M. Todd Walter

About

Professor M. Todd Walter is a faculty member in the Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering. His research emphasizes the interactions between hydrology, ecology, and biogeochemistry, applying physical hydrology and water resources engineering to multidisciplinary research interests. He pursues questions that cross traditional academic boundaries of hydrology and terrestrial ecology. His recent research focuses on linkages between hydrology and biogeochemical hotspots, as well as applications of nano-biotechnology to ecohydrological systems. Professor Walter teaches courses in hydrology, ecohydrology, and water resources engineering, emphasizing data analysis, laboratory experiments, and field investigations using actual data collected by students.

Research topics

• Ecology
• Environmental science
• Biology
• Environmental engineering
• Business
• Geography
• Waste management
• Water resource management
• Environmental resource management
• Environmental planning

Selected publications

• Reducing adverse impacts of Amazon hydropower expansion

  Science · 2022 · 174 citations

  Proposed hydropower dams at more than 350 sites throughout the Amazon require strategic evaluation of trade-offs between the numerous ecosystem services provided by Earth's largest and most biodiverse river basin. These services are spatially variable, hence collective impacts of newly built dams depend strongly on their configuration. We use multiobjective optimization to identify portfolios of sites that simultaneously minimize impacts on river flow, river connectivity, sediment transport, fis…

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Critical Review of Polyphosphate and Polyphosphate Accumulating Organisms for Agricultural Water Quality Management

  Environmental Science & Technology · 2021 · 64 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding

  Despite ongoing management efforts, phosphorus (P) loading from agricultural landscapes continues to impair water quality. Wastewater treatment research has enhanced our knowledge of microbial mechanisms influencing P cycling, especially regarding microbes known as polyphosphate accumulating organisms (PAOs) that store P as polyphosphate (polyP) under oxic conditions and release P under anoxic conditions. However, there is limited application of PAO research to reduce agricultural P loading and…

  PublisherDOI

• Drought and post-drought rain effect on stream phosphorus and other nutrient losses in the Northeastern USA

  Journal of Hydrology Regional Studies · 2020 · 52 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding

  Our study was conducted in the Owasco Lake watershed, which is part of the Finger Lakes, located in Central NY. In the Northeastern United States (NE US), nutrient pollution is receiving increasing attention, and particularly phosphorus (P), in response to the recent increasing frequency of toxic blue-green algal blooms. This study assesses how land use, seasonal weather patterns, and climate extremes interact to control runoff and nutrient loading from tributaries into Owasco Lake. In 2016, NE…

  DOI

• What You Net Depends on if You Grab: A Meta-analysis of Sampling Method’s Impact on Measured Aquatic Microplastic Concentration

  Environmental Science & Technology · 2021-09-22 · 36 citations

  reviewSenior author

  Microplastic pollution is measured with a variety of sampling methods. Field experiments indicate that commonly used sampling methods, including net, pump, and grab samples, do not always result in equivalent measured concentration. We investigate the comparability of these methods through a meta-analysis of 121 surface water microplastic studies. We find systematic relationships between measured concentration and sampled volume, method of collection, mesh size used for filtration, and waterbody…

  PublisherDOI

• Macroplastic accumulation in roadside ditches of New York State's Finger Lakes region (USA) across land uses and the COVID-19 pandemic

  Journal of Environmental Management · 2021-08-14 · 21 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Macroplastics are a ubiquitous and growing environmental contaminant with impacts in both marine and terrestrial systems. Marine sampling has dominated research in this field, despite the terrestrial origins of most plastic debris. Due to the high surface water connectivity facilitated by roadside ditches, these landscape features provide a unique sampling location linking terrestrial and surface water systems. We collected and analyzed macroplastic accumulation by number of pieces, mass, and po…

  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• Eliminating 'Nonpoint:' Using nanotechnology to identify pollution sources in the landscape

  NSF · $495k · 2009–2012

Frequent coauthors

• Tammo S. Steenhuis

  70 shared

• Erin Brooks

  University of Idaho

  41 shared

• J.‐Y. Parlange

  Cornell University

  36 shared

• Zachary M. Easton

  35 shared

• Rebecca L. Schneider

  Louisiana Department of Natural Resources

  31 shared

• Michael F. Walter

  30 shared

• Olivier Dangles

  Institut de Recherche pour le Développement

  26 shared

• Stephen B. Shaw

  26 shared

Education

• PhD, Biosystems Engineering

  Washington State University

  1995

Awards & honors

• SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching (2015)
• State University of NY 2013 Outstanding Teaching Award (2013…
• USDA-CSREES Mission Integration award (2008)
• 2007 Outstanding Teaching Award (2007)

Similar researchers at Cornell University

• Peter Hessh-65
• Minglin Mah-62