Associate Adjunct Professor, UC Berkeley
Associate Adjunct Professor, UC Berkeley
Principal Climate Change Scientist, US National Park Service
Faculty Affiliate, UC Berkeley Institute for Parks, People, and Biodiversity
Faculty Affiliate, UC Berkeley Energy and Resources Group
Patrick Gonzalez is a forest ecologist and climate change scientist. He advances action on human-caused climate change through scientific research revealing new insights on ecosystem impacts and carbon solutions. He helps local people, national parks, and policymakers use the scientific results to conserve nature and protect human well-being. Patrick has conducted field research in Africa, Latin America, and the United States and published in Science, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA, and other journals. He is a lead author on four reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the organization awarded a share of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize.
Recent Work
The Biden administration can’t stop wildfires. But it can make them less destructive
Article by Sarah Kaplan, Washington Post, December 22, 2020. (One of several people featured)
Forest and woodland replacement patterns following drought-related mortality
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA, November 24, 2020
With the cameras off, Trump softened his climate denial
Article by Lisa Friedman, New York Times, October 22, 2020. (One of several people featured)
Stephen T. Mather Award, National Parks Conservation Association, September 29, 2020
Preventing catastrophic wildfire under climate change
Science-based policy proposal, Day One Project, Federation of American Scientists, September 11, 2020. (HTML) (PDF)
A war against climate science, waged by Washington’s rank and file
Article by Lisa Friedman, New York Times, June 15, 2020. (digital) (print)
(One of several people featured)
Human-caused climate change in United States national parks and solutions for the future
Parks Stewardship Forum, May 19, 2020.
Science under attack: How Trump is sidelining researchers
and their work
Article by Brad Plumer and Coral Davenport, New York Times,
December 28, 2019 (digital), December 29, 2019 (print).
(One of several people featured)
Speaking to the U.S. Congress on human-caused climate change in national parks
Centennial session, Untold Stories of Science Policy, Fall Meeting,
American Geophysical Union, December 11, 2019.
Human-caused climate change in US national parks
Testimony to the US Congress, February 13, 2019
Video Stream (HD) Video (moderate resolution) Report (PDF)
National parks bear the brunt of climate change
Television interview, KTVU Channel 2, San Francisco Bay Area, September 24, 2018.
Disproportionate magnitude of climate change in United States national parks
Environmental Research Letters, September 24, 2018
Berkeley ecologist selected as a lead author for IPCC report
UC Berkeley News, April 12, 2018
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Energy and Resources, University of California, Berkeley, 1997 (Dissertation Chair John P. Holdren)
Master of Science (M.S.), Environmental Engineering, Stanford University, 1987
Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Natural Resources, Cornell University, 1986
Climate change, forest ecology, ecosystem carbon, wildfire, biome shifts, national parks
The pdf files of publications are publicly available at http://www.patrickgonzalez.net
Refereed Journal Articles
Batllori, E., F. Lloret, T. Aakala, W.R.L. Anderegg, E. Aynekulu, D.P. Bendixsen, A. Bentouati, C. Bigler, C.J. Burk, J.J. Camarero, M. Colangelo, J.D. Coop, R. Fensham, M.L. Floyd, L. Galiano, J. L. Ganey, P. Gonzalez, A.L. Jacobsen, J.M. Kane, T. Kitzberger, J.C. Linares, S.B. Marchetti, G. Matusick, M. Michaelian, R.M. Navarro-Cerrillo, R.B. Pratt, M.D. Redmond, A. Rigling, F. Ripullone, G. Sangüesa-Barreda, Y. Sasal, S. Saura-Mas, M.L. Suarez, T.T. Veblen, A. Vilà-Cabrera, C. Vincke, and B. Zeeman. 2020. Forest and woodland replacement patterns following drought-related mortality. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA 117: 29 720-29 729.
Article pdf Supplementary information pageGonzalez, P., F. Wang, M. Notaro, D.J. Vimont, and J.W. Williams. 2018. Disproportionate magnitude of climate change in United States national parks. Environmental Research Letters 13: 104001. doi:10.1088/1748-9326/aade09.
Article pdf Supplementary information pdf Data distribution pageBarnosky, A.D., E.A. Hadly, P. Gonzalez, J. Head, P.D. Polly, A.M. Lawing, J.T. Eronen, D.D. Ackerly, K. Alex, E. Biber, J. Blois, J. Brashares, G. Ceballos, E. Davis, G.P. Dietl, R. Dirzo, H. Doremus, M. Fortelius, H. Greene, J. Hellmann, T. Hickler, S.T. Jackson, M. Kemp, P.L. Koch, C. Kremen, E.L. Lindsey, C. Looy, C.R. Marshall, C. Mendenhall, A. Mulch, A.M. Mychajliw, C. Nowak, U. Ramakrishnan, J. Schnitzler, K.D. Shrestha, K. Solari, L. Stegner, M.A. Stegner, N.C. Stenseth, M.H. Wake, and Z. Zhang. 2017. Merging paleobiology with conservation biology to guide the future of terrestrial ecosystems. Science 355: 594. doi:10.1126/science.aah4787.
Early, R., B.A. Bradley, J.S. Dukes, J.J. Lawler, J.D. Olden, D.M. Blumenthal, P. Gonzalez, E.D. Grosholz, I. Ibañez, L.P. Miller, C.J.B. Sorte, and A.J. Tatem. 2016. Global threats from invasive alien species in the twenty-first century and national response capacities. Nature Communications 7: 12 485. doi:10.1038/ncomms12485.
Gonzalez, P., J.J. Battles, B.M. Collins, T. Robards, and D.S. Saah. 2015. Aboveground live carbon stock changes of California wildland ecosystems, 2001-2010. Forest Ecology and Management 348: 68-77.
Betts, R.A., N. Golding, P. Gonzalez, J. Gornall, R. Kahana, G. Kay, L. Mitchell, and A. Wiltshire. 2015. Climate and land use change impacts on global terrestrial ecosystems and river flows in the HadGEM2-ES Earth system model using the representative concentration pathways. Biogeosciences 12: 1317-1338.
Eigenbrod, F., P. Gonzalez, J. Dash, and I. Steyl. 2015. Vulnerability of ecosystems to climate change moderated by habitat intactness. Global Change Biology 21: 275-286.
Lydersen, J.M., B.M. Collins, C.M. Ewell, A.L. Reiner, J.A. Fites, C.B. Dow, P. Gonzalez, D.S. Saah, and J.J. Battles. 2014. Using field data to assess model predictions of surface and ground fuel consumption by wildfire in coniferous forests of California. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences 119: 223–235.
Gonzalez, P., B. Kroll, and C.R. Vargas. 2014. Tropical rainforest biodiversity and aboveground carbon changes and uncertainties in the Selva Central, Peru. Forest Ecology and Management 312: 78-91.
Grimm, N.B., F.S. Chapin, B. Bierwagen, P. Gonzalez, P.M. Groffman, Y. Luo, F. Melton, K. Nadelhoffer, A. Pairis, P.A. Raymond, J. Schimel, and C.E. Williamson. 2013. The impacts of climate change on ecosystem structure and function. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 11: 474-482.
Schwartz, M.W., J.J. Hellmann, J.M. McLachlan, D.F. Sax, J.O. Borevitz, J. Brennan, A.E. Camacho, G. Ceballos, J.R. Clark, H. Doremus, R. Early, J.R. Etterson, D. Fielder, J.L. Gill, P. Gonzalez, N. Green, L. Hannah, D.W. Jamieson, D. Javeline, B.A. Minteer, J. Odenbaugh, S. Polasky, D.M. Richardson, T.L. Root, H.D. Safford, O. Sala, S.H. Schneider, A.R. Thompson, J.W. Williams, M. Vellend, P. Vitt, and S. Zellmer. 2012. Managed relocation: Integrating the scientific, regulatory, and ethical challenges. BioScience 62: 732-743.
Gonzalez, P., C.J. Tucker, and H. Sy. 2012. Tree density and species decline in the African Sahel attributable to climate. Journal of Arid Environments 78: 55-64.
Haugo, R.D., S.A. Hall, E.M. Gray, P. Gonzalez, and J.D. Bakker. 2010. Influences of climate, fire, grazing, and logging on woody species composition along an elevation gradient in the eastern Cascades, Washington. Forest Ecology and Management 260: 2204-2213.
Gonzalez, P., R.P. Neilson, J.M. Lenihan, and R.J. Drapek. 2010. Global patterns in the vulnerability of ecosystems to vegetation shifts due to climate change. Global Ecology and Biogeography 19: 755-768.
Gonzalez, P., G.P. Asner, J.J. Battles, M.A. Lefsky, K.M. Waring, and M. Palace. 2010. Forest carbon densities and uncertainties from Lidar, QuickBird, and field measurements in California. Remote Sensing of Environment 114: 1561-1575.
Baker, D.J., G. Richards, A. Grainger, P. Gonzalez, S. Brown, R. DeFries, A. Held, J. Kellndorfer, P. Ndunda, D. Ojima, P.E. Skrovseth, C. Souza, and F. Stolle. 2010. Achieving forest carbon information with higher certainty: A five-part plan. Environmental Science and Policy 13: 249-260.
Allen, C.D., A.K. Macalady, H. Chenchouni, D. Bachelet, N. McDowell, M. Vennetier, T. Kitzberger, A. Rigling, D.D. Breshears, E.H. Hogg, P. Gonzalez, R. Fensham, Z. Zhang, J. Castro, N. Demidova, J.H. Lim, G. Allard, S.W. Running, A. Semerci, and N. Cobb. 2010. A global overview of drought and heat-induced tree mortality reveals emerging climate change risks for forests. Forest Ecology and Management 259: 660-684.
Lawler, J.J., T.H Tear, C. Pyke, M.R. Shaw, P. Gonzalez, P. Kareiva, L. Hansen, L. Hannah, K. Klausmeyer, A. Aldous, C. Bienz, and S. Pearsall. 2010. Resource management in a changing and uncertain climate. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 8: 35-43.
Griffith, B., J.M. Scott, R. Adamcik, D. Ashe, B. Czech, R. Fischman, P. Gonzalez, J. Lawler, A.D. McGuire, and A. Pidgorna. 2009. Climate change adaptation for the US National Wildlife Refuge System. Environmental Management 44: 1043-1052.
Richardson, D.M., J.J. Hellmann, J.S. McLachlan, D.F. Sax, M.W. Schwartz, P. Gonzalez, E.J. Brennan, A. Camacho, T.L. Root, O.E. Sala, S.H. Schneider, D.M. Ashe, J.R. Clark, R. Early, J.R. Etterson, E.D. Fielder, J.L. Gill, B.A. Minteer, S. Polasky, H.D. Safford, A.R. Thompson, and M. Vellend. 2009. Multidimensional evaluation of managed relocation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA 106: 9721-9724.
Gonzalez, P. 2001. Desertification and a shift of forest species in the West African Sahel. Climate Research 17: 217-228.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Reports
Parmesan, C., Y. Trisurat, R. Adrian, G.Z. Anshari, A. Arneth, Q. Gao, P. Gonzalez, R. Harris, M. Morecroft, J. Price, N. Stevens, and G.H. Talukdar. in revision. Terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems and their services. In Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Climate Change 2021: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.
Mirzabaev, A., L. Stringer, T.A. Benjaminsen, P. Gonzalez, R. Harris, M. Jafari, N. Stevens, M. Tirado, S. Zakieldeen, and T. Zatari. in revision. Deserts, semi-arid areas, and desertification. In Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Climate Change 2021: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.
Niang, I., O.C. Ruppel, M.A. Abdrabo, A. Essel, C. Lennard, J. Padgham, and P. Urquhart. 2014. Africa. In Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. [Barros, V.R., C.B. Field, D.J. Dokken, M.D. Mastrandrea, K.J. Mach, T.E. Bilir, M. Chatterjee, K.L. Ebi, Y.O. Estrada, R.C. Genova, B. Girma, E.S. Kissel, A.N. Levy, S. MacCracken, P.R. Mastrandrea, and L.L. White (eds.)] Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. [P. Gonzalez one of 55 Contributing Authors.]
Settele, J., R. Scholes, R.A. Betts, S. Bunn, P. Leadley, D. Nepstad, J.T. Overpeck, and M.A. Taboada. 2014. Terrestrial and inland water systems. In Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. [Field, C.B., V.R. Barros, D.J. Dokken, K.J. Mach, M.D. Mastrandrea, T.E. Bilir, M. Chatterjee, K.L. Ebi, Y.O. Estrada, R.C. Genova, B. Girma, E.S. Kissel, A.N. Levy, S. MacCracken, P.R. Mastrandrea, and L.L. White (eds.)] Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. [P. Gonzalez one of 30 Contributing Authors.]
Pipatti, R., P. Munishi, P. Gonzalez, and P.M. Wade. 2013. Cross-cutting issues and reporting. In Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. 2013 Supplement to the 2006 IPCC Guidelines on National Greenhouse Gas Inventories: Wetlands. [Hiraishi, T., T. Krug, K. Tanabe, N. Srivastava, B. Jamsranjav, M. Fukuda, and T. Troxler (eds.)] Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, Hayama, Japan.
Aalde, H., P. Gonzalez, M. Gytarsky, T. Krug, W.A. Kurz, S. Ogle, J. Raison, D. Schoene, N.H. Ravindranath, N.G. Elhassan, L.S. Heath, N. Higuchi, S. Kainja, M. Matsumoto, M.J.S. Sánchez, and Z. Somogyi. 2006. Forest Land. In Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. National Greenhouse Gas Inventory Guidelines. [Eggleston H.S., L. Buendia, K. Miwa, T. Ngara, and K. Tanabe (eds).] Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, Hayama, Japan.
Aalde, H., P. Gonzalez, M. Gytarsky, T. Krug, W.A. Kurz, R. Lasco, D.L. Martino, B.G. McConkey, S.M. Ogle, K. Paustian, J. Raison, N.H. Ravindranath, D. Schoene, P. Smith, Z. Somogyi, A. van Amstel, and L. Verchot. 2006. Generic methods applicable to multiple land use categories. In Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. National Greenhouse Gas Inventory Guidelines. [Eggleston H.S., L. Buendia, K. Miwa, T. Ngara, and K. Tanabe (eds).] Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, Hayama, Japan.
Desanker, P., C. Magadza, A. Allali, C. Basalirwa, M. Boko, G. Dieudonne, T.E. Downing, P.O. Dube, A. Githeko, M. Githendu, P. Gonzalez, D. Gwary, B. Jallow, J. Nwafor, and R. Scholes. 2001. Africa. In Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Climate Change 2001: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. [McCarthy, J.J., O.F. Canziani, N.A. Leary, D.J. Dokken, and K.S. White (eds.)] Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.
U.S. National Climate Assessment Reports
Gonzalez, P., G.M. Garfin, D.D. Breshears, K.M. Brooks, H.E. Brown, E.H. Elias, A. Gunasekara, N. Huntly, J.K. Maldonado, N.J. Mantua, H.G. Margolis, S. McAfee, B.R. Middleton, and B.H. Udall. 2018. Southwest. In U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP). Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation in the United States: Fourth National Climate Assessment, Volume II. [Reidmiller, D.R., C.W. Avery, D.R. Easterling, K.E. Kunkel, K.L.M. Lewis, T.K. Maycock, and B.C. Stewart (eds.)] USGCRP, Washington, DC.
Garfin, G., G. Franco, H. Blanco, A. Comrie, P. Gonzalez, T. Piechota, R. Smyth, and R. Waskom. 2014. Southwest. In Melillo, J.M., T.C. Richmond, and G.W. Yohe (Eds.) 2014. Climate Change Impacts in the United States: The Third National Climate Assessment. [Melillo, J.M., T.C. Richmond, and G.W. Yohe (eds.)] U.S. Global Change Research Program, Washington, DC.
Book Chapters
Gonzalez, P. 2017. Climate change trends, impacts, and vulnerabilities in US national parks. In Beissinger, S.R., D.D. Ackerly, H. Doremus, and G.E. Machlis (eds.) Science, Conservation, and National Parks. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL.
Gonzalez, P. 2013. Energy use, Human. In Levin, S.A. (Ed.) Encyclopedia of Biodiversity (Second Edition). Academic Press, Waltham, MA.
Gonzalez, P. 2010. Impacts of climate change on terrestrial ecosystems and adaptation measures for natural resource management. In Dodson, J. (Ed.) Changing Climates, Earth Systems, and Society. Springer, Dordrecht, Netherlands.
Scott, J.M., B. Griffith, R.S. Adamcik, D.M. Ashe, B. Czech, R.L. Fischman, P. Gonzalez, J.J. Lawler, A.D. McGuire, and A. Pidgorna. 2008. National Wildlife Refuges. In U.S. Climate Change Science Program. Preliminary Review of Adaptation Options for Climate-Sensitive Ecosystems and Resources. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC.
Gonzalez, P. 2007. Energy use, human. In Levin, S. (ed.) Encyclopedia of Biodiversity (Updated Edition). Elsevier Press, Oxford, UK.
Sampson, R.N., N. Bystriakova, S. Brown, P. Gonzalez, L.C. Irland, P. Kauppi, R. Sedjo, and I.D. Thompson. 2006. Timber, Fuel, and Fiber. In Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. Ecosystems and Human Well-being: Current State and Trends. Island Press, Washington, DC.
Shvidenko, A., C.V. Barber, R. Persson, P. Gonzalez, R. Hassan, P. Lakyda, I. McCallum, S. Nilsson, J. Pulhin, B. van Rosenburg, and B. Scholes. 2006. Forest and Woodland Systems. In Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. Ecosystems and Human Well-being: Current State and Trends. Island Press, Washington, DC.
Gonzalez, P. 2001. Energy use, human. In S. Levin (ed.) Encyclopedia of Biodiversity. Academic Press, San Diego, CA.
Stephen T. Mather Award, National Parks Conservation Association, 2019
Research Scientist of the Year, Pacific West Region, US National Park Service, 2017
Kavli Frontiers of Science Fellow, National Academy of Sciences of the USA, 2011
Certificate of Contribution to the Nobel Peace Prize to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2007
Fulbright Scholar, U.S. Department of State, 1993-1994
Regents Fellow, University of California, Berkeley, 1987-1988
Environmental Engineering Fellowship, Stanford University, 1986-1987
Cornell National Scholar, Cornell University, 1986
Fall 2020 - Environmental Science, Policy, and Management 150 - Anthropogenic Climate Change and Natural Resource Management - Instructor - PDF summary - HTML summary
Fall 2020 - Environmental Science, Policy, and Management C22AC - Fire: Past, Present, and Future - Guest Lecture
Spring 2020 - Environmental Science, Policy, and Management 265 - Seminar on Fire as an Ecological Factor - Guest lecture
Spring 2020 - Environmental Science, Policy, and Management 198 - Directed Group Studies (Stewardship and Science for Public Land) - Guest Lecture
Spring 2020 - Environmental Science, Policy, and Management 40 - Insects and Human Society - Guest Lecture
Fall 2019 - Environmental Science, Policy, and Management C22AC - Fire: Past, Present, and Future - Guest Lecture
Fall 2019 - Environmental Science, Policy, and Management 108A - Trees: Taxonomy, Growth, and Structures - Guest Lecture
Fall 2019 - Environmental Science, Policy, and Management 108B - Environmental Change Genetics - Guest Lecture
Spring 2019 - Environmental Science, Policy, and Management 15 - Introduction to Environmental Sciences - Guest Lecture
Spring 2019 - Environmental Science, Policy, and Management 40 - Insects and Human Society - Guest Lecture
Spring 2019 - Environmental Science, Policy, and Management 201A - Research Approaches in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management - Guest lecture
Spring 2019 - Georgetown University - Journalism 405 - Science and Environmental Journalism - Guest Lecture
Fall 2018 - Environmental Science, Policy, and Management 108A - Trees: Taxonomy, Growth, and Structures - Guest Lecture
Fall 2018 - Environmental Science, Policy, and Management 108B - Environmental Change Genetics - Guest Lecture
Fall 2018 - Environmental Science, Policy, and Management 277 - Advanced Topics in Conservation Biology - Mentor graduate student group
Fall 2018 - Environmental Science, Policy, and Management 290 - Special Topics in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management - Guest lecture
Summer 2018 - Environmental Science, Policy, and Management 15 - Introduction to Environmental Sciences - Guest Lecture
Summer 2018 - College of Natural Resources - Beahrs Environmental Leadership Program - Guest Lecture
Spring 2018 - Environmental Science, Policy, and Management 40 - Insects and Human Society - Guest Lecture
Spring 2018 - Environmental Science, Policy, and Management 290 - Shaping the Berkeley Institute for Parks, People, and Biodiversity - Co-Instructor
Spring 2018 - Environmental Science, Policy, and Management 201A - Research Approaches in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management - Guest lecture
Fall 2017 - Environmental Science, Policy, and Management 103 - Principles of Conservation Biology - Guest lecture
Fall 2017 - Environmental Science, Policy, and Management 277 - Advanced Topics in Conservation Biology - Mentor graduate student group
Fall 2017 - Environmental Science, Policy, and Management 290 - Special Topics in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management - Guest lectures
Fall 2015 - Environmental Science, Policy, and Management 265 - Seminar on Fire as an Ecological Factor - Guest lecture
Graduate Student Researchers
Whitney B. Reiner, University of California, Berkeley, Graduate Student Researcher for Climate Change Science in U.S. National Parks, Spring 2016-Spring 2017
Joshua Verkerke, University of California, Berkeley, Graduate Student Researcher on Climate Change for Fire Management, Fall 2018-Spring 2019
Contact details
Patrick Gonzalez
130 Mulford Hall
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA 94720-3114
