Dr. Kim Keating

Expertise:

• Ecological modeling
• Large mammal ecology
• Biometrics

Research Interests:
Ecosystems increasingly show signs of stress from multiple causes. Global climate change, land development, invasive species, and altered fire regimes are but a few of the factors that threaten large-scale ecological change. My research is aimed at understanding the species-habitat relationships central to ecosystem structure and function, and at developing the mathematical methods and models needed to predict consequences of impending changes over broad landscapes. My field studies address wildlife-habitat relationships for ungulates and large carnivores—species that commonly exhibit long-distance movements, and which require relatively intact ecosystems with large areas of suitable habitat to sustain healthy populations. This fieldwork is complemented by research to develop improved statistical methods for modeling wildlife-habitat relationships over large ecosystems. Such models provide an important decision-support tool for resource managers seeking to identify key habitats or predict impacts of management alternatives.