Education
Ph.D. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, 2012
M.S. Environmental Science, Indiana University
B.S. Biology & Political Science, Hope College
Research Interests
- Community Ecology
- Organismal Ecology
- Ecosystem Ecology
- Aquatic Ecology
- Freshwater Ecology
- Conservation Ecology
- System Ecology
- Global Ecology
- Tropical Ecology
Research in our lab is dedicated to understanding how anthropogenic activities alter community structure and ecosystem processes (e.g., productivity, decomposition, and biogeochemical cycling) in freshwater ecosystems. Much of our research has focused on the impacts of consumers on basal food resources, community structure, and nutrient dynamics in streams and wetlands. We attempt to view our work through a social-ecological lens, acknowledging the powerful impacts that public policy and economic considerations can have on the quality and quantity of freshwater resources, the abundance and diversity of aquatic organisms, and the function of freshwater ecosystems. In an attempt to translate scientific knowledge to actionable outcomes, we actively work with community groups and local, state, and federal employees to develop programs that integrate stakeholder concerns into our research planning.
Selected Publications
Cease, A., K. Capps, K. Gates, M. McCrackin, and D. Nidzgorski. 2015. Consumer-driven nutrient dynamics in urban environments: the stoichiometry of human diets and waste. Oikos 124: 931-948.
Capps, K. A. and A.S. Flecker. 2015. High impact of low-trophic position invaders: effects of non-native grazing fishes on the quantity and quality of basal food resources. Freshwater 34:784-796.
Capps, K.A., C.L. Atkinson, A. Rugenski. 2015. Implications of species addition and decline on nutrient dynamics in freshwaters. Freshwater Science 34: 485-496.
Capps, K.A., K. Berven, S. Tiegs. 2015. Modeling nutrient transport and transformation by pool-breeding amphibians in forested landscapes using a 21 year dataset. Freshwater Biology 60: 500-511.
Tallis, H, J. Lubchenco, V. Adams et al. 2014. Towards a diverse conservation ethic. Nature 515: 27-28 (06 November 2014) doi:10.1038/515027a
Capps, K. A., R. Rancatti, N. Tomczyk^, T. Parr, A.J.K. Calhoun, M. Hunter. 2014. Biogeochemical hotspots in forested landscapes: The role of vernal pools in denitrification and organic matter processing. Ecosystems 17: 1455-1468.
Capps, K. A., and A. S. Flecker. 2013. Invasive aquarium fish transform ecosystem nutrient dynamics. Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 280: doi: 10.1098/rspb.2013.1520
