Katalin Szlavecz earned her PhD from Eotvos University in Hungary. Her research includes study of the diversity and ecology of soil invertebrates, soil biogeochemical cycling, urban ecosystems, and invasive species.

She is a CoPI of the Baltimore Ecosystem Study LTER, a research associate at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, and a collaborator at the USDA Beltsville Agricultural Research Center Farming Systems Project. 

Current Projects

• Belowground carbon dynamics in altered precipitation patterns in Mid-Atlantic deciduous forests.  
• The second wave of earthworm invasion: How Amynthas alters the soil ecosystem
• Below- and aboveground interactions: Earthworms, soil organic matter, fungi and tree seedlings
• Urban soils and soil biota
• Global Urban Soil Ecology and Educational Network (GLUSEEN)
• Wireless sensors in soil ecology
• The soil food web in agro-ecosystems

• 270.308. Population and Community Ecology
• 270.210. Environmental Field Methods
• 270.332. Soil Ecology
• 270.667. Seminar in Soil Ecology 

Selected Publications

Ma, Y., McCormick, M, Szlavecz, K, Filley, T. 2019. Controls on SOC stability and temperature sensitivity with increased aboveground litter input in deciduous forests at different successional stages. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 134: 90-99. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2019.03.020

Szlavecz K, Vilisics F, Toth Zs, Hornung E 2018. Terrestrial isopods in urban environments: an overview. ZooKeys 801:97-126, https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.801.29580

Szlavecz, K, C-H Chang, MJ Bernard, SL Pitz, L Xia, Y Ma, MK McCormick, T Filley, SA Yarwood, Cs Csuzdi 2018.  Litter quality, dispersal and invasion drive earthworm community dynamics and forest soil development. Oecologia 188: 237-250. doi: 10.1007/s00442-018-4205-4

Djukic, I., et al., Early stage litter decomposition across biomes 2018.  Sci Total Environ 628-629: 1369-1394.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.01.012

Pitz SL, Megonigal JP, Chang CH, Szlavecz K. 2018. Methane fluxes from tree stems and soils along a habitat gradient. Biogeochemistry, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-017-0400-3

Szlavecz, K., I. Yesilonis, R. Pouyat. Soil as foundation for urban biodiversity. Pp18-36 in: A. Ossola & J. Niemelä (eds): Urban Biodiversity: from Research to Practice. Routledge Studies in Urban Ecology, Taylor and Francis, London  

Csuzdi Cs, Chang, C-H, Pavlícek T, Szederjesi T, Esopi D, Szlávecz K. 2017. Molecular phylogeny and systematics of native North American lumbricid earthworms (Clitellata: Megadrili) PLoS ONE 12(8):e0181504

Epp Schmidt DJ. R.Pouyat, K. Szlavecz, H. Setälä, D.J. Kotze, I. Yesilonis, S. Cilliers, E. Hornung, M. Dombos, S.A. Yarwood 2017. Urbanization leads to the loss of ectomycorrhizal fungal diversity and the convergence of archaeal and fungal soil communities. Nature Ecology and Evolution 10.1038/s41559-017-0123 

Yesilonis, I., K. Szlavecz, R.V. Pouyat, D. Whigham, L. Xia 2016. Historical land use and stand age effects on forest soil properties. Forest Ecology and Management 370: 83-92.

Chang, C.-H., Szlavecz, K., Filley, T., Buyer, J., Bernard, M., Pitz, S. 2016. Belowground competition among invading detritivores. Ecology 97: 160-170 doi/pdf/10.1890/15-0551.1

Savva Y., Szlavecz K., Carlson D., Gupchup J., Szalay A., Terzis A. 2013. Spatial patterns of soil moisture under forest and grass land cover in a suburban area, in Maryland, USA.  Geoderma , 192: 202-210 DOI:10.1016/j.geoderma.2012.08.013