Research Expertise and Interest

agroecology, soil ecology, biogeochemistry, plan-soil-microbe interactions

Research Description

Timothy Bowles is an assistant professor in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy & Management.  How can reliance on biodiversity and ecological processes create productive, resilient, and healthy agricultural systems? This question frames his overarching goal, which is to support transformation of our agricultural system from one reliant on intensive, synthetic inputs to one based on ecological processes. In particular, he is interested in how diversified, biologically-based farms affect soil health, resource-use-efficiency, and resilience to environmental change, especially drought. This research lies at the intersection of agroecology, soil ecology, and biogeochemistry with a focus on plant-soil-microbe interactions. He uses several approaches, including on-farm research across agricultural landscapes, historical data synthesis from long-term trials, and field and greenhouse experiments. Through collaboration with farmers, agronomists, conservation biologists, social scientists, and economists he aims for a multidimensional perspective on agroecological transformations.