New working group funded by ESIIL synthesis center

Interdisciplinary Approaches to Modeling Extreme Wildfire Events

PI: Melissa Lucash (University of Oregon)

Co-PIs: Robert Scheller (North Carolina State University), Branda Nowell (North Carolina State University), Sam Flake (North Carolina State University), James Lamping (University of Oregon)

As a new working group, we will play a pivotal role in promoting the integrative approach to environmental data science championed by ESIIL, pooling knowledge and expertise from various disciplines to tackle environmental issues with a data-driven perspective. 
https://esiil.org/working-groups

Gabriel attends the Arctic Climate Change and Community Collaborations Workshop in Fairbanks, AK

Embarking on a transformative journey in Fairbanks, Alaska, I participated in a five-day workshop (Arctic Climate Change and Commuinity Collaborations Workshop) hosted at the International Arctic Research Center (IARC), focusing on arctic climate change and collaborative initiatives. This immersive experience allowed me to dive into the complexities of Arctic research while forging meaningful connections with other participants. We engaged in hands-on fieldwork within a beautiful boreal landscape. From measuring snow and ice to conducting frost tube analyses, the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus provided a dynamic backdrop for our scientific exploration. The International Arctic Research Center served as a hub for cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural interactions. As we connected with graduate students studying the Arctic, native Alaskan elders enriched our understanding of the profound relationship between the various Alaskan communities and its environment. Between the workshop and our time exploring the area, I was offered a unique opportunity to explore the Arctic's natural wonders, even at -25 F at times. Encounters with a moose, witnessing the dance of the northern lights, cross-country skiing in the boreal forests, and experiencing permafrost from an underground tunnel showcased the diverse facets of the Arctic landscape. As the workshop concluded, I left with enriched knowledge, a network of connections, and a profound appreciation for the delicate balance between scientific inquiry and cultural awareness in this amazing land.

https://marine.unh.edu/carpe-nrt/arctic-climate-change-community-collaborations-workshop

Gabriel is headed to Alaska in January (brrrrr)

Gabriel was accepted to the Arctic Climate Change and Community Collaborations Workshop! We’re so proud!

This workshop occurs annually for 5 days in January and immerses the students who will become researchers in the Arctic in winter life and science in Alaska. Students have the unique opportunity to: 

  • Engage with local residents (including Elders, scientists, and educators)

  • Receive training in communication, education, and approaches to facilitate collaboration between Alaskan communities and researchers

  • Learn GLOBE protocols for observing the environment

  • Participate in immersive winter hands-on activities (traditional crafting)

  • Gain field experience while visiting the CRREL Permafrost Tunnel and Bonanza Creek LTER experimental forest.

Gabriel's NASA Fellowship this summer

For the past couple of months, Gabriel has been working with NASA's Climate Change Research Initiative (CCRI), helping direct a project called "Monitoring Lakes from Space in a Changing Climate." In a team along with a math teacher, undergraduate, and high school student, Gabriel developed a regional algorithm for harmful algal bloom (HAB) detection in New York State. Increasingly so in these freshwater systems, HABs pose a significant ecological risk, necessitating effective monitoring and management strategies. Using both in-situ lake water quality data from 35 large lakes in the state and Sentinel 2 imagery, they explored the relationships between satellite reflectance and chlorophyll-a using both linear and machine learning models. This project challenged and pushed them to develop many new skills, both technical and professional. This project was a fascinating exploration of remote-sensing capabilities and how they relate to environmental monitoring, Gabriel looks forward to seeing how this project develops with the NASA CCRI and its partnership with the incredible academics at the New York City College of Technology. 

Shelby's first dissertation chapter is out today in Landscape Ecology!

Reburns (3 fires) were associated with greater shifts in conifer-dominant areas to broadleaf-deciduous than single burns (1 fire), which climate change accelerated.

In interior Alaska, increasing wildfire activity associated with climate change is projected to continue, potentially altering regional forest composition. Conifers are emblematic of boreal forest; however, greater frequency and severity of wildfires has been found to favor broadleaf-deciduous species in numerous studies. This study examines potential shifts in forest type in interior Alaska and how shifts may be impacted by recurring wildfires under future climate change. A spatially-explicit forest landscape model, LANDIS-II, was used to simulate forest succession and wildfire over a 380,400-hectare landscape under historic and future (RCP 8.5) climate. Wildfire was modeled using the SCRPPLE fire extension and vegetation growth, belowground carbon, hydrologic, and permafrost dynamics were modeled with the DGS succession extension. The relative importance of drivers of forest type change away from black spruce was quantified using random forest models for areas on the landscape experiencing different numbers of wildfires. Greater frequencies of fire activity were associated with shifts in conifer-dominant areas to broadleaf-deciduous, which climate change accelerated. Vegetation transitions were most strongly influenced by percent tree mortality from the most recent wildfire. Starting deciduous fraction and proximity of mature black spruce to a site pre-fire were also influential, indicating pre-fire composition and context.