People of SIMSL
Jesse Nippet
My research focus is on plant eco-physiological responses to changes in water availability (spatially, temporally, or driven by climate changes). Particularly, I'm interested in the mechanisms of drought tolerance by grassland and savanna species (structure / function) as well as the theory of competition/ facilitation for water between trees and grasses. Thus, I enjoy spending my time addressing questions linking resource availability - physiology - patterns of productivity, with the goal of improving our ability to scale energy dynamics and hydrological processes from the plant- to ecosystem-level.
I love spending time outdoors in the grasslands. These systems exist within an interface of climatic variability and frequent disturbance (fire and grazers). Grass species are deceptively simple, but their unique physiology and form is adapted to environmental stress and disturbance. Despite abiotic and biotic pressures, grasses are masters of growth efficiency and develop dense canopies and high biomass. The environmental and biotic complexity of grasslands provides a challenging (mentally and physically) and enjoyable system to study. For me, there is nothing better than spending a day in the sun of the Konza Prairie.
Saranya Puthalath
saranyaputhalath@ksu.edu
Post-doctoral Researcher
I am an isotope hydrologist interested in understanding the hydrological and hydrometeorological processes in the soil-vegetation-atmosphere interface from the critical zone to the catchment and river basin scales. By integrating water isotope forensics with hydrological and meteorological tools, I trace the movement and transport of water across various hydrological compartments. My research also explores how vegetation utilizes subsurface water storage, influencing streamflow generation and shaping the connectivity between transpiration and streamflow.
