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 of Nature-based Climate Solutions provided by wetlands and working lands. Research topics address coastal ecosystem controls on hurricane impacts, carbon sequestration in tidal marshes, drought resilience in cropland and rangeland, and sustainability of ecosystem services. I integrate models of land use and management, climate and hydrological change to identify potential for climate resilience and adaptation. I analyze multispectral and hyperspectral imagery to quantify ecosystem condition. My work spans the spatial extents of U.S. coastal wetlands, the State of California and large landscapes including the Central Valley, California and Puget Sound, Washington. I emphasize the use of open data and open source software to easily reproduce, update and transfer information. All projects feature extensive outreach to land managers and landowners to aid natural resources decision making.
Current Projects
Team Member, Philippines Counter Wildlife Trafficking & Protected Area Management Project, U.S. Dept. of Interior International Technical Assistance Program short-term assignment. 2023
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.
PI: “A Tool for Rapid-Repeat High-Resolution Coastal Vegetation Maps to Improve Forecasting of Hurricane Impacts and Coastal Resilience.” USGS Center for Data Integration. 2023.
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.
PI: "Current and Future Potential Ecosystem Services of the Nisqually River Delta: An Assessment Approach for Puget Sound Estuaries and USFWS Coastal Refuges." USGS Northwest Climate Adaptation Science Center and USGS LandCarbon Program. 2019 - 2023.
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.
Co-PI: "Quantifying Drivers and Stressors of Intertidal Biofilm Resources at the Largest Tidal Wetland Restoration on the U.S. West Coast." USGS Bay-Delta Priority Ecosystem Studies Program. 2019 - 2023. PI: Susan De La Cruz, USGS Western Ecological Research Center.
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 Chair, Equity, Inclusion and Diversity Committee, International Association of Landscape Ecology-North America, 2019 - 2023
NASA Biodiversity and Ecological Forecasting Team member, 2017 - 2021
NASA Surface Biology and Geology Algorithms Working Group member, 2019 - present
USGS Spectroscopy and Hyperspectral Imaging Collaboration member, 2019 - present
Member, Society for Conservation Biology, International Association for Landscape Ecology-North America
Honors and Awards
Distinguished Service Award, International Association for Landscape Ecology - North American Region, 2022
USGS Environmental Achievement Award, 2024
Science and Products
Coping with historic drought in California rangelands: Developing a more effective institutional response
Adapting California’s ecosystems to a changing climate
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
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
Prospective HyspIRI global observations of tidal wetlands
Integrated climate and land use change scenarios for California rangeland ecosystem services: wildlife habitat, soil carbon, and water supply
Quantifying climate change mitigation potential in Great Plains wetlands for three greenhouse gas emission scenarios
Evaluation of sensor types and environmental controls on mapping biomass of coastal marsh emergent vegetation
Future scenarios of impacts to ecosystem services on California rangelands
Remotely-sensed indicators of N-related biomass allocation in Schoenoplectus acutus
Interacting coastal based ecosystem services: recreation and water quality in Puget Sound, WA
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
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 40
Coping with historic drought in California rangelands: Developing a more effective institutional response
Drought response is widely varied depending on both the characteristics of the drought and the ability of individual ranchers to respond.Assistance from institutions during drought has not typically considered preemptive, during, and post-drought response as a strategic approach, which recognizes biophysical, sociological, and economic complexities of drought.A USDA Southwest Climate Hub-sponsoredAuthorsJoel R. Brown, Pelayo Alvarez, Kristin B. Byrd, Helena Deswood, Emile Elias, Sheri SpiegalAdapting California’s ecosystems to a changing climate
Significant efforts are underway to translate improved understanding of how climate change is altering ecosystems into practical actions for sustaining ecosystem functions and benefits. We explore this transition in California, where adaptation and mitigation are advancing relatively rapidly, through four case studies that span large spatial domains and encompass diverse ecological systems, institAuthorsElizabeth Chornesky, David Ackerly, Paul Beier, Frank W. Davis, Lorraine E. Flint, Joshua J. Lawler, Peter B. Moyle, Max A. Moritz, Mary Scoonover, Kristin B. Byrd, Pelayo Alvarez, Nicole E. Heller, Elisabeth Micheli, Stuart WeissForecasting tidal marsh elevation and habitat change through fusion of Earth observations and a process model
Reducing uncertainty in data inputs at relevant spatial scales can improve tidal marsh forecasting models, and their usefulness in coastal climate change adaptation decisions. The Marsh Equilibrium Model (MEM), a one-dimensional mechanistic elevation model, incorporates feedbacks of organic and inorganic inputs to project elevations under sea-level rise scenarios. We tested the feasibility of deriAuthorsKristin B. Byrd, Lisamarie Windham-Myers, Thomas Leeuw, Bryan D. Downing, James T. Morris, Matthew C. FernerAssessing wildlife benefits and carbon storage from restored and natural coastal marshes in the Nisqually River Delta: Determining marsh net ecosystem carbon balance
Working in partnership since 1996, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Nisqually Indian Tribe have restored 902 acres of tidally influenced coastal marsh in the Nisqually River Delta (NRD), making it the largest estuary-restoration project in the Pacific Northwest to date. Marsh restoration increases the capacity of the estuary to support a diversity of wildlife species. Restoration also inAuthorsFrank Anderson, Brian A. Bergamaschi, Lisamarie Windham-Myers, Isa Woo, Susan De La Cruz, Judith Z. Drexler, Kristin Byrd, Karen M. ThorneA 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
Broad-scale estimates of belowground biomass are needed to understand wetland resiliency and C and N cycling, but these estimates are difficult to obtain because root:shoot ratios vary considerably both within and between species. We used remotely-sensed estimates of two aboveground plant characteristics, aboveground biomass and % foliar N to explore biomass allocation in low diversity freshwaterAuthorsJessica L. O'Connell, Kristin B. Byrd, Maggi KellyProspective HyspIRI global observations of tidal wetlands
Tidal wetlands are highly productive and act as critical habitat for a wide variety of plants, fish, shellfish, and other wildlife. These ecotones between aquatic and terrestrial environments also provide protection from storm damage, run-off filtering, and recharge of aquifers. Many wetlands along coasts have been exposed to stress-inducing alterations globally, including dredge and fill operatioAuthorsKevin Turpie, Victor Klemas, Kristin B. Byrd, Maggi Kelly, Young-Heon JoIntegrated climate and land use change scenarios for California rangeland ecosystem services: wildlife habitat, soil carbon, and water supply
Context In addition to biodiversity conservation, California rangelands generate multiple ecosystem services including livestock production, drinking and irrigation water, and carbon sequestration. California rangeland ecosystems have experienced substantial conversion to residential land use and more intensive agriculture. Objectives To understand the potential impacts to rangeland ecosystem servAuthorsKristin B. Byrd, Lorraine E. Flint, Pelayo Alvarez, Frank Casey, Benjamin M. Sleeter, Christopher E. Soulard, Alan L. Flint, Terry L. SohlQuantifying climate change mitigation potential in Great Plains wetlands for three greenhouse gas emission scenarios
We examined opportunities for avoided loss of wetland carbon stocks in the Great Plains of the United States in the context of future agricultural expansion through analysis of land-use land-cover (LULC) change scenarios, baseline carbon datasets and biogeochemical model outputs. A wetland map that classifies wetlands according to carbon pools was created to describe future patterns of carbon lossAuthorsKristin B. Byrd, Jamie L. Ratliff, Anne Wein, Norman B. Bliss, Benjamin M. Sleeter, Terry L. Sohl, Zhengpeng LiEvaluation of sensor types and environmental controls on mapping biomass of coastal marsh emergent vegetation
There is a need to quantify large-scale plant productivity in coastal marshes to understand marsh resilience to sea level rise, to help define eligibility for carbon offset credits, and to monitor impacts from land use, eutrophication and contamination. Remote monitoring of aboveground biomass of emergent wetland vegetation will help address this need. Differences in sensor spatial resolution, banAuthorsKristin B. Byrd, Jessica L. O'Connell, Stefania Di Tommaso, Maggi KellyFuture scenarios of impacts to ecosystem services on California rangelands
The 18 million acres of rangelands in the Central Valley of California provide multiple benefits or “ecosystem services” to people—including wildlife habitat, water supply, open space, recreation, and cultural resources. Most of this land is privately owned and managed for livestock production. These rangelands are vulnerable to land-use conversion and climate change. To help resource managers assAuthorsKristin Byrd, Pelayo Alvarez, Lorraine Flint, Alan FlintRemotely-sensed indicators of N-related biomass allocation in Schoenoplectus acutus
Coastal marshes depend on belowground biomass of roots and rhizomes to contribute to peat and soil organic carbon, accrete soil and alleviate flooding as sea level rises. For nutrient-limited plants, eutrophication has either reduced or stimulated belowground biomass depending on plant biomass allocation response to fertilization. Within a freshwater wetland impoundment receiving minimal sedimentsAuthorsJessica L. O’Connell, Kristin B. Byrd, Maggi KellyInteracting coastal based ecosystem services: recreation and water quality in Puget Sound, WA
Coastal recreation and water quality are major contributors to human well-being in coastal regions. They can also interact, creating opportunities for ecosystem based management, ecological restoration, and water quality improvement that can positively affect people and the environment. Yet the effect of environmental quality on human behavior is often poorly quantified, but commonly assumed in coAuthorsJason Kreitler, Michael Papenfus, Kristin Byrd, William LabiosaNon-USGS Publications**
Byrd, K.B., A. R. Rissman, and A. M. Merenlender. 2009. Impacts of conservation easements for threat abatement and fire management in a rural oak woodland landscape. Landscape and Urban Planning 92(2):106-116. doi: 10.1016/j.landurbplan.2009.03.003.Byrd, K.B. 2009. Remote sensing and spatial analysis of watershed and estuarine processes for conservation planning in Elkhorn Slough, Monterey County, California, pp. 495-520 In X. Yang (ed.). Remote Sensing and Geospatial Technologies for Coastal Ecosystem Assessment and Management. Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.Byrd, K.B., N. M. Kelly and A. M. Merenlender. 2007. Temporal and spatial relationships between watershed land use and salt marsh disturbance in a Pacific estuary. Environmental Management 39(1):98-112. doi: 10.1007/s00267-005-0217-z.Byrd, K.B. and N. M. Kelly. 2006. Salt marsh vegetation response to edaphic and topographical changes from upland sedimentation in a Pacific estuary. Wetlands 26(3):813-829. doi: 10.1672/0277-5212(2006)26[813:SMVRTE]2.0.CO;2.Byrd, K.B. 2005. Temporal and Spatial Linkages Between Watershed Land Use and Wetland Vegetation Response in the Elkhorn Slough Watershed, Monterey, County, California. Ph.D. Dissertation, University of California, Berkeley. 173 pp.Byrd, K.B., N. M. Kelly, and E. Van Dyke. 2004. Decadal changes in a Pacific estuary: a multi-source remote sensing approach for historical ecology. GIScience and Remote Sensing 41(4):347-370. doi: 10.2747/1548-1603.41.4.347.Byrd, K.B., V. T. Parker, D. R. Vogler, and K. W. Cullings. 2000. The influence of clear-cutting on ectomycorrhizal fungus diversity in a lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) stand, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, and Gallatin National Forest, Montana. Canadian Journal of Botany 78(2):149-156.Byrd, K.B. 1998. The Influence of Clear-cutting on Ectomycorrhizal Fungus Diversity in a Lodgepole Pine (Pinus contorta) Stand, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, and Gallatin National Forest, Montana. M.A. Thesis. San Francisco State University. 103 pp.**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.
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*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