Stuart Fisher
Emeritus Professor, School of Life Sciences, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
School of Life Sciences
Arizona State University
PO Box 874501
Tempe, AZ 85287-4501
USA
Titles
- Affiliate Global Futures Scholar, Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory
- Emeritus Professor, School of Life Sciences, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Biography
Stuart Fisher studies the control of ecosystem structure and function using the stream-riparian system of deserts as a model. He is especially interested in the influence of long-term regimes of flood and drought in shaping streams at several levels of organization, including adaptations of organisms to disturbance, seasonal and disturbance effects on community structure, and ecosystem stability measured in terms of energy flow and nutrient cycling. Recently, Dr. Fisher and his students have been exploring the relationship between ecosystem spatial configuration and ecosystem functioning (e.g., nutrient cycling patterns, productivity, response to disturbance). Dr. Fisher teaches a graduate course in ecosystem ecology and several seminars in ecology.
Education
- PhD, Biology, Dartmouth College, 1971
- MA, Biology, Wake Forest College, 1967
- BS, Biology, Wake Forest College, 1965
Expertise
Journal Articles
In Press
Schade, J. D. and S. G. Fisher. The influence of leaf litter on a Sonoran Desert stream ecosystem.. Journal of the North American Benthological Society
2008
Sponseller, R. A. and S. G. Fisher. 2008. The influence of drainge networks on patterns of soil respiration in a desert catchment. Ecology 89(4):1089–1100. DOI: 10.1890/06-1933.1. (link )
2007
Fisher, S. G., J. B. Heffernan, R. A. Sponseller and J. R. Welter. 2007. Functional ecomorphology: Feedbacks between form and function in fluvial landscape ecosystems. Geomorphology 89(1-2):84-96. DOI: 10.1016/j.geomorph.2006.07.013. (link )
2006
Sponseller, R. A. and S. G. Fisher. 2006. Drainage size, stream intermittency, and ecosystem function in a Sonoran Desert landscape. Ecosystems 9(3):344-356. DOI: 10.1007/s10021-005-0167-6. (link )
2005
Bernhardt, E. S., G. E. Likens, R. O. Hall Jr, D. C. Buso, S. G. Fisher, T. M. Burton, J. L. Meyer, W. H. McDowell, M. S. Mayer, W. B. Bowden, S. E. Findlay, K. H. MacNeale, R. S. Stelzer and W. H. Lowe. 2005. Can't see the forest for the stream? In-stream processing and terrestrial nitrogen exports. BioScience 55(3):219-230. DOI: 10.1641/0006-3568(2005)055[0219:ACSTFF]2.0.CO;2. (link )
Welter, J. W., S. G. Fisher and N. B. Grimm. 2005. Nitrogen transport and retention in an arid-land watershed: Influence of storm characteristics on terrestrial-quatic linkages. Biogeochemistry 76:421-440.
1997
Fisher, S. G. 1997. Creativity, idea generation, and the functional morphology of streams.. Journal of the North American Benthological Society
Fisher, S. G., N. B. Grimm, E. Martí and R. Gomez. 1997. Hierarchy, spatial configuration, and nutrient cycling in streams.. Australian Journal of Ecology
Jones, Jr, J. B., J. D. Schade, S. G. Fisher and N. B. Grimm. 1997. Organic matter dynamics in Sycamore Creek, a desert stream in Arizona, USA. Journal of the North American Benthological Society 16(1):78-81. (link )
Martí, E., N. B. Grimm and S. G. Fisher. 1997. Pre- and post-flood nutrient retention efficiency of nitrogen in a Sonoran Desert stream. Journal of the North American Benthological Society 16(4):805-819.
Stanley, E. H., S. G. Fisher and N. B. Grimm. 1997. Ecosystem expansion and contraction: a desert stream perpective.. BioScience 47:427-435.
1996
Clinton, S. M., N. B. Grimm and S. G. Fisher. 1996. Response of a desert stream hypoheic invertebrate community to drying disturbance. Journal of the North American Benthological Society 700-712.
Holmes, R. M., J. B. Jones, Jr, S. G. Fisher and N. B. Grimm. 1996. Denitrification in a nitrogen-limited stream. Biogeochemistry 125-146.
1995
Jones, Jr, J. B., S. G. Fisher and N. B. Grimm. 1995. Nitrification in the hyporheic zone of a desert stream ecosystem. Journal of the North American Benthological Society 249-258.
Jones, Jr, J. B., S. G. Fisher and N. B. Grimm. 1995. Vertical hydrological exchange and ecosystem metabolism in a Sonoran Desert stream. Ecology 942-952.
Jones, Jr, J. B., R. M. Holmes, S. G. Fisher, N. B. Grimm and D. M. Greene. 1995. Methanogenesis in Arizona, USA, dryland streams.. Biogeochemistry 155-173.
1994
Holmes, R. M., S. G. Fisher and N. B. Grimm. 1994. Parafluvial nitrogen dynamics in a desert stream ecosystem.. Journal of the North American Benthological Society 468-478.
Peterson, C. G., A. C. Weibel, N. B. Grimm and S. G. Fisher. 1994. Mechanisms of benthic algal recovery following spates: comparison of simulated and natural events.. Oecologia 280-290.
Stanley, E. H., D. L. Buschman, A. J. Boulton, N. B. Grimm and S. G. Fisher. 1994. Invertebrate resistance and resilience to intermittency in a desert stream. American Midland Naturalist 131(2):288-300.
Valett, H. M., S. G. Fisher, N. B. Grimm and P. Camill. 1994. Vertical hydrologic exchange and ecological stability of a desert stream ecosystem. Ecology 548-560.
1985
Fisher, S. G. and N. B. Grimm. 1985. Hydrologic and material budgets for a small Sonoran Desert watershed during three consecutive cloudburst floods. Journal of Arid Environments 9(2):105-118.
1983
Fisher, S. G. and L. J. Gray. 1983. Secondary production and organic matter processing by collector macroinvertebrates in a desert stream. Ecology (5):1217-1224.
1973
Fisher, S. G. and G. E. Likens. 1973. Energy flow in Bear Brook, New Hampshire: an integrative approach to stream ecosystem metabolism. Ecol. Monogr. 421-439.
Books
1992
Firth, P. and S. G. Fisher. 1992. Global climate change and freshwater ecosystems. Springer-Verlag. New York.
Book Chapters
2006
Fisher, S. G. 2006. Stream ecosystems of the western United States. Pp. 61-87 In: Cushing, C., K. W. Cummins and G. W. Minshall eds., River and Stream Ecosystems of the World. Elsevier Press. New York.
1996
Fisher, S. G. 1996. Natural disturbance and recovery of desert streams: A challenge to wetland management. In: Montes, C. and G. Oliver eds., Bases ecologicas para la restauracion de humedales en la cuenca meditaerranea. Agenciea de Medio Ambiente, Junta de Andalucia, Sevilla. Sevilla, Espana.
Fisher, S. G. and N. B. Grimm. 1996. Ecological effects of global climate change on freshwater ecosystems with emphasis on streams and rivers.. Pp. 30.1-30.31 In: Mays, L. W. ed., Handbook of Water Resources.. McGraw-Hill.
1994
Fisher, S. G. 1994. Pattern, process and scale in freshwater ecosystems: some unifying thoughts.. In: Giller, P. S., A. G. Hildrew and D. G. Rafaelli eds., Blackwell Scientific Publications. Oxford.
Fisher, S. G. 1994. Scale, pattern, and process in freshwater ecosystems: some unifying thoughts. Pp. 575-591 In: Giller, P. S., A. G. Hildrew and D. G. Raffaeli eds., Blackwell Scientific. Oxford, England.
1992
Grimm, N. B. and S. G. Fisher. 1992. Responses of arid-land streams to changing climate. Pp. 211-233 In: Firth, P. and S. G. Fisher eds., Global Climate Change and Freshwater Ecosystems. Springer-Verlag. New York.
1991
Fisher, S. G. and N. B. Grimm. 1991. Streams and disturbance: are cross-ecosystem comparisons useful. Pp. 196-221 In: Cole, J. C., G. M. Lovett and S. E. Findlay eds., Springer-Verlag. New York.
Posters
2010
Toke, N. A., K. Darby, E. M. Cook, C. Mead, J. Brian, T. Benn, S. G. Fisher, C. G. Boone and S. Semken. 2010. Pedagogy in interdisciplinary higher education: An investigation of faculty and student perspectives. Poster presented at the January 14, 2010 12th Annual Central Arizona-Phoenix Long-Term Ecological Research Poster Symposium, Global Institute of Sustainability, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ.
Presentations
2009
Toke, N. A., K. Darby, E. M. Cook, C. Mead, J. Brian, T. Benn, S. G. Fisher, C. G. Boone and S. Semken. 2009. Pedagogy in interdisciplinary higher education: An investigation of faculty and student perspectives. Presentation October 18-21 at the Annual Geologic Society of America Meeting, Portland, Oregon. Abstracts with programs.
1998
Edmonds, J. W., N. B. Grimm, P. K. Westerhoff and S. G. Fisher. 1998. Spatial variation in organic matter quality in natural ecosystems: A determinant of microbial decomposition rates. Presented at June 1998, Annual Meeting, North American Benthological Society, Prince Edward Island.
Conference Papers
1994
Holmes, R. M., S. G. Fisher and N. B. Grimm. 1994. Nitrogen dynamics along parafluvial flowpaths: importance to the stream ecosystem. Pp. 47-56 In: Stanford, J. A. and H. M. Valett eds., Proceeding of the Second International Conference on Groundwater Ecology.. Second International Conference on Groundwater Ecology.. Bethesda, Maryland.
Jones, Jr, J. B., R. M. Holmes, S. G. Fisher and N. B. Grimm. 1994. Chemoautotrophic production and respiration in the hyporheic zone of a Sonoran Desert stream.. Pp. 329-338 In: Stanford, J. A. and H. M. Vallett eds., Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Groundwater Ecology. Second International Conference on Groundwater Ecology. Bethesda, Maryland.
1992
Valett, H. M., S. G. Fisher, N. B. Grimm, E. H. Stanley and A. J. Boulton. 1992. Hyporheic-surface water exchange: Implications for ecosystem structure and function.. Pp. 395-405 In: Stanford, J. A. and J. J. Simons eds., Proceedings of the First International Conference on Groundwater Ecology. First International Conference on Groundwater Ecology. Bethesda, MD.