About Me
I am an agroecosystem ecologist and biogeochemist dedicated to identifying science-based solutions for mitigating the impact of agricultural production on climate change while maintaining a safe, nutritious food supply for future generations.
I received my Bachelor of Science from Cornell University in 2014 in International Agriculture and Rural Development with an emphasis in agricultural food systems and ecology & the environment. I recently received my PhD in Ecology at Colorado State University in the Schipanksi Agroecology Lab.
My research interests include soil organic matter dynamics, biogeochemistry, trace gas emissions, and alternative crop and livestock management systems. I use a combination of empirical research, systems analysis, and ecosystem models to answer these questions.
My dissertation research focused on the ecology of natural climate solutions, specifically the benefits of proposed soil carbon pathways like cover cropping and composting on soil carbon stock change and biodiversity. I previously worked at Environmental Defense Fund and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations on the mitigation of enteric methane emissions from ruminant livestock production systems. During my time with American Farmland Trust, I supported the Carbon Reduction Potential Evaluation Tool (CaRPE tool) to assist decision-makers with estimating the net climate impacts of adopting conservation agricultural practices on U.S. farmland.
At Cornell, my research with Dominic Woolf and Johannes Lehmann will expand on the Soils Revealed platform to apply dynamic process-based modeling methods (i.e., IPCC Tier 3) at the global scale to predict future soil organic carbon stocks and emissions of N2O and CH4 from croplands under different climate futures and adaptation scenarios. This work is part of a close collaboration with Woodwell Climate Research Center, The Nature Conservancy, and ISRIC.
Outside of my research, I am an avid reader, fitness enthusiast, and globe-trotter.
Research Interests
- Agroecology
- Biodiversity
- Data Visualization
- Livestock Methane
- Natural Climate Solutions
- Soil Carbon Sequestration
Shelby C. McClelland 