Dr. Cassandra Zalman

Dr. Cassandra Zalman

Associate Professor, Program Director for the Faculty of Biological Sciences
Instructional Faculty
Schmid College of Science and Technology; Biological Sciences
Office Location: Keck Center for Science and Engineering 271
Phone: (714) 289-2038
Education:
University of North Carolina Greensboro, Master of Science
University of Florida, Ph.D.

Biography

Research Interests

Dr. Zalman's research interests include understanding mechanistic regulators and interactive controls on anaerobic microbial decomposition in wetland ecosystems.

Keywords

Wetlands, anaerobic carbon cycling, fire ecology, ecosystem ecology, methanogenesis.

Recent Creative, Scholarly Work and Publications

Microbial organic matter reduction regulates methane and carbon dioxide production across an ombrotrophic-minerotrophic peatland gradient. 2023. Soil Biology and Biochemistry. 182, 109045.
M.F. Pulido-Chavez, W.J. Randolph, C. Zalman, L. Larios, P.M. Homyak, S.I. Glassman. 2022. Rapid bacterial and fungal successional dynamics in first year after Chaparral wildfire. Microbial Ecology.
C. Zalman, +E. Hanna, +J. Rush, +K. Boise, L. Larios. 2022. Vegetation type and fire severity mediate short-term post fire soil microbial responses. Plant and Soil. 1-16.
R. Wilson, M. Tfaily, M. Kolton, E. Johnston, C. Petro, C.A. Zalman, P.J. Hanson, H.M. Heyman, J.E. Kyle, D.W. Holt, E.K. Eder, S.O. Purvine, R.K. Kolka, S.S Sebestyen, N.A. Griffiths, C.W. Schadt, J.K. Keller, S.D. Bridgham, J.P. Chanton. J.E. Kolka. 2021. Soil metabolome response to whole ecosystem warming at the Spruce and Peatland Responses Under Changing Environments experiment. PNAS.
+J. Rush, C.A. Zalman, G. Woerndle, +E. Hanna, S.D. Bridgham, J.K. Keller. 2021. Warming promotes the use of organic matter as an electron acceptor in a peatland. Geoderma, 401, 115303.
A.M. Hopple, R.M. Wilson, M. Kolton, C.A. Zalman, J.P. Chanton, J. Kostka, P.J. Hanson, J.K. Keller, S.D. Bridgham. 2020. Massive peatland carbon banks vulnerable to rising temperatures Nature Communications, 11(1): 1-7.
E. Hanna, J.K. Keller, D. Chang, W.J. de Bruyn, C.A. Zalman. The potential importance of methylated substrates in methane production within three northern Minnesota peatlands. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, in press.
A.M. Hopple, L. Pfeifer-Meister, C.A. Zalman, J.K. Keller, M. M. Tfaily, R.M. Wilson, J.P. Chanton, S.D. Bridgham. 2019. Does dissolved organic matter or solid phase peat fuel anaerobic respiration in peatlands? Geoderma, 349: 79-87.
C.A. Zalman, N. Meade, J. Chanton, J.E. Kostka, S.D. Bridgham, J.K. Keller. 2018. Methylotrophic methanogenesis in Sphagnum-dominated peatland soils. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 118:156-160.
C.A. Zalman, J.K Keller, M. Tfaily, L. Pfeifer-Meister, R. Wilson, M. Kolton, X. Lin, J. Chanton, J.E. Kostka, A. Gill, A. Finzi, A.M. Hopple, B.J.M Bohannan, S.D. Bridgham. 2018. Small Differences in Ombrotrophy Controls Reasonal-Scale Variation in Methane Cycling among Sphagnum moss-dominated peatlands. Biogeochemistry, 139(2):155-177.
R.M. Wilson, S. Bridgham, L. Pfeifer-Meister, P. Crill, C. Medvedeff Zalman, J. Keller, W. Cooper J. Chanton, P. Hanson, L Meredith, S. Saleska, M. Tfaily, J. Kostka, V. Rich, M. Hines. 2017. Hydrogenation of Organic Matter as a Terminal Electron Sink Sustains High CO2:CH4 Production Ratios During Anaerobic Decomposition Organic Geochemistry (in press).
Keller, J.K. and C.A. Medvedeff. April 2016. Chapter 6. Soil organic matter. In Wetland Soils: Genesis, Hydrology, Landscapes and Classification. 2nd Edition. Vepraskas, M.J., C.B. Craft and J.L. Richardson (eds). CRC Press.
K.N. Gabriel, C.A. Medvedeff, J.K. Keller. (in press). Microbial Organic Matter Reduction in Peatland Soils: the Importance of Water-table Level. (BIOS)
R.M. Wilson, A.M. Hopple, M.M. Tfaily, S.D. Sebestyen, C.W. Schadt, L. Pfeifer-Meister, C. Medvedeff, K.J. McFarlane, J.E. Kostka, M. Kolton, R. Kolka, L.A. Kluber, J.K. Keller, T.P. Guilderson, N.A. Griffiths, J.P. Chanton, S.D. Bridgham, P.J. Hanson. 2016. Stability of peat carbon to rising temperatures. Nature Communications, 7:13723.
C.A. Medvedeff, K.S. Inglett & P.W. Inglett. December 2015. Can Fire Residues (Ash and Char) Affect Anaerobic Microbial Respiration and Methanogenesis in Wetland Soils? Wetlands, DOI: 10.1007/s13157-015-0703-x
C.A. Medvedeff, S.D. Bridgham, L. Pfeifer-Meister, J.K. Keller. 2015. Can Sphagnum Chemistry Explain Differences in Anaerobic Decomposition in Peatland Soils? Soil Biology and Biochemistry, DOI: 10.1016/j.soilbio.2015.03.016.
C.A. Medvedeff, K.S. Inglett, P.W. Inglett. 2015. Patterns and Controls of Anaerobic Soil Respiration and Methanogenesis Following Extreme Restoration of Calcareous Subtropical Wetlands. Geoderma, DOI: 10.1016/j.geoderma.2015.01.018.
C.A. Medvedeff, K.S. Inglett & P.W. Inglett. 2014. Evaluation of direct and indirect phosphorus limitation of methanogenic pathways in calcareous subtropical wetland soils. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 69:343-348.
C.A. Medvedeff, K.S. Inglett, L.N. Kobziar & P.W. Inglett. 2013. Impacts of fire on microbial carbon cycling in subtropical wetland ecosystems. Fire Ecology, 9(1):21-37.
C.A. Medvedeff & A.E. Hershey. 2013. Importance of methane derived carbon as a basal resource for two benthic consumers in arctic lakes. Hydrobiologia, 700:221-230.