Physical disturbance in streams has important effects on the metabolic rates of gross primary production (GPP) and ecosystem respiration (ER). Underlying lithology can control sediment size, amount, and evolution in the stream, influencing substrate stability and its effect on benthic organisms. We assessed the patterns of disturbance and recovery of...
The use of Landsat data has historically been constrained to spectral and spatial information derived from a carefully selected image or set of images. However, free and open access to Landsat imagery combined with advances in data storage and computing are revolutionizing how the Landsat temporal domain is used to...
Riparian areas are targeted for restoration activities because of the important ecological functions these areas provide. Millions of dollars are spent on riparian restoration projects, yet little long-term monitoring data are collected to understand the growth and survival of the planted trees and shrubs after initial project establishment. With the...
A central challenge for ecology is to understand the dynamic nature of species interactions. A classic approach to community ecology assumes that individuals within a species are functionally identical and that consumer-resource dynamics can be predicted solely by using species abundances. However, one species can consist of multiple functional groups,...
The spatial and temporal variability of sediment transport processes in Oak Creek, OR was investigated and used to explore two study questions: 1) How do sediment transport processes influence benthic algal communities?, and 2) Can fluvial-hydraulic models make accurate predictions of bed load transport rates? Our study was conducted in...
Many of Earth’s terrestrial large carnivore species are threatened with extinction. As a result, some of the ecological effects associated with these species may be lost. With the goal of furthering large carnivore conservation research, I conduct three global scale analyses involving these species. First, I explore prey depletion as...
Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) populations currently exist in less than half of their historic range in the state of New Jersey. The remaining populations are confined to the northwestern part of the state in the Highlands, Appalachian Ridge and Valley, and Piedmont physiographic provinces, with the exception of Mason's Run,...
Chapter 2:
Aquatic macroinvertebrate communities have been shown to exhibit strong differences between erosional (riffle and run) and depositional (pool) macrohabitats of streams. A subset of these communities are aquatic insect taxa that are an important food source for riparian consumers like birds, bats, lizards, and spiders. Understanding the role...
Contemporary stream restoration efforts increasingly prioritize restoring natural stream processes to regain lost ecosystem functions. Stage 0 stream restoration resets disturbed, channelized streams to a theoretical pre-disturbance state (“stage zero”). It is assumed that this valley-scale restoration/disturbance will restore natural abiotic and biotic processes, leading to greater primary and secondary...
The installation of engineered log jams (ELJs) is a common river restoration practice, implemented to modify flow structure and increase hydraulic complexity for the benefit of streambank protection and fish habitat. However, few studies have directly assessed the effects of ELJs on flow structure and complexity. This study presents a...