Alisa Keyser

My research is broadly focused on how ecosystems respond to disturbance and climate change. My dissertation research focused on understanding how topography, vegetation, and climate affect the risk of high severity fire in the western United States. I developed statistical models to predict both occurrence and size of high severity fire for western US forests. I followed this work with a project to downscale predictions of fire severity to a scale relevant to sensitive species populations. I am currently linking empirical data and modeling to inform management decisions aimed at improving ecosystem resilience to changing disturbance and climate regimes.
Google Scholar Profile
Selected Publications:
Keyser, AR and AL Westerling. 2017. Climate drives inter-annual variability in probability of high severity fire occurrence in the western United States. Environmental Research Letters. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aa6b10
Fleishman, E., J. Belnap, N. Cobb, C. A. F. Enquist, K. Ford, G. MacDonald, M. Pellant, T. Schoennagel, L. M. Schmit, M. Schwartz, S. van Drunick, A. L. Westerling, A. Keyser, and R. Lucas. 2013. “Natural Ecosystems.” In Assessment of Climate Change in the Southwest United
States: A Report Prepared for the National Climate Assessment, edited by G. Garfin, A. Jardine, R. Merideth, M. Black, and S. LeRoy, 148–167. A report by the Southwest Climate Alliance. Washington, DC: Island Press.
Keyser, AR, RR Nemani, JS Kimball, SW Running. 2000. Simulating the effects of climate change on the carbon balance of North American high-latitude forests. Global Change Biology. 6 (Suppl. 1): 185-195.
Google Scholar Profile
Selected Publications:
Keyser, AR and AL Westerling. 2017. Climate drives inter-annual variability in probability of high severity fire occurrence in the western United States. Environmental Research Letters. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aa6b10
Fleishman, E., J. Belnap, N. Cobb, C. A. F. Enquist, K. Ford, G. MacDonald, M. Pellant, T. Schoennagel, L. M. Schmit, M. Schwartz, S. van Drunick, A. L. Westerling, A. Keyser, and R. Lucas. 2013. “Natural Ecosystems.” In Assessment of Climate Change in the Southwest United
States: A Report Prepared for the National Climate Assessment, edited by G. Garfin, A. Jardine, R. Merideth, M. Black, and S. LeRoy, 148–167. A report by the Southwest Climate Alliance. Washington, DC: Island Press.
Keyser, AR, RR Nemani, JS Kimball, SW Running. 2000. Simulating the effects of climate change on the carbon balance of North American high-latitude forests. Global Change Biology. 6 (Suppl. 1): 185-195.