Dr. Paolo D Odorico

Biography

Paolo D’Odorico is the Thomas J. Graff Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. His research primarily focuses on understanding the role of hydrological processes in the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems. D’Odorico analyzes soil water balance and highlights important nonlinearities in the coupling of soil moisture dynamics, plant water stress, biogeochemical cycling, and land-atmosphere interactions. His work investigates new mechanisms of desertification and the factors contributing to the resilience of desert margins, utilizing field observations and process-based models. He is a fellow of prestigious organizations including the American Meteorological Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the American Geophysical Union. His research emphasizes the crucial roles that water, agriculture, and energy production play in societal resilience, food security, and environmental stewardship, particularly in the context of globalization and virtual water trade. D’Odorico's work has shown that environmental noise can increase the complexity of ecosystem dynamics, leading to new states and bifurcations.

Research Interests