Project details

Collaborators

Jonathan Raff (Indiana University)
Kim Novick (Indiana University)
Darren Ficklin (Indiana University)
Jen Lau (Indiana University)

Research summary

Billions of Brood X periodical cicadas emerged from the soil in May 2021. We initiated a sampling campaign to quantify and better understand how the cicadas affect C and nutrient cycling in forests. Much of our efforts relate to two processes: how cicadas affect soils by creating emergence holes (which alters water infiltration, redox and microbial activity), and via the decay rates of their N-rich carcasses (which affects microbial activity, and C and N cycling).