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This research cluster practices what NASA calls “integrated earth system science.” It focuses on documenting, monitoring, and mitigating change in the patterns of plant and animal species and the habitats on which they depend in the face of human-induced environmental changes. These include alterations in climates and changes in land cover due to urban development and climate change. Our group studies these changes locally and in a variety of global environments using a combination of field work, botanical and soil lab work, natural and controlled experimentation, satellite and UAV based remote sensing, and statistical and GIS based analysis. The group’s work has been supported by various grants, largely from NSF. The group is notable for the degree of student involvement in all phases of data collection, analysis, interpretation, and publishing.

Faculty:
Dr. Laris and Dr. Mills

Savanna LABO

Professor Paul Laris runs the Savanna LABO at ������. The mission of the lab is to seek a better understanding of ecosystems in which both woody and grassy vegetation forms co-exist on the landscape. Our aim is to solve what Sarmiento once called the “savanna conundrum” that is, what enables both vegetation forms to co-exist and what causes change in these ecosystems. We seek to understand which factors contribute to shifts in the amount and types of trees, shrubs and grasses on the land. Our work focuses on understanding the role of human disturbances such as fire, farming, grazing and disking in shifting the balance of woody and grassy plants over time, as well as the broader impacts of these changes on the Earth’s system, biodiversity and human societies.

Dr. Laris, colleagues, and students run the Savanna LABO. Visit the savanna-labo for more information of the following below: 
- Research Projects
- Field Sites
- Publications
- Data Sets
- Published Data
- Personnel