University of Toronto
Nathan Basiliko Assistant Professor, University of Toronto at Mississauga Department of Geography  Graduate Faculty Member, University of Toronto, Department of Geography and Faculty of Forestry
o Research overview o Pictures!! o Biography o Publications o Current research projects and research group o Student opportunities o Laboratories and research infrastructure o Related Research at U of T o Teaching at U of T Mississauga o Graduate teaching at U of T
	Wetland and Forest Biogeochemistry and Soil Microbial Ecology Research
3359 Mississauga Road North, Mississauga, Ontario L5L 1C6 Canada Office: W.G. Davis Building (formerly South Building) room 3252 phone 1-905-569-4515 fax 1-905-828-5273 email nathan.basiliko@utoronto.ca Laboratories: Davis Building Room 1079 phone 1-905-828-5436
Research overview: Terrestrial biogeochemistry and soil microbial ecology; climate and environmental change; ecosystem restoration and sustainability Soil microorganisms play vital, yet poorly characterized roles in terrestrial ecosystems. My work explores the microbial role in wetland and forest biogeochemistry. In particular I focus on microbial responses to human-induced environmental changes that have consequences for greenhouse gas fluxes, nutrient and carbon dynamics, and ecosystem sustainability. Recently I have also developed interest in exploring more general controls on microbial diversity in soils, links between diversity and activity, and am interested in how different soil microbial communities transform plant tissues into soil organic matter and then subsequently decompose this organic matter to mineral products, including greenhouse gases. Our understanding of soil microbiology relevant to larger-scale ecosystem dynamics has grown tremendously in the past 15 years. This is a result of the development and refinement of rapid molecular ecological techniques for studying complex soil microbial communities and a realization that understanding controls on microbial dynamics in terrestrial ecosystems is essential to understanding how the biosphere will respond to unprecedented climate and environmental change and natural resource management.  Wetlands Northern peat-forming wetlands (peatlands) are large sinks for atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and sources of atmospheric methane (CH4), thus playing an important role in the greenhouse effect and global climate. There is particular interest to understand how climate and environmental change will affect greenhouse gas dynamics in these sites. In peatlands CO2 is sequestered as a net imbalance between plant productivity and microbial decomposition. Decomposition is particularly slow in part because of cold temperatures, lack of nutrients, waterlogged anaerobic conditions, and the rather anti-microbial nature of the vegetation. Methane emissions from peatlands occur as the balance between the activities of 2 groups of microorganisms: anaerobic methanogenic archaea and aerobic methane oxidizing bacteria. My research in these sites focuses principally on the microbial control of carbon and nutrient cycling in peatlands with the objective of understanding what controls microbial community dynamics in these sites and it turn how these dynamics relate to patterns of CO2 and CH4 fluxes. A large portion of my research is devoted to characterizing how these relationships are affected by human induced climate, environmental, and land-use change.  Forests Canada contains 10 percent of the world's forests and is the largest exporter of forest products. Forests also contain a large stock of organic carbon that would otherwise contribute to the global greenhouse effect as CO2 in the atmosphere, upland forest soils are sinks for atmospheric CH4, and occasionally forest soils are sources of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide. There is interest to preserve ecosystem functioning in managed sites to promote rapid and successful tree regrowth to maintain resource supply and for better environmental stewardship. Soil microorganisms control the often-limited nutrient supply in forests through decomposition of detritus and fixation. Forestry practices that maintain soil microbial communities and functioning may result in more resilient, sustainable systems. My work involves linking microbial ecology to nutrient and carbon cycling and determining the degree to which forestry practices and climate and environmental change alter forest soil microbial activities and diversity.   (back to top) Pictures: (back to top)
Education: 2005 Ph.D. (Dean's honours) McGill University, Montreal, Canada. Department of Geography 2003 Doctoral student exchange fellow. Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany 1999 B.Sc. (honours) Cornell University, Ithaca, USA. Concentration in Natural Resources Professional Experience  2011- present University of Toronto, Toronto Canada Graduate Faculty Member University of Toronto Faculty of Forestry  2007- present University of Toronto, Toronto Canada Associate Member of the Graduate Faculty University of Toronto Centre for Environment  2006- present University of Toronto at Mississauga, Mississauga, Canada Assistant Professor Department of Geography  2006- present University of Toronto, Toronto Canada Graduate Faculty Member Department of Geography  2006 University of Warwick, Coventry, UK  UK Royal Society Short Visit Grant Department of Biological Sciences (Prof Colin Murrell supervisor) 2004- 2006 University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada  Post-Doctoral Fellow Department of Forest Sciences (Prof Sue Grayston supervisor) 2003 Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) Graduate Fellow Department of Biogeochemistry (Dr. Peter Dunfield supervisor) 1999-2004 McGill University, Montreal, Canada Graduate researcher, teaching assistant, laboratory instructor Department of Geography (Prof Tim Moore supervisor) 1997 – 1999 Cornell University, Ithaca, USA Research assistant, undergraduate researcher, teaching assistant, laboratory instructor Department of Natural Resources (Prof Joe Yavitt supervisor) Society and research group memberships: University of Toronto Centre for Environment (Associate Graduate Faculty Member) Centre for Climate Change Science at University of Toronto Canadian Society of Soil Science Canadian Geophysical Union (back to top)
Publications: Manuscripts in refereed journals or book chapters Preston MD, KA Smemo, JW Mclaughlin, N Basiliko (2012) Peatland microbial communities and decomposition processes in the James Bay Lowlands, Canada. Frontiers in Terrestrial Microbiology. 3:70. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2012.00070 Available online (open access) at: http://www.frontiersin.org/Journal/Abstract.aspx?s=1102&name=terrestrial%20microbiology&ART_DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2012.00070 Myers B, KL Webster, JW Mclaughlin, N Basiliko (in press) Microbial activity across a boreal peatland nutrient gradient: the role of fungi and bacteria.  Wetlands Ecology and Management. DOI: 10.1007/s11273-011-9242- (currently available online) Godin A, JW McLaughlin, KL Webster, M Packalen, N Basiliko (in press) Methane and methanogen community dynamics across a boreal peatland nutrient gradient. Soil Biology and Biochemistry http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2012.01.018 (currently available online) Gupta V, KA Smemo, JB Yavitt, N Basiliko (2012) Active methanotrophs in two contrasting North American peatland ecosystems revealed using DNA-SIP. Microbial Ecology 63:438–445 Basiliko N, H Stewart, NT Roulet, NT Moore (2012) Do root exudates enhance peat decomposition? Geomicrobiology Journal 29:374-378 Sackett TE, SM Smith, N Basiliko (2012) Exotic earthworm distribution in a mixed-use northern temperate forest region: influence of disturbance type, development age, and soils. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 42: 375–381 Xing Y, J Bubier, TR Moore, M Murphy, N Basiliko, S Wendel, C Blodau (2011) The fate of 15N-nitrate in a northern peatland impacted by long term experimental nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilization. Biogeochemistry 103:281–296 Winsborough CL and N Basiliko (2010) Fungal and bacterial activity in northern peatlands. Geomicrobiology Journal 27:315–320 Basiliko N, A Khan, R Roy, CE Prescott, SJ Grayston (2009) Soil greenhouse gas and nutrient dynamics in fertilized western Canadian plantation forests. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 39:1220-1235 Bengtson P, N Basiliko, MG Dumont, M Hills, JC Murrell, R Roy, SJ Grayston (2009) Links between methanotroph community composition and CH4 oxidation in a pine forest soil. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 70:356-366 Basiliko N, C Blodau, C Roehm, P Bengtson, TR Moore (2007) Regulation of decomposition and methane dynamics across natural, commercially-mined, and restored northern peatlands. Ecosystems 7:1148-1165 Bengtson P, N Basiliko, CE Prescott, SJ Grayston (2007) Spatial dependency of soil nutrient availability and microbial properties in a mixed forest of Tsuga heterophylla and Pseudotsuga menziesii, in coastal British Columbia, Canada. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 39:2429-2435 Basiliko N, TR Moore, R Jeannotte, JL Bubier (2006) The effect of nutrient input on carbon and microbial dynamics in an ombrotrophic bog. Geomicrobiology Journal 23:531-543 Moore TR and N Basiliko (2006) Decomposition. In Wieder, R.K. and D.H. Vitt, eds. Boreal Peatland Ecosystems. Ecological Studies 188, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Germany. Yavitt JB, N Basiliko, M Turetsky, AG Hay. (2006) Methane dynamics and methanogen diversity in peatlands of the discontinuous permafrost zone of boreal western continental Canada. Geomicrobiology Journal 23:641-651 Blodau C, N Basiliko, B Mayer, TR Moore (2006) The fate of experimentally deposited nitrogen in mesocosms from two Canadian peatlands. Science of the Total Environment 364:215-228  Basiliko N, TR Moore, PM Lafleur, NT Roulet (2005) Seasonal and inter- annual decomposition, microbial biomass and nitrogen dynamics in a Canadian bog. Soil Science 170:902-905 Basiliko N, R Knowles, T Moore (2004) On the role of moss species and habitat in methane oxidation in northern peatlands. Wetlands 24:178-185 Blodau C, N Basiliko, TR Moore (2004) Biogeochemical processes in peatland mesocosms under different levels of N and S deposition and water table levels. Biogeochemistry 67:331-351 S Glatzel, N Basiliko, T Moore (2004). Carbon dioxide and methane production potentials of peats from natural, harvested, and restored sites, eastern Québec, Canada. Wetlands 24:261-267 Basiliko N, PM Dees, SM Merkel, JB Yavitt (2003) Methane biogeochemistry and methanogen communities in two northern peatland ecosystems, New York State. Geomicrobiology Journal 20: 563-577 Basiliko N, JB Yavitt (2001) Influence of Ni, Co, Fe, and Na additions on methane production in Sphagnum-dominated Northern American peatlands. Biogeochemistry 52(2): 133-153 Non-refereed publications Basiliko N (2010) A review of “One Hundred Rings and Counting Forestry Education and Forestry in Toronto and Canada 1907-2007”. Ontario History 2:246-248 Basiliko N (2006) UK Royal Society Supports New Innovation in Canadian Forestry Research. The Forestry Chronicle 82:764 Basiliko N (2004) The hidden half of the forest. The University of British Columbia, Faculty of Forestry Branchlines 15:5 (back to top)
Current research projects: (affiliated student researchers are in parentheses) (Funded by NSERC Discovery and Connaught Research Fund grants): In collaboration with Professors Joe Yavitt and Kurt Smemo (Cornell U and the Holden Arboretum) quantifying anaerobic CH4 oxidation in peatlands using stable isotope tracers and using nucleic-acid stable-isotope probing to identify active aerobic methane oxidizing bacteria in peat soils (Varun Gupta).  A long-term experimental nutrient deposition (as could arise from atmospheric pollution) study at Mer Bleue bog near Ottawa in collaboration with Tim Moore (McGill), Christian Blodau (University of Munster), Jill Bubier (Mt. Holyoke College), and others  include exploring controls on microbial communities responsible for peat decomposition, methane emissions, and nutrient cycling including nitrous oxide emissions. (Cori Armes, Britney Myers, and Varun Gupta).  In collaboration with OMNR scientists (led by Dr. Jim McLaughlin and Dr. Kara Webster at the OMNR Ontario Forest Research Institute and Canadian Forest Service Great Lakes Forestry Centre), work in boreal ecosystems near White River ON is examining the soil microbial role in greenhouse gas fluxes across watersheds (Aaron Godin).  Work is also exploring the role of shifting microbial communities in peatland succession (Britney Myers, Kristine Haynes, Michael Preston). Smaller projects include/have included: Development of new tools for studying microbial activity in peat soils (Carolyn Winsborough). (Funded by NSERC Strategic Grant and Ontario Ministry of Environment funds): "Forest management under high nitrogen deposition: ecosystem processes and mitigation measures" in Haliburton Forest (a maple-dominated site) in collaboration with Sean Thomas at University of Toronto Forestry and Jen Murphy at University of Toronto Chemistry. In particular we are are aiming to study soil-plant-atmosphere dynamics of nitrogen under "nitrogen saturation" that has occurred owing to chronic atmospheric pollution deposition.  (Carolyn Winsborough) (Funded by NSERC CRD and MITACS Grants with industrial and governmental research partner funding from Ontario Power Generation, FRP, and OMNR):  In collaboration with OMNR Scientist Dr. Trevor Jones and UT Forestry Professor John Caspersen, a project is exploring impacts and benefits of intensifying harvesting of forest biomass for bioenergy production in the Great Lakes St Lawrence forest region (Jason Shabaga and Phil Rudz) (Funded by OMNR Collaborative Research Agreements): In collaboration with OMNR and CFS Scientists (Drs. McLaughlin and Webster) and UT Geography and UWO Biology Professors Sarah Finkelstein and Brian Branfireun, a project is exploring past and present controls on carbon accumulation in the James and Hudson Bay Lowlands of northern Ontario. (Michael Preston)   (Funded by Ontario Centres of Excellence and NSERC Strategic Grant funds): In collaboration with a number of other University of Toronto Faculty in the Faculty of Forestry and Departments of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, research is commencing exploring biochar as a potential link to sustainable and carbon negative forest biomass- bionergy production at Haliburton Forest (Carolyn Winsborough). (Funded by MITACS and Haliburton Forest and Wildlife Reserve ltd): Work led by PDF Dr. Tara Sackett, "Exotic earthworm impacts on sustainable forest management in southern Ontario" (Funded by NSERC PromoScience Fund): Led by Professor Maja Krzic (UBC Land and Food) Research and program and web content development to promote soil science education in Canadian high school curricula (Jason Shabaga and Carolyn Winsborough) http://soilweb.landfood.ubc.ca/promo/raising-awareness/soil-4-youth The majority of research infrastructure which supports research projects above came from Canada Foundation for Innovation, Ontario Research Fund, NSERC RTI (3 successful to date), and University of Toronto Start-up grants. Research Group: see pictures above Dr. Tara Sackett (Post-doctoral research fellow Jan 2010-) Jointly supervised with Professor Sandy Smith (Dean, UT Forestry) Carolyn Winsborough (PhD student 2008-; Former NSERC USRA and ROP 399 researcher; NSERC PGS Recipient) Michael Preston (PhD student 2009-) Jason Shabaga (PhD student 2009-) Varun Gupta (MSc student 2009-; former NSRC USRA researcher 2x, undergraduate honours thesis researcher, and GGR399 and BIO399 ROP researcher; NSERC CGS recipient) Michael McTavish (Undergraduate Honours Thesis researcher; former GGR 399 ROP researcher and NSERC USRA recipient) Darcie McNeill (Honours Thesis researcher; former GGR 399 ROP researcher and Centre for Global Change Science Intern) Stephanie Pugliese (Honours Thesis researcher) Dan Fitzgerald (Departmental Research Associate) Dan is specifically working on eddy-flux and hydrological studies at the Haliburton Forest.  Recent Alumni Kristine Haynes (Undergraduate honours thesis researcher; former Center for Global Change Science Intern) Kristine now holds OGS funding and is pursuing graduate studies with Professor Carl Mitchell at U of Toronto Scarborough. Aaron Godin (Undergraduate honours thesis researcher; GGR399 ROP  researcher; research assistant) Aaron is now pursuing graduate studies with Professor Melanie Jones at UBC Okanogan Department of Biology. Phil Rudz (Undergraduate honours thesis researcher; research assistant) Phil is now pursuing graduate studies with Professor John Caspersen at U of T Faculty of Forestry Cori Armes (MSc 2009)  Britney Myers (BSc 2009; Undergraduate honours thesis researcher, research assistant) Britney is now working in environmental consulting in British Columbia Natalia Voloschuk (BSc 2009; Undergraduate honours thesis researcher, research assistant) Natalia went on to complete a MSc in Environmental Science at U of T Scarborough and is now employed at Golder Associates. (back to top)
Student opportunities: For the 2012-13 academic year I am searching for graduate students for a number of funded projects in forest and wetland soil biogeochemistry and microbial ecology Nearly all work in my group involves a combination of field (40%) and laboratory (60%) analyses.  There are exciting opportunities to work in interesting ecosystems, with exceptionally important local and global environmental issues, and to learn cutting-edge techniques for studying microbial communities that drive ecosystem dynamics.  At University of Toronto at Mississauga, and at University of Toronto as a whole, there are many other research groups conducting complementary research that make for an exceptionally diverse, productive, and supportive graduate or undergraduate research experience (see Biogeochemistry at the University of Toronto).  As well, I have a wide network of Canadian and international collaborators at universities, governments, and industry with whom I encourage students to interact while working in my group. I am eligible to serve as a PhD and masters supervisor in the Faculty of Forestry at the University of Toronto and as a masters supervisor at University of Toronto Centre for Environment  email nathan.basiliko@utoronto.ca (back to top)
Laboratory and other research infrastructure: see pictures above Newly renovated labs for environmental chemistry (including analytical capabilities for measuring soil nutrients, C chemistry, and trace gases), soil analyses, microbial biomass, and characterization of soil microbial communities using nucleic-acid based molecular fingerprinting and sequencing, microscopy and enrichment/cultivation techniques, among others.  Professors Tim Duval, Yuhong He, and I share laboratory space and research infrastructure, making for a very interactive research environment!  Field sampling tools (for soils, hydrological, and gas measurements), a research van, and collaboratively a new bunkhouse, meteorological tower, and related infrastructure at Haliburton Forest.  Funded by the University of Toronto, Canada Foundation for Innovation, Ontario Research Fund, and NSERC RTI (3 successful to date) Grants. (back to top)
Related Researchers in UT Geography: There is a great range of biogeochemistry and related research and expertise across the tri-campus graduate Geography department at University of Toronto.  For graduate students this provides excellent exposure to complimentary, yet different, aspects of biogeochemistry in the form of graduate courses, graduate committee membership, and general interactions with other research groups.  In particular: Dr. George Arhonditsis  at U of T Scarborough is an expert at aquatic biogeochemical modeling and studies aquatic ecosystem responses to climatic variability, plankton ecology/food web dynamics Dr. Tim Duval at U of T Mississauga researches watershed hydrologic and physiographic controls on biogeochemical processes Dr. Jing Chen at U of T St. George is an expert in remote sensing, geographical information systems, biogeochemical cycle modelling, hydrology, and micrometeorology Dr. Sharon Cowling at U of T St. George is expert in the interface between the biosphere and atmosphere. The focus of her research is to understand the response of past, present and future vegetation to changes in regional and global climate, including vegetation feedbacks on climate. Dr. Miriam Diamond  at U of T St. George is an expert in applied environmental chemistry, eco-toxicology of contaminants, and mathematical modelling of physical systems and has an interest in women in science. Dr. Sarah Finkelstein  at U of T St. George is an expert in the study and analysis of paleoecological record.  He research focuses on on why ecosystems change over time and how ecological communities respond to different types of disturbances, such as climatic change, fire or human impacts Dr. Yuhong He at U of T Mississauga is a biogeochemist/ecologist who utilizes remote sensing and ground-based approaches to investigate grassland and forest ecosystems. Dr. Marney Isaac at U of T Scarborough focuses on agoecology; plant-soil interactions; biogeochemical cycling; environment and development; social-ecological systems; agrarian resource networks; temperate and tropical agroforestry. Dr. Carl Mitchell at U of T St. Scarborough  has expertise and interests in Hydrology Biogeochemistry Mercury and methylmercury Anaerobic soils Wetlands Sulfur cycling Biogeochemical hot spots Snowmelt Redox chemistry Environmental microbiology Dr. Myrna Simpson  at U of T Scarborough is an expert at soil, sedimentary, and aquatic organic matter characterization by NMR spectroscopy and other analytical techniques. Her research focuses on interactions of organic contaminants in soil and sedimentary environments and development of biomarker techniques for carbon accounting and cycling in terrestrial and aquatic environments. I am an active member in two Physical Geography research "clusters" in Geography at the University of Toronto: Biogeochemistry and Contaminants and Paleoclimate and Biogeography and one cross-discipline (social and environmental sciences) research cluster Nature, Society, and Environmental Change. Research "clusters" provide cohesiveness among related researchers in our graduate department through various activities and ensure that graduate students are exposed to other top researchers throughout their studies.' Related Researchers across University of Toronto: In the Faculty of Forestry at University of Toronto St. George campus (Profs. Sean Thomas, Sandy Smith, John Caspersen) and Department of Chemistry at University of Toronto (Prof. Jennifer Murphy, an atmospheric chemist focusing on biogeochemical cycles) with related research interests who offer courses, serve on graduate advising committees, and who's proximity can potentially enhance the experience and expertise of students working in my group. (back to top)
Teaching at University of Toronto at Mississauga GGR227 Ecosystems and Environmental Change (next taught Spring 2012) GGR307 Environmental Soil Science (Fall 2011) GGR379 Field Methods in Physical Geography (Fall 2011) GGR406 Advanced Biogeochemistry (next taught Fall 2011) GGR417 Honours Thesis (2011-2012) I am presently serving as the UTM undergraduate science (GGR and ENV B.Ss.) advisor in the Department of Geography and Programs in Environment Graduate teaching at University of Toronto GGR1216 Advanced Biogeochemical Processes (Fall 2011, UT Mississauga campus) (back to top)
Last updated December 2011