Kristen E. Dybala, Ph.D.

Palomarin Data Explorer launch

7/7/2020

This has been a tough year for all of us, and I am so happy to be able to share you some good news from our Palomarin Field Station! Although Palomarin is currently closed to the public, a core team of staff and interns have been able to safely continue building on our decades of research. We’ve also been working on a new way to help tell some of the most important science stories from this research, bringing a little bit of Palomarin to you!

Riparian forests store tons of carbon

11/9/2018

Mature riparian forest in the Cosumnes River Preserve, near Galt, California.
Photo by Robert G. Walsh, 2017

Riparian forests have long been recognized as hotspots of biodiversity, and they're known to help improve water quality by filtering runoff. But riparian forests are less well-known for their ability to sequester carbon. In a new paper recently published in Global Change Biology, colleagues and I synthesized data on biomass and soil carbon stocks in riparian forests around the world. We modeled the growth of carbon stocks with forest age and compared naturally regenerating forests to those that were actively planted as part of a reforestation effort.

Riparian reforestoration addresses climate change and biodiversity conservation

10/9/2018

Former agricultural field undergoing riparian restoration in the Cosumnes River Preserve, near Galt, California.
Photo by Kristen E. Dybala

Forests store tremendous amounts of carbon in the trees and soil, and provide valuable habitat for wildlife, making reforestation an important strategy for addressing both climate change and biodiversity conservation concerns. But reforestations designed to maximize carbon storage may not be as successful at providing habitat. In a paper recently published in the Journal of Applied Ecology, colleagues and I examined how carbon storage and bird communities in the Cosumnes River Preserve relate to forest density, canopy and understory cover, and forest age.

Thankful

11/20/2017

With November drawing to a close, and the Thanksgiving holiday approaching, I'm grateful to take be able to take a breath and reflect on this year's highs and lows. Within the realm of my conservation work, the highs include:

September 2017: Riparian Summit less than 1 month away!

9/25/2017

The Riparian Summit is coming up soon: October 17-19 at UC Davis. As a member of the steering committee over the last 2 years, I'm enjoying seeing all of our planning coming together. The Summit promises to be an engaging 3 days focused on science, policy, community engagement, and strategies to increase the pace and scale of riparian restoration - with multiple benefits for people and nature. It will feature keynote & plenary speakers from abroad and closer to home - including Jody Hilty of the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative, Ellie Cohen of Point Blue Conservation Science, and California Assembly member Cristina Garcia. Also planned are several interactive workshops, field trips, and some interesting art & science components. Register now!

March 2017: New publications! CVJV conservation objectives

3/30/2017

At long last, an enormous collaborative conservation research effort has come to fruition with today's publication of a special issue of San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Science. The issue is made up of 8 articles authored by Central Valley Joint Venture partners that establish conservation objectives for California's Central Valley. Efforts to achieve these objectives through habitat restoration and enhancement will improve ecosystem functions throughout the Central Valley, in turn providing habitat for wildlife and benefits to people in surrounding communities. I am proud to have contributed to 6 of these articles, as lead author for 3 and co-author for another 3, and I am thrilled to see these finally published!

October 2016: Natural Areas Conference

11/2/2016

The highlight of October was attending the Natural Areas Conference in Davis, CA. It was the first time I've attended this annual conference, and it was a really fun and interesting mix of academics, students, land managers, and restoration practitioners, discussing cutting edge climate change and restoration science, technology, and on-the-ground application. I presented preliminary results from a current project, a global meta-analysis of carbon sequestration rates in riparian forests. There were two great plenary sessions, a fun (and very crowded) poster session, and the concurrent sessions I chose were all very engaging -- restoration, integrating climate adaptation into resource management, contemporary remote sensing, and TBC3 climate adaptation tools. Judging from Twitter, it sounds like many of the other sessions were great too! Unfortunately, I had the first time slot (8AM) on the first day, and there were a number of technical and logistical glitches, but it still went relatively well. See my compilation of highlights from Twitter here: https://storify.com/KristenDybala/highlights-from-natural-areas-conference-2016

September 2016: IUCN World Conservation Congress

9/18/2016

This month I was thrilled to get to participate in the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Conservation Congress in Honolulu, Hawaii! The Congress's theme "Planet at the Crossroads" emphasized the urgency felt by the >9,000 participants from >190 countries in responding to climate change and collectively choosing a path that will benefit the ecosystems that underpin our economies, well-being, and survival. I was inspired by the sheer number of organizations, initiatives, and people represented at the congress, all of whom are working to find solutions to many intertwined challenges. Increasingly, conservation efforts are seen as capable of simultaneously contributing to meeting UN Sustainable Development Goals, the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, and the landmark Paris Agreement to address climate change, among others. I attended many sessions addressing topics that included championing nature-based solutions, such as recognizing the power of parks to improve human health and the power of carbon markets to drive coastal ecosystem restoration and improve livelihoods. Many of the ideas, strategies, and recurring themes are directly in line with our work at Point Blue Conservation Science, and I am excited about the opportunity to more directly link our efforts to international goals and draw on the resources, ideas, and expertise of a much larger pool of potential collaborators.

Joining Condor as Associate Editor

8/29/2016

I'm happy to announce that I have become an Associate Editor for The Condor: Ornithological Applications. I'm looking forward to getting to peek behind the curtain and better understand the editorial process, and will do my best to shepherd papers through the system quickly!

IUCN World Conservation Congress

8/23/2016

I'm getting excited for the upcoming IUCN World Conservation Congress in Honolulu! Opening ceremonies are on Thursday, September 1. Follow me @KristenDybala and #IUCN2016 for updates!

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