Karolyn Auer ‘25 helps define on-farm biodiversity, aids sustainable dairy

Auer started with NMSP as an intern, assisting with Godber’s primary research program. She focused on conducting numerous nutrient mass balance assessments to determine nutrient use efficiency. She also conducted greenhouse gas emission assessments, aiming to quantify the sustainability of dairy farms alongside her colleagues. 

During this time, she also found herself drawn towards scientific literature concerning biodiversity on dairy farms and began investigating that. Both of these subjects piqued her interest, so she later continued with the team as a research assistant.

“I found a niche at NMSP that I didn’t know existed,” said Auer. “Many projects here are in fields that I wouldn’t have considered before joining the program⎯ from precision ag and data management to greenhouse gas assessment and dairy sustainability. I am really grateful for the exposure that I’ve gotten while working with my team.”

Auer’s internship opened the doors to a plethora of research opportunities within the program and eventually her honors thesis.

Outside of her primary work, Auer conducted a literature review regarding biodiversity on dairy and crop farms. This type of biodiversity has been studied before, but has been difficult to capture consistently. 

Auer sought to pinpoint consistencies in definitions of on-farm biodiversity and bring together the pre-existing body of knowledge to create a more concrete measure. This work will grant future researchers a meaningful metric that allows for a more accurate comparison between researchers and across regions where farms have been assessed for biodiversity.

“New York dairy has a unique opportunity to be a leader in this new area of biodiversity metrics,” said Auer. “Several of the improved management practices that New York farms have implemented over the years are already contributing to biodiversity.”

Going forward, Auer will be continuing with the NMSP team this summer. Her plan is to convert the findings from her research into a published paper. In the future, she is looking to pursue a career in sustainability working with large animals.

“It’s incredible to look back,” said Auer. “Three years ago, I didn’t know what a nutrient mass balance was, and now I’m working towards developing a new sustainability metric for New York. My time at NMSP has helped me become a scientist in every aspect, and I hope to give back by continuing to work on sustainability solutions for farms!”