Woods Hole Research Center

Research Associate
Woods Hole Research Center
149 Woods Hole Road
Falmouth, MA 02540-1644

Phone:

508-444-1507

Fax:

508-444-1807

Email:

Education

2004-2008 University of Tromsø (Norway) and International Institute for Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC, the Netherlands)
PhD. in Natural Sciences

2003-2004 University of Tromsø (Norway)
Master in Biology (Major: Environmental Botany)

2001-2002 University of Tromsø (Norway)
Bachelor in Biology (Major: Vegetation Ecology)

1999-2001 Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Belgium)
Candidate in Biology

Professional Experience

• July 2011 - Present: Research Associate, Woods Hole Research Center
• 2008 - July 2011: Postdoctoral Fellow, Woods Hole Research Center
• 2007: Contract acquisition, GIS and vegetation ecology consultancy for GA Vegetation Analysis (Norway)

Research Interests

• Remote sensing and modeling of vegetation in high latitudes.
• Effects of climate variability, climate change and disturbance on the phenology, distribution, and carbon dynamics of vegetation.
• Spatiotemporal landscape dynamics as drivers of animal behavior.

Selected publications

Beck, P.S.A., L. Andreu-Hayles, R. D’Arrigo, K.J. Anchukaitis, C.J. Tucker, J.E. Pinzón, and S.J. Goetz 2013. A large-scale coherent response of tree-ring density and NDVI to warming at high latitudes in North America. Global and Planetary Change, 100: 109-118, doi: 10.1016/j.gloplacha.2012.10.005

Pearson, R., S. J. Phillips, M. M. Loranty, P. S. A. Beck, T. Damoulas, S. J. Knight, S. J. Goetz 2013. Arctic vegetation distribution shifts and associated feedbacks under future climate change. Nature Climate Change, doi: 10.1038/NCLIMATE1858

Xu, L., R. B. Myneni, F. S. Chapin III, T. V. Callaghan, J. E. Pinzon, C. J. Tucker, Z. Zhu, J. Bi, P. Ciais, H. Tømmervik, E. S. Euskirchen, B. C. Forbes, S.L. Piao, B.T. Anderson, S. Ganguly, R. R. Nemani, S. J. Goetz, P. S. A. Beck, A. G. Bunn, C. Cao, J. C. Stroeve 2013. Temperature and Vegetation Seasonality Diminishment over Northern Lands. Nature Climate Change, doi:10.1038/NCLIMATE1836

Andreu-Hayles, L., R. D’Arrigo, K. J. Anchukaitis, P. S. A. Beck, D. Frank, A. Verstege, S. J. Goetz 2011. Varying Northern Forest Response to Arctic Environmental Change at the Firth River, Alaska. Environmental Research Letters, 6: 04553, doi: 10.1088/1748-9326/6/4/045503

Beck, P. S. A., S. J. Goetz 2011. Satellite observations of high northern latitude vegetation productivity changes between 1982 and 2008: ecological variability and regional differences. Environmental Research Letters, 6: 045501, doi: 10.1088/1748-9326/6/4/045501.

Beck, P. S. A., N. Horning, S. J. Goetz, M. M. Loranty, K. Tape. Shrub cover on the North Slope of Alaska: a circa 2000 baseline map. In Press. Arctic, Antarctic and Alpine Research, 43(3): 355-363, doi: 10.1657/1938-4246-43.3.355.

Beck, P. S. A., S. J. Goetz, H. Alexander, M. C. Mack, Y. Jin, J. T. Randerson, M. M. Loranty. 2011. The effects and implications of an intensifying fire regime on boreal forest in Alaska. Global Change Biology, 17(9): 2853-2866, doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2011.02412.x

Beck, P. S. A., G.P. Juday, C. Alix, V. Barber, S. Winslow, E. Sousa, P. Heiser, J. Herriges, S. J. Goetz. 2011. Changes in forest productivity across Alaska consistent with biome shift. Ecology Letters, 14: 373-379, 107(33): 14685-14690, doi: 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2011.01598.x

Berner, L., P. S. A. Beck, A., Bunn, A. H. Lloyd, S. J. Goetz 2011. Evaluation of high-latitude coniferous forest growth using a satellite-derived spectral vegetation index. Journal of Geophysical Research, 116, G01015, doi:10.1029/2010JG001475.

Castello, L. T., McGrath, P. S. A. Beck. Status of small-scale fishery resources in the Lower Amazon 2011. In Press. Fisheries Research, 110: 356-364, doi: 10.1016/j.fishres.2011.05.002.

Loranty, M. M., S. J. Goetz, P. S. A. Beck 2011. Tundra vegetation effects on pan-Arctic albedo. Environmental Research Letters, 6: 024014, doi: 10.1088/1748-9326/6/2/024014.

Wang, T. J., A. K. Skidmore, Z. Zeng, P. S. A. Beck, Y. Song, X. Liu, H. Prins 2010. Migration patterns of two endangered sympatric species from a remote sensing perspective. Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing, 76 (12): 1343-1352.

Goetz, S. J, H. E. Epstein, D. Alcaraz, P. S. A. Beck, U. Bhat, J. Comiso, G. J. Jia, J. O. Kaplan, H. Lischke, A. Lloyd, Q. Yu and D. A. Walker 2010, Recent Changes in Arctic Vegetation: Satellite Observations and Simulation Model Predictions. in G. Gutman and A. Reissel (eds.) Arctic land cover and land use in a change climate. Springer-Verlag, New York.

Brando, P. M., S. J. Goetz, A. Baccini, A., D. C. Nepstad, P. S. A. Beck, M. C. Christman 2010. Seasonal and Inter-annual Variability of Climate and Vegetation Indices across the Amazon. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.0908741107.

Zeng, Z.-G., P. S. A. Beck, T.-J. Wang, A. K. Skidmore, Y.-L. Song, H.-S. Gong, H. H. T. Prins. 2010: Plant phenology and solar radiation drive seasonal movement of golden takin in the Qinling Mountains, China. Journal of Mammalogy, 91(1): 92-100.

Wanebo-Nilsen, K., J. W. Bjerke, P. S. A. Beck, H. Tømmervik. 2010: Host-specific and geographical variation of epiphytic vegetation in spruce plantations and native birch forests along a coast-inland gradient in North Norway. Boreal Environment Research. 15(1): 43-57.

Goetz, S., M. Sun, A. Baccini, P. S. A. Beck. 2010: Synergetic use of space-borne LiDAR and optical imagery for assessing forest disturbance: an Alaska Case Study. Journal of Geophysical Research – Biogeosciences. 115: G00E07, DOI 10.1029/2008JG000898.

Beck P. S. A., T. J. Wang , A. K. Skidmore, X. H. Liu. 2008: Displaying remotely sensed vegetation dynamics along natural gradients for ecological studies. International Journal of Remote Sensing, 14: 4277-4283.

Beck, P. S. A., P. Jönsson,, K.-A. Høgda, S. R. Karlsen, L. Eklundh, A. K. Skidmore. 2007: A ground-validated NDVI dataset for monitoring vegetation dynamics and mapping phenology in Fennoscandia and the Kola peninsula. International Journal of Remote Sensing, 28(19-20): 4311-4330

Karlsen, S. R., I. Solheim, K. A. Høgda, F. E. Wielgolaski, H. Tømmervik, P. S. A. Beck. 2007: Variability of the start of the growing season in Fennoscandia, 1982-2002. International Journal of Biometeorology. 51: 513-524 DOI 10.1007/s00484-007-0091-x.

Arnesen, G., P. S. A. Beck, T. Engelskjøn. 2007: Soil acidity, content of carbonates, and available phosphorus are the soil factors best correlated with alpine vegetation: evidence from Troms, North Norway. Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research, 39(2): 189-199.

Beck, P. S. A., C. Atzberger, K. A. Høgda, B. Johansen, A. K. Skidmore. 2006: Improved monitoring of vegetation dynamics at very high latitudes: a new method using MODIS NDVI. Remote Sensing of Environment, 100 (3): 321-334

Beck, P. S. A., E. Kalmbach, A. Stien, D. Joly and L. Nilsen. 2005: Modelling local distribution of an arctic dwarf shrub indicates an important role for remote sensing of snow cover. Remote Sensing of Environment, 98: 110-121.