We’ve been getting some great press on our recent lightning research published in Nature Plants!

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute News: “Zapped survivors”
UW-Madison News: “Lightning strikes shape tropical forests”
Badger Herald: “How increased lightning strikes from climate change alter world’s forests”

A little more about me: I am a plant community ecologist mainly focused on tropical forests. A lot of my work is on epiphytes—plants, like many orchids and bromeliads, that grow on other plants without connection to the ground. That work takes me into the forest canopy, and I am also interested in processes such as disturbance and succession that affect forest canopy tree composition and continuity (like lightning!). My other major interest is in agriculture, specifically agroforestry, where crops or livestock are raised underneath the shade of trees. Agroforestry can provide many benefits for biodiversity and for farmers, offering potential solutions for climate change and integrating conservation goals into working landscapes. Read more about my research or contact me if you’d like to chat!

Learn more about my PhD work on epiphytes in Nicaraguan coffee farms: