معرفی
Scott Stark is an Associate Professor in the Department of Forestry at Michigan State University, specializing in Forest-Atmosphere Interactions. His research focuses on tropical forest dynamics using LiDAR remote sensing and ecophysiological measurements. He leads the Tropical Forest Ecology Laboratory and has secured over $1.2M in NSF and NASA grants.
Education:
- PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona (2012)
- BS in Ecology and Evolution, University of Pittsburgh (2003), summa cum laude
Research Interests: Stark investigates how forest structure, light environments, and physiological diversity influence tropical ecosystem processes. His work addresses climate change impacts, drought resilience, and Amazon forest responses to environmental stressors. Methodologically, he integrates ground-based and airborne LiDAR with ecological models.
Key Contributions: Stark's 2023 study identified shallow water tables as drought refugia in Amazonia. His 2020 NSF-funded work challenged traditional savannization frameworks. Recent articles highlight wildfire impacts and ecoclimate teleconnections.
Awards & Funding:
- 2020: $1.1M NSF Award for Amazon drought resilience research
- 2017: NASA Grant for canopy leaf environment analysis
Lab & Collaborations: The Tropical Forest Ecology Lab collaborates globally on Amazonian studies. Stark co-leads the NSF-funded Amazon-PIRE Program and has published in New Phytologist, Ecosphere, and Ecology Letters.
