Megan Cattau

Profile

Core Faculty, Assistant Professor
megancattau@boisestate.edu

(208) 426-2935  

Office: Environmental Research Building (ERB) 4153, MAP

Professional Preparation

Research Scientist, Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder
Postdoctoral Fellow, Earth Lab, University of Colorado Boulder
Ph.D., Columbia University
M.E.M., Duke University
B.F.A., University of Georgia

NASA New Investigators Program Fellow
Fulbright Scholar – Indonesia

Scholarship

Megan is interested in how interacting anthropogenic and biophysical factors alter disturbance regimes and subsequent recovery, and in evaluating the efficacy of intervention options in increasing social-ecological resilience. She uses geospatial techniques on large datasets – including field-based inventories, drone- and plane-based data, and satellite data – to explore the spatial and temporal patterns of disturbance and recovery.

See my Google Scholar page for a list of my publications.

Ecology of Disturbance and Recovery (Fall 2020)

This course focuses on how natural disturbances – including wildfire, drought, invasive species, etc. – play a significant role in shaping the composition, structure, and function of terrestrial ecosystems. Students will evaluate and discuss the concepts of disturbance and disturbance regimes, synergistic effects of multiple disturbances, the human influence on disturbance regimes, and disturbance risks across ecosystems under both current and future conditions. This course will also address post-disturbance recovery processes in the context of ecosystem stability and resilience, including restoration and natural succession. Course activities will include reading primary literature, participating in class discussion and activities, working with data, and presenting student research for feedback.

Drone Flight Planning and Operations (Fall 2020)

This one credit seminar will give students practical skills in flight planning and operations with Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), or drones. Students will become proficient in the use of flight planning software to plan and parameterize a mission; capable of operating a drone; and knowledgeable about UAS equipment, sensor types, and UAS-based spectral data products at a basic level. This course will include classroom and field activities, including reading and discussion, working with software, and piloting a drone.

Ailworth, Erin, Feb 18, 2020. Winter Is Wildfire Prep Season in California. Wall Street Journal. Generated analysis for article figure. www.wsj.com/articles/winter-is-wildfire-prep-season-in-california.

Weeman, Katie. Jan 2020. Human-sparked fires smaller, less intense but more frequent with longer seasons. cires.colorado.edu/news/human-sparked-fires-smaller-less-intense-more-frequent-longer-seasons. Also in: Eureka Alert, ScienceDaily, Science X, Bioengineer, Njus International, The World News Monitor, Daily Dispatch, Newsbreak

Thomsen, Michael. Jan 22, 2020. Experts blame humans starting blazes for ‘major shift’ in cause of US wildfires: Fires started by people rather than lightning or natural causes are becoming the ‘new norm.’ The Daily Mail. www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-7917583/New-study-finds-humans-main-cause-wildfires-surpassing-lightning-sources.html.

Gilmour, Jared. Jan 21, 2020. Fire experts reveal ‘major shift in U.S. wildfire norms’ — and people are to blame. The Sacramento Bee.

Phillips, Brianne. Jan 21, 2020. Humankind is changing the way fires burn in the U.S., new study reveals. Boise State News. www.boisestate.edu/news/2020/01/21/mankind-is-changing-the-way-fires-burn-in-the-u-s-new-study-reveals/.

Weeman, Katie. 2019. Recipe for Wildfire. Spheres Magazine. Edition 11: 22-25.

O’Brien, Miles. May, 2019. How scientists are trying to predict wildfire movement. PBS News Hour. www.pbs.org/newshour/show/how-scientists-are-trying-to-predict-wildfire-movement.

Baraniuk, Chris. October, 2018. The quest to predict – and stop – the spread of wildfires. BBC Future. www.bbc.com/future/story/20180924-the-quest-to-predict-and-stop-the-spread-of-wildfires.

Brennan, C. June, 2018. CU Boulder researcher harbors hope in face of recent wildfire trends. Daily Camera. www.dailycamera.com/cu-news/ci_31932973/cu-boulder-researcher-harbors-hope-face-recent-wildfire.

Balch, J. and Weeman, K. June, 2018. Cranking Up the Volume on Wildfire. Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences News. cires.colorado.edu/news/cranking-volume-wildfire.

Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES). June, 2018. The key triggers of 2017’s costly wildfire season. CU Boulder Today. www.colorado.edu/today/2018/06/05/key-triggers-2017s-costly-wildfire-season and www.aau.edu/research-scholarship/featured-research-topics/key-triggers-2017s-costly-wildfire-season.

Hennig, A., Hall, R., and Clark, M. The Future of Forests. Atavist.

Clark, Amanda. Nov. 13, 2017. The Art of Translating Science into Movement. Under the Flatirons. undertheflatirons2017.wordpress.com/2017/11/13/the-art-of-communicating-science-with-movement.

Balch, J., Johnson, B., Travis, B., Wasser, L., Joseph, M., Cattau, M., Maestas, M., and Nagy, C. Jan, 2018. Open Science: Key to accelerating interdisciplinary research & education. A community white paper contributed to CU Boulder’s Academic Futures. www.colorado.edu/academicfutures/sites/default/files/attached-files/.

Kalaugher, Liz. 1 Feb, 2017. Palm-oil certification helps reduce fire when risk is low. Environmentalresearchweb.

Cattau, Megan. 15 Nov, 2016. NEW PUBLICATION: Is the RSPO effective in reducing fires on oil palm concessions in Indonesia? Borneo Nature Foundation blog.

Bell, Loren. 4 Oct, 2016. 139 Scientists shoot down ‘misleading’ reports from Malaysia peat congress. Mongabay. news.mongabay.com/2016/10/139-scientists-shoot-down-misleading-reports-from-malaysia-peat-congress/.

Tan, Audrey. 4 Oct, 2016. Can peatland turn into oil palm fields and not cause haze? The Straits Times. Singapore.

Ich, Oleh, 3 Oct, 2016. Experts from 20 Countries Align Content Congress in Sarawak. Kompas. Jakarta, Indonesia.

Bolton, Doug, 26 Oct, 2015. Indonesia forest fires: A third of world’s wild orangutans at risk in raging peat fires. Independent. London, UK. www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/indonesia-forest-fires-a-third-of-worlds-wild-orangutans-at-risk-in-sabangau-national-park.

Cattau, Megan. 4 Feb, 2015. Live science storytelling. Story Collider.

Joshi, Apoorva. 8 Oct, 2014. Helping orangutans survive: new project aims to connect habitat fragments in Kalimantan (Part II). Mongabay. news.mongabay.com/2014/10/helping-orangutans-survive-new-project-aims-to-connect-habitat-fragments-in-kalimantan-part-ii/.

Joshi, Apoorva. 7 Oct, 2014. Marooned in shrinking forests, Bornean orangutans hang on as disaster looms (Part I). Mongabay. news.mongabay.com/2014/10/marooned-in-shrinking-forests-bornean-orangutans-hang-on-as-disaster-looms-part-i/.

O’neil, Patricia. 18 March, 2013. Forgotten lions: shedding light on the fate of lions in unprotected areas. Mongabay. news.mongabay.com/2013/03/forgotten-lions-shedding-light-on-the-fate-of-lions-in-unprotected-areas/.

Cattau, M. E., 2013. Feedbacks between fire, vegetation, and landscape configuration: Peat swamp forest dynamics in the changing tropical landscape. Journal of Indonesian Natural History, Students’ research projects 1(1): 48.