David B. Herbst, Ph.D.

Education:

MS, Oregon State University, 1981 (Zoology)

PhD, Oregon State University, 1986 (Zoology and Entomology)

Scope of Research

Ecology and physiology of aquatic invertebrates and algae in streams, lakes, and springs of the Great Basin and Sierra Nevada (especially the eastern slope watersheds of the Sierra Nevada mountains)

Mission of Research Program

To provide scientific service to the public (government agencies and private conservation organizations) through research that helps guide decision-making and policy development for the management of public lands and watersheds. To promote restoration of habitats through monitoring connected to adaptive management, and conservation of native aquatic diversity and the integrity /health of sustaining habitats. To accomplish these goals using experimental and comparative research approaches in the design, implementation and analysis of studies that have natural resource management applications.

Primary Research Interests

Ecology and physiology of aquatic insects and algae:

* Ecological research on aquatic invertebrates in streams, lakes, and springs of the Sierra Nevada and Great Basin regions for application in monitoring and biological assessment of watershed alterations including stream diversions, livestock grazing, acid mine drainage, sedimentation, exotic species introductions, and the monitoring of habitat restoration projects. Development of biological criteria for assessment of the health and integrity of stream ecosystems.

* Benthic ecology and productivity of saline lake ecosystems: distribution along salinity gradients, population productivity, community ecology, experimental mesocosm studies of insects and algae, feeding ecology and food quality.

* Comparative physiology of osmoregulation and salt tolerance in aquatic invertebrates. Ecophysiology of algal growth, nitrogen fixation, physiological processes in relation to salinity. Developmental, life history, and metabolic costs of salinity adaptation.

* Biogeography of aquatic invertebrates in (1) Great Basin desert waters, and (2) Sierra Nevada mountain streams.

Selected Publications

On saline lake insects and algae:

Herbst, D.B. & D.W. Blinn. 1998. Experimental mesocosm studies of salinity effects on the benthic algal community of a saline lake. Journal of Phycology 34:772-778.

Herbst, D.B. 1999. Salinity limits nitrogen fixation in sediments from Mono Lake, California. International Journal of Salt Lake Research 7:261-274.

Herbst, D.B. 1999. Biogeography and physiological adaptations of the brine fly genus Ephydra (Diptera: Ephydridae) in saline waters of the Great Basin. Great Basin Naturalist 59:127-135.

Herbst, D.B. 2001. Gradients of salinity stress, environmental stability and water chemistry as a templet for defining habitat types and physiological strategies in inland salt waters. Hydrobiologia 466:209:219.

On stream biomonitoring:

Herbst, D.B., A.Y. Feng, and D.E. Gregorio. 2001. The California Streamside Biosurvey.

State Water Resources Control Board publication, Sacramento. 21 pp.

On fishless streams of the High Sierra and the influence of introduced trout in Yosemite:

At California Digital Library:

"The influence of introduced trout on native aquatic invertebrate

communities in a paired watershed study of High Sierran streams"

Refer to the following web address:

http://repositories.cdlib.org/wrc/tcr/herbst

Current Research Projects and Opportunities for Collaboration

• Invertebrate and algal community changes and recovery in high elevation Sierra Nevada streams following exotic trout removals

• New Zealand Mudsnail invasion and ecological impacts (Upper Owens River)

• Effects of sediment on stream biota (Truckee River TMDL)

• Influence of livestock grazing on the biological integrity of streams, and their management and recovery (Golden Trout Wilderness, West Walker River, Eastern Sierra Nevada)

• Acid mine drainage effects on invertebrates and stream recovery following water treatment remediation (Leviathan Mine superfund site)

• Recovery of saline water habitats at Owens Lake with flood irrigation (to control dust emissions from playa)

• Using GIS to develop an approach to identifying and sampling reference streams for establishing biological water quality standards (eastern Sierra Nevada)

• Post-fire stream recovery in burned/logged and unburned control watersheds (Kings River Experimental Watershed)

• Comparability and calibration of bioassessment methods to achieve standardized approach and data sets

• Population/community ecology of benthic insects and algae at Mono Lake