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Program Domain

Earth Systems and Society

Our mission is to provide decision-relevant insight at the interface of human and natural systems to support resiliency of energy, water, agriculture, and built environments in the face of global and regional change.

Programs

Program

Climate Modeling

This program aims to develop global process-resolving models to help quantify the roles of climate feedbacks in anthropogenic climate change. Abrupt and extreme climate changes from anthropogenic warming pose some of the greatest risks to society and the environment. Understanding of the complex interactions involved with feedbacks is critical.

Christina Marie Patricola cmpatricola@lbl.gov

Background

The Earth Systems and Society (ESS) Program Domain seeks to understand how humans influence climatic, ecological, and hydrological processes across a range of scales, as well as the risks faced by human systems on a changing planet. We build upon quantitative expertise in climate and ecosystem science from across the division to:

  • Improve predictive understanding of climate and ecosystem dynamics at decision-relevant scales
  • Assess the environmental implications of alternative pathways of human development
  • Identify pathways to resiliency for water, energy, agricultural, and urban systems

ESS is one of four Program Domains within the Climate and Ecosystem Sciences Division.

Program Domain Leads

Andrew D. Jones
Program Domain Lead for Earth Systems and Society

News & Events

EESA Scientists Investigate How Tropical Soil Microbes Might Respond to Future Droughts

March 14, 2023

As the most biologically diverse terrestrial ecosystems on Earth, tropical rainforests are just as critical to sustaining environmental and human systems as they are beautiful. Their unique climate with high temperatures, humidity, and precipitation promotes high primary productivity, which offsets high respiration, resulting in these ecosystems being one of the largest carbon sinks on Earth,…

Doubling Protected Lands for Biodiversity Could Require Tradeoffs With Other Land Uses, Study Finds

March 3, 2023

This article first appeared on lbl.gov. Scientists show how 30% protected land targets may not safeguard biodiversity hotspots and may negatively affect other sectors – and how data and analysis can support effective conservation and land use planning Although more than half the world’s countries have committed to protecting at least 30% of land and oceans…

A Q&A With Rachel Ward

February 13, 2023

After witnessing tropical deforestation in Honduras and collaborating with farmers impacted by the degradation in these forests, Ph.D. candidate Rachel Ward knew what she wanted to study next–tropical forest regeneration. Ward’s passion to study the impact of tropical forests on both communities and the global carbon cycle led her to pursuing a Ph.D. with the…

A Q&A With Jessica Needham

After being immersed in the Bornean rainforest and surrounded by Dipterocarp trees–large tropical trees with winged seeds–during a field trip in Borneo, Research Scientist Jessica Needham’s life was changed. Since then, her passion to study forests has only grown stronger–and has even led her to modeling tree growth patterns all over the world.  Question: What…

A Q&A With Barbara Bomfim

Growing up in Brasilia, Postdoctoral Research Fellow Barbara Bomfim experienced the transformation of the savannas and rainforests that surrounded her. Now studying wind disturbance and nutrient cycling on the NGEE-Tropics project, Bomfim is passionate about tropical forest response to disturbances in the hopes of advancing science necessary for well-informed and effective forest management.  Question: What…

A Q&A with Marcos Longo

As he conducted field work in the Amazon, Research Scientist Marcos Longo experienced the deforestation of Amazon forests and witnessed the thick clouds of smoke from these ecosystems as they were on fire. Since then, Longo has dedicated his career towards researching the impacts of climate change and disturbance on tropical ecosystems.  What led you…

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