Scott Bailey, a geoecologist from Northern Research Station of the US Forest Service, joins us this week to work on our ongoing research project at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in New Hampshire. Last summer, we were awarded an NSF grant, along with colleagues Tom Bullen and Don Ross, to examine the coupling between soil and hydrological processes that control soil development, runoff generation and solute export from catchments in the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest. We call the project our hydropedology study as it focuses on the formation, distribution, and morphology of soils and their feedbacks with hydrology and water chemistry. We are gearing up for our first major field season this spring and kicking off JP’s dissertation project. We have lots to do this week! We are working on manuscripts from Patricia Brousseau’s and Maggie Zimmer’s REU projects and beginning to discuss the goals and objectives for JP’s study. Not mention, JP is planning to spend a few months at Hubbard Brook this spring/summer and there are many activities to plan. We are about to order some soil moisture monitoring equipment, dataloggers, and pore water samplers that he will install this summer.
On Friday, we’re meeting with a few faculty to discuss our work and with the forest soils discussion group where we’ll discuss our project in a mini-seminar. It should be a fun week!