Valeria Briones

Valeria Briones is an MS candidate in the School of Forest Resources.  Climate warming is affecting the social and ecological systems of the northeastern U.S., including changes in the seasonal timing and duration of biophysical processes.  Phenology is the repeated occurrence of seasonal cycles, which are influenced by climate, thus it is important to understand the degree to which climate change is affecting the phenological processes throughout Maine’s forests.  Additionally, abiotic drivers such as forest management practices can influence the forest phenology trends throughout the state.  Valeria’s project will focus on analyzing satellite imagery to determine the extent to which climate influences the timing and duration of phenological cycles in Maine’s forests and how these changes may influence the timing and way in which people recreate throughout Maine’s state parks.  This research is important because as Maine continues to experience the impacts of climate change, this information can help better predict what changes we may expect to see in the future and prepare for the impacts it may have on Maine’s tourism and recreation economy.  The title of Valeria’s thesis is “The Effects of Climate Change on Forest Ecosystem Phenology and its Impacts on Tourism in Maine”.