Dissertation Title
The fate of working landscapes: quantifying changes in social-ecological systems
A little more about Katherine:
I study the drivers of change in complex social-ecological systems from a quantitative perspective, drawing on theories and methods from conservation science, land system science, econometrics, and resilience studies. My dissertation research focuses on three distinct social-ecological systems characterized by working landscapes undergoing rapid socio-environmental change: fire-prone forests in the western US, California rangelands subject to livestock grazing and wildfire, and protected areas in the Amazon Basin experiencing agricultural expansion. Before coming to ESPM, I worked for the Sustainable Fisheries Group at UC Santa Barbara, and I continue to keep my feet wet with side projects in marine science. Next fall, I will join Dr. Laura Dee’s lab at University of Colorado-Boulder as a NOAA Climate & Global Change Postdoctoral Fellow studying the functional traits of and ecosystem services provided by forests recovering from wildfires.
Predicted deforestation in Jamanxim National
Forest, Brazil, in 2028.
Cattle grazing reduces the probability of wildfires
in some regions and vegetation types in Californian rangelands.
Acknowledgement by Katherine:
I am grateful to my advisor, Van Butsic, for his mentorship, support, and patience, and to the LUC Lab and broader ESPM community for the advice and inspiration you all have given me. Special shout outs go to the ESPM pick-up soccer crowd and the Graduate Diversity Council for adding balance to my academic pursuits. Thanks also to Laurel Larsen and Justin Brashares for their guidance on my dissertation committee. I also want to thank the members of my SESYNC Graduate Pursuit team, Meg Mills-Novoa, Elizabeth Shoffner, Eva Kinnebrew, José Ochoa, and Aldo Farah Perez, for creating a supportive and productive team with me. I also want to acknowledge the SPUR students who worked with me: Sang Hyun Ma, Leslie Yin, Giselle Vandrick, Brook Hemphill, Ashley Chan, Matt French, Sage Thomas, Kyralai Duppel, Ashton Smith, Erica Garibay, and Emma Sallstrom. Finally, I am so grateful to my family and friends for their boundless support and love.
Research Funded By:
- Berkeley Fellowship
- James and Eleanor Delfino Graduate Excellence Award
- ESPM Starter Grant
- G. Fitzgarrald Martin Fellowship
- Tinker Field Research Grant
- National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center Graduate Student Research Fellowship
- Baker-Bidwell-Hall-Rosencrans Fellowship
- UC Division of Agriculture & Natural Resources Informatics & GIS Program
- Russell L. Rustici Rangeland and Cattle Research Endowment