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).
Education
- Ph.D. University of Texas at El Paso
Additional Campus Affiliations
Assistant Professor, Plant Biology
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), [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, [1099]. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2019.01099
Recent Publications
Chen, Y., Hu, F. S., & Lara, M. J. (2021). Divergent shrub-cover responses driven by climate, wildfire, and permafrost interactions in Arctic tundra ecosystems. Global change biology, 27(3), 652-663. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.15451
Lara, M. J., & Chipman, M. L. (2021). Periglacial Lake Origin Influences the Likelihood of Lake Drainage in Northern Alaska. Remote Sensing, 13(5). https://doi.org/10.3390/rs13050852
Mekonnen, Z. A., Riley, W. J., Grant, R. F., Salmon, V. G., Iversen, C. M., Biraud, S. C., Breen, A. L., & Lara, M. J. (2021). Topographical Controls on Hillslope-Scale Hydrology Drive Shrub Distributions on the Seward Peninsula, Alaska. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, 126(2), [e2020JG005823]. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JG005823
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
Euskirchen, E. S., Timm, K., Breen, A. L., Gray, S., Rupp, T. S., Martin, P., Reynolds, J. H., Sesser, A., Murphy, K., Littell, J. S., Bennett, A., Bolton, W. R., Carman, T., Genet, H., Griffith, B., Kurkowski, T., Lara, M. J., Marchenko, S., Nicolsky, D., ... McGuire, A. D. (2020). Co-producing knowledge: the Integrated Ecosystem Model for resource management in Arctic Alaska. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 18(8), 447-455. https://doi.org/10.1002/fee.2176