DR. VILE'S RESEARCH
My research has focused primarily on the following three aspects of Environmental Health:
EFFECTS OF N AND S DEPOSITION ON BOGS
Associated with oil sands development is the release of gaseous N and S compounds into the atmosphere, both from upgrader stacks and diesel fuel powered mine fleets. Since 2009, we have been monitoring bogs situated between 11 and 315 km from the center of oil sands development (midpoint between the Syncrude and Suncor Company upgrader stacks), quantifying N and S deposition using ion exchange resin collectors, C, N, and S concentrations in 10 plant/lichen species, concentrations of ammonium, nitrate, DON and DOC in bog porewater, and plant community composition.
GLOBAL
CLIMATE CHANGE
As a global climate change scientist who began researching this topic in the mid-1990’s, I never expected to witness first-hand the climate forecasts during my lifetime. Yet, here we are with predictions not only being realized, but far sooner, and more severe, than scientists anticipated. Climate Change is our greatest threat to the environment, to the economy and to ethic and social implications of our past and present actions. My research focuses on the implications of a warming planet on the largest source of soil carbon stores (peatlands).
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
I teach a speaking emphasis course titled, ‘Environmental Sustainability,’ the subject of which has been my greatest passion for more than two decades. To achieve sustainability, three pillars must be equally achieved, and correspond to Environmental, Economic, and Ethical considerations. Unless all three E’s are met, sustainable options cannot endure. Currently, I am the Chair of the West Goshen Sustainability Advisory Committee, and I am working with students to assess tree cover in West Goshen Township. I am also working with Dr. Lorenzo Cena to make the newly built SECC more sustainable through solar rooftop energy.
CURRICULUM VITAE
Education
POST-DOCTORAL FELLOW
Princeton University
2001-2003
PH.D. FROM UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME
Biological Sciences
2001
M.S. FROM VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY
Biology
1995
B.S. FROM VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY
Major in Comprehensive Science, Biology; Minor in Math
1992
Recent Publications (Last 10 Years)
2021
Vile, MA. 2021. Safeguarding Our Communities from Extreme Heat. West Goshen Township eNEWS, July 21, 2021, https://www.westgoshen.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=183&PREVIEW=true
2021
Wieder, RK, MA Vile, KD Scott, CM Albright, J Quinn D Vitt. 2021. Bog plant/lichen tissue nitrogen and sulfur concentrations as indicators of emissions from oil sands development in Alberta, Canada, Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-021-08929-y
2020
Wieder, RK, D Vitt; MA Vile, J Graham, J Hartsock, JMA Popma, H Fillingim, M House, J Quinn, KD Scott, M Petix, K McMillen. 2020. Experimental Nitrogen Addition Alters Structure and Function of a Boreal Poor Fen: Implications for Critical Loads. Science of the Total Environment,
2019
Wieder, RK, D Vitt; MA Vile, J Graham, J Hartsock, H Fillingim, M House, J Quinn, K Scott, M Petix, K McMillen. 2019. Experimental Nitrogen Addition Alters Structure and Function of a Boreal Bog: Critical Loads and Thresholds Revealed. Ecological Monographs, Volume 89, Issue 3, DOI: 10.1002/ecm.1371
2019
Novak, M, M A Vile, J Curik, B Cejkova, J Barta, M Stepanova, I Jackova, F Buzek, L Bohdalkova, E Prechova, F Veselovsky, M Adamova, I Valkova and A Komarek. 2019. Comparison of nitrogen inputs and accumulation in 210Pb-dated peat cores: Evidence for biological N2-fixation in Central European peatlands despite decades of atmospheric N pollution. Global Change Biology, DOI: 10.1111/GCB.14505.
2018
Hartsock**, JA, RK Wieder, and MA Vile. 2018. Remarkable retention of experimentally added NH4+-N and NO3--N in Sphagnum fuscum laboratory mesocosms, Wetlands, DOI: 10.1007/s13157-018-1066-x.
2018
Stuart**, JEM, RK Wieder, MA Vile. 2018. Net Nitrogen Mineralization in Alberta Bog Peat is Insensitive to Experimentally Increased Nitrogen Deposition and Time Since Wildfire, Biogeochemistry, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-018-0437-y
2017
Lajtha, K, E Bai, T Baisden, AA Berhe, B Bowden, J Brookshire, E Brzostek, S Crow, C Driscoll, C Evans, J Finlay, M Fisk, S Grandy, L Hamdan, J Harrison, C Hawkes, K Kalbitz, S Kaushal, M Kramer, E Matzner, J Melack, J Mulder, S Porder, J Sanderman, E Stanley, J Tank, MA Vile, M Voss, RK Wieder, S Ziegler. 2017. Brave New World. Biogeochemistry, DOI: 10.1007/s10533-017-0316-y.
2016
Wieder, RK, MA Vile, KD Scott, CM Albright, K McMillen, DH Vitt, M Fenn. 2016. Differential effects of high atmospheric N and S deposition on bog plant/lichen tissue and porewater chemistry across the Athabasca Oil Sands Region. Environ. Sci. Technol. 50: 12630-12640.
2016
Wieder, RK, MA Vile, CM Albright, KD Scott, DH Vitt, JC Quinn, M Burke-Scoll**. 2016. Effects of altered atmospheric nutrient deposition from Alberta oil sands development on Sphagnum fuscum growth and C, N and S accumulation in peat. Biogeochemistry, DOI: 10.1007/s10533-016-0216-6.
2016
Novak, M, I Jackova, J Curik, M Stepanova, F Veselovsky, F Buzek, I Bufkova, MA Vile, M Adamova, L Bohdalkova, A Komarek. 2016. Contrasting δ15N values of atmospheric deposition and Sphagnum peat bogs: N fixation as a possible cause. Ecosystems, DOI: 10.1007/s10021-016-9985-y.
2016
Kearns***, PA, NB Weston, JL Bowen, T Živković *, MA Vile. 2016. Tidal freshwater marshes harbor phylogenetically unique clades of sulfate reducers that are resistant to climate-change induced salinity intrusion. Estuaries and Coasts, DOI: 10.1007/s12237-016-0067-3.
2015
Shotyk, W, R Belland, J Duke, H Kempter, M Krachler, T Noernberg, R Pelletier, MA Vile, et al. 2015. Response to Comment on "Sphagnum Mosses from 21 Ombrotrophic Bogs in the Athabasca Bituminous Sands Region Show No Significant Atmospheric Contamination of Heavy Metals. Environmental Science & Technology, DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.5b01229.
2014
Vile, MA, RK Wieder, T Živković**, KD Scott, HM Fillingim**, JMA Popma**, KA Dynarski*, CL Iosue, JA Hartsock**, DH Vitt, M Petix, JC Quinn, DD Wykoff. 2014. N2-fixation by methane oxidizing bacteria sustains high rates of carbon and nitrogen sequestration in pristine boreal peatlands. Biogeochemistry Letters, DOI: 10.1007/s10533-014-0019-6.
2014
Shotyk, W, R Belland, J Duke, H Kempter, M Krachler, T Noernberg, MA Vile, RK Wieder, C Zaccone, Z Shuangquan. 2014. Sphagnum mosses from twenty ombrotrophic bogs in the Athabasca Bituminous Sands region shows no significant atmospheric contamination of “heavy metals” from contemporary mining activities. Environ. Sci. Technol., 2014, 48: (21), pp 12603–12611, DOI: 10.1021/es503751v
2014
Weston****, NB, SB Neubauer, DJ Velinsky, MA Vile. 2014. Net ecosystem carbon exchange and the greenhouse gas balance of tidal marshes along an estuarine salinity gradient, Biogeochemistry 120:163–189, DOI: 10.1007/s10533-014-9989-7.
2014
Novák, M, M Stepanova, I Jackova, MA Vile, RK Wieder, Buzek, M Adamova, L Erbanova, D Fottova, A Komarek. 2014. Isotopic evidence for nitrogen mobility in peat bogs. Geochemica Cosmochimica Acta, DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2014.02.021.
2014
Lamers, LPM, MA Vile, AB Grootjans, M Acreman, R Van Diggelen, M Evans, C Richardson, L Rochefort, A Kooijman, JGM Roelofs, AJP Smolders. 2014. Ecological restoration of fens in Europe and North America: from trial and error to an evidence-based approach. Biological Reviews, Biological Reviews (2014), DOI: 10.1111/brv.12102.
2012
Lamers, LPM, JMH Van Diggelen, HJM Op Den Camp, EJW Visser, ECHET Lucassen, MA Vile, MSM Jetten, AJP Smolders, JGM Roelofs. 2012. Microbial transformations of nitrogen, sulfur and iron dictate vegetation composition in wetlands. Frontiers in Microbiology, DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2012.00156
2011
Weston****, NB, MA Vile, DJ Velinsky, SB Neubauer. 2011. Salt water intrusion and carbon cycling in a tidal freshwater marsh. Biogeochemistry, DOI: 10.1007/s10533-010-9427-4.