Dr. Kathleen A. Lohse
Assistant Professor in Watershed Resources
School of Natural Resources
University of Arizona
I am ecosystem scientist who works at the interface of ecology, earth system science and land use planning studying the processes shaping watersheds and their responses to anthropogenic changes. From this foundation, I tackle the challenges and complexities of sustainability and global change science. My primary research interests include 1) examining the effects of human activities such as nitrogen (N) deposition and land use changes on soil properties and hydrologic transfer of nutrients and sediments to downstream ecosystems, 2) determining the environmental consequences of these alterations for river- riparian ecosystems, 3) exploring the interactive controls of vegetation change, management practices, and fire on ecosystem and geomorphological processes, and 4) coupling spatially explicit biophysical models with land use change models to predict cumulative watershed effects.
My goals as an educator are to communicate information accurately and thoroughly, encourage students to think critically and creatively, motivate them to seek greater understanding in how the earth system functions, and to provide facilities and guidance necessary for students to grow as scientists and scholars. Field courses, group projects, courses using the primary literature, and summer research projects captivated my interest in ecology as an undergraduate. These kinds of experiences combine basic concepts with methods and techniques used by ecologists and teach students how to think critically and solve problems. I would like to share my enthusiasm for science in these kinds of contexts.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Biogeochemistry; anthropogenic perturbations of ecosystem processes, coupling of hydrological and biogeochemical processes, ecohydrology, land-use change, environmental consequences of land use and water management decisions for watershed processes and resources, interactions between surface and groundwaters; terrestrial-aquatic linkages; effects of global climate change and human activities on water resources.