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Ricardo D. Lopez, Ph.D.
Ecologist
E-Mail: lopez.ricardo@epa.gov
Phone (702)-798-2394, Fax (702)-798-2208
Education:
- Ph.D. (1999) Environmental Science - The Ohio State University
Dissertation Title: An Ecological Assessment of the Relationships Between Landscape Structure and Depressional-Wetland Ecosystem Status Along Environmental Gradients in Central Ohio
- M.S. (1997) Environmental Science - The Ohio State University
Thesis Title: Seasonal Allocation of Zinc, Copper, Nickel, Lead, and Cadmium in Cattails (Typha angustifolia) in a Restored Lacustrine Coastal Wetland
- B.S. (1994) Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution - University of California at San Diego
Research Interests:
- Determining the ecological relationships between landscape change,
ecosystem-level biological processes, and soil/water characteristics
- Quantifying ecological relationships at a landscape scale utilizing
remotely sensed data
- Developing new methodologies to detect ecological degradation at the landscape scale
- Determining the mechanisms of flux and persistence of exotic/opportunistic plants, particulary in wetlands.
- Utilizing geospatial analytical techniques to quantify wetland functional characteristics
Current Research Program:
-
Great Lakes Projects
(Principal Investigator)
- Mississippi River Basin & Missouri River Basin Projects (Principal Investigator)
- Gulf of Mexico - Coastal Projects (Principal Investigator)
Publications:
Lopez, R.D., Nash, M.S., Heggem, D.T., and D.W. Ebert. 2008. Watershed Vulnerability Predictions for the Ozarks using Landscape Metrics. Journal of Environmental Quality. 37:1769–1780.
Lopez, R.D., Nash, M.S., Heggem, D.T., and D.W. Ebert. 2008. Using Landscape Metrics as Indicators of Surface Water Nutrient Parameters in the Ozark Mountains, USA. Proceedings of the International Association of Theoretical and Applied Limnology (July, 2008). 30th Congress of the International Association of Theoretical and Applied Limnology (August 12-18, 2007, Montreal, Quebec, Canada). 30( 3): 349–356.
Lopez, R.D., Nash, M.S., Heggem, D.T., and D.W. Ebert. 2008. Resource Managers Benefit from EPA’s View of the Ozarks Landscape. EM Magazine. May Issue: 20-21.
Lopez, R.D., Nash, M.S., Heggem, D.T., Bice, L.A., Evanson, E.J., Woods, L., Van Remortel, R.D., Jackson, M.A., Ebert, D.W., and Harris, T. 2006. Water-Quality Vulnerability in the Ozarks using Landscape Ecology Metrics: Upper White River Browser (v2.0). EPA/600/C-06/017. United States Environmental Protection Agency. Washington, D.C, Digital Video Disk and Online at: http://www.epa.gov/nerlesd1/uwr_browser/pages/UWR_Browser.htm
Lopez, R.D., D.T. Heggem, D. Sutton, T. Ehli, R. Van Remortel, E. Evanson, and L.A. Bice. 2006. Using Landscape Metrics to Develop Indicators of Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Condition. EPA/600/X-06/002. The United States Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C. 31pp.
Lopez, R.D., L. Mata, E. Evanson, L.A. Bice, L.R. Tinney, T.D. Sajwaj, and D.R. Williams. 2006. An Inventory and Assessment of Geographically Isolated Wetlands in the Texas Coastal Region: Initial Mapping and Accuracy Assessment. EPA/600/X-06/018. The United States Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C. 100pp.
Lopez, R.D., D.T. Heggem, J.P. Schneider, R. Van Remortel, E. Evanson, L.A. Bice, D.W. Ebert, J.G. Lyon, and R.W. Maichle. 2005. The Great Lakes Basin Landscape Ecology Metric Browser (v2.0). EPA/600/C-05/011. The United States Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C. Compact Disk and Online at:
http://www.epa.gov/nerlesd1/land-sci/glb_browser/GLB_Landscape_Ecology_Metric_Browser.htm.
Nash, M.S., D. Chaloud, and R.D. Lopez. 2005. Application of Canonical Correlation Analysis and Partial Least Square Analyses in Landscape Ecology. The United States Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C. EPA/600/X-05/004. 82pp.
Lopez, R.D. 2004. (Book Review) Wetland Design: Principles and Practices for Landscape Architects and Land-Use Planners (Author: R.L. France). Landscape Ecology. 19(8):909-910.
Lopez, R.D., C.M. Edmonds, D.T. Heggem, A.C. Neale, K.B. Jones, E.T. Slonecker, E. Jaworski, D. Garofalo, and D. Williams. 2004. Accuracy Assessments of Airborne Hyperspectral Data for Mapping Opportunistic Plant Species in Freshwater Coastal Wetlands in (R.S. Lunetta and J.G. Lyon, eds.) Remote Sensing and GIS Accuracy Assessment. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL. 304pp.
Edmonds , C.M., R.D. Lopez, D.T. Heggem, D.W. Williams, and K.L. Short. 2003. 15-Meter Landsat Analyses of the Mississippi River - Map Series from Headwaters to the Gulf of Mexico. (EPA/600/R-03/084). The United States Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C. 22 x 40 in. maps with accompanying CD. Scale: 1 in. = 3 mi. 9pp.
Lopez, R.D., D.T. Heggem, C.M. Edmonds, K.B. Jones, L.A. Bice, M. Hamilton, E. Evanston, C.L. Cross, and D.W. Ebert. 2003. A Landscape Atlas of Ecological Vulnerability: Arkansas’ White River Watershed and the Mississippi Alluvial Valley Ecoregion. (EPA/600/R-03/057). The United States Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C. 302 pp.
Tallent-Halsell, N.G., R.D. Lopez, M.E. Hamilton, and L.A. Bice. 2003. Assessing Arid Riparian Landscapes Using Remote Sensing: The First Step. Proceedings of the Riparian Habitat and Floodplains Conference. Sacramento, CA. March 12-14. pp.123-133.
Lopez, R.D., C.B. Davis, and M.S. Fennessy. 2002. Ecological relationships between landscape change and plant guilds in depressional wetlands. Landscape Ecology. 17(1): 43-56.
Lopez, R.D. and M.S. Fennessy. 2002. Using the floristic quality assessment index (FQAI) in wetlands as a biological indicator of landscape condition along a gradient of human influence. Ecological Applications. 12(2): 487-497.
Fennessy, M.S., J. Mack, and R.D. Lopez. 1999. Developing indicators to evaluate wetland ecosystem condition using reference sites. Proceedings of the Society of Wetland Scientists. Norfolk, Virginia. June.
Fennessy, M.S., R. Geho, B. Elifritz, and R.D. Lopez. 1998. Testing the Floristic Quality Assessment Index as an Indicator of Riparian Wetland Disturbance. EPA/CD995927/01. State of Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Columbus, OH. 36 pp.
Fennessy, M.S., M.A. Gray, R.D. Lopez, and J. Mack. 1998. An Ecological Assessment of Wetlands Using Reference Sites (vol. 1 and vol. 2). EPA/CD995761/01. State of Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Columbus, OH. 153 pp.
Lectures and Symposia:
Lopez, R.D. and John Lin. 2007. Airborne Hyperspectral Identification of Invasive and Opportunistic Wetland Plant Species. SWS/ASPRS Workshop on Remote Sensing of Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands. Cleary University, Ann Arbor, MI. September 13-14.
Lopez, R.D. and John Lin. 2007. All That “Phrag”: Bringing Engineering, Wetland Ecology, Environmental Science, and Landscape Ecology to Bear on the Question of the Common Reed in Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands . International Association of Great Lakes Research Conference. State College, PA. May 28 - June 1.
Lopez, R.D., Nash, M.S., Heggem, D.T., and D.W. Ebert. 2007. Using Broad-Scale Metrics to Develop Indicators of Watershed Vulnerability in the Ozark Mountains ( USA) . 30th Congress of the International Association of Theoretical and Applied Limnology. Montreal, Quebec, Canada. August 12-18.
Lopez, R.D. 2006. Status of Water Quality Vulnerability in the Upper White River: Application of Landscape Ecology to Regional Water Quality Assessments and Monitoring. U.S. EPA Region 7 Lecture Series: Regional Administrator Briefing, Technical Workgroup Sessions, and Stakeholder Adjunct Session. Kansas City, KS and Springfield, MO. July 11-14.
(Session Co-Chair) Lopez, R.D. 2005. Using Landscape Tools to Assess Vulnerability: The Upper White River of Arkansas and Missouri. EPA Science Forum: Collaborative Science for Environmental Solutions. Washington, D.C. May 16-18.
Lopez, R.D. 2005. Integrating Leadership and Diversity with Science and Innovation. Cultural Policy Institute Leadership Workshop - Texas A&M University. College Station, TX. November 18.
Lopez, R.D. 2005. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Landscape Ecology Research: Assessing Trends for Wetlands and Surface Waters Using Remote Sensing, GIS, and Field-Based Techniques. U.S. EPA Hispanic Heritage Scientific Seminar Series. Las Vegas, NV. October 20.
Lopez, R.D., D.T. Heggem, and J.G. Lyon. 2005. Great Lakes Challenges: Great Lakes Geographic Analyses. Remote Sensing & Landscape Characterization Workshop ( U.S. EPA Region 5). Chicago, IL. November 1-3.
Lopez, R.D. 2005. Utilizing Water Quality Vulnerability Tools developed for the Ozarks. Watershed Management Group & U.S. EPA Region 7 Workshop. Branson, MO. September 26-28.
Lopez, R.D. 2005. Water Quality Vulnerability in the Ozarks: An Assessment of the Upper White River Watershed. Quad-States Poultry Dialogue. Joplin, MO. June 6-8.
Lopez, R.D. 2005. Developing Indicators of Water Quality in Region 7: White River Basin Results and the Future Applications to Large Tributaries of the Great Rivers. U.S. EPA Region 7 Lecture Series: Deputy Regional Administrator Briefing and Technical Workgroup Sessions. Kansas City, KS. June 5.
Lopez, R.D. and M.A. Kalkhan. 2005. Landscape Ecology Approaches for Detecting, Mapping, and Assessing the Vulnerability of Depressional Wetlands. Joint North American Benthological Society and American Geophysical Union Conference. New Orleans, LA. May 23-27.
Lopez, R.D., Heggem, D.T., and Lyon, J.G. 2004. Using Landscape Metrics to Evaluate Water Quality in the Great Lakes. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and International Joint Commission Workshop: The Future of Open Water Observation Technology for Great Lakes Research. Ann Arbor, MI. November 29-December 3.
Lopez, R.D., Heggem, D.T., Lyon, J.G., and Foley, G.J. 2004. Using Landscape Metrics as Indicators of Water Quality and Ecological Vulnerability in the Great Lakes Basin. Fifth International Meeting of the Group on Earth Observations. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. November 29-30.
Lopez, R.D. 2004. A Landscape Ecology Approach to Identifying Ecological Vulnerability in Geographically Isolated Wetlands. International Monitoring Science and Technology Symposium. Denver, CO. September 20-24.
(Session Chair) Lopez, R.D., D.T. Heggem, C.M. Edmonds, K.B. Jones, C. Cross, and D.W. Ebert. 2004. Use of Landscape Metrics to Prioritize Watersheds for Ecological Restoration in Arkansas’ White River Basin. 19th Annual Symposium of the United States Regional Association of the International Association for Landscape Ecology:Transdisciplinary Challenges in Landscape Ecology. Las Vegas, NV. March 30 - April 3.
Lopez, R.D. 2004. A Water Quality Vulnerability Assessment of the Upper White River. Quad-States Poultry Dialog. Fayetteville, AR. May 6.
Lopez, R.D., and C.M. Edmonds. 2003. Remote Sensing Techniques for Detecting Invasive & Opportunistic Plant Species in Great Lakes Wetlands. U.S. Geological Service Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center. La Crosse, Wisconsin. April 8.
Lopez, R.D., and D.T. Heggem. 2003. GIS Techniques for Measuring Ecological Vulnerability in the Lower Mississippi River Region. U.S. Geological Service Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center. La Crosse, Wisconsin. April 8.
(Session Co-Chair) Lopez, R.D., C.M. Edmonds, and J.G. Lyon. 2003. Hyperspectral remote sensing, GPS, and GIS applications in the monitoring of wetland-opportunistic plant species. International Meeting of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers. Las Vegas, NV. July 29-31.
(Session Co-Chair) Lopez, R.D., D.T. Heggem, C. M. Edmonds, K.B. Jones, L.A. Bice, M. Hamilton, E. Evanson, C.L. Cross, and D.W. Ebert. 2003. Broad-Scale Assessment of Wetland Vulnerability Using GIS and Landscape-Ecological Metrics. International Meeting of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers. Las Vegas, NV. July 29-31.
Lopez, R.D., and D.T. Heggem. 2002. GIS and remote sensing techniques for identifying restoration targets in watershed studies. Midwest Natural Resources Group Environmental Round Table: Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico – Restoring and Preserving our Regional Ecosystems. Madison, Wisconsin. November 13-14.
Nash, M.S. and R.D. Lopez. 2006. Partial Least Squares (PLS) Regression for Small Sample with Collinear Predictors in Landscape Ecology. 25th Annual National Conference on Managing Environmental Quality Systems: Technical Papers. Marriott Renaissance, April 24-27, Austin, TX. pp.8-12.
Kalkhan, M.A. and R.D. Lopez. 2005. Integration of Spatial Information and Spatial Statistics: Forecasting Wetlands Along the Texas Coastal Area. Oregon State University Conference: Statistics for Aquatic Resources - Monitoring, Modeling, and Management. Corvallis, OR. September 7-9.
Kalkhan, M.A. and R.D. Lopez. 2005. Forecasting Wetlands Along the Texas Coast: Integration of Spatial Information and Geospatial Statistics. Ecological Modeling for NASA Applied Sciences Workshop. Monterey, CA. March 30-April 1.
(Session Chair) R.D. Lopez 2003. Aquatic Systems II. International Association of Landscape Ecology Symposium. Banff, Alberta, Canada. April 2-6.
Lopez, R.D., C.B. Davis, and D. Bhardwaj. 2000. Post-construction seedbank change (1985-1997) in a restored coastal freshwater marsh ( Lake Erie, USA). Society of Ecological Restoration International Conference. Liverpool, United Kingdom. September 4-7.
Poster Presentations (International Conferences):
Lopez, R.D., Nash, M.S., Heggem, D.T., and Ebert, D.W. 2007. Using Landscape Ecology and Partial Least Squares Predictions to Map Watersheds that are Vulnerable to Non-Point Source Pollution. 2006 Sigma Xi Annual Meeting. Detroit, MI. November 2-5.
Lopez, R.D., Nash, M.S., Heggem, D.T., and Ebert, D.W. 2006. Using Landscape Ecology and Partial Least Squares Predictions to Map Watersheds that are Vulnerable to Non-Point Source Pollution. 2006 Sigma Xi Annual Meeting. Detroit, MI. November 2-5.
Lopez, R.D., Heggem, D.T., Szykman, J.J., Lyon, J.G., and Foley, G.J. 2004. Broad Scale Approaches for Developing Indicators of Air and Water Quality in the Great Lakes Basin. Fifth International Meeting of the Group on Earth Observations. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. November 29-30.
Lopez, R.D. 2004. Using Landscape Metrics to Develop Indicators of Ecological Conditions in Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands. International State of the Lakes Ecosystem Conference. Toronto, Ontario, Canada. October 6-8.
Lopez, R.D., D.T. Heggem, C.M. Edmonds, K.B. Jones, L.A. Bice, M. Hamilton, E. Evanson, C. Cross, and D.W. Ebert. 2004. Utilizing Remotely Sensed Land Cover to Determine Habitat Vulnerability in Wetlands. International Meeting of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. August 1-4.
(Session Co-Chair) 2004. Human Influences on Landscape and Hydrological Processes . 19th Annual Symposium of the United States Regional Association of the International Association for Landscape Ecology:Transdisciplinary Challenges in Landscape Ecology. Las Vegas, NV. March 30 - April 3.
Lopez, R.D., D.T. Heggem, and J.G. Lyon. 2003. GIS Application of Landscape Metrics to Identify Wetland Restoration Targets in Arkansas’ White River Basin. International Meeting of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers. Las Vegas, NV. July 29-31.
Lopez, R.D., C.M. Edmonds, A.C. Neale, K.B. Jones, D.T. Heggem, J.G. Lyon, D. Garofalo, E. Jaworski, M. Capodivacca, and E.T. Slonecker. 2003. Landscape-scale monitoring of an opportunist: Phragmites australis in Great Lakes coastal wetlands. International Association of Landscape Ecology Symposium. Banff, Alberta, Canada. April 2-6.
(Session Co-Chair), Lopez, R.D., C.M. Edmonds, A.C. Neale, T. Slonecker, K.B. Jones, D.T. Heggem, J.G. Lyon, E. Jaworski, D. Garofalo, D. Williams. 2001. An ecological assessment of opportunistic plant species in Great Lakes coastal wetlands using airborne hyperspectral data. ASPRS/USEPA Remote Sensing and GIS Accuracy Assessment Symposium. Las Vegas, NV. December 12-14.
Edmonds, C.M, A.C. Neale, R.D. Lopez, D.T. Heggem, B. Guindon, D.W. Ebert, J.G. Lyon, D. Chaloud, B. Bolka, M. Geist, and D. Bolgrien. 2000. An Ecological Assessment of Vegetation Change (1970’s – 1990s) in the Laurentian Great Lakes Basin. State of the Lake Ecosystem Conference. Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. September 27.
Poster Presentations (National Conferences):
Lopez, R.D. and Heggem, D.T. Satellite Imagery Analyses of the Mississippi River: A Map Series from Headwaters to the Gulf of Mexico. EPA Science Forum 2004: Healthy Communities and Ecosystems. Washington, D.C. June 1-3.
Lopez, R.D., C.M. Edmonds, A.C. Neale, K.B. Jones, D.T. Heggem, J.G. Lyon, D. Garofalo, E. Jaworski, M. Capodivacca, and E.T. Slonecker. 2003. Remote Detection of Invasive and Opportunistic Plant Species in Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands. EPA Science Forum 2003: Partnering to Protect Human Health and the Environment. Washington, D.C. May 5-7.
Edmonds , C.M., B. Guindon, D.T. Heggem, A.C. Neale, R.D. Lopez, Y. Zhang, and K.B. Jones. 2003. A Landscape Ecology Analysis of the Great Lakes Basin. EPA Science Forum 2003: Partnering to Protect Human Health and the Environment. Washington, D.C. May 5-7.
Edmonds , C.M, A.C. Neale, R.D. Lopez, and D.T. Heggem. 2002. Agriculture to Forest to Urban Change in the Washington D.C. Area 1970s to 1990. EPA Science Forum 2002: Meeting the Challenges. Washington, D.C. May 1-2.
Lopez, R.D., C.M. Edmonds, A.C. Neale, E.T. Slonecker, K.B. Jones, D.T. Heggem, J.G. Lyon, E. Jaworski, D. Garofalo, and D. Williams. 2002. Initial Results from and Ecological Assessment of Invasive and Aggressive Plant Species in Coastal Wetlands of the Laurentian Great Lakes: A Combined Field-Based and Remote-Sensing Approach. EMAP Symposium 2002: The Condition of Our Nation’s Streams and Rivers from the Mountains to the Coasts. Kansas City, MO. May 7-9.
Active Professional Memberships:
- The Society of Wetland Scientists – Lifetime Member
- Sigma Xi ( The International Honor Society of Science and Engineering)
- The Society for Conservation Biology
- Gamma Sigma Delta (The Honor Society of Agriculture)