Sarah Stackpoole
Sarah Stackpoole is a Research Ecologist for the USGS Water Resources Mission Area.
I am a Research Ecologist with the US Geological Survey in Denver. I completed my undergraduate studies at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, my graduate studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and I joined the USGS in 2009. I use field studies along with large-scale data assimilation and statistical approaches to document surface water quality status and trends. I also use a variety of methods to integrate water quality metrics with climate and land-use datasets to identify drivers of change in surface water quality and potential stressors on human and aquatic ecosystem health.
Current and Past Projects:
- National Scale Interpretation of Pesticides, PFAS, and Geogenic Constituents in Surface and Groundwater (2023 – Present) Project Leader, Quantify changes in surface and groundwater pesticides, PFAS, and geogenics and determine if the changes affect water availability for either human or ecological use.
- Harmful Algal Blooms (2020 - Present) Assess the vulnerability of river systems to harmful algal blooms at a regional to national scales.
- Integrated Water Availability Assessments (2020 - Present) Identify drivers of change in surface water quality and potential stressors on human and aquatic ecosystem health.
- National Water Quality Assessment - Surface Water Status and Trends (2018 - 2021) Document the impact of current and past anthropogenic phosphorus sources on soil saturation and water quality. Characterize the occurrence and distribution of pesticides in surface waters.
- USGS LandCarbon Team (2009 - 2017) Assimilate large-scale datasets and determine the best statistical models and extrapolation methods to provide an assessment of current rates of freshwater carbon storage, transport, and emissions for the conterminous United States and Alaska. LandCarbon (usgs.gov)
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 28
Inland waters Inland waters
1. The total flux of carbon—which includes gaseous emissions, lateral flux, and burial—from inland waters across the conterminous United States (CONUS) and Alaska is 193 teragrams of carbon (Tg C) per year. The dominant pathway for carbon movement out of inland waters is the emission of carbon dioxide gas across water surfaces of streams, rivers, and lakes (110.1 Tg C per year), a flux...
Authors
David E. Butman, Robert G. Striegl, Sarah M. Stackpoole, Paul Del Giorgio, Yves Prairie, Darren Pilcher, Peter Raymond, Fernando Paz Pellat, Javier Alcocer
Assessing historical and projected carbon balance of Alaska: A synthesis of results and policy/management implications Assessing historical and projected carbon balance of Alaska: A synthesis of results and policy/management implications
We summarize the results of a recent interagency assessment of land carbon dynamics in Alaska, in which carbon dynamics were estimated for all major terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems for the historical period (1950–2009) and a projection period (2010–2099). Between 1950 and 2009, upland and wetland (i.e., terrestrial) ecosystems of the state gained 0.4 Tg C/yr (0.1% of net primary...
Authors
A. David McGuire, Hélène Genet, Zhou Lyu, Neal J. Pastick, Sarah M. Stackpoole, Richard Birdsey, David D'Amore, Yujie He, T. Scott Rupp, Robert G. Striegl, Bruce K. Wylie, Xiaoping Zhou, Qianlai Zhuang, Zhiliang Zhu
Inland waters and their role in the carbon cycle of Alaska Inland waters and their role in the carbon cycle of Alaska
The magnitude of Alaska (AK) inland waters carbon (C) fluxes is likely to change in the future due to amplified climate warming impacts on the hydrology and biogeochemical processes in high latitude regions. Although current estimates of major aquatic C fluxes represent an essential baseline against which future change can be compared, a comprehensive assessment for AK has not yet been...
Authors
Sarah M. Stackpoole, David E. Butman, David W. Clow, Kristine L. Verdin, Benjamin V. Gaglioti, Hélène Genet, Robert G. Striegl
Carbonate buffering and metabolic controls on carbon dioxide in rivers Carbonate buffering and metabolic controls on carbon dioxide in rivers
Multiple processes support the significant efflux of carbon dioxide (CO2) from rivers and streams. Attribution of CO2 oversaturation will lead to better quantification of the freshwater carbon cycle and provide insights into the net cycling of nutrients and pollutants. CO2 production is closely related to O2consumption because of the metabolic linkage of these gases. However, this...
Authors
Edward G. Stets, David Butman, Cory P. McDonald, Sarah M. Stackpoole, Michael D. DeGrandpre, Robert G. Striegl
Spatial and temporal patterns of dissolved organic matter quantity and quality in the Mississippi River Basin, 1997–2013 Spatial and temporal patterns of dissolved organic matter quantity and quality in the Mississippi River Basin, 1997–2013
Recent studies have found insignificant or decreasing trends in time-series dissolved organic carbon (DOC) datasets, questioning the assumption that long-term DOC concentrations in surface waters are increasing in response to anthropogenic forcing, including climate change, land use, and atmospheric acid deposition. We used the weighted regressions on time, discharge, and season (WRTDS)...
Authors
Sarah M. Stackpoole, Edward G. Stets, David W. Clow, Douglas A. Burns, George R. Aiken, Brent T. Aulenbach, Irena F. Creed, Robert M. Hirsch, Hjalmar Laudon, Brian Pellerin, Robert G. Striegl
Aquatic carbon cycling in the conterminous United States and implications for terrestrial carbon accounting Aquatic carbon cycling in the conterminous United States and implications for terrestrial carbon accounting
Inland water ecosystems dynamically process, transport, and sequester carbon. However, the transport of carbon through aquatic environments has not been quantitatively integrated in the context of terrestrial ecosystems. Here, we present the first integrated assessment, to our knowledge, of freshwater carbon fluxes for the conterminous United States, where 106 (range: 71–149) teragrams...
Authors
David Butman, Sarah M. Stackpoole, Edward G. Stets, Cory P. McDonald, David W. Clow, Robert G. Striegl
Organic carbon burial in lakes and reservoirs of the conterminous United States Organic carbon burial in lakes and reservoirs of the conterminous United States
Organic carbon (OC) burial in lacustrine sediments represents an important sink in the global carbon cycle; however, large-scale OC burial rates are poorly constrained, primarily because of the sparseness of available data sets. Here we present an analysis of OC burial rates in water bodies of the conterminous U.S. (CONUS) that takes advantage of recently developed national-scale data...
Authors
David W. Clow, Sarah M. Stackpoole, Kristine L. Verdin, David E. Butman, Zhi-Liang Zhu, David P. Krabbenhoft, Robert G. Striegl
The river as a chemostat: fresh perspectives on dissolved organic matter flowing down the river continuum The river as a chemostat: fresh perspectives on dissolved organic matter flowing down the river continuum
A better understanding is needed of how hydrological and biogeochemical processes control dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations and dissolved organic matter (DOM) composition from headwaters downstream to large rivers. We examined a large DOM dataset from the National Water Information System of the US Geological Survey, which represents approximately 100 000 measurements of DOC
Authors
Irena F. Creed, Diane M. McKnight, Brian Pellerin, Mark B. Green, Brian A. Bergamaschi, George R. Aiken, Douglas A. Burns, Stuart E G Findlay, James B. Shanley, Robert G. Striegl, Brent T. Aulenbach, David W. Clow, Hjalmar Laudon, Brian L. McGlynn, Kevin J. McGuire, Richard A. Smith, Sarah M. Stackpoole
The impact of climate and reservoirs on longitudinal riverine carbon fluxes from two major watersheds in the Central and Intermontane West The impact of climate and reservoirs on longitudinal riverine carbon fluxes from two major watersheds in the Central and Intermontane West
A nested sampling network on the Colorado (CR) and Missouri Rivers (MR) provided data to assess impacts of large-scale reservoir systems and climate on carbon export. The Load Estimator (LOADEST) model was used to estimate both dissolved inorganic and organic carbon (DIC and DOC) fluxes for a total of 22 sites along the main stems of the CR and MR. Both the upper CR and MR DIC and DOC...
Authors
Sarah M. Stackpoole, Edward G. Stets, Robert G. Striegl
Baseline and projected future carbon storage and greenhouse-gas fluxes in ecosystems of the Western United States Baseline and projected future carbon storage and greenhouse-gas fluxes in ecosystems of the Western United States
This assessment was conducted to fulfill the requirements of section 712 of the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007 and to improve understanding of carbon and greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes in ecosystems of the Western United States. The assessment examined carbon storage, carbon fluxes, and other GHG fluxes (methane and nitrous oxide) in all major terrestrial ecosystems...
Authors
Zhi-Liang Zhu, Bradley C. Reed
Baseline and projected future carbon storage and greenhouse-gas fluxes in the Great Plains region of the United States Baseline and projected future carbon storage and greenhouse-gas fluxes in the Great Plains region of the United States
This assessment was conducted to fulfill the requirements of section 712 of the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007 and to improve understanding of carbon and greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes in the Great Plains region in the central part of the United States. The assessment examined carbon storage, carbon fluxes, and other GHG fluxes (methane and nitrous oxide) in all major...
Authors
Michelle Bouchard, David Butman, Todd Hawbaker, Zhengpeng Li, Jinxun Liu, Shu-Guang Liu, Cory McDonald, Ryan R. Reker, Kristi Sayler, Benjamin Sleeter, Terry Sohl, Sarah Stackpoole, Anne Wein, Zhi-Liang Zhu
Assessing carbon stocks, carbon sequestration, and greenhouse-gas fluxes in ecosystems of the United States under present conditions and future scenarios Assessing carbon stocks, carbon sequestration, and greenhouse-gas fluxes in ecosystems of the United States under present conditions and future scenarios
The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) requires the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) to develop a methodology and conduct an assessment of carbon storage, carbon sequestration, and greenhouse-gas (GHG) fluxes in the Nation's ecosystems. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has developed and published the methodology (U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations...
Authors
Zhi-Liang Zhu, Sarah Stackpoole
Non-USGS Publications**
Stackpoole, S. M.; Kosola, K. R.; Workmaster, B. A. A.; Guldan, N. M.; Browne, B. A.; Jackson, R. D. , 2011. Looking beyond fertilizer: Assessing the contribution of nitrogen from hydrologic inputs and organic matter to plant growth in the cranberry agroecosystem , Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 90:41-54.
Stackpoole, S., B. Workmaster, R. Jackson, K. Kosola. 2008. Nitrogen conservation strategies of cranberry plants and ericoid mycorrhizal fungi in an agroecosystem. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 40: 2736-2742
**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
Filter Total Items: 28
Inland waters Inland waters
1. The total flux of carbon—which includes gaseous emissions, lateral flux, and burial—from inland waters across the conterminous United States (CONUS) and Alaska is 193 teragrams of carbon (Tg C) per year. The dominant pathway for carbon movement out of inland waters is the emission of carbon dioxide gas across water surfaces of streams, rivers, and lakes (110.1 Tg C per year), a flux...
Authors
David E. Butman, Robert G. Striegl, Sarah M. Stackpoole, Paul Del Giorgio, Yves Prairie, Darren Pilcher, Peter Raymond, Fernando Paz Pellat, Javier Alcocer
Assessing historical and projected carbon balance of Alaska: A synthesis of results and policy/management implications Assessing historical and projected carbon balance of Alaska: A synthesis of results and policy/management implications
We summarize the results of a recent interagency assessment of land carbon dynamics in Alaska, in which carbon dynamics were estimated for all major terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems for the historical period (1950–2009) and a projection period (2010–2099). Between 1950 and 2009, upland and wetland (i.e., terrestrial) ecosystems of the state gained 0.4 Tg C/yr (0.1% of net primary...
Authors
A. David McGuire, Hélène Genet, Zhou Lyu, Neal J. Pastick, Sarah M. Stackpoole, Richard Birdsey, David D'Amore, Yujie He, T. Scott Rupp, Robert G. Striegl, Bruce K. Wylie, Xiaoping Zhou, Qianlai Zhuang, Zhiliang Zhu
Inland waters and their role in the carbon cycle of Alaska Inland waters and their role in the carbon cycle of Alaska
The magnitude of Alaska (AK) inland waters carbon (C) fluxes is likely to change in the future due to amplified climate warming impacts on the hydrology and biogeochemical processes in high latitude regions. Although current estimates of major aquatic C fluxes represent an essential baseline against which future change can be compared, a comprehensive assessment for AK has not yet been...
Authors
Sarah M. Stackpoole, David E. Butman, David W. Clow, Kristine L. Verdin, Benjamin V. Gaglioti, Hélène Genet, Robert G. Striegl
Carbonate buffering and metabolic controls on carbon dioxide in rivers Carbonate buffering and metabolic controls on carbon dioxide in rivers
Multiple processes support the significant efflux of carbon dioxide (CO2) from rivers and streams. Attribution of CO2 oversaturation will lead to better quantification of the freshwater carbon cycle and provide insights into the net cycling of nutrients and pollutants. CO2 production is closely related to O2consumption because of the metabolic linkage of these gases. However, this...
Authors
Edward G. Stets, David Butman, Cory P. McDonald, Sarah M. Stackpoole, Michael D. DeGrandpre, Robert G. Striegl
Spatial and temporal patterns of dissolved organic matter quantity and quality in the Mississippi River Basin, 1997–2013 Spatial and temporal patterns of dissolved organic matter quantity and quality in the Mississippi River Basin, 1997–2013
Recent studies have found insignificant or decreasing trends in time-series dissolved organic carbon (DOC) datasets, questioning the assumption that long-term DOC concentrations in surface waters are increasing in response to anthropogenic forcing, including climate change, land use, and atmospheric acid deposition. We used the weighted regressions on time, discharge, and season (WRTDS)...
Authors
Sarah M. Stackpoole, Edward G. Stets, David W. Clow, Douglas A. Burns, George R. Aiken, Brent T. Aulenbach, Irena F. Creed, Robert M. Hirsch, Hjalmar Laudon, Brian Pellerin, Robert G. Striegl
Aquatic carbon cycling in the conterminous United States and implications for terrestrial carbon accounting Aquatic carbon cycling in the conterminous United States and implications for terrestrial carbon accounting
Inland water ecosystems dynamically process, transport, and sequester carbon. However, the transport of carbon through aquatic environments has not been quantitatively integrated in the context of terrestrial ecosystems. Here, we present the first integrated assessment, to our knowledge, of freshwater carbon fluxes for the conterminous United States, where 106 (range: 71–149) teragrams...
Authors
David Butman, Sarah M. Stackpoole, Edward G. Stets, Cory P. McDonald, David W. Clow, Robert G. Striegl
Organic carbon burial in lakes and reservoirs of the conterminous United States Organic carbon burial in lakes and reservoirs of the conterminous United States
Organic carbon (OC) burial in lacustrine sediments represents an important sink in the global carbon cycle; however, large-scale OC burial rates are poorly constrained, primarily because of the sparseness of available data sets. Here we present an analysis of OC burial rates in water bodies of the conterminous U.S. (CONUS) that takes advantage of recently developed national-scale data...
Authors
David W. Clow, Sarah M. Stackpoole, Kristine L. Verdin, David E. Butman, Zhi-Liang Zhu, David P. Krabbenhoft, Robert G. Striegl
The river as a chemostat: fresh perspectives on dissolved organic matter flowing down the river continuum The river as a chemostat: fresh perspectives on dissolved organic matter flowing down the river continuum
A better understanding is needed of how hydrological and biogeochemical processes control dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations and dissolved organic matter (DOM) composition from headwaters downstream to large rivers. We examined a large DOM dataset from the National Water Information System of the US Geological Survey, which represents approximately 100 000 measurements of DOC
Authors
Irena F. Creed, Diane M. McKnight, Brian Pellerin, Mark B. Green, Brian A. Bergamaschi, George R. Aiken, Douglas A. Burns, Stuart E G Findlay, James B. Shanley, Robert G. Striegl, Brent T. Aulenbach, David W. Clow, Hjalmar Laudon, Brian L. McGlynn, Kevin J. McGuire, Richard A. Smith, Sarah M. Stackpoole
The impact of climate and reservoirs on longitudinal riverine carbon fluxes from two major watersheds in the Central and Intermontane West The impact of climate and reservoirs on longitudinal riverine carbon fluxes from two major watersheds in the Central and Intermontane West
A nested sampling network on the Colorado (CR) and Missouri Rivers (MR) provided data to assess impacts of large-scale reservoir systems and climate on carbon export. The Load Estimator (LOADEST) model was used to estimate both dissolved inorganic and organic carbon (DIC and DOC) fluxes for a total of 22 sites along the main stems of the CR and MR. Both the upper CR and MR DIC and DOC...
Authors
Sarah M. Stackpoole, Edward G. Stets, Robert G. Striegl
Baseline and projected future carbon storage and greenhouse-gas fluxes in ecosystems of the Western United States Baseline and projected future carbon storage and greenhouse-gas fluxes in ecosystems of the Western United States
This assessment was conducted to fulfill the requirements of section 712 of the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007 and to improve understanding of carbon and greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes in ecosystems of the Western United States. The assessment examined carbon storage, carbon fluxes, and other GHG fluxes (methane and nitrous oxide) in all major terrestrial ecosystems...
Authors
Zhi-Liang Zhu, Bradley C. Reed
Baseline and projected future carbon storage and greenhouse-gas fluxes in the Great Plains region of the United States Baseline and projected future carbon storage and greenhouse-gas fluxes in the Great Plains region of the United States
This assessment was conducted to fulfill the requirements of section 712 of the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007 and to improve understanding of carbon and greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes in the Great Plains region in the central part of the United States. The assessment examined carbon storage, carbon fluxes, and other GHG fluxes (methane and nitrous oxide) in all major...
Authors
Michelle Bouchard, David Butman, Todd Hawbaker, Zhengpeng Li, Jinxun Liu, Shu-Guang Liu, Cory McDonald, Ryan R. Reker, Kristi Sayler, Benjamin Sleeter, Terry Sohl, Sarah Stackpoole, Anne Wein, Zhi-Liang Zhu
Assessing carbon stocks, carbon sequestration, and greenhouse-gas fluxes in ecosystems of the United States under present conditions and future scenarios Assessing carbon stocks, carbon sequestration, and greenhouse-gas fluxes in ecosystems of the United States under present conditions and future scenarios
The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) requires the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) to develop a methodology and conduct an assessment of carbon storage, carbon sequestration, and greenhouse-gas (GHG) fluxes in the Nation's ecosystems. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has developed and published the methodology (U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations...
Authors
Zhi-Liang Zhu, Sarah Stackpoole
Non-USGS Publications**
Stackpoole, S. M.; Kosola, K. R.; Workmaster, B. A. A.; Guldan, N. M.; Browne, B. A.; Jackson, R. D. , 2011. Looking beyond fertilizer: Assessing the contribution of nitrogen from hydrologic inputs and organic matter to plant growth in the cranberry agroecosystem , Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 90:41-54.
Stackpoole, S., B. Workmaster, R. Jackson, K. Kosola. 2008. Nitrogen conservation strategies of cranberry plants and ericoid mycorrhizal fungi in an agroecosystem. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 40: 2736-2742
**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.