Katya Podkovyroff
NSF graduate research fellow + PhD Student
University of Oregon - Institute of Ecology and Evolution
Research Projects
Current Projects
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CARBS Project (Convergence to Accelerate Research on Biological Sequestration)
A first of its kind, the CARBS project integrates Indigenous Knowledges with artificial intelligence and what is known as environmental DNA, or large-scale DNA from organisms found in the environment, to guide carbon capture research and implementation. My focus within the project investigates long-term ecosystem changes by analyzing how land use and environmental shifts have influenced plant communities over time by using multi-proxy approaches—including isotopes, eDNA, and paleoecological methods like pollen and charcoal—to trace these changes and understand their implications for restoration.
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Regional Assessment of Estuarine Ecosystems in Oregon and Washington
I will be expanding my investigation on the impacts of historical land use change and vegetation response in estuaries to a regional scale to identify any patterns at various estuarine sites.
Tulalip Tribes Lost Meadows Project
This project will investigate the historical transformation of vegetation dynamics in meadow ecosystems and seeks to address this fundamental question: To what extent have historical fire regimes, land use changes, and climate variability shaped the persistence of meadows in the Snohomish Basin, and how does scientific evidence supplement Indigenous Knowledges of land stewardship in this landscapes?
Past Projects
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An Individual Migration Story: Comparing Strontium Isotope Analysis In Enamel, Ivory, And Food Sources From A Single Modern Elephant
Focusing on strontium (Sr) isotope analysis, this project directly contributed to the collection, processing and data configuration of elephant ivory and molar samples as well as food eaten by said elephant. Misha, an elephant from the Salt Lake City Hogle Zoo, had previously been living in California and then was moved to Utah. To follow this migration, ivory, enamel, and food samples were analyzed to determine Sr isotopic composition. This data encapsulates the complexity and abilities in stable isotope analysis for migration research.
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Publications: Yang et. al. 2025 (Nature Communications Biology); Yang et. al., 2023 (Methods in Ecology and Evolution); Podkovyroff and Fernandez, 2023 (RANGE: Undergraduate Research Journal)
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Comparing Bulk vs Serial Sampling in δ13C, δ18O, and 87Sr/86Sr Isotopic Analysis of Fossil Herbivore Teeth
This study examined whether bulk sampling, rather than serial sampling along the growth axis of mammalian molars, resulted in the loss of dietary, water intake, and movement information. Using bovid and equid fossils from the Late Pleistocene (100–12 ka) of southern and western Kenya, this research contributed to a larger project tracking seasonality and migration in eastern Africa.
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Publications: O'Brien et al., 2023 (Frontiers in Environmental Archaeology); O'Brien et al., 2024 (Nature Ecology & Evolution)
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Measuring Vessel Diameters to Evaluate Drought Stress in Populus tremuloides
This research examined how drought impacts forests and the carbon cycle by analyzing plant physiology, demography, and ecosystem water dynamics through plant anatomy, hydraulics, tree core sampling, and C/N measurements. A key focus was understanding the physiological mechanisms driving climate change effects on quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) populations in Colorado and Utah. As part of an independent project, I analyzed aspen propagules grown in a common garden across a climatic gradient, measuring vessel diameters to assess xylem vulnerability to embolism. By tracking changes over time with increased drought exposure, this study aimed to determine whether secondary growth adjustments reduce vessel diameters, thereby mitigating embolism risk and improving drought resilience.