Member Institutions:

• Bowling Green State U.
• Cleveland State U.
• Kent State U.
• Medical College of Ohio
• Miami U.
• The Ohio State U.
• Ohio U.
• University of Cincinnati
• University of Toledo
• Wright State U.
• Youngstown State U.

Deborah A. Neher Assistant Professor University of Toledo Department of Earth, Ecological and Environmental Sciences Toledo, Ohio (419) 530-2585 email deborah.neher@utoledo.edu	Back to Scientists

Research Interests

Deborah Neher is a soil ecologist with research interests in the use of soil biota, such as nematodes and microarthropods, as indicators of soil quality for environmental monitoring of terrestrial and wetland soils. To date, her research has concentrated on temporal and spatial sampling designs for regional surveys, evaluating appropriate reference bases, and quantifying associations between rhizosphere communities and simple measures of nitrogen availability and litter decomposition. Indices of diversity/similarity and successional status have been calculated for soil biota at a community level and compared across contrasting magnitudes of disturbance in forest, wetland and agricultural soils. Statistical techniques applied in population and community ecology are used to analyze data.

Her other research interests include: examining biological mechanisms and developing quantitative models to describe temporal and spatial aspects of botanical epidemics caused by soilborne pathogens; and studying effect(s) of plant rhizosphere structure on temporal and spatial distribution, diversity, and dispersal of soil microbes and invertebrates.

Selected Publications

Books

Invited Book Chapters

• Neher, D.A. 2000. Nematode communities as ecological indicators of agroecosystem health. In: Gliessman, S. R. and Ellis, E. (editors). Advances in Agroecology, CRC/Lewis Press, Boca Raton, FL (in press).
• Neher, D. A., Noffsinger, M., and Campbell, C. L. 1998. Nematode communities of North Carolina and Nebraska (USA). Pages 321-334 in: DeGoede, R., and Bongers, T. (editors). Nematode Communities of Northern Temperate Grassland Ecosystems. Diversity Effects in Grassland Ecosystems of Europe, Wageningen, Netherlands.
• Neher, D. A., and Barbercheck, M. E. 1998. Diversity and role of soil mesofauna. Pages 27-47 in: Collins, W. and Qualset, C. O. (editors). Biodiversity in Agroecosystems. Lewis Publishers, Chelsea, Michigan.

Peer Reviewed Journal Articles

• Neher, D.A. and Olson, R.K. 1999. Nematode communities in soils of four farm cropping management systems. Pedobiologia 43:430-438.
• Neher, D. A. 1999. Soil community composition and ecosystem processes: Comparing agricultural ecosystems with natural ecosystems. Agroforestry Systems 45:159-185.
• Görres, J. H., Savin, M. Neher, D. A., Weicht, T. R., and Amador, J.A. 1999. Grazing in a porous environment 1. Interaction between grazing and soil structure on nutrient mineralization. Plant and Soil 212:75-83.
• Neher, D. A., Weicht, T. R., Savin, M., Görres, J. H.and Amador, J. A. 1999. Grazing in a porous environment 2. Nematode community structure. Plant and Soil 212:85-99.
• Neher, D. A. 1999. Nematode communities in organically and conventionally managed agricultural soils. Journal of Nematology 31:142-154.

Dr. Neher's website
University of Toledo homepage