
Colleen M Iversen
Distinguished Staff Scientist and Group Leader (Plant-Soil Interactions Group)
Bio
About me
I am an ecosystem ecologist who uses a variety of field and laboratory techniques to understand and predict how ecosystems are shaped by climatic change. Specifically, I work at the root-soil interface to investigate how atmospheric and climatic change alters belowground carbon and nutrient cycling.
My science takes me to a number of interesting and beautiful ecosystems from bogs to temperate forests to Arctic tundra, and I lead a team that curates the largest root trait database in the world, FRED.
Please see www.colleeniversen.com and https://colleeniversen.ornl.gov for more information!
Recent publications of interest
Defrenne CE, Childs J, Fernandez CW, Taggart M, Nettles WR, Allen MF, Hanson PJ, Iversen CM. 2021. High‐resolution minirhizotrons advance our understanding of root‐fungal dynamics in an experimentally warmed peatland. Plants People Planet 3: 640 - 652. Part of a Special Issue on Mycorrhizas for a Changing World.
Awards
Please see http://www.colleeniversen.com/honorsandawards.html for more information!
Highly Cited Researcher, Web of Science Group, Clarivate Analytics (2019 and 2020)
‘In recognition of exceptional research performance demonstrated by production of multiple highly cited papers that rank in the top 1% for field and year in Cross-Field.’
‘In recognition of Colleen’s many contributions to science communication and outreach, and to her ability to present science in a compelling manner to audiences of all ages.'
‘Among the many achievements recognized at the 2019 UT-Battelle Awards Night, yours was selected as an exceptional contribution to our success.'
'The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine are launching the 'New Voices in Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine' initiative to identify outstanding early-career science, engineering, and medicine (SEM) leaders. They will engage in communicating the evidence base for addressing national and global challenges to provide new perspectives on issues of importance to the community represented by the National Academies, and to help identify ways to expand the diversity of expertise that is brought to all of the Academies' convening and advisory activities.'
'Elected for her leadership and creativity in linking experimentation and modeling to advance ecological understanding of the influence of fine plant roots on the fate of vast pools of carbon and nutrients held in the soils of diverse biomes.'
Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Digging deeper: Fine-root responses to rising atmospheric CO2 concentration in forested ecosystems'.
Highlighted in ‘The New Phytologist Tansley medal’
Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory