The Fate of the Terrestrial Biosphere

Tuesday, 16 June 2026, 12pm to 1pm

Abstract: 
One of the largest uncertainties of the future of the Earth is how the terrestrial biosphere will counteract or exacerbate the rise in CO2. Whether or not ecosystems absorb or emit carbon depends on water, temperature, nutrients, CO2 fertilization, and other factors. Here, Dr. Joshua B. Fisher will discuss how satellite and airborne remote sensing in conjunction with climate models are used to understand how Earth’s terrestrial water, carbon, and nutrient cycles are linked and impact the Earth system as a whole, highlighting new insights into the behavior and understanding of the terrestrial biosphere in a changing climate.
 
Bio:
Dr. Joshua B. Fisher is a Climate Scientist focusing on terrestrial ecosystems, water, carbon, and nutrient cycling using a combination of remote sensing, supercomputer models, and field campaigns from the Amazon to the Arctic, with applications in water and ecosystem management, food security, wildfire, and environmental justice. He completed his undergraduate and graduate degrees from UC Berkeley and his postdoctoral work from the University of Oxford. Dr. Fisher was a NASA Scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for over a decade and the founding Science Lead for the ECOSTRESS mission on the International Space Station. Dr. Fisher is now the Science Lead for Hydrosat and Associate Professor of Environmental Science and Policy at Chapman University. With over 250 publications, Dr. Fisher has been named one of the world’s “most influential” researchers, in the top 0.1% of scientists with papers in the top 1% by citations for the past 8 years in a row.

Speaker(s): Joshua Fisher (Science Lead for Hydrosat and Associate Professor of Environmental Science and Policy at Chapman University)

Series: Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery and the Nature Network seminar series

Venue: School of Geography and the Environment - 9 S Parks Rd Oxford OX1 3QY

Department: Environmental Change Institute (Unit)

Organiser: Delaney Damaret

Host: Delaney Damaret