Leonardo Calzada is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies at New Mexico State University. He is a human-environmental geographer and land system scientist whose research examines how environmental change and access to natural resources shape one another. His work looks at how climate events and land use transform ecosystems, and how land policy and conservation decisions affect who can use those resources and with what results.

Environmental change is never only ecological. Whether a forest recovers from fire, a community faces drought, or a large development project produces landscape change, the outcomes depend on how land has been used, who holds rights to it, and which institutions govern it. Dr. Calzada combines geospatial analysis and ecological data with institutional and policy research to examine how ecosystems respond to change, how communities and governments manage resources, and how conservation and development interventions interact. His current work focuses on forest degradation and local governance, the vulnerability of resource-dependent communities, and the effects of large-scale development on frontier regions. This research spans Latin America and the United States. Through mixed methods and participatory research with communities, resource managers, and decision-makers, Dr. Calzada works to connect research and practice while training students to address complex society and environmental challenges.

Curriculum Vitae (PDF)

Research Interests

Land system science, GIS, landscape ecology, forest dynamics, environmental governance, conservation–development interventions

Education

Ph.D. Geography; Rutgers University – New Brunswick, 2026

Courses Taught

GEOG 452/552, Landscape Ecology

Contact

Breland Hall, Room 143
575-646-3509 (Department Office Phone)
lcalzada@nmsu.edu