About

Sparkle Malone is an Assistant Professor of Ecosystem Carbon Capture at Yale School of the Environment and the Center for Natural Carbon Capture at Yale University. She studies carbon dynamics and ecosystem function across space and time to build natural climate solutions that benefit both wildlife and people. Her research focuses on areas such as fire effects and post-fire recovery, natural carbon capture involving CO2 and CH4, and ecosystem resilience. She is an expert in disturbance ecology, ecosystem dynamics, and climate change, with a particular emphasis on ecosystem conservation, restoration, and biodiversity. Dr. Malone has contributed to understanding how fire regimes influence productivity in fire-adapted subtropical ecosystems, the resilience of mangroves to storms and sea-level rise, and the broader impacts of climate change on coastal wetlands and freshwater ecosystems. She holds a PhD from the University of Alabama, an MS and BS from the University of Florida, and is actively involved in research that aims to develop sustainable climate solutions benefiting both wildlife and human communities.

Research topics

• Environmental science
• Ecology
• Geography
• Computer science
• Atmospheric sciences

Selected publications

• Compounded effects on wetland greenhouse gas fluxes from climate change and water management along a saline to freshwater gradient

  Maryland Shared Open Access Repository (USMAI Consortium) · 2026-02-17

  articleOpen access

  Saline and freshwater wetlands store large amounts of carbon, which has driven interest in their role as nature-based climate solutions. Because these ecosystems can be both sinks and sources of carbon to the atmosphere as environmental conditions and human influence change, the net climate mitigation potential of wetlands at regional to global scales remains uncertain. We used a data-driven approach to measure ground-based and airborne fluxes to upscale carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄) fluxes using satellite-based surface reflectances at 500-m resolution across a gradient of saline to freshwater wetlands in Southern Florida, USA. Daily time series of CO₂ and CH₄ fluxes from 2000 to 2024 integrated surface properties related to vegetation productivity, flooding, and disturbance, and captured 80% and 91% of the variability in annual fluxes of CO₂ and CH₄, respectively. Long-term (23-y) patterns in the fluxes of CH₄, CO₂, and their CO₂-equivalent (CO₂eq) are represented as Global Warming Potential 100 (GWP100) and were shown to vary spatially with wetland management, revealing higher carbon uptake in mangroves susceptible to hurricane damage and coastal hydrology, and greater carbon emissions in freshwater sawgrass marshes where freshwater hydrology is managed for restoration. Regional net annual CO₂eq uptake in coastal and freshwater wetlands increased by 18% from −7.0 ± 3.3 MMT CO₂eq y⁻¹ in ~2003 to −8.4 ± 3.8 MMT CO₂eq y⁻¹ in ~2020 at an uptake rate of −0.06 ± 0.01 MMT CO₂eq y⁻². Annually, roughly 43% of CO₂ uptake was offset by CH₄ emissions from all wetlands in the region (from 16% in mangroves to 82% in freshwater marshes).

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Compounded effects on wetland greenhouse gas fluxes from climate change and water management along a saline to freshwater gradient

  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · 2026-02-17

  articleOpen access

  Saline and freshwater wetlands store large amounts of carbon, which has driven interest in their role as nature-based climate solutions. Because these ecosystems can be both sinks and sources of carbon to the atmosphere as environmental conditions and human influence change, the net climate mitigation potential of wetlands at regional to global scales remains uncertain. We used a data-driven approach to measure ground-based and airborne fluxes to upscale carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and methane (CH 4 ) fluxes using satellite-based surface reflectances at 500-m resolution across a gradient of saline to freshwater wetlands in Southern Florida, USA. Daily time series of CO 2 and CH 4 fluxes from 2000 to 2024 integrated surface properties related to vegetation productivity, flooding, and disturbance, and captured 80% and 91% of the variability in annual fluxes of CO 2 and CH 4 , respectively. Long-term (23-y) patterns in the fluxes of CH 4 , CO 2 , and their CO 2 -equivalent (CO 2 eq) are represented as Global Warming Potential 100 (GWP100) and were shown to vary spatially with wetland management, revealing higher carbon uptake in mangroves susceptible to hurricane damage and coastal hydrology, and greater carbon emissions in freshwater sawgrass marshes where freshwater hydrology is managed for restoration. Regional net annual CO 2 eq uptake in coastal and freshwater wetlands increased by 18% from −7.0 ± 3.3 MMT CO 2 eq y −1 in ~2003 to −8.4 ± 3.8 MMT CO 2 eq y −1 in ~2020 at an uptake rate of −0.06 ± 0.01 MMT CO 2 eq y −2 . Annually, roughly 43% of CO 2 uptake was offset by CH 4 emissions from all wetlands in the region (from 16% in mangroves to 82% in freshwater marshes).

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Future climate will not save high-elevation white pines

  Communications Earth & Environment · 2026-03-06

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Diseases are threatening forests worldwide. In North America, white pine blister rust (WPBR) is one of the most damaging tree epidemics. To understand patterns in the current and future risk for high-elevation five-needle white pine species (High-5), we compiled data from independent studies across the western U.S. to estimate WPBR risk. Contrary to previous predictions, the future climate is not expected to reduce the prevalence of WPBR risk on High-5 species in the western U.S. The prevalence of WPBR is predicted to increase, with most distributions of the High-5 species projected to experience elevated WPBR prevalence over the next century. Temperature and moisture conditions ensure that while some newly invaded areas are projected to experience regular periods of elevated risk, others can expect intermittent episodes of high risk. Restoration in impacted areas and proactive management in regions at increased risk are warranted to ensure High-5 population sustainability and ecosystem function. High-elevation five-needle white pine species in the U.S. are projected to face increased risk of white pine blister rust over the next century due to climate change, based on compiled data from independent studies.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• A global methane observation system to track climate feedbacks for verifiable climate impact

  Science · 2026-03-26 · 1 citations

  article

  Methane measurements, particularly of natural sources, need to be expanded considerably.

  PublisherDOI

• Malone-Disturbance-Ecology-Lab/RUSTMapper: Future climate will not save high-elevation white pines

  Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · 2026-01-13

  otherOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Includes current and future projections.

  PublisherDOI

• RustMapper: White Pine Blister Rust Risk Across High Elevation Forests in the Western United States

  Scientific Data · 2025-06-20

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  White pine blister rust (WPBR) is one of North America's most damaging tree epidemics. Aggregating data from more than 80 independent studies across the western U.S. from 1995-2024, we estimate WPBR risk for high-elevation five-needle pine species (High-5) from 1980-2023 in the adaptive management tool RustMapper. WPBR risk is the probability of observing WPBR on the High-5. Stream density, topography, hardiness zone, precipitation, air temperature, vapor pressure deficit, and relative humidity were critical in estimating WPBR risk. WPBR risk increased with moisture and declined with temperature. Across the High-5 range, suitable conditions were found in areas where the disease had not yet invaded and throughout regions where the disease was well established. As a result, the mean risk for WPBR was much higher in the north (~0.6) compared to the southern portions of the High-5 range (~0.15). These findings indicate cautious optimism for disease mitigation success in regions where the disease is established and urgency for proactive management where WPBR occurrence is currently low.

  PublisherDOI

• X-MethaneWet: A Cross-scale Global Wetland Methane Emission Benchmark Dataset for Advancing Science Discovery with AI

  arXiv (Cornell University) · 2025-05-23

  preprintOpen access

  Methane (CH$_4$) is the second most powerful greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide and plays a crucial role in climate change due to its high global warming potential. Accurately modeling CH$_4$ fluxes across the globe and at fine temporal scales is essential for understanding its spatial and temporal variability and developing effective mitigation strategies. In this work, we introduce the first-of-its-kind cross-scale global wetland methane benchmark dataset (X-MethaneWet), which synthesizes physics-based model simulation data from TEM-MDM and the real-world observation data from FLUXNET-CH$_4$. This dataset can offer opportunities for improving global wetland CH$_4$ modeling and science discovery with new AI algorithms. To set up AI model baselines for methane flux prediction, we evaluate the performance of various sequential deep learning models on X-MethaneWet. Furthermore, we explore four different transfer learning techniques to leverage simulated data from TEM-MDM to improve the generalization of deep learning models on real-world FLUXNET-CH$_4$ observations. Our extensive experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of these approaches, highlighting their potential for advancing methane emission modeling and identifying new opportunities for developing more accurate and scalable AI-driven climate models.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Thermal acclimation dampens the warming-induced increase in ecosystem respiration

  Research Square · 2025-01-10

  preprintOpen accessSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Sea-level rise and freshwater management are reshaping coastal landscapes

  Journal of Environmental Management · 2025-05-26 · 3 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  Along low-elevation coastlines, sea-level rise (SLR) threatens to salinate ecosystems. To understand the effects of SLR and freshwater management on landscape carbon (C) exchange, we measured the net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of CO 2 between subtropical wetland ecosystems and the atmosphere along a dynamic salinity gradient. Ecosystems were representative of freshwater marl prairies, brackish ecotones, and saline scrub mangrove forests in the southeastern Everglades. Patterns in NEE explained the landward movement of coastal wetlands, a process observed over the last 70 years. The capacity to capture C was greatest along the coast in the scrub mangrove (−294 ± 0.02 g C m −2 y −1 ) and declined inland into marl prairies (−47 ± 0.03 g C m −2 y −1 ). Low resilience to current conditions was evident in marl prairies, a result of the legacy impacts of water diversion throughout the greater Everglades. Although the southeastern Everglades captured approximately 115 metric tons of C in 2021, if the ecotone continues to advance at 25 m y −1 over the next century, we project a 12 % increase (16 mt C y −1 ) in net CO 2 capture. Results emphasize that initial functional responses to changes in conditions may not accurately represent long-term outcomes and highlight the role of brackish ecotone communities as the frontline for climate- and management-induced shifts in coastal ecosystem structure and function. This is the first study to use disequilibrium dynamics to understand landscape-level transitions and their implications for C capture. • This is the first study to use disequilibrium dynamics to understand landscape-level transitions and their implications for carbon. • To estimate the impact of disequilibrium, we measured the resilience of ecosystems along a dynamic salinity gradient. • Resilience was greatest at the coast and declined inland, a result of the legacy impacts of water diversion. • The resilience and expansion of coastal ecosystems could increase carbon capture over the next century. • Condition-driven transitions in ecosystem composition and structure rely on landscape connectivity, a key determinant of resilience.

  PublisherDOI

• Network of networks: Time series clustering of AmeriFlux sites

  Agricultural and Forest Meteorology · 2025-06-24 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access

  • Air temperature and net radiation followed a latitude gradient in clustering. • Clustering of fluxes was related to mean annual temperature and precipitation. • Site uniqueness was quantified, and proximal sites pairs were more similar. • Unique sites were in urban, open water, mountains, Hawaii, and Latin America. Environmental observation networks, such as AmeriFlux, are foundational for monitoring ecosystem response to climate change, management practices, and natural disturbances; however, their effectiveness depends on their representativeness for the regions or continents. We proposed an empirical, time series approach to quantify the similarity of ecosystem fluxes across AmeriFlux sites. We extracted the diel and seasonal characteristics (i.e., amplitudes, phases) from carbon dioxide, water vapor, energy, and momentum fluxes, which reflect the effects of climate, plant phenology, and ecophysiology on the observations, and explored the potential aggregations of AmeriFlux sites through hierarchical clustering. While net radiation and temperature showed latitudinal clustering as expected, flux variables revealed a more uneven clustering with many small (number of sites < 5), unique groups and a few large (> 100) to intermediate (15–70) groups, highlighting the significant ecological regulations of ecosystem fluxes. Many identified unique groups were from under-sampled ecoregions and biome types of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP), with distinct flux dynamics compared to the rest of the network. At the finer spatial scale, local topography, disturbance, management, edaphic, and hydrological regimes further enlarge the difference in flux dynamics within the groups. Nonetheless, our clustering approach is a data-driven method to interpret the AmeriFlux network, informing future cross-site syntheses, upscaling, and model-data benchmarking research. Finally, we highlighted the unique and underrepresented sites in the AmeriFlux network, which were found mainly in Hawaii and Latin America, mountains, and at under-sampled IGBP types (e.g., urban, open water), motivating the incorporation of new/unregistered sites from these groups.

  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Henry W. Loescher

  University of Colorado Boulder

  33 shared

• Gregory Starr

  University of Alabama

  31 shared

• Christina L. Staudhammer

  University of Alabama

  27 shared

• Michael G. Ryan

  Colorado State University

  27 shared

• Jessica L. Schedlbauer

  West Chester University

  26 shared

• Steven F. Oberbauer

  23 shared

• Aurélien Besnard

  Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique

  18 shared

• Paulo C. Olivas

  Florida International University

  18 shared

Education

• Ph.D Biology, Biological Sciences

  University of Alabama

  2014

• M.S., Forestry

  University of Florida

  2010