Catalina Segura

Segura, Catalina

Position Type:
Faculty
Job Title:
Professor
Department:
Forest Engineering, Resources & Management
Office Location:
242 Peavy Forest Science Center (PFSC)
Phone Number:
(541) 737-6568
Email:
segurac@oregonstate.edu
CV:
CV_CSegura_Sep_13.pdf
Advising:  Graduate Major Advisor
Website:
Catalina Segura Website
Education
PhD, 2008, Geography, University of Colorado
MS, 2003, Environmental Engineering, University of Washington
BS, 1997, Forest Engineering, Universidad Distrital, Bogotá
Research Areas
Engineering for Sustainable Forestry
Forest Soil and Watershed Processes
Research Interests
  • Aquatic ecosystems
  • Ecohydrology
  • Forest Management
  • Geosciences
  • Hydrology
  • Numerical Modeling
  • Watershed Hydrology
The goal of my research program is to understand the physical processes that control the movement of water and sediment and the effects that the variability of these processes have on water availability, water quality, and stream ecology. I recognize that we are not yet able to predict the natural variability of runoff processes nor their influence on the flux of water, solutes, and sediment in the landscape. This constitutes a barrier for society to successfully adapt to natural and anthropogenic disturbances such as climate change. Our lack of understanding of the physics that controls the movement of water through catchments is particularly challenging in mountainous-forested headwater streams. In these streams, water and sediment inputs and hydrologic response vary over short distances given variable geology, geomorphology, and topography. Oregon’s diverse geology and topography provide an ideal natural laboratory to investigate the controlling effect of the natural setting (climate and geology) on runoff generation and sediment transport. In addition, the State supports forested ecosystems economically relevant to the region for timber production and for the sustainability of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems health and productivity.
Bio
Native of Bogotá, Colombia, where she received her BS in Forestry Engineering (1997). She later worked in the private sector in environmental consulting for 3 years. She completed her MS. in Environmental Engineering at the University of Washington (2003) and her PhD in Physical Geography at the University of Colorado (2008). Dr. Segura was a Postdoctoral Fellow at NCSU for the Forestry Department (2008-2010) and then for the Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences department (2012-2013). She joined the Department of Forest Engineering, Resources, and Management at OSU in December 2013.


Prospective Students:
I am always on the lookout for talented and motivated graduate students. If you are interested in joining my research group, please contact me via email with a description of your interests and academic record.
Graduate Students:
Courses Taught:
  • FE 330
    FOREST ENGINEERING FLUID MECHANICS AND HYDRAULICS
    Fluid properties, pressure, fluid statics, continuity, energy equation, single and series pipe flow, open channel hydraulics, peakflow estimates for culvert design, stream crossing design. Lec/lab. PREREQS: (ENGR 213 and FE 102 )
  • FE 430/530
    WATERSHED PROCESSES
    Effects of land use practices on the physical hydrology (interception, infiltration, evapotranspiration, subsurface flow and surface runoff, water yields, and peak flows) of forested watersheds. Surface erosion, mass soil movements, stream temperatures, nutrient levels and effects of management activities upon riparian systems; forest practice rules. Lec/lab. PREREQS: Junior standing.
  • FE 545
    SEDIMENT TRANSPORT
    Principles of sediment erosion, transportation and deposition in rivers, reservoirs, and estuaries; measurement, analysis, and computational techniques. Offered even years in winter term. CROSSLISTED as BEE 545. PREREQS: CE 313 or FE 330.
Selected Publications:

  1. Bair, R. T., Segura, C., and Lorion, C. M.: Quantifying the restoration success of wood introductions to increase coho salmon winter habitat, Earth Surf. Dynam., 7, 841–857, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-7-841-2019, 2019.

  2. Segura, C., Noone, D., Warren, D., Jones, J., Tenny, J. and Ganio, L. 2019. Climate, landforms, and geology affect baseflow sources in a mountain catchment. Water Resources Research, 55. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018WR023551

  3. Katz, S.B., Segura, C., Warren, D.R., 2018. The influence of channel bed disturbance on benthic Chlorophyll a: A high resolution perspective. Geomorphology, 305, 141-153.

  4. Bywater-Reyes, S., Segura, C., Bladon, K.D., 2017. Geology and geomorphology control suspended sediment yield and modulate increases following timber harvest in temperate headwater streams. Journal of Hydrology, 548, 754-769.

  5. Segura, C., Pitlick, J., 2015. Coupling fluvial-hydraulic models to predict gravel transport in spatially variable flows. Journal of Geophysical Research-Earth Surface, 120(5), 834-855.

  6. Segura, C., Caldwell, P., Sun, G., McNulty, S., Zhang, Y., 2015. A model to predict stream water temperature across the conterminous USA. Hydrological Processes, 29(9), 2178-2195.

  7. Segura, C., Sun, G., McNulty, S., Zhang, Y., 2014. Potential impacts of climate change on soil erosion vulnerability across the conterminous United States. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, 69(2), 171-181.

  8. Segura C, James A, Lazzati D, Roulet NT. 2012. Scaling relationships for event water contributions and transit times in small-forested catchments in Eastern Quebec. Water Resour. Res., 48(7) W07502:1-21.

  9. Segura, C., Pitlick, J., 2010. Scaling frequency of channel-forming flows in snowmelt-dominated streams. Water Resour. Res., 46, W06524-W06524

For a full list of publications, visit:
http://people.forestry.oregonstate.edu/catalina-segura/publications.html