Our REsearch

Our lab bridges Environmental Science and Geography to advance both basic and applied research. We focus on integrating the spatial and temporal signatures of natural disturbances and human activities to deepen our understanding of terrestrial ecosystems.  

Our planet faces immense challenges as rising temperatures, shifting disturbance regimes, and extreme events reshape our world. Inaction is not an option. Addressing these complex, "wicked" problems requires collaborative, interdisciplinary solutions.

In our lab, we employ a suite of cutting-edge tools—including spatially explicit simulation modeling, remote sensing, and artificial intelligence—to quantify vegetation dynamics, disturbance regimes, and carbon and nitrogen cycling across large spatial scales. Our research is often translational using visualization as the bridge between researchers and managers, because we deem it important to conduct applied research that is useful for managers. We thrive on interdisciplinary collaboration, particularly across diverse fields such as computer science, immersive technology, philosophy, and anthropology. Recognizing the pivotal role humans play in shaping our landscapes, we collaborate with stakeholders and tribes to develop scenario-based analyses to evaluate the effectiveness of different strategies for climate change mitigation and adaptation, aiming to build more resilient ecosystems. Overall, our research is guided by the belief that only through a better understanding of the interactions between biological, chemical, geologic, and physical processes using multiple research methods will we identify the most effective strategies to help terrestrial ecosystems to adapt to changes in our climate and disturbance regimes, while mitigating changes in our climate.

Our research takes place in many different ecosystems, including the coastal forests of OR, boreal forests of Alaska, boreal forests and alpine areas of Siberia, temperate rainforests of southeast Alaska, sagebrush steppe of eastern Oregon, boreal and mixed hardwoods of MN and WI, mixed coniferous forests in the Klamath Mountains of OR and CA, longleaf pine forests of NC, northern hardwoods of MA and NH, and the deciduous forests of UK. Our work is done in partnership with a whole host of domestic and international collaborators.