Andrea Kimberly Clemensen

Plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) may increase the sustainability of agroecosystems by reducing inputs, as PSMs act as insecticides in plants, and reduce parasites in grazing animals. Plants use these metabolites to communicate with their environment, both above and belowground. The production of these metabolites is a function of environmental conditions in space, and through time. Although numerous studies evaluate how PSMs influence soil dynamics (e.g. nutrient cycling) in silviculture systems, less is known about the role PSMs might play in pasture and/or cropping soil systems. Thus, it is important to understand what affects PSMs in plants, and how these metabolites might influence soil processes in order to enhance agricultural sustainability.