The University of Arizona

Shirley A. Kurc

Shirley Kurc
Assistant Professor
Area of Expertise: 
Ecohydrology, surface hydrology, land-atmosphere interactions, soil-plant-atmosphere continuum, environmental fluid mechanics, soil moisture, eddy covariance methods, Bowen ratio methods, micrometeorology, drylands, MATLAB© for data processing, phenology, creosotebush, Larrea tridentata
Academic Degree(s)
BA Mathematics (1998), Kalamazoo College, Kalamazoo, Michigan
PhD Geological Sciences (2006), University of Colorado, Boulder, CO
Contact Information
1 520-621-3803

School of Natural Resources, 325 Biosciences East
Tucson, AZ 85721

Curriculum Vitae: 

The main objective of my research group is to characterize key aspects of vegetation that govern water, energy, and carbon cycling in water-limited ecosystems, and vice versa. Understanding these cycles is critical to the sustainability of our native ecosystems as we anticipate gradual and abrupt climatic and anthropogenic change. This understanding is fundamental as changes in our native ecosystems will undoubtedly have effects on the health of our watersheds and rivers. We use state of the art field, lab, and modeling techniques to achieve this objective. Additionally, this group utilizes the extensive opportunities for collaboration, extension, and outreach that differentiate both the University of Arizona and the School of Natural Resources as great research institutions.