Marty's areas of interest are soil ecology (especially ectomycorrhiza), partial cutting, soil carbon storage, biodiversity conservation, and forest nutrition/productivity. He has published a number of papers on ectomycorrhiza fungal ecology and succession following disturbance. Marty is a member of the provincial soil science group undertaking studies on compaction and site organic matter removal (the Long-term Soil Productivity Study), as well as the Future Forests committee examining vulnerability to climate change. He has also been examining the interaction of light availability and tree nutrition on juvenile tree growth, biotic indicators of soil productivity, and soil issues concerning the management of hypermaritime forests. Marty has been involved with regional efforts to manage pine mushroom and golden chanterelle habitat and teaches workshops on mushroom identification for the public.

Publications from recent projects

Carbon

Kranabetter, J.M., and Macadam, A.M. 2007. Changes in carbon storage of broadcast burn plantations over 20 years. Can. J. Soil Sci. 87: 93-102.

Kranabetter, J.M. 2009. Site carbon storage along productivity gradients of a late-seral southern boreal forest. Can. J. For. Res. 39: 1053-1060.

Soil N cycling and ecosystems

Kranabetter, J.M., Dawson, C. and Dunn, D. 2007. Indices of dissolved organic nitrogen, ammonium and nitrate across productivity gradients of boreal forests. Soil Biol. Biochem. 39: 3147-3158.

Kranabetter, J.M., and MacKenzie, W.H. 2009. Contrasts among mycorrhizal guilds in foliar nitrogen concentration and δ¹⁵N along productivity gradients of a boreal forest. Ecosystems, in press. DOI: 10.1007/s10021-009-9304-y

Soil biotic indicators of soil productivity

Kranabetter, J.M., Durall, D.M., and MacKenzie, W.H. 2009. Diversity and species distribution of ectomycorrhizal fungi along productivity gradients of a southern boreal forest. Mycorrhiza 19: 99-111.

Kranabetter, J.M., Friesen, J., Gamiet S., and Kroeger, P. 2009. Epigeous fruiting bodies of ectomycorrhizal fungi as indicators of soil fertility and associated nitrogen status of boreal forests. Mycorrhiza 19: 535-548. 

Light versus nutrition constraints under partial cutting

Kranabetter, J.M., and Simard, S.W. 2008. Inverse relationship between understory light and foliar nitrogen along productivity gradients of boreal forests. Can. J. For. Res. 38: 2487-2496.

Kranabetter, J.M., Simard, S.W., Coates, K.D., and Guy, R. 2009. Species contrasts in foliar N concentrations, leaf size and ¹³C abundance of saplings across light gradients. Plant and Soil, in press. DOI 10.1007/s11104-009-0062-6

Commercial non-timber forest products

Kranabetter, J.M., Williams, H., and Morin, J. 2009. Ecological descriptions of Pacific golden chanterelle (Cantharellus formosus) habitat and estimates of its extent in Haida Gwaii. BC JEM 10: 59-67.