Photograph of Thomas Isenhart

Dr. Thomas M Isenhart

Position
  • Professor

Contact

Email
isenhart@iastate.edu
Phone
515-294-8056

Contact Info

334 Science II
Ames
,
Iowa
50011

Research Area

Area of Expertise

  • Stream Ecology

Education

  • B.S., Botany and Environmental Studies, Iowa State University, 1983
  • M.S., Water Resources, Iowa State University, 1988
  • Ph.D., Water Resources, Iowa State University, 1992

Dr. Isenhart’s research interests include stream, riparian, and watershed management; design and establishment of conservation buffers to improve the environmental efficiency of agriculture, land use/hydrology and stream bed and bank erosion; watershed assessment; and land use and greenhouse gas emissions.

Publications

  • Jaynes, D.B. and T.M Isenhart.  In Revision.  Reconnecting Tile Drainage to Riparian Buffer Hydrology for Enhanced Nitrate Removal.  Journal of Environmental Quality.
  • Palmer, J.A., K.E. Schilling, T.M. Isenhart, R.C. Schultz, and M.D. Tomer.  In Press.  Streambank erosion rates and loads within a single watershed: Bridging the gap between temporal and spatial scales.  Geomorphology.
  • Tufekcioglu, M., R.C. Schultz, G.N. Zaimes, T.M. Isenhart, and A. Tufekcioglu.  2013.   Riparian grazing impacts on streambank erosion and phosphorus loss via surface runoff.  Journal of the American Water Resources Association 49(1):103–113.
  • Tufekcioglu, M., T.M. Isenhart, R.C. Schultz, D. A. Bear, J.L. Kovar and James R. Russell.  2012.  Stream bank erosion as a source of sediment and phosphorus in grazed pastures of the Rathbun Lake Watershed in southern Iowa, USA.  Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 67(6):545-555.
  • Willett, C.D., R.N. Lerch, R.C. Schultz, S.A. Berges, R.D. Peacher, and T.M. Isenhart.  2012.  Streambank Erosion in Two Watersheds of the Central Claypan Region of Missouri, USA.  Journal of Soil and Water Conservation.
  • Bear, D.A., J. R. Russell, M. Tufekcioglu, T.M. Isenhart, D. G. Morrical, and J.L. Kovar.  2012. Stocking Rate and Riparian Vegetation Effects on Physical Characteristics of Riparian Zones of Midwestern Pastures.  Rangeland Ecology and Management 65(2):119-128.
  • Hernandez-Santana, V., H. Asbjornsen., T.J. Sauer, T. Isenhart, K. Schilling, and R.Schultz.  2012.  Effects of thinning on transpiration by riparian buffer trees in response to advection and solar radiation. Acta Horticulturae. 951:225-231.
  • Schilling, K., T. Isenhart, J. Palmer, C. Wolter, and J. Spooner.  2011.  Detecting changes in suspended sediment transport with land cover change in two agricultural watersheds.  Journal of the American Water Resources Association 47(4):672-686.
  • Hernandez-Santana,V, H. Asbjornsen, T. Sauer, T. Isenhart, K. Schilling, R. Schultz.  2011.  Enhanced transpiration by riparian buffer trees in response to advection in a humid temperate agricultural landscape. Forest Ecology and Management 261:1415-1427.
  • Gassman, P.W., J.A. Tisl, E.A. Palas, C.L. Fields, T.M. Isenhart, K.E. Schilling, C.F. Wolter, L.S. Seigley, and M.J. Helmers.  2010.  Conservation Practice Establishment in Two Northeast Iowa Watersheds: Strategies, Water Quality Implications, and Lessons Learned.  Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 65:381-392.
  • Kim, D., T.M. Isenhart, T.B. Parkin, R.C. Schultz, and T.E. Loynachan.  2010.  Methane flux in riparian forest buffer, warm-season and cool-season grass filter, and adjacent crop fields soils.  Journal of Environmental Quality 39(1):97-105.
  • Tomer, M.D., C.G. Wilson, T.B. Moorman, K.J. Cole, D. Heer, and T.M. Isenhart.  2010.  Source-pathway separation of multiple contaminants during a rainfall-runoff event in an artificially drained agricultural watershed.  Journal of Environmental Quality 39(3):882-895.
  • Berges, S.A., L.A. Schulte Moore, T.M. Isenhart, and R.C. Schultz.  2010.  Bird species diversity in riparian buffers, row crop fields, and grazed pastures within agriculturally dominated watersheds.  Agroforestry Systems 79(1): 97-110.
  • Schultz, R.C., T.M. Isenhart, J.P Colletti, W.W. Simpkins, R.P. Udwatta, and P.L. Schultz.  2009.  Riparian and Upland Buffer Practices.  Chapter 8 In: H.E. Garrett, (Ed.) North American Agroforestry: An integrated Science and Practice, 2nd Ed.  American Society of Agronomy, Madison, WI.
  • Schilling, K.E., J.A. Palmer, E.A. Bettis III, P. Jacobson, R.C. Schultz, and T.M. Isenhart.  2009.  Vertical distribution of total carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus in riparian soils of Walnut Creek, southern Iowa.  Catena 77(3):266-273.
  • Helmers, M.J., T.M. Isenhart, M. Dosskey, S. Dabney, and J. Strock.  2008.  Buffers and vegetative filter strips.  Pp. 43-58 In: Gulf Hypoxia and Local Water Quality Concerns.  ASABE.  St. Joseph, MI.
  • Zaimes, G.N., R.C. Schultz, and T.M. Isenhart.  2008a.  Streambank soil and phosphorus losses under different riparian land-uses in Iowa.  Journal of the American Water Resources Association 44: 935-947.
  • Zaimes, G.N., R.C. Schultz, and T.M. Isenhart. 2008b. Total phosphorus concentrations and compaction in riparian areas under different riparian land-uses of Iowa.  J. Agric. Ecosyst. & Environ. 127:22-30.
  • Helmers, M.J., T.M. Isenhart, C.L. Kling, T.M. Moorman, W.W. Simpkins, and M. Tomer.  2007.  Water quality in agriculture: heterogeneity of pollutants, practices, and programs.  Choices 22(2):79-85.
  • Schilling, K.E., M. Tomer, P. Gassman, C. Kling, T.M. Isenhart, T. Moorman, W.W. Simpkins, and C.F. Wolter.  2007.  A tale of three watersheds: Non-point source pollution and conservation practices across Iowa.  Choices 22(2):87-95.
  • Duehr, J., M. Siepker, C. Pierce, and T.M. Isenhart.  2007.  Relation of riparian buffer strips to in-stream habitat, macroinvertebrates and fish in a small Iowa stream. Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science 113:49-55.
  • Lowrance, R., T.M. Isenhart, W.J. Gburek, F.D. Shields, Jr., P.J. Wigington, Jr., and S.M. Dabney.  2006.  Landscape Management Practices.  Chapter 7 In: M. Schnepf and C. Cox (Eds.) Environmental Benefits of Conservation on Cropland: The Status of Our Knowledge.  Soil and Water Conservation Society.  Ankeny, IA.
  • Zaimes, G.N., R.C. Schultz, and T.M. Isenhart.  2006.  Riparian land uses and precipitation influences on stream bank erosion in Central Iowa.  Journal of the American Water Resources Association 42(1):83-97.
  • Herring, J.P., R.C. Schultz, and T.M. Isenhart.  2006.  Watershed scale inventory of existing riparian buffers in Northeast Missouri using GIS.  Journal of the American Water Resources Association 42(1):145-155.
  • Schultz, R.C., T.M. Isenhart, W.W. Simpkins, and J.P. Colletti.  2004.  Riparian forest buffers in agroecosystems – lessons learned from the Bear Creek Watershed, central Iowa, USA.  Agroforestry Systems 61:35-50.
  • Marquez, C.O., V.J. Garcia, C.A. Cambardella, R.C. Schultz, and T.M. Isenhart. 2004. Aggregate-size stability distribution and soil stability. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 68:725-735.
  • Zaimes, G.N., R.C. Schultz, and T.M. Isenhart. 2004. Stream bank erosion adjacent to riparian forest buffers, row-cropped fields, and continuously grazed pastures along Bear Creek in central Iowa. J. Soil and Water Conserv. 59(1):19-27.
  • Isenhart, T., W. Crumpton, D. Lemke, J. Baker, and S. Melvin. 2003. Wetlands for water quality in agricultural landscapes: The Iowa Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program. In: Kolpin, Dana and John D. Williams (Editors). Agricultural Hydrology and Water Quality. AWRA’s 2003 Spring Specialty Conference Proceedings. American Water Resources Association, Middleburg, Virginia, TPS-03-1, CD-ROM.
  • Simpkins W.W., T. R. Wineland, T. M. Isenhart, and R. C. Schultz. 2003. Hydrologic setting controls NO3--N removal in groundwater beneath multi-species riparian buffers. In: Kolpin, Dana and John D. Williams (Editors). Agricultural Hydrology and Water Quality. AWRA’s 2003 Spring Specialty Conference Proceedings. American Water Resources Association, Middleburg, Virginia, TPS-03-1, CD-ROM.
  • Tufekcioglu A., J.W. Raich, T.M. Isenhart and R.C. Schultz. 2003. Biomass, carbon and nitrogen dynamics of multi-species riparian buffers within an agricultural watershed in Iowa, USA. Agroforestry Systems 57:187-198.
  • Tomer, M.D., D.E. James, and T.M. Isenhart. 2003. Optimizing the placement of riparian practices in a watershed using terrain analysis. J. Soil and Water Conserv. 58(4):198-206.
  • Lee, K.H., T.M. Isenhart, and R.C. Schultz. 2003. Sediment and nutrient removal in an established multi-species riparian buffer. J. Soil and Water Conserv. 58(1):1-8.
  • Bharati, L., K.H. Lee, T.M. Isenhart, and R. C. Schultz. 2002. Soil-water infiltration under crops, pasture and established riparian buffer in Midwestern USA. Agroforestry Systems 56:249-257.
  • Dornbush, M. E., T. M. Isenhart and J. W. Raich. 2002. Quantifying fine-root decomposition: An alternative to buried litterbags. Ecology 83(11):2985-2990.
  • Simpkins, W.W., T.R. Wineland, R.J. Andress, D.A. Johnston, G.C. Caron, T.M. Isenhart and R.C. Schultz. 2002. Hydrogeological constraints on riparian buffers for reduction of diffuse pollution: examples from the Bear Creek Watershed in Iowa, USA. Water Science and Technology 45(5):61-68.
  • Lee, K.H., T.M. Isenhart, R.C. Schultz and S.K. Mickelson. 2000. Multispecies riparian buffers trap sediment and nutrients during rainfall simulations. J. Environ. Qual. 29:1200-1205.
  • Tufekcioglu, A., J.W. Raich, T.M. Isenhart and R.C. Schultz. 2001. Soil respiration in riparian buffers and adjacent croplands. Plant and Soi. 229:117-124.
  • Isenhart, T.M., R.C. Schultz, and J.P. Colletti. 1997. Watershed restoration and agricultural practices in the Midwest: Bear Creek in Iowa. Chapter 15 In: J.E. Williams, M.P. Dombeck, and C.A. Woods (Eds.). Watershed Restoration: Principles and Practices. American Fisheries Society. Crumpton, W.G., T.M. Isenhart and P.D. Mitchell. 1992. Nitrate and organic N analyses with second derivative spectroscopy. Limnology and Oceanography 37(4):907-913.
  • Isenhart, T.M. and W.G. Crumpton. 1989. Transformation and loss of nitrate in an agricultural stream. Journal of Freshwater Ecology 5:123-129.