Rain Forest Research

Justin Beslity

jadamsb2 — Fri, 01 Nov 2024 22:46:36 +0000

Justin Beslity jadamsb2 Fri, 11/01/2024 - 15:46

Dr. Justin Beslity is an eco-hydrologist, who primarily conducts his research on small, forested watersheds. As a post-doctoral researcher in the Biosphere 2 rainforest, he will seek to understand how important tropical trees, such as Theobroma cacao, will respond to changing climate patterns. These projects will help fill the critical research gap of poorly understood water use strategies under different demands and supplies in tropical forests around the world. To optimize our results, we will combine a number of data collection techniques currently used in B2, as well as new sensors developed by Justin to measure water fluxes at a more cost-effective rate. Undergraduate students working with Justin will develop valuable skills such as computer programming, circuitry building, and scientific communication.

Justin Beslity

Rainforest Post-Doc

justinbeslity@arizona.edu

Jason Deleeuw

katherinemorgan — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 17:17:28 +0000

Jason Deleeuw katherinemorgan Fri, 10/01/2021 - 10:17

Jason originally joined the Biosphere 2 team in 2014 as an Interpretative Specialist. After only a short time in this position, he was inspired by his experience at Biosphere 2 to go back to school and study plant sciences, during which time he continued working at Biosphere 2, occasionally leading tours and working on special projects as a student worker. While working as a student intern with the University of Arizona’s Campus Arboretum he spearheaded the effort to include Biosphere 2’s plant collection on the Campus Arboretum’s website. He also created and installed the plant signs that are visible along the walkways today. After graduating in 2017 with a second bachelor’s degree in Sustainable Plant Systems, Jason returned to Biosphere 2 as an Instructional Specialist, supervising tour guides and writing the script they would use. In 2018, Jason moved to the research side of Biosphere 2 as a Research Specialist with his primary responsibilities being management of the rainforest and maintenance of the arrays of sensors in it. He was involved in the planning, setup, and implementation of the WALD project. More recently Jason’s attention has expanded to include management of the other terrestrial biomes in Biosphere 2 with a focus on replanting the rainforest and desert biomes to increase their biodiversity and enhance their scientific value.

Jason Deleeuw

520-626-6630

Rain Forest Research Specialist

Terrestrial Biome Manager

jdeleeuw@arizona.edu

Dr. Laura Meredith

katherinemorgan — Tue, 28 Sep 2021 18:22:49 +0000

Dr. Laura Meredith katherinemorgan Tue, 09/28/2021 - 11:22

Laura Meredith is an interdisciplinary scientist working at the intersection of functional microbiology and atmospheric chemistry. She has been an Assistant Professor in the School of Natural Resources and the Environment (SNRE) since January 2017 and was the Director of the Biosphere 2 Tropical Rain Forest during the WALD experiment. Laura was trained as a chemist at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, which she then applied to study atmospheric chemistry at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with PhD advisor Ron Prinn. She became more firmly rooted in ecosystem science and soil microbiology in her NSF Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences Postdoctoral Fellowship in geobiology at Stanford University with Paula Welander. Laura came to Tucson first to study soil microbial methane cycling and global change in tropical forests as a postdoc with Scott Saleska at University of Arizona, and happily stayed in her current faculty position. Laura is passionate about integrating across disciplines to understand the role of microbes in shaping atmospheric composition in both research and teaching. Laura enjoys teaching in formal courses and has a passion for mentoring high school and undergraduate students in inquiry-based learning through research projects.

Degrees

PhD Climate Physics and Chemistry 2013, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Dr. Laura Meredith

520-626-4213

Assistant Professor, School of Natural Resources and the Environment

laurameredith@arizona.edu

Meredith Lab Website