W.A. Franke Honors Professor Seeks to Preserve the Future of Coffee
The Visioneers’ explores key research at Biosphere 2
In May, W.A. Franke Honors Associate Professor of Practice Joost van Haren was featured on an episode of The Visioneers with Zay Harding. The show, which airs on CBS, takes viewers on a journey discovering eco-research and climate resilience around the globe.
Dr. Van Haren is the lead scientist who directs rainforest research at the University of Arizona’s Biosphere 2. Conducting experiments on the impact of changing temperatures on tropical forest and coffee plants, van Haren’s research examines how climate change may affect the trajectory of these vital resources.
In April of 2022, twenty-five coffee trees were planted by researchers in Biosphere 2’s rainforest biome in both low and high temperature zones. Today, these plants are still thriving in both zones, indicating a likely positive outlook for the future of coffee. Factors such as drought and deforestation, however, could change that outcome, van Haren explains. He and other scientists are looking for solutions to mitigate these risk factors.
“The experiments here at Biosphere 2 could provide significant insight as to how climate change will continue to impact ecosystems in the near and distant future,” said Zay Harding, intrepid explorer and host of the CBS show.
In addition to his involvement at Biosphere 2, van Haren is an interdisciplinary faculty member of the W.A. Franke Honors College at the University of Arizona. He teaches Honors courses that tackle issues such as human impact on the planet, as well as the implications of environmental disconnect and how embracing our senses could lead to a more sustainable future.
Catch van Haren's feature on the Visioneers!
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Biosphere 2 is a 3.14-acre living laboratory that features a diverse array of complex, interconnected biomes and active research systems. Unlike in the natural world, scientists at Biosphere 2 can precisely control and isolate environmental variables, allowing them to study interactions that are impossible to separate in nature.