Osvaldo Sala

Professor:
Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
Phone: +1 401 863 7793
Osvaldo_Sala@brown.edu

I have explored several topics throughout my career from water controls on carbon and nitrogen dynamics in arid and semi-arid ecosystems to the consequences of changes in biodiversity on the functioning of ecosystems, including the development of biodiversity scenarios for the next 50 years. I am particularly interested in working with scenarios as a way of simplifying, understanding, and communicating the complex relationships that emerge from the study of social-ecological systems.

Biography

Osvaldo Sala is the Sloan Lindemann Professor of Biology at Brown University. As president of the Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment and a coordinating lead author of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, Sala is an international leader in ecological science and global environmental policy.

Sala has explored several topics throughout his career from water controls on carbon and nitrogen dynamics in arid and semi-arid ecosystems to the consequences of changes in biodiversity on the functioning of ecosystems, including the development of biodiversity scenarios for the next 50 years. He is particularly interested in working with scenarios as a way of simplifying, understanding, and communicating the complex relationships that emerge from the study of social-ecological systems. His research employs direct observations, manipulative field experiments, and simulation modeling. Field sites include the Patagonian steppe, annual grasslands of California, steppes of Colorado and the Chihuahuan Desert in New Mexico.

His research on arid ecosystems has taken him to the Patagonian steppe, annual grasslands of California, steppes of Colorado, the deserts of Southern Africa, and the Chihuahuan Desert in New Mexico.

Sala has served as editor of Global Change Biology and the president of the Argentinean Society of Ecology. He is an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Argentinean National Academy of Sciences, and the Argentinean National Academy of Physical and Natural Sciences.

Interests

Osvaldo Sala's research page.

My interests in ecology span from the arid ecosystems of Patagonia to global change issues with a focus on ecosystem-level questions including primary production, ecosystem-water dynamics, and most recently, biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. I am using a diverse set of tools in pursuing those interests ranging from field manipulations to ecosystem simulation models. I am also interested in coordinating international research projects. For example, I led an international group who developed scenarios for biodiversity change in the next century. I have been a member of the scientific steering committee of International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme, the Global Change and Terrestrial Ecosystems where I led Focus 4 Biodiversity and Global Change, and DIVERSITAS. I also served as president of the Argentinean Society of Ecology. Currently, I am the Secretary General of Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE). I enjoy collaborating with colleagues and have had co-authors from many countries including the US, UK, Germany, France, Australia, China, Japan, India, Canada, Mexico, Chile, and Venezuela.

Degrees

PhD

Awards

2004 Andrew D. White Professor-at-Large, Cornell University
2003 American Academy of Arts and Sciences, USA, Elected Member
2003 National Academy of Physical and Natural Sciences, Buenos Aires, Elected Member
2002 National Academy of Sciences, Córdoba, Argentina, Elected Member
1993 Guggenheim Fellow
2003 Bernardo Houssay award for scientific accomplishments, Argentina
1987 Bernardo Houssay award for scientific accomplishments, Argentina

Affiliations

Current
• Jury of Ramon Margalef Prize, Barcelona, Spain, 2008-
• Advisor, National Science Foundation, Environmental Research and Education, 2007
• Scientific Advisory Board, SARAS (South American Institute for Resilience and Sustainability Studies) 2007-
• Rhode Island, Ocean Special Area Management Plan, Science and Engineering Advisory Task Force, 2008-
• Scientific Advisory Board, SCOPE Biofuels Project, 2007-

Previous
* Member, Global Agenda Council, World Economic Forum, 2008-09
* President, SCOPE, Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment, 2005-09
* External Evaluation CREAF, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Spain, 2008.
* Member, Science Council, The Nature Conservancy, 2005-07
* Secretary General, SCOPE, Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment, 2001-05
* Editorial Board of Climate Research, Inter Research, 1992-05
* Editor of Global Change Biology, Blackwell Scientific, 2003-05
* Editorial Board of Ecosystems, Springer Verlag, 1997-2004
* Editorial Board of Oecologia, Springer Verlag, 1994-2004
* Member at large Governing Board of the Ecological Society of America, 2002-04
* Chair of "Red LatinoAmericana de Botánica"2001-2004
* Scientific Committee for the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP), 1994-1996
* Scientific Steering committee of Global Change and Terrestrial Ecosystems (GCTE), a core project of the International Geosphere Biosphere Programme, 1991-1999
* Leader, Global Change and Terrestrial Ecosystems (GCTE). Focus 4, Global Change and Ecological Complexity, 1994-1999
* Steering committee of America's Interhemisphere Geo-Biosphere Organization (AMIGO) 1991-1995
* Scientific Advisory Committee of the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning: Soils and Sediment, a program of the Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE), 1995-1999
* Scientific Advisory Committee of Diversitas, An International Programme of Biodiversity Science, IUBS, SCOPE, UNESCO, ICSU, IGBP-GCTE, and IUMS, 1995- 2001
* Scientific Steering Committee of SCOPE, Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment, 1998-2001
* Scientific Steering Committee of "Red LatinoAmericana de Botánica"1999-2001
* Biology Panel, National Research Council of Argentina, 1989-1992
* Vice-President Ecological Society of Argentina, 1991-1993
* President Ecological Society of Argentina, 1997-1999 and 1999-2001
* Editorial Board of Vegetatio, Kluwer academic publishers, 1990-1996
* Editorial Board of Global Change Biology, Blackwell Scientific, 1994-2003

Teaching

Human Impacts on Ecosystem Functioning, BIOL 1490
The objective of this course is to explore our current understanding of how humans are impacting the functioning of ecosystems. The two primary drivers of ecosystem change are growth of the human population and increased consumption per capita. These drivers affect the Earth's cycles of carbon, nitrogen, and water, as well as regional and global-scale changes in biodiversity and climate. The course includes an in-depth discussion of scenarios for next 50 and 100 years, which articulate costs and benefits of alternative development pathways in terms of climate change, food production, clean water and biodiversity. Scenarios of change in biodiversity lead to the topic of the consequences of biodiversity change for the functioning of ecosystems from the point of view of their productivity and stability. Human activities have disrupted several biogeochemical cycles including nitrogen and carbon cycles. The course discusses alterations and interactions among major biogeochemical cycles.
Basic understanding of human impacts on ecosystem functioning are complemented with discussions of potential applied solutions to environmental problems. The course includes classes on alternative biofuels and their impacts on the environment encompassing their effects from greenhouse emissions to nitrogen pollution and biodiversity loss. The course also discusses issues of land-use change and agricultural expansion from the points of view of their socio-economic determinants and the consequences for the environment.
The course includes a variety of approaches from lectures and discussions to student presentations and a field trip. Participation of students is welcome at all times. In addition, discussion sections and student presentations encourage an active role and critical thinking by students.

Topics in Conservation Science, BIOL1940
This course explores our current understanding in conservation science, which ranges from the biology of invasive and threatened species to management and policy options. Climate change is threatening numerous species as the climatic conditions where species have lived and evolved are migrating pole ward. As a consequence, humans are moving species to potential new habitats where species would have a better chance at surviving. The course discusses the biological, technical and ethical implications of this managed relocation.
The link between science and policy is critical to achieve sustainability and students here discuss policy issues related to conservation. The course discusses legislation relevant to conservation that is currently being developed in Congress and its scientific underpinnings.
Biofuel production has increased dramatically in the last 5 years in the US and globally driven by climate change concerns, national security and rural development. The course discusses different biofuel options and their impact on biodiversity, nitrogen pollution and greenhouse emissions.

Funded Research

2009-12 Precipitation Controls of Carbon and Nitrogen Cycles in Arid-Semiarid Ecosystems US National Science Foundation, $799,439
2009-10 Vegetation structure constraints on ANPP in arid ecosystems: assessing the meristem limitation hypothesis US National Science Foundation, $14,804
2004-07 Global change and the carbon cycle in arid and semiarid ecosystems: Experiments in the Patagonian steppe. University of Buenos Aires
2004-07 Spatial and temporal controls of carbon cycling in arid and semiarid ecosystems PICT, Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica
2002-04 Ecophysiological consequences of infrequent massive flowering of monocarpic bamboo grasses (Chusquea spp) in temperate and tropical South America US National Science Foundation
2001-02 Biodiversity effect on ecosystem functioning: Diversity of species, functional groups, patches, and resources. University of Buenos Aires
2000-03 Global change effects on primary production in arid ecosystems: The Patagonian steppe as a model ecosystem. PICT, Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica
1999-06 The role of biodiversity and climate in the functioning of ecosystems: A comparative study of grasslands, savannas, and forests. InterAmerican Institute for Global Change Research
1998-01 Ecosystem responses to stratospheric ozone reduction in southernmost South America. US National Science Foundation
1998-00 Biodiversity effects on the functioning of ecosystems: Experiments and models at two scales in the Patagonian steppe. UBA
1998-00 The effect of global change on the functioning of the Patagonian steppe ecosystem. Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica
1998-01 Management technology to increase production and decrease erosion in grasslands and steppes. Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica
1997-01 Production and decomposition controls in the Patagonian steppe. CONICET
1997 Global Change Effects on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning: Manipulation of a Keystone Process. InterAmerican Institute for Global Change Research
1996 Workshop "Biodiversity Scenarios" at UC Santa Barbara, California, USA. June 1996. InterAmerican Institute for Global Change Research and National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis UC Santa Barbara
1995 Workshop "Global Change and Ecological Complexity" Cedar Creek, Minnesota, USA, September1995. Electric Power Research Institute and International Geosphere Biosphere Programme
1995 Workshop "Global Change Impacts on Latin American Terrestrial Ecosystems and Feedbacks to the Globe" Buenos Aires March 1995. Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research
1995-98 Ecosystem Responses to Stratospheric Ozone Reduction in Southernmost South America, US National Science Foundation
1994-97 Seasonal dynamics of primary production, UBA
1994-97 The role of small rainfall events on nitrogen mineralization, UBA
1994-97 Constraints on Production and Decomposition in Temperate Semiarid Grasslands, US National Science Foundation
1992-95 Sustainability of natural and cultivated systems Inter American Development Bank- CONICET
1991-93 Environmental and management effects on plant available water in the Patagonian steppe, UBA
1991-93 Nutrient partitioning between shrubs and grasses in the Patagonian steppe, UBA
1991-93 Cyclical dynamics of vegetation patches in the Patagonian steppe, UBA
1991 Argentina-Chile scientific collaborative award. Fundación Antorchas
1991 Competition and facilitation between grasses and shrubs Fundación Antorchas
1989-93 Resource partitioning among grasses and shrubs in semi-arid regions, CONICET
1989-93 Cyclical succession in the Patagonian steppe. CONICET
1988-89 Water dynamics in the Patagonian steppe: A simulation modeling approach UBA
1988-89 Water partitioning among grasses and shrubs in the Patagonian arid steppe, UBA
1987-88 Grass-shrub interactions in two semi-arid regions, US National Science Foundation
1985-88 The effect of defoliation on the community dynamics of a grassland of the Flooding Pampas. CONICET
1985-88 Resource partitioning among life forms of the arid steppes. CONICET
1983-84 Resource partitioning among life forms in Southern Patagonia. UBA
1983-84 Convergence in the partitioning of resources among functional types in two semiarid regions, US National Science Foundation-CONICET