The University of Arizona

climate change

Willem van Leeuwen

Image of Willem van Leeuwen
Area of Expertise: 
Land Surface Phenology; Biogeography; Remote Sensing Science and Applications of Coupled Natural and Human Systems; Geospatial & Temporal Decision Support Systems and Tools for Land and Water management; Assessing Impact of Fire and Drought on Vegetation Response Drylands around the World (Southwest
Assistant Professor

Since 2005, Wim is an Assistant Professor with joint appointments in the School of Natural Resources and the Environment - Office of Arid Lands Studies & the School of Geography and Development at the University of Arizona, Tucson, where he is teaching Geographical Field Study of Environemntal Geography, Biogeography, Phenology and Remote Sensing for the Study of Planet Earth.


Climate change and ecosystems of the Southwestern USA

Publication Type  Journal Article
Year of Publication  2008
Authors  Archer, Steve R; Predick, Katie I.
Journal Title   Rangelands
Volume  30
Pages  23-28

MTNCLIM 2008 Mountain Climate Research Conference

Start time: 06/09/2008 - 12:00am
06/12/2008 - 11:59pm
Location: 
Silverton CO
The MTNCLIM research conferences are sponsored by the Consortium for Integrated Climate Research on Western Mountains (CIRMOUNT), and are dedicated to mountain climate sciences and effects of climate variability on ecosystems, natural resources, and conservation in western North American mountains. A post-conference workshop for natural-resource managers is held to address implications of climate variability and climate change in conservation and resource management.

Learning the rhythm of the seasons in the face of global change: phenological research in the 21st Century

Publication Type  Journal Article
Year of Publication  In Press
Authors  Morisette, J. T.; Richardson, A.D.; Knapp, A. K.; Fisher, J. I.; Graham, E.; Abatzoglou, J.; Wilson, B. E.; Breshears, D. D.; Henebry, G. M.; Hanes, J. M.; Liang, L.
Journal Title  Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment
Publication Keywords  phenology; NPN; remote sensing; vegetation change

David D. Breshears

David Breshears
Area of Expertise: 
Dryland ecohydrology, vegetation dynamics including drought-triggered die-off, wind and water erosion, gradients of woody plants (grassland-forest continuum), ecosystem carbon dynamics, enabling improved decision making and management for land use, pollution, and global change.
Professor
My research program is highly interdisciplinary and bridges diverse aspects of environmental science, largely from an ecosystems perspective. Much of my work lies within the mission of unraveling competing and interrelated processes in water-limited ecosystems within the grassland-forest continuum, gradients of woody plant coverage that include shrublands, savannas, and woodlands, as well as grasslands and forests. I am interested in interactions between woody and herbaceous plants and the associated patterns of canopy patches of woody plants and the intercanopy patches that separate them.

Steve Archer

Steve Archer
Area of Expertise: 
Ecology of grasslands, savannas and shrublands, plant-soil-animal interactions, tree-grass dynamics, terrestrial carbon cycle, land cover change
Professor


Santa Rita Experimental Range

Students with SNRE professor Mitch McClaren

 

Short Description: 
The longest continuously studied rangeland research area in the United States provides new insights into vegetation response to climate and land management.

Drought & Die-off

pinyon pine die off before and after

Dr. Dave Breshears, in the School of Natural Resources and the Environment, documented massive pinyon pine die-off due to extended drought. He and his colleagues had collected a wealth of data on the woodlands for more than a decade before the massive die-off.

Short Description: 
A well-documented pinyon pine die-off sheds light on climate-induced changes to ecosystems.

Biosphere 2

Biosphere 2 in nearby Oracle, Arizona is managed by The University of Arizona, and serves as a laboratory for controlled scientific studies, an arena for scientific discovery and discussion, and a far-reaching public education center.

Synopsis: 
The Biosphere 2 provides the unique opportunity to study ecosystems under controlled conditions.
Facility & Technology Information
Acronym: 
B2
Infrastructure Type: 
Facilities

Declining Snowpack in the West

Snow shapes the landscapes and economies of the Western United States. Snowpack generates the streamflow that allows agriculture and cities to flourish in semi-arid landscapes. The patterns of snowfall govern the distribution of glaciers and alpine meadows as well as ski resorts. We're understandably alarmed when scientists report that snowpack in the West has been steadily declining for several decades.

Short Description: 
Researchers in SNRE are using tree-rings to take the long view on snowpack trends.

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