The NAU Review — NAU’s first Hispanic/Latine youth media workshop, more news

June 5, 2024

What’s 1.4 inches long, hunts for prey at night and is helping scientists in the Southwest determine the long-term health of our forests? If you guessed “giant tiger beetle,” you’re probably acquainted with Jamie Ramirez. The Ph.D. student has turned her childhood love of insects into a successful academic career—so successful that she’s received a prestigious Graduate Research Fellowship from the National Science Foundation to continue her work on tiger beetles. This unique insect genus serves as a bioindicator of forest health, helping Ramirez and other scientists learn how climate change impacts forests at different elevations.

The Sonoran Desert of southern Arizona and northern Mexico has long been largely immune to fires. Despite its intense heat, it simply didn’t have enough fuel to feed flames. But in the last two decades, wetter winters and the spread of invasive species have caused a rapid shift in the desert. In 2024, that could spell disaster: Recent research from the Southwest Fire Science Consortium shows conditions are perfect for an active fire season.