Research in the Thomas lab addresses how trees and forests respond to human impacts, and how forest management can enhance ecosystem “services” (things people want from forests), ranging from biodiversity to carbon sequestration and climate mitigation. Our current research has three main inter-related themes: (1) Biochar (charcoal used as soil amendment) and natural pyrogenic carbon, with studies exploring many aspects and applications of biochar, including its use for remediation of contaminated substrates and from the perspective of emulating natural fire disturbance; (2) Greenhouse gas fluxes from soils and plants, in particular patterns and mechanisms of methane and nitrous oxide flux in trees and forests; (3) forest restoration, with a focus on contaminated and degraded soils in both remote and urban areas, mine tailings, and sites impacted by allelopathic plants.