Beth A Middleton, Ph. D.
Beth Middleton is a Research Ecologist at the USGS Wetland and Aquatic Research Center.
Wetland function may be altered in the future because of dynamic shifts in droughts, water extraction, water fluctuation, salinity intrusion, CO2 levels, and storm intensity. Populations of species can be extirpated especially by drought, and tree mortality is especially common at the edges of species diestribution ranges during drought. Beth Middleton examines patterns of ecosystem function along latitudinal gradients in baldcypress swamps, monsoonal wetlands, mangrove swamps, northern peatleands, prairie fens, and floodplain wetlands. She has organized symposia, written three books, and edited three special journal volumes, which support multidisciplinary comparisons and research analysis of wetland function. Other research topics include the effects of hurricanes on coastal wetlands, flood pulsing in restoration, and biodiversity loss in fens of Europe, Asia and North America. Middleton maintains a research network of baldcypress swamps (North American Baldcypress Swamp Network) and invites other researchers to work in these study sites dedicated to the study of long term function of swamps in the southeastern US.
Education and Certifications
Ph.D., Botany, Iowa State University, 1989
Advisors: van der Valk/DavisM.S., University of Minnesota Duluth, 1983
B.S., University of Wisconsin Madison, 1978
Science and Products
Foreword: Hurricanes and the coast of the Gulf of Mexico
Seed flotation and germination of salt marsh plants: The effects of stratification, salinity, and/or inundation regime
Seed dispersal and seedling emergence in a created and a natural salt marsh on the Gulf of Mexico coast in Southwest Louisiana, U.S.A
Satellite optical and radar data used to track wetland forest impact and short-term recovery from Hurricane Katrina
Effects of Hurricane Katrina on the forest structure of taxodium distichum swamps of the Gulf Coast, USA
Regeneration of coastal marsh vegetation impacted by hurricanes Katrina and Rita
Regeneration potential of Taxodium distichum swamps and climate change
Landscape pattern of seed banks and anthropogenic impacts in forested wetlands of the northern Mississippi River Alluvial Valley
Characteristics of mangrove swamps managed for mosquito control in eastern Florida, USA
Temperate freshwater wetlands: Response to gradients in moisture regime, human alterations and economic status
Fen management and research perspectives: An overview
Non-USGS Publications**
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1526-100X.1995.tb00099.x/abstract
www.jstor.org/stable/pdfplus/2559700.pdf OR www.journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=5248088
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Science and Products
- Science
- Data
Filter Total Items: 23No Result Found
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 115
Foreword: Hurricanes and the coast of the Gulf of Mexico
No abstract available.AuthorsBeth A Middleton, Gregory J. SmithSeed flotation and germination of salt marsh plants: The effects of stratification, salinity, and/or inundation regime
We examined the effects of cold stratification and salinity on seed flotation of eight salt marsh species. Four of the eight species were tested for germination success under different stratification, salinity, and flooding conditions. Species were separated into two groups, four species received wet stratification and four dry stratification and fresh seeds of all species were tested for flotatioAuthorsT. Elsey-Quirk, B.A. Middleton, C.E. ProffittSeed dispersal and seedling emergence in a created and a natural salt marsh on the Gulf of Mexico coast in Southwest Louisiana, U.S.A
Early regeneration dynamics related to seed dispersal and seedling emergence can contribute to differences in species composition among a created and a natural salt marsh. The objectives of this study were to determine (1) whether aquatic and aerial seed dispersal differed in low and high elevations within a created marsh and a natural marsh and (2) whether seedling emergence was influenced by marAuthorsT. Elsey-Quirk, B.A. Middleton, C.E. ProffittSatellite optical and radar data used to track wetland forest impact and short-term recovery from Hurricane Katrina
Satellite Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) and RADARSAT-1 (radar) satellite image data collected before and after the landfall of Hurricane Katrina in the Pearl River Wildlife Management Area on the Louisiana-Mississippi border, USA, were applied to the study of forested wetland impact and recovery. We documented the overall similarity in the radar and optical satellite mapping of impact and recoveryAuthorsElijah W. Ramsey, A. Rangoonwala, B. Middleton, Z. LuEffects of Hurricane Katrina on the forest structure of taxodium distichum swamps of the Gulf Coast, USA
Hurricane Katrina pushed mixed Taxodium distichum forests toward a dominance of Taxodium distichum (baldcypress) and Nyssa aquatica (water tupelo) because these species had lower levels of susceptibility to wind damage than other woody species. This study documents the volume of dead versus live material of woody trees and shrubs of T. distichum swamps following Hurricane Katrina along the Gulf CoAuthorsB.A. MiddletonRegeneration of coastal marsh vegetation impacted by hurricanes Katrina and Rita
The dynamics of plant regeneration via seed and vegetative spread in coastal wetlands dictate the nature of community reassembly that takes place after hurricanes or sea level rise. The objectives of my project were to evaluate the potential effects of saltwater intrusion and flooding of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on seedling regeneration in coastal wetlands of the Gulf Coast. Specifically I testAuthorsB.A. MiddletonRegeneration potential of Taxodium distichum swamps and climate change
Seed bank densities respond to factors across local to landscape scales, and therefore, knowledge of these responses may be necessary in forecasting the effects of climate change on the regeneration of species. This study relates the seed bank densities of species of Taxodium distichum swamps to local water regime and regional climate factors at five latitudes across the Mississippi River AlluvialAuthorsB.A. MiddletonLandscape pattern of seed banks and anthropogenic impacts in forested wetlands of the northern Mississippi River Alluvial Valley
Agricultural development on floodplains contributes to hydrologic alteration and forest fragmentation, which may alter landscape-level processes. These changes may be related to shifts in the seed bank composition of floodplain wetlands. We examined the patterns of seed bank composition across a floodplain watershed by looking at the number of seeds germinating per m2 by species in 60 farmed and iAuthorsB. Middleton, X.B. WuCharacteristics of mangrove swamps managed for mosquito control in eastern Florida, USA
Manipulations of the vegetation and hydrology of wetlands for mosquito control are common worldwide, but these modifications may affect vital ecosystem processes. To control mosquitoes in mangrove swamps in eastern Florida, managers have used rotational impoundment management (RIM) as an alternative to the worldwide practice of mosquito ditching. Levees surround RIM swamps, and water is pumped intAuthorsB. Middleton, D. Devlin, E. Proffitt, Karen McKee, K.F. CretiniTemperate freshwater wetlands: Response to gradients in moisture regime, human alterations and economic status
No abstract availableAuthorsMark M. Brinson, Barbara E. Bedford, Beth Middleton, Jos T. A. VerhoevenFen management and research perspectives: An overview
No abstract available.AuthorsBeth A. Middleton, A. Grootjans, K. Jensen, Harry Olde Venterink, Katalin MargocziNon-USGS Publications**
Middleton, B.A. 2002. Nonequilibrium dynamics of sedge meadows grazed by cattle in southern Wisconsin. Plant Ecology 161:89-110. www.springerlink.com/content/v0l42625k0g21141/Xiao, N., D.A. Bennett, B. Middleton, and K. Fessel. 2002. SISM: a multiscale model cypress swamp regeneration. Geographical & Environmental Modelling 6:99-116. www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13615930220127314Middleton, B.A. 2002. Winter burning and the reduction of Cornus sericea in sedge meadows in southern Wisconsin. Restoration Ecology 10:1-8. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1526-100X.2002.01053.xMiddleton, B.A. 2001. A case for wetland restoration. Book review. Restoration Ecology 9:247-248. www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/fulltext/118995575/PDFSTARTSpyreas, G., D.J. Gibson, and B.A. Middleton. 2001. Effects of endophyte infection in tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea: Poaceae) on community diversity. International Journal of Plant Science 162:1237-1245. www.plantbiology.siu.edu/faculty/Gibson/IJPS2001.pdfMiddleton, B.A. 2000. Hydrochory, seed banks, and regeneration dynamics across landscape boundaries in a forested wetland. Plant Ecology 146:169-184. www.springerlink.com/content/w28pp67819819074/Gibson, D. J., B.A. Middleton, G.W. Saunders, M. Mathis. W.T Weaver, J. Neely, J. Rivera and M. Oyler. 1999. Learning by doing ecology: long term field experiments in ecology. IF0.3/C12 American Biology Teacher 61:217-222. www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/4450654?uid=3739688&uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=4&uid=3739256&sid=55902219473Rice, M., B.A. Middleton and D. Gibson. 1999. Fractal analysis of movement pathways in vegetated and unvegetated microlandscapes. Bios 1:176-184. _/C2. www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/4608479?uid=3739688&uid=2&uid=4&uid=3739256&sid=55902222123Oyler, M., J. Rivera, M. Roffel, D. J. Gibson, B.A. Middleton and M. Mathis. 1999. The macaroni lab: a directed inquiry project on predator-prey relationships. American Biology Teacher 40:39-41. IF0.3/C1 www.plantbiology.siu.edu/faculty/gibson/macaron.pdfMiddleton, B.A. 1999. Flood pulsing in restoration: a feasible alternative for India? Journal of the Ecological Society 12:10-14.Mathis, M. and B.A. Middleton. 1999. Simulated herbivory and vegetation dynamics in coal slurry ponds reclaimed as wetlands. Restoration Ecology 7:392-398. IF2.2/C10 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1526-100X.1999.72034.x/abstractMiddleton, B.A. 1998. Succession and herbivory in monsoonal wetlands. Wetland Ecology and Management 6:189-202. IF0.3/C32 www.springerlink.com/content/r30811h62j6741u5/Middleton, B.A. 1998. The water buffalo controversy in the Keoladeo National Park, India. Ecological Modelling 106:93-95. IF2.7/C9 http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=2218674Middleton, B.A. 1998. Reply to: The water buffalo controversy in the Keoladeo National Park, India. Ecological Modelling 106:95-98. IF2.7/C9 http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=2218674Middleton, B.A., E. Sanchez-Rojas, B. Suedmeyer and A. Michels. 1997. Fire in a tropical dry forest of Central America: A natural part of the disturbance regime? Biotropica 29:515-517. IF2.6/C47 www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/2388944?uid=3739688&uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=4&uid=3739256&sid=55901Akanil, N. and B.A. Middleton. 1997. Leaf litter decomposition along the Porsuk River, Eskisehir, Turkey. Canadian Journal of Botany 75:1394-1397. www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/abs/10.1139/b97-853 OR www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/abs/10.1139/b97-853Middleton, B.A. 1995. Ecology of greenways. Book review. Restoration Ecology 3: 319-322.Middleton, B.A. 1995. Seed banks and species richness potential of coal slurry ponds reclaimed as wetlands. Restoration Ecology 3:311-318.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1526-100X.1995.tb00099.x/abstract
Middleton, B.A. and U. Melkania. 1995. Decomposition of wet grassland species in a stream of the Himalayan terai, Pantnagar, Uttar Pradesh, India. International Journal of Ecology and Environmental Sciences 21:163-168. www.nieindia.org/ijees/abstracts/v21/abstrv21_163.aspMiddleton, B.A. 1995. Sampling devices for the measurement of seed rain and hydrochory in rivers. Journal of the Torrey Botanical Club 122:152-155. www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/2996454?uid=3739688&uid=2&uid=4&uid=3739256&sid=55901569553Middleton, B.A. 1994. Decomposition and litter production in a northern bald cypress swamp. Journal of Vegetation Science 5:271-274. www.jstor.org/stable/pdfplus/3236160.pdfMiddleton, B.A. and E. Sanchez. 1994. Microhistological analysis of food habits in the tropics. Vida Silvestre 3:41-47.Middleton, B.A. 1994. Management of monsoonal wetlands for Greylag and Barheaded Geese in the Keoladeo National Park, India. International Journal of Ecology and Environmental Sciences 20:1263-171. www.nieindia.org/ijees/abstracts/v20/abstrv20_163.aspvan der Valk, A. G., B.A. Middleton, R. L. Williams, D. H. Mason and C. Davis. 1993. The biomass of an Indian monsoonal wetland before and after being overgrown with Paspalum distichum. Vegetatio 109:81-90. www.springerlink.com/content/w3866315p4450555/fulltext.pdfMiddleton, B. A. 1992. Habitat and food preferences of geese overwintering in the Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, India. Journal of Tropical Ecology 8:181-193.
www.jstor.org/stable/pdfplus/2559700.pdf OR www.journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=5248088
Middleton, B.A., A.G. van der Valk, C.B. Davis, D.H. Mason, and R.L. Williams. 1992. Litter decomposition in an Indian monsoonal wetland overgrown with Paspalum distichum. Wetlands 12:37-44. www.springerlink.com/content/w3866315p4450555/Middleton, B.A. and D.H. Mason. 1992. Seed herbivory by nilgai, feral cattle, and wild boar in the Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, India. Biotropica 24:538-543. www.jstor.org/stable/pdfplus/2389017.pdfMiddleton, B.A., A.G. van der Valk, R.L. Williams, D.J. Mason, and C.B. Davis. 1991. Vegetation dynamics and seed banks of a monsoonal wetland overgrown with Paspalum distichum in northern India. Aquatic Botany 40:239-259. www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0304377091900619Middleton, B.A. 1990. Effect of water depth and clipping frequency on the growth and survival of four wetland plant species. Aquatic Botany 37:189-196. www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/030437709090091XMiddleton, B.A.1988. Food habits of geese in northern India. Journal of the Ecological Society (India) 1:37-45.Middleton, B.A. and A.G. van der Valk. 1987. The food habits of Greylag and Barheaded Geese in the Keoladeo National Park, India. Wildfowl 38:94-102. /C122 http://wildfowl.wwt.org.uk/index.php/wildfowl/article/view/774/774Middleton, B.A. and D.J. Schimpf. 1986. Sand movement and vegetation in the Apostle Islands, Lake Superior. Canadian Journal of Botany 64:1671-1674. www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/abs/10.1139/b86-223**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.