Aquila Flower
About
I am a broadly trained geographer with research interests in climatology, biogeography, and Geographic Information Science. My research focuses on the role of climatic variability, human land use patterns, and natural disturbances in shaping forest, alpine, and coastal ecosystem dynamics, particularly in the Salish Sea Region. I am Director of the Spatial Institute and the primary faculty advisor for our GIS degrees and climate change minor. I teach physical geography and geospatial techniques courses.
Education
Research Interests
Climate change, natural disturbances, and human land use patterns shape ecosystems at multiple spatial scales. A detailed understanding of these socio-ecological dynamics is crucial for sustainable management in the face of changing climatic conditions and evolving land use goals. My research focuses on understanding the complex, interactive effects of these factors on forested, alpine, and coastal ecosystems in western North America. I use a multidisciplinary suite of dendrochronological, ecological, statistical, and geospatial methods to examine and visualize ecosystem dynamics at a variety of spatial and temporal scales.
My current main scholarly projecting is developing an open access digital Salish Sea Atlas.
Publications
Teaching Schedule
I teach physical geography and GIS classes. I am also the program lead and primary faculty advisor for our GIS Emphasis, Certificate and Minor, as well as our Climate Change Minor.
Fall 2024
ENVS 302 - Navigating Environmental Studies
ENVS 420/520 - GIS III
ENVS 599 - Graduate Seminar: Biogeography
Winter 2025
ENVS 420/520 - GIS III
ENVS 599 - Graduate Seminar: Biogeography
Spring 2025
ENVS 503 - Communicating Research Results
ENVS 599 - Graduate Seminar: Biogeography