PhD Graduate
Year Admitted
2019
Year Graduated
2026
Faculty Advisor(s)
Ashley Larsen
Committee
Robert Heilmayr, Kathy Baylis, Temilola Fatoyinbo
Dissertation Title & Abstract
From Forests to Farms: Quantifying Ecosystem Services in Managed Landscapes using Remote Sensing and Machine Learning
Ecosystem services underpin human well-being, yet they remain difficult to measure in a consistent and scalable way. This challenge is especially pronounced in working lands, where interactions both within these systems and across broader landscapes can alter these services in unpredictable ways. To address this, my dissertation develops and applies remote sensing and machine learning approaches to better quantify these services. In one vein of research, I leverage multi-sensor fusion to understand how carbon is stored in Chilean forest plantations, and how this changes over time. In a separate vein of research, I use dense time series derived from Doppler weather radar to monitor bat activity across agricultural regions at fine spatial and temporal resolutions. I pair this data with historic agriculture and pesticide use data to estimate the value of bat-mediated pest control services in California's Central Valley. Together, these studies demonstrate how data-driven approaches can advance our understanding of ecosystem services in working lands and support conservation and sustainable land management.
Education
Master of Environmental Management in Ecology, Yale University
BS, Biology, Pacific Union College