ProfessorUniversity of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
Appalachian Laboratory
301 Braddock Road
Frostburg, Maryland 21532
Email: mark.cochrane@umces.edu
Phone: 301-689-7109
Visit Mark's Research Website
Research Disciplines: Research Interests:
Wildland Fire, Climate Change, Disturbance Ecology, Land Cover Change, Remote Sensing, Earth System Science
View Mark's CVBiographical Sketch
Dr. Mark Cochrane conducts interdisciplinary work combining ecology, remote sensing, and other fields of study to provide an Earth systems perspective of the dynamic processes involved in global change. He is an expert on wildfire, documenting the characteristics, behavior and severe effects of fire in tropical and temperate forests that are inherent to current systems of human land-use and management. His research focuses on understanding spatial patterns, interactions and synergisms between the multiple physical and biological factors that affect ecosystems. Recently published work has emphasized the climate change, human dimensions of land-cover change and the potential for sustainable development. In his ongoing research program, Dr. Cochrane continues to investigate the drivers and effects of disturbance regime changes resulting from various forms of forest degradation, including fire, fragmentation and logging as well as the mitigating effects of forest management. He holds a Ph.D. in Ecology from Pennsylvania State University and a S.B. in Environmental Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Education
- 1994-1998 Ph.D. Ecology, The Pennsylvania State University
- 1989-1993 S.B. Environmental Engineering Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Ongoing and Recent CESU Projects
None at present as I have only recently started work as a Professor with the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Appalachian Laboratory.
Other Research
Awarded >$17,000,000 in Federal Funds with >$10,000,000 as Principal Investigator
Current Research Grants:
NASA (Cochrane PI) Land Cover and Land Use Change Grant ($749,641) 2020-2023. Land-use transitions in Indonesian peatlands. (80NSSC20K0365)
NASA (Cochrane PI) Carbon Monitoring Science Grant ($1,442,946) 2020-2023. Effectiveness and monitoring of large-scale carbon-loss mitigation activities in Indonesia’s peatlands. (80NSSC20K0408)
NASA (Cochrane PI), Carbon Monitoring Science Grant ($1,310,995) 2018-2021. Continuation and expansion to a national-scale of the “Filling a critical gap in Indonesia’s national carbon monitoring, reporting, and verification capabilities for supporting REDD+ activities: Incorporating, quantifying and locating fire emissions from within tropical peat-swamp forests” Project. (80NSSC18K0235)
Previous Research Grants:
NASA (Cochrane PI), Carbon Monitoring Science Grant ($185,748) 2016-2017. Continuation and expansion to a national-scale of the “Filling a critical gap in Indonesia’s national carbon monitoring, reporting, and verification capabilities for supporting REDD+ activities: Incorporating, quantifying and locating fire emissions from within tropical peat-swamp forests” Project.
NASA (M. Wimberly PI), SERVIR Applications Grant ($628,713) 2016-2019. Monitoring and projecting environmental change in fragmented tropical landscapes. NASA (I. Numata PI), Research Grant ($602,349) 2014-2017. Assessing vulnerability and responses of forest edges to drought in Amazonia.
NASA (Cochrane PI), Interdisciplinary Research in Earth Science Grant – Carbon Monitoring Science ($2,202,393) 2013-2017. Filling a critical gap in Indonesia’s national carbon monitoring, reporting, and verification capabilities for supporting REDD+ activities: Incorporating, quantifying and locating fire emissions from within tropical peat-swamp forests.
NASA (Cochrane PI), Interdisciplinary Research in Earth Science Grant ($1,950,144) 2011-2014. Shifting Fire Regimes of the US, Australia and Brazilian Amazonia: The Roles of Climate Change, Land Use and Mitigation Efforts.
NASA (Cochrane PI), Applications Grant ($150,027) 2012-2014. Wildfire risk and treatment effectiveness of protecting highly valued resources and assets with fuels management.
NASA (Cochrane PI), Quantifying Fuel Treatment Effectiveness Over Time and in Extreme Weather Conditions ($30,000/annually renewed 2014-2017). Fellowship proposal for Christopher Moran. (Declined)
NASA (Cochrane PI), Interdisciplinary Research in Earth Science Grant ($1,111,163) 2007-2012. Biodiversity Implications of Forest Disturbance and Related Landscape Dynamics in the Brazilian Amazon.
JFSP (Cochrane PI), Research Grant ($656,370) 2006-2012. Fuel Treatment Effectiveness in the United States.
NASA (Cochrane PI), Applied Remote Sensing for Conservation Monitoring ($30,000/annually renewed 2008-2012). Fellowship for Christopher Barber.
NASA (M. Hansen PI), Research Grant ($556,373) 2006-2008. Establishing a Global Monitoring System Using Multi-Resolution and Multi-Temporal Remotely Sensed Data Sets.
NASA New Investigator Program, (Cochrane PI) Research Grant ($327,287) 2002-2005. The Synergism of Fire, Forest Fragmentation and Selective Logging in the Brazilian Amazon.
USAID (flow through IMAZON), (Cochrane PI) Research Grant ($260,116) 2003-2007. Sustainable Communities and Landscapes: A proposed Program to Sustain Natural Ecosystems and Enhance Local Livelihoods.
NASA (D. Skole PI), Research Grant ($4,167,405) 2003-2008. A Global Tropical Forest Information Center – TRFIC-2.
NASA (D. Skole PI), Research Grant ($591,672) 2004-2007. What is the Global Rate and Extent of Tropical Deforestation?
NASA (J. Qi PI), Research Grant ($763,065) 2004-2007. Land Use and Land Cover Dynamics of China in Support of GOFC/GOLD and NEESPI Sciences.