Christina Tonitto

Christina.Tonitto@cornell.edu

http://www.people.cornell.edu/pages/ct244/

Education

Ph.D. 2002, University of California, Berkeley, Dept. of Integrative Biology

Thesis Title: Spatial Models of Terrestrial Biogeochemistry: Field and Model Studies of Douglas-fir Forests.

Advisor: Professor Thomas M. Powell.

Committee: Professors Thomas M. Powell, Todd E. Dawson, James W. Kirchner.

B.A. 1994, Princeton University, Dept. of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. (cum laude)

Senior Thesis: Analysis of Tree Ring Data for Nine Northeastern Temperate Species: Implications for Modeling Growth in SORTIE and Predicting Forest Dynamics Under CO₂ Enrichment.

Advisor: Professor Steven W. Pacala.

Professional Societies

American Geophysical Union

Ecological Society of America

Soil Science Society of America

Union of Concerned Scientists

U.S. Society for Ecological Economics

Research Appointments

Postdoctoral Researcher May 2003 – present

Prof. Laurie Drinkwater, Department of Horticulture, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.

Studied N dynamics as a function of agroecosystem management practice using quantitative literature review, ¹⁵N tracer methods, simulation modeling, and statistical modeling.

Graduate Student Instructor and Researcher Sep. 1995 – Dec. 2002

Prof. Thomas M. Powell. University of CA, Berkeley, Dept. of Integrative Biology.

Developed spatial models of forest N cycling, conducted spatial sampling of C and N distribution in Douglas-fir forests, performed system administration for a UNIX, SGI, and Windows PC lab, and taught undergraduate biology classes.

Researcher Nov. 1998 – Jun. 1999

Dr. Peter Dunwiddie, The Nature Conservancy, Seattle, WA.

Developed conservation plans for TNC land in Washington.

Research Intern Nov. 1994 – Jun. 1995

Alan Durning, Northwest Environment Watch, Seattle, WA

Wrote white papers on: fishery management, forest management, marine mammal conservation, pesticides in the environment, and soil erosion.

Data Analyst Feb. 1995 – Jun. 1995

Prof. Ray Hilborn, Department of Fisheries, University of Washington, Seattle, WA.

Analyzed temporal trends in North American catch data.

Research Assistant Nov 1994 – Feb 1995

Dr. Malcolm North, Department of Forestry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA.

Studied mycorrhizae in Pacific Northwest conifer forests.

Additional Field Experience

H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest, OR. Jun 1997 – Aug 1997

Performed spatial studies of nitrogen and carbon in plant biomass and soil.

OTS La Selva, Costa Rica. Jun 1996 – Aug 1996

Compared nutrient availability and nitrogen mineralization rates in mature and secondary
forest soils.

Mpala Research Station, Kenya, Prof. Daniel I. Rubenstein. Jan 1994 – Feb 1994

Studied the competitive significance of domestic cattle on native ungulates.

Institute for Ecosystem Studies, NY, Dr. Charles Canham. Jun 1993 – Sep 1993

Studied tree growth, biogeochemical cycles, rodent and deer herbivory.

The Nature Conservancy, CA, Dr. Robin Wills. Jun 1992 – Sep 1992

Investigated distribution of grass and rodent species, assisted in a prescribed burning
project to reinstate native grass species, and performed hydrological surveys.

Teaching Experience

Department of Horticulture, Cornell University. Co-Instructor. HORT 636: Sustainability of the Biosphere. Co-developed an interdisciplinary graduate course examining biophysical, economic, and sociologic research in the field of sustainability. Fall 2004, Spring 2005.

Department of Developmental Sociology, Cornell University. Co-Instructor. SOC 494: A Critical Perspective on the New American Century: Global Resource Allocation and Acquisition. Co-developed an interdisciplinary undergraduate course examining U.S. contemporary culture and policy. Instructor of energy policy, ecosystem services, and global change. Spring 2004.

Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley. Graduate Student Instructor. Taught lecture and laboratory material in the fields of Ecology, Population Biology, Biogeochemistry, Plant Biology, and Evolution. Sept. 1995 to Dec. 1999.

Publications

Tonitto, C., David, M.B., Drinkwater, L.E. 2006. Response of crop yields and soil N to diversified rotations: a meta-analysis. Agriculture, Ecosystems, and Environment. 112 (1): 58-72

Tonitto, C. and Powell, T.M. 2006. Spatial biogeochemical models applied to Douglas-fir management. Ecological Modelling. 193 (3-4): 340-362

Tonitto, C., David, M.B., Drinkwater, L.E. 2005. Diversified Agricultural Systems: Balancing Ecosystem Services with Economic Viability. In Proceedings of the U.S. Society for Ecological Economics Biennial Meeting, Tacoma, WA, July 2005.

Tonitto, C., David, M.B., Drinkwater, L.E., Li, C. (in review). Application of the DNDC Model to Tile-drained Illinois Agroecosystems: Model Calibration, Validation, and Uncertainty Analysis. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems.

Tonitto, C., David, M.B., Li, C., Drinkwater, L.E. (in review). Application of the DNDC Model to Tile-drained Illinois Agroecosystems: Model Comparison of Conventional and Diversified Rotations. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems.

Vadas, T.M., Fahey, T.J., Sherman, R.E., Demers, J.D., Grossman, J.M., Maul, J.E., Melvin, A.M., O’Neill, B., Raciti, S.M., Rochon, E.T., Sugar, D.J., Tonitto, C., Turner, C.B., Walsh, M.J., Xue, K. (in review). County-scale analysis of carbon mitigation strategies: Tompkins County, New York, USA. Energy Policy.

Tonitto, C., David, M.B., Li, C., Drinkwater, L.E. (in preparation). Application of the DNDC Model to Diversified Rotations: Analysis of the Rodale Farming System Trials. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems.

Tonitto, C. (in preparation). Quantifying N₂O emissions in agroecosystems: A literature review using Monte Carlo sampling. Ecosystems.

Tonitto, C., Powell, T.M., Dawson, T.E. (in revision). Spatial variability of carbon and nitrogen in a Douglas-fir forest of the western Oregon Cascades. Forest Ecology and Management.

Tonitto, C. 2002. Spatial Models of Terrestrial Biogeochemistry: Field and model studies of Douglas-fir forests. Dissertation. University of California, Berkeley.

Tonitto, C. 1994. Analysis of tree ring data for nine Northeastern temperate species: Implications for modeling growth in SORTIE and predicting forest dynamics under CO₂ enrichment. Undergraduate Thesis. Princeton University.

Workshop White Papers

Hobbie, J., Braswell, R., Canham, C., Doney, S., Felzer, B., Gardner, R., Hurtt, G., Joyce, L., Kicklighter, D., Luo, Y., Melillo, J., Moorcroft, P., Neilson, R., Ojima. D., Pace, M, Peters, D., Pontius, G., Rastetter, E., Riha, S., Running, S., Throop, H., Tonitto, C., Vallino, J., Vörösmarty, C., Wollheim, W.. A Workshop on Modeling in NEON. Woods Hole, MA. July 2005.

Invited Talks

Spatial Models of N Dynamics in Douglas-fir forests. Biogeochemistry and Environmental Biocomplexity Seminar Series, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, March 2006.

Response of Crop Yield and Soil Nitrate to Diversified Rotations: A Meta-Analysis. Biogeochemistry and Environmental Biocomplexity Seminar Series, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, September 2004.

Global Biogeochemical Cycles. Guest Lecturer in Population and Community Ecology: University of California, Berkeley, CA, November 1997.

Conference Talks

Nitrogen Management in Agroecosystems: Applying Models and Data in Policy Development. Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, Montreal, Canada, August 2005.

Diversified Agricultural Systems: Balancing Ecosystem Services with Economic Viability. U.S. Society for Ecological Economics Biennial Meeting, Tacoma, WA, July 2005.

Simulated Nitrogen Dynamics in Conventional Corn-Soybean and Alternative Corn-Soybean-Wheat-Legume Agroecosystems Using the DNDC Model. Soil Science Society of America Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA, November 2004.

The Application of Spatial Models of Forest Nutrient Cycling to Forest Management. Soil Science Society of America Annual Meeting, Minneapolis, MN, November 2000.

The Application of Spatial Data to Coupled Models of Forest Nutrient Cycling. Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, Snowbird, UT, August 2000.

The Role of Measured Local Variation for Modeling Forest Nutrient Processes. Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, Spokane, WA, August 1999.

Quantifying the Heterogeneity of Carbon and Nitrogen Distributions in a Pacific Northwest Douglas-fir Forest. Institute for Mathematics and Its Applications, University of Minnesota. Minneapolis, MN. April 1999.

Conference Posters

Ecosystem Management Tools for Application in Sustainable Agriculture. USDA CSREES National Water Conference. San Antonio, TX. February 2006.

Response of Crop Yield and Soil Nitrate to Diversified Rotations: A Meta-Analysis. Soil Science Society of America Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA, November 2004.

Synergistic Activities

Ecology and Ecological Economics: Symbiosis for a Sustainable Future. Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, Montreal, Canada, August 2005.

Co-developed workshop to discuss potential for collaboration between ecologists and ecological economists.

Ecology and Ecological Economics: Symbiosis for a Sustainable Future. U.S. Society for Ecological Economics Biennial Meeting, Tacoma, WA, July 2005.

Co-developed workshop to discuss convergent and divergent frameworks in ecology and ecological economic disciplines.

Reviewer

Ecosystems

Journal of Environmental Quality

Completed Coursework

UC Berkeley: Ecological and meteorological modeling, Watershed biogeochemistry, Remote sensing of natural resources, Surface water hydrology, Vadose zone hydrology, Soil science seminar in global change studies, Soil physics, Geochemistry, Environmental aqueous geochemistry, OTS-Tropical biology, Restoration ecology, Ecology of biological invasions, Data assimilation and inverse methods.

Princeton University: Theoretical ecology, Tropical ecology, Community ecology, Evolution and genetics, Population and community ecology, Botany, Vertebrate biology, Managing the global environment, Prokaryotic genetics, Molecular biology, Organic chemistry, General chemistry, Multivariable calculus, Linear algebra, Statistics, Programming in C.

Foreign Languages: German (fluent), Italian, Spanish, Turkish (conversant)

Computer Languages: C, C++, Matlab, Awk, R