Henley Sartin

2024 – 2025 Global Change Research Fellow

Statement of purpose:

My research interests in conservation are motivated by the place where I grew up, the Southeastern US. This region is of particular importance when evaluating climate change impacts given the significant biodiversity and variety of ecosystems present. Visiting places like the Great Smoky Mountains National Park as a child inspired me to care deeply about protected areas and conservation efforts to protect species and habitats. Throughout my life, I have pursued educational experiences in ecology and environmental policy and science alongside other courses like computer science, physics, and math. This interdisciplinary background gives me a unique perspective and approach to conservation research. I am broadly interested in protected areas: how we choose them, how effective they are, and what strategies work best when preserving biodiversity. A primary goal of mine is to develop relevant and useful scientific guidance to inform policymakers and conservation organizations about the best path forward.

Description of research:

Currently, my research focuses on evaluating areas of potential future conservation investment. I am analyzing influential existing priority maps for the Southeastern U.S., like the Southeast Conservation Adaptation Strategy Blueprint or Conservation Opportunity Areas identified by Southeastern states. Using Maxent predictions for species of conservation concern in the Southeastern Appalachians, I am exploring how species ranges may shift over time under different climate scenarios and how effectively priority maps capture these ranges. Identifying if these priority regions protect potential future species ranges and habitats of interest under possible future climates is necessary to effectively guide future conservation investments.

Contact Information:

Email: hsartin1@vols.utk.edu

Faculty Advisor:

Dr. Paul Armsworth (Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology)