Major and Home University: Environmental Studies, German Studies at Dartmouth College
Research Mentor: Dr. Michele Pruyn
Why/how did you get involved with the program?
She really wanted to work on a project that would help people, and especially educate them about our current environmental problems. Additionally, during her winter semester at Dartmouth she participated in a Semester at Sea, and realized that she was definitely a "terrestrial" kind of person. She wanted to get involved with forest research, and try her hand at the types of projects currently underway at Hubbard Brook.
Are our foresting changing?
What is your project?
Brita's project stems off from current research findings that show that yellow birch are declining in Northern Hardwood Forests. Tying into this, she is looking to see if species composition is an effect of water availability in forest sites. Simply put, she is using species composition to find out water availability in forests.
Why is it important?
As we all know, climate change is becoming a fact in the Northeast. By understanding what types of changes are occurring in our forests now, hopefully we will be able to understand and possibly predict future changes. This is especially true when it comes to water availability. Future changes in "freeze-thaw" events because of changes in our climate will have an effect on the amount of water available. Understanding what trees correspond to differing amounts of water available will make it easier to understand changes that are occurring.
And finally....what is your favorite piece of gear?
Her boot dryer...for her old boots (she has a new pair now though...)
Wow...we really like our boots...
