Susan, I've been neglecting my fellow North Carolinian. It looks like things are going well for you up there. I finally finished up finals, graduated seniors, packed up rooms, and I'm enjoying my first day away from school by doing some PolarTREC catch up.
So, here's my question/thought. What are you learning that we can use to compare and contrast nutrient cycling in your study area with what we see in the mountain and Piedmont environments of North Carolina? I'd love to have some first person observations and data that my students can use to compare ecosystem complexity, primary nutrients within the system, cycling times, and climate influences. Keep that in mind if the right opportunities come up.
Have a great time and don't rush back here - it's about to turn into summer with all the heat and humidity.
Mike