Rio Baran ’25, Geosciences

Rio Baran ’25

Major

Geosciences

Project Title

Mechanisms of Shrubification in a Changing Arctic

Presentation Link

View Rio's Presentation

Minor(s): Environmental Studies

“Shrubification” refers to the geographic expansion of shrubs in Arctic regions as a result of the warming climate. It is unclear what drives shrubification. To study the mechanisms behind this process, I traveled to the North Slope of Alaska. My research focused on examining the impact of prolonged growing seasons, increasing temperatures and greater nutrient availability on shrub growth. Through a season of fieldwork based at the Toolik Field Station, I measured the phenology, allometry and photosynthesis of multiple species of shrubs under environmental manipulations in relation to factors in their surrounding environment, for example other species, temperature, light availability. While the fieldwork was thrilling, the scientists I met from around the world, the unique plants and animals of the tundra, the midnight sun and mid-summer snow made my experience truly unbelievable. I was inspired to plan and coordinate collection of plant samples which I will analyze for my senior thesis. I plan on measuring magnesium and calcium isotope fractionation from tundra plants and from plants in the California redwoods — two vastly different ecosystems. These results can then be compared to magnesium and calcium isotopes in dinosaur teeth enamel to inform studies of dinosaur diets and ecology.