Current Research

Overarching research interests: Effects of anthropogenic disturbances on forested ecosystems of Northeastern North America, with an emphasis on acidic deposition and climate change.

Examples:

• NE Forests 2100: The effects of climate change on forest ecosystems of the northeastern United States and Eastern Canada.
• A cross site study of fine root response to experimentally elevated N deposition.
• Understanding the impacts of ice storms on forest ecosystems of the northeastern United States and Eastern Canada. (pilot stage)
• Decadal-scale effects of experimental N additions on biogeochemical processes at the Bear Brook Watershed in Maine.

Research Interests

• Continued synthesis of existing data and efforts to increase communication and collaboration amongst regional, national and international global change scientists.
• Evaluation of the effects of ice storms on forests of the northeastern United States.
• Evaluation of the single and interactive effects of chronic N additions and drought on fine root dynamics in northern forest ecosystems.
• Integration of art and science to better understand pattern and process in large ecological data sets and share this information with a broader audience.

Why This Research is Important

An overwhelming scientific consensus exists that 20th century human activities have induced dramatic and unprecedented changes in the earth's chemical and physical environment. As such, the response of terrestrial ecosystems to this global phenomenon has been the subject of intense scientific scrutiny over the past several decades. Although much has been learned about terrestrial ecosystem response to these perturbations (e.g. climate change, acidic deposition), urgent and immediate needs remain to continue to build a sound scientific basis for regional, national and international policies regulating such things as carbon sequestration, greenhouse gas emissions, and atmospheric deposition of nitrogen, sulfur, and mercury. In order to meet these complex needs in a timely fashion, a growing consensus exists within the scientific community that it will be necessary to better integrate observational, experimental, and modeling techniques into a unified multidisciplinary approach to understanding ecosystem response to global change.

Education

• University of Maine, Ph.D. Plant Science 1988
• Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, M.F.S. Forest Science 1983
• Cornell University, B.A. Philosophy 1980

Professional Organizations

• Soil Science Society of America, Member, Fellow, Chair (1987 - Current)
• Ecological Society of America

Awards & Recognition

Featured Publications & Products

• Rustad, Lindsey; Campbell, John; Dukes, Jeffrey S.; Huntington, Thomas; Fallon Lambert, Kathy; Mohan, Jacqueline; Rodenhouse, Nicholas. 2012. Changing climate, changing forests: The impacts of climate change on forests of the northeastern United States and eastern Canada.
• Rustad, Lindsey; Campbell, John; Cox, Roger; Dukes, Jeffrey; Huntington, T.G.; Magill, Allison; Richardson, Andrew; Mohan, Jacqueline; Pontius, Jennifer; Rodenhouse, N.R.; Watson, M.R. 2009. NE Forests 2100: A synthesis of climate change impacts on forests of the northeastern US and eastern Canada.
• Rustad, Lindsey E.; Campbell, John L. 2012. A novel ice storm manipulation experiment in a northern hardwood forest.
• Groffman, Peter M.; Rustad, Lindsey; Templer, Pamela H.; Campbell, John; Christenson, Lynn M.; Lany, Nina K.; Socci, Anne M.; Vadeboncoeur, Matthew A.; Schaberg, Paul; Wilson, Geoffrey F.; Driscoll, Charles T.; Fahey, Timothy J.; Fisk, Melany C.; Goodale, Christine L.; Green, Mark B.; Hamburg, Steven P.; Johnson, Chris E.; Mitchell, Myron J.; Morse, Jennifer L.; Pardo, Linda H.; Rodenhouse, Nicholas L. 2012. Long-term integrated studies show complex and surprising effects of climate change in northern hardwood forests.
• Fahey, Timothy J.; Templer, Pamela H.; Anderson, Bruce T.; Battles, John J.; Campbell, John L.; Driscoll, Charles T.; Fusco, Anthony R.; Green, Mark B.; Kassam, Karim-Aly S.; Rodenhouse, Nicholas L.; Rustad, Lindsey; Schaberg, Paul G.; Vadeboncoeur, Matthew A. 2015. The promise and peril of intensive-site-based ecological research: insights from the Hubbard Brook ecosystem study.
• Campbell, John L.; Rustad, Lindsey E.; Porter, John H.; Taylor, Jeffrey R.; Dereszynski, Ethan W.; Shanley, James B.; Gries, Corinna; Henshaw, Donald L.; Martin, Mary E.; Sheldon, Wade. M.; Boose, Emery R. 2013. Quantity is nothing without quality: automated QA/QC for streaming sensor networks.
• Campbell, John L.; Rustad, Lindsey E.; Boyer, Elizabeth W.; Christopher, Sheila F.; Driscoll, Charles T.; Fernandez, Ivan .J.; Groffman, Peter M.; Houle, Daniel; Kiekbusch, Jana; Magill, Alison H.; Mitchell, Myron J.; Ollinger, Scott V. 2009. Consequences of climate change for biogeochemical cycling in forests of northeastern North America.
• Rustad, Lindsey E. 2008. The response of terrestrial ecosystems to global climate change: Towards an integrated approach.
• Rustad, L.E.; Campbell, J.L.; Marion, G.M.; Norby, R.J.; Mitchell, M.J.; Hartley, A.E.; Cornelissen, J.H.C.; Gurevitch, J. 2001. A meta-analysis of the response of soil respiration, net nitrogen mineralization, and aboveground plant growth to experimental ecosystem warming.
• Fernandez, Ivan J.; Rustad, Lindsey E.; Norton, Stephen A.; Wiersma, G. Bruce; Kahl, J. Stephen. 2005. The Bear Brook Watershed in Maine Decadal Responses to Whole Forest Ecosystem Manipulations.

Publications

• Ellison, Aaron M.; LeRoy, Carri J.; Landsbergen, Kim J.; Bosanquet, Emily; Borden, David Buckley; CaraDonna, Paul J.; Cheney, Katherine; Crystal-Ornelas, Robert; DeFreece, Ardis; Goralnik, Lissy; Irons, Ellie; Merkle, Bethann Garramon; O'Connell, Kari E. B.; Penick, Clint A.; Rustad, Lindsey; Schulze, Mark; Waser, Nickolas M.; Wysong, Linda M. 2018. Art/Science Collaborations: New Explorations of Ecological Systems, Values, and their Feedbacks.
• Green, Mark B.; Campbell, John L.; Yanai, Ruth D.; Bailey, Scott W.; Bailey, Amey S.; Grant, Nicholas; Halm, Ian; Kelsey, Eric P.; Rustad, Lindsey E. 2018. Downsizing a long-term precipitation network: Using a quantitative approach to inform difficult decisions.
• Djukic, Ika; Kepfer-Rojas, Sebastian; Schmidt, Inger Kappel; Larsen, Klaus Steenberg; Beier, Claus; Berg, Björn; Verheyen, Kris; Caliman, Adriano; Paquette, Alain; Gutiérrez-Girón, Alba; Humber, Alberto; Valdecantos, Alejandro; Petraglia, Alessandro; Alexander, Heather; Augustaitis, Algirdas; Saillard, Amélie; Fernández, Ana Carolina Ruiz; Sousa, Ana I.; Lillebø, Ana I.; da Rocha Gripp, Anderson; Francez, André-Jean; Fischer, Andrea; Bohner, Andreas; Malyshev, Andrey; Andrić, Andrijana; Smith, Andy; Stanisci, Angela; Seres, Anikó; Schmidt, Anja; Avila, Anna; Probst, Anne; Ouin, Annie; Khuroo, Anzar A.; Verstraeten, Arne; Palabral-Aguilera, Arely N.; Stefanski, Artur; Gaxiola, Aurora; Muys, Bart; Bosman, Bernard; Ahrends, Bernd; Parker, Bill; Sattler, Birgit; Yang, Bo; Juráni, Bohdan; Erschbamer, Brigitta; Ortiz, Carmen Eugenia Rodriguez; Christiansen, Casper T.; Carol Adair, E.; Meredieu, Céline; Mony, Cendrine; Nock, Charles A.; Chen, Chi-Ling; Wang, Chiao-Ping; Baum, Christel; Rixen, Christian; Delire, Christine; Piscart, Christophe; Andrews, Christopher; Rebmann, Corinna; Branquinho, Cristina; Polyanskaya, Dana; Delgado, David Fuentes; Wundram, Dirk; Radeideh, Diyaa; Ordóñez-Regil, Eduardo; Crawford, Edward; Preda, Elena; Tropina, Elena; Groner, Elli; Lucot, Eric; Hornung, Erzsébet; Gacia, Esperança; Lévesque, Esther; Benedito, Evanilde; Davydov, Evgeny A.; Ampoorter, Evy; Bolzan, Fabio Padilha; Varela, Felipe; Kristöfel, Ferdinand; Maestre, Fernando T.; Maunoury-Danger, Florence; Hofhansl, Florian; Kitz, Florian; Sutter, Flurin; Cuesta, Francisco; de Almeida Lobo, Francisco; de Souza, Franco Leandro; Berninger, Frank; Zehetner, Franz; Wohlfahrt, Georg; Vourlitis, George; Carreño-Rocabado, Geovana; Arena, Gina; Pinha, Gisele Daiane; González, Grizelle; Additional, Authors; Yesilonis, Ian; Additional, Authors ; Rustad, Lindsey; et, al. 2018. Early stage litter decomposition across biomes.
• Marinos, Richard E.; Campbell, John L.; Driscoll, Charles T.; Likens, Gene E.; McDowell, William H.; Rosi, Emma J.; Rustad, Lindsey E.; Bernhardt, Emily S. 2018. Give and Take: A Watershed Acid Rain Mitigation Experiment Increases Baseflow Nitrogen Retention but Increases Stormflow Nitrogen Export.
• Janowiak, Maria K.; D'Amato, Anthony W.; Swanston, Christopher W.; Iverson, Louis; Thompson, Frank R.; Dijak, William D.; Matthews, Stephen; Peters, Matthew P.; Prasad, Anantha; Fraser, Jacob S.; Brandt, Leslie A.; Butler-Leopold, Patricia; Handler, Stephen D.; Shannon, P. Danielle; Burbank, Diane; Campbell, John; Cogbill, Charles; Duveneck, Matthew J.; Emery, Marla R.; Fisichelli, Nicholas; Foster, Jane; Hushaw, Jennifer; Kenefic, Laura; Mahaffey, Amanda; Morelli, Toni Lyn; Reo, Nicholas J.; Schaberg, Paul G.; Simmons, K. Rogers; Weiskittel, Aaron; Wilmot, Sandy; Hollinger, David; Lane, Erin; Rustad, Lindsey; Templer, Pamela H. 2018. New England and northern New York forest ecosystem vulnerability assessment and synthesis: a report from the New England Climate Change Response Framework project.
• Groffman, Peter M.; Driscoll, Charles T.; Durán, Jorge ; Campbell, John L.; Christenson, Lynn M.; Fahey, Timothy J.; Fisk, Melany C.; Fuss, Colin ; Likens, Gene E.; Lovett, Gary ; Rustad, Lindsey ; Templer, Pamela H. 2018. Nitrogen oligotrophication in northern hardwood forests.
• Coble, Adam P.; Vadeboncoeur, Matthew A.; Berry, Z. Carter; Jennings, Katie A.; McIntire, Cameron D.; Campbell, John L.; Rustad, Lindsey E.; Templer, Pamela H.; Asbjornsen, Heidi. 2017. Are Northeastern U.S. forests vulnerable to extreme drought.
• Templer, Pamela H.; Reinmann, Andrew B.; Sanders-DeMott, Rebecca ; Sorensen, Patrick O.; Juice, Stephanie M.; Bowles, Francis ; Sofen, Laura E.; Harrison, Jamie L.; Halm, Ian ; Rustad, Lindsey ; Martin, Mary E.; Grant, Nicholas ; Rixen, Christian . 2017. Climate change across seasons experiment (CCASE): A new method for simulating future climate in seasonally snow-covered ecosystems.
• McNulty, Steven G.; Boggs, Johnny L.; Aber, John D.; Rustad, Lindsey E. 2017. Spruce-fir forest changes during a 30-year nitrogen saturation experiment.
• McNulty, Steven G.; Boggs, Johnny L.; Aber, John D.; Rustad, Lindsey E. 2017. Spruce-fir forest changes during a 30-year nitrogen saturation experiment.
• Puhlick, Joshua J.; Weiskittel, Aaron R.; Fernandez, Ivan J.; Fraver, Shawn; Kenefic, Laura S.; Seymour, Robert S.; Kolka, Randall K.; Rustad, Lindsey E.; Brissette, John C. 2016. Long-term influence of alternative forest management treatments on total ecosystem and wood product carbon storage.
• Schlesinger, William H.; Dietze, Michael C.; Jackson, Robert B.; Phillips, Richard P.; Rhoades, Charles C.; Rustad, Lindsey E.; Vose, James M. 2015. Forest biogeochemistry in response to drought.
• Vicca, S.; Bahn, M.; Estiarte, M.; van Loon, E. E.; Vargas, R.; Alberti, G.; Ambus, P.; Arain, M. A.; Beier, C.; Bentley, L. P.; Borken, W.; Buchmann, N.; Collins, S. L.; de Dato, G.; Dukes, J. S.; Escolar, C.; Fay, P.; Guidolotti, G.; Hanson, P. J.; Kahmen, A.; Kröel-Dulay, G.; Ladreiter-Knauss, T.; Larsen, K. S.; Lellei-Kovacs, E.; Lebrija-Trejos, E.; Maestre, F. T.; Marhan, S.; Marshall, M.; Meir, P.; Miao, Y.; Muhr, J.; Niklaus, P. A.; Ogaya, R.; Peñuelas, J.; Poll, C.; Rustad, L. E.; Savage, K.; Schindlbacher, A.; Schmidt, I. K.; Smith, A. R.; Sotta, E. D.; Suseela, V.; Tietema, A.; van Gestel, N.; van Straaten, O.; Wan, S.; Weber, U.; Janssens, I. A. 2014. Can current moisture responses predict soil CO2 efflux under altered precipitation regimes A synthesis of manipulation experiments.
• Peterson, David L.; Wolken, J.M.; Hollingsworth, Teresa; Giardina, Christian; Littell, J.S.; Joyce, Linda; Swanston, Chris; Handler, Stephen; Rustad, Lindsey; McNulty, Steve. 2014. Regional Highlights of Climate Change.
• Crowley, K.F.; McNeil, B.E.; Lovett, G.M.; Canham, C.D.; Driscoll, C.T.; Rustad, L.E.; Denny, E.; Hallett, R.A.; Arthur, M.A.; Boggs, J.L.; Goodale, C.L.; Kahl, J.S.; McNulty, S.G.; Ollinger, S.V.; Pardo, L.H.; Schaberg, P.G.; Stoddard, J.L.; Weand, M.P.; Weather, K.C. 2012. Do nutrient limitation patterns shift from nitrogen toward phosphorus with increasing nitrogen deposition across the northeastern United States.
• Neary, Daniel; Hayes, Deborah; Rustad, Lindsey; Vose, James; Gottfried, Gerald; Sebesteyn, Stephen; Johnson, Sherri; Swanson, Fred; Adams, Mary. 2012. US Forest Service Experimental Forests and Ranges Network: a continental research platform for catchment-scale research.
• Luo, Yiqi; Gerten, Dieter; Le Maire, Guerric; Parton, William J.; Weng, Ensheng; Zhou, Xuhui; Keough, Cindy; Beier, Claus; Ciais, Philippe; Cramer, Wolfgang; Dukes, Jeffrey S.; Emmett, Bridget; Hanson, Paul J.; Knapp, Alan; Linder, Sune; Nepstad, Dan; Rustad, Lindsey. 2008. Modeled interactive effects of precipitation, temperature, and CO2 on ecosystem carbon and water dynamics in different climatic zones.
• Gerten, Dieter; Luo, Yiqi; Le Maire, Guerric; Parton, William J.; Keough, Cindy; Weng, Ensheng; Beier, Claus; Ciais, Philippe; Cramer, Wolfgang; Dukes, Jeffrey S.; Hanson, Paul J.; Knapp, Alan A. K.; Linder, Sune; Nepstad, Dan; Rustad, Lindsey; Sowerby, Alwyn. 2008. Modelled effects of precipitation on ecosystem carbon and water dynamics in different climatic zones.
• Pendall, Elise; Rustad, Lindsey; Schimel, Josh. 2008. Towards a predictive understanding of belowground process responses to climate change: have we moved any closer.
• Kahl, J. S.; Nelson, S. J.; Fernandez, I.; Haines, T.; Norton, S.; Wiersma, G. B.; Jacobson, G.; Amirbahman, A.; Johnson, K.; Schauffler, M.; Rustad, L.; Tonnessen, K.; Lent, R.; Bank, M.; Elvir, J.; Eckhoff, J.; Caron, H.; Ruck, P.; Parker, J.; Campbell, J.; Manski, D.; Breen, R.; Sheehan, K.; Grygo, A. 2007. Watershed Nitrogen and Mercury Geochemical Fluxes Integrate Landscape Factors in Long-term Research Watersheds at Acadia National Park, Maine, USA.
• Lovett, Gary M.; Burns, Douglas A.; Driscoll, Charles T.; Jenkins, Jennifer C.; Mitchell, Myron J.; Rustad, Lindsey; Shanley, James B.; Likens, Gene E.; Haeuber, Richard. 2007. Who needs environmental monitoring.
• Rustad, Lindsey E. 2006. From transient to steady-state response of ecosystems to atmospheric CO2-enrichment and global climate change: conceptual challenges and need for an integrated approach.
• Pardo, L.H.; Templer, P.H.; Goodale, C.L.; Duke, S.; Groffman, P.M.; Adams, M.B.; Boeckx, P.; Boggs, J.; Campbell, J.; Colman, B.; Compton, J.; Emmett, B.; Gundersen, P.; Kjonaas, J.; Lovett, G.; Mack, M.; Magill, A.; Mbila, M.; Mitchell, M.J.; McGee, G.; McNulty, S.; Nadelhoffer, K.; Ollinger, S.; Ross, D.; Rueth, H.; Rustad, L.; Schaberg, P.; Schiff, S.; Schleppi, P.; Spoelstra, J.; Wessel, W. 2006. Regional assessment of N saturation using foliar and root δ15N.
• Sherman, Jessica; Fernandez, Ivan J.; Norton, Stephen A.; Ohno, Tsutomu; Rustad, Lindsey E. 2006. Soilaluminum, iron, and phosphorus dynamics in response to long-term experimental nitrogen and sulfur additions at the Bear Brook Watershed in Maine, USA.
• Szillery, Johanna E.; Fernandez, Ivan J.; Norton, Stephen A.; Rustad, Lindsey E.; White, Alan S. 2006. Using Ion-Exchange Resins to Study Soil Response to Experimental Watershed Acidification.
• Elvir, Jose Alexander; Rustad, Lindsey; Wiersma, G. Bruce; Fernandez, Ivan; White, Alan S.; White, Gregory J. 2005. Eleven-year response of foliar chemistry to chronic nitrogen and sulfur additions at the Bear Brook Watershed in Maine.
• McNulty, Steven G.; Boggs, Johnny; Aber, John D.; Rustad, Lindsey; Magill, Allison. 2005. Red spruce ecosystem level changes following 14 years of chronic N fertilization.
• Jefts, S. S.; Fernandez, I. J.; Rustad, L.E.; Dail, D. B. 2004. Comparing Methods for Assessing Forest Soil Net Nitrogen Mineralization and Net Nitrification.
• Jefts, Sultana; Fernandez, Ivan J.; Rustad, Lindwey E.; Dail, D. Bryan. 2004. Decadal responses in soil N dynamics at the Bear Brook Watershed in Maine, USA.
• Fernandez, Ivan J.; Rustad, Lindsey E.; Norton, Stephen A.; Kahl, Jeffrey S.; Cosby, Bernard J. 2003. Experimental Acidification Causes Soil Base-Cation Depletion at the Bear Brook Watershed in Maine.
• Parker, Jennifer L.; Fernandez, Ivan J.; Rustad, Lindsey E.; Norton, Stephen A. 2002. Soil organic matter fractions in experimental forested watersheds.
• Parker, Jennifer L.; Fernandez, Ivan J.; Rustad, Lindsey E.; Norton, Stephen A. 2001. Effects of Nitrogen Enrichment, Wildfire, and Harvesting on Forest-Soil Carbon and Nitrogen.
• Rustad, Lindsey. 2001. Global change: Matter of time on the prairie.
• Rustad, Lindsey E.; Huntington, Thomas G.; Boone, Richard D. 2000. Controls on soil respiration: Implications for climate change.
• Sievering, Herman; Fernandez, Ivan; Lee, John; Hom, John; Rustad, Lindsey. 2000. Forest canopy uptake of atmospheric nitrogen deposition at eastern U.S. conifer sites: Carbon storage implications.
• Arnold, S.S.; Fernandez, I.J.; Rustad, L.E.; Zibilske, L.M. 1999. Microbial response of an acid forest soil to experimental soil warming.
• Fernandez, I.; Rustad, L.; David, M.; Nadelhoffer, K.; Mitchell, M. 1999. Mineral soil and solution responses to experimental N and S enrichment at the Bear Brook Watershed in Maine (BBWM).
• Kahl, J.; Norton, S.; Fernandez, I.; Rustad, L.; Handley, M. 1999. Nitrogen and sulfur input-output budgets in the experimental and reference watersheds, Bear Brook Watershed in Maine (BBWM).
• Rustad, Lindsey E.; Fernandez, Ivan J. 1998. Experimental soil warming effects on CO2 and CH4 flux from a low elevation spruce-fir forest soil in Maine, USA.
• Aber, John; McDowell, William; Nadelhoffer, Knute; Magill, Alison; Berntson, Glenn; Kamakea, Mark; McNulty, Steven; Currie, William; Rustad, Lindsey; Fernandez, Ivan. 1998. Nitrogen Saturation in Temperate Forest Ecosystems.
• Rustad, Lindsey E.; Fernandez, Ivan J. 1998. Soil Warming: Consequences for Foliar Litter Decay in a Spruce-Fir Forest in Maine, USA.
• McLaughlin, James W.; Fernandez, Ivan J.; Goltz, Stewart M.; Rustad, Lindsey E.; Zibilske, Larry. 1996. Biogeochemical cycling of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur at the Howland Integrated Forest Study site, Howland, Maine.
• Rustad, Lindsey E.; Fernandez, Ivan J.; Arnold, Stephanie. 1996. Experimental soil warming effects on C, N, and major element cycling in a low elevation spruce-fir forest soil.
• Fernandez, Ivan J.; Rustad, Lindsey E.; Simmons, Jeffery A.; McLaughlin, James W. 1996. The Howland Integrated Forest Study (HIFS) - ecosystem research on atmospheric influences governing forest function.

Research Highlights

Highlight	Title	Year
NRS-2012-10	Changing Climate, Changing Forests Effects of climate change on forests of the Northeastern United States and Eastern Canada	2012
NRS-2016-163	Sustainable Northern Conifer Forest Management Stores More Carbon than Exploitative Harvesting An important part of climate change mitigation is carbon storage in forests and wood products. Yet managers are often uncertain about which mana ...	2016
NRS-2014-060	WaterViz for Hubbard Brook: A Water Cycle Visualization Tool The WaterViz for Hubbard Brook is a new water-cycle visualization tool for creatively communicating water science to the public with realtime fo ...	2014
NRS-2017-32	Why ice storms aren't cool: Experimental ice storms demonstrate real time impacts on northern forests Extreme weather events are becoming increasingly common, creating dangerous disturbances to forests, towns, and cities. Forest Service scientist ...	2017
NRS-2015-175	“Smart Forests” Digital Environmental Sensors and Telecommunications Take Research to New Levels Scientific breakthroughs of the 21st century will be powered by tools that help researchers collect and manipulate massive datasets, visualize t ...	2015