Jane Lucas

Dr. Lucas is an Assistant Scientist at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies and an interdisciplinary community ecologist. She explores broad ecological questions about the drivers of ecosystem function and community assembly, focusing on some of the smallest yet most impactful components of Earth’s systems: chemical elements, microorganisms, and invertebrates. By integrating techniques from microbiology, biogeochemistry, and bioinformatics, she designs and conducts field- and lab-based experiments to investigate key ecological processes, particularly in soil environments.

As part of this collaborative, Dr. Lucas investigates soil carbon cycling, plant-soil-microbial feedbacks, and the role of fire in shaping these processes. Her research examines how microbes mediate tree regeneration after fire and the implications for soil carbon stocks. By uncovering above- and below-ground feedbacks in fire-affected landscapes, her work aims to advance understanding of forest recovery and the stability of carbon in these ecosystems.