Dr. Tyler Karp

Biography

As a molecular paleoecologist, I utilize organic geochemical stable isotopic tools to study the complex interactions of disturbance processes, such as wildfire and herbivory, and their effects on carbon cycling and climate change in ancient terrestrial ecosystems. My primary focus is on fires in savannas and grasslands, which account for approximately 80% of the global annual burned area. I began my work at the University of Chicago as a National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow, with a joint appointment at Yale University and Brown University. I received my bachelor's degree in Biology and Environmental Earth Science from Washington University in St. Louis in 2015 and completed my PhD in Geosciences at Pennsylvania State University in 2020. My research aims to understand the feedbacks among changing fire, climate, and biotic interactions that lead to abrupt landscape transitions across various spatial and temporal scales. I examine these processes in the geologic past using a combination of statistical methods, remote sensing, field ecology, and geochemical techniques. My ultimate goal is to resolve how grassy biomes and fire regimes respond to global climate change, which will inform future management decisions by providing an extended temporal context for current and future research questions.

Research Interests

Experience