Personal profile
Research Interests
I am curious about the interactions between Earth's climate and biology over a range of scales. My research seeks to gain insight into factors regulating Earth's climate in the past as well as factors limiting CO2 uptake in the future. Earth's climate and biogeochemical cycles are inextricably linked and I find this fascinating.
I am currently interested in the following research topics:
- Global Carbon Cycle: I am curious about factors limiting the Earth's capacity to take up CO2. To inquire about the global carbon cycle I investigate patterns in atmospheric CO2 and its isotopic composition in combination with global scale models.
- Amplification of Arctic Temperatures: Arctic temperatures are currently warming twice as fast as global temperatures and we don't fully understand why this is. We are currently working to understand what factors were involved in amplifying surface temperatures of the Arctic in the past, so that we can provide more credible climate preditions for this highly sensitive region.
- I am also curious about many other topics, so let me know what you are interested in.
Education/Academic qualification
Doctorate, Climate / Ecology, Duke University
Bachelor, Biology, University of California at Davis
Master, Environmental Science, University of Washington
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being -
SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy -
SDG 13 Climate Action -
SDG 14 Life Below Water -
SDG 15 Life on Land
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Climate change and fire alter biotic interactions and tree growth in high-elevation forests
Beisel, J., Cansler, C. A., Parks, S. A., Affleck, D. L. R., Ballantyne, A. P. & Larson, A. J., Apr 2026, In: Ecosphere. 17, 4, e70612.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
Dryland dominance in the slowdown of global vegetation carbon uptake
Li, F., Xiao, J., Chen, J., Ballantyne, A., Peñuelas, J., Green, J. K., Tian, S., Zhang, Y., Poulter, B., Sitch, S., Jin, J., Hu, X. & Bao, G., Apr 2026, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Nature Geoscience. 19, 5, p. 542-548 7 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
1 Scopus citations -
Evaluation of Top-Down and Bottom-Up Global Terrestrial Respiration Estimates and Their Mismatch With Model Simulations
Ballantyne, A., Bond-Lamberty, B., Endsley, A., Fluet-Chouinard, E., Liu, Z., Patel, K., Smith, E., Vargas, R. & Zhao, B., Mar 2026, In: Global Biogeochemical Cycles. 40, 3, e2025GB008544.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
Stronger Sensitivity of Plant Photosynthesis to Rising CO2 in High Elevation Ecosystems
Chen, Y., Zhang, Y., Liu, Z., Piao, S., Xiao, J., Ballantyne, A., Ciais, P., Peñuelas, J., Gao, J., Liu, Y., Jiang, L., Zhu, J., Yu, G., Zhang, X. & Luo, Y., Feb 2026, In: Ecology Letters. 29, 2, e70328.Research output: Contribution to journal › Letter › peer-review
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An ecosystem resilience index that integrates measures of vegetation function, structure, and composition
Johnson, M., Ballantyne, A., Graham, J., Holden, Z., Hoylman, Z., Jensco, K., Ketchum, D., Kimball, J. & Mitchell, J., Feb 2025, In: Ecological Indicators. 171, 113076.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access11 Scopus citations