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Christopher Maienza
Advisor: Dr. Ken Aho
Degree: Ph.D. Biology
Education
2018, B.S. Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA
Biographical Sketch
Chris's research primarily aims to characterize the composition and diversity of montane, subalpine, and alpine plant communities in their early successional stage following fire. His research sites include the areas around the East Fork Fire (2020) in the Uinta Mountains of northeastern Utah, as well as the Cameron Peak and East Troublesome Fires (2020) within Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. These recent, large fires allude to a departure from the historical fire regime, as fires begin to burn more frequently in high-elevation forests across western North America. Questions concerning predictive modeling of high elevation burn severity and genetic diversity of subalpine fir ([i]Abies lasiocarpa[i]) in the context of fire are also being addressed.