Nathalia Potter

Hi there! My name is Nathalia Potter, and I am a 1st year PhD student in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Columbia University, and a Research Associate at Yale School of the Environment. 

I am very interested in how the changes in land use and climate affect the nutrient and greenhouse gas cycles. More specifically, I am fascinated by the complexity of tropical riparian forests, and how this ecotone between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and the services it provides are being impacted by compounding disturbances. 

My research focuses on the methane flux of such ecotones, and how the community of methane-producing and -consuming bacteria and their associated overall production of methane is being impacted by anthropogenic and climatic drivers. 

At Yale, I work with Dr. Paulo Brando analyzing CO2 flux data using eddy covariance. With this data, we investigate how the changes in land use and in climate are affecting the carbon flux of tropical forests. I also create maps for publications, assist in the writing and preparation of articles and proposals, and serve as the lab manager - mainly a bridge between our Brazilian and American teams.

 Check the "Research" tab to read more about my previous research work, and current work related to my PhD and the Brando Lab!

I have also served as an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Biology and Environmental Science at the University of New Haven, where I taught Biology and Environmental Science to students from different majors and to different class sizes - check the "Teaching" tab to read more about the courses, and the future classes that I will be TA'ing during my doctorate.