Dr. Amanda Donaldson
Current research projects and interests
see Google Scholar and ORCID accounts for most up-to-date list of research
Forest water use, productivity,
and health
Our lab studies the hydroclimatic and geologic controls on ecosystem distributions, growth, and health. We are particularly interested in how forests will respond to a changing climate and disturbances such as drought and wildfire. We combine tree rings, stable water isotopes, remote sensing, and long-term field monitoring across diverse landscapes to understand how forests use water and why they grow where they do. This work helps identify which forests are most vulnerable as environmental conditions change and informs forest management by evaluating where and how management can effectively promote forest resilience.
Catchment water storage and streamflow generation
Where does water go when it rains, and what does it carry with it as it moves through the landscape?
These are classic questions in catchment hydrology, yet they remain difficult to answer because we still have limited understanding of how water moves through deeply weathered landscapes. Our lab quantifies water cycling across event and seasonal timescales to understand how water is stored, released, and ultimately partitioned among evapotranspiration, streamflow, and groundwater recharge. This work helps us better predict how catchments respond to changes in precipitation and drought, with implications for water availability and the movement of nutrients and other materials through landscapes.