Savanna LABO

Savanna Landscape Analysis and Biogeographical Observation (LABO) Lab

Fire Near a FootPaul runs the Savanna LABO at CSULB. The mission of the lab is to seek a better understanding of ecosystems in which both woody and grassy vegetation forms co-exist on the landscape. Our aim is to solve what Sarmiento once called the “savanna conundrum” that is, what enables both vegetation forms to co-exist and what causes change in these ecosystems. We seek to understand which factors contribute to shifts in the amount and types of trees, shrubs and grasses on the land. Our work focuses on understanding the role of human disturbances such as fire, farming, grazing and disking in shifting the balance of woody and grassy plants over time, as well as the broader impacts of these changes on the Earth’s system, biodiversity and human societies.

See the Savanna LABO in Action

Congratulations to Rebecca Jacobs – Winner of CLA Best Thesis Award!

Rebecca Jacobs received the 2018 College of Liberal Arts Best Thesis Award for her outstanding work on her thesis Determinants of Fire Intensity in a Mesic West Africa Savanna: A Statistical Analysis of Fire Characteristics which she completed as part of her work as a Savanna LABO graduate student research assistant. You can read Rebecca’s excellent thesis yourself by downloading a PDF version from the following link:
Determinants of Fire Intensity in a Mesic West Africa Savanna: A Statistical Analysis of Fire Characteristics (PDF)