Sara Brown, Ph.D.

Sara Brown Ph.D.

Sara Brown earned her master’s from Washington State University in environmental science and regional planning, and her Ph.D. from the University of Wyoming in ecology.  From 1997-2007, she worked for a variety of federal land management agencies in fire suppression and management. During that time, she became aware of the importance of integrating scientific research into land management.  Due to this realization, she has become strongly drawn to applied fire ecology questions.

Her applied research investigates how anthropogenic disturbances impact natural disturbance cycles and alter pre-European ecosystem function. She explores and answers these ecological questions across broad spatial scales and in diverse systems.  Current research focuses on: 1) fire/carbon interactions (such as estimating how large carbon emissions are from fire); 2) Pinyon/Juniper encroachment (understanding how and where encroachment has happened in northern New Mexico); and, 3) reconstructing fire history in Pinyon/Juniper woodlands.