A picture of drought: ND ecologist matching NASA images with field data to measure forest health
Nate Swenson strides so quickly through the Wisconsin forest while carrying a large pole clipper that postdoctoral researcher Vanessa Rubio usually follows the 40 feet of rope dragging behind him.
When they reach the designated plot, Swenson extends the clipper about 30 feet high and pulls the rope to snip off a leafy twig from the canopy of a tall, tagged tree. The twig floats down through the dappled sunlight and lands in his hand.
It would be a majestic scene but for the mosquitoes. Hundreds and thousands of them, swarming everything that smells like warm blood.
Swenson cuts twigs from nine sample trees in each plot where the reflection of light from the leaves could show up in a space-based image. Rubio selects one leaf from each twig, folds it into a labeled test tube, and drops it in a metal canister of liquid nitrogen.
This flash freezing will preserve its RNA, which degrades quickly otherwise. Later in his campus lab, Swenson can study the leaf’s gene expression, which changes as it is stressed by drought later in the summer.
Latest University News
- Historic three-day celebration culminates in Inauguration of Notre Dame’s 18th President, Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C.For only the third time in the past 70 years, the University of Notre Dame inaugurated a new president Friday (Sept. 13) during the formal investiture of Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., as the University’s 18th president. The Convocation and Inauguration Ceremony, held in Purcell Pavilion, was the culmination of a series of celebratory events that spanned three days.
- University of Notre Dame makes historic investment in affordability and accessThe University of Notre Dame announced a historic expansion to its affordability and accessibility initiatives, becoming the first highly selective faith-based university in the United States to be need-blind for all students, both domestic and international.
- Former Irish prime minister to speak at Notre DameLeo Varadkar, former prime minister of Ireland and current member of parliament in Dáil Eireann, will join the Keough-Naughton Institute for Irish Studies, part of Notre Dame's Keough School of Global Affairs, for a public discussion of Irish current affairs including public health initiatives, civic life and the political future of the island of Ireland. “A Conversation with Deputy Leo Varadkar” will take place from 3 to 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 20 (Friday) in the Hesburgh Center Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public.
- Notre Dame President Emeritus Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., visits key sites in Lviv, UkraineRev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., president emeritus of the University of Notre Dame, recently visited the Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU) and key sites in Lviv, Ukraine, as a sign of Notre Dame’s continued support for the university and its students. It was his first international trip on behalf of Notre Dame since stepping down from the presidency at the end of the 2023-24 academic year.
- Notre Dame ranked among state’s top employers by ForbesForbes magazine’s annual survey of America’s best in-state employers has ranked the University of Notre Dame the leading employer in Indiana’s education sector and second among all of the state’s large organizations. “Being…
- Alumni Association and YoungND honor 2024 Domer DozenThe Notre Dame Alumni Association announced its 2024 Domer Dozen cohort, honoring 12 graduates ages 32 and younger for excellence in their contributions in faith, service, learning or work — the core pillars of the association’s mission.