Welcome to the ERSAM Lab led by Dr. Kyla Dahlin in the Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences at Michigan State University. We study a number of different ecological topics all related to the idea of using remote sensing tools to better inform ecological science and Earth system models.  The three current foci of our research are on spatio-temporal vegetation patterns in savanna-type ecosystems, using remote sensing to assess biodiversity, and deepening our understanding of the carbon cycle using a combination of remote sensing and modeling. Here are some of the questions we are excited about:
  • How important are functional and structural heterogeneity to ecosystem productivity across scales?
  • What controls drought deciduous phenology in savanna-type ecosystems?
  • How important are biosphere-atmosphere feedbacks in savannas (including fire and herbivory) to the Earth system as a whole?
  • How can we combine diverse remote sensing products to inform ecological theories about biodiversity and the carbon cycle?
  • How can we improve land surface models with a combination of ecological theory and remotely sensed data sets?
  • What can we do as a lab to increase diversity in STEM fields?
  • What can we do as a lab to promote open science?

CLM Phenology

Drought deciduous phenology is an overlooked part of most land surface models. We think that should change.

Santa Cruz Island

Santa Cruz Island is a BIG island off the coast of Southern California. And it has endemic foxes. And scrub jays. And so much more. 

RS of Plant Traits

Plant chemical traits can say a lot about the ecosystems they inhabit. Airborne remote sensing is an incredible tool for thinking about chemical traits across landscapes.