Hauling field gear up Gothic Mountain…
In response to accelerating climate change and other anthropogenic impacts, mountain ecosystems are rapidly shifting in both structure and function, leaving the systems themselves and the services they provide at significant risk of disruption. Despite the importance of these systems, many of the mechanisms contributing to their vulnerability or resilience are still poorly understood. Some of the largest uncertainties have to do with the roles that fine-scale spatial patterns in environmental and ecological processes play in larger-scale system behavior, and the degree to which these patterns attenuate and/or reinforce responses to regional and global environmental change. My research investigates four aspects of this outstanding problem, bringing perspectives from landscape ecology, physiological ecology, and remote sensing to bear on them in close collaboration with a diverse network of collaborators. Primary Research Projects: 1. Landscape Phenology - Reconstructing spatial patterns of flowering and floral resources for pollinators. 2. Vegetation Community Composition and Change - Understanding vulnerability of Gunnison Basin plant communities to climate change. 3. Microclimate Mapping - Tracking fine-scale patterns and historical trends in snow and near-surface microclimates. 4. Forest Dynamics and Evapotranspiration - Unpacking forest structure, climate, and landscape controls on evapotranspiration. In addition to this primary research, as RMBL staff I continue to build data resources for the broader research community as part of the RMBL Spatial Data Platform and operate a fee-for-service program allowing researchers access to RMBL's Uncrewed Aircraft Systems and sensors.