Empowering action towards sustainability
Our research supports a sustainable, just transition from fossil fuels to renewables by examining ecological aspects of energy systems and global change.
We apply both old and new research methods, blending traditional fieldwork of 20th century naturalists with computational approaches of the 21st century.
We seek to understand, predict, and respond to anthropogenic changes from local to global scales, often using aridlands—precipitation-limited environments—as model systems. Our work spans many disciplines, from global ecology to sustainability science. Learn more below!
Global ecology
How do plants and soils interact with the Earth system? What role can conservation and sustainability play in addressing threats to plant biodiversity and soil health?
We answer these questions by studying plants and the soils they inhabit, especially in aridlands, as these places are model systems for understanding how species adapt to limited resources and harsh conditions.
Energy & the environment
How can we achieve a rapid transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy while also reinforcing goals related to conservation and food security? How can we develop energy in a manner that reinforces sustainability across factors -- from protecting species to environmental justice?
Our work shows how actions to meet one sustainability goal can reinforce but sometimes undermine other goals related to sustainability.
Sustainability science
How do land-related decisions humans make impact environmental outcomes and sustainability? How can stakeholder engagement be improved to increase beneficial outcomes for planet and its ecosystems?
Our research reveals how local- and global-scale land-related decisions can drive Earth system processes and how data can help us make better decisions.
Wild Energy Center - 2023
The Wild Energy Center is working to build a confluence of research addressing the greatest challenge facing society: how to meet energy needs for humans while maintaining Earth’s ecosystems that humans depend on. The Wild Energy Center will launch officially in 2023, bringing with it inertia from the Wild Energy Initiative.
Featured projects
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Performance, hydrological, and ecological aspects of floating photovoltaic (FPV) solar energy
Current
This project explores the performance, durability, water quality impacts, and biodiversity interactions (including birds) of FPV systems. Our team monitors and conducts field surveys of four existing FPV sites, and three LPV control sites, in two different US climate zones (Florida and California). This project will undertake a first-of-its-kind systematic and comprehensive collection of FPV-related, techno-ecological data in North America. These data will be used to examine FPV performance, assess potential environmental risks and benefits, and provide data that can aid in the development of research protocols to more fully understand the impacts of FPV.
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A global meta-analysis on the fate of biological soil crusts after fire
Completed
We performed a meta-analysis of studies from 1984 to 2019 to address the response of biocrust after fire and determine the moderating factors governing their response.
Overall, fire reduced biocrust cover by 50% and had a significantly negative effect on biocrusts classified as cyanobacteria or algal dominated. Additionally, as time since fire increased, total biocrust cover increased but this response was modulated by biocrust type indicating compliance with traditional biocrust successional models. However, there was significant unexplained heterogeneity within the meta-analysis. This reflects a critical need for more studies specifically addressing the effect of fire on biocrust communities as they are an ecosystem engineer in drylands around the world.
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Local Energy: Spatial proximity of energy providers to their power resources
Completed
Using California as a model system, we quantified and compared the extent to which energy providers — publicly owned utilities (POUs), community choice aggregations (CCAs), and cooperatives (co-ops) — contract resources near their energy demands and evaluated these trends across all energy resource types.
We found CCAs, on average, procure their pooled energy resources further from their service territories than long-standing POUs and co-ops. Nevertheless, on average, a larger percent of CCA’s energy is from renewable resources compared to POUs and co-ops. In an era where interest in local energy generation is growing, this study reveals energy providers source resources far from demand loads and newer providers may face additional and unique barriers to contracting energy locally.
How we’re shaping science & sustainability
Our research is often at the forefront of our field. For example, we conducted the first empirical study that shows the damaging implications of solar energy development in natural environments. We have also shown there is enough space in the built environment to meet renewable energy goals without using natural environments. These studies, among many others, are used by stakeholders (especially NGOs) to improve siting decisions of energy systems.
