Travis S Schmidt, Ph.D.
Travis Schmidt is a Research Ecologist for the Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center.
Travis' aims are to better understand how ecosystems respond to natural and human cause disturbances. He researches the effects of metals, pesticides, and other contaminants on aquatic and riparian ecological communities.
Professional Experience
2020 to present, Research Ecologist, Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center, Helena, MT
2009-2020, Research Ecologist, Colorado Water Science Center, Fort Collins, CO
2007-2009, Mendenhall Fellow, Central Mineral and Environmental Science Center, Denver, CO
2003-2007, USDA Fellow, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
2001-2003, Ecotoxicologist, ELM Consulting, Chicago, IL
1999-2001, Research Assistant, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
1998-1999, Research Assistant, Aquatic Ecology Lab, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
1998-1999, Department of Biology, Notre Dame University, South Bend, IN
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. Ecotoxicology, Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, 2007
M.S. Aquatic Toxicology, Biology Department, Virginia Tech, 2001
B.S. Ecology, Biology Department, The Pennsylvania State University, 1998
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 20
No Result Found
Filter Total Items: 62
Zinc isotope and transition-element dynamics accompanying hydrozincite biomineralization in the Rio Naracauli, Sardinia, Italy
The Rio Naracauli in SW Sardinia drains part of the Ingurtosu Zn–Pb mining district, and contains extreme concentrations of dissolved Zn at near-neutral pH. In the upper reaches of the stream, pH, alkalinity and Zn concentrations are such that hydrozincite [Zn5(CO3)2(OH)6] precipitates in a biologically mediated process facilitated by a microalga (Chlorella sp.) and a cyanobacterium...
Authors
Richard B. Wanty, Francesca Podda, Giovanni De Giudici, Rosa Cidu, Pierfranco Lattanzi
Characterizing invertebrate traits in wadeable streams of the contiguous US: differences among ecoregions and land uses
Much is known about invertebrate community traits in basins across Europe, but no comprehensive description of traits exists for the continental US. Little is known about the trait composition of invertebrates in reference or least-disturbed basins of the US, how trait composition varies among ecoregions, or how consistently traits respond to land use. These elements are essential to...
Authors
Robert E. Zuellig, Travis Schmidt
Geospatial database for regional environmental assessment of central Colorado.
In conjunction with the future planning needs of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, the U.S. Geological Survey conducted a detailed environmental assessment of the effects of historical mining on Forest Service lands in central Colorado. Stream sediment, macroinvertebrate, and various filtered and unfiltered water quality samples were collected during low-flow over a...
Authors
Stanley E. Church, Carma A. San Juan, David L. Fey, Travis Schmidt, Terry L. Klein, Ed Dewitt, Richard B. Wanty, Philip L. Verplanck, Katharine A. Mitchell, Monique Adams, LaDonna M. Choate, Todor I. Todorov, Barnaby W. Rockwell, Luke McEachron, Michael W. Anthony
Estimating risks to aquatic life using quantile regression
One of the primary goals of biological assessment is to assess whether contaminants or other stressors limit the ecological potential of running waters. It is important to interpret responses to contaminants relative to other environmental factors, but necessity or convenience limit quantification of all factors that influence ecological potential. In these situations, the concept of...
Authors
Travis Schmidt, William H. Clements, Brian S. Cade
Geologic processes influence the effects of mining on aquatic ecosystems
Geologic processes strongly influence water and sediment quality in aquatic ecosystems but rarely are geologic principles incorporated into routine biomonitoring studies. We test if elevated concentrations of metals in water and sediment are restricted to streams downstream of mines or areas that may discharge mine wastes. We surveyed 198 catchments classified as “historically mined” or...
Authors
Travis Schmidt, William H. Clements, Richard B. Wanty, Philip L. Verplanck, Stanley E. Church, Carma A. San Juan, David L. Fey, Barnaby W. Rockwell, Ed Dewitt, Terry L. Klein
Biologically-mediated flux of trace metals from streams to riparian spiders: a large scale survey in mineralized alpine ecosystems
No abstract available.
Authors
J.M. Kraus, Richard B. Wanty, T.S. Schmidt, D.M. Walters, C. A. Stricker
Critical tissue residue approach linking accumulated metals in aquatic insects to population and community-level effects
Whole body Zn concentrations in individuals (n = 825) from three aquatic insect taxa (mayflies Rhithrogena spp. and Drunella spp. and the caddisfly Arctopsyche grandis) were used to predict effects on populations and communities (n = 149 samples). Both mayflies accumulated significantly more Zn than the caddisfly. The presence/absence of Drunella spp. most reliably distinguished sites...
Authors
Travis Schmidt, William H. Clements, Robert E. Zuellig, Katharine A. Mitchell, Stanley E. Church, Richard B. Wanty, Carma A. San Juan, Monique Adams, Paul J. Lamothe
Contaminants limit ecosystem potential, not average potential of ecosystems
No abstract available.
Authors
Travis Schmidt, W.H. Clements, Brian S. Cade
Transfer of trace metals from streams to terrestrial food webs by emerging aquatic insects in mineralized alpine ecosystems
No abstract available.
Authors
Johanna M. Kraus, Richard B. Wanty, Travis Schmidt, David C Walters, Craig A. Stricker
Identifying limits on stream insect density exposed to metals in the presence of co-limiting factors
No abstract available.
Authors
Travis Schmidt, W.H. Clements, Brian S. Cade
Are invertebrate traits influenced by natural gradients? Implications for trait based biomonitoring at national and regional-scales
No abstract available.
Authors
Travis Schmidt, Robert E. Zuellig
Evaluation of the extent of contamination caused by historical mining in catchments of central Colorado
The U.S. Geological Survey conducted an assessment of stream water and sediment quality in central Colorado, an area of about 54,000 km2. The study area is focused on small tributary catchments in the Rocky Mountains. The Colorado Mineral belt, a northeast-trending mineralized zone that experienced base- and precious-metal mining at the beginning of the late 1800s and early 1900s, cuts...
Authors
Stanley E. Church, David L. Fey, Richard B. Wanty, Travis Schmidt, T. L. Klein, Barnaby W. Rockwell, Carma A. San Juan
Non-USGS Publications**
Stahl, Ralph G., Kapustka, Lawrence A., Munns, Wayne R., and Bruins, Randall J. F. 2007. Organizing and Integrating the Valuation Process. pp.129–163. DOI: 10.1201/9781420062632.ch6
Church, S.E., R.B. Wanty, T.S. Schmidt, D.L. Fey, B.W. Rockwell, and C.A. San Juan. 2008. Environmental Assessment of Central Colorado-Effects of hydrothermal alteration on water and sediment quality. [abs.]. In: Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, November 16-20, 2008, Tampa, Florida, USA. Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. p. 1.
Church, S.E., D.L. Fey, T.L. Klein, T.S. Schmidt, R.B. Wanty, E.H. DeWitt, B.W. Rockwell, and C.A. San Juan. 2008. Environmental effects of hydrothermal alteration and historical mining on water and sediment quality in central Colorado. [pages in] In: The Third Interagency Conference on Research in Watersheds, September 8-11, 2008, Estes Park, Colorado, USA. p. 1.
Van Metre. (2022). Sediment Sources and Sealed-Pavement Area Drive Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon and Metal Occurrence in Urban Streams. Environmental Science & Technology., 56(3), 1615–1626. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.1c00414
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 20
No Result Found
Filter Total Items: 62
Zinc isotope and transition-element dynamics accompanying hydrozincite biomineralization in the Rio Naracauli, Sardinia, Italy
The Rio Naracauli in SW Sardinia drains part of the Ingurtosu Zn–Pb mining district, and contains extreme concentrations of dissolved Zn at near-neutral pH. In the upper reaches of the stream, pH, alkalinity and Zn concentrations are such that hydrozincite [Zn5(CO3)2(OH)6] precipitates in a biologically mediated process facilitated by a microalga (Chlorella sp.) and a cyanobacterium...
Authors
Richard B. Wanty, Francesca Podda, Giovanni De Giudici, Rosa Cidu, Pierfranco Lattanzi
Characterizing invertebrate traits in wadeable streams of the contiguous US: differences among ecoregions and land uses
Much is known about invertebrate community traits in basins across Europe, but no comprehensive description of traits exists for the continental US. Little is known about the trait composition of invertebrates in reference or least-disturbed basins of the US, how trait composition varies among ecoregions, or how consistently traits respond to land use. These elements are essential to...
Authors
Robert E. Zuellig, Travis Schmidt
Geospatial database for regional environmental assessment of central Colorado.
In conjunction with the future planning needs of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, the U.S. Geological Survey conducted a detailed environmental assessment of the effects of historical mining on Forest Service lands in central Colorado. Stream sediment, macroinvertebrate, and various filtered and unfiltered water quality samples were collected during low-flow over a...
Authors
Stanley E. Church, Carma A. San Juan, David L. Fey, Travis Schmidt, Terry L. Klein, Ed Dewitt, Richard B. Wanty, Philip L. Verplanck, Katharine A. Mitchell, Monique Adams, LaDonna M. Choate, Todor I. Todorov, Barnaby W. Rockwell, Luke McEachron, Michael W. Anthony
Estimating risks to aquatic life using quantile regression
One of the primary goals of biological assessment is to assess whether contaminants or other stressors limit the ecological potential of running waters. It is important to interpret responses to contaminants relative to other environmental factors, but necessity or convenience limit quantification of all factors that influence ecological potential. In these situations, the concept of...
Authors
Travis Schmidt, William H. Clements, Brian S. Cade
Geologic processes influence the effects of mining on aquatic ecosystems
Geologic processes strongly influence water and sediment quality in aquatic ecosystems but rarely are geologic principles incorporated into routine biomonitoring studies. We test if elevated concentrations of metals in water and sediment are restricted to streams downstream of mines or areas that may discharge mine wastes. We surveyed 198 catchments classified as “historically mined” or...
Authors
Travis Schmidt, William H. Clements, Richard B. Wanty, Philip L. Verplanck, Stanley E. Church, Carma A. San Juan, David L. Fey, Barnaby W. Rockwell, Ed Dewitt, Terry L. Klein
Biologically-mediated flux of trace metals from streams to riparian spiders: a large scale survey in mineralized alpine ecosystems
No abstract available.
Authors
J.M. Kraus, Richard B. Wanty, T.S. Schmidt, D.M. Walters, C. A. Stricker
Critical tissue residue approach linking accumulated metals in aquatic insects to population and community-level effects
Whole body Zn concentrations in individuals (n = 825) from three aquatic insect taxa (mayflies Rhithrogena spp. and Drunella spp. and the caddisfly Arctopsyche grandis) were used to predict effects on populations and communities (n = 149 samples). Both mayflies accumulated significantly more Zn than the caddisfly. The presence/absence of Drunella spp. most reliably distinguished sites...
Authors
Travis Schmidt, William H. Clements, Robert E. Zuellig, Katharine A. Mitchell, Stanley E. Church, Richard B. Wanty, Carma A. San Juan, Monique Adams, Paul J. Lamothe
Contaminants limit ecosystem potential, not average potential of ecosystems
No abstract available.
Authors
Travis Schmidt, W.H. Clements, Brian S. Cade
Transfer of trace metals from streams to terrestrial food webs by emerging aquatic insects in mineralized alpine ecosystems
No abstract available.
Authors
Johanna M. Kraus, Richard B. Wanty, Travis Schmidt, David C Walters, Craig A. Stricker
Identifying limits on stream insect density exposed to metals in the presence of co-limiting factors
No abstract available.
Authors
Travis Schmidt, W.H. Clements, Brian S. Cade
Are invertebrate traits influenced by natural gradients? Implications for trait based biomonitoring at national and regional-scales
No abstract available.
Authors
Travis Schmidt, Robert E. Zuellig
Evaluation of the extent of contamination caused by historical mining in catchments of central Colorado
The U.S. Geological Survey conducted an assessment of stream water and sediment quality in central Colorado, an area of about 54,000 km2. The study area is focused on small tributary catchments in the Rocky Mountains. The Colorado Mineral belt, a northeast-trending mineralized zone that experienced base- and precious-metal mining at the beginning of the late 1800s and early 1900s, cuts...
Authors
Stanley E. Church, David L. Fey, Richard B. Wanty, Travis Schmidt, T. L. Klein, Barnaby W. Rockwell, Carma A. San Juan
Non-USGS Publications**
Stahl, Ralph G., Kapustka, Lawrence A., Munns, Wayne R., and Bruins, Randall J. F. 2007. Organizing and Integrating the Valuation Process. pp.129–163. DOI: 10.1201/9781420062632.ch6
Church, S.E., R.B. Wanty, T.S. Schmidt, D.L. Fey, B.W. Rockwell, and C.A. San Juan. 2008. Environmental Assessment of Central Colorado-Effects of hydrothermal alteration on water and sediment quality. [abs.]. In: Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, November 16-20, 2008, Tampa, Florida, USA. Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. p. 1.
Church, S.E., D.L. Fey, T.L. Klein, T.S. Schmidt, R.B. Wanty, E.H. DeWitt, B.W. Rockwell, and C.A. San Juan. 2008. Environmental effects of hydrothermal alteration and historical mining on water and sediment quality in central Colorado. [pages in] In: The Third Interagency Conference on Research in Watersheds, September 8-11, 2008, Estes Park, Colorado, USA. p. 1.
Van Metre. (2022). Sediment Sources and Sealed-Pavement Area Drive Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon and Metal Occurrence in Urban Streams. Environmental Science & Technology., 56(3), 1615–1626. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.1c00414
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.