Dr Martin Sommerkorn

I am an ecosystem ecologist specialising on carbon-nutrient interactions with emphasis on belowground processes. I am interested in how the interactions of plants, microbes and soil organic matter in ecosystems control the fate of assimilated carbon and the dynamics of nutrients. These interactions are key controls of the exchange of elements between terrestrial ecosystems on one hand and the atmosphere and freshwater systems on the other. Consequently, I often investigate ecosystem matter dynamics in the context of climate change or, recently, land-use changes. For most of my career I have focused on arctic tundra, but more recently have also developed an interest in forested systems.

Research Interests

My research interest focuses on how belowground processes control ecosystem carbon and nitrogen cycling, particularly in the organic soils of arctic, boreal and wet temperate systems. In the past I have investigated short-term controls on soil respiration and their linkages to characteristics of soil organic matter, microbial and plant communities in Siberian tundra. I also carried out research on the role of mosses and lichens for tundra carbon cycling. Other research projects dealt with how primary production controls methane emissions from boreal peatlands of Scandinavia and high-arctic tundra in Greenland on various spatial scales. Over the last years I have been carrying out research investigating the fate of belowground carbon allocation and their interaction with nutrient cycling in Alaskan tundra, using carbon and nitrogen isotope techniques. Recently I started research investigating the effects of tree regeneration on carbon sequestration in organic soils in Scotland.

Martin's most recent publications

• The response of organic matter mineralisation to nutrient and substrate additions in sub-arctic soils., Hartley, I.P.; Hopkins, D.W.; Sommerkorn, M.; Wookey, P.A., (2010) Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 42, 92-100.

• Carbon dynamics in heather moorland - impact of tree establishment., Dawson, L.; Hester, A.; Ross, J.; Hood, K.; Gwatkin, R.; Potts, J.; Bell, J.; Sommerkorn, M., (2009) In: Predicting the Future for Highly Organic Soils, British Society of Soil Science, Spring Conference, Edinburgh Conference Centre, Heriot-Watt University, 5-7 May 2009.

• A passive sampling method for radiocarbon analysis of soil respiration using molecular sieve., Garnett, M.H.; Hartley, I.P.; Hopkins, D.W.; Sommerkorn, M.; Wookey, P.A., (2009) Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 41, 1450-1456.

• No evidence for compensatory thermal adaptation of soil microbial respiration in the study of Bradford et al. (2008)., Hartley, I.P.; Hopkins, D.W.; Garnett, M.H.; Sommerkorn, M.; Wookey, P.A., (2009) Ecology Letters, 12, E12-E14.

• OC S11: Tracking the fate of carbon in Arctic moss communities using 13C isotope labelling., Street, L.E.; Subke, J.A.; Ineson, P.; Heinemeyer, A.; Sommerkorn, M.; Williams, M., (2009) Stable Isotope Mass Spectrometry Users Group Meeting, University of Glasgow, 14-15 January 2009.

• Soil microbial respiration in arctic soil does not acclimate to temperature., Hartley, I.P.; Hopkins, D.W.; Garnett, M.H.; Sommerkorn, M.; Wookey, P.A., (2008) Ecology Letters, 11, 1092-1100.

• Micro-topographic patterns unravel controls of soil water and temperature on soil respiration in three Siberian tundra systems., Sommerkorn, M., (2008) Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 40, 1792-1802.

• Winter climate change in mountain ecosystems: response of below-ground processes., Wipf, S.; Sommerkorn, M.; Stutter, M.; van der Wal, R., (2008) Workshop of Cost Action 639 BurnOut (Greenhouse gas budgets from soils under changing climate and land-use), "Mountain soils under a changing climate and land-use", Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland, 6-8 March 2008.

• Obtaining baseline data to assess the potential for tree-line and shrub advance in Gates of the Arctic Park and Preserve and Noatak National Preserve., Bret-Harte, M.S.; Sommerkorn, M.; Goldsmith, G.R.; Ray, P.M.; Tape, K.D.; Sufke, L.; Brosius, L.; Balser, A.; Rattenbury, K.; McCarthy, A.; Potts, J.; Sanzone, D.M., (2007) Project Report to the Arctic Network of Parks (ARCN) of the US National Park Service: Obtaining baseline data to assess the potential for tree-line and shrub-line advance.

• Soil and vegetation predictors of shrub expansion in arctic Alaska., Bret-Harte, M.S.; Sommerkorn, M.; Goldsmith, G.R.; Tape, K.D.; Sufke, L.; Brosius, L.S.; Ray, P.M.; McCarthy, A.; Rattenbury, K.L.; Balser, A.W.; Sanzone, D.M., (2007) Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America, San Jose CA USA, 5-10 August, 2007.