We are saddened to acknowledge the passing of colleague and mentor, G. Wayne Minshall, Ph.D. Throughout his 37-year career at Idaho State University, he became an internationally known expert in the fields of ecology of flowing waters and fire ecology. Minshall (“Doc” to his students, “Wayne” to other colleagues) was an important contributor and co-author to the River Continuum Concept, a landmark paper in the field of stream ecology published in 1980 and led by Stroud Water Research Center’s first director, Robin Vannote, Ph.D.
Vannote presented the hypotheses behind the paper to Minshall and collaborators at a two-day conference at the Stroud Center in the early 1970s. That conference inspired a number of studies to test and validate the concept’s hypotheses, during which Minshall and Vannote developed a long and close friendship. Stroud Center scientist Thomas Bott, Ph.D., also played a central role in those studies. Minshall’s connection continued as he and Stroud Center scientist J. Denis Newbold, Ph.D., developed a second phase of collaborative work. During a sabbatical, Minshall and his family resided in Pennsylvania, near the Stroud Center, to further collaborate on work.
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- Robin Vannote presented the hypotheses behind the River Continuum Concept at a conference at the Stroud Center in the early 1970s. Conference participants pictured left to right: Vannote; C.D. McIntire and Jim Hall, Oregon State University; Richard Larson, Stroud Center; Frank Triska, Oregon State; Michael Klug and Kenneth Cummins, Michigan State University; James Sedell, Oregon State; and Wayne Minshall, Idaho State University.
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- Conference participants in the Ruth Patrick Library at the Stroud Center (left to right): Kenneth Cummins, Michigan State; James Sedell and Frank Triska, Oregon State; Richard Larson, Stroud Center; Wayne Minshall, Idaho State; Thomas Bott, Stroud Center; and Michael Klug, Michigan State.
Minshall authored more than 120 peer-reviewed journal articles and 130 technical reports. He was an Idaho State University distinguished researcher and was selected as an American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow for his distinguished contributions to the field of stream ecology. He was recognized in 1994 by the North American Benthological Society (now the Society for Freshwater Science) with their Award of Excellence for his outstanding contributions to freshwater science. A reflection of his accomplishments and contributions can be found in the Idaho State Journal.
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- Minshall and his wife Judy had a hobby farm and taught a practical homesteading class at ISU.
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- Minshall taking a soil core near Spring Creek in Chester County, Pennsylvania, around 1978.
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- Minshall (foreground) working on the Stroud Center’s streamside flumes in 1995.
Robin Vannote and Wayne Minshall on the Salmon River in 1976.
