ABSTRACT

The soil-to-atmosphere flow of CO2 generated by microbes and plant roots is intrinsically linked with the vulnerability of global soils to climate change. Despite this importance, "soil respiration" is one of the least well constrained components of the global carbon cycle, and most of our understanding of it comes from ~1 m^2 chamber measurements. How robust are the subsequent upscaled estimates? What controls large-scale fluxes? Why our global flux estimates diverging, not converging? This talk will explore the role of open-source data and remote sensing science in tackling one of the most uncertain parts of the global carbon cycle.

About the Speaker:

Ben Bond-Lamberty (Ph.D., Forest Ecology and Management, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2003) is a forest ecologist and carbon-cycle scientist with deep experience in ecological modeling, carbon cycle research at a variety of spatial scales, and mentoring of early career students and scientists from diverse backgrounds. He has worked since 2008 at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's Joint Global Change Research Institute. He supports a team of junior scientists while working with many other colleagues in academia and DOE national laboratories. He has been repeatedly recognized for his mentorship, reviewing, and high-impact science contributions. Ben's current research focuses on forest response to changing disturbance regimes; the numerical modeling of carbon cycling; soils and their resilience in climate change; and open, reproducible science.