My long-term research develops an understanding of the environmental feedbacks (soil-ecosystem and atmosphere) between boreal forests, transition zones and peatlands associated with climate-mediated (fire) and anthropogenic disturbance. To reach this objective, I use a combination of field measurements and in site
instrumentation combined with geospatial techniques including remotely sensed data. My research integrates across point measurements to the broader region using proxy indicators of environmental change, typically changes in vegetation. My current research examines interactions and interrelationships between pre wildland fire fuels and post-fire ecosystem regeneration using airborne lidar and satellite remote sensing. Through these methods, I identify spatial variations associated with partitioning of fuels within ecosystems, interactions between fuels, ecohydrology, and post-fire vegetation regeneration. My research activities are grounded in the belief that remotely sensed data provide indicators of ecosystem changes that may not be observable in field measurements, while field measurements and instrumentation provide a means to quantify the processes associated with changes in the spatial environment over time. To this end, these measurements, both in situ and remote are essential for understanding of processes at scales relevant for policy decisions. In time, it is my goal to integrate these advanced methods for parameterization of ecohydrological models necessary for understanding changes and management of critical ecosystem services.