The Randolph Bromery Spring 2019 Seminar Series: Thomas O'Halloran

Description

Dr. Thomas O'Halloran, an assistant professor of Forestry and Environmental Conservation at Clemson University's Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science, will give a talk entitled "Forests or Fields? Choosing the Ideal Land Cover for Cooling the Climate" for the Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences.

Abstract:

To reverse global temperature trends, carbon dioxide must be removed from the atmosphere. The biosphere can be manipulated to reduce net global carbon emissions using bioenergy crops or to sequester carbon through afforestation and improved forest management. However, the associated changes in land cover have other implications for climate, including water use and energy exchange. Here I show results from a series of field measurements and remote sensing studies that quantify how vegetated surfaces interact with local and global climate. Such knowledge can inform effective policies for mitigating climate change using land.