David D Breshears

David D Breshears is a Professor in the Department of Environmental Science at the University of Arizona's School of Natural Resources and the Environment, where he teaches courses including Climate Change and Drylands (ECOL/RNR/WSM 452/552) and Dryland Ecohydrology & Vegetation Dynamics. His research spans dryland ecosystems, climate change impacts, vegetation dynamics, and ecohydrology with particular focus on drought-induced tree mortality and ecosystem transformations.

His research interests center on understanding vegetation responses to climate extremes, especially drought and heat waves, with emphasis on dryland systems. He investigates plant mortality mechanisms, ecohydrological feedbacks, and the interactions between climate change and biological invasions. His work integrates field experiments, landscape modeling, and remote sensing to examine how ecosystems respond to global change drivers, with significant contributions to understanding "global-change-type drought" phenomena.

Breshears' publication record shows consistent focus on drought impacts, vegetation dynamics, and dryland processes over the past decade. His research demonstrates how climate extremes interact with vegetation structure to drive ecosystem transformations, with particular attention to threshold responses and tipping points. The work spans multiple spatial scales from leaf physiology to continental patterns, with strong emphasis on practical implications for ecosystem management and climate adaptation.

• Highly Cited Researcher (Clarivate Analytics) in 2020, 2019, 2016, and 2015
• Fellow of the American Geophysical Union (2017)
• Fellow of the Ecological Society of America (2015)
• Ecosphere Most Cited Paper Award (2017)
• Sir Walter Murdoch Distinguished Collaborator (2014)

Breshears has mentored numerous students including Henry D. Adams (recipient of Los Alamos National Laboratory Director's Postdoctoral Fellowship) and Mallory Barnes (McGinnies Award winner). His research group participates in major collaborative projects including the Biosphere 2 Landscape Evolution Observatory, examining coupled Earth-surface processes. Current work focuses on heat wave impacts on vegetation, Amazon biodiversity threats, and refining predictive models of ecosystem responses to climate change.