Plant Responses to Global Change
How do subalpine conifers respond to climate variability over seasonal and long-term timescales?
This research investigates how subalpine conifers respond to climate variability across seasonal and decadal timescales. By linking seasonal patterns of plant water status with carbon gain, we examine the physiological mechanisms that allow trees to cope with changing environmental conditions. We also assess long-term shifts in the functional composition of subalpine conifer communities by comparing key plant traits, including wood density and specific leaf area, measured in 2012 and 2025.
Lead: PhD student Aylin Barreras
Landscape change & conservation
How can species distribution models inform biodiversity conservation?
Effective conservation requires accurate information on where threatened species occur, yet many rare plants remain poorly documented. We addresses a Wallacean shortfall by developing a high-resolution habitat suitability model for a rare shrub endemic to California’s biodiversity hotspot (Dirca occidentalis). By integrating environmental and spatial datasets, we identify potential suitable habitat to support conservation and demonstrate a transferable framework for improving the conservation of microendemic species.
Lead: undergraduate student Ava Tolbert
How can remote sensing improve the monitoring of mining-driven land-use change?
The rapid expansion of artisanal and small-scale gold mining is transforming landscapes worldwide, with important consequences for biodiversity, ecosystems, and rural communities. This research uses high-resolution satellite imagery, remote sensing, and community mapping to quantify mining-driven land-use across contrasting regions of Ghana. Our work improves the monitoring of mining impacts and provides information to support evidence-based conservation and land-use planning.
Lead: master student Alyssa Mathews in collaboration with Heidi Hausermann
Plant biodiversity and ecosystem function
How do changes in Arctic plant communities influence carbon cycling?
This research investigates whether changes in Arctic plant functional traits can explain long-term variation in ecosystem carbon uptake. Using NASA AVIRIS imaging spectroscopy, we compare trait maps from 2017 and 2022 to quantify shifts in vegetation functional composition and assess whether these changes are associated with variation in gross primary productivity (GPP).
Lead: Postdoc Mohammad Saif in collaboration with Oliver Sonnentag
How do multiple dimensions of plant biodiversity shape ecosystem productivity?
This research investigates how plant biodiversity influences ecosystem productivity across temperate forests. Using field observations, airborne imaging spectroscopy, and rates of ecosystem productivity, we quantify multiple dimensions of biodiversity across environmental gradients and evaluate their relationship with ecosystem productivity across NEON sites in the United States. NSF-DEB 2406847.
Lead: PI Sandra Durán
