Monroe, G., Markman, D.W., Beck, W.S., et al. Eco-evolutionary Dynamics of Carbon Cycling in the Anthropocene.
Collaborated with six graduate students from four departments to publish a review on eco-evolutionary dynamics related to carbon cycling. My role specifically focused on how phytoplankton carbon cycling traits respond to and feed back to influence climate change. |
Beck, W. S., Rugenski, A.T., and Poff, N.L. Influence of Experimental, Environmental, and Geographic Factors on Nutrient Diffusing Substrate Experiments in Running Waters.
Conducted meta-analysis of 649 nutrient diffusing substrate experiments to determine how construction methodologies, environmental factors, and geographic patterns impact nutrient limitation in freshwater streams. |
Beck, W. S. and Hall, E.K. Avoiding Confounding Factors in Algal Phosphorus Limitation Experiments.
Completed field experiments and a meta-analysis to determine why algae are inhibited by phosphorus additions in 12.9% of nutrient diffusing substrate experiments. Determined that P concentrations are likely too high in many experiments, and primary production may be inhibited by acidic pH induced by certain phosphate forms. Beck, W. S., Rugenski, A.T., and Poff, N.L. Drivers and Implications of Algal Accrual and Nutrient Limitation in Snowmelt-Driven Mountain Streams. Found that algal accrual and grazer nutrient excretion rates in mountain streams of the Poudre watershed were more strongly regulated by in-stream nutrients than temperature. We also found that the watershed was primarily nitrogen-limited in both summer and fall, with decreased nutrient limitation in higher elevation streams. Beck, W.S. , Oleksy, I.A., Kotalik, C., Boot, C.M. Methodological and environmental factors drive disparate benthic algal community structure measurements from in situ flurometry and UPLC-UV-MS. Determined that algal biomass and community composition measurements significantly differed between PAM fluorometer-based Benthotorch measurements and UPLC-UV-MS verification. This is in part due to the compounds being measured by the methods, but we also highlight the importance of environmental conditions in determining PAM fluorometer measurements. Oleksy, I.A., Baron, J.S., and Beck, W.S. Nutrients and Warming Alter Mountain Lake Benthic Structure and Function. Used field and lab experiments to quantify the interactive effects of temperature and nutrient additions on algal biomass and algal community structure in a high elevation lake system. |
Beck, W.S., Markman, D.W., Oleksy, I.A., Lafferty, M.H., and Poff, N.L. Seasonal Shifts in the Importance of Top-Down and Bottom-Up Factors on Periphyton Community Structure.
Used nutrient additions and electrical exclusions to investigate temporally-variable controls on algal accrual and nutrient limitation. Found that insect emergence and cooling temperatures led to weaker top-down and bottom-up control of algae moving from summer to fall. Beck, W.S. and Poff, N.L. Current Velocity Enhances Responses of Stream Algae to Limiting Nutrients. Demonstrated that algal biomass accrual and the proportion of autotrophy in microbial communities increased with current velocity in oligotrophic mountain streams, with stronger responses on limiting nutrient treatments. However, total periphyton organic matter was generally unaffected by velocity and nutrients. Oleksy, I.A., Beck, W.S., et al. The role of warm, dry summers and variation in snowpack on phytoplankton dynamics in mountain lakes. Used machine learning models to identify important predictors of phytoplankton biomass at different spatial and temporal scales in 30 Rocky Mountain lakes. We found that at the regional scale, dry and warm conditions promoted phytoplankton. At the local scale, climate and nutrient availability interactively conrolled phytoplankton. |