Mac A. Callaham, Jr.
Team Leader/Research Ecologist
Center for Forest Disturbance Science
320 Green Street
Athens, GA 30602-2044
United States
Athens, GA 30602-2044
United States
Phone
706-559-4321
0000-0001-7915-427x
Current Research
I am interested in soil ecosystem responses to natural disturbances (fire, wind, and flood), forest management practices which seek to simulate disturbances (prescribed fire, thinning, harvesting), and anthropogenic disturbances (e.g. invasive species). I am particularly interested in responses of soil biota (e.g. earthworms, herbivorous insects, soil microbes, etc.) to these disturbances and land management practices, and how changes in invertebrate assemblages may lead to changes in other components of forest systems (e.g. nutrient relationships, plant-herbivore relationships). In addition to pure soil biology, I am also interested in elemental dynamics, and specifically the effects of prescribed fire on soil organic matter and toxics (soil carbon, nitrogen, and mercury).
Education
- Kansas State University, Ph.D., Biology, 2000
- University of Georgia, M.S., Agronomy, 1996
- University of Georgia, B.A., English, 1994
- University of Georgia, B.S., Zoology, 1994
Featured Publications
- Coyle, David R.; Nagendra, Uma J.; Taylor, Melanie K.; Campbell, J. Holly; Cunard, Chelsea E.; Joslin, Aaron H.; Mundepi, Abha; Phillips, Carly A.; Callaham, Mac A.. 2017. Soil fauna responses to natural disturbances, invasive species, and global climate change: Current state of the science and a call to action
- Callaham, M.A.. 2008. Pandora’s box contained bait: The global problem of introduced earthworms
- Carpenter, Dana; Taylor, Melanie; Callaham, Mac; Hiers, J. Kevin; Loudermilk, E. Louise; O'Brien, Joseph; Wurzburger, Nina. 2020. Benefit or Liability? The Ectomycorrhizal Association May Undermine Tree Adaptations to Fire After Long-term Fire Exclusion
- Ikeda, Hiroshi ; Callaham, Mac A.; Shefferson, Richard P.; Wenk, Evelyn S.; Fragoso, Carlos. 2020. A comparison of latitudinal species diversity patterns between riverine and terrestrial earthworms from the North American temperate zone
- Snyder, Bruce A.; Callaham, Mac A.. 2019. Soil fauna and their potential responses to warmer soils
- Flanagan, Steven A.; Bhotika, Smriti; Hawley, Christie; Starr, Gregory; Wiesner, Susanne; Hiers, J. Kevin; O'Brien, Joseph; Goodrick, Scott; Callaham Jr., Mac A.; Scheller, Robert M.; Klepzig, Kier D.; Taylor, R. Scott; Loudermilk, E. Louise. 2019. Quantifying carbon and species dynamics under different fire regimes in a southeastern U.S. pineland
- Gao, Meixiang; Taylor, Melanie K.; Callaham, Mac A.. 2017. Trophic dynamics in a simple experimental ecosystem: Interactions among centipedes, Collembola and introduced earthworms
- Strickland, Michael S.; Callaham, Mac A.; Gardiner, Emile S.; Stanturf, John A.; Leff, Jonathan W.; Fierer, Noah; Bradford, Mark A.. 2017. Response of soil microbial community composition and function to a bottomland forest restoration intensity gradient
- Callaham, Mac A.; Snyder, Bruce A.; James, Samuel W.; Oberg, Erik T.. 2016. Evidence for ongoing introduction of non-native earthworms in the Washington, DC metropolitan area
- Butt, Kevin R.; Callaham, Mac; Loudermilk, E. Louise; Blaik, Rowan. 2016. Action of earthworms on flint burial - a return to Darwin's estate
Other Publications
- Ford Miniat, Chelcy ; Fraterrigo, Jennifer M.; Brantley, Steven T.; Callaham, Mac A.; Cordell, Susan ; Dukes, Jeffrey S.; Giardina, Christian P.; Jose, Shibu ; Lovett, Gary. 2021. Impacts of Invasive Species on Forest and Grassland Ecosystem Processes in the United States
- Carpenter, Dana O.; Taylor, Melanie K.; Callaham, Mac A.; Hiers, J. Kevin; Loudermilk, E. Louise; O’Brien, Joseph J.; Wurzburger, Nina. 2021. Benefit or Liability? The Ectomycorrhizal Association May Undermine Tree Adaptations to Fire After Long-term Fire Exclusion
- Meyer, Susan E.; Callaham, Mac A.; Stewart, Jane E.; Warren, Steven D.. 2021. Invasive Species Response to Natural and Anthropogenic Disturbance
- Chang, Chih-Han ; Bartz, Marie L. C.; Brown, George ; Callaham, Mac A.; Cameron, Erin K.; Dávalos, Andrea ; Dobson, Annise ; Görres, Josef H.; Herrick, Bradley M.; Ikeda, Hiroshi ; James, Samuel W.; Johnston, Marie R.; McCay, Timothy S.; McHugh, Damhnait ; Minamiya, Yukio ; Nouri-Aiin, Maryam ; Novo, Marta ; Ortiz-Pachar, Jaime ; Pinder, Rebecca A.; Ransom, Tami ; Richardson, Justin B.; Snyder, Bruce A.; Szlavecz, Katalin. 2021. The second wave of earthworm invasions in North America: biology, environmental impacts, management and control of invasive jumping worms
- Stockton, Jenna Christine; Schmidt, John Paul; Wallace, Dan ; Callaham, Mac ; Markewitz, Daniel. 2020. Management of longleaf pine ecosystems: can soil map units improve evaluations of soil change?
- Yarwood, Stephanie A.; Bach, Elizabeth M.; Busse, Matt ; Smith, Jane E.; Callaham, Mac A.; Chang, Chih-Han ; Chowdhury, Taniya Roy; Warren, Steven D.. 2020. Forest and rangeland soil biodiversity [Chapter 5]
- McCay, Timothy S.; Brown, George ; Callaham, Mac A.; Chang, Chih-Han ; Dávalos, Andrea ; Dobson, Annise ; Görres, Josef H.; Herrick, Bradley M.; James, Samuel W.; Johnston, Marie R.; McHugh, Damhnait ; Minteer, Tanya ; Moore, Jean-David ; Nouri-Aiin, Maryam ; Novo, Marta ; Ortiz-Pachar, Jaime ; Pinder, Rebecca A.; Richardson, Justin B.; Snyder, Bruce A.; Szlavecz, Katalin. 2020. Tools for monitoring and study of peregrine pheretimoid earthworms (Megascolecidae)
- Whiles, Matt R.; Snyder, Bruce A.; Brock, Brent L.; Bonjour, Sophia ; Callaham, Mac A.; Meyer, Clinton K.; Bell, Alex. 2019. Periodical cicada emergence resource pulse tracks forest expansion in a tallgrass prairie landscape
- Blackmon IV, James H.; Taylor, Melanie K.; Carrera-Martinez, Roberto ; Snyder, Bruce A.; Callaham Jr., Mac A.. 2019. Temperature affects hatching success of cocoons in the invasive Asian earthwork Amynthas agrestis from the southern Appalachians
- Knoepp, Jennifer D.; Adams, Mary Beth; Harrison, Robert ; West, Larry ; Laseter, Stephanie H.; Markewitz, Daniel ; Richter, Daniel D.; Callaham, Mac A.. 2019. History of forest soils knowledge and research [Chapter 4]
- Knoepp, Jennifer D.; Markewitz, Daniel ; Callaham, Mac A.; Adams, Mary Beth; Laseter, Stephanie H.; West, Larry ; Robert Harrison, ; Richter, Daniel D.. 2019. Long-term forest soils research: Lessons learned from the US experience [Chapter 19]
- Phillips, Helen R. P.; Guerra, Carlos A.; Bartz, Marie L. C.; Briones, Maria J. I; Brown, George ; Crowther, Thomas W.; Ferlian, Olga ; Gongalsky, Konstantin B.; van den Hoogen, Johan ; Krebs, Julia ; Orgiazzi, Alberto ; Routh, Devin ; Schwarz, Benjamin ; Bach, Elizabeth M.; Bennett, Joanne M.; Brose, Ulrich ; Decaëns, Thibaud ; König-Ries, Birgitta ; Loreau, Michel ; Mathieu, Jérôme ; Mulder, Christian ; van der Putten, Wim H.; Ramirez, Kelly S.; Rillig, Matthias C.; Russell, David ; Rutgers, Michiel ; Thakur, Madhav P.; de Vries, Franciska T.; Wall, Diana H.; Wardle, David A.; Arai, Miwa ; Ayuke, Fredrick O.; Baker, Geoff H.; Beauséjour, Robin ; Bedano, José C.; Birkhofer, Klaus ; Blanchart, Eric ; Blossey, Bernd ; Bolger, Thomas ; Bradley, Robert L.; Callaham, Mac A.; Capowiez, Yvan ; Caulfield, Mark E.; Choi, Amy ; Crotty, Felicity V; Crumsey, Jasmine M.; Dávalos, Andrea ; Diaz Cosin, Darío J.; Dominguez, Anahí ; Duhour, Andrés Esteban; van Eekeren, Nick ; Emmerling, Christoph ; Falco, Liliana B.; Fernández, Rosa ; Fonte, Steven J.; Fragoso, Carlos ; Franco, André L. C.; Fugère, Martine ; Fusilero, Abegail T.; Gholami, Shaieste ; Gundale, Michael J.; López, Mónica Gutiérrez; Hackenberger, Davorka K.; Hernández, Luis M.; Hishi, Takuo ; Holdsworth, Andrew R.; Holmstrup, Martin ; Hopfensperger, Kristine N.; Lwanga, Esperanza Huerta; Huhta, Veikko ; Hurisso, Tunsisa T.; Iannone, Basil V; Iordache, Madalina ; Joschko, Monika ; Kaneko, Nobuhiro ; Kanianska, Radoslava ; Keith, Aidan M.; Kelly, Courtland A.; Kernecker, Maria L.; Klaminder, Jonatan ; Koné, Armand W.; Kooch, Yahya ; Kukkonen, Sanna T.; Lalthanzara, H. ; Lammel, Daniel R.; Lebedev, Iurii M.; Li, Yiqing ; Jesus Lidon, Juan B.; Lincoln, Noa K.; Loss, Scott R.; Marichal, Raphael ; Matula, Radim ; Moos, Jan Hendrik; Moreno, Gerardo ; Morón-Ríos, Alejandro ; Muys, Bart ; Neirynck, Johan ; Norgrove, Lindsey ; Novo, Marta ; Nuutinen, Visa ; Nuzzo, Victoria ; Pansu, Johan ; Paudel, Shishir ; Pérès, Guénola ; Pérez-Camacho, Lorenzo ; Piñeiro, Raúl ; Ponge, Jean-François ; Rashid, Muhammad Imtiaz; Rebollo, Salvador ; Rodeiro-Iglesias, Javier ; Rodríguez, Miguel Á.; Roth, Alexander M.; Rousseau, Guillaume X.; Rozen, Anna ; Sayad, Ehsan ; van Schaik, Loes ; Scharenbroch, Bryant C.; Schirrmann, Michael ; Schmidt, Olaf ; Schröder, Boris ; Seeber, Julia ; Shashkov, Maxim P.; Singh, Jaswinder ; Smith, Sandy M.; Steinwandter, Michael ; Talavera, José A.; Trigo, Dolores ; Tsukamoto, Jiro ; de Valença, Anne W.; Vanek, Steven J.; Virto, Iñigo ; Wackett, Adrian A.; Warren, Matthew W.; Wehr, Nathaniel H.; Whalen, Joann K.; Wironen, Michael B.; Wolters, Volkmar ; Zenkova, Irina V; Zhang, Weixin ; Cameron, Erin K.; Eisenhauer, Nico. 2019. Global distribution of earthworm diversity
- Carrera-Martínez, Roberto; Callaham, Mac A. Jr.. 2018. Observations on an epilobic Lumbricus rubellus (Oligochaeta, Lumbricidae) from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee, USA
- CHANG, Liang; WANG, Baifeng; LIU, Xianghui; CALLAHAM, Mac A.; GE, Feng. 2017. Recovery of Collembola in Pinus tabulaeformis plantations
- Wenk, Evelyn S.; Callaham, Mac A.; O'Brien, Joseph; Hanson, Paul J.. 2016. Soil macroinvertebrate communities across a productivity gradient in deciduous forests of eastern North America
- Butt, K.R.; Lowe, C.N.; Callaham, Mac; Nuutinen, V.. 2016. An oasis of fertility on a barren island: earthworms at Papadil, Isle of Rum
- Callaham, Mac A.. 2016. Introduction
- Ikeda, Hiroshi; Callaham Jr., Mac A.; O'Brien, Joseph J.; Hornsby, Benjamin S.; Wenk, Evelyn S.. 2015. Can the invasive earthworm, Amynthas agrestis, be controlled with prescribed fire?
- Oliver, Alena K.; Brown, Shawn P.; Callaham, Mac A.; Jumpponen, Ari. 2015. Polymerase matters: non-proofreading enzymes inflate fungal community richness estimates by up to 15 %
- Oliver, Alena K.; Callaham, Mac A.; Jumpponen, Ari. 2015. Soil fungal communities respond compositionally to recurring frequent prescribed burning in a managed southeastern US forest ecosystem
- Richter, Daniel deB; Bacon, Allan R.; Billings, Sharon A.; Binkley, Dan; Buford, Marilyn; Callaham, Mac; Curry, Amy E.; Fimmen, Ryan L.; Grandy, A. Stuart; Heine, Paul R.; Hofmockel, Michael; Jackson, Jason A.; LeMaster, Elisabeth; Li, Jianwei; Markewitz, Daniel; Mobley, Megan L.; Morrison, Mary W.; Strickland, Michael S.; Waldrop, Thomas; Wells, Carol G.. 2015. Evolution of soil, ecosystem, and critical zone research at the USDA FS Calhoun Experimental Forest
- Zhang, Bing; Chang, Liang; Ni, Zhen; Callaham, Mac A.; Sun, Xin; Wu, Donghui. 2014. Effects of land use changes on winter-active Collembola in Sanjiang Plain of China
- McFarlane, Karis J.; Torn, Margaret S.; Hanson, Paul J.; Porras, Rachel C.; Swanston, Christopher W.; Callaham, Mac A.; Guilderson, Thomas P.. 2013. Comparison of soil organic matter dynamics at five temperate deciduous forests with physical fractionation and radiocarbon measurements
- Snyder, Bruce; Callaham, Mac, Jr..; Lowe, Christopher; Hendrix, Paul. 2013. Earthworm invasion in North America: Food resource competition affects native millipede survival and invasive earthworm reproduction
- Stottlemyer, Aaron D.; Wang, G. Geoff; Waldrop, Thomas A.; Wells, Christina E.; Callaham, Mac A.. 2013. Short-term effects of fuel reduction treatments on soil mycorrhizal inoculum potential in beetle-killed stands
- Gambrell, Horace E.; Waldrop, Thomas A.; Wang, G. Geoff; Callaham, Mac A.; Bridges, William C.. 2013. Fuel dynamics across southern Appalachian landscapes
- Callaham, Mac A., Jr..; Stanturf, John A.; Hammond, William J.; Rockwood, Donald L.; Wenk, Evelyn S.; O’Brien, Joseph J.. 2013. Survey to evaluate escape of <i>Eucalyptus</i> spp. seedlings from plantations in southeastern USA
- Callaham, Mac A., Jr..; Scott, D. Andrew; O’Brien, Joseph J.; Stanturf, John A.. 2012. Cumulative effects of fuel management on the soils of eastern U.S
- van Vliet, P.C.J.; Hendrix, P.F.; Callaham, M.A., Jr... 2012. Soil Fauna: Earthworms
- Callaham, M.A., Jr..; Crossley, D.A., Jr..; Coleman, D.C.. 2012. Soil Fauna: Macroarthropods
- Lilleskov, Erik; Callaham, Jr. Mac A.; Pouyat, Richard; Smith, Jane E.; Castellano, Michael; Gonzalez, Grizelle; Lodge, D. Jean; Arango, Rachel; Green, Frederick. 2010. Invasive soil organisms and their effects on belowground processes
- Callaham, M.A., Jr... 2009. Grunting for worms: reactions of Diplocardia to seismic vibrations
- Kitchen, D.J.; Blair, J.M.; Callaham, M.A. , Jr... 2009. Annual fire and mowing alter biomass, depth distribution, and C and N content of roots in soil in tallgrass prairie
- O’Brien, J.J.; Hiers, J.K.; Callaham, M.A., Jr..; Mitchell, R.J.; Jack, S.. 2008. Interactions among overstory structure, seedling life-history traits and fire in frequently burned neotropical pine forests
- Callaham, M.A., Jr... 2008. Special Section: Soil Ecology and Restoration Ecology
- Callaham, M.A.. 2008. Integrating soil ecological knowledge into restoration management
- Heneghan, Liam; Miller, Susan P.; Baer, Sara; Callaham, Mac A., Jr..; Montgomery, James; Pavao-Zuckerman, Mitchell; Rhoades, Charles C.; Richardson, Sarah. 2008. Integrating soil ecological knowledge into restoration management
- Callaham, Mac A., Jr..; Rhoades, Charles C.; Heneghan, Liam. 2008. A striking profile: Soil ecological knowledge in restoration management and science
- DiCosty, Ralph J.; Callaham, Mac A.; Stanturf, John A.. 2006. Atmospheric deposition and re-emission of mercury estimated in a prescribed forest-fire experiment in Florida, USA
- Callaham, Mac A., Jr..; Gonzalez, Grizelle; Hale, Cynthia M; Henegham, Liam; Lachnicht, Sharon L.; Zou, Xiaoming. 2006. Policy and management responses to earthworm invasions in North America
- O'Brien, Joseph; Stahala, Caroline; Mori, Gina P.; Callaham, Mac; Bergh, Chris M.. 2006. Effects of prescribed fire on conditions inside a Cuban parrot (Amazona Leucocephala) surrogate nesting cavity on Great Abaco, Bahamas
- Callaham, Mac A., Jr..; Anderson, Peter H.; Waldrop, Thomas A.; Lione, Darren J.; Shelburne, Victor B.. 2004. Litter Decomposition and Soil Respiration Responses to Fuel-Reduction Treatments in Piedmond Loblolly Pine Forests
- Phillips, Ross J.; Waldrop, Thomas A.; Chapman, Gregg L.; Mohr, Helen H.; Callaham, Mac A.; Flint, Charles T., Jr... 2004. Effects of Fuel-Reduction Techniques on Vegetative Composition of Piedmont Loblolly-Shortleaf Pine Communities: Preliminary Results of the National Fire and Fire Surrogate Study
- Callaham, Mac A., Jr..; Stewart, Arthur J.; Alarcon, Clara; McMillen, Sara J.. 2002. Effects of Earthworm (<i>Eisenia fetida</i>) and Wheat (<i>Triticum aestivum</i>) Straw Additions on Selected Properties of Petroleum-Contaminated Soils
- Callaham, Mac A., Jr..; Whiles, Matt R.; Blair, John M.. 2002. Annual Fire, Mowing and Fertilization Effects on Two Cicada Species (Homoptera: Cicadidae) in Tallgrass Prairie
- Callaham, Mac A., Jr..; Blair, John M.. 2001. Different behavioral patterns of the earthworms <i>Octolasion tyrtaeum</i> and <i>Diplocardia</i> spp. in tallgrass prairie soils: potential influences on plant growth
Research Highlights
Earthworms, Millipedes, and Soil Carbon in the Eastern U.S.
Year: 2016
Earthworms, millipedes, and other soil invertebrates directly contribute to forest soil processes such as leaf litter decomposition and soil organic matter formation. There is relatively little known about how the composition of soil macroinvertebrate communities varies across temperature and moistu...
Soil fauna are of vital importance to soil processes and deserve attention
Year: 2017
Although soil fauna are critically important for many ecosystem services, they are often neglected by researchers. Scientists at the Forest Service and the University of Georgia discuss reasons for this in their review of how disturbance affects these organisms.
Invasive earthworms have unexpected effects on other soil organisms
Year: 2017
Invasive earthworms alter the structure and function of soil. Forest Service scientists show that these earthworms decrease the abundance of springtails, but act as a food source for centipedes. These changes are likely to alter the communities of other soil-dwelling organisms, with potential rippli...
Short-circuiting an Invasional Meltdown
Year: 2014
Chinese privet is an invasive plant species in flood plain forests of the southeastern U.S., in some cases occupying up to 80 percent of available riparian floodplain forest habitat. Non-native invasive earthworm species are found in the same soils where Chinese privet is abundant. In this study, Fo...
Prescribed Fire to Stem the Tide of Earthworm Invasion
Year: 2015
Asian earthworms are currently invading eastern deciduous forests from Georgia to Vermont. Because these earthworms eat leaf litter in the forest floor, Forest Service scientists and collaborators hypothesized that applying some heat and removing some of this food source with prescribed fire might s...