Geoffrey Poole

Dr. Geoffrey Poole is a Professor in the Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences at Montana State University, with dual affiliations in the Institute on Ecosystems and the College of Agriculture. As director of the Montana State Fluvial Landscape Lab, he leads research at the intersection of river hydrology, aquatic ecology, biogeochemistry, and geomorphology.

His educational foundation includes:

• Ph.D. in Environmental Science, University of Montana (2000)
• M.S. in Watershed Science, Utah State University (1990)
• B.S. in Environmental Science, Cornell University (1987)

Dr. Poole's research program applies quantitative techniques—ecosystem modeling, data science, statistical analysis, and spatial analysis—to advance understanding of river ecosystems. He investigates hyporheic zone ecology, chemical transport in stream networks, floodplain geomorphology effects on habitat quality, and riverine habitat-biodiversity linkages. His work bridges field measurements with computational models to address complex environmental challenges in fluvial landscapes.

Analysis of his recent publications reveals increasing emphasis on hyporheic exchange processes, nutrient cycling domains, and ecosystem engineering in streams. His research demonstrates methodological evolution toward constraint-based modeling of multi-element cycles and sophisticated spatial analysis of river networks, often through large collaborative projects addressing fundamental questions in aquatic science.

Dr. Poole serves as Editor for Freshwater Science since 2011 and has engaged in science education outreach at Middle Creek Montessori (2014-2015).

He teaches advanced courses including ENSC 311 (Fundamentals of Environmental Data Analysis) and LRES 511 (Environmental Data Management), training students in data science applications for environmental problem-solving. His active research program is supported by three National Science Foundation grants:

• The Impacts of Narrative-Based Risk Communication on Hazard Preparedness
• COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: Leaky Rivers: Nutrient Retention and Productivity in Rocky Mountain Streams Under Alternate Stable States
• Coupled C, N and S cycling in coastal plain wetlands: climate change impacts on ecosystem dynamics

The Montana State Fluvial Landscape Lab provides a collaborative research environment where students and faculty investigate riverscape ecology through field studies, computational modeling, and data-intensive approaches, advancing knowledge of river resilience in changing environments.