Institution: City University of New York
Department: Advanced Science Research Center
85 St. Nicholas Terrace
New York, NY 10031
Hubbard Brook Role: Investigator, LTER Lead PI
Phone: (845) 7797-4832
Email: Peter.Groffman@gc.cuny.edu
ORCID: 0000-0001-8371-6255
Website: https://www.gc.cuny.edu/people/peter-groffman
PeterGroffman

Research Interests

Peter M. Groffman has worked at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest since 1992. His research interests are in soil microbial ecology and carbon and nitrogen dynamics. Specific research efforts include long-term monitoring of soil microbial biomass and activity, investigation of snow depth as a regulator of soil freezing and nitrogen dynamics, the effects of atmospheric nitrogen deposition on nitrogen gas fluxes, and effects of a whole watershed calcium addition on soil nitrogen and carbon cycling.

Hubbard Brook Publications by this Author

Contosta, A. R., Battles, J. J., Campbell, J. L., Driscoll, C. T., Garlick, S. R., Holmes, R. T., Likens, G. E., Rodenhouse, N. L., Rogers, S. H., Templer, P. H., Vadeboncoeur, M. A., & Groffman, P. M. (2023). Early warning signals of changing resilience in the biogeochemistry and biology of a northern hardwood forest. Environmental Research Letters, 18(9), 094052. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/acf3fe
Ontman, R., Groffman, P. M., Driscoll, C. T., & Cheng, Z. (2023). Surprising relationships between soil pH and microbial biomass and activity in a northern hardwood forest. Biogeochemistry, 163(3), 265–277. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-023-01031-0
Gill, A. L., Grinder, R. M., See, C. R., Chapin, F. S., DeLancey, L. C., Fisk, M. C., Groffman, P. M., Harms, T., Hobbie, S. E., Knoepp, J. D., Knops, J. M. H., Mack, M., Reich, P. B., & Keiser, A. D. (2023). Soil carbon availability decouples net nitrogen mineralization and net nitrification across United States Long Term Ecological Research sites. Biogeochemistry, 162(1), 13–24. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-022-01011-w
Halpern, B. S., Boettiger, C., Dietze, M. C., Gephart, J. A., Gonzalez, P., Grimm, N. B., Groffman, P. M., Gurevitch, J., Hobbie, S. E., Komatsu, K. J., Kroeker, K. J., Lahr, H. J., Lodge, D. M., Lortie, C. J., Lowndes, J. S. S., Micheli, F., Possingham, H. P., Ruckelshaus, M. H., Scarborough, C., … Youngflesh, C. (2023). Priorities for synthesis research in ecology and environmental science. Ecosphere, 14(1), e4342. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.4342
Campbell, J. L., Driscoll, C. T., Jones, J. A., Boose, E. R., Dugan, H. A., Groffman, P. M., Jackson, C. R., Jones, J. B., Juday, G. P., Lottig, N. R., Penaluna, B. E., Ruess, R. W., Suding, K., Thompson, J. R., & Zimmerman, J. K. (2022). Forest and Freshwater Ecosystem Responses to Climate Change and Variability at US LTER Sites. BioScience, 72(9), 851–870. https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biab124
Mason, R. E., Craine, J. M., Lany, N. K., Jonard, M., Ollinger, S. V., Groffman, P. M., Fulweiler, R. W., Angerer, J., Read, Q. D., Reich, P. B., Templer, P. H., & Elmore, A. J. (2022). Explanations for nitrogen decline—Response. Science, 376(6598), 1170–1170. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abq8690
Mason, R. E., Craine, J. M., Lany, N. K., Jonard, M., Ollinger, S. V., Groffman, P. M., Fulweiler, R. W., Angerer, J., Read, Q. D., Reich, P. B., Templer, P. H., & Elmore, A. J. (2022). Evidence, causes, and consequences of declining nitrogen availability in terrestrial ecosystems. Science, 376(6590), eabh3767. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abh3767
Ni, X., Liao, S., Wu, F., & Groffman, P. M. (2022). Microbial biomass in forest soils under altered moisture conditions: A review. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 86(2), 358–368. https://doi.org/10.1002/saj2.20344
Nevison, C., Goodale, C., Hess, P., Wieder, W. R., Vira, J., & Groffman, P. M. (2022). Nitrification and denitrification in the Community Land Model compared with observations at Hubbard Brook Forest. Ecological Applications, 32(4), e2530. https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.2530
Harms, T. K., Groffman, P. M., Aluwihare, L., Craft, C., Wieder, W. R., Hobbie, S. E., Baer, S. G., Blair, J. M., Frey, S., Remucal, C. K., Rudgers, J. A., & Collins, S. L. (2021). Patterns and trends of organic matter processing and transport: Insights from the US long-term ecological research network. Climate Change Ecology, 2, 100025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecochg.2021.100025
Kanter, D. R., Wagner-Riddle, C., Groffman, P. M., Davidson, E. A., Galloway, J. N., Gourevitch, J. D., van Grinsven, H. J. M., Houlton, B. Z., Keeler, B. L., Ogle, S. M., Pearen, H., Rennert, K. J., Saifuddin, M., Sobota, D. J., & Wagner, G. (2021). Improving the social cost of nitrous oxide. Nature Climate Change, 11(12), 1008–1010. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-021-01226-z
Bianchi, T. S., Anand, M., Bauch, C. T., Canfield, D. E., De Meester, L., Fennel, K., Groffman, P. M., Pace, M. L., Saito, M., & Simpson, M. J. (2021). Ideas and perspectives: Biogeochemistry – some key foci for the future. Biogeosciences, 18(10), 3005–3013. https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-3005-2021
Zarnetske, P. L., Gurevitch, J., Franklin, J., Groffman, P. M., Harrison, C. S., Hellmann, J. J., Hoffman, F. M., Kothari, S., Robock, A., Tilmes, S., Visioni, D., Wu, J., Xia, L., & Yang, C.-E. (2021). Potential ecological impacts of climate intervention by reflecting sunlight to cool Earth. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118(15). https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1921854118
Taylor, L. L., Driscoll, C. T., Groffman, P. M., Rau, G. H., Blum, J. D., & Beerling, D. J. (2021). Increased carbon capture by a silicate-treated forested watershed affected by acid deposition. Biogeosciences, 18(1), 169–188. https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-169-2021
Bahlai, C. A., Hart, C., Kavanaugh, M. T., White, J. D., Ruess, R. W., Brinkman, T. J., Ducklow, H. W., Foster, D. R., Fraser, W. R., Genet, H., Groffman, P. M., Hamilton, S. K., Johnstone, J. F., Kielland, K., Landis, D. A., Mack, M. C., Sarnelle, O., & Thompson, J. R. (2021). Cascading effects: insights from the U.S. Long Term Ecological Research Network. Ecosphere, 12(5), e03430. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3430
Cowles, J., Templeton, L., Battles, J. J., Edmunds, P. J., Carpenter, R. C., Carpenter, S. R., Paul Nelson, M., Cleavitt, N. L., Fahey, T. J., Groffman, P. M., Sullivan, J. H., Neel, M. C., Hansen, G. J. A., Hobbie, S., Holbrook, S. J., Kazanski, C. E., Seabloom, E. W., Schmitt, R. J., Stanley, E. H., … Vander Zanden, J. M. (2021). Resilience: insights from the U.S. LongTerm Ecological Research Network. Ecosphere, 12(5), e03434. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3434
Iwaniec, D. M., Gooseff, M., Suding, K. N., Samuel Johnson, D., Reed, D. C., Peters, D. P. C., Adams, B., Barrett, J. E., Bestelmeyer, B. T., Castorani, M. C. N., Cook, E. M., Davidson, M. J., Groffman, P. M., Hanan, N. P., Huenneke, L. F., Johnson, P. T. J., McKnight, D. M., Miller, R. J., Okin, G. S., … Vivoni, E. R. (2021). Connectivity: insights from the U.S. Long Term Ecological Research Network. Ecosphere, 12(5), e03432. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3432
Zinnert, J. C., Nippert, J. B., Rudgers, J. A., Pennings, S. C., González, G., Alber, M., Baer, S. G., Blair, J. M., Burd, A., Collins, S. L., Craft, C., Di Iorio, D., Dodds, W. K., Groffman, P. M., Herbert, E., Hladik, C., Li, F., Litvak, M. E., Newsome, S., … Young, D. R. (2021). State changes: insights from the U.S. Long Term Ecological Research Network. Ecosphere, 12(5), e03433. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3433
Campbell, J. L., Rustad, L. E., Bailey, S. W., Bernhardt, E. S., Driscoll, C. T., Green, M. B., Groffman, P. M., Lovett, G. M., McDowell, W. H., McGuire, K. J., & Rosi, E. J. (2021). Watershed studies at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest: Building on a long legacy of research with new approaches and sources of data. Hydrological Processes, 35(1), e14016. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.14016
Zimmerman, A., & Groffman, P. M. (2021). Evolving Governance in the U.S. Long Term Ecological Research Network. In R. B. Waide & S. E. Kingsland (Eds.), The Challenges of Long Term Ecological Research: A Historical Analysis (pp. 423–444). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-66933-1_15
Wilson, G., Green, M., Brown, J., Campbell, J., Groffman, P., Durán, J., & Morse, J. (2020). Snowpack affects soil microclimate throughout the year. Climatic Change, 163(2), 705–722. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-020-02943-8
Rustad, L. E., Campbell, J. L., Driscoll, C. T., Fahey, T. J., Groffman, P. M., Schaberg, P. G., Hawley, G. J., Halm, I., Bowles, F., Leuenberger, W., Schwaner, G., Winant, G., & Leonardi, B. (2020). Experimental approach and initial forest response to a simulated ice storm experiment in a northern hardwood forest. PLOS ONE, 15(9), e0239619. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0239619
Campbell, J. L., Rustad, L. E., Driscoll, C. T., Halm, I., Fahey, T. J., Fakhraei, H., Groffman, P. M., Hawley, G. J., Leuenberger, W., & Schaberg, P. G. (2020). Simulating Impacts of Ice Storms on Forest Ecosystems. Journal of Visualized Experiments, 160, 61492. https://doi.org/10.3791/61492
Garcia, M. O., Templer, P. H., Sorensen, P. O., Sanders-DeMott, R., Groffman, P. M., & Bhatnagar, J. M. (2020). Soil Microbes Trade-Off Biogeochemical Cycling for Stress Tolerance Traits in Response to Year-Round Climate Change. Frontiers in Microbiology, 11. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2020.00616
Weitzman, J. N., Groffman, P. M., Campbell, J. L., Driscoll, C. T., Fahey, R. T., Fahey, T. J., Schaberg, P. G., & Rustad, L. E. (2019). Ecosystem Nitrogen Response to a Simulated Ice Storm in a Northern Hardwood Forest. Ecosystems. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-019-00463-w
Ni, X., Liao, S., Wu, F., & Groffman, P. M. (2019). Short-term precipitation pulses stimulate soil CO2 emission but do not alter CH4 and N2O fluxes in a northern hardwood forest. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 130, 8–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2018.11.021
Ni, X., & Groffman, P. M. (2018). Declines in methane uptake in forest soils. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 115(34), 8587–8590. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1807377115
Richter, D. D., Billings, S. A., Groffman, P. M., Kelly, E. F., Lohse, K. A., McDowell, W. H., White, T. S., Anderson, S., Baldocchi, D. D., Banwart, S., Brantley, S., Braun, J. J., Brecheisen, Z. S., Cook, C. W., Hartnett, H. E., Hobbie, S. E., Gaillardet, J., Jobbagy, E., Jungkunst, H. F., … Zhang, G. (2018). Ideas and perspectives: Strengthening the biogeosciences in environmental research networks. Biogeosciences, 15(15), 4815–4832. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-4815-2018
Baatz, R., Sullivan, P. L., Li, L., Weintraub, S. R., Loescher, H. W., Mirtl, M., Groffman, P. M., Wall, D. H., Young, M., White, T., Wen, H., Zacharias, S., Kühn, I., Tang, J., Gaillardet, J., Braud, I., Flores, A. N., Kumar, P., Lin, H., … Van Looy, K. (2018). Steering operational synergies in terrestrial observation networks: opportunity for advancing Earth system dynamics modelling. Earth System Dynamics, 9(2), 593–609. https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-9-593-2018
Groffman, P. M., Driscoll, C. T., Durán, J., Campbell, J. L., Christenson, L. M., Fahey, T. J., Fisk, M. C., Fuss, C., Likens, G. E., Lovett, G., Rustad, L., & Templer, P. H. (2018). Nitrogen oligotrophication in northern hardwood forests. Biogeochemistry, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-018-0445-y
Asbjornsen, H., Campbell, J. L., Jennings, K. A., Vadeboncoeur, M. A., McIntire, C., Templer, P. H., Phillips, R. P., Bauerle, T. L., Dietze, M. C., Frey, S. D., Groffman, P. M., Guerrieri, R., Hanson, P. J., Kelsey, E. P., Knapp, A. K., McDowell, N. G., Meir, P., Novick, K. A., Ollinger, S. V., … Rustad, L. E. (2018). Guidelines and considerations for designing field experiments simulating precipitation extremes in forest ecosystems. Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 9(12), 2310–2325. https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.13094
Weintraub, S. R., Flores, A. N., Wieder, W. R., Sihi, D., Cagnarini, C., Gonçalves, D. R. P., Young, M. H., Li, L., Olshansky, Y., Baatz, R., Sullivan, P. L., & Groffman, P. M. (2018). Leveraging Environmental Research and Observation Networks to Advance Soil Carbon Science. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JG004956
Durán, J., Morse, J. L., Rodríguez, A., Campbell, J. L., Christenson, L. M., Driscoll, C. T., Fahey, T. J., Fisk, M. C., Mitchell, M. J., Templer, P. H., & Groffman, P. M. (2017). Differential sensitivity to climate change of C and N cycling processes across soil horizons in a northern hardwood forest. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 107, 77–84. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2016.12.028
Christenson, L., Clark, H., Livingston, L., Heffernan, E., Campbell, J., Driscoll, C., Groffman, P., Fahey, T., Fisk, M., Mitchell, M., & Templer, P. H. (2017). Winter Climate Change Influences on Soil Faunal Distribution and Abundance: Implications for Decomposition in the Northern Forest. Northeastern Naturalist, 24(sp7), B209–B234. https://doi.org/10.1656/045.024.s721
Minick, K. J., Fisk, M. C., & Groffman, P. M. (2017). Soil Ca alters processes contributing to C and N retention in the Oa/A horizon of a northern hardwood forest. Biogeochemistry, 132(3), 343–357. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-017-0307-z
Sorensen, P. O., Templer, P. H., Christenson, L., Duran, J., Fahey, T., Fisk, M. C., Groffman, P. M., Morse, J. L., & Finzi, A. C. (2016). Reduced snow cover alters root-microbe interactions and decreases nitrification rates in a northern hardwood forest. Ecology, 97(12), 3359–3368. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.1599
Kulkarni, M. V., Yavitt, J. B., & Groffman, P. M. (2016). Rapid Conversion of Added Nitrate to Nitrous Oxide and Dinitrogen in Northern Forest Soil. Geomicrobiology Journal, 0(0), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1080/01490451.2016.1238981
Fuss, C. B., Driscoll, C. T., Green, M. B., & Groffman, P. M. (2016). Hydrologic flowpaths during snowmelt in forested headwater catchments under differing winter climatic and soil frost regimes. Hydrological Processes, n/a-n/a. https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.10956
Durán, J., Morse, J. L., Groffman, P. M., Campbell, J. L., Christenson, L. M., Driscoll, C. T., Fahey, T. J., Fisk, M. C., Likens, G. E., Melillo, J. M., Mitchell, M. J., Templer, P. H., & Vadeboncoeur, M. A. (2016). Climate change decreases nitrogen pools and mineralization rates in northern hardwood forests. Ecosphere, 7(3), n/a-n/a. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.1251
Caputo, J., Beier, C. M., Luzadis, V. A., & Groffman, P. M. (2016). Integrating beneficiaries into assessment of ecosystem services from managed forests at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, USA. Forest Ecosystems, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40663-016-0072-9
Fuss, C. B., Driscoll, C. T., Groffman, P. M., Campbell, J. L., Christenson, L. M., Fahey, T. J., Fisk, M. C., Mitchell, M. J., Templer, P. H., Durán, J., & Morse, J. L. (2016). Nitrate and dissolved organic carbon mobilization in response to soil freezing variability. Biogeochemistry, 131(1–2), 35–47. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-016-0262-0
Caputo, J., Beier, C. M., Groffman, P. M., Burns, D. A., Beall, F. D., Hazlett, P. W., & Yorks, T. E. (2016). Effects of Harvesting Forest Biomass on Water and Climate Regulation Services: A Synthesis of Long-Term Ecosystem Experiments in Eastern North America. Ecosystems, 19(2), 271–283. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-015-9928-z
Caputo, J., Beier, C. M., Groffman, P. M., Burns, D. A., Beall, F. D., Hazlett, P. W., & Yorks, T. E. (2015). Effects of harvesting forest biomass on water and climate regulation services: a synthesis of long-term ecosystem experiments in eastern North America. Ecosystems, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-015-9928-z
Beier, C., Caputo, J., & Groffman, P. M. (2015). Measuring ecosystem capacity to provide regulating services: forest removal and recovery at Hubbard Brook (USA). Ecological Applications. https://doi.org/10.1890/14-1376.1
Morse, J. L., Durán, J., & Groffman, P. M. (2015). Soil Denitrification Fluxes in a Northern Hardwood Forest: The Importance of Snowmelt and Implications for Ecosystem N Budgets. Ecosystems, 18(3), 520–532. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-015-9844-2
Morse, J. L., Durán, J., Beall, F., Enanga, E. M., Creed, I. F., Fernandez, I., & Groffman, P. M. (2014). Soil denitrification fluxes from three northeastern North American forests across a range of nitrogen deposition. Oecologia, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-014-3117-1
Wexler, S. K., Goodale, C. L., McGuire, K. J., Bailey, S. W., & Groffman, P. M. (2014). Isotopic signals of summer denitrification in a northern hardwood forested catchment. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(46), 16413–16418. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1404321111
Balaria, A., Johnson, C. E., Groffman, P. M., & Fisk, M. C. (2014). Effects of calcium silicate treatment on the composition of forest floor organic matter in a northern hardwood forest stand. Biogeochemistry, 122(2–3), 313–326. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-014-0043-6
Balaria, A., Johnson, C. E., & Groffman, P. M. (2014). Effects of calcium treatment on forest floor organic matter composition along an elevation gradient. Canadian Journal of Forest Research, 44(8), 969–976. https://doi.org/10.1139/cjfr-2014-0065
Christenson, L. M., Mitchell, M. J., Groffman, P. M., & Lovett, G. M. (2014). Cascading Effects of Climate Change on Forest Ecosystems: Biogeochemical Links Between Trees and Moose in the Northeast USA. Ecosystems, 17(3), 442–457. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-013-9733-5