russelL conti
How does urban development in Mountain West communities impact aquatic ecosystem across time and space
Over the past few decades unprecedented population growth in mountain communities has catalyzed environmental changes that manifest slowly and insidiously, particularly in stream ecosystems. These changes have motivated a need to assess patterns, sources, and early warning signs of N saturation before irreversible ecological alterations occur. My master’s research will evaluate how stream N dynamics have changed with development and chronic N loading in a historically pristine mountain landscape. I will focus on streams draining the West Fork of the Gallatin River (WFGR) which contains the unincorporated town of Big Sky, Montana. Since the 1970’s the land surrounding the Big Sky community has transitioned from a largely pristine mountain landscape into one of the fastest growing ski resort communities in the nation (i.e., 39% county population growth rate between 2010 and 2022). The current state of Big Sky’s water quality, and the large spatial variation in development across the WFGR watershed, create an ideal opportunity to synthesize and document chemical and ecological changes as these mountain streams transition toward nutrient saturation. My research will utilize and extend long-term data that includes both spatial and temporal variation in nitrogen concentrations, as well as changes in land use. In addition, I will quantify and evaluate the integration of anthropogenic N into stream food webs using stable isotope approaches. Contributing to and evaluating these datasets will allow me to provide new and much-needed information about the effects of rapid urbanization on nutrient dynamics in mountain communities.
Conti grew up in Rapid City, South Dakota, and is a member of the Oglala Lakota Sioux Tribe, he is also part Sicangu and Northern Cheyenne. Russell attended Montana State University and received his bachelor’s of science degree in the Environmental Sciences, focusing on soil and water. He is starting the second year of his master’s degree in the Ecology Department at Montana State University working in the Cross lab. Through his work, he is excited to expand on an understanding within his field of how human’s ever-growing presence on the landscape impacts our historically pristine environments. Through his work, Conti wants to protect water and nature so that others can continue enjoying pristine environments for generations to come.