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 geospatial tools to better inform plant ecology and Earth system science.  The three current foci of our research are on 3D heterogeneity in temperate forest ecosystems, spatio-temporal vegetation patterns in savanna-type ecosystems, and connections between biodiversity and geodiversity. 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?

Working Groups that Work

Running a working group? How are you going to ensure that all voices are heard? We provide links to lots of good ideas and some new ideas, too.

NEON & NASA Lidar to
Leaf Area Density

Want to use lidar to estimate leaf area density? We provide a method that works with multiple lidar systems, along with code to DIY.

Dimensions of Biodiversity Vary with Geodiversity

Can 'geodiversity' (abiotic heterogeneity) explain biodiversity patterns? Should geodiversity be used to inform conservation actions? How do we quantify 'diversity' anyway?