Leander Anderegg

Leander Anderegg is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He holds a BA in Human Biology from Stanford University (2011) and a PhD in Biology from the University of Washington (2017). His postdoctoral research included NSF Biological Collections and NOAA Climate and Global Change fellowships, focusing on plant responses to global change through drought physiology and remote sensing.

His research integrates plant physiology, ecology, and remote sensing to understand how plant stress responses scale to ecosystem and biogeographic processes. Core themes include forest mortality, species range shifts, and the impacts of climate change on plant communities. The LEAF Lab (Landscape Ecophysiology And Function) explores mechanisms linking leaf-level physiology to ecosystem dynamics using field experiments, remote sensing, and modeling. Current projects address how rising CO₂, extreme droughts, and wildfires shape ecological resilience.

Dr. Anderegg advises graduate students (e.g., Indra Boving, Ryan Fass) and undergraduates across diverse subfields. The lab collaborates with institutions like UC Berkeley, Carnegie Institution for Science, and the USDA. Research outputs include high-impact studies on drought stress remote sensing, hydraulic safety margins in oaks, and global tree mortality patterns.

Key affiliations include the NSF Biological Collections and NOAA Climate and Global Change programs. His work bridges ecological theory and applied conservation, aiming to inform proactive resource management strategies.