Global Change and Watershed Biogeochemistry Group

Dr. Daniel Sobota

email: daniel_sobota@vancouver.wsu.edu

Ph.D. in Fisheries Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 2007

M.S. in Fisheries Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 2003

B.S. in Biology, Virginia Tech University, Blacksburg, VA, 2000

 

Curriculum Vitae (pdf)

 

Research Interests

In my research, I use experimental, modeling, and remote sensing approaches to investigate nutrient cycling and organic matter dynamics in stream and river ecosystems.  Two principal questions guide my research:  (1) how do climate, geology, and geomorphology interact to control nutrient cycles and organic matter dynamics in stream and river ecosystems?  And (2) how do land use activities, particularly agriculture and urban development, alter these processes?  Much of my research focuses on the patterns and processes of material exchange between riparian zones and lotic ecosystems.  This dynamic process not only regulates nutrient levels and biological production at the stream- or river-reach scale, but also strongly influences ecosystem productivity in downstream rivers, lakes/reservoirs, and coastal ecosystems at the outflow of lotic ecosystems.  Since nutrient loading and the expansion of human activities in riparian areas are only expected to increase in the coming century (even accelerating in some locations), I believe it is critical to conduct research focused on understanding how these changes will ultimately influence freshwater resources at local and global scales.

My approach to research draws heavily from multidisciplinary experiences.  During my undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral programs, I have conducted research in several disciplines, including stream ecology, riparian forest ecology, biogeochemistry, statistics, systems modeling, and Geographic Information System (GIS)-based modeling.  I have participated in several National Science Foundation programs that integrate a number of disciplines, including Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER), the Lotic Intersite Nitrogen eXperiment (LINX), and the Ecosystems Informatics Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) program at Oregon State University.  These programs have provided me with a unique perspective on the critical role of inter- and multi-disciplinary in freshwater research in the 21st century.

 

Publications

  1. Sobota, D.J., J.A. Harrison, and R.A. Dahlgren. 2009. Influences of climate, hydrology, and land use on input and export of nitrogen in California watersheds. Biogeochemistry DOI 10.1007/s10533-009-9307-y. (pdf)
  2. Sobota, D.J., S.V. Gregory, and J. Van Sickle. 2006. Riparian tree fall directionality and modeling large wood recruitment to streams. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 36:1243-1254.
  3. R.O. Hall, J.L. Tank, D.J. Sobota, P.J. Mulholland, W.K. Dodds, J.R. Webster, L.R. Ashkenas, L.W. Cooper, C.N. Dahm, S. Findlay, S.V. Gregory, N.B. Grimm, S.K. Hamilton, S.L. Johnson, W.H. McDowell, J.L. Meyer, B.J. Peterson, G.C. Poole, H.M. Valett, C. Arango, J.J. Beaulieu, A.J. Burgin, C. Crenshaw, A.M. Helton, L. Johnson, J. Merriam, B.R. Niederlehner, J.M. O’Brien, J.D. Potter, R.W. Sheibley, S.M. Thomas. 1. Total Uptake. 2009. Limnology and Oceanography.
  4. P.J. Mulholland, R.O. Hall, D.J. Sobota, W.K. Dodds, J.R. Webster, J.L. Tank, L.R. Ashkenas, L.W. Cooper, C.N. Dahm, S. Findlay, S.V. Gregory, N.B. Grimm, S.K. Hamilton, S.L. Johnson, W.H. McDowell, J.L. Meyer, B.J. Peterson, G.C. Poole, H.M. Valett, C. Arango, J.J. Beaulieu, A.J. Burgin, C. Crenshaw, A.M. Helton, L. Johnson, J. Merriam, B.R. Niederlehner, J.M. O’Brien, J.D. Potter, R.W. Sheibley, S.M. Thomas. Nitrate removal in stream ecosystems determined from 15N addition experiments: 2. Denitrification. 2009. Limnology and Oceanography.
  5. Mulholland, P.J., A.M. Helton, R.O. Hall, S.K. Hamilton, B.J. Peterson, J.L. Tank, L.R. Ashkenas, L.W. Cooper, C.N. Dahm, W.K. Dodds, S. Findlay, S.V. Gregory, N.B. Grimm, S.L. Johnson, W.H. McDowell, J.L. Meyer, G.C. Poole, H.M. Valett, J.R. Webster, C. Arango, M.J. Bernot, J.J. Beaulieu, A.J. Burgin, C. Crenshaw, L. Johnson, B.R. Niederlehner, J.M. O’Brien, J. Potter, R.W. Sheibley, D.J. Sobota, and S.M. Thomas. 2008. Stream denitrification across biomes and effects of anthropogenic nitrate loading. Nature 452:202-206.
  6. Kane, E.S., E.F. Betts, A.J. Burgin, H.M. Clilverd, C.L. Crenshaw, J.B. Fellman, I.H. Myers-Smith, J.A. O’Donnell, D.J. Sobota, W.J. Van Verseveld, J.B. Jones. In press. Precipitation control over nitrogen retention across watersheds: a synthesis of Long-Term Ecological Research. Ecohydrology.
  7. Harrison, J.A., R. Maranger, R.B. Alexander, A. Giblin, P.-A. Jacinthe, E. Mayorga, S.P. Seitzinger, D.J. Sobota, and W. Wollheim (2008) Controls and significance of N retention in lakes and reservoirs. Biogeochemistry, DOI 10.1007/s10533-008-9272-x. (pdf)
  8. Gregory, S.V., M.A. Meleason, and D.J. Sobota. 2003. Modeling the Dynamics of Wood in Streams and Rivers. Pages 315-336 in Gregory, S.V., K.L. Boyer, and A.M. Gurnell, editors. The ecology and management of wood in world rivers. American Fisheries Society, Symposium 37, Bethesda, MD.