Steven Thomas
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Hi, I'm Steven Thomas, a river/stream ecologist with the School of Natural Resources.
Simply put, I’m interested in understanding how the properties of one location impact the ecological properties of another. The flow of water links upstream and downstream habitats and longitudinal connection is a fundamental, though often ignored, aspect of ecology.
My research combines ecology and hydrology to address nutrients in streams, microbiological activity and organic matter production, transport and processing.
These interests have led me to research topics such as organic particle dynamics in stream ecosystems, in-stream nitrogen removal and transport; hydrology, remote sensing and thermal heterogeneity in floodplain river ecosystems; flow paths and the formation of biogeochemical hotspots; and other areas.
My research is nested within the broader intellectual pursuit of understanding landscape integration at the watershed scale.
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I came to UNL as an assistant professor of stream ecology in January 2006. Previously, I've been a postdoctoral fellow at Cornell University and formerly a research hydrologist in the private sector.
I've taught at the graduate and undergraduate levels in biology, limnology and the use of stable isotopes in ecology, among other topics.
Key Research Publications
- 2005 Cross, W.F., J.P. Benstead, P.C. Frost, and S.A. Thomas. 2005. Applying principles of ecological stoichiometry to freshwater benthic ecology: recent progress and future potential. Freshwater Biology. 50:1985-1912.
- 2005 Schade, J., J. Espeleta, C.A. Klausmeier, M.E. McGroddy, S.A. Thomas, and L. Zhang. A conceptual framework for ecosystem stoichiometry: balancing resource supply and demand. Oikos. 109:40-51.
- 2005 Thomas S.A., T.V. Royer, E.B. Snyder, and J,C, Davis. Organic carbon spiraling in the Snake River, Idaho, USA. Aquatic Sciences. 67:424-433.
- 2005 Brookshire, J.D., H. M. Valett, S. A. Thomas, and J.R. Webster. Cycling of dissolved organic nitrogen in a forested headwater stream. Ecology. 86:2487-2496.
- 2005 Newbold, J.D., S.A. Thomas, G.W. Minshall, C.E. Cushing, and T. Georgian. Deposition, benthic residence, and resuspension of fine organic particles in a mountain stream. Limnology and Oceanography. 50:1571-1580.
- 2004 Mulholland, P.J., H.M. Valett, J.R. Webster, S.A. Thomas, L. Cooper, S. Hamilton and B.J. Peterson. Stream denitrification and total nitrate uptake rates measured using a field 15N isotope tracer approach. Limnology and Oceanography 49(3) 809-820.
- 2003 Thomas, S.A., H.M. Valett, P.J. Mulholland, and J.R. Webster. A regression approach to estimating reactive solute uptake in advective and transient storage zones of stream ecosystems. Advances in Water Resources. 26: 965-976.
- 2003 Thomas, S.A. T.V. Royer, and G. W. Minshall. Assessing the Role of Marine Derived Nutrients in Idaho Streams. Pages 41-55 in J.G. Stockner, editor. Nutrients in Salmonid Ecosystems; Sustaining Productivity and Biodiversity. American Fisheries Society, Syposium 34, Bethesda, Maryland.
- 2001 Thomas, S.A., H.M. Valett, P.J. Mulholland, and J.R. Webster, C.S. Fellows, C.N. Dahm, and C.G. Peterson. 2001. Nitrogen retention in headwater streams: the influence of groundwater - surface water interaction. In: Optimizing Nitrogen Management in Food and Energy Production and Environmental Protection: Proceedings of the 2nd International Nitrogen Conference on Science and Policy. TheScientificWorld 1:623-631.
- 2001 Thomas, S.A., J.D. Newbold, G.W. Minshall, T. Georgian, M.T. Monaghan, and C.E. Cushing. Transport and deposition of fine and very-fine organic particles in streams: implications for deposition mechanisms in turbulent environments. Limnology and Oceanography. 46:1415-1424.
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| Office Hours | Flexible |
| Potential Advising for Undergraduate Majors | Bachelor of Science in
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| Potential Advising for Graduate Program |
Master of Science with a Specialization in
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| SNR Faculties | Applied Ecology, Water |
| Areas of Interest | Spatial dynamics of biogeochemical cycling in ecosystems, stream ecosystems |
| Contact Preference | email, phone |
| Notable Website | http://www.benthos.org |
| Notable Website | http://www.esa.org |
| Notable website | http://www.aslo.org |
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