Dr. Vourlitis' research interests lie in quantifying the rates of mass (CO2, H2O vapor, and other trace-gases) and energy exchange of terrestrial ecosystems, and how these surface-atmosphere exchanges are affected by, and feed back on, global change. This research utilizes measurement (e.g., eddy covariance and portable infrared gas analyzers) and mathematical modeling techniques, remotely sensed data (e.g., spectral reflectance, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS)) to quantify the spatial and temporal variations in trace-gas and energy fluxes. Current research is in the Alaskan Arctic, southern California chaparral, and Brazilian transitional tropical forest ecosystems.

Visit The Terrestrial Ecosystems Research Lab.

**Selected recent publications. Current publication information is available at http://www.csusm.edu/terl/index.html

Püspök, J., Zhao, S., Calma, A.D., Vourlitis, G.L., Allison, S.D., Aronson, E.L., Schimel, J.P., Hanan, E.J., Homyak, P.M. (2022) Effects of experimental nitrogen deposition on soil organic carbon storage in southern California drylands.  Global Change Biology 29:1660–1679.  DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16563

Vourlitis, GL, E van der Veen, S Cangahuala, G Jaeger, C Jensen, C Fissore, EM Wood, JK Abraham, KS Whittemore, E Slaven, D VanOverbeke, J Blauth, E Braker, N Karnovsky, WM Meyer III (2022) Examining decomposition and nitrogen mineralization in five common urban habitat types across Southern California to inform sustainable landscaping.  Urban Sci. 2022, 6, 61. https://doi.org/10.3390/ urbansci6030061

Vourlitis, GL, OB Pinto Jr., HJ Dalmagro, PEZ Arruda, FA Lobo, JS Nogueira (2022).  Net primary production and ecosystem carbon flux of Brazilian tropical savanna ecosystems from eddy covariance and inventory methods.  Journal of Geophysical Research- Biogeosciences, 127, e2021JG006780. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JG006780

Grant, T, A Sethuraman, MA Escobar, GL Vourlitis (2022) Chronic dry nitrogen inputs alter soil microbial community composition in Southern California semi-arid shrublands.  Applied Soil Ecology, 176 (2022) 104496.   https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2022.104496

Vourlitis, GL, OB Pinto Jr., HJ Dalmagro, PEZ Arruda, FA Lobo, JS Nogueira (2022) Tree growth responses to climate variation in upland and seasonally flooded forests and woodlands of the Cerrado-Pantanal transition of Brazil.  Forest Ecology and Management 505 (2022) 119917.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2021.119917

Vourlitis, G, D Steinecke, T Martinez, K Konda, R Rendon, V Hall; S Khor, A Sethuraman (2022) Fire and post-fire management alters soil microbial abundance and activity: A case study in semi-arid shrubland soils.  Applied Soil Ecology 171: 104319.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2021.104319. 

Vourlitis, GL, J Jaureguy; L Marin; C Rodriguez (2021) Shoot and root biomass production in semi-arid shrublands exposed to long-term experimental N input.  Science of the Total Environment, 754 (2021) 142204; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142204. 

Vourlitis, GL, K Kirby, I Vallejo, J Asaeli, JM Holloway (2020) Potential soil extracellular enzyme activity is altered by long-term experimental nitrogen deposition in semiarid shrublands.  Applied Soil Ecology, 158: 103779.  doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2020.103779

Vourlitis, GL A Zappia, OB Pinto Jr, PHZ Arruda, FB Santanna, HJ Dalmagro, FA Lobo, JS Nogueira (2019) Spatial and temporal variations in aboveground woody carbon storage for cerrado forests and woodlands of Mato Grosso, Brazil.  Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, 124. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JG005201. 

Maziarz, J, GL Vourlitis, W Kristan (2019) Carbon and nitrogen storage of constructed and natural freshwater wetlands in Southern California.  Ecological Engineering, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoena.2019.100008. 

Dalmagro, HJ, PHZ de Arruda, GL Vourlitis, MJ Lathuillière, JS Nogueira, EG Couto, MS Johnson (2019) Radiative forcing of methane fluxes offsets net carbon dioxide uptake for a tropical flooded forest.  Global Change Biology 25: 1967-1981.  doi: 10.1111/gcb.14615. 

Vourlitis, GL, CS Hentz, OB Pinto, Jr., E Carneiro, and JS Nogueira (2017) Soil N, P, and C dynamics of upland and seasonally flooded forests of the Brazilian Pantanal.  Global Ecology and Conservation 12: 227-240.

Vourlitis, GL (2017) Chronic N enrichment and drought alter plant cover and community composition in a Mediterranean-type semi-arid shrubland.  Oecologia, DOI 10.1007/s00442-017-3860-1. 

Vourlitis, GL, J Griganavicius, N Gordon, K Bloomer, T Grant, C Hentz (2017) Hydroseeding increases ecosystem nitrogen retention but inhibits natural vegetation regeneration after two years of chaparral post-fire recovery.  Ecological Engineering 102: 46-54.

Arruda, PHZ, GL Vourlitis, OB Pinto, Jr., FA Lobo, FN Santanna, JS Nogueira (2016) Large net CO₂ loss from a grass-dominated tropical savanna in south-central Brazil in response to seasonal and interannual drought.  Journal of Geophysical Research-Biogeosciences 121: 2110–2124. doi:10.1002/2016JG003404

Pivovaroff AL, LS Santiago, GL Vourlitis, DA Grantz, MF Allen (2016) Differing hydraulic response strategies of four Mediterranean-type shrubs to long-term dry season nitrogen deposition.  Oecologia 181: 721-731.  DOI 10.1007/s00442-016-3609-2

Vourlitis GL, CS Hentz (2016) Chronic N addition alters the carbon and nitrogen storage of a post-fire Mediterranean-type shrubland.  Journal of Geophysical Research-Biogeosciences, 121: 385-398. 

Vourlitis GL and JS Fernandez (2015) Carbon and nitrogen mineralization of semi-arid shrubland soils exposed to chronic nitrogen inputs and pulses of labile carbon and nitrogen.  Journal of Arid Environments 122: 37-45. 

Vourlitis GL, C DeFotis, and W Kristan (2015) Effects of soil water content, temperature and experimental nitrogen deposition on nitric oxide (NO) efflux from semi-arid shrubland soil.  Journal of Arid Environments, 117: 67-74.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2015.02.011. 

Vourlitis GL, FA Lobo; OB Pinto Jr.; HJ Dalmagro; PHZ Arruda; and JS Nogueira (2015) Variations in aboveground vegetation structure along a nutrient availability gradient in the Brazilian Pantanal.  Plant and Soil 389: 307-321.  DOI:10.1007/s11104-014-2364-6. 

Vourlitis GL, JS Nogueira, FA Lobo; OB Pinto, Jr. (2015) Long-term variation in evapotranspiration and climate for a tropical semi-deciduous forest of the southern Amazon Basin.  International Journal of Biometeorology 59: 217–230DOI 10.1007/s00484-014-0837-1.