Ross Virginia

OrganizationEmailPhoneAddressHanover , New Hampshire 03755United StatesBioI am an ecosystem ecologist and member of the Environmental Studies Program faculty interested in how rapid environmental change affects ecosystems and society. My emphasis is on understanding how climate change alters vegetation and soil and the ecological services they provide. My current research examines carbon and nitrogen cycling in the polar deserts of Antarctica and in the tundra of western Greenland. I am also interested in the relationships between the disciplines of ecology, ecosystem science, and environmental law. I am active in Arctic policy and global environmental issues as director of Dartmouth's Institute of Arctic Studies, Dickey Center for International Understanding, and as co-director of the University of the Arctic Institute for Arctic Policy. As one of two distinguished lead scholars for the Fulbright Arctic Initiative I am excited to bring together thematic teams of researchers to focus on the impact of climate change in the Arctic during the period of the U.S. Chairmanship of the Arctic Council, 2015-17.

Science Specialties

biogeochemistry, soil ecology, climate change

Current Research

Polar environmental change, Arctic policy, Soil biodiversity and biogeochemical cycling in Greenland tundra and Antarctic dry valley eocsystems, Ecosystem ecology and its relationships with environmental law and policy