Dr. Gregory J. Pec Associate Professor Department of Biology University of Nebraska at Kearney Kearney, NE, USA 68849
Research Interests Greg is a soil microbial ecologist focusing on plant root interactions. His research addresses fundamental questions in soil microbiology while offering insights for optimizing agricultural practices and enhancing soil health. Greg's interests include agro-ecology, bioinformatics and molecular biology, community ecology, disturbance and restoration ecology, microbiology, mycology, root biology and soil biology. He is a Senior Associate Editor for Applications in Plant Sciences, an Associate Editor for Prairie Naturalist, and co-Editor for Graduate Review.
Courses Taught BIOL231: Research Methods I BIOL301: Introduction to Soils BIOL307: Ecology BIOL812: Microbial Diversity BIOL820: Introduction to Graduate Study BIOL821: Directed Readings in Microbial Analysis BIOL824: Principles of Ecology BIOL827: Biological Statistics BIOL830P: Special Topics in Biology - Foundations of Microbiology BIOL830P: Special Topics in Biology - Ecological Restoration BIOL876: Natural Science Curriculum BIOL881: Current Issues in Biology
Publications
2024 Dean, G.H., N. Ivalu Cacho, A. Zuluaga, and G.J. Pec. Resilient botany: Innovation in the face of limited mobility and resources. Applications in Plant Sciences. 12(2):e11577.
2023 Wasyliw, J., E.G. Fellrath, G.J. Pec, J.A. Cale, J. Franklin, C. Thomasson, N. Erbilgin, and J. Karst. Soil inoculation of lodgepole pine seedlings alters root-associated fungal communities but does not improve seedling performance in beetle-killed pine stands. Restoration Ecology. 31(1): e13663.
2022 Cherry, J.A., and G.J. Pec. Advances, applications and prospects in aquatic botany. Applications in Plant Sciences. 10:e11488.
2021 Cale, J.A., N. Scott, G.J. Pec, S.M. Landhausser, and J. Karst. Choices on sampling, sequencing, and analyzing DNA influence the estimation of community composition of plant fungal symbionts. Applications in Plant Sciences. e11449.
Pec, G.J., L.T.A. van Diepen, M. Knorr, A.S. Grandy, J.M. Melillo, K.M. DeAngelis, J.L. Blanchard, and S.D. Frey. Fungal community response to long-term soil warming with potential implications for soil carbon dynamics. Ecosphere. 12(5): e03460.
Moore, J.A.M., M. Anthony, G.J. Pec, L.K. Trocha, A. Trzebny, K.M. Geyer, L.T.A. van Diepen, and S. Frey. Fungal community structure and function shifts with atmospheric nitrogen deposition. Global Change Biology. 27(7): 1349-1364.
2020 Pec, G.J., S.W. Simard, J.F. Cahill, Jr., and J. Karst. The effects of ectomycorrhizal networks on seedling establishment are contingent on species and severity of overstorey mortality. Mycorrhiza 30: 173-183.
2019 Pec, G.J., N.M. Scott, S.F. Hupperts, S.L. Hankin, S.M. Landhäusser, and J. Karst. Restoration of belowground fungal communities in reclaimed landscapes of the Canadian boreal forest. Restoration Ecology 27(6): 1369-1380.
Pec, G.J. and J.F. Cahill, Jr. Large-scale insect outbreak homogenizes the spatial structure of ectomycorrhizal fungal communities. PeerJ 7: 6895.
Pec, G.J.,M.J. Ljubotina, and J.F. Cahill, Jr. Methods in belowground botany. Applications in Plant Sciences 7(4): e1239.
2018 N. Scott, G.J. Pec, J. Karst, and S.M. Landhausser. Additive or synergistic? Early ectomycorrhizal fungal community response to mixed tree plantings in boreal forest restoration. Oecologia 189(1): 9-19.
2017 Cahill, J.F. Jr., J.A. Cale, J. Karst, T. Bao, G.J. Pec, and N. Erbilgin. No silver bullet: Different soil handling techniques are useful for different research questions, exhibit differential type I and II error rates, and are sensitive to sampling intensity. New Phytologist 216(1): 11-14.
Pec, G.J., J. Karst, D.L. Taylor, P.W. Cigan, N. Erbilgin, J.E.K. Cooke, S.W. Simard, and J.F. Cahill, Jr. Changes in soil fungal community structure driven by a decline in ectomycorrhizal fungi following a mountain pine beetle outbreak. New Phytologist 213(2): 864-873.
2016 Carrigy, A., G.C. Stotz, M. Dettlaff, G.J. Pec, Inderjit, N. Erbilgin, and J.F. Cahill, Jr. Community-level determinants of smooth brome (Bromus inermis) invasion in a Canadian savannah. Plant Ecology 217(11): 1395-1413.
Stotz, G.C., G.J. Pec, and J.F. Cahill, Jr. Biotic resistance to invaders is dependent upon local environmental conditions, not primary productivity: a meta-analysis. Basic and Applied Ecology 17(5): 377-387.
2015 Karst, J., N. Erbilgin, G.J. Pec, P.W. Cigan, A. Najar, S.W. Simard, and J.F. Cahill, Jr. Ectomycorrhizal fungi mediate indirect effects of a beetle outbreak on secondary chemistry and establishment of pine seedlings. New Phytologist 208(3): 904-914.
Cigan, P.W., J. Karst, J.F. Cahill, Jr., A.N. Sywenky, G.J. Pec, and N. Erbilgin. Influence of bark beetle outbreaks on nutrient cycling in native pine stands in western Canada. Plant and Soil 390(1-2): 29-47.
Pec, G.J., J. Karst, A.N. Sywenky, P.W. Cigan, N. Erbilgin, S.W. Simard, and J.F. Cahill, Jr. Rapid increases in forest understory diversity and productivity following mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) outbreak. PLoS ONE 10(4): e0124691.
2014 Pec, G.J. and G.C. Carlton. 2014. Positive effects of non-native grasses on the growth of a native annual in a southern California ecosystem. PLoS ONE 9(11): e112437.
Randall, M.J., J. Karst, G.J. Pec, C.S. Davis, J.C. Hall, and J.F. Cahill, Jr. A molecular identification protocol for roots of boreal forest tree species. Applications in Plant Sciences 2(11): e1400069.
Treu, R., J. Karst, M. Randall, G.J. Pec, P.W. Cigan, S.W. Simard, J.E.K. Cooke, N. Erbilgin, and J.F. Cahill, Jr. Decline of ectomycorrhizal fungi following a mountain pine beetle epidemic. Ecology 95(4): 1096-1103.