Dr. Ashley Adams is an assistant professor in App State’s Department of Biology. Photo by Chase Reynolds
BOONE, N.C. — Dr. Ashley Adams, assistant professor in Appalachian State University’s Department of Biology, is conducting research on soil biotic communities across rangelands in California — work that is vital for sustaining one of the world’s top agricultural producers.
The work is supported by a $742,643 grant, part of a $7.9 million investment from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture to promote soil health. The organization dispersed funds to 12 universities nationwide, with funding for App State continuing through August 2027.
According to USDA’s 2022 Census of Agriculture, California is the world’s fifth largest producer of agricultural products and ranks first in the U.S. for the highest value of crop sales, with rangelands — including open grasslands and woodlands — that span 10 million acres.
“It’s really gratifying for USDA to invest not only in App State but also in the integrity of the ecosystem,” said Adams. “I picked a career in this field because I’m passionate about it, and it feels nice to know that this type of work is valued and can make a difference.”
In collaboration with partners from the University of California-Berkeley, University of California-Merced and University of Oregon, Adams will work to answer the question, “Do soil biotic communities mediate the effect of compost amendments on rangeland soil carbon?”
“Compost has been shown to be really good for capturing carbon in soil, which promotes plant growth and decreases the amount of carbon that’s in our atmosphere,” said Adams. “One of the understudied parts of this process is the role of soil biotic communities (microorganisms, plants and animals that live in soil). They are the ones that are really controlling the carbon, transforming it and stabilizing it over the long term.”
Adams said that project field sites span the entire state of California, and that she plans to work at the sites in the late spring or early summer. Soil samples will be taken back to App State for lab work and further research.
“I like research that has an application to it, and I like that this research will potentially be doing something really important to help solve some of our global problems,” said Adams. “My hope is that we can move the needle a little bit forward on trying to understand the best management techniques in agriculture, so that we can have meaningful impacts for our climate in the future.”
According to Dr. Ashley Adams, assistant professor in App State’s Department of Biology, compost has been shown to capture carbon in soil, which promotes plant growth and decreases the amount of carbon that’s released into the atmosphere. Pictured here, a man operating a tractor can be seen applying compost to a rangeland field site in California. Photo submitted
Dr. Ashley Adams, assistant professor in App State’s Department of Biology, works at a field site in California. Adams recently received a $742,643 USDA grant to conduct research on soil biotic communities across rangelands in the state. Photo submitted
App State students embrace real-world learning experiences
Adams said she involves as many students as she can in her research, both at the undergraduate and graduate level. One of the more heavily involved students is Morgan Gill ’24, of Raleigh, an App State graduate student who is working toward a master’s degree in biology. Under the grant, Gill will conduct research in the field and in the lab, and she will act as a mentor to students who are assisting with the project.
“I’m going to be looking specifically into how the microbial community is responding to compost,” explained Gill. “I’m hoping to see a greater abundance of microbes in general, because if they increase, they basically make food for plants, which is great for the whole community, and it will allow the soil to hold more carbon.”
Gill added that in comparison to regular fertilizers, the use of compost for soil can be a much better climate mitigation strategy, and that if the results continue to prove positive, it’s an easily obtainable alternative for the average farmer.
“It’s super exciting to be involved in a large-scale mission like this that can make a real impact,” said Gill. “It’s been amazing to work with Dr. Adams and get this hands-on experience, and I’m sure it will lead to many great opportunities in the future.”
Adams said that one of the main reasons she wanted to work at App State is because it’s a university that allows students such as Gill to be involved in faculty research projects.
“Everyone that I’ve met here has really embraced these real-world learning experiences, and it’s so important for students to get out into the community and really apply what they’re learning in the classroom,” she said. “For me, this is what education is all about.”
Adams earned her bachelor’s degree in biology from Bellarmine University and her master’s and doctoral degrees in ecology from Colorado State University. After serving as a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Oregon, Adams joined App State’s Department of Biology as an assistant professor in January 2023.
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University’s commitment to applied research benefits students, communities and industries
About the Department of Biology
The Department of Biology is a community of teacher-scholars, with faculty representing the full breadth of biological specializations — from molecular genetics to landscape/ecosystem ecology. The department seeks to produce graduates with sound scientific knowledge, the skills to create new knowledge, and the excitement and appreciation of scientific discovery. Learn more at https://biology.appstate.edu.
About the College of Arts and Sciences
The College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) at Appalachian State University is home to 17 academic departments, two centers and one residential college. These units span the humanities and the social, mathematical and natural sciences. CAS aims to develop a distinctive identity built upon our university's strengths, traditions and locations. The college’s values lie not only in service to the university and local community, but through inspiring, training, educating and sustaining the development of its students as global citizens. More than 6,800 student majors are enrolled in the college. As the college is also largely responsible for implementing App State’s general education curriculum, it is heavily involved in the education of all students at the university, including those pursuing majors in other colleges. Learn more at https://cas.appstate.edu.
About Appalachian State University
As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, affordable education for all. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.
University’s commitment to applied research benefits students, communities and industries
