Institution: Duke University
Department: Department of Biology
Durham, NC 27708
Hubbard Brook Role: Investigator
Phone: (919) 660-7318
Email: emily.bernhardt@duke.edu
ORCID: 0000-0003-3031-621X
Website: https://biology.duke.edu/people/emily-snow-bernhardt
EmilyBernhardt

Research Interests

Emily Bernhardt is a biogeochemist who has long been interested in the role that stream ecosystems play within watersheds in altering the form, timing and magnitude of nutrient exports. She conducted her dissertation research at HBEF in the 1990’s, exploring the impacts of forest age, ice storms and carbon supply on stream nitrogen cycling. In the 2010’s Emily began working at HBEF again. Bernhardt is now collaborating with Gene Likens, Emma Rosi, John Campbell and Lindsey Rustad in the maintenance of the long-term rain and stream chemistry record. New field research is exploring the impact of acid rain legacies and acid rain mitigation on watershed C and N cycling and the effect of warmer springs on the productivity of stream ecosystems.

Hubbard Brook Publications by this Author

Gubbins, N. J., Slaughter, W. M., Vlah, M., Rhea, S., McDowell, W. H., Ross, M. R., & Bernhardt, E. (2024). An Assessment of Annual Load Estimation Methods in Small Watersheds for Cross Site Comparisons. https://eartharxiv.org/repository/view/6513/
Green, M. B., Pardo, L. H., Campbell, J. L., Rosi, E., Bernhardt, E. S., Driscoll, C. T., Fahey, T. J., LoRusso, N., Matthes, J., & Templer, P. H. (2023). Combination of factors rather than single disturbance drives perturbation of the nitrogen cycle in a temperate forest. Biogeochemistry. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-023-01105-z
Vlah, M. J., Bernhardt, E. S., Rhea, S., Slaughter, W., Gubbins, N., DelVecchia, A. G., Thellman, A., & Ross, M. R. V. (2023). Another Step Toward “Big” Catchment Science. Limnology and Oceanography Bulletin, n/a(n/a). https://doi.org/10.1002/lob.10590
Campbell, J. L., Rustad, L. E., Bailey, S. W., Bernhardt, E. S., Driscoll, C. T., Green, M. B., Groffman, P. M., Lovett, G. M., McDowell, W. H., McGuire, K. J., & Rosi, E. J. (2021). Watershed studies at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest: Building on a long legacy of research with new approaches and sources of data. Hydrological Processes, 35(1), e14016. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.14016
Green, M. B., Pardo, L. H., Bailey, S. W., Campbell, J. L., McDowell, W. H., Bernhardt, E. S., & Rosi, E. J. (2021). Predicting high-frequency variation in stream solute concentrations with water quality sensors and machine learning. Hydrological Processes, 35(1), e14000. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.14000
Likens, G. E., Buso, D. C., Bernhardt, E. S., & Rosi, E. (2021). A century of change: Reconstructing the biogeochemical history of Hubbard Brook. Hydrological Processes, 35(6), e14256. https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.14256
Marinos, R. E., Campbell, J. L., Driscoll, C. T., Likens, G. E., McDowell, W. H., Rosi, E. J., Rustad, L. E., & Bernhardt, E. S. (2018). Give and Take: A Watershed Acid Rain Mitigation Experiment Increases Baseflow Nitrogen Retention but Increases Stormflow Nitrogen Export. Environmental Science & Technology, 52(22), 13155–13165. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.8b03553
Marinos, R. E., & Bernhardt, E. S. (2018). Soil carbon losses due to higher pH offset vegetation gains due to calcium enrichment in an acid mitigation experiment. Ecology, 99(10), 2363–2373. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.2478
Rosi-Marshall, E. J., Bernhardt, E. S., Buso, D. C., Driscoll, C. T., & Likens, G. E. (2016). Acid rain mitigation experiment shifts a forested watershed from a net sink to a net source of nitrogen. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 113(27), 7580–7583. LTERYYY. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1607287113
Sudduth, E. B., Perakis, S. S., & Bernhardt, E. S. (2013). Nitrate in watersheds: Straight from soils to streams? Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, 118(1), 291–302. https://doi.org/10.1002/jgrg.20030
Bernhardt, E. S., & McDowell, W. H. (2008). Twenty years apart:  Comparisons of DOM uptake during leaf leachate releases to Hubbard Brook Valley streams in 1979 versus 2000. J. Geophys. Res.-Biogeosciences, 113(G3), GO3032. https://doi.org/10.1029/2007JG000618
Warren, D. R., Bernhardt, E. S., Hall, R. O., & Likens, G. E. (2007). Forest age, wood and nutrient dynamics in headwater streams of the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 32, 1154–1163.
Fierer, N., Morse, J. L., Berthrong, S. T., Bernhardt, E. S., & Jackson, R. B. (2007). Environmental controls on the landscape-scale biogeography of stream bacterial communities. Ecology, 9, 2162–2173.
Bernhardt, E. S., Likens, G. E., Buso, D. C., Hall, R. O., Fisher, S. G., Burton, T. M., Meyer, J. L., McDowell, W. H., Mayer, M. S., Bowden, W. B., Findlay, S. E. G., & Macnea, K. H. (2005). Can’t see the forest for the stream? In-stream processing and terrestrial nitrogen exports. BioScience, 55(3), 219–230.
Likens, G. E., Buso, D. C., Dresser, B. K., Bernhardt, E. S., Hall, R. O., Macneale, K. H., & Bailey, S. W. (2004). Buffering an acidic stream in New Hampshire with a silicate mineral. Restoration Ecology, 12(3), 419–428.
Bernhardt, E. S., & Likens, G. E. (2004). Controls on periphyton biomass in heterotrophic streams. Freshwater Biology, 49(1), 14–27.
Houlton, B. Z., Driscoll, C. T., Fahey, T. J., Likens, G. E., Groffman, P. M., Bernhardt, E. S., & Buso, D. C. (2003). Nitrogen dynamics in ice storm-damaged forest ecosystems: Implications for nitrogen limitation theory. Ecosystems, 6(5), 431–443.
Bernhardt, E. S., Likens, G. E., Buso, D. C., & Driscoll, C. T. (2003). In-stream update dampens effects of major forest disturbance on watershed nitrogen export. Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences, 100(18), 10304–10308.
Hall, R. O., Bernhardt, E. S., & Likens, G. E. (2002). Relating nutrient uptake with transient storage in forested mountain streams. Limnol. Oceanogr., 47(1), 255–265.
Bernhardt, E. S., & Likens, G. E. (2002). Dissolved organic carbon enrichment alters nitrogen dynamics in a forest stream. Ecology, 83(6), 1689–1700.
Bernhardt, E. S., Hall, R. O., & Likens, G. E. (2002). Whole-system estimates of nitrification and nitrate uptake in streams of the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest. Ecosystems, 5(5), 419–430.
Bernhardt, E. S. (2002). Lessons from kinetic releases of ammonium in streams of the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest. Verh. Internat. Verein. Limnol., 28(1), 429–433.
Hall, R. O., Macneale, K. H., Bernhardt, E. S., Field, M., & Likens, G. E. (2001). Biogeochemical responses of two forest streams to a two-month calcium addition. Freshwater Biology, 46(3), 291–302.
Bernhardt, E. S. (2001). Nutrient demand and nitrogen processing in streams of the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest (HBR.01-75) [PhD Thesis]. Cornell University.
Macneale, K. H., Hall, R. O., Bernhardt, E. S., & Likens, G. E. (1998). Reduction in emergence of an acid tolerant stonefly in response to elevated pH and calcium. Bull. North Amer. Benthol. Soc., 15(1), 115.