REU Site: Interdisciplinary Watershed Studies at the College of William and Mary

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Each year this project selects 10 outstanding undergraduates from across the country to participate in student research projects mentored by faculty in environmental geology, biology, sociology and economics. The cohort of students work with W&M faculty mentors to determine the impacts of changing watershed land use in scientific and socio-economic contexts. Within local watersheds, students complete research projects in aquatic and associated upland habitats under increasing pressures from urbanization. Investigations of current hydrogeologic and ecological status in watersheds are completed by analyzing riparian corridor impacts associated with channel incision, stormwater management effectiveness, spatial variation in water quality, lake-wide budgets for water, sediment and nutrients, and population/community structure in aquatic and terrestrial portions of the watershed. Because the status of any watershed system is the result of historical changes in land use, sociologic and economic surveys of residents' perception of development, environmental protection and water and property rights are used to determine the current direction and strength of population and market forcing functions. Student teams seek to tackle many fundamental issues in watershed impacts and protection in developed areas: population and community structure changes in altered aquatic and terrestrial environments; evolutionary responses of populations to habitat alteration; water, sediment, and nutrient budgets; riparian corridor function following urbanization-induced channel incision; and the effectiveness of retention ponds in managing stormwater. Each of these issues requires communication among students and faculty working in different disciplines. The research program provides training in interdisciplinary cooperation that is essential for resolving complex environmental issues. The impacts of the study include the promotion of environmental research training and learning for undergraduates (including underrepresented groups), toward the goal of enhancing environmental science literacy across relevant disciplines. The products of research contribute to a more comprehensive understanding and identification of opportunities for successful watershed management by participant government and community interest groups.