The central goal of our research is to understand how the biophysical template of watersheds affects the hydrologic transport and biogeochemical transformations of nutrients. Our research synthesizes aspects of hydrology, geomorphology, and ecology to quantify spatial patterns and assess the evolution of watershed systems over time. To examine the water quantity and quality impacts of land use change (including water supply, stormwater conveyance, and sewer infrastructure) and increasing climate variability, we combine high-resolution geospatial and high-frequency in situ sensor data with rigorous data analysis and watershed models. When addressing questions at broader spatial scales, land use change, geologic setting, and climate region become important considerations that alter scaling relationships. Incorporating long-term land use and landscape history is essential for putting observations into a proper environmental context. I then incorporate disparate datasets (hydrologic fluxes, soil moisture patterns, nutrient concentration from lysimeters, wells, streams, etc.) into a watershed models to assess spatial patterns and temporal trends. Key questions include: 1) How do land use change and climate variability affect nutrient transformations and transport? 2) How does the spatial organization of watershed structure and biogeochemical hotspots control stream water quality? And 3) How do we combine understanding of nutrient transformations and transport to scale from cores to catchments to continents?
Our research spans forested, agricultural, and urban watersheds. A common theme of our diverse work is understanding hot spots and hot moments across nested watershed scales.
Funded Projects:
Testing a framework of soil-stream interfaces that expand and contract to affect biogeochemistry in headwater catchments. NSF.Jason Kaye, Lead PI. 9/2023-8/2026. $1,000,000.
Baltimore Social-Environmental Collaborative Urban Integrated Field Laboratory. US DOE. Total $25,000,000. Overall lead PI- Ben Zaitchik Johns Hopkins University. Penn State lead PI- Ken Davis.
High-frequency in-stream nitrate sensing to advance models and inform watershed management. USDA AFRI. 4/2020-4/2024. $483,451.
Urban critical zone processes along the Piedmont-Coastal Plain transition, NSF Critical Zone Thematic Cluster. Overall lead PI- Claire Welty, University of Maryland Baltimore County. 9/2020-8/2025. Total $4,750,000. Penn State: $496,596
Revitalizing the Leading Ridge Experimental Watersheds. Hydrologic connectivity: mapping stream network dynamics and quantifying nutrient retention. USDA McIntire Stennis Funds. 10/2017-6/2024. $540,000.
Precision placement of agricultural conservation measures. USDA-ARS with co-PIs Deanna Osmand, NC State, and Cibin Raj and Heather Preisendanz at PSU, 1/2020-8/2024. $195,000
Prioritizing watershed and stream restoration investments: Part of The Chiques-Conoy-Conewago Regional Partnership: Integrating the Cloud, Muddy Boots and the Business of Farming to Get Farmers to Yes. National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Lead PI- Matt Royer, Penn State Agriculture and Environment Center. 1/2020 to 12/2023. $955,282
Headwater Investigations for Kids and Educators to Promote Watershed Research and Stewardship (HIKERS). NOAA. Lead PI: Kathy Hill Penn State Center for Science And The Schools. 1/2020-12/2023. $296,236.
Hydrologic and geomorphic impacts from rural roads, Center for Dirt & Gravel Roads.
Past Projects:
Preferential flow and event water uptake in contrasting lithologies. Part of the Susquehanna Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory, thru 6/2021. PI Sue Brantley, PSU Geosciences. $799,992. 10/2019-11/2021.
Agricultural and urban stormwater, Penn State College of Agriculture seed funds