Before joining the department in 2009, Associate Professor Alan Ziegler was based in Chiang Mai Thailand, where he served as senior field scientist for several research projects situated throughout SE Asia (e.g., in China, Lao PDR, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar).

His interests include determining if intensive agrarian systems on sloping lands in SE Asia are environmentally sustainable in terms of water availability, water quality, land degradation processes (erosion, land slides), biodiversity, and carbon sequestration. In particular, how do intensified systems, such as permanent cultivation, greenhouse agriculture, and monoculture plantations of rubber and oil palm, compare with traditional swidden practices? Alan’s research involves developing environmental monitoring programs that facilitate :

(1) understanding of how tropical catchment processes vary over different spatial and temporal scales; and
(2) quantification of the export of sediments, elements, nutrients, and pollutants from headwater catchments undergoing rapid land-cover conversion.

Within the Department, Alan is member of the Research Strategy Sub-Committee and Tropical Environments Research Group. He is also one of the staff in charge of the Geolab; Earth Lab; and Department Seminar Series.