My current research efforts are in the arctic tundra of North America and Russia, and the temperate forests of the U.S. Mid-Atlantic. In the Arctic, we are examining the recent dynamics of arctic tundra vegetation in response to changing climate and disturbances, and the effects that these vegetation changes have on other arctic ecosystem properties. In the U.S. Mid-Atlantic we are examining carbon cycling along successional gradients from old-field to old-growth, as well as carbon-water interactions in topographically complex watersheds.
CURRENT GRADUATE STUDENTS
Wayne is a 2nd year Masters student working in central Alaska near Fairbanks. He is interested in understanding how environmental conditions shape the timing of winter dormancy in boreal forests and how we can monitor this dormancy through remote sensing. His work leverages leaf and canopy scale remote sensing across deciduous and evergreen boreal sites to explore the timing and nature of winter dormancy and spring reactivation.
MacKenzie earned her B.S. in Geology from Northern Kentucky University. Her current research looks at the changing geophysical and hydrological systems in the arctic community of Utqiaġvik, Alaska. With an interest in data visualization and co-production, her research focuses on aquatic biogeochemical processes and the installation of a comprehensive monitoring network. The goal of her work is to facilitate knowledge within the community and work to develop resilient arctic design strategies.
Kelcy Kent is a Ph.D. candidate working with Howard Epstein on the biophysical effects of ice wedge polygon degradation and re-stabilization in northern Alaska. While marine science is her passion, and she hopes to eventually break into polar marine studies, her current labor of love is studying how changes in ice wedge microtopography influences ecological response to warming in the Arctic tundra. She hopes to explore biological feedbacks for ice wedge re-stabilization and illuminate further clues as to how the Arctic landscape will transform with increased warming.
Stephanie is an MS student in the environmental sciences. She graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a BS in Environmental Science, concentrating on ecosystems. Her interests are in the responses of ecosystems to changing environmental conditions, such as drought, disturbance, or nutrient addition. She is working at Blandy Experimental Farm on an installment of a global research network called Disturbance and Resources Across Global Grasslands (DRAGNet), which studies the recovery of grasslands after disturbance and grassland vegetation community dynamics.
Kelsey Huelsman is a PhD candidate studying terrestrial ecology. Her research focuses on plant communities in northwestern Virginia at Blandy Experimental Farm. She uses aerial hyperspectral remote sensing to detect invasive plant species and to understand their ecological impacts on plant communities.
My research focuses on micro-meteorology trends and associated permafrost melt in Utqiagvik, Alaska. I seek to understand the role of changing climate in the relationship between the natural and built environment and observe whether these changes may come with health implications on a community level. Outside of the department, other notable research efforts include air pollution and covid mortality/morbidity rates in the EMR (Eastern Mediterranean Region) and spatio-temporal relationships between cultural destruction and civilian casualties during the Syrian War. I enjoy finding connections between human health and the environment and ensuring data is accessible to the communities it serves using an open science framework when appropriate.
Elise Heffernan is a forest ecologist studying the vegetation dynamics of the tundra taiga ecotone. Her research connects field data to an individual based gap model to discern the response of trees and shrubs to warming. She got her Master's in Forest Ecosystems and Society from Oregon State University and got her Bachelor's from Vassar College. She spends most of her time following her dog around in the woods.
LAB ALUMNI
PhD:
Jacob Malcomb (co-advised), Ph.D. 2022, Assessing Temperate Forest Growth and Climate Sensitivity in Response to a Long-term Whole-watershed Acidification Experiment
Alexandra Parisien, Ph.D. 2022, Ecosystem N Cycling Through Secondary Succession Following Agricultural Abandonment
Itiya Aneece, Ph.D. 2016, Assessing the Role of Invasive Species in Successional Plant Communities Using Hyperspectral Remote Sensing
Jeffrey Atkins, Ph.D. 2016, Landscape Controls of Complex Terrain and Vegetation Heterogeneity on Carbon Cycling in a Humid, Temperate Watershed in West Virginia
Gerald (JJ) Frost, Ph.D. 2013, Shrub and Tree Expansion in Siberian Low Arctic Ecotones Since the 1960s
Qin Yu, Ph.D. 2012, Arctic Tundra Vegetation Dynamics Under Changing Environmental Conditions
Jin Wang, Ph.D. 2010, Carbon cycling and vegetation dynamics during old field succession
Lorelei Alvarez, Ph.D. 2010, Vegetation Patterns, Changes, and Interactions With Wind Erosion in an Arid Grassland Ecosystem
Junran Li (co-advised), Ph.D. 2008, Integrated Research on Aeolian Processes and Soil Biogeochemistry in the Desert Grassland of Southern New Mexico
Ben Cook (co-advised), Ph.D. 2007, Regional Climate Change, Ecosystem Responses, and Climate Feedbacks
Ryan Emanuel (co-advised), Ph.D. 2007, Vegetation Water Stress and Its Impact on Land-Atmosphere Interaction
Alexia Kelley, Ph.D. 2007, Soil nitrogen cycling and vegetation dynamics associated with arctic patterned-ground features
Monika Calef (co-advised), Ph.D. 2003, The Boreal Forest of Interior Alaska: Patterns, Scales, and Climate Change
M.S.:
Zoe Bergman, M.S. 2022, Novel Weaponry in the Arsenal of an Invasive Shrub (Dahurian Buckthorn)
Morgan Tassone, M.S. 2022, Drivers of Spatial and Temporal Heterogeneity in Vegetation Productivity, Function, and Functional Diversity on the Yamal Peninsula, Siberia, Russia
Kelsey Huelsman, M.S. 2019, Utilizing Ecosystem Function Multifunctionality to Assess Supporting Ecosystem Services of Three Land-Use Types in Northwestern Virginia
Kelcy Kent, M.S. 2018, Genetic Diversity of Historic and Range-Expansion Populations of Avicennia Germinans (Black Mangrove) Along a Latitudinal Gradient of the Gulf Coast of Florida, Louisiana, and Texas, USA
Sara Bratsch, M.S. 2016, Using Hyperspectral Data to Identify Arctic Tundra Plant Communities and Estimate Vegetation Biomass at a Low Arctic Alaska Site
Jennifer McGarvey, M.S. 2013, Structure, Species Composition, and Carbon Storage of Remnant Late-Successional Forests in the Mid-Atlantic Region
Anne Priest, M.S. 2005, Native Grass Restoration in Northern Virginia
Sebastian Riedel, M.S. 2001, Landscape Scale Controls and Remote Sensing of Vegetation in Arctic Tundra and Temperate Old-field Systems
POSTDOCS:
Dr. Claire Griffin, postdoctoral research associate (2019-2022)
Dr. Alan Tepley, postdoctoral research associate (2015-2017)
Dr. Qin Yu, postdoctoral research associate (2012-2013)
Dr. Domingo Alcaraz Segura, postdoctoral research associate (2006-2008)
Dr. Mei Yu, postdoctoral research associate (2002-2004)
Dr. Gensuo Jiong Jia, postdoctoral research associate (1999-2003)