VERITY G. SALMON, PhD
Research & Development Associate​
​Oak Ridge National Lab  
Biological and Environmental Systems Science Division
​Climate Change Science Institute
One Bethel Valley Rd,
MS6301, Oak Ridge, TN 37831


EDUCATION
2011- 2016        PhD, Biology Department at University of Florida, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
2005-2009         Bachelor of Arts in Biology (magna cum laude) at Boston University, College of Arts and Sciences
 
RESEARCH & PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Sept 2019- present • Research & Development Associate, Oak Ridge National Lab (Oak Ridge, TN)
Research supported Next Generation Ecosystem Experiment- Arctic (NGEE-Arctic) and
Spruce & Peatland Responses Under Changing Climate (SPRUCE)

Nov 2016- Sept 2019 • Postdoctoral Researcher, Oak Ridge National Lab (Oak Ridge, TN)
Supervised by Dr. Colleen Iversen
 
Sept 2011- Aug 2016 • Doctoral Research, University of Florida (Gainesville, FL)
Doctoral Research supervised by Dr. Edward Schuur within the Carbon in Permafrost Experimental Heating research funded by DOE TES program, Bonanza Creek LTER and Denali National Park
 
Sept 2009- Sept 2011 • Research Assistant, Marine Biological Laboratory (Woods Hole, MA)
Technician for Dr. Gaius Shaver with research based at Toolik Lake LTER
 
SKILLS
  • Use of stable isotopes (tracers & natural abundance) for mechanistic understanding of the nitrogen cycle
  • Implementation and interpretation of manipulative field experiments
  • Use of R programming language (data processing, graphing, statistics, mapping)
  • Leading remote field campaigns while maintaining the safety and well-being of all team members
  • Experience working with large, multiyear datasets for analysis, archival and publication
  • Interdisciplinary research with scientists from academia, national laboratories, and national park system
 
SCIENCE COORDINATION & COMMUNICATION
  • Reviewer for Oecologia, Ecosystems, Journal of Ecology, Biogeochemistry, Global Change Biology, Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research, New Phytologist, Plant and Soil, Plos One, Functional Ecology, Ecology
  • ORNL highlight by Stephanie G Seay “Verity Salmon: Investigating carbon cycles at the top of  the world” 
  • Reviewer for DOE Office of Science Graduate Student Research Program (DOE SCGSR 2018 S2, 2019)
  • Reviewer for DOE Environmental System Science Funding Opportunity (DE-FOA-0001855, 2018)
  • Contributor to NGEE Arctic Phase III research proposal (Successful; May 2019)
  • AGU Research Spotlight by A. Sidder. “How Nitrogen contributes to permafrost carbon dynamics”
  • Participant in 2018 Alan Alda Flame Challenge: What is Climate? ORNL video submission
  • Public seminar entitled “Beneath our Feet: Plants & Soils on the Seward Peninsula.” Strait Science Series at University of Alaska Northwest Campus, Nome, AK (2018)
  • Author of report for Mary’s Igloo Native Corporation summarizing research on native land (2018 & 2019)
  • Guest lecturer for Montclair State University, graduate level course (2017 & 2018)
  • Author of Denali National Park Factsheet on carbon in permafrost (2016)


FELLOWSHIPS AND AWARDS                                                                            
2016                    Department of Energy Science Student Travel Fellowship ($500)
2015                    University of Florida, Graduate Student Council Travel Grant ($350)
2015                    University of Florida, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Travel Grant ($300)
2015                    Department of Energy Science Student Travel Fellowship ($500)
2014                    University of Florida, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Travel Grant ($300)
2014                    Permafrost Young Researchers Network Travel Grant ($500)
2013                    Discover Denali Research Fellowship through Denali National Park ($6,000)
2011                    Graduate Student Fellowship, University of Florida (tuition and stipend)
2009                    Biology Department Honors Thesis Work for Distinction, Boston University
2008-2009          Funded Research Opportunity Grants, UROP, Boston University ($1,000)
 

PUBLICATIONS (google scholar, orcid.org/0000-0002-2188-551X)
​
VG Salmon, Rogers A, Childs J, Ely K, Serbin S, Spencer B, Lewin K, Norby R, Iversen CM. One growing season of warming increases soil nutrient availability but not plant nitrogen uptake: insight into shifting belowground trait dynamics. Submitted.

CC Cleveland, Reis CRG, Perakis SS, Dynarski KA, Batterman SA, Crews TE, Gei M, Gundale MJ, Menge DNL, Peoples MB, Reed SC, Salmon VG, Soper FM, Taylor BN, Turner MG, Wuzburger N. Exploring the role of cryptic nitrogen fixers in terrestrial ecosystems: An important frontier in N cycling research.  Submitted.

Taş N, Conejo N, and Salmon VG. Metagenomes and Metagenome-Assembled Genome Sequences from Nitrogen Fixing Alder Nodules. Submitted.

Conroy N, Heikoop J, Lathrop E, Musa D, Newman B, Xu C, McCaully R, Ardent C, Salmon VG, Romanovsky V, Bennett K, Wilson C, and Wullschleger S. Environmental Controls on Observed Spatial Variability of Soil Pore Water Geochemistry in Small Headwater Catchments Underlain with Permafrost. In review at The Cryosphere

EAG Schuur, Abbott B, Commane R, Ernakovitch J, Euskirchen E, Hugelius G, Grosse G, Jones M, Koven C, Leshyk V, Lawrence D, Loranty M, Maurtiz M, Olefeldt D, Natali S, Rodenhizer H, Salmon VG, Schädel, Strauss J, Treat C, Turestky M (2022) Permafrost and Climate Change: Carbon Cycle Feedbacks from a Warming Arctic. Annual Review of Environment and Resources. Accepted.

BW Abbott, Brown M, Carey JC, Ernakovich J, Frederick JM, Guo L, Hugelius G, Lee RM, Loranty MM, Macdonald R, Mann PJ, Natali, SM, Olefeldt D, Pearson P, Rec A, Robards M, Salmon, VG, Sayedi SS, Schädel C, … Zolkos S. (2022). We Must Stop Fossil Fuel Emissions to Protect Permafrost Ecosystems. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 10. https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fenvs.2022.889428

McCaully RE, Arendt C, Newman BD, Salmon VG, Heikoop JM, Wilson CJ, Sevanto S, Wales NA, Perkins GB, Marina OC, Wullschleger SD. 2022. High nitrate variability on an Alaskan permafrost hillslope dominated by alder shrubs. The Cryosphere. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-1889-2022

Iversen CM, Latimer J, Brice DJ, Childs J, Vander Stel HM, Defrenne CE, Graham J, Griffiths NA, Malhotra A, Norby RJ, Oleheiser KC, Phillips JR, Salmon VG, Sebestyen SD, Yang X, Hanson PJ. 2022. Whole-Ecosystem Warming Increases Plant-Available Nitrogen and Phosphorus in an Ombrotrophic Bog. Ecosystems. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-022-00744-x
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Freschet GT, Pagès L, Iversen CM, Comas LH, Rewald B, Roumet C, Klimešová J, Zadworny M, Poorter H, Postma JA, Adams TS, Bagniewska-Zadworna A, Blancaflor EB, Brunner I, Cornelissen JHC, Garnier E, Gessler A, Hobbie SE, Lambers H, Meier IC, Mommer L, Picon-Cochard C, Rose L, Ryser P, Scherer-Lorenzen M, Soudzilovskaia NA, Stokes A, Sun T, Valverde-Barrantes OJ, Weemstra M, Weigelt A, Wurzburger N, York LM, Batterman SA, Bengough AG, Gomes de Moraes M, Janeček Š, Salmon VG, Tharayil N & McCormack ML. 2021. A starting guide to root ecology: strengthening ecological concepts and standardizing root classification, sampling, processing and trait measurements. New Phytologist. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.17572

Euskirchen ES, Serbin SP, Carman TB, Fraterrigo JM, Genet H, Iversen CM, Salmon VG, McGuire AD. 2021. Assessing Dynamic Vegetation Model Parameter Uncertainty Across Alaskan Arctic Tundra Plant Communities. Ecological Applications. https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.2499

Yang D, Morrison BD, Hantson W, Breen AL, McMahon A, Li Q, Salmon VG, Hayes DJ, Serbin SP. 2021. Landscape-scale characterization of Arctic tundra vegetation composition, structure, and function with a multi-sensor unoccupied aerial system. Environmental Research Letters, 16(8), https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac1291

Salmon VG, Brice DJ, Bridgham S, Childs J, Graham J, Griffiths NA, Hofmockel K, Iversen CM, Jicha TM, Kolka RK, Kostka J, Malhotra A, Norby RJ, Phillips JR, Ricciuto DR, Schadt CW, Sebestyen SD, Shi X, Walker AP, Warren JM, Weston DJ, Yang X, Hanson PJ. 2021. Nitrogen and phosphorus cycling in an ombrotrophic peatland: A benchmark for assessing change. Plant Soil. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-021-05065-x

Sulman BN, Salmon VG, Iversen CM, Breen A, Yuan F, Thornton P. 2021. Integrating new Arctic plant functional types in a land surface model by leveraging above- and belowground field observations. JAMES https://doi.org/10.1029/2020MS002396

Mekonnen ZA, Riley WJ, Grant RF, Salmon VG, Iversen CM, Biraud S, Breen AL, Lara MJ. 2021. Topographical controls on hillslope-scale hydrology drive shrub distributions on the Seward Peninsula, Alaska. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JG005823

Rocha A, Appel R, Bret-Harte MS, Euskirchen E, Salmon VG, Shaver G. 2021. Solar position confounds the relationship between ecosystem function and vegetation indices derived from solar and photosynthetically active radiation fluxes. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2020.108291

Kropp H, Loranty MM, Natali SM, Kholodov AL, Rocha AV, Myers-Smith I, Abermann J, Blanc-Betes E, Blok D, Blume-Werry G, Boike J, Breen AL, Cahoon SMP, Christiansen CT, Douglas TA, Epstein HE, Frost GV, Goeckede M, Høye TT, Mamet SD, O'Donnell JA, Olefeldt D, Phoenix GK, Salmon VG, Sannel ABK, Smith SL, Sonnentag O, Vaughn LS, Williams M, Elberling B, Gough L, Hjort J, Lafleur PM, Euskirchen ES, Heijmans MMPD, Humphreys ER, Iwata H, Jones BM, Jorgenson MT, Grünberg I, Kim Y, Laundre J, Mauritz M, Michelsen A, Schaepman-Strub G, Tape KD, Ueyama M, Lee B-Y, Langley K, Lund M. 2020. Shallow soils are warmer under trees and tall shrubs across Arctic and Boreal ecosystems. Environmental Research Letters https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/abc994

Yang D, Meng R, Morrison BD, McMahon A, Hantson W, Hayes DJ, Breen AL, Salmon VG, Serbin SP. 2020. A Multi-Sensor Unoccupied Aerial System Improves Characterization of Vegetation Composition and Canopy Properties in the Arctic Tundra. Remote Sensing https://doi.org/10.3390/rs12162638

Salmon VG, Breen AL, Kumar J, Lara MJ, Thornton PE, Wullschleger SD, Iversen CM. 2019. Alder Distribution and Expansion Across a Tundra Hillslope: Implications for Local N Cycling. Frontiers in Plant Science https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2019.01099

Plaza C, Pegoraro E, Bracho R, Celis G, Crummer K, Hutchings J, Hicks Pries C, Mauritz M, Natali SM, Salmon VG, Schädel C, Webb E, Schuur EAG. 2019. Direct observation of permafrost degradation and rapid soil carbon loss in tundra. Nature Geoscience. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-019-0387-6

van Gestel NC, Natali SM, Andriuzzi WS, Chapin FS, Ludwig S, Moore JC,  Pressler Y, Salmon VG, Schuur EAG, Simpson R, Wall DH. 2019. Chapter 15 “Long-term warming research in high-latitude ecosystems: Responses from polar ecosystems and implications for future climate.” In J. E. Mohan (Ed.), Ecosystem Consequences of Soil Warming: Microbes, Vegetation, Fauna and Soil Biogeochemistry. Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-813493-1.00016-8

Mauritz M, Celis G, Ebert C, Hutchings J, Ledman J, Natali SM, Pegoraro E, Salmon VG, Schädel C , Taylor M, Schuur EAG. 2018. Using Stable Carbon Isotopes of Seasonal Ecosystem Respiration to Determine Permafrost Carbon Loss. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JG004619

Schädel C, Koven C, Lawrence DM, Celis G, Garnello AJ, Hutchings J, Mauritz M, Natali SM, Pegoraro E, Rodenhizer H, Salmon VG, Taylor M, Webb EE, Wieder WR, Schuur EAG. 2018. Divergent patterns of experimental and model-derived permafrost ecosystem carbon dynamics in response to Arctic warming. Environmental Research Letters https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aae0ff

Salmon VG, Schädel C, Bracho R, Pegoraro E, Celis G, Mauritz M, Mack MC, Schuur EAG. 2018. Adding depth to our understanding of nitrogen dynamics in permafrost soils. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JG004518

Liang J, Xia J, Shi Z, Jiang L, Ma S, Lu X, Mauritz M, Natali SM, Pegoraro E, Penton CR, Plaza C, Salmon VG, Celis G, Cole JR, Konstantinidis KT, Tiedje JM, Zhou J, Schuur EAG, and Luo Y. 2018. Biotic responses buffer warming-induced soil organic carbon loss in Arctic tundra. Global Change Biology https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14325

Celis G, Mauritz M, Bracho R, Salmon VG, Webb EE, Hutchings JA, Natali SM, Schädel C, Crummer KG, Schuur EAG. 2017. Tundra is a consistent source of CO2 at a site with progressive permafrost thaw during 6 years of chamber and eddy covariance measurements. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/2016JG003671

Mauritz M, Bracho R, Celis G, Hutchings JA, Natali SM, Pegoraro E, Salmon VG, Schädel C, Webb EE, Schuur EAG. 2017. Non-linear CO2 flux response to seven years of experimentally induced permafrost thaw. Global Change Biology https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/gcb.13661

Salmon VG, Soucy P, Mauritz M, Celis G, Natali SM, Mack MC, Schuur EAG. 2016. Nitrogen availability increases in a tundra ecosystem during five years of experimental permafrost thaw. Global Change Biology https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/gcb.13204

Deane-Coe KK, Mauritz M, Celis G, Salmon VG, Crummer KG, Natali SM, Schuur EAG. 2015. Experimental Warming Alters Productivity and Isotopic Signatures of Tundra Mosses. Ecosystems https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-015-9884-7

Natali SM, Schuur EAG, Mauritz M, Schade JD, Celis G, Crummer KG, Johnston C, Krapek J, Pegoraro E, Salmon VG, Webb EE. 2015. Permafrost thaw and soil moisture driving CO2 and CH4 release from upland tundra. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences https://doi.org/10.1002/2014JG002872

Shaver GR, Rastetter EB, Salmon VG, Street LE, van de Weg MJ, Rocha A, van Wijk MT, Williams M. 2013. Pan-Arctic modelling of net ecosystem exchange of CO2. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2012.0485

van de Weg MJ, Shaver GR, Salmon VG. 2013. Contrasting effects of long term versus short-term nitrogen addition on photosynthesis and respiration in the Arctic. Plant Ecology https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-013-0250-6