at the Cape Bounty
Arctic Watershed Observatory, Melville Island. (ArcticNet, 2007, CO-PI)
Nitrogen fixation, hydrogen production, and N2O emissions. (Green Crop
Network (NSERC), 2007, CO-PI)
Optimizing Ontario-based Wood Pellet Production for Co-firing and Market
Development and Penetration – Atikokan (Ontario Center for Excellence,
2007, CO-PI)
Climate change and permafrost impacts on High Arctic watershed fluxes:
Cape Bounty, Melville
Island experimental watershed observatory (Canadian IPY Program, 2007,
CO-PI)
Carbon and Water Cycling in Boreal Mixedwood Forests. Canadian Carbon
Program, Ontario Flux Station (Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric
Studies, 2007, CO-PI).
Land-use change impacts on carbon and nitrogen cycling and greenhouse
gas emissions (NSERC Discovery Grant, 2006, PI)
Renewal of Collaborative Research: Economically viable forest harvesting
practices that increase carbon sequestration (Dept. of Energy, USA, 2006,
CO-PI)
Using model analyses and surface-atmosphere exchange measurements from
the Howland
AmeriFlux Supersite in Maine, USA, to improve understanding of forest
ecosystem C cycling
(US Dept. of Energy, 2006, CO-PI)
Laboratory instruments and Field Equipment to Examine Land-Use Change
Effects on Carbon and Nitrogen Cycling in Canadian Ecosystems (Ontario
Ministry of Research and Innovation, 2006, PI)
Laboratory instruments and Field Equipment to Examine Land-Use Change
Effects on Carbon and Nitrogen Cycling in Canadian Ecosystems (Canada
Foundation for Innovation, 2006, PI)
Laboratory instruments and Field Equipment to Examine Land-Use Change
Effects on Carbon and Nitrogen Cycling in Canadian Ecosystems (Queen’s
University, 2006, PI)
Linking forest structure to viable development pathways of diversely
managed northern conifers: a pilot study exploring the potential of FIA
data for modeling regional carbon dynamics (USDA – NSRC program,
2006, CO-PI)
Proposals pending:
Opportunities for Rural Economic Development in Ontario’s Emerging
Bioeconomy. Ontario Research Foundation (2008 submitted, CO-PI).
Precision Planning Inventory Tools for Forest Value Enhancement (Forestry
Product Innovations/NSERC). Letter of intent submitted Nov. 2008.
Publications
Dail, D.B., D.Y. Hollinger, E.A. Davidson, H.C Sievering, N.A. Scott,
J.T. Lee, E. Gaige. 2008. Distribution of 15N Tracers Applied to the Canopy
of a Mature Spruce-Hemlock Stand, Howland, Maine, USA. Oecologia in press.
Scott, N.A., and S. Brown. 2008. Measuring the Decomposition of Down
Dead Wood. In: C.M. Hoover (ed) Field Measurements for Forest Carbon Monitoring:
A Landscape-Scale Approach. Springer, New York. pp113-128.
Karberg, N., N.A. Scott, C. Giardina. 2008. Methods for estimating litter
decomposition. In: C.M. Hoover (ed) Field Measurements for Forest Carbon
Monitoring: A Landscape-Scale Approach. Springer, New York. pp103-112.
Tate, K.R., D.J. Ross, N.A. Scott, N. Rodda, J.A. Townsend, and G.C.
Arnold. 2006. Post-harvest patterns of carbon dioxide production, methane
uptake and nitrous oxide production in a Pinus radiata D.Don plantation
of high nitrogen status. Forest Ecology and Manag. 228: 40-50.
White, J.D., and N.A. Scott. 2006. Specific Leaf Area and Nitrogen Distribution
in New Zealand Forests: Species Independently Respond to Intercepted Light.
Forest Ecology and Manag. 226: 319-329.
White, J.D., N.A. Scott, A.I. Hirsch, and S.W. Running. 2006. 3-PG productivity
modeling of regenerating Amazon forests: Climate sensitivity and comparison
with MODIS-derived NPP. Earth Interactions 10: Paper 8, pp. 1-26.
Scott, N.A., K.R. Tate, D.J. Ross, and A. Parshotam. 2006. Processes
influencing soil carbon storage following afforestation of pasture with
Pinus radiata at different stocking densities in New Zealand. Australian
Journal of Soil Research 44: 85-96.
Tate, K.R., R.H.Wilde, D. J.Giltrap, W.T.Baisden, S. Saggar, N.A.Trustrum,
N.A.Scott, and J.P.Barton. 2005. Soil organic carbon stocks and flows
in New Zealand: System development, measurement and modeling. Can. J.
Soil Sci. 85:481-489
Trotter, C.M., Tate, K.R., Scott, N.A., Townsend, J.A., Wilde, R.H.,
Lambie, S., Marden, M., and Pinkney, E. 2005. Afforestation/Reforestation
of New Zealand marginal pasture lands by indigenous shrublands: the potential
for Kyoto forest sinks. Ann. For. Sci. 62:865-872.
Tate, K.R., R.H. Wilde, D.J. Giltrap, W.T. Baisden, S. Saggar, N.A. Trustrum,
N.A. Scott. 2004. Soil carbon changes and uncertainties with New Zealand
land-use change. Proceedings of the joint New Zealand, Australia Soil
Science Society Meeting, December 2004. Sydney, Australia. www.regional.org.au/au/asssi/
Trotter, C.M., K.R. Tate, G.M.J. Hall, I.J. Payton, N.A. Scott, and R.H.
Wilde. 2004. Carbon inventory and its potential application to CDM projects:
the New Zealand experience. Proceedings of the International Conference
on Tropical Forests and Climate Change: Carbon Sequestration and the Clean
Development Mechanism, Manila, Philippines, Sept. 2003. Environmental
Forestry Programme, College of Forestry and Natural Resources, University
of the Philippines Los Baänos, Laguna, Philippines. pp. 28–47.
Hollinger, D.Y., J. Aber, B. Dail, E.A. Davidson, S.M. Goltz, H. Hughes,
M.Y. Leclerc, J.T. Lee, A.D. Richardson, C. Rodrigues, N. A. Scott, D.
Achuatavarier and J. Walsh. 2004. Spatial and temporal variability in
forest-atmosphere CO2 exchange. Global Change Biology 10: 1689-1706.
Whitehead, D., A.S. Walcroft, N.A. Scott, J.A. Townsend, C.M. Trotter,
G.N.D. Rogers. 2004. Characteristics of photosynthesis and stomatal conductance
in the shrubland species manuka (Leptospermum scoparium) and kanuka (Kunzea
ericoides) for the estimation of annual canopy carbon uptake. Tree Physiology
24: 795-804.
Scott, N.A., C.A. Rodrigues, H. Hughes, J.T. Lee, E.A. Davidson, D.B.
Dail, P. Malerba, D.Y. Hollinger. 2004. Changes in carbon storage and
net carbon exchange one year after an initial shelterwood harvest at Howland
Forest, ME. Environmental Management 33 (Suppl. 1): S9-S22.
Hirsch, A.I., W.S. Little, R.A. Houghton, N.A. Scott, J.D. White. 2004.
The net carbon flux due to deforestation and forest re-growth in the Brazilian
Amazon: Analysis using a process-based model. Global Change Biology 10:
908-924.
Coops, N.C., J.D. White, and N.A. Scott. 2004. Estimating fragmentation
effects on simulated forest net primary productivity derived from satellite
imagery. International Journal of Remote Sensing 20:819-838.
Standish, R.J., P.A. Williams, A.W. Robertson, N.A. Scott, and D.I. Hedderley.
2004. Invasion by a perennial herb increases decomposition rate and alters
nutrient availability in warm temperate lowland forest remnants. Biological
Invasions 6:71-82.
Trotter, C.M., K R Tate, S Saggar, N A Scott, and M A Sutherland. 2003.
A multi-scale analysis of a national terrestrial carbon budget: Uncertainty
reduction and the effects of land-use change. In: Global Environmental
Change in the Ocean and on Land (Editors: M Shiyomi, H. Kawahata, H. Koizumi,
A Tsuda, and Y Awaya), Terrapub, Tokyo, p311–342.
Parfitt, R.L., N.A. Scott, D.J. Ross, G.J. Salt, K.R. Tate. 2003. Land-use
effects on soil C and N transformation in soil of high N status: comparisons
under indigenous forest, pine plantation and pasture. Biogeochemistry
66:203-221
Halliday, J., K.R. Tate, R.E. McMurtrie, and N.A. Scott. 2003. Mechanisms
for changes in soil C storage with pasture to Pinus radiata land-use change.
Global Change Biology 4:1294-1308.
Tate, K.R., J.P. Barton, N.A. Trustrum, W.T. Baisden, S. Saggar, R.H.
Wilde, D.J. Giltrap, and N.A. Scott. 2003. Monitoring and modeling soil
organic carbon stocks and flows in New Zealand. Pages 253–268 in
C.A.Scott-Smith ed. Soil organic carbon and agriculture: Developing indicators
for policy analysis, Proceedings of an OECD Expert Meeting, Ottawa, Canada,
October 2002. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Organisation for Economic
Co-operation and Development, Paris.
Tate, K.R., N.A. Scott, S. Saggar, D.J. Giltrap, W.T. Baisden, P.F. Newsome,
C.M. Trotter and R.H. Wilde. 2003. Land-use change alters New Zealand’s
terrestrial carbon budget: reducing uncertainties associated with estimates
of soil carbon change. Tellus 55B: 364-377.
Ross, D.J., K.R. Tate, N.A. Scott, R.H. Wilde, N.J. Rodda and J.A. Townsend.
2002. Afforestation of pastures with Pinus radiata influences soil carbon
and nitrogen pools and mineralisation and microbial properties. Australian
Journal of Soil Research 40:1303-1318.
Coops, N.C., J.D. White, and N.A. Scott. 2002. Assessment of regional
forest and scrub productivity using a coupled vegetation process model
with remote sensing. Geocarto 17(4):3-12.
Coomes, D.A., R.B. Allen, N.A. Scott, C. Goulding, and P. Beets. 2002.
Designing systems to monitor carbon stocks in forests and shrublands.
Forest Ecology and Management 164:89-108.
Scott, N.A., K.R. Tate, D.J. Giltrap, C.T. Smith, H.R. Wilde, P.J.F.
Newsome, and M.R. Davis. 2002. Monitoring land-use change effects on soil
carbon in New Zealand: quantifying baseline soil carbon stocks. Environmental
Pollution 116: S167–S186.
McMurtrie, R.E., J.C. Halliday, R.C. Dewar, K.R. Tate, M. Corbeels, and
N.A. Scott. 2001. Modelling long-term changes in forest productivity and
soil nitrogen supply following conversion of pasture to Pinus radiata
plantation. In Models for the Sustainable Management of Temperate Plantation
Forests. Jean-Michel Carnus, Roderick Dewar, Denis Loustau, Margarida
Tome and Christophe Orazio (eds.). EPI Proceedings No. 41, 2001. pp 59-70.
Ross, D.J., N.A. Scott, K.R. Tate, N.J. Rodda, J. Townsend. 2001. Root
effects on soil carbon and nitrogen cycling in a Pinus radiata D.Don plantation
on a coastal sand. Australian Journal of Soil Research 39:1027-1039.
Ehrenfeld, J.G., and N.A. Scott. 2001. Invasive species and the soil:
effects on organisms and ecosystem processes. Ecological Applications
11:1259-1260.
Scott, N.A., G.E. Likens, J.S. Eaton and T.G. Siccama. 2001. Loss of
trace metals following whole-tree harvest of a northern hardwood forest.
Biogeochemistry 54:197-217.
Scott, N.A., S. Saggar, and P.D. McIntosh. 2001. Biogeochemical impact
of Hiercium invasion in New Zealand's grazed tussock grasslands: sustainability
implications. Ecological Applications 11:1311-1322.
Scott, N.A., J.D. White, J. Townsend, D. Whitehead, J. Leathwick, G.
Hall, M. Marden, G. Rogers, A. Watson, and P. Whaley. 2000. Carbon and
nitrogen distribution and accumulation in a New Zealand scrubland ecosystem.
Canadian Journal of Forest Research 30:1246-1255.
White, J.D., N.C. Coops, and N.A. Scott. 2000. Estimates of indigenous
New Zealand forest and scrub biomass from the 3-PG model. Ecological Modelling
131:175-190.
Tate, K.R., N.A. Scott, A. Parshotam, L. Brown, R.H. Wilde, D.J. Giltrap,
N.A. Trustrum, B. Gomez, and D.J. Ross. 2000. A multi-scale analysis of
a terrestrial carbon budget: is New Zealand a source or sink of carbon?
Agriculture, Ecosystems, and Environment 82:229-246.
Percival, H.J., R.L. Parfitt and N.A. Scott. 2000. Factors controlling
soil carbon in New Zealand grassland soils: is clay important? Soil Science
Society of America Journal 64:1623-1630.
White, J.D., C. Trotter, L. Brown, and N.A. Scott. 2000. Nitrogen concentration
in New Zealand vegetation foliage derived from laboratory and field spectrometry.
International Journal of Remote Sensing 21:2525-2531.
Tate, K.R., N.A. Scott, D.J. Ross, A. Parshotam, and J.J. Claydon. 2000.
Plant effects on soil carbon storage and turnover in an adjacent forest
and grassland. Australian Journal of Soil Science 38:685-698.
Pairman, D., S. McNeill, N. Scott, and S. Belliss. 1999. Vegetation identification
and biomass estimation using AIRSAR data. Geocarto 14:67-75.
Scott, N.A., K.R. Tate, J. Ford-Robertson, D.J. Giltrap, C.T. Smith.
1999. Soil carbon storage in plantation forests and pastures: land use
change implications. Tellus 51B:326-335.
Ross, D.J., K.R. Tate, N.A. Scott, and C.W. Feltham. 1999. Land-use changes
in three adjoining catchments: effects on soil carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus
pools and fluxes. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 31:803-813.
Scott, N.A., R. Parfitt, D. Ross, and G. Salt. 1998. Carbon and nitrogen
transformations in New Zealand plantation forest soils from sites with
different N status. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 28:967-976.
Scott, N.A. 1998. Soil aggregation and organic matter mineralization
in forests and grasslands: plant species effects. Soil Science Society
of America Journal 62:1081-1089.
Arneth, A., F.M. Kelliher, S.T. Gower, N.A. Scott, J.N. Byers, and T.M.
McSeveny. 1998. Physical variables regulating soil carbon dioxide efflux
following clear-cutting of a Pinus radiata D.Don plantation. Journal of
Geophysical Research 103:5695-5705.
Parfitt, R., L. Hill, and N. A. Scott. 1998. Does contact of Pinus radiata
slash with soil influence post-harvest nutrient losses? New Zealand Journal
of Forestry Science 27:174-187.
Scott, N.A., and D. Binkley. 1997. Foliage litter quality and annual
net N mineralization: comparison across North American forest sites. Oecologia
111:151-159.
McIntosh, P.D., R.B. Allen, and N.A. Scott. 1997. Effects of exclosure
and management on biomass and soil nutrient pools in seasonally dry high
country, New Zealand. Journal of Environmental Management 51:169-186.
Scott, N.A., C.V. Cole, E.T. Elliott, and S.A. Huffman. 1996. Soil textural
control on decomposition and soil organic matter dynamics. Soil Science
Society of America Journal 60:1102-1109.
Huffman, S.A., C.V. Cole, and N.A. Scott. 1996. Soil texture and residue
addition effects on soil phosphorus transformations. Soil Science Society
of America Journal 60:1095-1101.
Motavalli, P., S.D. Frey, and N.A. Scott. 1995. Effects of filter type
and extraction efficiency on nitrogen mineralization measurements using
the aerobic leaching soil incubation method. Biology and Fertility of
Soils 20:197-204.
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Dr.
Neal Scott
Biography