Hi, I’m Gabe Runte, a PhD student studying the interactions between trees and the soil fungi that help them make their living. I am particularly focused on the ways in which these symiotic relationships might influence how forests respond to the continued onset of climate change, how communities of trees will change, and where forests will continue to thrive or not.

In my research, I combine various techniques to better understand how ecology functions at different scales.

From our landscape-scale restoration work in the Los Padres National Forest, just beyond our back yards, to precision work in the greenhouse, mathematical modeling, and application of novel techniques on an elevational gradient in the San Juan National Forest, I am working to broaden our knowledge of how communities of trees and fungi form and change.

I am deeply enjoying the work I am doing in my dissertation here at UC Santa Barbara, but always have an eye to the horizon as well. I am hoping to wrap up my studies here in 2024 and aim to continue to build out my skills in more broad-scale ecological synthesis and inquiry in a future post-doc or research position so please get in touch if you know of anyone looking for a forest ecologist!

For a more thorough description of experience and skills, visit my CV.