Dr. Eric Post

Smiling man in cap and black hoodie holding small tan dog on outdoor deck at sunset

Faculty Advisor
Professor

  • Wildlife, Fish, & Conservation Biology

Climate change is altering biomes across the earth, but its effects have been most rapid and pronounced in the Arctic. Research in my lab focuses on understanding the ecological consequences of climate change in high latitude regions, primarily in the Arctic.

I strive to employ a "big picture" approach by studying effects of climate change on multiple components of arctic terrestrial ecosystems. This includes plants-both above and below ground-as well as animals, including insects, birds, and mammals. My lab places considerable emphasis on how interactions among component parts of terrestrial ecosystems are affected by climate change and how such interactions may feed back to climate. Understanding the effects of climate change in highly vulnerable and rapidly warming regions such as the Arctic can inform us of impacts to come at lower latitudes with further warming. This in turn can help shape wildlife conservation and climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts.

What was your first job?
My first job was working as a farmhand picking cucumbers and baling hay in rural Wisconsin.
Where's your hometown? 

Rosholt, WI

What does your research focus on?

Climate change impacts on the ecology of terrestrial systems, mainly in the Arctic.


Share a piece of advice you wish you had known when you began graduate school.
Never walk downhill or down a flight of stairs with your hands in your pockets. Both literally and figuratively.
 
Courses
  • WFC 168: Climate Change Ecology
  • ENV 200A: Climate Change Impacts, Mitigation, and Natural Resource Management
  • ENV 297: Professional Development Seminar
  • First-year seminar: Surfacing Environmental Anxiety
  • Honors program: Climate change, misinformation, and impacts on emotional well-being
Research Interests & Expertise
  • Conservation Management
  • Climate Change Science & Policy