Ignacio Chapela

Ignacio Chapela is an Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management at UC Berkeley's College of Natural Resources. His research focuses on microbial ecology, particularly eukaryotic microbes in terrestrial ecosystems, using DNA-sequence mapping to study geographical patterns of microbial distribution.

Research interests center on soil ecology, biogeochemical cycling, and plant-microbe interactions, with emphasis on:

• Biogeographical patterning of fungi
• Stable isotope fractionation
• Ecosystem impacts of introduced species
• Policy implications of transgenic organisms

Publications demonstrate consistent focus on fungal ecology, isotopic analysis techniques, and conservation genetics, frequently addressing socio-ecological interfaces.