Dr. Ribbons is a forest and soil ecologist, and biogeochemist in the Geosciences Department and Environmental Studies program. Her interests range span soil microbial ecology, geobiotic interactions, and ecosystem ecology. She explores research questions both fundamental and applied about forest nutrient cycling, disturbance dynamics, soil ecology and health, and ecosystem structure and function. She asks questions about how ecosystems work, who is performing those tasks, and the context for how they work together.