Dr. Weston Nowlin is an ecosystem and community ecologist, specializing in aquatic ecosystems. Research in the Nowlin lab focuses on a variety of topics but is largely centered on the role of organisms and communities in affecting ecosystem-level processes like nutrient cycling and organic matter flows.  In addition, we are interested in how biotic and abiotic factors affect the abundance, distribution, and diversity of organisms in ecosystems. In order to address these research areas, we utilize a variety of methods and research approaches, including nutrient biogeochemistry, whole ecosystem metabolism and material flux studies, and the use of stable isotopes.

Research in the Nowlin lab takes place in a variety of ecosystem types and at a diversity of scales. We conduct research in wetlands, streams, rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. We also conduct small laboratory-based studies, look at field-based experimental systems, and research at the whole-ecosystem scale.