Research Expertise and Interest

plant ecology

Research Description

Laureano Gherardi is a global ecosystem ecologist who combines manipulative experiments with ecological data synthesis at multiple temporal and spatial scales to advance our understanding of how interacting Global Change stressors such as climate change, land use change, and nutrient deposition affect the functioning of grassland ecosystems. Specifically, he is interested in the effects of resource availability variance on belowground processes that determine overall ecosystem responses. Gherardi carries out his research with justice, diversity and inclusion issues in mind and hopes land managers and decision-makers will apply his findings to achieve a sustainable future for high-value grassland ecosystems. Gherardi earned his master’s and PhD in Biology at Arizona State University. Before joining the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management (ESPM) as an assistant professor in January, he gained experience working in ecosystems ranging from the Patagonian Steppe in southern Argentina to the Great Plains in the USA to globally coordinated experiments and ecological synthesis groups.