Bio

Advisor and Program

Dr. Anna Marshall
Geography, University of Tennessee Knoxville

About

I am a second year master’s student studying fluvial geomorphology in the Riverscapes lab at the University of Tennessee. As a geomorphologist, I’m interested in abiotic factors driving climate change resilience. I’m excited to spend my time as a SECASC fellow thinking about climate change resilience from ecological and management perspectives as well, in collaboration with this wonderful group of interdisciplinary scientists.

Research Interests

In the Riverscapes lab at the University of Tennessee, I am using a combination of field and remote sensing methods to investigate sediment and wood storage dynamics in Southern Appalachian headwater streams impacted by Hurricane Helene. Human land use histories throughout the Southern Appalachian region have heavily impacted the wood and sediment storage regimes of these streams, which in turn reduces their ability to attenuate flood flux during extreme events like Hurricane Helene. I hypothesize that streams storing greater quantities of sediment and wood were more able to attenuate Helene related floods, making them more resilient to flood disturbance and decreasing downstream damage. I hope that my work will inform management practices within headwater stream ecosystems and will help to identify downstream areas vulnerable to extreme flooding.