Nicholas Medina researches belowground habitats, focusing on how and why communities of fungi in symbiosis with roots change over time and across host tree species.
At The Morton Arboretum’s Root Biology Research Group, Medina’s research investigates how fungi align with tree and forest phenology, or patterns in the peak timing of tissue growth. Understanding when fungi are most productive helps researchers understand how trees grow, allocate resources, and promote long-term carbon storage in soils.
Medina’s work advances researchers’ understanding of soil fungal community dynamics, which are relatively underexplored. HIs work also advances the broader fields of host-microbe interactions and ecosystem ecology, showing useful implications for improving the survival of tree plantings, such as in restoration efforts in urban areas.
His interest in environmental science was ignited during a study abroad program in the Caribbean exploring biodiversity conservation. Since then, Medina has led diverse research projects across forestry, soil science, agriculture, and microbiology in temperate, tropical, and urban environments.
