Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Alan Hastings, explains in a recent UC Davis Dateline article how using mathematical tools can help to answer ecological questions and predict the dynamics of certain ecosystems.  

https://www.ucdavis.edu/news/among-academies-formulas-environment

In their review published today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Susan Harrison, James H. Thorne, and Hugh Safford argue that California serves as a crucial test case for global biodiversity conservation amid climate change. The study examines California’s exceptional terrestrial biodiversity and the severe threats posed by climate change, including direct impacts such as shifting plant diversity hotspots, and interactive effects involving invasive species and land-use changes.

Ph.D. candidate, Mary Jade Farruggia, and department faculty member, Steve Sadro, published a study in the Global Change Biology journal which examined how wildfire smoke impacts lakes.  The study found that wildfire smoke deposited particles in the majority of lakes in North America which lasted more than 30 days.  The study goes on to look at the impact this has on local ecology including the food webs for these lakes. 

Department faculty, Mark Lubell and Tyler Scott, have been recognized and awarded by the American Political Science Association (APSA).  Lubell has won the 2024 Elinor Ostrom Career Achievement Award which recognizes the lifetime contribution to the study of science, technology, and environmental politics.  Scott has won the 2024 Emerging Scholar Award which recognizes the notable contributions to the field of science, technology, and environmental politics.

In a recent UC Davis news article, Distinguished Professor and Director of the Institute of Transportation Studies (ITS) at UC Davis, Dan Sperling, discusses the importance of sustainability in the future of transportation and the work that ITS is doing to influence policies around the world to address the challenges faced due to climate change.  Sperling explains that ITS has centers around the world including China, Europe, and soon India while working in other countries such as Mexico.

In a recent ABC 7 news segment, Department Chair, Susan Harrison, discusses what to expect during the seasonal wildflower bloom in Northern California.  In the video, Harrison explains that tall grass plants, which are not native to the area, may actually out number or out pace the native wildflowers during this blooming period. 

https://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=59fb3961-fe8e-4f…

Department Faculty member, Frances C Moore, recently commented on an Associated Press article regarding the relationship between climate change and the increase costs of food.  Moore validates a study published by the European Central Bank that describes the impact climate change has on agriculture and how this increases food costs by 1.5-1.8 percentage points.

In a recent study published in the Nature journal, department faculty member, Steven Sadro, examines how wildfire smoke affects the natural environment- in particular, lakes.  The study looks at the changes in California's lake ecosystems which saw a decline in ecosystem respiration during the smokiest years in California (2018, 2020, and 2021).

Associate Professor Frances C. Moore was recognized by the Academic Senate and Federation for her public service work.  She has consulted with various government agencies and groups including the Environmental Protection Agency.  From September 2022 and September 2023 she served as a Senior Economist for the Council of Economic Advisors for the White House. 

https://www.ucdavis.edu/news/senate-and-federation-honor-15-top-academics

Traffic congestion in California has been a long standing issue within the state.  A common suggestion to help ease traffic is widening the roads on the freeways by adding more lanes.  Susan L Handy, Department Vice Chair and Professor, discusses why this is not an optimal solution and offers other viable solutions from her, Shifting Gears: Toward a New Way of Thinking about Transportation (The MIT Press, 2023).