We work on a wide range of research topics, most broadly related to biogeochemical cycling and dryland ecosystems. Here are a few broad themes of our work with some examples of our published research.
What makes drylands unique?
Drylands cover nearly half of the earth’s surface, but our understanding of biological processes lags far behind that of wetter ecosystems. We explore what it is that makes these systems unique.
Examples of this work:
Grunzweig et al. 2022 Nature Ecology and Evolution
Osborne et al. New Phytologist
Maestre et al. 2022 Science
Decomposition
Decomposition is a critical process that releases carbon and nutrients from dead plant material. Read more about our current work on the Decomposition Across Drylands (DeAD) Project Page.
Examples of this work:
Throop et al. 2025 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Throop et al. 2025 Functional Ecology
McBride et al. 2023 Ecosystems
Throop & Belnap 2019 Bioscience
Throop & Archer 2007 Ecological Applications
Soil carbon
The extensive dryland land cover leads these systems to account for a major portion of soil organic carbon globally. We characterize patterns of soil carbon pools and the processes that affect pool size and stability.
Woody encroachment
The most widespread land cover change of the past century is woody encroachment, the expansion of woody plants into grasslands and shrublands. We explore how this change impacts soil organic carbon pools.
Throop et al. 2020 Ecological Applications
Throop & Lajtha 2018 Biogeochemistry
Compost amendments
Adding compost to soils is being used as a climate-positive solution to enhance soil carbon storage while diverting organic material from landfills. What are the implications of adding compost to dryland soils?
Amari et al. 2026 Journal of Arid Environments
Katy Amari completed this work as part of her MS in Biology (4+1) at ASU.
Gravuer et al. 2019 Global Change Biology
Kelly Gravuer was a postdoctoral researcher through the TNC NatureNet program.
Organismal fun
Photosynthetic microbes can live under translucent rocks in drylands. How cool! How much do they impact soil carbon pools?
Monus et al. 2023 Geoderma
Brittney Monus worked on this project as a Barrett Honors College student at ASU. Elise Nghalipo and Vimbai Marufu were both students at Namibia University of Science and Technology.
Woodrats are common desert rodents, and they collect plant material to build massive middens. How does this behavior impact soil carbon pools and cycling?
Campos et al. 2019 Journal of Arid Environments
Herman Campos completed this work as a MS student at New Mexico State University.
Dryland plants
It’s hard to be a plant in the hot and dry conditions that are common in drylands. How do plants cope with these conditions, and how will climate change impact them in the future?
Examples of this work:
Moran et al. 2023 New Phytologist
Madeline Moran completed this work for her MS in Biology at ASU. She’s now a PhD student in the DERT.
Daniels and Throop 2022 South African Journal of Botany
Quanita Daniels was an honours student at Namibia University of Science and Technology when she did this research.
Davis et al. 2022 Oecologia
Ashley Davis completed this work as a student in the ASU Plant Biology and Conservation program.
Biodiversity & ecosystems
Human activities are driving declines in biodiversity. What are the implications for ecosystem processes?
Examples of this work:
de Graaff et al. 2019 Advances in Agronomy
Simkin et al. 2016 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Throop & Lerdau 2004 Ecosystems
For more information, see Heather Throop’s publications on Google Scholar or ORCID.
