Wildfire and Drought Experts at CU-Â鶹ӰԺ
Wildfire
John Daily, professor of mechanical engineering and director of the Joint Center for Combustion and Environmental Research, can offer insight into wildfire behavior – how fires start and end, how they spread, and the effects of weather and fuel types. He can be reached by cell phone at 303-775-9576 or john.daily@colorado.edu.
Tim Seastedt, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology and fellow at the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, studies grassland ecosystems, biodiversity, invasive species and fire ecology. He can talk about the impact wildfires and droughts have on grasslands and prairies. He can be reached at 303-492-3302 or timothy.seastedt@colorado.edu.
Drought
Brad Udall, executive director of the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Science’s Western Water Assessment team, can comment on the impact of drought from environmental, climate, hydrological, social and legal standpoints. Udall’s research team supplies information – usually in the form of climate forecasts and regional vulnerability assessments – to help water resources decision-makers, such as the Denver Water Department, develop ways to cope with drought conditions.Ìý He can be reached at 720-984-2723 or bradley.udall@colorado.edu.
Tom Veblen, professor of geography, studies forest ecosystems in Colorado. He can talk about the history of fires, climatic influences on fire occurrence and the ecological effects of fires in Colorado forests, including interactions with insect pests such as the mountain pine beetle. He can be reached at 303-492-8528 or Thomas.Veblen@colorado.edu.
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