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Dr. Lauren Parker, California Climate Hub Fellow

Dr. Parker is a geographer by training, with a focus on agricultural climatology in perennial crop systems. Lauren comes to the California Climate Hub with a background in applied climatology, phenology and bioclimatic niche modeling, spatial analysis, and education and curriculum development. Dr. Parker’s current research examines the intersection of climate extremes and irrigation practices, primarily in wine grape vineyards and almond orchards. The goal of her work is to improve water use efficiencies and assess water demands under projected future climate conditions. She also continues to work on outreach and education projects. Dr. Parker joined the USDA California Climate Hub in August 2018.

Current and Ongoing Projects

  • Vineyard irrigation practices in response to extreme heat exposure
  • Water demands for frost mitigation in almond orchards under future climate regimes
  • Climate suitability of specialty crops

Outreach and Education

  • Climate change literacy workshops
  • Landscape climate smart agriculture

Selected Peer-Reviewed Publications

  • Parker LE and Abatzoglou JT. 2018. Shifts in the thermal niche of almond under climate change. Climatic Change. doi: 10.1007/s10584-017-2118-6  
  • Parker LE and Abatzoglou JT. 2017. Comparing mechanistic and empirical approaches to modeling the thermal niche of almond. Journal of Biometeorology. doi:10.1007/ s00484-017-1338-9
  • Hicke JA, Abatzoglou JT, Daley-Laursen S, Esler J, and Parker L. 2017. Using scientific conferences to engage the public on climate change. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. doi: 10.1175/BAMS-D-15-00304.1
  • Parker LE and Abatzoglou JT. 2016. Projected changes in cold hardiness zones and suitable overwinter ranges of perennial crops over the United States. Environmental Research Letters. doi: 10.1088/1748-9326/11/3/034001
  • Parker LE and Abatzoglou JT. 2015. Spatial coherence of extreme precipitation events in the Northwestern United States. International Journal of Climatology. doi: 10.1002/joc.4504