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MEET A LEAF: Jay Zarnetske

7/27/2020

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Dr. Jay Zarnetske is an Associate Professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Michigan State University.  Follow him on Twitter: ​@Hydro_DoctorJ and ​@jzarnetskelab
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What does ecohydrology mean to you?
For me, the meaning of ecohydrology has changed with time. At first, ecohydrology had a fairly limited scope for me (i.e., plant-water relationships in water-limited environments), which was based mostly upon my early readings and classes in hydrology. However, I now struggle to put bounds on ecohydrology. I think of ecohydrology more of an umbrella term that captures the essence of a lot of the interdisciplinary science and systems thinking that is driving environmental science, engineering, and policy these days. It resonates with me over other water-related sub-disciplines, because my research is driven by addressing fundamental ecosystem questions through the lens of hydrology.

What are your undergraduate and graduate degrees in?
My undergrad degree is in Geology from a small liberal arts college in the US (Colby College). I got to that degree via a path that started off in pre-medicine, and transitioned to Geology after a couple mind-blowing classes about earth and ecological systems. My graduate degrees, both Masters and PhD, are from graduate Hydrology/Water Resource programs at land-grant, research-intensive universities in the US (Utah State University and Oregon State University).

How did you arrive at working in/thinking about ecohydrology?
Philosophically, I’ve always been a naturalist at heart. I have always loved the complexity of ecological observations and systems. Later, when I discovered hydrology, I loved the physics-forward and process-based approach of studying water. It was a natural progression in my thinking to try to use hydrology to reveal what drives the apparent complexity in ecosystems, and this still drives much of my work today. In other simpler words, I thought, “How does physics set the limits, and biology get it done?” Practically, there were a lot of difficult life events, exciting serendipity, whimsical decisions, and influential mentors that also played a big role in bringing me to work in ecohydrology. It was definitely not all sorted out by following some scholarly philosophy! I just kept moving forward using some guiding principles, and I arrived here.

What do you see as an important emerging area of ecohydrology?
I think focusing more on understudied regions of the world, especially the ecohydrology of remote permafrost regions is an exciting frontier for ecohydrology. I also think that the macrosystem ecology revolution, which is very empirically driven, can interface nicely with process-based modeling approaches of hydrology. Linking the macrosystems ecology and hydrologic models will move ecohydrology into new exciting applications and address questions at larger spatial and temporal scales.

Do you have a favorite ecohydrology paper?  Describe/explain.
Gah, only one?!?! Tough question! Ok, I’ll go with the fairly recent Bernhardt et al., (Ecosystems, 2017) “control points” paper, which is a conceptual update and expansion of the iconic “hot spots” and “hot moments” of ecosystem processes in watersheds by McClain et al. (Ecosystems, 2003). This paper so clearly shows how we can gain a much deeper understanding of ecosystem patterns and processes if we confront and embrace quantifying the abundance, flowpath, and timing of water moving through watersheds and their river corridors. I also love the origin story of this paper... Go check it out!


What do you do for fun (apart from ecohydrology)?
Good question. That too has evolved with time. It used to be all about me traveling and discovering new remote places, cultures, and interesting foods. Now, I have kids, and it is more about creating opportunities for them to have their own discoveries of new places, cultures, and food. It is so much fun to see them make these discoveries. Travel is still endlessly invigorating for me. A big perk of the faculty job I have is the ability to do work that facilitates travel and discovery. I also love cooking, and try to cook at least 1 exciting new dish a week. You will often find me looking for inspiration in the New York Times Cooking App or our cookbook collection.
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MEET A LEAF: Megan Fork

7/20/2020

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Dr. Megan Fork is a postdoctoral scientist at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies. Follow her on Twitter @AForkInTheRiver.
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What does ecohydrology mean to you?
To me, ecohydrology describes the intersections and interactions between water flowing through the environment and the interconnected ecosystem in that environment. Not only is water critical for the terrestrial life in the ecosystem, but it’s the medium in which the aquatic plants, animals, and microbes spend their lives. Water transports the nutrients, energy, and contaminants through landscapes, and controls the conditions that allow them to be changed from one form to another.

What are your undergraduate and graduate degrees in?
My undergraduate degrees are in Zoology and Conservation Biology (also Theatre & Drama!) from the University of Wisconsin - Madison, my masters is in Biology from Florida International University, and my PhD is in Environmental Science from Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment.

How did you arrive at working in/thinking about ecohydrology?
My experiences as an undergraduate student learning from UW-Madison’s Center for Limnology set me on an ecohydrology path. Hand-delineating watersheds on paper topo maps, measuring temperature and DO profiles, and measuring breakthrough curves: these activities exposed me to the variety of topics and approaches inherent in aquatic science. I loved learning about how water controls the transport and transformation of nutrients in ecosystems. Since then, I’ve been able to measure and analyze these processes in water across the world, and I’ve never looked back.

What do you see as an important emerging area of ecohydrology?
I think we’re doing an increasingly better job of integrating the social processes that interact with and feedback to ecohydrology. This kind of multidisciplinary systems thinking is critical for us to understand and predict ongoing changes in water quantity and quality into the future.

Do you have a favorite ecohydrology paper?  Describe/explain.
Wow, this is a tough one! There are lots of papers I like for many different reasons, but one that has really influenced how I approach my work has been “Creativity, Idea Generation, and the Functional Morphology of Streams” by Stuart Fisher. This paper has helped me think about creatively asking and answering questions, and makes clear that creativity (which I think is critical to good, interesting, innovative science) isn’t innate, but a skill that can be practiced.

What do you do for fun (apart from ecohydrology)?
Like many others, I love spending time outside, particularly hiking and gardening. I also love experimenting in the kitchen (complete with a “lab notebook” to keep track of recipe successes and failures!) and making textile art and music.
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MEET A LEAF: Cherie Westbrook

7/13/2020

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Dr. Cherie Westbrook is a Professor in the Department of Geography & Planning, and Global Institute for Water Security at the University of Saskatchewan.  Find her on Twitter: @ecohydro_gal
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What does ecohydrology mean to you?
I see ecohydrology as the dynamic and reciprocal interplay between hydrological processes and ecological and biotic patterns and processes. I study wetlands, especially beaver impacts to them, and think it is tough to try and understand these important ecosystems without considering the interlinkages among hydrological, ecological and biogeochemical processes. I think it is imperative that we view ecohydrology as a field that embraces a variety of perspectives and methods. As I wrote in an Ecohydrology Bearings article several years ago, if the field becomes drawn to specific limited crossovers between its parent disciplines, it will limit the development of transformative insights into the structure and function of our environment.
 
What are your undergraduate and graduate degrees in?
It was the intersection of hydrology and ecology – what’s now ecohydrology – that caught my interest, and so I sought training in both fields. I hold an honours BSc in Environmental Science from University of Toronto, a MSc in Environmental Biology and Ecology from University of Alberta and a PhD from Colorado State University. My PhD was in the Graduate Degree Program in Ecology but I also completed all the requirements for their Watershed Science program.
 
How did you arrive at working in/thinking about ecohydrology?
Even as a young girl I was fascinated by water - a common answer for LEAFs it seems! I’d go for long bike rides as a teen into nearby rural areas where I spent hours hanging out beside streams and wetlands, or on the shore of lakes. But it wasn’t until the start of my undergraduate degree that I really started to understand how to bring my love of nature and water together. It was the first day of my second year physical geography class that my path was set. Up at the front of the classroom was Kevin Devito – a dynamic, passionate professor wearing shorts, birkenstocks and a short sleeved shirt covered in fish at a university where most professors wore suits. He taught me (and the other couple hundred people in the class) about hydrological processes, environmental change and the impact on ecological processes. I was hooked, and learned a great deal from him throughout the rest of my undergraduate degree and in my master’s degree.
 
What do you see as an important emerging area of ecohydrology?
I think one important emerging area is the intersection of ecohydrology and land use planning. Ecohydrology is critical in ensuring water security and conservation of biodiversity. Thus, it is fundamental for holistically managing landscapes, and guiding their sustainable development.
 
Do you have a favorite ecohydrology paper?  Describe/explain.
This is a tough question – there are so many really exciting and thought provoking ecohydrology papers. One touchstone for me is the Waddington et al. (2015) paper titled ‘Hydrological feedbacks in northern peatlands’, published in Ecohydrology. What I like about this paper is how it effectively synthesizes a wide range of complex feedbacks that together regulate wetland hydrological processes at various time scales. I also like that it sparks me to think about various fauna and how they might regulate or re-shape the complex feedbacks described.
 
What do you do for fun (apart from ecohydrology)?
My favorite thing to do is spent time with my kids and husband at the family cabin up on the Canadian Shield, canoeing, blueberry picking, fishing, swimming and watching sunsets. It is important to me to instill a love of nature in my daughters. At home, I have a big garden and tending it brings me much joy. Winters here are long, making it a good time to write and cross-country ski. 
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MEET A LEAF: Mary Grace Lemon

7/6/2020

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Mary Grace Lemon is a currently a PhD candidate at Louisiana State University in the School of Renewable Natural Resources and a Coastal Scientist at Pontchartrain Conservancy. Follow her on Twitter @swampsciqueen.
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What does ecohydrology mean to you?
To me ecohydrology is the study of how water shapes ecosystems and biological processes and how ecosystems and organisms affect hydrological processes in return. My first experiences in ecohydrology studying how oyster reefs altered the flow of water and affected the geomorphology of tidal creeks fell in the latter part of this definition.

What are your undergraduate and graduate degrees in?
I have a BS in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Tulane University and a MS in Marine Science from University of North Carolina at Wilmington. I recently defended my dissertation in the School of Renewable Natural Resources at Louisiana State University. I really appreciate the diversity of ecological systems that I have studied and I think that has given me a unique perspective.

How did you arrive at working in/thinking about ecohydrology?
My first introduction into ecohydrology was during my masters studying oyster reefs. My previous experiences working with birds and learning about ecological processes did not emphasize the intimate connection between ecosystems and water that is so obvious when working with immobile oysters. Sessile organisms like oysters are subject to local environmental conditions after they settle out of the water column and recruit to an oyster reef. The structure of the oyster reef alters the hydraulics of the flowing water to the general benefit of the oysters. The characteristics of the flowing water are in some ways much more important to the success of an individual oyster than other ecological processes such as predation and competition. This realization piqued my interest in the role water plays in shaping ecosystems and really got me started in the field of ecohydrology. This perspective also got me more interested in the world of plants.

What do you see as an important emerging area of ecohydrology?
Like other featured LEAFs, I think the further incorporation of the role of humans in hydrological processes is an important area of study. This is not necessarily an emerging field but I think better representation of humans and urban hydrology in models will be a productive area of work in the future. Secondly, I think a better understanding of rooting characteristics and the interaction between rooting and water uptake is an important and emerging field. Hopefully new technologies, machine learning, and satellite products will enable an improved understanding of this previously unobservable interaction. Lastly, I think it is really important that we better understand the potential fractionation of stable isotopes in soils. My dissertation research involved the use of stable isotopes of water to study water uptake in some heavy clay soils. Through this process, it became apparent that the continued, widespread application of stable isotopes to study water movement in shallow soils and water uptake requires a much better understanding of potential fractionation of the stable isotopes of water in all soil types.

Do you have a favorite ecohydrology paper?  Describe/explain.
Rather than my favorite paper, of which there are many, I will offer up one of the most important papers for me in completing my dissertation. This was the review paper by Sprenger et al. titled “Illuminating hydrological processes at the soil‐vegetation‐atmosphere interface with water stable isotopes.” This paper provided an extensive and complete review of the application of stable isotopes in the critical zone particularly in shallow soils. It is a good foundation of our current knowledge of stable isotope transformation in shallow soils of upland areas and it taught me how to interpret soil water isotope data with regards to hydrological processes in shallow soils. From this review paper, I was able to form robust hypotheses about stable isotopes patterns in shallow soils of lowland areas.

What do you do for fun (apart from ecohydrology)?
Like most featured LEAFs, I really enjoy water activities. I have spent most of my time on the coast so I really enjoy diving, swimming, and sailing when I have the opportunity to do so. I enjoy exploring the swamps and coastal rivers of the northern gulf coast looking for critters and I also like to hike when I get out of the swamp. In New Orleans, I enjoy gardening and exploring local music venues and restaurants. 
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