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.
Professional Experience
Research Physical Scientist, USGS Western Geographic Science Center, 2016 - present
Physical Scientist, USGS Western Geographic Science Center, 2009 - 2016
GIS Coordinator, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA, 2007 - 2008
Post-doctoral Researcher, Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, U.C. Berkeley, 2006
Education and Certifications
Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley
Environmental Science, Policy, and ManagementM.A., San Francisco State University
Ecology and SystematicsB.S., Cornell University, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Environmental Science
Affiliations and Memberships*
Co-Chair, California Biodiversity Network Systematic Conservation Planning Roundtable, 2023 - present
Councillor-at-Large and Founding Chair, Equity, Inclusion and Diversity Committee, International Association of Landscape Ecology-North America, 2019 - 2023
Member, San Francisco Bay Wetlands Regional Monitoring Program People & Wetlands Working Group, 2024 - present
Member, Elkhorn Slough Waterbirds Working Group, 2025 - present
NASA Biodiversity and Ecological Forecasting Team member, 2017 - 2021
Member, Society for Conservation Biology, International Association for Landscape Ecology-North America, Ecological Society of America
Honors and Awards
Distinguished Service Award, International Association for Landscape Ecology - North American Region, 2022
USGS Environmental Achievement Award, 2024
National Oceanographic Partnership Program (NOPP) Excellence in Partnering Award, 2025
Science and Products
Remote sensing for wetland mapping and historical change detection at the Nisqually River Delta Remote sensing for wetland mapping and historical change detection at the Nisqually River Delta
Coping with historic drought in California rangelands: Developing a more effective institutional response Coping with historic drought in California rangelands: Developing a more effective institutional response
Adapting California’s ecosystems to a changing climate Adapting California’s ecosystems to a changing climate
Forecasting tidal marsh elevation and habitat change through fusion of Earth observations and a process model Forecasting tidal marsh elevation and habitat change through fusion of Earth observations and a process model
Assessing wildlife benefits and carbon storage from restored and natural coastal marshes in the Nisqually River Delta: Determining marsh net ecosystem carbon balance Assessing wildlife benefits and carbon storage from restored and natural coastal marshes in the Nisqually River Delta: Determining marsh net ecosystem carbon balance
A hybrid model for mapping relative differences in belowground biomass and root: Shoot ratios using spectral reflectance, foliar N and plant biophysical data within coastal marsh A hybrid model for mapping relative differences in belowground biomass and root: Shoot ratios using spectral reflectance, foliar N and plant biophysical data within coastal marsh
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Science and Products
Remote sensing for wetland mapping and historical change detection at the Nisqually River Delta Remote sensing for wetland mapping and historical change detection at the Nisqually River Delta
Coping with historic drought in California rangelands: Developing a more effective institutional response Coping with historic drought in California rangelands: Developing a more effective institutional response
Adapting California’s ecosystems to a changing climate Adapting California’s ecosystems to a changing climate
Forecasting tidal marsh elevation and habitat change through fusion of Earth observations and a process model Forecasting tidal marsh elevation and habitat change through fusion of Earth observations and a process model
Assessing wildlife benefits and carbon storage from restored and natural coastal marshes in the Nisqually River Delta: Determining marsh net ecosystem carbon balance Assessing wildlife benefits and carbon storage from restored and natural coastal marshes in the Nisqually River Delta: Determining marsh net ecosystem carbon balance
A hybrid model for mapping relative differences in belowground biomass and root: Shoot ratios using spectral reflectance, foliar N and plant biophysical data within coastal marsh A hybrid model for mapping relative differences in belowground biomass and root: Shoot ratios using spectral reflectance, foliar N and plant biophysical data within coastal marsh
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
*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