Marty's areas of interest are soil ecology, conservation, and productivity. He is involved with projects at Date Creek on ectomycorrhiza fungal ecology, function, and succession following disturbance. He has also been investigating phosphorus limitations to nitrogen cycling on the north coast, and the long-term implications of forest harvesting and phosphorus fertilization on organic matter dynamics. 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). He has also been examining the interaction of light availability and tree nutrition on juvenile tree growth. Marty has been involved with regional efforts to manage pine mushroom habitat and teaches workshops on mushroom identification for the public.