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.

As of 2024, Hamilton is retired from both Cary Institute and from his long-time position as a Professor at Michigan State University’s Kellogg Biological Station, though he will remain academically active. At Michigan State, Hamilton was a principal investigator for the National Science Foundation’s Long Term Ecological Research site and a Project Leader in the Department of Energy’s Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center. He now lives in northern Michigan.

Floodplain inundation and vegetation dynamics in the Alligator Rivers region (Kakadu) of northern Australia assessed using optical and radar remote sensing
Ward, D. P., A. Petty, S. A. Setterfield, M. M. Douglas, K. Ferdinands, Stephen K. Hamilton, and S. Phinn. 2014. “Floodplain Inundation and Vegetation Dynamics in the Alligator Rivers Region (Kakadu) of Northern Australia Assessed Using Optical and Radar Remote Sensing”. Remote Sensing of Environment 147: 43-55. doi:10.1016/j.rse.2014.02.009.
Nitrogen availability increases the toxin quota of a harmful cyanobacterium, <i>Microcystis aeruginosa</i>
Horst, Geoffrey P., Orlando Sarnelle, Jeffrey D White, Stephen K. Hamilton, RajReni B. Kaul, and Julianne D. Bressie. 2014. “Nitrogen Availability Increases the Toxin Quota of a Harmful Cyanobacterium, <i>Microcystis aeruginosa< I&gt”;. Water Research 54: 188-98. doi:10.1016/j.watres.2014.01.063.
Organic matter stocks increase with degree of invasion in temperate inland wetlands
Martina, J.P., Stephen K. Hamilton, M. R. Turetsky, and C. J. Phillippo. 2014. “Organic Matter Stocks Increase With Degree of Invasion in Temperate Inland Wetlands”. Plant and Soil 385 (1-2): 107-23. doi:10.1007/s11104-014-2211-9.
Plant-mediated transport and isotopic composition of methane from shallow tropical wetlands
Hamilton, Stephen K., Suzanne J. Sippel, Jeffrey P. Chanton, and John M. Melack. 2014. “Plant-Mediated Transport and Isotopic Composition of Methane from Shallow Tropical Wetlands”. Inland Waters 4 (4): 369-76. doi:10.5268/IW-4.4.734.
Re-flooding a historically drained wetland leads to rapid sediment phosphorus release
Kinsman-Costello, Lauren E., Jonathan O’Brien, and Stephen K. Hamilton. 2014. “Re-Flooding a Historically Drained Wetland Leads to Rapid Sediment Phosphorus Release”. Ecosystems 17 (4): 641-56. doi:10.1007/s10021-014-9748-6.
The relative importance of groundwater and its ecological implications in diverse glacial wetlands
Thobaben, Eric T., and Stephen K. Hamilton. 2014. “The Relative Importance of Groundwater and Its Ecological Implications in Diverse Glacial Wetlands”. American Midland Naturalist 172 (2): 205-18. doi:10.1674/0003-0031-172.2.205.
Understanding and overcoming baseline isotopic variability in running waters
Jardine, T. D., W. L. Hadwen, Stephen K. Hamilton, S. Hladyz, S. M. Mitrovic, K. A. Kidd, W . Y. Tsoi, et al. 2014. “Understanding and Overcoming Baseline Isotopic Variability in Running Waters”. River Research and Applications 30 (2): 155-65. doi:10.1002/rra.2630.
You are not always what we think you eat: selective assimilation across multiple whole-stream isotopic tracer studies
Dodds, Walter K., S. M. Collins, Stephen K. Hamilton, J.L. Tank, S.L. Johnson, J.R. Webster, Kevin S. Simon, et al. 2014. “You Are Not Always What We Think You Eat: Selective Assimilation across Multiple Whole-Stream Isotopic Tracer Studies”. Ecology 95 (10): 2757-67. doi:10.1890/13-2276.1.
Nitrate reduction, denitrification, and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium in wetland sediments
Burgin, Amy J., Stephen K. Hamilton, Wayne S. Gardner, and Mark J. McCarthy. 2014. “Nitrate Reduction, Denitrification, and Dissimilatory Nitrate Reduction to Ammonium in Wetland Sediments”. In Methods in Biogeochemistry of Wetlands, 519-37. doi:10.2136/sssabookser10.c28.
Farming for ecosystem services: An ecological approach to production agriculture
Robertson, Philip, Katherine L. Gross, Stephen K. Hamilton, Douglas A. Landis, Thomas M. Schmidt, Sieglinde S. Snapp, and Scott M. Swinton. 2014. “Farming for Ecosystem Services: An Ecological Approach to Production Agriculture”. BioScience 64 (5): 404-15. doi:10.1093/biosci/biu037.
Assessing the seasonal dynamics of inundation, turbidity, and aquatic vegetation in the Australian wet-dry tropics using optical remote sensing
Ward, D. P., Stephen K. Hamilton, T. D. Jardine, N. E. Pettit, E. K. Tews, J. M. Olley, and S. E. Bunn. 2013. “Assessing the Seasonal Dynamics of Inundation, Turbidity, and Aquatic Vegetation in the Australian Wet-Dry Tropics Using Optical Remote Sensing”. Ecohydrology 6 (2): 312-23. doi:10.1002/eco.1270.
From set-aside grassland to annual and perennial cellulosic biofuel crops: Effects of land use change on carbon balance
Zenone, Terenzio, Ilya Gelfand, Jiquan Chen, Stephen K. Hamilton, and Philip Robertson. 2013. “From Set-Aside Grassland to Annual and Perennial Cellulosic Biofuel Crops: Effects of Land Use Change on Carbon Balance”. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 182: 1-12. doi:10.1016/j.agrformet.2013.07.015.
Productivity, disturbance and ecosystem size have no influence on food chain length in seasonally connected rivers
M. y Warfe, Danielle, Timothy D. Jardine, Neil E. Pettit, Stephen K. Hamilton, Bradley J. Pusey, Stuart E. Bunn, Peter M. Davies, and Michael M. Douglas. 2013. “Productivity, Disturbance and Ecosystem Size Have No Influence on Food Chain Length in Seasonally Connected Rivers”. PLOS One 8 (6). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0066240.
Quantifying the production of dissolved organic nitrogen in headwater streams using <sup>15</sup>N tracer additions
Johnson, Laura T., Jennifer L. Tank, Robert O. Hall, Patrick J. Mulholland, Stephen K. Hamilton, Maurice Valett, Jackson R. Webster, et al. 2013. “Quantifying the Production of Dissolved Organic Nitrogen in Headwater Streams Using <sup>15< Sup>N Tracer Additions”. Limnology and Oceanography 58 (4): 1271-85. doi:10.4319/lo.2013.58.4.1271.
A source of terrestrial organic carbon to investigate the browning of aquatic ecosystems
Lennon, Jay T., Stephen K. Hamilton, Mario E. Muscarella, Stuart Grandy, Kyle Wickings, and Stuart E. Jones. 2013. “A Source of Terrestrial Organic Carbon to Investigate the Browning of Aquatic Ecosystems”. PLOS One 8 (10). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0075771.
Long-term ecological research in a human-dominated world
Robertson, Philip, Scott L. Collins, David R. Foster, Nicholas Brokaw, Hugh W. Ducklow, Ted L. Gragson, Corinna Gries, et al. 2012. “Long-Term Ecological Research in a Human-Dominated World”. BioScience 62 (4): 342-53. doi:10.1525/bio.2012.62.4.6.
Long-term nitrate loss along an agricultural intensity gradient in the Upper Midwest USA
Syswerda, S. P., B. Basso, Stephen K. Hamilton, J. B. Tausig, and G. P. Robertson. 2012. “Long-Term Nitrate Loss Along an Agricultural Intensity Gradient in the Upper Midwest USA”. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 149: 10-19. doi:10.1016/j.agee.2011.12.007.
Nitrogen transformations in a through-flow wetland revealed using whole-ecosystem pulsed <sup>15</sup>N additions
O’Brien, Jonathan M., Stephen K. Hamilton, Lauren E. Kinsman-Costello, Jay T. Lennon, and Nathaniel E. Ostrom. 2012. “Nitrogen Transformations in a through-Flow Wetland Revealed Using Whole-Ecosystem Pulsed <sup>15< Sup>N Additions”. Limnology and Oceanography 57 (1): 221-34. doi:10.4319/lo.2012.57.1.0221.
Phosphorus addition reverses the positive effect of zebra mussels (<i>Dreissena polymorpha</i>) on the toxic cyanobacterium, <i>Microcystis aeruginosa</i>
Sarnelle, Orlando, Jeffrey D White, Geoffrey P. Horst, and Stephen K. Hamilton. 2012. “Phosphorus Addition Reverses the Positive Effect of Zebra Mussels (<i>Dreissena polymorpha< i>) on the Toxic Cyanobacterium, <i>Microcystis aeruginosa< I&gt”;. Water Research 46 (11): 3471-78. doi:10.1016/j.watres.2012.03.050.
Seasonal changes in water quality and macrophytes and the impact of cattle on tropical floodplain waterholes
Pettit, N. E., T. D. Jardine, Stephen K. Hamilton, V. Sinnamon, D. Valdez, P. M. Davies, M. M. Douglas, and S. E. Bunn. 2012. “Seasonal Changes in Water Quality and Macrophytes and the Impact of Cattle on Tropical Floodplain Waterholes”. Marine and Freshwater Research 63 (9): 788-800. doi:10.1071/MF12114.