Biography
My research strives to advance our understanding of how Arctic and Boreal (permafrost landscapes) ecosystems have/will respond to climate change and disturbance (permafrost degradation, wildfire, & herbivory). Ecosystem responses to such events are complicated, varying quite dramatically over space and time. Therefore, my research focuses on disentangling this ecological puzzle using a multi-scale observation trifecta (ground-based monitoring, aerial/satellite remote sensing, and empirical/machine-learning/process-based modeling).
Research Interests
Geographic Information Science; GIS and Society; Space-Time Analytics; River, Watershed, and Landscape Dynamics
Education
- Ph.D. University of Texas at El Paso
Additional Campus Affiliations
Assistant Professor, Plant Biology
Assistant Professor, Geography and Geographic Information Science
External Links
Highlighted Publications
Chen, Y., Lara, M. J., & Hu, F. S. (2020). A robust visible near-infrared index for fire severity mapping in Arctic tundra ecosystems. ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, 159, 101-113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isprsjprs.2019.11.012
Natali, S. M., Watts, J. D., Rogers, B. M., Potter, S., Ludwig, S. M., Selbmann, A. K., Sullivan, P. F., Abbott, B. W., Arndt, K. A., Birch, L., Björkman, M. P., Bloom, A. A., Celis, G., Christensen, T. R., Christiansen, C. T., Commane, R., Cooper, E. J., Crill, P., Czimczik, C., ... Zona, D. (2019). Large loss of CO2 in winter observed across the northern permafrost region. Nature Climate Change, 9(11), 852-857. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-019-0592-8
Lara, M. J., Lin, D. H., Andresen, C., Lougheed, V. L., & Tweedie, C. E. (2019). Nutrient Release From Permafrost Thaw Enhances CH4 Emissions From Arctic Tundra Wetlands. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, 124(6), 1560-1573. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JG004641
Lara, M. J., Chipman, M. L., & Hu, F. S. (2019). Automated detection of thermoerosion in permafrost ecosystems using temporally dense Landsat image stacks. Remote Sensing of Environment, 221, 462-473. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2018.11.034
Lara, M. J., Nitze, I., Grosse, G., Martin, P., & David McGuire, A. (2018). Reduced arctic tundra productivity linked with landform and climate change interactions. Scientific Reports, 8(1), Article 2345. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-20692-8
Salmon, V. G., Breen, A. L., Kumar, J., Lara, M. J., Thornton, P. E., Wullschleger, S. D., & Iversen, C. M. (2019). Alder distribution and expansion across a tundra hillslope: implications for local N cycling. Frontiers in Plant Science, 10, Article 1099. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2019.01099
Recent Publications
Lara, M. J., Michaelides, R., Anderson, D., Chen, W., Hall, E. C., Ludden, C., Schore, A. I. G., Mishra, U., & Scott, S. N. (2025). A 20 m spatial resolution peatland extent map of Alaska. Scientific Data, 12(1), Article 226. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-025-04502-1
Nitze, I., Van der Sluijs, J., Barth, S., Bernhard, P., Huang, L., Kizyakov, A., Lara, MJ., Nesterova, N., Runge, A., Veremeeva, A., Ward Jones, M., Witharana, C., Xia, Z., & Liljedahl, AK. (2025). A Labeling Intercomparison of Retrogressive Thaw Slumps by a Diverse Group of Domain Experts. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes, 36(1), 83-92. https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.2249
Blunden, J., Adusumilli, S., Agyakwah, W., Abida, A., Ades, M., Adler, R., Alfaro, E. J., Allan, R. P., Allgood, A., Alves, L. M., Amador, J. A., Anderson, J., Andrade, B., Anneville, O., Aono, Y., Arguez, A., Arosio, C., Atkinson, C., Augustine, J. A., ... Veasey, S. W. (2023). State of the climate in 2022. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 104(9), 1-516. https://doi.org/10.1175/2023BAMSStateoftheClimate.1
Schore, A. I. G., Fraterrigo, J. M., Salmon, V. G., Yang, D., & Lara, M. J. (2023). Nitrogen fixing shrubs advance the pace of tall-shrub expansion in low-Arctic tundra. Communications Earth and Environment, 4(1), Article 421. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-023-01098-5
Zhang, Q., Zhang, X., Lara, M. J., Li, Z., Xiao, J., Zhao, K., & Hu, T. (2023). Impacts of abiotic and biotic factors on tundra productivity near Utqiaġvik, Alaska. Environmental Research Letters, 18(9), Article 094070. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/acf7d6