Katie Larkin

Katie Larkin is a PhD researcher specialising in ecosystem services and integrated land-use policy in Ireland’s uplands. Her research takes a place-based approach, recognising the intrinsic ecological and socio-economic value of these landscapes. Katie aims to develop an evidence-based framework to guide sustainable land-use transitions that support both natural ecosystems and local communities, with the goal of informing improved policy and practice for Ireland’s upland regions.

Katie holds a Bachelor’s Honours degree in Environmental Science and Ecology from ATU Sligo, where she was named ESAI Undergraduate of the Year. Her undergraduate research examined rove beetle populations in habitats created for corncrake conservation, exploring both co-benefits for non-target species and their potential as bioindicators for biodiversity monitoring.

Before beginning her PhD, Katie worked as an ecologist conducting a variety of ecological surveys, with a focus on upland habitats. This combination of field experience and academic training provided a natural pathway into her postgraduate research on upland ecosystems.