UM Undergraduate Research Group

Currently, I am developing an undergraduate research program that provides UM students with opportunities to engage in projects exploring the ecology of ecosystems and soils. Our research examines how ecological drivers and processes—such as fire, plant–soil interactions, and biogeochemical cycling—shape ecosystem structure and function across forest and grassland systems. Below are the profiles and project descriptions of current and former research mentees.

People

Declan Clarke

Ungergraduate, Environmental Science and Sustainability Major

Declan is an undergraduate student raised in Arvada, Colorado who is studying Environmental Science and Sustainability. His research interests are in soil science, terrestrial ecology, and environmental microbiology. He hopes to find a career as an environmental scientist, where he can use his knowledge to improve and sustain environmental quality for people, plants, and wildlife.

Project: Effects of shortened fire return intervals on soil carbon dynamics in western Montana subalpine lodgepole pine forests. Declan was supported by a full-time summer internship (2025) through the Montana Space Grant Consortium (NASA) on the Short-Interval Fire Project. His work included both field and laboratory research assessing how shortened fire return intervals influence ectomycorrhizal fungi–lodgepole pine seedling root associations and quantifying soil carbon respiration fluxes across the same sites.

Jacob Baldner

Undergraduate, Environmental Science and Sustainability Major

Jacob is an undergraduate student in the environmental science program at the University of Montana, originally from Denver, Colorado. He is interested in all things ecology, but specifically soil and plant nutrient dynamics, and their ecosystem-wide implications and interactions. He plans to continue broadening his knowledge throughout his undergraduate studies through classes and continued involvement in research.

Project: Effects of shortened fire return intervals on soil pyrogenic carbon stocks and fluxes. Jacob is supported through a semester-long research apprenticeship (2025) funded by the Montana Space Grant Consortium (NASA). His work focuses on quantifying soil pyrogenic carbon from field sites associated with our Short-Interval Fire Project.

Sophie Konerza

Undergraduate, Environmental Science and Sustainability Major

Sophie is from northeast Houston. Her research interests are focused on improving the soil's ability to store carbon and how agriculture contributes to this process. She is interested in a career centered in the outdoors, potentially working with public lands or with sustainability in agriculture. Her favorite class so far at UM has been Energy and Climate.

Project: Biochar and worm casting amendments and their effects on soil nutrient availability.
Sophie is completing a semester-long internship with Soil Cycle, a local non-profit focused on diverting food scraps and organic waste from landfills. Her proposed research will evaluate the efficacy of compost products—specifically worm castings and biochar—on soil nutrient availability and plant growth. She is currently pursuing funding for this project through the University of Montana Experiential Learning Scholarship Fund and planning a plant–soil feedback greenhouse experiment for this fall and winter.