This Friday May 2nd, Patrick Gonzalez will present current and projected climate trends and how they impact species and ecosystems in national parks. His talk will take place 3:00 – 4:00pm in 283 Galvin.
Hotter temperatures, increasing wildfire, shifting vegetation, and other impacts of climate change challenge national park managers to adapt resource management and conserve the forest carbon stocks that can naturally reduce climate change. This presentation will provide results from new research that quantifies historical and projected climate trends and spatial patterns for all 401 U.S. national parks, survey research to analyze vulnerabilities of species and ecosystems, and discuss applications of science to the adaptation of resource management.
Dr. Gonzalez is a forest ecologist and the U.S. National Park Service Climate Change Scientist. He conducts applied research to detect ecological impacts of climate change, analyze vulnerabilities of ecosystems, and quantify forest carbon. He works with land managers to apply results to the adaptation of natural resource management. Dr. Gonzalez has conducted and published field research on climate change in Africa, Latin America, and the United States. He earned his Ph.D. at the University of California, Berkeley and has worked as a scientist for the U.S. Geological Survey and the University of California Center for Forestry. Dr. Gonzalez has been honored as a Fulbright Scholar, an American Association for the Advancement of Science Diplomacy Fellow, and a speaker in the National Academy of Sciences Frontiers of Science symposia. He has served as a lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Dr. Gonzalez's visit to Notre Dame is sponsored by the Environmental Change Initiative.
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