Dr. Stephen K. Hamilton

Ecosystem Ecologist, Biogeochemist | PhD, University of California at Santa Barbara

Expertise
wetlands, streams, rivers and lakes, agricultural ecology, water quality, tropical rivers, floodplains

845 677-7600 x237

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Stephen Hamilton’s principal research interests involve ecosystem ecology and biogeochemistry, with particular emphasis on water. He has studied wetlands, streams, lakes, reservoirs, and watersheds, as well as agricultural cropping systems and their effects on water and climate. His research draws on multiple disciplines to understand and mitigate environmental problems and inform environmental protection and conservation.

Hamilton’s research publications include studies of nutrient cycling, greenhouse gas emissions, invasive species, food webs, remote sensing, conservation planning, and hydrology. He has received awards for his engagement with environmental issues from the Michigan Environmental Council and the Society for Freshwater Science, and is a Fellow of that society.

Hamilton has conducted a variety of studies in tropical floodplain and river ecosystems of South America and Australia, and presently works with several research groups in Brazil on hydropower effects on river systems.

Hamilton also works part-time as a Professor at Michigan State University’s Kellogg Biological Station. Here, Hamilton has recently served as the Lead Principal Investigator of the National Science Foundation’s Long Term Ecological Research site. He is also a Project Leader in the Department of Energy’s Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center.

Reducing adverse impacts of Amazon hydropower expansion
Flecker, AS, QR Shi, Rafael M. Almeida, H Angarita, JM Gomes-Selman, R Garcia-Villacorta, SA Sethi, et al. 2022. “Reducing Adverse Impacts of Amazon Hydropower Expansion”. SCIENCE 375 (6582): +, 753+. doi:10.1126/science.abj4017.
Water quality ramifications of temporary drawdown of Oregon reservoirs to facilitate juvenile Chinook salmon passage
Hamilton, Stephen K., CA Murphy, SL Johnson, and A Pollock. 2022. “Water Quality Ramifications of Temporary Drawdown of Oregon Reservoirs to Facilitate Juvenile Chinook Salmon Passage”. LAKE AND RESERVOIR MANAGEMENT. doi:10.1080/10402381.2021.2017082.
Cascading effects: insights from the U.S. Long Term Ecological Research Network
Bahlai, Christie A., Clarisse Hart, Maria T. Kavanaugh, Jeffrey D. White, Roger W. Ruess, Todd J. Brinkman, Hugh W. Ducklow, et al. 2021. “Cascading Effects: Insights from the U.S. Long Term Ecological Research Network”. Ecosphere 12 (5). Wiley. doi:10.1002/ecs2.3430.
Albedo-induced global warming impact of Conservation Reserve Program grasslands converted to annual and perennial bioenergy crops
Abraha, Michael, Jiquan Chen, Stephen K. Hamilton, Pietro Sciusco, Cheyenne Lei, Gabriela Shirkey, Jing Yuan, and Philip Robertson. 2021. “Albedo-Induced Global Warming Impact of Conservation Reserve Program Grasslands Converted to Annual and Perennial Bioenergy Crops”. Environmental Research Letters 16 (8). IOP Publishing: 084059. doi:10.1088/1748-9326/ac1815.
Improved hydrological modeling with APEX and EPIC: Model description, testing, and assessment of bioenergy producing landscape scenarios
Jones, C.D., A.D. Reddy, J. Jeong, J.R. Williams, Stephen K. Hamilton, M.Z. Hussain, V. Bandaru, and R.C. Izaurralde. 2021. “Improved Hydrological Modeling With APEX and EPIC: Model Description, Testing, and Assessment of Bioenergy Producing Landscape Scenarios”. Environmental Modelling & Software 143. Elsevier BV: 105111. doi:10.1016/j.envsoft.2021.105111.
PHARMACEUTICAL TRANSPORT AND TRANSFORMATION IN TRAPA NATANS BEDS
Plum, Cami, Stephen K. Hamilton, Rebekah Henry, David McCarthy, Emma J. Rosi, and Michael Grace. (2019) 2021. “PHARMACEUTICAL TRANSPORT AND TRANSFORMATION IN TRAPA NATANS BEDS”. Final Reports of the Tibor T. Polgar Fellowship Program, 2019. https://www.hudsonriver.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/polgar-plum-tp-06-19.pdf.
The meta-gut: community coalescence of animal gut and environmental microbiomes
Dutton, Christopher L., Amanda L. Subalusky, Alvaro Sanchez, Sylvie Estrela, Nanxi Lu, Stephen K. Hamilton, Laban Njoroge, Emma J. Rosi, and David M. Post. 2021. “The Meta-Gut: Community Coalescence of Animal Gut and Environmental Microbiomes”. Scientific Reports 11 (1). Springer Science and Business Media LLC. doi:10.1038/s41598-021-02349-1.
Water quality impacts of small hydroelectric power plants in a tributary to the Pantanal floodplain, Brazil
Cruz, Rúbia Fantin, Stephen K. Hamilton, Hans M. Tritico, Ibraim Fantin‐Cruz, Daniela Maimoni Figueiredo, and Peter Zeilhofer. 2021. “Water Quality Impacts of Small Hydroelectric Power Plants in a Tributary to the Pantanal Floodplain, Brazil”. River Research and Applications. Wiley. doi:10.1002/rra.3766.
Animal legacies lost and found in river ecosystems
Frauendorf, TC, Amanda L. Subalusky, CL Dutton, Stephen K. Hamilton, FO Masese, Emma J. Rosi, GA Singer, and DM Post. (2025) 2021. “Animal Legacies Lost and Found in River Ecosystems”. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS 16 (11). doi:10.1088/1748-9326/ac2cb0.
Hydropeaking by Small Hydropower Facilities Affects Flow Regimes on Tributaries to the Pantanal Wetland of Brazil
de Figueiredo, Juliane Stella M. C., Ibraim Fantin-Cruz, Geovanna Mikaelle S. Silva, Renato Leandro Beregula, Pierre Girard, Peter Zeilhofer, Eduardo Morgan Uliana, Eduardo Beraldo de Morais, Hans M. Tritico, and Stephen K. Hamilton. 2021. “Hydropeaking by Small Hydropower Facilities Affects Flow Regimes on Tributaries to the Pantanal Wetland of Brazil”. Frontiers in Environmental Science 9. Frontiers Media SA. doi:10.3389/fenvs.2021.577286.

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