معرفی
Dr. Natasha MacBean is an Assistant Professor jointly appointed in the Department of Geography and Environment and the Department of Biology at Western University, Canada. Her research focuses on climate-carbon-vegetation interactions, particularly in dryland and forest ecosystems, using terrestrial biosphere models and remote sensing data. She leads the C3E Lab (Carbon Cycle, Climate, and Ecosystems), which develops models to understand global change impacts on ecosystems.
Her academic roles include teaching GEO 3353/9105 – Environmental Modelling and BIO 3425 – Global Change Biology. Current students include PhD advisees J. Adebisi (forest management modeling), M. Joshi (carbon sequestration), and R. Pervin (dryland vegetation mapping). Her lab’s research spans scales from ecosystems to global, with a focus on semi-arid savannas, boreal forests, and tropical regions.
Key research themes include:
- Global carbon cycle modeling and data assimilation
- Dryland ecosystem structure and functioning
- Vegetation dynamics under climate change
- Satellite remote sensing applications
Recent work highlights the underestimation of CO2 flux variability in dryland models and leverages satellite data (e.g., solar-induced fluorescence) to improve model accuracy. Her team collaborates internationally, contributing to initiatives like NASA’s ARID campaign and land data assimilation networks.
Lab activities include computational modeling, field studies, and interdisciplinary collaborations. Funding supports student training and projects on climate adaptation and land-use impacts.
