Cody Reed, Ph.D.

Senior Meadow Ecologist

As Senior Meadow Ecologist, I conduct research and outreach to support restoration and conservation of Sierra Nevada meadows. I work closely with land managers and restoration practitioners to increase our understanding of these keystone ecosystems and identify management activities that enhance the ecological benefits they provide. My research uses field, laboratory, and modeling approaches to study ecosystem responses to disturbance, restoration, and climate change.

My interest in meadows began as a child exploring shallow stream channels through meadows in the mountains of northern Colorado. During graduate school, I fell in love with these biogeochemically unique ecosystems again, this time from a scientific perspective. I received my Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology from the University of Nevada, Reno and continued my research as a postdoctoral scholar at the Soil Ecology Lab at UNR. My graduate research focused on understanding the impacts of anthropogenic disturbance and restoration on soil carbon sequestration and loss in Sierra Nevada meadows.

In addition to ecological research, I have experience in international and community development, place-based education, and sustainable farming. After traveling the world, I have been fortunate to call the Sierra Nevada home for over a decade. I enjoy exploring the diverse ecosystems of the Sierra and taking my children on toddler-sized adventures when I’m not tromping around meadows for science.

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