DAVID B. ARSCOTT

Present address:
National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research
P.O. Box 8602
Christchurch, New Zealand.
E-mail: d.arscott@niwa.co.nz

Research Interests

My past research has focused on aquatic primary production, distribution and diversity of aquatic macroinvertebrates, and the ecology of rivers and flood plains. Broad interests include riverine landscape ecology and dynamics, aquatic invertebrate and algal ecology and biology, aquatic food web structure and dynamics, habitat conservation, and land-water interactions. Research experiences in Michigan, New Hampshire, Alaska, Minnesota, New York, Italy, and Switzerland have provided a broad spectrum aquatic habitats, from the arctic tundra to the Italian Dolomite Alps.

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Current Research

I joined Stroud in August 2003 as coordinator for the "Water Quality Monitoring in the Source Areas for New York City" Project. Since 2000, this innovative 6-year study has involved all labs at Stroud to provide a baseline data set on current conditions in the streams, rivers, and reservoirs in catchments located north and northwest of NYC. The system supplies water for over 9 million people in the metropolitan and upstate areas. The project is composed of seven primary study tasks that include: nutrients, particulates, and major ions in transport; molecular tracer chemistry for source tracking; dissolved organic carbon and bioavailable DOC dynamics; benthic macroinvertebrate communities; nutrient spiraling in streams; stream primary productivity; and reservoir primary productivity.

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Education and Professional Experience

2003-Present — Research Scientist/Project Coordinator at Stroud Water Research Center.
Research and Teaching Topics: watershed water quality research for potable water supply, fish ecology and management, riparian and wetland ecology, water resources management.

2002-2003 — Research Assistant Professor at the University of Minnesota, Crookston, Center for Agriculture and Natural Resources.
Research and Teaching Topics: sustainable development of NW Minnesota natural resources, conservation of freshwater ecosystems, riparian and wetland ecology and management, fisheries management, water resources management.

1998-2001 — Ph.D. at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich, Switzerland conducted at the Swiss Federal Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (EAWAG).
Title: Habitat heterogeneity & aquatic invertebrates along an Alpine floodplain river
Supervisors: Prof. Dr. James V. Ward and Dr. Klement Tockner

1995-1997 — Masters of Science at the University of New Hampshire, Dept. Natural Resources, Durham, NH, USA.
Title: Primary production in a 4th order arctic stream
Supervisor: Dr. William Breck Bowden

1994- Student Conservation Association, Resource Assistant Internship with the US Forest Services Fisheries and Wildlife Division, Ketchikan Rangers District, Alaska.
Duties: Basin-wide Fish habitat surveys, stream water quality determinations for timber harvest, fish ladder handler.

1989-1994 — Bachelors of Science at Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant, MI, USA.
Major: Biology Minors: Chemistry and Conservation

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Teaching and Teaching Assistantships

University of Pennsylvania — Guest Lectures for Primer in Stream Ecology, Environmental Studies Program — 2003, 2004

University of Minnesota, Crookston — Assistant Professor, Dept. of Natural Resources — Wetland and Riparian Ecology and Management; Principles of Fisheries Management; Water Resources Management: Special Topics — 2002, 2003

Swiss Federal Institute for Environmental Science and Technology (ETH/EAWAG) — Teaching Assistant, Dept. of Limnology, EAWAG — Biostatistics; Aquatic Invertebrate Ecology and Taxonomy — 1998-2001

University of New Hampshire — Teaching Assistant, Dept. Natural Resources — Introduction to Water Resources Management; Conservation of Natural Resources — 1995-1997

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Publications

Arscott, D.B., K. Tockner, J.V. Ward. 2003. Spatio-temporal patterns of benthic invertebrates along the river continuum of a braided Alpine river (Tagliamento River, NE Italy). Archiv für Hydrobiologie. 158:431-460. PDF

Arscott, D.B., B. Keller, K. Tockner, & J.V. Ward. 2003. Habitat structure and Trichoptera diversity in 2 headwater flood plains, N. E. Italy. International Review of Hydrobiology, 88: 255-273. PDF

Arscott, D.B., R. Glatthaar, K. Tockner, & J.V. Ward. 2002. Larval black fly distribution and diversity along a braided floodplain river in the Alps (Tagliamento River, Italy). Verhandlungen Internationale Vereinigung Limnologie, 28:524-531.

Arscott, D.B., K. Tockner, D. van der Nat, J.V. Ward. 2002. Geomorphic dynamics and aquatic habitat structure along a braided Alpine river (Tagliamento River, N.E. Italy). Ecosystems. 5:802-814. PDF

Arscott, D.B., K. Tockner, & J.V. Ward. 2001. Thermal heterogeneity along a braided floodplain river in the Alps (Tagliamento River, N.E. Italy). Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 58: 2359-2373. PDF

Arscott, D.B., K. Tockner, & J.V. Ward. 2000. Aquatic habitat diversity along the corridor of an Alpine floodplain river (Fiume Tagliamento, Italy). Archiv für Hydrobiologie. 49: 679-704. PDF

Arscott, D.B., W.B. Bowden, & J.C. Finlay. 2000. Effects of desiccation and temperature/irradiance on the metabolism of 2 arctic stream bryophyte taxa. Journal of the North American Benthological Society. 19: 263-273.

Arscott, D.B., W.B. Bowden, & J.C. Finlay. 1998.Comparison of epilithic algal and bryophyte metabolism in an arctic tundra stream, Alaska. Journal of the North American Benthological Society. 17: 210-227.

Arscott, D.B., K. Tockner, J.V. Ward. Lateral organization of aquatic invertebrates along the continuum of a braided-floodplain river (Tagliamento River, NE Italy). In revision — Journal of the North American Benthological Society.

Kaiser, E., D.B. Arscott, K. Tockner, B. Sulzberger. 2004. Transformations and discharge of organic carbon and nitrogen in the Tagliamento River, Italy. Aquatic Sciences — Research Across Boundaries 66:103-116.

Stream Bryophyte Group. 1999. Roles of bryophytes in stream ecosystems. Journal of the North American Benthological Society. 18:151-184.

Tockner, K., J.V. Ward, D.B. Arscott, P.J. Edwards, J. Kollmann, A.M. Gurnell, G.E. Petts, & B. Maiolini. 2003. The Tagliamento River: A model ecosystem of European importance. Aquatic Sciences. 65:239-253.

Ward, J.V., K. Tockner, D.B. Arscott, & C. Claret. 2002. Riverine landscape diversity. Freshwater Biology, 47: 517-539. PDF

Wollheim, W.M., B.J. Peterson, L.A. Deegan, J.E. Hobbie, B. Hooker, W.B. Bowden, K.J. Edwardson, D.B. Arscott, & A.E. Hershey. 2001. Influence of stream size on ammonium and suspended particulate nitrogen processing. Limnology and Oceanography. 46: 1-13.

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Presentations

Arscott, D.B., E.B. Kratzer, & J.K. Jackson. 2004. Examining rarity in a macroinvertebrate bioassessment database. Bulletin of the North American Benthological Society. (Oral Presentation)

Arscott, D.B., K. Tockner, & J.V. Ward. (Seminar) Life in a Dynamic Floodplain River: The Tagliamento River, NE Italy. North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND. October 2003 (Invited Lecture).

Arscott, D.B., K. Tockner, & J.V. Ward. 2002. Zoobenthos along lateral and longitudinal gradients in the Tagliamento River (N.E. Italy). Bulletin of the North American Benthological Society. (Oral Presentation).

Arscott, D.B., A. Hindakova, K. Tockner, & J.V. Ward. 2001. Periphyton diversity and dynamics along longitudinal and lateral gradients in a floodplain river. Bulletin of the North American Benthological Society, La Crosse, WI, USA. (Oral Presentation).

Arscott, D.B., K. Tockner, & J.V. Ward. 2001. Influence of flooding along an Alpine river corridor. First International Symposium on Landscape Dynamics of River Corridors, Ascona, Switzerland. (Poster Presentation).

Arscott, D.B., K. Tockner, & J.V. Ward. (Seminar) Pattern and process along an Alpine river: incorporating the later dimension. Cawthron Institute, Nelson, New Zealand. March 2001 (Oral Presentation).

Arscott, D.B., R. Glatthaar, K. Tockner, & J.V. Ward. 2001. Larval black fly distribution and diversity along a braided floodplain river in the Alps (Tagliamento River, Italy). Societas Internationalis Limnologiae XXVIII Congress, Melbourne, Australia. (Oral Presentation).

Arscott, D.B., B. Keller, K. Tockner, & J.V. Ward. 2000. Habitat structure and Trichoptera diversity in 2 headwater flood plains, N. E. Italy. River Bottom V Conference Proceedings, Lunz, Austria. (Oral Presentation).

Arscott, D.B., K. Tockner, & J.V. Ward. 2000. Aquatic habitat turnover along the corridor of an Alpine floodplain river in N.E. Italy. American Society of Limnology and Oceanography, Copenhagen, Denmark. (Poster Presentation).

Arscott, D.B., K. Tockner, & J.V. Ward. 1999. Aquatic habitat structure along the Tagliamento River corridor (N.E. Italy). Bulletin of the North American Benthological Society, Duluth, MN, USA. 16:159. (Oral Presentation).

Arscott, D.B., W.B. Bowden, & J.C. Finlay. 1997. Stress effects on physiologically contrasting bryophytes in an arctic stream. Bulletin of the North American Benthological Society, San Marcos, TX, USA. 14:85. (Oral Presentation).

Arscott, D.B., W.B. Bowden, & J.C. Finlay. 1996. Production by bryophytes in aquatic ecosystems. Bulletin of the North American Benthological Society, Kalisbell, MT, USA. 13:118. (Oral Presentation).

Arscott, D.B., W.B. Bowden, & J.C. Finlay. 1996. A comparison of primary production by epilithic algae and bryophytes in control and fertilized reaches of a tundra stream, Alaska. Bulletin of the North American Benthological Society, Kalisbell, MT, USA. 13:120. (Oral Presentation).

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Past Research

Red River of the North

While at the University of Minnesota, Crookston my research focused several aspects of natural resources in northwest Minnesota. One project focused on nature-based recreation. Nature Northwest is a program funded by a Veden Fellowship, awarded to Dr. John Loegering, and the Northwest Regional Sustainable Development Partnership. The goals of the program are to develop an inventory, economic assessment, and guidebook of nature-related recreational opportunities in northwest Minnesota. Northwest Minnesota abounds with beauty, diversity, and natural resources. Northwest Minnesota abounds with beauty, diversity, and natural resources. In the northwest region, prairie parkland meets with eastern broadleaf forest, which quickly undergoes transition to laurentian mixed forest. As a consequence of the close proximity of these three biomes ecological diversity is concentrated in a relatively small area. The region is also a major flyway for migrant birds, making for excellent bird and wildlife viewing.

In addition to the work with the Nature Northwest, I have been participating in river management and monitoring activities in the Red River of the North Basin. The Red River of the North is a river without a valley. Much of the present day watershed was formed by glacial activity and the presence of the ancient glacial Lake Agassiz. After its retreat about 9,000 years ago, Lake Agassiz left a legacy of rich productive soils and a very flat, poorly drained landscape. Since this time the river and its tributaries have carved out active river corridors that serve as the rivers residence during low flow periods. However, flooding that occurs in the spring due to rain on snow and ice jams to the north, creates inundated areas reaching far beyond the active river corridor (see the Fargo Floods homepage). The Red River of the North, like many rivers around the world, has a history of flooding and, in recent years, flooding has become a major economic and health concern. Flooding in the Red River basin has been exacerbate by land drainage projects, increased riparian development, and perhaps global climate change. Historic land cover throughout much of the basin was wetland, but since about 1890, land conversion programs in the Red River basin have actively drained wetlands in order to create viable agricultural lands. The majority of the legal drainage ditch systems in place today in the Red River basin were constructed from 1890 to 1950 (see History of Minnesota Drainage). From 1950 on, the construction of on-farm drainage systems has been typical practice. The maintenance of these systems has been essential in attaining the high level of yields necessary for agricultural production. Today's programs to reduce flooding downstream are beginning to investigate the potential for incorporating water retention projects into the drainage systems where feasible. This would, in turn, help regulate the downstream flow within the capacity of the existing channels (source: Red River Watershed Management Board Newsletter — Vol 6(1)). Wetland restoration and mitigation and riparian greenway are also part of the flood management strategy.

A shaded relief map of the Red Lake River corridor upstream of Crookston, MN. Note the active corridor, carved out by ~10,000 years of fluvial action. Off-channel habitats located in the active corridor are important components of river ecosystems, maintaining high levels of diversity. Game and non-game wildlife require healthy flood plains to thrive and survive.

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Fiume Tagliamento

The Tagliamento River in NE Italy is considered to be the last morphologically intact river corridor draining the European Alps. Its unconstrained morphology, flashy hydrograph, and continuous sediment supply are key characteristics that maintain a healthy, complex, and diverse river-floodplain environment.-- Photo by D. Arscott

In 1998 I traveled to Switzerland to begin working on my Ph.D. in limnology (the study of freshwater ecosystems) at the Swiss Federal Institute for Environmental Science and Technology (EAWAG/ETH). My research focused on river/floodplain ecology. At the time, a core group of scientists, lead by Dr. Klement Tockner and Prof. J.V. Ward, were beginning to study a river system in NE Italy, the Fiume Tagliamento. The Tagliamento river is a large braided-floodplain system that is unique to present day Europe, owing to its largely unconstrained morphology and wide, extremely active corridor (channel forming floods occur on average 3 times per year). With limited background data on the system as a whole, the group developed a multidisciplinary approach composed of researchers from around Europe and the United States, including plant ecologists, hydrologists, geomorphologists, and aquatic ecologists. My role included investigating aquatic invertebrate distribution and diversity, using GPS and GIS (Global Positioning Systems and Geographic Information Systems) to map river and floodplain habitats, evaluate habitat diversity, and document floodplain dynamics (i.e., change within the active flood plain). Once an understanding of habitat typology was achieved a more rigorous and intensive field campaign was developed to monitor chemical and physical variables of the aquatic environment (i.e., temperature, nutrient concentrations, and substrate and flow conditions). The final layer of information collected included monthly collections of algal communities and quarterly collection of aquatic invertebrates. The ultimate goal of this work was to determine lateral (i.e., floodplain dimension) and longitudinal (i.e., downstream dimension) patterns of habitat, invertebrate, and algal diversity along a natural river corridor.

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Arctic Alaska

A view from the Arctic Long Term Ecological Research (Arctic LTER) facility at Toolik Lake on Alaska's North Slope. Late in the summer the sun begins to set, an event that lasts long into the nighttime hours.--Photo by D. Arscott

From 1995 to 1998 I enrolled at the University of New Hampshire in the Natural Resource Department's Water Resource Management. My Masters research, funded by an NSF grant awarded to Dr. W. Breck Bowden, took me to the Alaskan arctic to conduct studies on algal and bryophyte (mosses) production in rivers. The research was conducted at the Arctic Long Term Ecological Research facility located at Toolik Lake just north of the Brooks Range and off of the Dalton Highway connecting Prudhoe Bay to Fairbanks. Primary study sites were located on the Kuparuk River, a tundra foothill stream. The Kuparuk is the site of a long-term phosphorus addition experiment aimed at determining the impact of elevated nutrient concentrations in arctic rivers as a consequence of potential anthropogenic influence such as watershed development or climate change. The river has been receiving low-level phosphorus additions since 1982 and, in response to this addition, aquatic communities have changed significantly. My research resulted in two first author manuscripts and contribution to a multiple author manuscript reporting on distribution and ecophysiological responses of the autotrophic community to long-term elevated P concentrations. Learn more about arctic rivers of Alaska.

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Southeast Alaska Rainforest

Old growth temperate rainforests are endangered ecosystems. Alaska's panhandle has some of the most extensive tracks of old growth left in the U.S. Streams in these biomes are filled with large woody debris (LWD) that provide critical fish and invertebrate habitat. LWD provides cover, creates pools, traps sediment, and adds a different type of dynamic to stream ecosystems. LWD is a critical component of many stream ecosystems world wide, with some exceptions such as the tundra and desert. --Photo by D. Arscott

In 1994 I was a Student Resource Volunteer with the Student Conservation Association. I was lucky enough to be placed in my first choice district, the USFS Ketchikan Ranger District in Alaska where I volunteered for the USFS Fish and Wildlife Division in Ketchikan for 7 months during the 1995 field season. I worked with three others conducting a basinwide survey of stream fish habitat. Specific goals were to identify critical salmonid habitat and production areas so that fisheries managers could develop riparian buffer strip reports for timber harvest plans. Work involved walking up miles of pristine streams, counting riffle-pool sequences, identifying habitat units (e.g., plunge pools, glides, lateral scour pools), counting wood debris, trapping juvenile fish, identifying nesting areas, and noting riparian vegetation. Other duties included working on a fish ladder, stream water quality surveys, and lots of fishing!!! I do concede that it was difficult walking through the pristine forest and knowing that these trees would soon be someone's house or deck. Hopefully slowing the harvest in this area and ongoing protection measures will continue to receive support and help preserve these last tracks of virgin forest.

Another perfect example of LWD creating excellent fish habitat. This is the Carol Inlet stream system on Revillagigedo Island, Alaska.-- Photo by D. Arscott

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