Eric Booth

     

              

I am currently pursuing my PhD in Limnology working within the Hydroecology Research Group in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering here at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. My advisor is Steve Loheide and my dissertation committee members include Ken Potter, Emily Stanley, Jim Knox, Phil Townsend, and Randy Hunt.

 

RESEARCH INTERESTS

In general, I study the hydrology, geomorphology, and ecology of rivers and floodplains so that we may find better ways to sustainably manage aquatic ecosystem services. Specifically, I am interested in how changes in riparian management and restoration influences riparian hydroecology, vegetation patterning, fluvial geomorphology, and water quality. I am also interested in the effects of climate change on watershed hydrology.

 

EDUCATION

B.S. Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Wisconsin - Madison (2004)

M.S. Hydrologic Science, University of California - Davis (2006)

Ph.D. Limnology and Marine Science, University of Wisconsin - Madison (expected 2011)

 

download C.V.

 

CURRENT RESEARCH

My dissertation research is focused on the East Branch Pecatonica River watershed where many landowners, including The Nature Conservancy, are in the process of undertaking many projects designed to restore the watershed. These projects range from re-establishing native prairies in the uplands to restoring pre-settlement wetlands along the riparian corridor.

The East Branch Pecatonica River watershed is located approximately 40 miles west-southwest of Madison in the unglaciated Driftless Area.

In late summer of 2006, a 1-km long reach in the upper part of the watershed was restored. Another reach of similar length upstream was restored in August of 2008. I am interested in monitoring changes in the riparian hydroecology (e.g., changes in evapotranspiration and riparian vegetation communities), channel/bank geometry, and stream temperature. Observations from the two sites and a reference site will lead to a modeling framework aimed to predict future changes and aid the sustainable management of these and similar ecosystems.

Click here for more information on the East Branch Pecatonica River Restoration Observatory.

 

PUBLICATIONS

Booth, Eric, Jeffrey Mount, and Joshua Viers. 2006. Hydrologic Variability of the Cosumnes River Floodplain. San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Science. Vol. 4, Issue 2 [September 2006]. Article 2. (link)

 

Booth, E.G., Loheide, S.P., and Hansis, R.H. 2009. Postsettlement Alluvium Removal. A Novel Floodplain Restoration Technique (Wisconsin). Ecological Restoration. 27(2):136-139. doi:10.3368/er.27.2.136. (link)

 

Loheide, S.P. and E.G. Booth. (in review). Effects of changing channel morphology on vegetation, groundwater, and soil moisture regimes in groundwater dependent ecosystems. Geomorphology.

 

Booth, E.G. and S.P. Loheide. (in prep). Effects of evapotranspiration partitioning, plant water stress response, and topsoil removal on the soil moisture regime of a floodplain wetland: Implications for restoration. Hydrological Processes.

 

TEACHING

UC-Davis

UW-Madison

Page created: 5/28/2007

Page updated: 8/7/2009