Sarah Neumann

Dr. Sarah Neumann serves as Assistant Professor in the Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences within Tennessee State University's College of Agriculture. Since joining in June 2022, she has led research on forest ecology through the McCarthy-Neumann Lab, focusing on plant-soil feedback mechanisms.

Her academic credentials include:

• Ph.D. in Forestry and Ecology, Evolution and Behavioral Biology, Michigan State University
• B.S. in Biology, University of the South

Dr. Neumann investigates how plant-soil feedbacks shape forest communities. Her research spans temperate and tropical ecosystems, examining interactions between plants and soil microbes (mycorrhizal and pathogenic fungi) and the influence of abiotic factors like light and soil nutrients. Key applications include understanding species diversity maintenance, invasive species impacts, and climate-driven range shifts.

Her publication record demonstrates a sustained focus on plant-soil feedbacks, with studies ranging from seedling establishment mechanisms to large-scale community dynamics. Work integrates field and experimental approaches across diverse forest types, highlighting the role of soil biota in mediating plant responses to environmental gradients.

No scientific awards were listed in the available information. Details on grants and student advising were not provided.

The McCarthy-Neumann Lab collaborates widely to explore plant-soil feedbacks across forest ecosystems, seeking to understand their role in community assembly and responses to global change.