School of Earth & Sustainability professor Rebecca Best, along with Co-PIs from the Department of Biological Sciences at NAU and the Merriam-Powell Center for Environmental Research , have received a new NSF grant to study the evolutionary origins and ecological consequences of “flexibility” in the way cottonwood trees at the heart of riparian ecosystems respond to stresses. By investigating the history and future of climate stresses and insect attacks, these professors, postdocs, and students hope to contribute better predictive power to organizations working on the restoration of healthy river ecosystems in the Southwest. Read more at NAU News.