The earth resources that feed and shelter populations are limited, coveted and precious. The ESS department researches the best practices such that future generations may enjoy the same benefits from the earth's ecosystems that we do today.
Faculty
Cyrus Fisher Tolman Professor in the School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences and Senior Fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment
Professor of Earth System Science and Senior Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute and the Woods Institute for the Environment
Chester Naramore Dean of the School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences, Richard and Rhoda Goldman Professor in Environmental Studies and Senior Fellow at the Woods Institute
William Wrigley Professor, Senior Fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment and at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and Professor, by courtesy, of Economics
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Research Groups
We study the interactions between food production, food security, and the environment using a range of modern tools. The work is motivated by questions such as: What investments are most effective at raising global crop yields, in order to increase food production without expansion of agricultural lands? Will yield gains be able to keep pace with global demand for crop products, given current levels of investment? And what direct or indirect effects will efforts to raise crop productivity have on other components of the Earth System, such as climate?
Our group studies biogeochemical and ecological processes in forest and agricultural systems. In particular, much of our research focuses on the effects of land use change and other human caused changes on biogeochemical processes and trace gas exchanges in tropical ecosystems. In the past, most of our work was at the interface between terrestrial ecology, soil science and atmospheric science.
This research group focuses on the environmental and equity dimensions of intensive food production. They have been involved in a number of field-level research projects throughout the world concerning issues of aquaculture and livestock production, high-input agricultural development, biotechnology, climate-induced yield variability, and food security.
