Brooke Osborne (she/her)
Biogeochemist exploring global change consequences for terrestrial ecosystems! | Utah State University | Diverse voices in STEM | Views are my own.
- Reposted by Brooke Osborne (she/her)If you are in the US and you would like to send a message to your elected representative about the proposed dissolution of the National Center for Atmospheric Research, @agu.org makes it easy with a template here: agu.quorum.us/campaign/151... #AGU25
- Reposted by Brooke Osborne (she/her)“NCAR has played a greater role in advancing weather prediction & atmospheric modeling than perhaps any other single entity in the world,” says @weatherwest.bsky.social Dismantling NCAR would be “like taking a sledgehammer to the keystone holding up our scientific understanding of the planet.” KH
- Reposted by Brooke Osborne (she/her)
- Reposted by Brooke Osborne (she/her)Meet the 2026 team for the ESA Southwest Chapter! 🌵☀️ We're super excited to serve our community and support your science in any way we can! Got questions or ideas? Send them our way! Stay tuned for introduction posts of each of our amazing new leaders!
- SUCH a pleasure to talk with Peggy at the Science Moab Podcast about dryland science: sciencemoab.org/drylands-the...
- Yessss new paper is OUT! Scott Ferrenberg led this effort to tease apart "nurse plant" effects in the Chihuahuan Desert. Spoiler alert: don't underestimate the power of a little shade in arid systems @scottferrenberg.bsky.social rdcu.be/eH1O8
- Reposted by Brooke Osborne (she/her)Our most recent labor of love, "Quantifying potential abiotic drivers of the ‘nurse plant effect’ in two dominant shrub species of the northern Chihuahuan Desert" #drylands #desert_ecology link.springer.com/article/10.1...
- Climate rather than overgrazing explains most rangeland primary productivity change in Mongolia | Science www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
- Wow I had the MOST fun kicking off this project with @rcoconnor.bsky.social and Daav! Excited to learn more about what these moss are up to over the winter months in a cold desert system
- The wonderful @brookebosborne.bsky.social came north to the Northern Great Basin Experimental Range to help install sensors for a new moss micro-site project! Stay tuned to see how moss changes the micro-climate and possibly primes carbon fixation in early spring.
- Reposted by Brooke Osborne (she/her)Come find the @esa-sw.bsky.social at #esa2025!!
- Reposted by Brooke Osborne (she/her)Are you attending ESA this year? Are you a biocrust lover? Come to COS 011 on Monday 1:30 pm to learn all about CrustNet and biological soil crusts. We are excited to recruit new collaborators and new sites for this project. #esa2025 @womeninsoileco.bsky.social
- Cheering on the National Academies today!! Thank you! www.nationalacademies.org/news/2025/08...
- Sweet new paper alert! Great study design to explore "fertile islands" in an arid system: Nurse plant shading is more important than soil fertility for dryland plant recruitment and diversity - Ferrenberg - Journal of Ecology besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
- Starting in one hour!
- Way excited for Savannah's defense next week! If you love biogeochemistry and thinking about potential for soil carbon management, mark your calendar for Monday, July 28th @ 11:00 AM MDT (or stop by campus if you're in Moab 😉) Public Zoom Link: usu.zoom.us/j/8144285688...
- Reposted by Brooke Osborne (she/her)Our new review is out led by @michalaphillips.bsky.social examining #biocrust recovery amidst climate change 👇 bsapubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
- Way excited for Savannah's defense next week! If you love biogeochemistry and thinking about potential for soil carbon management, mark your calendar for Monday, July 28th @ 11:00 AM MDT (or stop by campus if you're in Moab 😉) Public Zoom Link: usu.zoom.us/j/8144285688...
- Reposted by Brooke Osborne (she/her)Excited to share our new global estimate of nitrogen fixation out now in Nature! This work sets a new gold standard for understanding how much nitrogen is fixed in the terrestrial biosphere. Huge thanks so Carla Reis Ely for leading this incredible work! urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=htt...
- Reposted by Brooke Osborne (she/her)[Inaugural Blue Sky post!] New paper out on #biocrust- plant interactions led by recent lab alumnus MS student John Bacovcin. Morphological seed traits structure relationships between biocrusts and plant emergence: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
- Reposted by Brooke Osborne (she/her)Hi, Bluesky! I am an Assistant Professor at Colorado State University. based in #FortCollins, CO studying #drylands and #restoration with a focus on #plantecology, #biocrusts, #functionaltraits, and #rangelandecology. I'm excited to connect about science here!
- Reposted by Brooke Osborne (she/her)Federal efforts to sell off or privatize our national public lands risk our way of life. If you're based in CO, here are resources to tell your politicians that Colorado is not for sale. keepitpublic.co/take-action #KeepItPublic #PublicLands
- I'm attending National Wildlife Federation's event, “Virtual Rally to Save the Cornerstone of Conservation Science” - sign up now to join me! www.mobilize.us/nwf/event/79...
- 🚨Super cool webinar this morning (May 9 @ 11 AM MDT) from Toby Maxwell about the carbon benefits of restoration from annual grass invasions across the western US! Details and flyer here: docs.google.com/document/d/1...
- Reposted by Brooke Osborne (she/her)Great to see this letter, led by @ecologicalsociety.bsky.social and signed by almost 70 scientific societies, advocating for continued funding of the U.S. Geological Survey's Ecosystems Mission Area.
- Do you have NSF funding that was terminated? Check out this opportunity for some bridge funding from a private foundation and pass it on: www.spencer.org/grant_types/...
- Reposted by Brooke Osborne (she/her)We're hiring an assistant prof in global change ecology! Apply!!! We're vibrant, supportive, and interdisciplinary EEB community! Plz note the weird dates: We're reviewing applications beginning on ✨August 15th✨. I'm part of the SC and happy to answer questions! apply.interfolio.com/164677

- Massive congratulations to soon-to-be Dr Savannah Adkins for her brilliance, perseverance, and bright future!
- Reposted by Brooke Osborne (she/her)📢 New pub: Defining #soil science: Balancing fundamental research and societal needs, in Soil Science Society of America Journal doi.org/10.1002/saj2... @teamrat.bsky.social & I argue, soil science, though crucial for solving environmental challanges, should not be defined solely by its applications
- This #DRAGNet crew and site are prettttty great. A little dose of field work was perfect this week and treatment effects are strong and fascinating. ☀️
- Reposted by Brooke Osborne (she/her)We ❤️ global soil studies!! So stoked to be getting samples from Australia, Africa, maybe Mongolia(?!), in addition to all of the awesome US NutNet sites!
- Fly my pretties!! 🧹 Psyched to get another round of soil sampling kits out the door for our #NutNet dryland carbon add-on! Even more psyched for an excuse to meet and work with so many other dryland enthusiasts 🌍 @soilcarbonsci.bsky.social @ecology-awesome.bsky.social
- Fly my pretties!! 🧹 Psyched to get another round of soil sampling kits out the door for our #NutNet dryland carbon add-on! Even more psyched for an excuse to meet and work with so many other dryland enthusiasts 🌍 @soilcarbonsci.bsky.social @ecology-awesome.bsky.social
- @utahstate.bsky.social students, especially Environmental Science and Sustainability Majors, check out these upcoming events:
- Reposted by Brooke Osborne (she/her)Today at the “Stand up for Science” demonstration at the Lincoln Memorial.
- Reposted by Brooke Osborne (she/her)Tropical forests are not all the same: they show many shades of geographical variation. Our new paper in Nature led by @jeaggu.bsky.social combines field and satellite data to make a first map the canopy functional traits of the world’s tropical forests: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
- Reposted by Brooke Osborne (she/her)Job alert @ The University of Western Australia Lecturer/Snr Lecturer in Soil-Plant Interactions. More details and how to apply: external.jobs.uwa.edu.au/en/job/51967... Applications close 30 Mar 2025. Please re-post!
- Reposted by Brooke Osborne (she/her)Field work + dust storm = trauma bonding 🥲🫂 and lichens! 🤩🤗 #Chihuahuan #Desert #biocrusts #dryland #microbes
- Reposted by Brooke Osborne (she/her)Happy to share a new paper with novel insights into the impacts of precip variability in a semiarid #rangeland ecosystem. Unfortunately, with unconstitutional layoffs at #USDA #ARS, we have been forced to transition this longterm experimental facility into dormancy. link.springer.com/article/10.1...
- Reposted by Brooke Osborne (she/her)Racial affinity groups are under attack. Now is the time to redouble our commitments to these vital organizations that make science better for all. Proud to pen this letter with @khadlily.bsky.social and many @wocineeb.bsky.social colleagues www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
- Reposted by Brooke Osborne (she/her)Proud to be part of this awesome team! Thanks to @balachaudhary.bsky.social and @khadlily.bsky.social, unstoppable forces in EcoEvo 💜💜 @wocineeb.bsky.social has done a lot for me and other POC in EcoEvo so please help us protect groups like this www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
- Reposted by Brooke Osborne (she/her)Developers of curriculum - what is your go-to place for scientific illustrations? When putting slides together I'm constantly web searching for grainy images of biomolecules and trees, or making janky powerpoint roots and hyphae. Any tips or is this how everyone does it?
- rangelands.org/srm-joins-pr... Thank you for your leadership, Society for Range Management
- So much feels like a nightmare right now, but having the wonderful and brilliant @petehomyak.bsky.social talk to my Global Change Ecology students today about nitrogen gas fluxes and global change was a major bright spot! Needed more science and less disruption.

- Reposted by Brooke Osborne (she/her)Hello Bluesky community! #ESWN is a non-profit providing opportunities for peer mentoring, community building, and career development for scientists, educators, and professionals who contribute to and support the earth, space, and environmental sciences. Give us a follow and say hi!
- Reposted by Brooke Osborne (she/her)Utah’s national park sites brought $3 billion to the state’s economy in 2023, according to a National Park Service report released in September, bringing in 15.7 million visitors and supporting over 26,500 jobs.
- Reposted by Brooke Osborne (she/her)This is a good look into what it feels like to be a Federal employee right now. This is really how we treat our civil servants as a society? I guess it is. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
- Check out this SWEET collaborative overview of #carbon in the #sagebrush system: storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/b35c...
- Reposted by Brooke Osborne (she/her)Grassland and rangeland folks! We are seeking someone for our rangeland ecology Chair position. Full title OR at least 10 years experience outside of academia. LOTS of financial support: arizona.csod.com/ux/ats/caree... Work with me!!!!!! #range @sustainablerangeland #grassland
- Reposted by Brooke Osborne (she/her)Soil Carbon Workshop at #SRM2025. Learning about soils, soil carbon, managing soils. Such a great workshop taught by talented scientists: @ecology-awesome.bsky.social @workinglandsorg.bsky.social Seren Bagcilar, Toby Maxwell and Savannah Adkins
- Reposted by Brooke Osborne (she/her)We're excited to celebrate International Day of Women and Girls in Science, and grateful for all of our Aggie scientists who share curiosity, intelligence, camaraderie, encouragement, imagination and perseverance in the pursuit of knowledge. #ScienceUnites
- Reposted by Brooke Osborne (she/her)Happy International Day of Women in Science. The National Science Foundation’s list of flagged words includes both “Women” and “Female.”
- Reposted by Brooke Osborne (she/her)On #InternationalDayofWomenandGirlsinScience let me remind you that we are NOWHERE NEAR parity. A few examples. 1. Women are credited less in science than men. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
- Reposted by Brooke Osborne (she/her)For #InternationalDayofWomenandGirlsinScience I want to put the spotlight on the amazing, talented, women in the Plant-Soil Ecology lab. 🧵
- ✨💥International Day of Women and Girls in Science, Ya'll!!💥✨ Endlessly grateful + inspired by the incredible mentors and students in my life who push science forward, improve our community, and persevere through adversity. THANK YOU.
- Reposted by Brooke Osborne (she/her)Happy to share a new review in #LandscapeEcology, "Applications of unoccupied aerial systems (UAS) in landscape ecology: a review of recent research, challenges and emerging opportunities," expertly led by Miguel Villarreal and with contributions from a great team. link.springer.com/article/10.1...
- Reposted by Brooke Osborne (she/her)Position still open for applications. If computational skills are low but creativity is high, you're still encouraged to apply!
- Reposted by Brooke Osborne (she/her)Want to Get Involved in USU's 2025 Earth Week Celebration April 14-18? Scan the QR Code below or contact USU's Christensen Service Center and the Student Sustainability Office (COSAS) at servicecenter@usu.edu
- Getting psyched for Society for Range Management next week! Time to share new science and think together about how to keep making advances. Being surrounded by scientists and land managers is sounding so good these days. Hope to see you there #SRM2025
- Reposted by Brooke Osborne (she/her)CU Boulder grad students: Apply by Feb 28th for the SARAH CRUMP GRAD FELLOWSHIP ~$15K of summer funding. Preference given to those with INSTAAR advisors. Members of historically excluded communities are particularly encouraged to apply. More info at www.colorado.edu/instaar/reso...
- Loving this perspectives article from the excellent @davidhoover.bsky.social and @wkolby.bsky.social The growing threat of multiyear droughts | Science www.science.org/doi/full/10....
- Reposted by Brooke Osborne (she/her)🚨BREAKING. From a program officer at the National Science Foundation, a list of keywords that can cause a grant to be pulled. I will be sharing screenshots of these keywords along with a decision tree. Please share widely. This is a crisis for academic freedom & science.
- Postdoc opportunity studying carbon cycling in warming exp in Puerto Rico (www.forestwarming.org). 12-month appointment (may be extended) Remote work possible ($72,000/y). Links for details and application - questions to Dr. Tana Wood (tana.e.wood@usda.gov). www.zintellect.com/Opportunity/....
- Reposted by Brooke Osborne (she/her)Opportunities for UNDERGRAD RESEARCHERS to apply to FUND and PRESENT RESEARCH open Feb. 1: + URCO Grants research.usu.edu/urco; + Peak Summer Research Fellowships research.usu.edu/peakfellows; +College of Science Undergrad Research Minigrants usu.edu/science/research/undergraduate-minigrants;
- Reposted by Brooke Osborne (she/her)I'm hiring, two fully funded PhD positions! Come work in Umeå in Arctic Sweden, a leading place for high-latitude ecosystem ecology and carbon biogeochemistry
- Reposted by Brooke Osborne (she/her)Hey there Blue Sky! We are WOCinEEB, an organization for women of color & non-binary people of color in ecology, evolutionary biology, & allied fields. We offer formal & informal mentorship programs for all career stages & a space for community positivity. Join us & find your people! wocineeb.org
- Attending #SRM this February and curious or confused about all the #soilcarbon x rangeland management hubbub? Please join us for this special workshop! Happy to answer any questions and hope to see you there!
- Gettin' crusty in Moab! Check out this recent video from USU highlighting collaborative work with the USGS to better understand how climate change will impact biocrusts and dryland ecosystems 🏜️♥️ @ecology-awesome.bsky.social 👇 usu.edu/today/story/...
- The 2025 NATURE Program (paid summer internship for Indigenous undergraduates who are psyched about natural resources) is open for applicants! Pass it on! You can also learn more here - youtube.com/watch?v=g_IA... Thank you!
- Greetings, Bluesky! I am an assistant professor @utahstate.bsky.social based in #Moab Utah studying #biogeochemistry and #ecosystemecology with special love for #drylands and #rangelandecology. I'm excited to connect over science and build a network and community here.