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John Jackson, Ph.D.

500 500 Stroud Water Research Center
John Jackson, Ph.D.

Senior Research Scientist

  • Principal investigator, Entomology Group.
  • Adjunct professor of entomology and wildlife ecology, University of Delaware.
  • Adjunct professor of biology, University of Pennsylvania.

Contact

jkjackson@stroudcenter.org
tel. 610-268-2153, ext. 1226
970 Spencer Road, Avondale, PA 19311

Interests and Expertise

John Jackson’s research interests span a variety of applied and basic subjects, including population and evolutionary ecology of stream insects, the role of abiotic and biotic processes in determining the structure and function of stream assemblages, energy and nutrient exchange within streams and between streams and their surrounding watersheds, and benthic monitoring and water quality assessment. Specific projects that address these research interests include studies of growth and development of aquatic insects, the influence of dispersal, population dynamics, and environmental variation on genetic structure of stream organisms, the evolutionary and ecological significance of disturbance in aquatic insect ecology, spatial and temporal variation in the distribution and abundance of stream insects, and organic matter dynamics and secondary production. These studies have been located in temperate and/or tropical streams.

Education

  • Ph.D., entomology, University of California, Berkeley, California.
  • M.S., zoology, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona.
  • B.S., biology (Honors), University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana.

Professional Experience

  • Senior research scientist, Stroud Water Research Center, 2007–present.
  • Adjunct professor, biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 2001–present.
  • Adjunct Professor, entomology and wildlife ecology, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, 1992–present.
  • Associate research scientist, Stroud Water Research Center, 1999–2007.
  • Fulbright senior scholar at Institut für Zoologie und Limnologie, Universität Innsbruck, Austria, 1998.
  • Postdoctoral research associate, assistant curator, and associate curator, Division of Environmental Research, Stroud Water Research Center, The Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 1990–1999.

Publications

The good, the bad and the lethal: gene expression and metabolomics reveal physiological mechanisms underlying chronic thermal effects in mayfly larvae (Neocloeon triangulifer)

Chou, H., W. Pathmasiri, J. Deese-Spruill, S.J. Sumner, D. Jima, D. Funk, J. Jackson, B. Sweeney, and D. Buchwalter. 2018. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 6:27.

Why adult mayflies of Cloeon dipterum (Ephemeroptera:Baetidae) become smaller as temperature warms

Sweeney, B.W., D.H. Funk, A.A. Camp, D.B. Buchwalter, and J.K. Jackson. 2018. Freshwater Science 37(1):64–81.

Physiological responses to short-term thermal stress in mayfly (Neocloeon triangulifer) larvae in relation to upper thermal limits

Kim, K.S., H. Chou, D.H. FunkJ.K. JacksonB.W. Sweeney, and D.B. Buchwalter. 2017. Journal of Experimental Biology 220:2598–2605.

Detecting signatures of competition from observational data: a combined approach using DNA barcoding, diversity partitioning and checkerboards at small spatial scales

Bringloe, T., S. J. Adamowicz, V. F. I. Harvey, J. K. Jackson, K. Cottenie. 2016. Freshwater Biology 61:646–657.

Does DNA barcoding improve performance of traditional stream bioassessment metrics?

Stein, E.D., B.P. White, R.D. Mazor, J.K. Jackson, J.M. Battle, P.E. Miller, E.M. Pilgrim, and B.W. Sweeney. 2014. Freshwater Science 33(1):302–311.

See publications by all Stroud Center authors

Modeling Mayflies to Understand the Challenges of a Warming Planet

There are some questions too complicated for lab experiments to answer.

Stories From the Streams: Salty Streams

How salty is too salty? Road salt keeps travelers safe in winter but can pose a serious threat to nearby streams. Episode 5 in the “Stories from the Streams” series from WHYY TV12.

Former Intern Deirdre Flemming Is Farming Like a Scientist

“I feel like the farm is our living laboratory, and I look at farming like an entomologist. It’s an integrated system, and I’m never bored.”

A Digital Mayfly Swarm Is Emerging

Low-cost, open-source data collectors and a suite of collaborative online tools are making big leaps in the field of watershed monitoring.

Going to Extremes

The Stroud Center is engaged in research aimed at creating and testing new land-management practices to address issues raised by increased weather extremes.

An Introduction to Tropical Stream Research

Stroud Center scientists introduced six board members to Maritza Biological Station and the importance of our water research in the tropics.