Research

Our Approach: 

As wildfires grow more intense and severe, groundwater reserves shrink from decades of overuse, and agricultural systems strain under a changing climate, the consequences hit hardest in the soils and waters we all depend on. To address these issues, we study the physical, chemical, biological, and hydrological processes that govern the fate of nutrients and contaminants, from arsenic to carbon to iron and uranium. Our work spans wildfire-derived pollutants in air and wildland/urban soils, post-fire carbon and nitrogen cycling, groundwater recharge, beaver-engineered wetlands, and nutrient cycling in agricultural soils. Through field sampling, laboratory analyses, and data science approaches, we partner with fire-impacted communities, farmers, and land managers to translate this science into strategies that protect air, water, and soil quality and improve human and ecosystem well-being.

Click on one of our projects to learn more!