Kenneth J. Bagstad, Ph.D.
Ken Bagstad is a Research Economist working with the USGS’ Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center in Denver. He uses GIS and modeling to quantify, map, and value ecosystem service flows across the United States and internationally.
Ken co-leads work to develop natural capital accounts in the United States at national and regional scales and use this information to support resource management for federal government agencies. Ken has also co-led the development of content for the Artificial Intelligence for Environment & Sustainability (ARIES) project, which has developed software tools to deliver more timely and accurate information for environmental decision making. Through his work on ARIES, Ken has a long-standing interest in the use of artificial intelligence, particularly semantics and machine reasoning, to make scientific data and models interoperable and reusable by both people and computers.
From 2015-2016 Ken was seconded to the World Bank's Wealth Accounting and Valuation of Ecosystem Services (WAVES) Program as a Senior Environmental Specialist. He coordinated the development of ecosystem accounts and their application to national economic accounts in Colombia, Costa Rica, and Rwanda, and assisted with their development elsewhere. For the last several years he has co-taught an ecosystem services modeling course in Spain, and in 2015 he worked in Japan as a Japan Society for the Promotion of Science research fellow.
Professional Experience
Research Economist, USGS GECSC, 2013-present
Senior Environmental Specialist, Seconded to the Word Bank, 2015-2016
Mendenhall Postdoctoral Fellow, USGS, 2011-2013
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. (Natural Resources, certificate in ecological economics), University of Vermont
M.S. (Plant Biology, concentration in ecology), Arizona State University
B.A. (Botany and Environmental Studies), Ohio Wesleyan University
Science and Products
Testing ecosystem accounting in the United States: A case study for the Southeast
Quantifying interregional flows of multiple ecosystem services – A case study for Germany
Progress in natural capital accounting for ecosystems
Sustaining Environmental Capital Initiative summary report
Toward ecosystem accounts for Rwanda: Tracking 25 years of change in potential supply and flows of ecosystem services
Review of indicators for comparing environmental effects across energy sources
Guidance for assessing interregional ecoystem service flows
Reimagining the potential of Earth observations for ecosystem service assessments
Social equity shapes zone-selection: Balancing aquatic biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services delivery in the transboundary Danube River Basin
Ecosystem service flows from a migratory species: Spatial subsidies of the northern pintail
Multi-country willingness to pay for transborder migratory species conservation: A case study of Northern Pintails
The natural capital accounting opportunity: Let's really do the numbers
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Science and Products
Testing ecosystem accounting in the United States: A case study for the Southeast
Quantifying interregional flows of multiple ecosystem services – A case study for Germany
Progress in natural capital accounting for ecosystems
Sustaining Environmental Capital Initiative summary report
Toward ecosystem accounts for Rwanda: Tracking 25 years of change in potential supply and flows of ecosystem services
Review of indicators for comparing environmental effects across energy sources
Guidance for assessing interregional ecoystem service flows
Reimagining the potential of Earth observations for ecosystem service assessments
Social equity shapes zone-selection: Balancing aquatic biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services delivery in the transboundary Danube River Basin
Ecosystem service flows from a migratory species: Spatial subsidies of the northern pintail
Multi-country willingness to pay for transborder migratory species conservation: A case study of Northern Pintails
The natural capital accounting opportunity: Let's really do the numbers
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.