Thomas Ward Crowther
Date of birth: 18 June 1986
Address: Yale University, 370 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
Email: Thomas.Crowther@yale.edu
Academic Interests:
Community Ecology, Microbial Ecology, Ecosystem Ecology, Global Change Ecology
Higher Education:
 2004-2007: Undergraduate, Cardiff University: B.Sc. (Hons.) Zoology, Class I.
 2008-2012: Doctoral student, Cardiff University: PhD in Ecology funded by NERC.
Thesis entitled ‘Effects of Grazing Soil Fauna on the Functioning and Community
Composition of Saprotrophic Basidiomycete Fungi’.
Employment:
 2012-present: Postdoctoral Fellowship funded by the Yale Climate & Energy
Institute. Advisor: Dr Mark Bradford. School of Forestry & Environmental Studies,
Yale University.
Academic Grants and Awards:
 September 2010: Anne Keymer Prize for the Best PhD Student Talk at the British
Ecological Society Annual Meeting, Leeds, UK.
 May 2010: 1ST prize for the best PhD student Oral and Poster presentations at the
Cardiff School of Biosciences Annual Away-Day Conference, Cardiff, UK.
 April 2012: Yale Climate & Energy Institute Postdoctoral Fellowship ($120,000).
 January 2014: British Ecological Society Large Research Grant ($33,000).
 February 2014: Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship ($194,000).
Journal Editorial Boards:
 2012-Present: Agricultural and Forest Entomology.
Journal Reviewing:
Reviewer for more than 20 international journals, including Ecology Letters, Ecology, Global
Change Biology, Journal of Animal Ecology, Functional Ecology, ISME J and PLOS 1.
Teaching experience:
 Yale University (2012-present): Soil Science Lecturer
 Cardiff University (2008-2012): Demonstrated in undergraduate classes including
Ecology, Entomology, Mycology, Statistics and Biology Field Courses
 Operation Wallacea, Honduras (2010): Lectured on endemism, conservation and
herpetofauna.
Supervising experience
 Committee member for Daniel Maynard in his Yale PhD dissertation.
 Co-advised one PhD student (Daniel Maynard) and one Masters of Research student
(Madeleine Rubenstein) in Yale University.
 Co-advised two Cardiff University Masters of Research (MRes) students in their
dissertation projects.
 Co-advised 33 Cardiff University undergraduate students on their Final Year
Dissertation projects, 7 of which published this work in international, peer-review
journals.
Book chapters
Peer-reviewed publications (* indicates joint first author):
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Maynard, D.S., Crowther, T.W*., King, J, Warren, R. & Bradford, M.A. (2015).
Temperate forest termites: ecology, biogeography, and ecosystem impacts. Ecological
Entomology, in press.
Crowther, T.W. and Grossart, H. (2015). The role of bottom-up and top-down
interactions in determining microbial and fungal diversity and function. in T.C. Hanley
and K.J. La Pierre (eds): Trophic Ecology: Bottom-Up and Top-Down Interactions
Across Aquatic and Terrestrial Systems. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge, UK.
Thomas, S.D. & Crowther, T.W.* (2015). Predicting rates of isotopic turnover across
the animal kingdom: a synthesis of existing data. Journal of Animal Ecology. doi:
10.1111/1365-2656.12326.
Crowther, T.W., Maynard, D.S., Crowther, T.R., Peccia, J., Smith, J., & Bradford, M.
A. (2014). Untangling the fungal niche: the trait-based approach. Frontiers in
Microbiology, 5: 579. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2014.00579.
Ramirez, K.S., Leff, J.W., Barberán, A., Bates, S., Betley, J., Crowther, T.W., Kelly,
E., Oldfield, E.E., Perkins, S., Shaw, A., Steenbock, C., Bradford, M.A., Wall, D.H., &
Fierer, N. (2014). Biogeographic patterns in below-ground diversity in New York
City's Central Park are similar to those observed globally. Proceedings of the Royal
Society B, doi: 10.1098/rspb.2014.1988.
Bradford, M.A., Warren R.J. II, Baldrian, P., Crowther, T.W., Maynard, D.S.
Oldfield, E.E., Wieder, W.R., Wood, A.A. & King J.R. (2014). Classical paradigms fail
to explain wood decomposition at regional scales. Nature Climate Change, 4, 625–
630.
Crowther, T.W., Maynard, D.S., Leff, J.W., Oldfield, E.E., McCulley, R.L., Fierer, N.
& Bradford, M.A. (2014). Predicting the responsiveness of soil biodiversity to
deforestation: a cross‐biome study. Global Change Biology, 20, 2983–2994.
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Dray, M.D., Crowther, T.W.*, Thomas S,M., A’Bear, A.D., Godbold, D.L., Ormerod,
S.J., Hartley, S.E., & Jones, T.H. (2014). Effects of elevated CO2 on litter chemistry
and subsequent invertebrate detritivore feeding responses. PLoS one, 9(1), e86246.
Crowther, T.W., Stanton, D., Thomas, S., A’Bear A.D., Hiscox, J., Jones, T.H.,
Voříšková, J., Baldrian, P. & Boddy, L. (2013). Top-down control of soil fungal
community composition by a globally distributed keystone species. Ecology, 94, 2518–
2528.
Crowther, T.W. & Bradford, M.A. (2013). Thermal acclimation in widespread
heterotrophic soil microbes. Ecology Letters, 16, 469-477.
Bradford M.A., & Crowther, T. W. (2013) Carbon use efficiency and storage in
terrestrial ecosystems. New Phytologist, 199, 7-9.
A’Bear A.D., Crowther, T.W.*, Ashfield, R., Chadwick, D.D.A., Dempsey, J.,
Meletiou, L., Rees, C.L., Jones, T.H., Boddy, L. (2013). Localised invertebrate grazing
moderates the effect of warming on competitive fungal interactions. Fungal Ecology,
6, 137–140.
Crowther, T.W., Boddy, L. & Jones, T.H. (2012) Functional and ecological
consequences of saprotrophic fungus-grazer interactions. ISME J, 6, 1992–2001.
Crowther, T.W., Littleboy, A., Jones, T.H. & Boddy, L. (2012) Interactive effects of
warming and invertebrate grazing on the outcomes of competitive fungal interactions.
FEMS Microbiology Ecology, 81, 419-426.
Crowther, T.W., Jones, T.H. & Boddy, L. (2012) Interactions between saprotrophic
basidiomycete mycelia and mycophagous soil fauna. Mycology, 3, 77-86. Special
issue: The impact of fungi on other organisms.
Crowther, T.W. & A’ Bear, A.D. (2012) Impacts of grazing soil fauna on decomposer
fungi are species-specific and density-dependent. Fungal Ecology, 5, 277–281.
Tordoff, G.M., Chamberlain, P.M., Crowther, T.W., Black, H.I.J., Jones, T. H., Stott,
A. & Boddy, L. (2011) Invertebrate grazing affects nitrogen partitioning in the
saprotrophic fungus Phanerochaete velutina. Soil Biology & Biochemistry, 43, 23382346.
Crowther T.W., Boddy, L. & Jones, T.H. (2011) Outcomes of fungal interaction are
determined by soil invertebrate grazers. Ecology Letters, 14, 1134-1142. (Cover
photograph).
Crowther, T.W., Jones, T.H., Boddy, L. & Baldrian, P. (2011) Invertebrate grazing
determines enzyme production by basidiomycete fungi. Soil Biology & Biochemistry,
43, 2060-2068.
Crowther, T.W., Jones, T.H. & Boddy, L. (2011) Species-specific effects of grazing
invertebrates on mycelial emergence and growth from woody resources into soil.
Fungal Ecology, 5, 333-341.
Crowther, T.W., Boddy, L. & Jones, T.H. (2011) Species-specific effects of soil fauna
on fungal foraging and decomposition. Oecologia, 167, 535-545.
Publications in review (* indicates joint first author):
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Crowther, T.W., Sokol, N., Maynard, D.S., Oldfield, E.E., Thomas, S. & Bradford,
M.A. Environmental stress response limits fungal necromass contributions to soil
organic matter. In review.
Crowther, T.W., Thomas, S., Maynard, D.S., Baldrian, P., Covey, K., Frey, S.D., van
Diepen, L.T.A. & Bradford, M.A. Biotic interactions mitigate soil microbial feedbacks
to climate change. In review.
Maynard, D.S., Leonard, K., Crowther, T.W., & Bradford, M.A. Mapping the multidimensional niche. In review.
Oldfield, E.E. Felson, A.J., Auyeung, N., Crowther, T.W., Falxa-Raymond N.,
Harada, Y. Maynard, D.S. Sokol, N.W., Warren, R.J., Hallett, R.A. & Bradford, M.A.
Urban afforestation: performance of planted native trees in relation to species identity
and land management. In review.
Bradford, M.A., Fierer, N, Wieder, W.R. & Crowther, T.W. The land-climate carbon
feedback. In review.
Invited Presentations
 Crowther, T.W. Thermal adaptation in fungi: using traits to predict biogeogoraphy.
Mycological Society of America conference. Lansing, Michigan, June 2014. Invited by
Mia Maltz for the symposium: Functional traits in a changing world.
 Crowther, T.W. A trait-based approach to understanding fungal communities. The
George Washington University, November 2013. Invited by Dr Amy Zanne.
 Crowther, T.W. Fungal interactions mediate soil-climate feedbacks. University of
Colorado at Boulder, April 2013. Invited by Dr Noah Fierer.
 Crowther, T.W. Fungal interactions shape the underworld. Bowling Green State
University, December 2012. Invited by Dr Shannon Pellini.
 Crowther, T.W. Fungal interactions shape the underworld. Yale University,
November 2012. School of F&ES weekly seminar series.
 Crowther, T.W. Interactive effects of warming and grazing on fungal competitive
outcomes. Harvard University, May 2012. Invited by Dr Aaron Ellison.
 Crowther, T.W. & A’Bear, A.D. Biotic and abiotic factors affecting the growth and
functioning of saprotrophic basidiomycete fungi. Netherlands Institute for Ecology
(NIOO), January 2012. Invited by Prof Wim van der Putten.
Recent, first author conference proceedings
 Crowther, T.W. Untangling the fungal niche: a trait-based approach. Paper presented
at the British Ecological Society annual conference, Lille, 2014.
 Crowther, T.W. & Bradford, M.A. Vulnerability of Soil Biodiversity to Deforestation.
Paper presented at the International Society for Ecology (INTECOL) Conference,
2013.
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Crowther, T.W., Boddy, L. & Jones, T.H. Functional and ecological consequences of
saprotrophic fungus-grazer interactions. Paper presented at the British Ecological
Society Annual Meeting, 2011.
Crowther, T.W., Boddy, L. & Jones, T.H. Outcomes of fungal interactions are
determined by soil invertebrate grazers. Paper presented at the British Ecological
Society Annual Meeting, 2010. * 1st prize for best student talk.
Crowther, T.W., Boddy, L. & Jones, T.H. Species-specific effects of soil fauna on
fungal foraging and decomposition. Paper presented at the British Ecological Society
Annual Meeting, 2009.
Media attention
 Central Park - An Urban Jungle. Various sources including National Georaphic, The
Washington Post, NPR, New York Times and Scientific American (October 2014).
 Decomposing logs show local factors undervalued in climate change predictions.
Various sources including Science Daily (June 2014).
 Deforestation-related climate impacts may vary by soil. Frontiers in Ecology and
Evolution, Volume 12, Issue 4 (May 2014).
 Deforestation in sandy soils is a greater threat to climate change. Various sources
including NSF news, Science 360 and USA news, April 2014.
 Ecosystems Underground; Consequences for Climate Change. Yale Climate and
Energy Institute, December 2013.
 Fungi, not plants, drive long-term carbon sequestration in boreal forest. Yale
Climate and Energy Institute, May 2013.
 Thermal Adaptation in Heterotrophic Soil Microbes. Yale Climate and Energy
Institute, January 2013.
 Climate-Ecosystem Carbon Feedbacks. YCEI Climate and Energy Institute, February
2013
 Woodland Warfare in a Warming World. NERC Planet Earth Online article, Autumn
2012.
 Peacekeeping creatures help maintain woodland diversity. Various sources including
The Western Mail and Wales Online, September 2011
Academic society memberships
 British Ecological Society
 Soil Ecology Society
 Mycological Society of America
Other Scholarly activities:
 Judge for the Poster presentation award at the International Association for Ecology
Conference (2013), and the PhD talk competition at the BES annual meeting (2014).
 Chair for the ‘Above-ground below-ground interactions’ session at the International
Association for Ecology Conference (2013).
 Volunteer tutor at New Haven Reads, New Haven, USA (2012-present)
 Stem Ambassador for Cardiff University, Wales (2011-2012)
Notable non-academic achievements:
 Tennis: Won the Welsh National tennis championship under 16 and under 18.
Represented North Wales in the senior tennis team from 2001-2012. First seed in the
Cardiff University varsity tennis team.
 Football: First team varsity football for Cardiff University. Selected for North of
England schoolboys under 15.