Desert StudiesLauren Baldarelli
2020 The Garden Club of America Award in Desert Studies
Research into Biological Soil Crusts (Biocrusts)
Lauren Baldarelli is a Ph.D. candidate at Kent State University majoring in ecology and evolutionary biology. Her research focus is on biocrusts of the American Southwest. Biocrusts interest her as important organisms in arid landscapes that contribute significantly to ecosystem services. Baldarelli’s current research involves understanding how soil type, nutrient availability, and elevation affect the abundance and composition of biocrusts. She will investigate this by estimating biocrust cover and measuring enzymatic activity along a 2,000-meter elevational gradient between Phoenix and Flagstaff, Arizona.
The Garden Club of America Award in Desert Studies
To promote the study of horticulture, conservation, botany, environmental science, and landscape design relating to the arid landscape.
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