Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Research Focus

Our lab works broadly on biogeochemistry and aquatic ecosystem science. Specific topics include global and regional nitrogen and phosphorus cycles; environmental consequences of biofuels; role of trace gases in global warming and climate disruption; life-cycle analysis for greenhouse-gas footprint of energy technologies; influence of land-use, management practices, and climate change on nutrient fluxes from the landscape; atmospheric deposition of nitrogen onto the landscape; controls and consequences of eutrophication in estuaries; biotic, physical, and geochemical controls on nitrogen fixation; and environmental management and the effects of pollutants on aquatic ecosystems.

Recent Courses Taught

• BioEE 1610 Ecology and the Environment
  
• BioEE 3610 Advanced Ecology
  
• BioEE 4780 Ecosystem Biology
  
• BioEE 6680 Principles of Biogeochemistry
  

Selected Publications

Howarth, R. W. and A. Ingraffea. 2011. Should fracking stop? Yes, it is too high risk.  Nature 477:271-273.

Howarth, R. W., R. Santoro, and A. Ingraffea. 2011. Methane and the greenhouse gas footprint of natural gas from shale formations.  Climatic Change Letters 106(4):679-690, DOI:10.1007/s10584-011-0061-5.

Howarth, R. W., G. Billen, F. Chan, D. Conley, S. C. Doney, J. Garnier, and R. Marino. 2011. Coupled biogeochemical cycles: Eutrophication and hypoxia in coastal marine ecosystems.  Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 9:18-26, DOI: 10.1890/100008.

Howarth, R. W., D. Swaney, G. Billen, J. Garnier, B. Hong, C. Humborg, P. Johnes, C. Morth, and R. Marino. 2011. Nitrogen fluxes from large watershed to coastal ecosystems controlled by net anthropogenic nitrogen inputs and climate.  Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment (in press), DOI:10.1890/100178.

Townsend, A. and R. W. Howarth. 2010. Human acceleration of the global nitrogen cycle.  Scientific American 302(1):32-39.

Johnson, P. T. J., A. R. Townsend, C. C. Cleveland, P. M. Glibert, R. W. Howarth, V. J. McKenzie, E. Rejmankova, and M. H. Ward. 2010. Linking environmental nutrient enrichment and disease emergence in humans and wildlife.  Ecological Applications 20:16-29.

Najjar, R., C. R. Pyke, M. B. Adams, D. Breitburg, C. Hershner, M. Kemp, R. Howarth, M. R. Mulholand, M. Paolisso, D. Secor, K. Sellner, D. Wardrop, and R. Wood. 2010. Potential climate-change impacts on the Chesapeake Bay.  Estuarine and Coastal Shelf Science 86:1-20.

Conley, D. J., H. W. Paerl, R. W. Howarth, D. F. Boesch, S. P. Seitzinger, K. E. Havens, C. Lancelot, and G. E. Likens. 2009. Controlling eutrophication: Nitrogen and phosphorus.  Science 323:1014-1015.

Boesch, D., W. Boynton, L. Crowder, R. Diaz, R. Howarth, L. Mee, S. Nixon, N. Rabalais, R. Rosenberg, J. Sanders, D. Scavia, and R. Turner. 2009. Nutrient enrichment drives Gulf of Mexico hypoxia.  Eos 90:117-128.

Howarth, R. W. and S. Bringezu (eds). 2009. Biofuels: Environmental Consequences and Interactions with Changing Land Use.  Proceedings of the International SCOPE Biofuels Project Rapid Assessment (http://cip.cornell.edu/biofuels/).

Howarth, R. W. 2008. Coastal nitrogen pollution: A review of sources and trends globally and regionally.  Harmful Algae 8:14-20.

Davidson, E. and R. W. Howarth. 2007. Nutrients in synergy.  Nature 449:1000-1001.

Howarth, R. W. and R. Marino. 2006. Nitrogen as the limiting nutrient for eutrophication in coastal marine ecosystems: Evolving views over 3 decades.  Limnology and Oceanography 51:364-376.