Megan Wilcots

Megan Wilcots researches how the timing and intensity of warming events in the Arctic affects nitrogen fixation and carbon uptake in tundra plant communities

Megan received her PhD in Ecology from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities and her BA in Environmental Biology with a focus on Ecology and Evolution from Columbia University. Her research experience has spanned from the tropics to the poles, with a focus on how global change affects carbon uptake of ecosystems. Her dissertation research focused on how nitrogen deposition affects plant community composition and ecosystem carbon storage in Minnesota grasslands. She also works in the Arctic, understanding how nutrient release from permafrost thaw may restructure Arctic ecosystems.
 
Megan is the first Global Change Postdoctoral Fellow from the Arnold Arboretum, a position she holds jointly with her HUCE fellowship. As a Fellow, Megan works with Professor Ben Taylor to study how Arctic heatwaves alter nitrogen fixation and carbon uptake. 

Faculty Host: Ben Taylor, Faculty of Arts and Sciences