Heather Kropp
Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies, Hamilton College
Environmental Data Science, Ecohydrology, Plant ecophysiology
My research seeks to understand climate change impacts on plants and the subsequent consequences for water and energy cycling from leaf to global scales.
Plants are the interface between the atmosphere and the soil in most regions across the globe. Plants move water from the soil into the atmosphere while simultaneously converting atmospheric carbon dioxide into biomass that ultimately ends up in the soil. Plants change the conditions of the small area immediately surrounding them (microclimate). For example, tree canopies cool the underlying soil through shading or dark tree branches absorb more sunlight in the winter and melt the surrounding snow. These impacts can add up to affect the global climate over large scales. My research focuses on understanding how plants interact with their surrounding environment and how water cycling might ultimately affect plant growth from the leaf to the global scale.
Education
Arizona State University
Ph.D. Environmental Life Sciences
Graduated December 2015
Evergreen State College
B.S. classes concentrating in Ecology (self-directed)
Graduated June 2010
Contact
Environmental Studies, Hamilton College, Clinton, NY
GitHub: kroppheather
Twitter: @DrHeatherKropp