Thomas Muratore

|Research Associate
Academic Appointments

Research Associate

I am a postdoctoral researcher at Dartmouth College, exploring how environmental changes including soil warming and nitrogen enrichment affect forest carbon cycling. My research integrates both above- and belowground perspectives, with a particular focus on the often-overlooked belowground processes, including root dynamics and soil carbon stabilization. By examining the unique nutrient use and acquisition strategies of common New England tree species like Acer (maples) and Quercus (oaks), I aim to better predict the strength of the New England forest carbon sink under various global change scenarios. I am particularly interested in how these species' distinct carbon allocation patterns to root processes influence ecosystem carbon gain and loss. Through this study, I seek to understand how, why, and where New England forests exchange carbon with the atmosphere.

Contact

Steele, room 112
HB 6182

Department(s)

Environmental Studies

Education

  • Ph.D. Earth and Environmental Sciences (Training: Ecosystem Ecology and Soil Biogeochemistry), University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH
  • M.S. Plant and Soil Science (Training: Agronomy and Soil Science), University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
  • B.S. Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Mary Washington, Fredericksburg, VA

Selected Publications

  • Knorr, M. A., Contosta, A. R., Morrison, E. W., Muratore, T. J., Anthony, M. A., Stoica, I., Geyer, K. M., Simpson, M. J., & Frey, S. D. (2024). Unexpected sustained soil carbon flux in response to simultaneous warming and nitrogen enrichment compared with single factors alone. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-024-02546-x

    Muratore T.J., Knorr M.A., Simpson M.J., Stephens R.B., Phillips R.P. , S.D. Frey. (2024) Response of root respiration to warming and nitrogen addition depends on tree species. Global Change Biology. 

    Chari, Nikhil, Muratore, T.J.*, B. Taylor, S.D. Frey. 2021 (in press. 2024). Long-term soil warming drives different belowground responses in arbuscular mycorrhizal and ectomycorrhizal trees. Global Change Biology. (*co-first author).

    San Román, A. X., Srikanthan, N., Hamid, A. A., Muratore, T. J., Knorr, M. A., Frey, S. D., & Simpson, M. J. (2024). Long-term warming in a temperate forest accelerates soil organic matter decomposition despite increased plant-derived inputs.Biogeochemistry. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-024-01165-9

    Stoica, I., Tabatabaei Anaraki, M., Muratore, T.J., Knorr, M., Frey, S. D., & Simpson, M. J. (2023). Chronic Warming and Nitrogen-Addition Alter Soil Organic Matter Molecular Composition Distinctly in Tandem Compared to Individual Stressors. ACS Earth and Space Chemistry, 7(3), 609–622. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.2c00380

Works In Progress

Muratore T.J., N.R. Chari, R.P. Phillips, B. Taylor, S.D. Frey, (in prep) Belowground plant carbon inputs mitigate elevated soil respiration observed under warming and nitrogen addition. Nature Climate Change