field*conditions

I am a biologist.
You can find me in the center of the venn diagram where ecology, conservation and restoration intersect with the socio-economic realities that shape how we interact with & impact the ecosystems around us.

My dissertation research examines the process of desertification. The bulk of this work occurs in the American southwest, but I also spent the summer of 2009 in northern China to learn about desertification in Inner Mongolia. I am funded by the following grants & fellowships:
-National Science Foundation's East Asia Pacific Summer Institute, which seeks to promote international research collaborations between American graduate students and scientists in Asia.
-American Philosophical Society's Lewis & Clark Fund for Exploration
-Ariel Appleton Research Fellowship
-Appleton Whittell Research Ranch Apacheria Fellowship
-Sigma Xi

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Older

before & after

I was finally able to take a short trip to Da Xing Guo, a national level protected area. It is one of the only places in this part of Inner Mongolia where the original grasslands are still intact. This site is situated alongside a small ravine (where you can find one of the only examples of original forest type). This ravine is probably the reason the grasslands are still here— At the turn of the century people avoided it because it was home to famous bandits. (!!) After that, the Japanese army camped out there. Eventually it was protected by the government. It is now a popular destination for Chinese tourists.

The grasslands at Da Xing Guo represent just a tiny piece of the formerly extensive grassland habitat. It is hard to imagine that this second pic used to look like the pic above. Miraculously, mostly due to intensive management, the total area of shifting dunes in the region has decreased over the past ten years. However, climate change predictions for this area call for hotter winters and drier summers, so it remains to be seen if this reversal is sustainable over the long term.

Posted on August 3, 2009