Nicholas Van Lanen

Picture of Nick Van Lanen

Sustainability Leadership Fellow Cohort: 2018-2019

Ph.D. Student, Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, and Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory

Research Summary: Land management efforts throughout the western United States are increasingly geared to help recover greater sage-grouse populations, and removing conifer trees (e.g. pinyon-juniper) in sagebrush habitats is one widely-implemented management technique. Although research shows this work aids sage-grouse, scientists don’t know how this will affect several declining bird species that rely on these trees. For my PhD, I am evaluating habitat needs of both sagebrush and pinyon-juniper associated birds. I will then use these habitat relationships to develop a landscape plan to help managers target areas for conifer removal which will benefit sagebrush birds without negatively impacting pinyon-juniper associated birds.

Advisor: Cameron Aldridge