PhD in Ecology, NSF Fellow
Caity Peterson was a Master’s (International Agricultural Development) and PhD (Ecology) student in the Gaudin lab @ UC Davis from 2014-2019. She is currently a soil carbon specialist for Mad Agriculture and independent agroecology consultant in Denver, Colorado.
Thesis: Field level resilience and ecosystems services provision from integrated crop and livestock systems in Brazil
Email: capeterson@ucdavis.edu
Education
- PhD – Ecology, Agroecology emphasis (University of California, Davis, 2019)
- MSc – International Agricultural Development, Ecology emphasis (University of California, Davis, 2017)
- BSc – Biology (Stetson University, 2011)
Research Interests
I apply ecological principles to the study of agricultural systems with the goal of examining sustainability, resilience, and productivity. In particular, I am interested in the effects of a farming system’s complexity – in terms of spatial, temporal, and biological diversity – on its ability to withstand climatic variability and extreme weather events. I look at soil-plant-water interactions, plant physiological responses, nutrient cycling and soil fertility in conventional and alternative farming systems to compare the stability, productivity, and environmental impacts of each system. Additionally, I am interested in applications of integrated crop-livestock systems in Latin America and elsewhere in the global tropics for the purposes of sustainable land management and agricultural development.