尤物视频

Sian Kou-Giesbrecht studies Earth鈥檚 systems, combining both ecology and global-scale models to advance our understandings of how carbon and nutrient cycles throughout Canadian ecosystems, largely forests, are altered by global change.

This fall, she joins SFU鈥檚 School of Resource and Environmental Management (REM) as an assistant professor and Liber Ero Chair in Climate Action and Sustainability.

Using both field-based observations and global climate models, Kou-Giesbrecht works to help us better understand how the terrestrial biosphere responds to global change, and what this means for our climate down the line.

鈥淚 look at how rising atmospheric CO2 concentration, increasing temperature, changing precipitation regimes, intensifying wildfire, land use change and nitrogen pollution, among others, are affecting the ability of ecosystems to take up and store carbon, which in turn feeds back to climate change,鈥� says Kou-Giesbrecht.

The results of her research are used to better inform future climate projections and goals, like the IPCC鈥檚 target of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees.

Kou-Giesbrecht explains that because her research links field observations with global climate models, the results are grounded in real-world observations, making simulations more accurate.

鈥淏y improving our understanding of ecosystem carbon and nutrient cycling dynamics and integrating this knowledge into climate models, my work helps improve climate change projections used to inform climate change policies both in Canada and globally,鈥� says Kou-Giesbrecht.

It鈥檚 this research-to-action that pulled Kou-Giesbrecht to SFU 鈥� and the West Coast mountains didn鈥檛 hurt either!

鈥淪FU clearly demonstrates a strong commitment to engaged research. I鈥檓 excited for the opportunity to work alongside colleagues who are tackling a wide range of climate change-related challenges through diverse approaches,鈥� she says. 鈥淩EM is a great fit for me because of its strong focus on actionable research to build a socially just and ecologically sustainable world. This mission deeply resonates with me and reflects the direction I want my research to grow in.鈥�

She鈥檚 also looking to recruit both graduate and undergraduate students to her team as her Terrestrial Biosphere Modelling in CaNada (TBM-CaN) research group sets up roots at SFU.

Students working with Kou-Giesbrecht can expect to learn similar multidisciplinary approaches to understanding Earth鈥檚 systems, including field work and modelling, and the opportunity to apply their research beyond the lab.

鈥淚 try to encourage holistic thinking about the Earth system and human impacts and thinking across scales 鈥� from an individual research site to the globe,鈥� she says. 鈥淢y group works closely with Environment and Climate Change Canada and we鈥檙e also part of several international networks and initiatives, which gives students the opportunity to engage with both government research scientists and the global research community.鈥�

Want to learn more about Kou-Giesbrecht and the TBM-CaN group? Click