Taking the “pulse” of river ecosystems: from stream reaches to watersheds

March 24, 2021

Taking the “pulse” of river ecosystems: from stream reaches to watersheds

Lauren Koenig, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT

Join us for the live stream March 24, 11:45am EST: youtu.be/eWguwMVGjy8

ABSTRACT

In streams and rivers, physical and ecological processes impart a seasonal rhythm in ecosystem energetics and nutrient cycling. High-resolution data are improving our ability to observe temporal patterns and drivers of river metabolism, including primary production which forms the base of riverine food webs. However, we still know little about how the factors related to variation in productivity across individual streams combine to determine primary productivity at broader scales that are important for freshwater organisms and ecosystem management. In this talk, I will discuss how spatial heterogeneity and (a)synchrony influence aquatic primary productivity across a range of scales from stream reaches to river networks.

Bio

Lauren Koenig is an aquatic ecologist and a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Connecticut. She received her B.S. in Aquatic Biology from the University of California, Santa Barbara and her Ph.D. in Earth and Environmental Science from the University of New Hampshire. Lauren’s research focuses on understanding the effects of global environmental change on freshwater ecosystem processes. Specifically, she is interested in applying empirical and simulation modeling approaches to understand how water, energy, and nutrients move and cycle within broad-scale hydrologic networks.


Seminar postcard