Rebecca M Kreiling, PhD
Becky is an aquatic ecologist who has worked for the Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center since 2005.
My research interests include understanding how nutrient cycling in aquatic ecosystems influences nutrient concentrations and delivery to downstream waterbodies and providing managers with information to improve water quality and restore habitat. I conduct research across a range of aquatic ecosystems from small, isolated wetlands to large rivers and their floodplains.
Professional Experience
2019 to present Research Ecologist, US Geological Survey, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, La Crosse, Wisconsin 54603
Education and Certifications
2019 PhD, Interdisciplinary River Science, University of New England, New South Wales, Australia
2003 M.S., Biology, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse
2001 B.S., Biology-Environmental Concentration, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse
Science and Products
Denitrification in the river network of a mixed land use watershed: Unpacking the complexities
Sediment oxygen demand: A review of in situ methods
Evaluating potential effects of bigheaded carps on fatty acid profiles of multiple trophic levels in large rivers of the Midwest, USA
Spatial and temporal variance in fatty acid and stable isotope signatures across trophic levels in large river systems
Beyond the edge: Linking agricultural landscapes, stream networks, and best management practices
Long-term decreases in phosphorus and suspended solids, but not nitrogen, in six upper Mississippi River tributaries, 1991–2014
Effects of flooding on ion exchange rates in an Upper Mississippi River floodplain forest impacted by herbivory, invasion, and restoration
Wetland management reduces sediment and nutrient loading to the upper Mississippi River
The evaluation of a rake method to quantify submersed vegetation in the Upper Mississippi River
Summer nitrate uptake and denitrification in an upper Mississippi River backwater lake: The role of rooted aquatic vegetation
Abiotic influences on the biomass of Vallisneria americana Michx. In the Upper Mississippi River
Variability and regulation of denitrification in an Upper Mississippi River backwater
Science and Products
- Science
- Data
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 24
Denitrification in the river network of a mixed land use watershed: Unpacking the complexities
River networks have the potential to permanently remove nitrogen through denitrification. Few studies have measured denitrification rates within an entire river network or assessed how land use affect rates at larger spatial scales. We sampled 108 sites throughout the network of the Fox River watershed, Wisconsin, to determine if land use influence sediment denitrification rates, and to identify zAuthorsRebecca Kreiling, William B. Richardson, Lynn A. Bartsch, Martin C. Thoms, Victoria G. ChristensenSediment oxygen demand: A review of in situ methods
Sediment oxygen demand (SOD) plays a fundamental role in biological and chemical processes within the benthic layer of a water body. Land use, including agricultural land use, can affect SOD. However, a wide variety of approaches have been used for in situ SOD chamber construction and data collection, and modelers frequently use SOD values from the literature, without consideration of the differenAuthorsErin N. Coenen, Victoria G. Christensen, Lynn Bartsch, Rebecca Kreiling, William B. RichardsonEvaluating potential effects of bigheaded carps on fatty acid profiles of multiple trophic levels in large rivers of the Midwest, USA
Recent work indicates that the establishment of bigheaded carps (Hypophthalmichthys spp.) in the United States has led to a reduction in condition of native planktivores and may detrimentally affect other trophic levels by altering the base of aquatic food webs. We used fatty acids to evaluate potential effects of bigheaded carps on taxa from multiple trophic levels in the Upper Mississippi, IllinAuthorsAndrea K. Fritts, Brent C. Knights, Toben LaFrancois, Jonathan M. Vallazza, Lynn A. Bartsch, Michelle R. Bartsch, William B. Richardson, Sean Bailey, Rebecca Kreiling, Byron KarnsSpatial and temporal variance in fatty acid and stable isotope signatures across trophic levels in large river systems
Fatty acid and stable isotope signatures allow researchers to better understand food webs, food sources, and trophic relationships. Research in marine and lentic systems has indicated that the variance of these biomarkers can exhibit substantial differences across spatial and temporal scales, but this type of analysis has not been completed for large river systems. Our objectives were to evaluateAuthorsAndrea K. Fritts, Brent C. Knights, Toben D. Lafrancois, Lynn A. Bartsch, Jonathan M. Vallazza, Michelle R. Bartsch, William B. Richardson, Byron N. Karns, Sean Bailey, Rebecca KreilingBeyond the edge: Linking agricultural landscapes, stream networks, and best management practices
Despite much research and investment into understanding and managing nutrients across agricultural landscapes, nutrient runoff to freshwater ecosystems is still a major concern. We argue there is currently a disconnect between the management of watershed surfaces (agricultural landscape) and river networks (riverine landscape). These landscapes are commonly managed separately, but there is limitedAuthorsRebecca M. Kreiling, Martin C. Thoms, William B. RichardsonLong-term decreases in phosphorus and suspended solids, but not nitrogen, in six upper Mississippi River tributaries, 1991–2014
Long-term trends in tributaries provide valuable information about temporal changes in inputs of nutrients and sediments to large rivers. Data collected from 1991 to 2014 were used to investigate trends in total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), nitrate (NO3–N), soluble-reactive P (SRP), and total suspended solids (TSS) in the following six tributaries of the upper Mississippi River: Cannon (CAuthorsRebecca Kreiling, Jeffrey N. HouserEffects of flooding on ion exchange rates in an Upper Mississippi River floodplain forest impacted by herbivory, invasion, and restoration
We examined effects of flooding on supply rates of 14 nutrients in floodplain areas invaded by Phalaris arundinacea (reed canarygrass), areas restored to young successional forests (browsed by white-tailed deer and unbrowsed), and remnant mature forests in the Upper Mississippi River floodplain. Plant Root Simulator ion-exchange probes were deployed for four separate 28-day periods. The first deplAuthorsRebecca Kreiling, Nathan R. De Jager, Whitney Swanson, Eric A. Strauss, Meredith ThomsenWetland management reduces sediment and nutrient loading to the upper Mississippi River
Restored riparian wetlands in the Upper Mississippi River basin have potential to remove sediment and nutrients from tributaries before they flow into the Mississippi River. For 3 yr we calculated retention efficiencies of a marsh complex, which consisted of a restored marsh and an adjacent natural marsh that were connected to Halfway Creek, a small tributary of the Mississippi. We measured sedimeAuthorsRebecca M. Kreiling, Joseph P. Schubauer-Berigan, William B. Richardson, Lynn Bartsch, Peter E. Hughes, Eric A. StraussThe evaluation of a rake method to quantify submersed vegetation in the Upper Mississippi River
A long-handled, double-headed garden rake was used to collect submersed aquatic vegetation (SAV) and compared to in-boat visual inspection to record species presence at 67 individual sites. Six rake subsamples were taken at each site and a rake density rating was given to each species collected in the subsamples. Presence at the site, frequency of occurrence in the six rake samples, and additive dAuthorsYao Yin, Rebecca M. KreilingSummer nitrate uptake and denitrification in an upper Mississippi River backwater lake: The role of rooted aquatic vegetation
In-stream nitrogen processing in the Mississippi River has been suggested as one mechanism to reduce coastal eutrophication in the Gulf of Mexico. Aquatic macrophytes in river channels and flood plain lakes have the potential to temporarily remove large quantities of nitrogen through assimilation both by themselves and by the attached epiphyton. In addition, rooted macrophytes act as oxygen pumps,AuthorsRebecca Kreiling, William B. Richardson, J.C. Cavanaugh, Lynn BartschAbiotic influences on the biomass of Vallisneria americana Michx. In the Upper Mississippi River
American wildcelery, Vallisneria americana Michx. is an ecologically important component of aquatic communities in the Upper Mississippi River (UMR). We conducted a study in 2002 to determine the association of several abiotic factors on the vegetative growth of Vallisneria in Navigation Pool 8 (Pool 8) of the UMR. We measured turbidity, percent light absorbance, surface water ammonium, surface waAuthorsRebecca M. Kreiling, Y. Yin, D.T. GerberVariability and regulation of denitrification in an Upper Mississippi River backwater
Sediments in the backwaters of the Upper Mississippi River (UMR) are highly organic and provide an optimal environment for N removal. We monitored an 8.6-ha UMR backwater site near La Crosse, Wisconsin, for nearly 3 y to assess temporal variability, seasonal trends, and the factors regulating denitrification. We measured rates of unamended denitrification (DEN) and denitrification enzyme activityAuthorsE.A. Strauss, W. B. Richardson, J.C. Cavanaugh, L.A. Bartsch, Rebecca M. Kreiling, A.J. Standorf