Jennifer Fraterrigo, Professor

My work is motivated by a desire to understand the ecological mechanisms that underpin effects of environmental change on bigeochemical cycles and plant distributions in diverse settings so that we can better predict the consequences of human activities for the structure and function of ecosystems at the landscape scale. Ultimately, my goal is to derive knowledge that will contribute to our ability to predict and manage ecosystems under changing conditions. I encourage systems-based approaches to science and interdisciplinary perspectives in my lab. My research efforts span multiple spatial scales, from microbes to landscapes, and take advantage of various tools, from lab assays to computer-based simulation and process models.

Jianhong Zhou, Postdoc, 2025 – present.

Jianhong earned her Ph.D. from the Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML) at Leiden University, the Netherlands. Her Ph.D. thesis is entitled Phenotypic Plasticity and Genetic Adaptation of Plant Functional Traits on Global Scales, which focuses on the application of trait-based approaches to analyze the global patterns of intraspecific variability using newly built plasticity and genetic adaptation trait databases. She is currently studying the variation in the functional traits of tundra plant communities to advance the fundamental understanding of trait-environmental relationships and trait covariation at the community- and PFT-levels. This research will improve the prediction of plant trait responses to climate change at the regional scale.

Jennifer Alvarez, M.S. Student, 2021 – present.

Jennifer earned her B.S. in Environmental Science from Northwestern University. She is studying forest dynamics and carbon storage at Trelease Woods, an old-growth remnant in Urbana, Illinois.

Lenarth Ferrari, M.S. Student, 2021 – present.

Lenarth earned a B.S. degree in Environmental Science from Zamorano University in Honduras. After working as an intern at the University of Illinois, Lenarth joined the Fraterrigo Lab to study nutrient hotspots in agricultural systems. A primary goal of his research is to reduce nutrient loss by improving the spatial characterization of nutrient distributions through the incorporation of geospatial information.

Alejandro Marengo, Ph.D. Student, 2024 – present.

Alejandro earned his M.S. in Soils from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez. His research examines relationships between plant trait distributions and methane fluxes in arctic tundra ecosystems experiencing permafrost and ice wedge degradation.

Dan Marshalla, M.S. Student, 2022 – present.

Dan earned his B.S. in Environmental Science from the University of Notre Dame. His research examines the role of fire history in shaping understory trait composition, as well as its effects on tree regeneration in grass-invaded forests within the Central Hardwoods Region.

Kayla Morrison, M.S. Student, 2023 – present.

Kayla received a B.S. in Environmental Science and minor in plant biology from the University of Vermont in 2020. Her research focuses on the responses of invasive grasses and nutrient cycling to long-term fire activity patterns in the Central Hardwoods. 

Yunqian Zhu, 2023 – present.

Yunqian holds a B.S. in Natural Resources and Environmental Science from UIUC, specializing in Ecosystem Stewardship and Restoration. In the Fraterrigo lab, she analyzes root samples, assists with isotopic and elemental analyses, and uses WinRHIZO software for root imaging and trait characterization.