Kate Culhane

Research

Kate is interested in the ecological aftermath of large-scale disturbance. She primarily works in local streams around Santa Barbara, following recovery patterns after the 2017–2018 Thomas Fire and subsequent Montecito debris flows. Specifically, she researches how fire and debris flow influenced invertebrate community structure and cross-habitat subsidies between streams and riparian zones. More broadly, Kate uses a range of field techniques to address questions about community-level response to disturbance. Her previous research project explored changes in small mammal community structure in the northern Sierra after the 2014 King Fire. As fire regimes and weather patterns shift with the climate, understanding the community consequences of large-scale fires and other disturbances will be critical for managing and understanding habitats. On a more personal level, Kate is motivated by incorporating the field techniques and data interpretation from these projects into college-level teaching.