Shashi Verma
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Hi, I’m Shashi Verma, Charles Bessey Professor of Natural Resource Sciences in the School of Natural Resources.
I’m associated with the natural resource sciences major and the bio-atmospheric interactions specialization. My areas of interest include atmospheric trace gas dynamics, carbon sequestration (storage in plants, soil or other places) and micrometeorology. I’ve been a member of the UNL faculty since 1972.
In recent years, I have been leading a large interdisciplinary project concentrating on the measurement and analysis of carbon sequestration in agricultural ecosystems. Working with 11 faculty members from four UNL departments, we are employing micrometeorological techniques (tower flux eddy covariance systems) to measure landscape-level fluxes of (changes in) carbon, water and energy to improve the understanding of the relevant biophysical controlling factors. Information on carbon dioxide exchange (uptake or release) is crucial in a) quantifying annual carbon sequestration; b) developing a better understanding of the components of the global carbon cycle; and c) accurately predicting future climatic conditions.
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My recent research has provided a systematic determination of carbon dioxide exchange in key ecosystems, which should lead to an improved prediction of future climate. SiB2 is a comprehensive terrestrial biosphere model fully integrated in a general circulation model (GCM) and thus, has the capability of modeling and prediction at global scales. Our measurements of mass and energy fluxes in a grassland ecosystem have provided crucial information for thorough testing and improvement of this model, needed to advance our understanding of important atmospheric-biospheric processes.
Key Research Publications
- Suyker, A.E., S.B. Verma and G.G. Burba, 2003. Interannual variability in net CO2 exchange of a native tallgrass prairie, Global Change Biology, 9:255-265.
- Burba, G.G., S.B. Verma and J. Kim. 1999. A comparative study of surface energy fluxes of three communities (Phragmites australis, Scirpus acutus and open water) in a prairie wetland ecosystem, Wetlands, 19:451-457.
- Kim, J., S.B. Verma, and D.P. Billesbach. 1998. Seasonal variation in methane emission from a temperate Phragmites-dominated marsh: Effect of growth stage and plant-mediated transport, Global Change Biology, 5:433-440.
- Verma, S.B., J. Kim, R.J. Clement, N.J. Shurpali and D.P. Billesbach. 1995. Trace gas and energy fluxes - micrometeorological perspectives, Soils and Global Change, Advances in Soil Science, 30:361-375.
- Verma, S.B., P.J. Sellers, C.L. Walthall, F.G. Hall, J. Kim, and S.J. Goetz. 1993. Photosynthesis and stomatal conductance related to reflectance on the canopy scale, Remote Sens. of Environ., 44:103-116.
- Verma, S.B., J. Kim, and R.J. Clement. 1992. Momentum, water vapor and carbon dioxide exchange at a centrally located prairie site during FIFE, J. Geophys. Research, 97:18,629-18,640.
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| Potential Advising for Graduate Program |
Master of Science with a Specialization in
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| SNR Faculties | Applied Climate Science, Water, Applied Ecology |
| Areas of Interest | Micrometeorology, Biometeorology, Carbon Sequestration, Evapotranspiration and Atmospheric Trace Gas Dynamics |
| Notable Website | http://gprcnigec.unl.edu/ |
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