Rachel Keen

Rachel's research interests broadly include plant ecophysiology, ecohydrology and biogeochemistry. Her Ph.D. research focused on the ecohydrological impacts of clonal shrub encroachment in tallgrass prairie. She continues to explore how vegetation alters soil structure, impacts carbon and nutrient cycling, and mediates water fluxes in ecosystems across the U.S. She utilizes methods and experimental approaches from plant ecophysiology, hydrology and soil science to explore how vegetation influences Critical Zone functions in the context of changing climate and land-use/land-cover.