Kristin Byrd, Ph.D.
Landscape Ecology, Remote Sensing, and Decision Support for Natural Resources Management
Current Position
I am an applied landscape ecologist with expertise in vegetation ecology, remote sensing, integrated landscape modeling and stakeholder engagement. I lead interdisciplinary teams in landscape-scale studies that help guide conservation planning, climate adaptation, and nature-based solutions within wetlands and working lands. My project sites span U.S. coastal wetlands, the State of California, and Puget Sound, Washington. I prioritize the use of open data and open-source software to make information readily available. All projects feature extensive outreach to land managers and landowners to support natural resources decision making.
Current Projects
Lead Author, Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Spatial Planning and Connectivity Assessment. 2025 - 2027.
Team Member, Philippines Counter Wildlife Trafficking & Protected Area Management Project, U.S. Dept. of Interior International Technical Assistance Program short-term assignment. 2023 – 2025.
PI: “Climate-related impacts and restoration opportunities for culturally significant Klamath River willow riparian species.” USGS Southwest Climate Adaptation Science Center. 2024 – 2027.
Co-PI: "Triage and Decision Support Tool for Evaluating Vulnerability of Indigenous Shell Middens and Loss of Marsh Habitat Diversity to Sea Level Rise. USGS Southeast Climate Adaptation Science Center. 2024 – 2026. PI: Kathryn Smith, USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center.
Senior Personnel: “Shifting Culture and Mitigating Inequities in Landscape Ecology Through a Collaborative Network of Professional Societies.” NSF Leading Culture Change Through Professional Societies of Biology (BIO-LEAPS). 2024 – 2025. PI: Kusum Naithani, University of Arkansas.
PI: “Remote Sensing of Mercury Speciation in South San Francisco Bay: Applications of Emerging Technologies to Track Management and Climate Impacts." USGS Bay-Delta Priority Ecosystem Studies Program. 2022 – 2026.
Co-PI: “Coastal wetland vulnerability to climate change and sea-level rise: understanding ecological thresholds and ecosystem transformations.” USGS Large Landscapes Priority Ecosystem Studies Program. 2023 – 2025. PI: Michael Osland, USGS Wetland and Aquatic Research Center.
Co-PI: SHIFT (NASA Surface Biology and Geology High Density Time Series) Field Campaign. NASA SBG. 2022 - 2023. Lead: Caltech Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Co-PI: "Coastal Elevation Models and Land Surface Variables for Use in Forecasting Hurricane Impacts." Hurricane Coastal Impacts, Task 1, National Oceanographic Partnership Program. 2021 – 2024. PI: Dean Gesch, USGS EROS.
PI: "Remote Sensing and Forecasting Wetland and Watershed Ecosystem Services." USGS National Land Imaging Program. Ongoing.
Science and Products
Assessing the Benefits and Vulnerability of Current and Future Potential Ecosystem Services of the Nisqually River Delta and other Puget Sound Estuaries
Rangeland Ecosystem Services
Integrating Remote-Sensing and Ecological Forecasting into Decision-Support for Wetland Wildlife Management in the Central Valley of California
Applied Landscape Ecology and Remote Sensing
Science and Products
Assessing the Benefits and Vulnerability of Current and Future Potential Ecosystem Services of the Nisqually River Delta and other Puget Sound Estuaries
Rangeland Ecosystem Services
Integrating Remote-Sensing and Ecological Forecasting into Decision-Support for Wetland Wildlife Management in the Central Valley of California
Applied Landscape Ecology and Remote Sensing
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government