Environmental Science, Policy, & Management (ESPM)

Hawaii, as a state, is already recognized as a leader in ocean conservation, says professor Justin Brashares. Hawaii has to always be part of that picture because of its incredible biodiversity. In a recent article in Honolulu Civil Beat, he joins the conversation about the federal "30 by 30" plan, a goal to protect 30 percent of U.S. land and waters by 2030: https://www.civilbeat.org//biden-plan-to-conserve-more-oc/

Following one of California's driest winters, associate adjunct professor Patrick Gonzalez notes the role of human greenhouse gas emissions on increased temperatures and fire risk. Learn more about the upcoming fire season in a recent Bay Nature article: https://baynature.org//31/now-california-waits-for-the-fi/

Congratulations to ESPM graduate students Rosalie Z. Fanshel, Jennifer Ofodile, and Yesenia Valverde on receiving National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowships! Learn more about the prestigious award in STEM disciplines: https://nature.berkeley.edu//nsf-awards-number-graduate-st

Though fencing of protected areas is increasing globally, the use of fences for conservation has advanced faster than scientific assessments of their effectiveness, impacts, and long-term costs. In a recent study, a team of ESPM researchers demonstrate the ineffective nature of 'one-size-fits-all' approaches. Read the study: https://www.sciencedirect.com///abs/pii/S0006320721001233

Each year, terrestrial ecosystems remove about 30 percent of the carbon dioxide emitted by human activity. But this "carbon sink" persistence is partly dependent on how soil organic carbon and plant biomass respond to rising levels of atmospheric CO2. Assistant professor Trevor Keenan co-authors a study in Nature that explores this dynamic: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03306-8

Read a recent article from UC Berkeley News, "With drop in LA’s vehicular aerosol pollution, plants emerge as major source." It features professor Allen Goldstein, who partnered with NOAA scientists and air quality agencies to observe emissions at variable temperatures in Los Angeles: https://news.berkeley.edu//with-drop-in-las-vehicular-aer/

Denise Colombano, a postdoctoral fellow in our department, recently co-authored two papers on salt marshes, fisheries, and climate-driven stressors. Read more about her important research: https://ourenvironment.berkeley.edu//two-recent-studies-re

Congratulations to Robin López, who was recently chosen to be a Berkeley SciComm Fellow! As a Fellow, López will learn facilitation skills, take a deep dive into science communication practice, and more: https://scienceatcal.berkeley.edu/berkeley-scicomm-fellows/

Redlining, a racist mortgage appraisal practice of the 1930s, established and exacerbated racial residential segregation boundaries in the United States. The effects are seen today through reduced green space, finds research by professor Rachel Morello Frosch. Read the study: http://ow.ly/P4Hc50DwTDG

Tomorrow at 10am PT: Join Oxford University Press and associate professor Erica Bree Rosenblum for a live virtual presentation on global change biology! Rosenblum will discuss narratives within the field, teaching methods, and her new book. Register here: https://register.gotowebinar.com/regist/7780296423249378317

This year's Beahrs Environmental Leadership Program provides the opportunity to learn from our world-class instructors and participate in cohort-building without having to leave the comfort of your home or disrupt your work schedule. Learn more about the opportunity for mid-career environmental professionals and apply today: https://beahrselp.berkeley.edu/program/2021-online-program

Professor Seth Holmes believes that health recommendations during the COVID-19 pandemic must respond to systematically unequal social forces. Read his thoughts in the BMJ Opinion: https://blogs.bmj.com//iatrogenesis-and-harm-in-covid-19-/

On November 5th at 12pm PST, the UC Berkeley Social Science Matrix is hosting an event on Berkeley anthropologist Rosemary Joyce's book, "The Future of Nuclear Waste: What Art and Archaeology Can Tell Us about Securing the World's Most Hazardous Material." Professor Kate O'Neill will be part of the virtual panel. Register at the link: https://events.berkeley.edu/index.php/calendar/sn/ESPM.html

On NPR All Things Considered, professor Scott Stephens spoke about the critical need to expand western U.S. firefighters' tool kitincluding by building the capacity to set "prescribed burns." Stephens explains how controlled burns can reduce the risk and severity of future wildfires. Read the story : https://www.npr.org//experts-to-western-states-time-to-fin

Recent research from professor Dennis Baldocchi, researcher Siyan Ma, and lab technician Joe Verfaillie found that plants transmit information on soil moisture status through an influence on atmospheric vapor pressure. Learn more about the study: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/gcb.15414

"Published science shows that human-caused climate change has doubled wildfire over natural levels in the western U.S." says associate adjunct professor Patrick Gonzalez. Gonzalez spoke about the issue in a recent The New York Times article discussing the President's recent comments on California's ongoing fires. Read the article: https://www.nytimes.com///22/us/trump-biden-debate-tonight

While this doesn’t mean that small farms can’t have impacts on local wildlife, those impacts are at least a bit more predictable," says graduate student Phoebe Parker-Shames on a recent study. "It gives me hope that these small farms can find a way to manage for conservation needs. Parker-Shames is lead author on one of the first ecological studies on active, private-land cannabis farms. Conducted with professor Justin Brashares, the research analyzes how cannabis farms impact wildlife. Read more: https://nature.berkeley.edu//study-explores-impact-cannabi

Associate adjunct professor Patrick Gonzalez found that fire risk is outpacing what was predicted by climate models. Re-introducing fire for forest management could mitigate the impacts from climate change while reducing fire-related expenses. Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com//north-complex-fire-califo/

How do fences benefit or harm ecosystems? A new study by professor Justin Brashares and graduate students Wenjing Xu and Christine Wilkinson answers, with an analysis of the budding field of fence ecology. Learn more about the study in a recent article in Anthropocene magazine: https://www.anthropocenemagazine.org//weve-built-enough-f/

In a recent article in Psychology Today, assistant professor Sunaura Taylor discusses physical dependence and talks about the stigma others attached to needing help." Read the story for her perspective on self-reliance: https://www.psychologytoday.com//nobodys-normal/202010/wha

Long-term monitoring of pine trees, culminating in a study by alumna Joan Dudney and professor John Battles, aims to inform restoration and conservation policy. Learn more about the research in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, as well as the outlook for pines in the region: https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com//10./ecs2.3263

Researchers in professor Justin Brashare's lab studied the effects of human nighttime activity on animal behavior. One such study was mentioned in a recent WIRED article about the increasing dependence of wild animals on humans. Read the story: https://www.wired.com//wild-predators-are-relying-more-on/

Professor Scott Stephens was recently featured in a USA TODAY article on California's elevated fire risk in October. Stephens cited tendencies of the state's most destructive fires, giving reasons for officials to remain on guard for the rest of the month. Read the article: https://www.usatoday.com//california-wildfire-/5964275002/

Fetal growth is affected by food insecurity, both on its own and in conjunction with other stressful life events. So finds a new study by Professor Rachel Morello-Frosch. Her team was the one of the first to analyze pregnancy hardships as environmental and social exposure mixtures. Read the study: https://journals.lww.com//Maternal_experience_of_multiple_

Interested in urban ecology? Join a California Academy of Sciences virtual event at 7pm tonight and learn about how animals experience city life. Postdoc Max Lambert will speak about red-legged frogs in urban stormwater pools, where such frog populations surprisingly do not show signs of decline. Follow the link to stream: https://www.calacademy.org//nightschool-wildlife-in-the-ci

Watch the peregrine falcon chicks on Berkeley's Campanile hatch and take flight, as they are featured on KQED's Deep Look series. The series uses incredible footage from the Cal Falcons Project. View it here: https://www.kqed.org//raising-peregrine-falcon-chicks-is-a