William H . McDowell
Professor of Environmental Science and Presidential Chair,
Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire
McDowell's page
Research in the McDowell lab focuses on understanding controls on biogeochemical cycles in streams, forests, and watersheds. Specifically, we study long-term changes in the water quality of forested, suburban, and urban watersheds in both temperate and tropical watersheds. Our primary long-term study sites include the Lamprey River and other suburban watersheds in southern New Hampshire, the Luquillo Experimental Forest and urban sites in Puerto Rico, and forested watersheds in New England and the Czech Republic. Understanding the impact of people on water quality, especially impacts on the nitrogen cycle, is a long-term goal in many of our research projects. Primary funding comes from the National Science Foundation, the EPA Clean Air Division, the USDA, and other Federal agencies.
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CZO Publications
Papers/Books
2019 (In Review)
African dust deposition in Puerto Rico; analysis of a 20 year rainfall chemistry record and comparison with models. McClintock, M.A., McDowell, W.H., Gonzalez, G., Schulz, M., and PettRidge, J.C. (2019): Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres
2019
Nutrient export and elemental stoichiometry in an urban tropical river. William H. McDowell, William G. McDowell, Jody D. Potter, Alonso Ramírez (2019): Ecological Applications
2019
Hysteretic response of solutes and turbidity at the event scale across forested tropical montane watersheds. Wymore, A., Leon M.C., Shanley J.B. McDowell W.H. (2019): Frontiers in Earth Science Biogeoscience
2018
Ideas and perspectives: Strengthening the biogeosciences in environmental research networks. Richter, D.D., S.A. Billings, P.M. Groffman, E.F. Kelly, K.A. Lohse, W.H. McDowell, T.S. White, S. Anderson, D.D. Baldocchi, S. Banwart, S. Brantley, J.J. Braun, Z.S. Brecheisen, C.W. Cook, H.E. Hartnett, S.E. Hobbie, J. Gaillardet, E. Jobbagy, H.F. Jungkunst, C.E. Kazanski, J. Krishnaswamy, D. Markewitz, K. O’Neill, C.S. Riebe, P. Schroeder, C. Siebe, W.L. Silver, A. Thompson, A. Verhoef, G. Zhang (2018): Biogeosciences 15: 4815-4832 Cross-CZO National
2017
Designing a network of critical zone observatories to explore the living skin of the terrestrial Earth. Brantley, S.L., McDowell, W.H., Dietrich, W.E., White, T.S., Kumar, P., Anderson, S., Chorover, J., Lohse, K.A., Bales, R.C., Richter, D., Grant, G., and Gaillardet, J. (2017): Earth Surface Dynamics, 5, 841–860 Cross-CZO National
2017
Concentration-Discharge Relations in the Critical Zone: Implications for Resolving Critical Zone Structure, Function and Evolution. Chorover, J., Derry, L. A., McDowell, W. H. (2017): Water Resources Research 53(11): 8654–8659 Cross-CZO National
2017
Tropical river suspended sediment and solute dynamics in storms during an extreme drought. Clark, K.E., Shanley, J.B., Scholl, M.A., Perdrial, N., Perdrial, J.N., Plante, A.F., McDowell W.H. (2017): Water Resources Research
2017
Critical zone structure controls concentration-discharge relationships and solute generation in forested tropical montane watersheds. Wymore, A.; Brereton, R. L.; Ibarra, D. E.; Maher, K.; McDowell, W. H. (2017): Water Resources Research 53, 6279–6295 Cross-CZO National
2016
Limited uptake of nutrient input from sewage effluent in a tropical landscape. Figueroa-Nieves D., McDowell, W.H., Potter, J.D., Martínez, G. (2016): Freshwater Science
2016
Variation of organic matter quantity and quality in streams at Critical Zone Observatory watersheds. Miller, Matthew P., Boyer, Elizabeth W., McKnight, Diane M., Brown, Michael G., Gabor, Rachel S., Hunsaker, Carolyn T., Iavorivska, Lidiia, Inamdar, Shreeram, Johnson, Dale W., Kaplan, Louis A., Lin, Henry, McDowell, William H., Perdrial, Julia N. (2016): Water Resources Research, 52 (10): 8202–8216 Cross-CZO
2016
Impact of long-range transported African dust on cloud water chemistry at a tropical montane cloud forest in northeastern Puerto Rico. Valle-Díaz, C.J., E. Torres-Delgado, S.M. Colón-Santos, T. Lee, J.L. Collett Jr., W.H. McDowell, and O.L. Mayol-Bracero (2016): Aerosol and Air Quality Research
2015
Reducing bias and quantifying uncertainty in watershed flux estimates: The R package loadflex . Appling A.P., Leon M.C., McDowell W.H. (2015): Ecosphere
2015
Limited uptake on nutrient input from sewage effluent in a tropical landscape. Figueroa Nieves, D, McDowell, W. H., Potter. J.D. and Martinez, G. (2015): Freshwater Science
2015
Urban Evolution: The Role of Water. Kaushal, S.S., McDowell, W.H., Wollheim, W.M., Newcomer Johnson, T.A., Mayer, P.M., Belt, K.T. and Pennino, M.J. (2015): Water
2015
Chapter 2 – The Role of Critical Zone Observatories in Critical Zone Science. White T., Brantley S., Banwart S., Chorover J., Dietrich W., Derry L., Lohse K., Anderson S., Aufdendkampe A., Bales R., Kumar P., Richter D., McDowell B. (2015): Developments in Earth Surface Processes 19: 15–78 Cross-CZO National
2014
Macrosystems ecology: understanding ecological patterns and processes at continental scales. Heffernan, J.B., Soranno, P.A., Angilletta, M.J., Buckley, L.B., Gruner, D.S., Keitt, T.H., Kellner, J.R., Kominoski, J.S., Rocha, A.V., Xiao, J., Harms, T.K., Goring, S.J., Koenig, L.E., McDowell, W.H., Powell, H., Richardson, A.D., Stow, C.A., Vargas, R. and Weathers, K.C. (2014): Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment.
2014
Tracking evolution of urban biogeochemical cycles: past,present, and future. Kaushal, S.S., McDowell, W.H. and Wollheim, W.M. (2014): Biogeochemistry
2014
Improving automated phosphorus measurements in freshwater: an analytical approach to eliminating silica interference. Koenig, L.E., A.J. Baumann, and W.H. McDowell (2014): Limnology and Oceanography: Methods. Limnology and Oceanography: Methods
2014
NEON and STREON: opportunities and challenges for the aquatic sciences. McDowell, W.H. (2014): Freshwater Science
2014
New high precision approach for measuring 15N–N2 gas fluxes from terrestrial ecosystems. Yang, W. H., W. C. McDowell, P. D. Brooks, and W. L. Silver (2014): Soil Biology and Biochemistry
2013
When Wet Gets Wetter: Decoupling of Moisture, Redox Biogeochemistry, and Greenhouse Gas Fluxes in a Humid Tropical Forest Soil. Hall, S.J., McDowell W.H., Silver W.L. (2013): Ecosystems
2013
Interactions between lithology and biology drive the long-term response of stream chemistry to major hurricanes in a tropical landscape. McDowell, W.H., Brereton R.L., Scatena F.N. Shanley J.B., Brokaw N.V., Lugo A.E. (2013): Biogeochemistry
2013
Incorporating urban infrastructure into biogeochemical assessment of urban tropical streams in Puerto Rico. Potter J.D., McDowell W.H., Helton A.M., Daley M.L. (2013): Biogeochemistry
2011
Twelve testable hypotheses on the geobiology of weathering. Brantley, S.L., Megonigal, J.P., Scatena, F.N., Balogh-Brunstad, Z., Barnes, R.T., Bruns, M.A., Van Cappellen, P., Dontsova, K., Hartnett, H.E., Hartshorn, A.S., Heimsath, A., Herndon, E., Jin, L., Keller, C.K., Leake, J.R., McDowell, W.H., Meinzer, F.C., Mozdzer, T.J., Petsch, S, Pett-Ridge, J., Pregitzer, K.S., Raymond, P.A., Riebe, C.S., Shumaker, K., Sutton-Grier, A., Walter, R., and Yoo, K. (2011): Geobiology 9(2): 140-165, Cross-CZO National
2011
Effects of chronic nitrogen additions on above- and belowground carbon dynamics in two tropical forests. Cusack, D. F., Silver, W. L., and McDowell, W. H. (2011): Biogeochemistry
2007
Disturbance and long-term patterns of rainfall and throughfall nutrient fluxes in a subtropical forest in Puerto Rico. Heartsill-Scalley, T., Scatena, F.N., Estrada, C., McDowell, W.H., Lugo, A.E. (2007): Journal of Hydrology, 33:472-485
2000
Effects of hurricane disturbance on stream water concentrations and fluxes in eight tropical forest watersheds of the Luquillo Experimental Forest, Puerto Rico. Schaefer, D.A.; McDowell, W.H.; Scatena, F.N., and Asbury, C.E. (2000): Journal of Tropical Ecology
1999
A nitrogen budget for late-successional hill slope tabonuco forest, Puerto Rico. Chestnut, T.J., D.J. Zarin, W.H. McDowell and M. Keller (1999): Biogeochemistry
Papers and books that explicitly acknowledge a CZO grant are highlighted in PALE ORANGE.
Other CZO Publications
2019
Luquillo Critical Zone Observatory Annual Report 2019. McDowell, W.H., González, G., Plante, A.F., Silver W.L. (2019): University of New Hampshire
2018
Luquillo Critical Zone Observatory Annual Report 2018. McDowell, W.H., González, G., Plante, A.F., Silver W.L. (2018): University of New Hampshire
2017
AGU Chapman Conference on Extreme Climate Event Impacts on Aquatic Biogeochemical Cycles and Fluxes. Inamdar, A. McDowell W.H., Shanley J.B., Minor E., Park, J. (2017): https://sites.google.com/a/udel.edu/chapmanece/home
2017
Conference Program - AGU Chapman Conference on Extreme Climate Event Impacts on Aquatic Biogeochemical Cycles and Fluxes. Inamdar, S., McDowell W.H., Shanley J. B., Minor E., Park J. (2017): AGU Chapman Conference, San Juan, PR 2017 Cross-CZO National
2017
Annual Report 2017 Luquillo CZO: The role of hot spots and hot moments in tropical landscape evolution and functioning of the critical zone. McDowell, W.H., González, G., Plante, A.F., Silver W.L. (2017): University of New Hampshire
2017
New Opportunities for Critical Zone Science. Sullivan, P.L., Wymore, A.S., McDowell, W.H. et al. (2017): 2017 CZO Arlington Meeting White Booklet Cross-CZO National
2017
Critical zone structure controls concentration-discharge relationships and solute generation in forested tropical montane watersheds. Wymore, A.; Brereton, R. L.; Ibarra, D. E.; Maher, K.; McDowell, W. H. (2017): Water Resources Research 53, 6279–6295 Cross-CZO National
2016
Annual Report 2016 Luquillo CZO: The role of hot spots and hot moments in tropical landscape evolution and functioning of the critical zone. McDowell, W.H., González, G., Plante, A.F., Silver W.L. (2016): University of New Hampshire
2016
Critical Zone Observatories: Platforms for Collaborative Science. White, T.S., McDowell, W.H., and Brantley, S.L. (2016): 2016 Fall Meeting, American Geophysical Union, San Francisco, CA, 12-16 Dec.
2015
Optimizing watershed flux estimates: the R package ‘loadflex’ . Appling A.P., Leon M.C., McDowell W.H. (2015): Society for Fresh Water Science
2015
Common Critical Zone Observatory (CZO) Infrastructure and Measurements. J. Chorover, S. Anderson, A. K. Aufdenkampe, R. C. Bales, S. L. Brantley, W. Dietrich, P. Kumar, K. A. Lohse, W. McDowell, D. Richter, T. White (2015): A Guide Prepared By CZO PIs, May 05, 2015 Cross-CZO National
2015
Annual Report 2015 Luquillo CZO: The role of hot spots and hot moments in tropical landscape evolution and functioning of the critical zone. McDowell, W.H., González, G., Plante, A.F., Silver W.L. (2015): University of New Hampshire
2014
Identifying the Sources of Dissolved Organic Matter in Streams Using Elemental Analysis Isotopic Ratio Mass Spectroscopy (EA-IRMS) Across a Land Use Gradient. Adam Wymore,K arsten Kalbitz, Michelle Daley, Lauren Koenig,Shannen Miller,William McDowell (2014): AGU Fall Meeting. San Fransisco, CA
2014
The impacts of urbanization on dissolved organic and inorganic carbon fluxes in a tropical watershed (oral presentation). Koenig, L.E., A. Ramirez, and W.H. McDowell (2014): Joint Aquatic Sciences Meeting 2014 Portland, Oregon.
2014
Linking CZO, LTER, and NEON- Putting Biology into the Critical Zone. William McDowell (2014): AGU Fall Meeting. San Fransisco, CA
2013
Critical Zone Science and Observatories. Brantley, S.L., White, T.S., Anderson, S.P., Bales, R.C., Chorover, J., McDowell, W.H. (2013): Abstract TH15D-01 presented at 2013 Fall Meeting, AGU, San Francisco, CA, 9-13 Dec. Cross-CZO National
2013
Chemical speciation of water soluble ions and metals of cloud and rain eater during the Puerto Rico African Dust and Clouds Study (PRADACS) Campaigns. Delgado, E.T. C.J. Valle Diaz, T. Lee, J. Collett, E. Fitzgerald, L. Cuadra, K.A. Prather, M.J. Sanchez, W.H. McDowell and O.L. Mayol-Bracer R. (2013): AGU Spring meeting
2013
Soils and stream chemistry: When, where and why are they linked? . McDowell, W.H. (2013): European Geophysical Union Annual Meeting, Vienna, Austria
2013
Carbon losses from the Critical Zone: Quantifying the effects of lithology and urbanization on concentrations of organic and inorganic carbon in coastal montane tropical rivers. McDowell, W.H., Scatena, F.N., Ramirez, A., Potter, J.D. (2013): SE Section Annual Meeting, Geological Society of America
2012
Effects of catastrophic hurricane disturbance on the biogeochemistry of forested watersheds. McDowell, W.H. (2012): Soil Science Society of America Annual Meeting
2012
Just passing through --- high Hg deposition to Puerto Rico forest moves quickly off the landscape. Shanley, J. B, J.K. Willenbring, J. Kaste, M. Occhi, W.H. McDowell (2012): AGU Annual fall meeting
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Models
Incision/transport
River incisition, sediment and solute transport
Linking Climate and fluxes at the landscape, channel and reach scales
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News
Elevating the biogeosciences within environmental research networks
02 Mar 2018 - This manuscript, led by Dan Richter with six Calzones co-authors, was just submitted to Biogeosciences Discussions.
White paper of 2017 CZ Science Meeting in Arlington, VA
01 Jan 2018 - New Opportunities for Critical Zone Science Following the June 2017 Arlington Meeting for Critical Zone Science (hosted by CZO), a white booklet...
Ravaged El Yunque viewed as storm-recovery lab
17 Nov 2017 - Over the millennia, the tropical woodland known today as El Yunque National Forest has been pummeled by rains and rocked by hurricanes. But the...
Water Resources Research Special Collection: Concentration-discharge relations in the critical zone
30 Oct 2017 - Water Resources Research published a new special collection in September 2017 featuring concentration-discharge research from multiple CZOs.
CZNews: Spring 2017
01 May 2017 - CZO Newsletter CZNews: Spring 2017
CZNews: Fall 2016
11 Oct 2016 - CZO Newsletter CZNews: Fall 2016
Sino-USA CZO scientists meet to discuss future collaborations
09 Oct 2015 - About 60 Chinese and American critical zone scientists met in Guiyang, China for two days of discussions and presentations on the significance of...
CZNews: Fall 2015
01 Oct 2015 - The CZO National Office Newsletter CZNews: Fall 2015
Learning exercise: How African dust feeds the Puerto Rico ecosystem
10 Jun 2015 - CZO and AGI distribute a hands-on learning exercise on the "Connectivity of Global Ecosystems: The Influence of Dry Deserts on Tropical Rain Forests"
A river runs through it: U.S. cities’ waterways show consistent patterns of evolution
12 Sep 2014 - Funded by the National Science Foundation, the Baltimore Ecosystem Study (BES) is a long-term and in-depth look at the many factors that affect...
InTeGrating CZO Science
06 Jun 2013 - During the week of May 19, five faculty members interested in Critical Zone science traveled to Northfield, MN to participate in an InTeGrate...
CZO team to develop a new course through InTeGrate
01 Apr 2013 - CZO education and outreach team receives funding from NSF-sponsored InTeGrate project to develop an undergraduate course in Critical Zone science.
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Events
AGU Chapman Conference: Extreme Climate Event Impacts
AGU Chapman Conference on Extreme Climate Event Impacts on Aquatic Biogeochemical Cycles and Fluxes
San Juan, Puerto Rico.CZO Town Hall at AGU 2016
Town Hall: Critical Zone Observatories: Platforms for Collaborative Science
AGU Meeting, San Francisco, CA.Intro to the CZO Network Strategic Plan
All-hands webinar to introduce the CZO Network Strategic Plan, hosted by Sue Brantley and William McDowell
Online: 2-4 Eastern / 1-3 C / 12-2 M / 11-1 P .LTER/CZO working group- LTER triennial
Critical Zone Observatories/Long Term Ecological Research Network Collaboration
2015 LTER All Scientists Meeting- Estes Park, CO.Southeastern GSA
LCZO is sponsoring a Theme Session at the Southeastern regional GSA conference
San Juan, Puerto Rico.
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