Physiographic factors, including parent material, topography, climate, soils, and hydrology, are fundamental bottom-up controls on ecosystem functioning. These factors are inter-related, and understanding their roles in shaping overarching, integrative ecosystem functions such as carbon storage and biogeochemical cycling are crucial to appreciating the functioning of ecosystems at larger scales (e.g., watersheds to landscapes). At UMBS, a rich ecosystem classification framework makes it possible to place studies of carbon cycling and biogeochemistry in a larger spatial and conceptual realm. I will offer results and synthesis from several UMBS-based projects aimed at understanding C cycling and biogeochemical processes in soils and vegetation, focusing on three key findings: 1) Physiographic factors explain the spatial distribution of carbon stocks across the landscape; 2) Pedogenic pathways control the fate of the largest carbon stocks on the landscape; 3) Groundwater is the most important physical force shaping soil development, carbon distribution and biogeochemical cycling on the landscape.

Light refreshments served at 4 p.m.