Steven T. Overby
Soil Scientist
Forest and Woodland Ecosystems
2500 South Pine Knoll Drive
Flagstaff, AZ 86001
United States
Flagstaff, AZ 86001
United States
Phone
928-556-2184
Current Research
My current research interests involve response of microbial community to temperature changes along an latitudinal gradient in alpine and subalpine ecosystems of the Southern Rocky Mountains and Sky Islands of the Southwest. I am also studying response of microbial community to fuels/fire risk reduction treatments and wildfire, and the associated processes that are microbially mediated such as N mineralization, decomposition, and carbon sequestration.
Past Research
Soil nutrient and microbial responses to tree densities as modified by mechanical thinning and/or prescribed fire in ponderosa pine and woodland ecosystems.
Research Interest
My research interests include microbial community dynamics, nutrient cycling in soils, and disturbance affects on nutrient cycling.
Why This Research Is Important
Alpine and high altitude spruce ecosystems may experience shifts due to temperature increases with global climate change earlier than other ecosystems.
Education
- Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Ph.D., Ecosystem Science, School of Forestry, 2009
- Arizona State University, Tempe, M.S., Environmental Sciences, 1994
- Colorado State University, Fort Collins, B.S., Range Science, 1983
Professional Experience
-
Professional Soil Scientist,
USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station,
1984 -
Current
I have managed the chemical analytical laboratory at RMRS Tempe and Flagstaff Laboratories that perform water, vegetation, litter, and soil inorganic and organic analysis.
Professional Organizations
- Member, Soil Ecology Society, 2002 - Current
- Member, Ecological Society of America, 2000 - Current
- Member, Soil Science Society of America, 1987 - Current
Featured Publications
- Overby, Steven T.; Hart, Stephen C.; Neary, Daniel G.. 2002. Impacts of natural disturbance on soil carbon dynamics in forest ecosystems
- Hart, Stephen C.; Selmants, Paul C.; Boyle, Sarah I.; Overby, Steven T.. 2007. Carbon and nitrogen cycling in southwestern ponderosa fine forests
- Overby, Steven T.; Owen, Suzanne M.; Hart, Stephen C.; Neary, Daniel G.; Johnson, Nancy C.. 2015. Soil microbial community resilience with tree thinning in a 40-year-old experimental ponderosa pine forest
- Overby, Steven T.; Gottfried, Gerald J.. 2017. Microbial and nitrogen pool response to fuel treatments in Pinyon-Juniper woodlands of the southwestern USA
- Overby, Steven T.; Hart, Stephen C.. 2016. Short-term belowground responses to thinning and burning treatments in southwestern ponderosa pine forests of the USA
- Overby, Steven T.. 2009. Short- and long-term influence of stand density on soil microbial communities in ponderosa pine forests
- Hubbert, Ken; Busse, Matt; Overby, Steven; Shestak, Carol; Gerrard, Ross. 2015. Pile burning effects on soil water repellency, infiltration, and downslope water chemistry in the Lake Tahoe Basin, USA
- Malusa, John; Overby, Steven T.; Parnell, Roderic A.. 2003. Potential for travertine formation: Fossil Creek, Arizona
- Classen, Aimee T.; Overby, Steven T.; Hart, Stephen C.; Koch, George W.; Whitham, Thomas G.. 2007. Season mediates herbivore effects on litter and soil microbial abundance and activity in a semi-arid woodland
- Gottfried, Gerald; Overby, Steve. 2011. Assessing mechanical mastication and thinning-piling-burning treatments on the pinyon-juniper woodlands of southwestern Colorado
Other Publications
- Li, Kun ; Tian, Huimei ; Moser, W. Keith; Overby, Steven T.; Baggett, L. Scott; Ni, Ruiqiang ; Li, Chuanrong ; Shen, Weixing. 2022. Black locust coppice stands homogenize soil diazotrophic communities by reducing soil net nitrogen mineralization
- Pellegrini, Adam F. A.; Refsland, Tyler ; Averill, Colin ; Terrer, César ; Staver, A. Carla; Brockway, Dale G.; Caprio, Anthony ; Clatterbuck, Wayne ; Coetsee, Corli ; Haywood, James D.; Hobbie, Sarah E.; Hoffmann, William A.; Kush, John ; Lewis, Tom ; Moser, W. Keith; Overby, Steven T.; Patterson, William A.; Peay, Kabir G.; Reich, Peter B.; Ryan, Casey ; Sayer, Mary Anne S.; Scharenbroch, Bryant C.; Schoennagel, Tania ; Smith, Gabriel Reuben; Stephan, Kirsten ; Swanston, Chris ; Turner, Monica G.; Varner, J. Morgan; Jackson, Robert B.. 2021. Decadal changes in fire frequencies shift tree communities and functional traits
- Puhlick, Joshua J.; Laughlin, Daniel C.; Moore, Margaret M.; Sieg, Carolyn H.; Overby, Steven T.; Shaw, John D.. 2021. Soil properties and climate drive ponderosa pine seedling presence in the southwestern USA
- Haessig, Polly ; Overby, Steven. 2018. Fossil Creek Wild and Scenic River Comprehensive River Management Plan: Geology report
- Roybal, Marcos ; Munding, Elizabeth ; Runyon, Tom ; Agyagos, Janie ; O’Neill, Matt ; Neff, Ted ; Barnett, Adam ; Overby, Steve ; Belcher, Sarah ; Waltz, Kristen ; Branton, Nicole ; Hom, Debbie ; Fredrickson, Bjorn ; Koh, Kyung ; McGervey, Patrick ; Minor, Charlotte ; Burns, Jennifer ; Vogel, Larry ; Bone, Travis ; Sena, Amina ; Adams, Judy ; Loomis, Grant ; Steinke, Rory ; Childs, Mike ; Moser, Laura ; Cress, Debbie ; Haessig, Polly ; Schwab, Mark. 2018. Fossil Creek Wild and Scenic River: Draft Comprehensive River Management Plan
- Roybal, Marcos ; Munding, Elizabeth ; Runyon, Tom ; Agyagos, Janie ; O’Neill, Matt ; Neff, Ted ; Barnett, Adam ; Overby, Steve ; Belcher, Sarah ; Waltz, Kristen ; Branton, Nicole ; Hom, Debbie ; Fredrickson, Bjorn ; Koh, Kyung ; McGervey, Patrick ; Minor, Charlotte ; Burns, Jennifer ; Vogel, Larry ; Bone, Travis ; Sena, Amina ; Adams, Judy ; Loomis, Grant ; Steinke, Rory ; Childs, Mike ; Moser, Laura ; Cress, Debbie ; Haessig, Polly ; Schwab, Mark. 2018. Fossil Creek Wild and Scenic River: Draft environmental impact statement for the Comprehensive River Management Plan
- Fowler, James F.; Overby, Steven. 2016. Snow duration effects on density of the alpine endemic plant Packera franciscana
- Page-Dumroese, Deborah S.; Busse, Matt D.; Overby, Steven T.; Gardner, Brian D.; Tirocke, Joanne M.. 2015. Impacts of forest harvest on active carbon and microbial properties of a volcanic ash cap soil in northern Idaho
- Fowler, Jim F.; Smith, Barbara; Overby, Steve. 2014. Distance and temperature effects on pika forage
- Fowler, James F.; Overby, Steven; Smith, Barb. 2012. Climate driven changes in Engelmann spruce stands at timberline in the La Sal Mountains
- Neary, Daniel G.; Haase, Sally M.; Overby, Steven T.. 2008. Total carbon and nitrogen in mineral soil after 26 years of prescribed fire: Long Valley and Fort Valley Experimental Forests
- Neary, Daniel G.; Haase, Sally M.; Overby, Steven T.. 2008. Total carbon and nitrogen in mineral soil after 26 years of prescribed fire: Long Valley and Fort Valley Experimental Forests (P-53)
- Kelkar, Vasant M.; Geils, Brian W.; Becker, Dennis R.; Overby, Steven T.; Neary, Daniel G.. 2006. How to recover more value from small pine trees: Essential oils and resins
- Overby, Steven T.; Hart, Stephen C.; Newman, Gregory S.; Erickson, Dana. 2006. Microbial response to high severity wildfire in the southwest United States
- Neary, D. G.; Overby, S. T.. 2006. Wildfire and post-fire erosion impacts on forest ecosystem carbon and nitrogen: An analysis
- Classen, Aimee T.; Boyle, Sarah I.; Haskins, Kristin E.; Overby, Steven T.; Hart, Stephen C.. 2003. Community-level physiological profiles of bacteria and fungi: Plate type and incubation temperature influences on contrasting soils
- Neary, Dan; Overby, Steven T.; Haase, Sally M.. 2003. Effects of fire interval restoration on carbon and nitrogen in sedimentary- and volcanic-derived soils of the Mogollon Rim, Arizona
- Neary, Daniel G.; Overby, Steven T.; Haase, Sally M.. 2003. Effects of prescribed fire intervals on carbon and nitrogen in forest soils of the Mogollon Rim, Arizona
- Neary, Daniel G.; Overby, Steven T.; Hart, Stephen C.. 2002. Soil carbon in arid and semiarid forest ecosystems [Chapter 18]
- Neary, Daniel G.; Moir, Will H.; Overby, Steven T.. 2002. Role of soil disturbances in determining post-harvest plant biodiversity and invasive weed distributions
- Overby, Steven T.; Moir, Will H.; Robertson, George T.. 2000. Soil and vegetation changes in a pinyon-juniper area in central Arizona after prescribed fire
- DeBano, Leonard F.; Baker, Malchus B., Jr..; Overby, Steven T.. 1999. Chapter 4: Managing chaparral in Yavapai County
- Neary, D. G.; Overby, S. A.; Gottfried, G. J.; Perry, H. M.. 1996. Nutrients in fire-dominated ecosystems