Jeannine Cavender-Bares

Jeannine Cavender-Bares serves as an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior within the University of Minnesota's College of Biological Sciences, maintaining an office at 1987 Upper Buford Circle in St. Paul, MN.

Her research program investigates the physiological and evolutionary mechanisms driving plant community assembly and ecosystem function, with emphasis on the genetic basis of plant spectral properties for biodiversity monitoring. She leads the ASCEND team (spectralbiology.org) in developing remote sensing methodologies to detect ecological change over time and assess consequences for ecosystem services, bridging evolutionary biology with practical conservation applications.

Her work spans plant phenotypic variation, spectral ecology, and global biodiversity assessment frameworks, contributing to international sustainability initiatives through innovative remote sensing approaches that link genetic diversity to ecosystem-scale processes.

She directs the ASCEND research team focused on advancing spectral biodiversity monitoring techniques and fostering cross-institutional collaborations for ecosystem assessment, with active engagement in global biodiversity observation networks aimed at improving conservation management strategies.