John Aber

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
John D. Aber
Alma materYale University
Known forRestoration ecology
Scientific career
FieldsEcology, Environment
InstitutionsUniversity of New Hampshire

John D. Aber is professor[1] of Natural Resources & the Environment at the University of New Hampshire, and is also affiliated with the Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space at UNH.[2][3]

Career[]

Aber received a Bachelor's degree in engineering and applied science (computer science) from Yale University in 1971 and Master's and Ph.D. degrees in 1973 and 1976 in forestry and environmental studies at Yale.[2][3] He was provost and vice president of academic affairs at the University of New Hampshire (2009-2013) and Vice President for Research and Public Service (2003-2007). He is a scientist, educator, administrator and one of the world's leading ecologists. Aber is internationally known for his groundbreaking work on nitrogen cycling, sustainable ecosystem management, climate change, and the effects of acid rain on forests. His applied studies of basic research on nutrients movements through forests has had a major role defining the field of ecosystem ecology.[4] The scientific field of restoration ecology was properly identified by Aber and William Jordan while they were at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.[5][6] In 1991 and again in 2001, Aber published Terrestrial Ecosystems with Jerry Melillo, which was the first textbook on the ecology of whole ecosystems.[7]

Aber was selected in 2012 as one of four recipients of the Wilbur Cross Medal by the Yale Alumni Association.[4] The medal celebrates a lifetime of academic achievement. He was also named a Distinguished Alumnus of the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies (now Yale School of the Environment) in 2003. At the University of New Hampshire, Aber was given the Distinguished Professor Award in 2003 and named one of 4 University Professors in 2009. In 2017, he received the USEPA Region 1 Lifetime Merit Award.

Research area[]

Aber's research career focused on the carbon and nitrogen and water dynamics of forested ecosystems as impacted by major sources of pollution, including acid rain and ozone, and the impact of a changing climate. He used a combination of field measurements, advanced remote sensing techniques and computer modeling to predict the future of forests, especially in the Eastern U.S. and Ireland. Working with many close colleagues and graduate students, Aber was engaged in 56 funded projects over a 40 year period with support provided primarily by NASA, the National Science Foundation and the USEPA.

Aber's final funded project applied concepts learned from four decades of forest research to sustainable management of an agroecosystem located at the New Hampshire's Organic Dairy Research Farm. The focus was reducing dependence on external sources of energy and bedding by closing carbon and nutrient cycles on the farm, including converting low quality pine to bedding and using an innovative static pile aerobic composting techniques to generate heat energy for farm use. This project was supported by the USDA and UNH Agricultural Experiment Station.

Aber retired from UNH in May of 2021 and is pursuing a life-long interest in the writing of popular science. He is posting essays to the Substack site listed below, and working on a book. Both focus on providing accessible presentations of the science of weather, climate and climate change.

Bibliography[]

Aber has authored or co-authored more than 200 publications and the basic text in his field called, "Terrestrial Ecosystems."[4]

  1. Restoration Ecology: A Synthetic Approach to Ecological Research, William R. Jordan, III (Editor), Michael E. Gilpin (Editor), John A. Aber (editor), 1987, Cambridge University Press
  2. Terrestrial Ecosystems (2nd Edition), John D. Aber, Jerry M. Melillo, March 9, 2001, Academic Press[8] First Edition 1991, Saunders College Publishing
  3. Forests in Time: The Environmental Consequences of 1,000 Years of Change in New England, David R. Foster (Editor), John D. Aber (Editor), 10, March, 2004, Yale University Press[8][9]
  4. The Sustainable Learning Community: One University's Journey to the Future, John Aber (Editor), Tom Kelly (Editor), Bruce Mallory (Editor), 2009, University Press of New England
  5. Wildlands and Woodlands: A Vision for the New England Landscape by David R. Foster, John D. Aber (Contributor), Elizabeth A. Colburn (Contributor), Charles T. Driscoll (Contributor), Malcolm L. Hunter Jr. (Contributor), Lloyd C. Irland (Contributor), Aaron M. Ellison (Contributor), William S. Keeton (Contributor) ... , September 1, 2010, Harvard University Forest[8]
  6. The Agroecosystem Project at the Organic Dairy Research Farm, University of New Hampshire: Summary of Results and Proposals for Applications. Aber, J.D., M.M. Smith, A.M. Leach, W.H. McDowell, M.D. Shattuck, N.A. Williamson, D.M. Hoffman and J.M. Davis. 2020. University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA - Available through ResearchGate.

Aber is currently posting a series of essays on weather, climate and climate change through Substack at https://lessheatmorelight.substack.com/


Personal life[]

Aber lives in Durham, New Hampshire, with his wife Lynn and has three adult children.[10]

References[]

  1. ^ "John Aber Awarded University Professorship", UNH Campus Journal, April 22, 2009, retrieved February 19, 2015
  2. ^ a b "John D. Aber in the University of New Hampshire". Retrieved February 17, 2015.
  3. ^ a b "John D. Aber in the University of New Hampshire Department of Natural Resources & the Environment". Retrieved February 17, 2015.
  4. ^ a b c "Yale University Graduate School to honor four alumni". October 5, 2010. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
  5. ^ "Bibliography of Scientific Papers". Archived from the original on 6 February 2015. Retrieved 18 February 2015.
  6. ^ "Restoration Ecology". Retrieved February 18, 2015.
  7. ^ "History of the Ecosystems Center". 2012-06-04. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
  8. ^ a b c "Good Reads". Retrieved February 18, 2015.
  9. ^ "Forests in Time". Retrieved 18 February 2015.
  10. ^ "University of New Hampshire's News". Retrieved 18 February 2015.

External links[]

https://colsa.unh.edu/person/john-aber

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