Dr. Kristina Young – Understanding The Desert’s Living Skin
Dryland regions cover nearly half of the Earth’s land surface. But shockingly little is known about the ecology, nutrient, and carbon cycling that occurs within desert soils. In this talk, Dr. Young explores what western science knows about desert soils, the biological soil crust that lives within them, and why communicating how deserts work is necessary to protecting them.
Speaker
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Dr. Kristina YoungDryland ecologist and place-based science communicatorDr. Kristina Young is a dryland ecologist and place-based science communicator studying the semi-arid ecosystems of the Colorado Plateau. Kristina’s research has focused on understanding desert ecosystems and communicating those understandings to the millions of people who visit these beautiful and fragile landscapes. Kristina received her Masters degree from Northern Arizona University, PhD from the University of Texas at El Paso, and is currently an Extension Assistant Professor at Utah State University in Moab, Utah. She is also the Founder and Board Chair of the Science Moab Engagement Initiative, a place-based science engagement nonprofit.
Kristina has published over a dozen peer-reviewed publications related to dryland ecology and in 2015, was chosen as a Wyss Scholar for Conservation of the American West. Her writings on drylands have appeared in Mother Jones, Forbes.com Science, and the Salt Lake Tribune.