World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!

D-Index & Metrics

Ecology and Evolution

D-Index
81
Citations
23361
World Ranking
795
National Ranking
289

Robert G. Wetzel publication distribution in Ecology and Evolution in 2026

The chart shows the distribution of publications by all Research.com ranked scientists in the field of Ecology and Evolution in 2026. The highlighted bar marks where Robert G. Wetzel sits on this spectrum.

37–41 publications: 2 scientists 42–46 publications: 9 scientists 47–51 publications: 10 scientists 52–56 publications: 31 scientists 57–61 publications: 56 scientists 62–66 publications: 91 scientists 67–71 publications: 92 scientists 72–76 publications: 127 scientists 77–81 publications: 173 scientists 82–86 publications: 236 scientists 87–91 publications: 227 scientists 92–96 publications: 240 scientists 97–101 publications: 333 scientists 102–106 publications: 280 scientists 107–111 publications: 300 scientists 112–116 publications: 285 scientists 117–121 publications: 305 scientists 122–126 publications: 287 scientists 127–131 publications: 278 scientists 132–136 publications: 289 scientists 137–141 publications: 273 scientists 142–146 publications: 262 scientists 147–151 publications: 246 scientists 152–156 publications: 235 scientists 157–161 publications: 205 scientists 162–166 publications: 199 scientists 167–171 publications: 174 scientists 172–176 publications: 164 scientists 177–181 publications: 173 scientists 182–186 publications: 189 scientists 187–191 publications: 170 scientists 192–196 publications: 139 scientists 197–201 publications: 128 scientists 202–206 publications: 117 scientists 207–211 publications: 115 scientists 212–216 publications: 107 scientists 217–221 publications: 124 scientists 222–226 publications: 81 scientists 227–231 publications: 82 scientists 232–236 publications: 85 scientists 237–241 publications: 75 scientists 242–246 publications: 66 scientists 247–251 publications: 81 scientists 252–256 publications: 69 scientists 257–261 publications: 70 scientists 262–266 publications: 55 scientists 267–271 publications: 64 scientists 272–276 publications: 49 scientists 277–281 publications: 48 scientists 282–286 publications: 44 scientists 287–291 publications: 45 scientists 292–296 publications: 36 scientists 297–301 publications: 39 scientists 302–306 publications: 38 scientists 307–311 publications: 30 scientists 312–316 publications: 34 scientists 317–321 publications: 25 scientists 322–326 publications: 22 scientists 327–331 publications: 28 scientists 332–336 publications: 30 scientists 337–341 publications: 22 scientists 342–346 publications: 30 scientists 347–351 publications: 26 scientists 352–356 publications: 22 scientists 357–361 publications: 29 scientists 362–366 publications: 21 scientists 367–371 publications: 12 scientists 372–376 publications: 18 scientists 377–381 publications: 17 scientists 382–386 publications: 13 scientists 387–391 publications: 21 scientists 392–396 publications: 13 scientists 397–401 publications: 10 scientists 402–406 publications: 15 scientists 407–411 publications: 8 scientists 412–416 publications: 9 scientists 417–421 publications: 8 scientists 422–426 publications: 4 scientists 427–431 publications: 10 scientists 432–436 publications: 10 scientists 437–441 publications: 5 scientists 442–446 publications: 4 scientists 447–451 publications: 10 scientists 452–456 publications: 2 scientists 457–461 publications: 4 scientists 462–466 publications: 7 scientists 467–471 publications: 7 scientists 472–476 publications: 6 scientists 477–481 publications: 6 scientists 482–486 publications: 3 scientists 487–491 publications: 3 scientists 492–496 publications: 4 scientists 497–501 publications: 4 scientists 502–506 publications: 8 scientists 507–511 publications: 5 scientists 512–516 publications: 4 scientists 517–521 publications: 5 scientists 522–526 publications: 4 scientists 527–530 publications: 5 scientists 531+ publications: 100 scientists
37 publications 531+

This scientist: 325 publications — 93rd percentile

93% of scientists in this discipline score the same or lower.

The last bar groups every scientist with 531 publications or more.

Robert G. Wetzel D-index placement in Ecology and Evolution in 2026

The chart shows the D-index (discipline H-index) distribution of Ecology and Evolution scientists ranked by Research.com in 2026. The highlighted bar marks where Robert G. Wetzel sits on this spectrum.

30 D-Index: 95 scientists 31 D-Index: 123 scientists 32 D-Index: 191 scientists 33 D-Index: 245 scientists 34 D-Index: 252 scientists 35 D-Index: 244 scientists 36 D-Index: 249 scientists 37 D-Index: 244 scientists 38 D-Index: 254 scientists 39 D-Index: 254 scientists 40 D-Index: 280 scientists 41 D-Index: 274 scientists 42 D-Index: 266 scientists 43 D-Index: 233 scientists 44 D-Index: 248 scientists 45 D-Index: 208 scientists 46 D-Index: 201 scientists 47 D-Index: 213 scientists 48 D-Index: 207 scientists 49 D-Index: 172 scientists 50 D-Index: 209 scientists 51 D-Index: 199 scientists 52 D-Index: 153 scientists 53 D-Index: 169 scientists 54 D-Index: 163 scientists 55 D-Index: 148 scientists 56 D-Index: 120 scientists 57 D-Index: 146 scientists 58 D-Index: 137 scientists 59 D-Index: 140 scientists 60 D-Index: 104 scientists 61 D-Index: 119 scientists 62 D-Index: 118 scientists 63 D-Index: 99 scientists 64 D-Index: 77 scientists 65 D-Index: 100 scientists 66 D-Index: 86 scientists 67 D-Index: 83 scientists 68 D-Index: 75 scientists 69 D-Index: 94 scientists 70 D-Index: 57 scientists 71 D-Index: 68 scientists 72 D-Index: 59 scientists 73 D-Index: 63 scientists 74 D-Index: 66 scientists 75 D-Index: 60 scientists 76 D-Index: 42 scientists 77 D-Index: 49 scientists 78 D-Index: 39 scientists 79 D-Index: 37 scientists 80 D-Index: 43 scientists 81 D-Index: 41 scientists 82 D-Index: 45 scientists 83 D-Index: 34 scientists 84 D-Index: 40 scientists 85 D-Index: 35 scientists 86 D-Index: 55 scientists 87 D-Index: 24 scientists 88 D-Index: 24 scientists 89 D-Index: 30 scientists 90 D-Index: 23 scientists 91 D-Index: 25 scientists 92 D-Index: 27 scientists 93 D-Index: 27 scientists 94 D-Index: 13 scientists 95 D-Index: 23 scientists 96 D-Index: 12 scientists 97 D-Index: 14 scientists 98 D-Index: 19 scientists 99 D-Index: 16 scientists 100 D-Index: 14 scientists 101 D-Index: 5 scientists 102 D-Index: 21 scientists 103 D-Index: 16 scientists 104 D-Index: 10 scientists 105 D-Index: 7 scientists 106 D-Index: 7 scientists 107 D-Index: 7 scientists 108 D-Index: 6 scientists 109 D-Index: 9 scientists 110 D-Index: 11 scientists 111 D-Index: 12 scientists 112 D-Index: 9 scientists 113 D-Index: 7 scientists 114 D-Index: 3 scientists 115 D-Index: 8 scientists 116 D-Index: 5 scientists 117 D-Index: 11 scientists 118 D-Index: 4 scientists 119 D-Index: 2 scientists 120 D-Index: 5 scientists 121+ D-Index: 100 scientists
30 D-Index 121+

This scientist: 81 D-Index — 91st percentile

91% of scientists in this discipline score the same or lower.

The last bar groups every scientist with 121 D-Index or more.

Research.com Recognitions

  • 1965 - Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

Overview

What is he best known for?

The fields of study he is best known for:

  • Ecology
  • Ecosystem
  • Botany

His main research concerns Ecology, Environmental chemistry, Dissolved organic carbon, Organic matter and Ecosystem. Aquatic ecosystem, Nutrient, Plankton, Freshwater ecosystem and Pelagic zone are among the areas of Ecology where the researcher is concentrating his efforts. Robert G. Wetzel studied Environmental chemistry and Phytoplankton that intersect with Botany.

Robert G. Wetzel has researched Organic matter in several fields, including Macrophyte, Total organic carbon, Microbial population biology, Decomposer and Litter. His study in Ecosystem is interdisciplinary in nature, drawing from both Competition, Plant community and Agronomy, Growing season. Within one scientific family, Robert G. Wetzel focuses on topics pertaining to Limnology under Benthic zone, and may sometimes address concerns connected to Productivity.

His most cited work include:

  • Limnology: Lake and River Ecosystems (3855 citations)
  • Natural photolysis by ultraviolet irradiance of recalcitrant dissolved organic matter to simple substrates for rapidbacterial metabolism (491 citations)
  • Gradient-dominated ecosystems: sources and regulatory functions of dissolved organic matter in freshwater ecosystems (425 citations)

What are the main themes of his work throughout his whole career to date?

His main research concerns Ecology, Environmental chemistry, Botany, Dissolved organic carbon and Wetland. His Ecology research focuses on Ecosystem, Aquatic ecosystem, Macrophyte, Nutrient and Phytoplankton. His Aquatic ecosystem research includes elements of Trophic level, Limnology and Zooplankton.

His Environmental chemistry study deals with Organic matter intersecting with Littoral zone and Freshwater ecosystem. His Botany research is multidisciplinary, incorporating perspectives in Biomass, Productivity and Plant litter. Robert G. Wetzel has included themes like Decomposition, Bacterial growth, Water column, Leachate and Photochemistry in his Dissolved organic carbon study.

He most often published in these fields:

  • Ecology (37.93%)
  • Environmental chemistry (21.26%)
  • Botany (18.97%)

What were the highlights of his more recent work (between 2000-2014)?

  • Dissolved organic carbon (17.24%)
  • Environmental chemistry (21.26%)
  • Ecology (37.93%)

In recent papers he was focusing on the following fields of study:

The scientist’s investigation covers issues in Dissolved organic carbon, Environmental chemistry, Ecology, Botany and Ecosystem. His studies in Dissolved organic carbon integrate themes in fields like Decomposition, Total organic carbon, Colored dissolved organic matter, Photochemistry and Carbon. The various areas that he examines in his Environmental chemistry study include Organic matter, Periphyton, Mineralization and Nitrogen.

His research on Ecology often connects related topics like Protease. His Botany research is multidisciplinary, incorporating elements of Productivity, Nutrient cycle, Biomass and Plant litter. Robert G. Wetzel works mostly in the field of Productivity, limiting it down to topics relating to Microbial ecology and, in certain cases, Biofilm, as a part of the same area of interest.

Between 2000 and 2014, his most popular works were:

  • Photochemical and microbial decomposition of chromophoric dissolved organic matter during long (months–years) exposures (148 citations)
  • Kinetics of microbial Fe(III) oxide reduction in freshwater wetland sediments (131 citations)
  • 19 – Dissolved Organic Carbon: Detrital Energetics, Metabolic Regulators, and Drivers of Ecosystem Stability of Aquatic Ecosystems1 (116 citations)

In his most recent research, the most cited papers focused on:

  • Ecology
  • Ecosystem
  • Botany

Robert G. Wetzel mostly deals with Dissolved organic carbon, Organic matter, Biochemistry, Total organic carbon and Environmental chemistry. His Dissolved organic carbon study integrates concerns from other disciplines, such as Photochemistry and Plankton. His Biochemistry study incorporates themes from Profundal zone and Nuclear chemistry.

He interconnects Amorphous solid, Slurry and Oxide in the investigation of issues within Total organic carbon. His research in Environmental chemistry intersects with topics in Marine ecosystem and Primary producers. His work deals with themes such as Trophic level, Ecology and Aquatic ecosystem, which intersect with Botany.

Best Publications

  • Natural photolysis by ultraviolet irradiance of recalcitrant dissolved organic matter to simple substrates for rapidbacterial metabolism

    Robert G. Wetzel;Patrick G. Hatcher;Thomas S. Bianchi

  • Gradient-dominated ecosystems: sources and regulatory functions of dissolved organic matter in freshwater ecosystems

    Robert G. Wetzel

  • Land-water interfaces: Metabolic and limnological regulators

    Unknown

  • Death, detritus, and energy flow in aquatic ecosystems

    Robert G. Wetzel

  • Organic carbon oxidation and suppression of methane production by microbial Fe(III) oxide reduction in vegetated and unvegetated freshwater wetland sediments

    Eric E. Roden;Robert G. Wetzel

  • Uptake of dissolved inorganic and organic bphosphorus compounds by phytoplankton and bacterioplankton

    James B. Cotner;Robert G. Wetzel

  • Habitat Partitioning and Competitive Displacement in Cattails (Typha): Experimental Field Studies

    James B. Grace;Robert G. Wetzel

  • COPRECIPITATION OF PHOSPHATE WITH CARBONATES IN A MARL LAKE

    Akira Otsuki;Robert G. Wetzel

  • Effects of Climate Change on Freshwater Ecosystems of the South-Eastern United States and the Gulf Coast of Mexico

    Patrick J. Mulholland;G. Ronnie Best;Charles C. Coutant;George M. Hornberger

  • Phosphorus flux from lake sediments: Effect of epipelic algal oxygen production

    Richard G. Carlton;Robert G. Wetzel

  • A Comparative Study of the Primary Production of Higher Aquatic Plants, Periphyton, and Phytoplankton in a Large, Shallow Lake

    Unknown

  • Photochemical and microbial decomposition of chromophoric dissolved organic matter during long (months–years) exposures

    Anssi V Vähätalo;Robert G Wetzel

  • Decomposition of aquatic angiosperms. II. Particulate components

    Gordon L. Godshalk;Robert G. Wetzel

  • Boundary-layer and internal diffusion effects on phosphorus fluxes in lake periphyton1

    Hans H. Riber;Robert G. Wetzel

  • Kinetics of microbial Fe(III) oxide reduction in freshwater wetland sediments

    Eric E. Roden;Robert G. Wetzel

  • Nutrient additions by waterfowl to lakes and reservoirs: predicting their effects on productivity and water quality

    Bruce A. Manny;W.C. Johnson;R.G. Wetzel

  • Niche differentiation between two rhizomatous plant species: Typha latifolia and Typha angustifolia

    James B. Grace;Robert G. Wetzel

  • Microbial biomass and production associated with decaying leaf litter of the emergent macrophyte Juncus effusus

    K. A. Kuehn;M. J. Lemke;K. Suberkropp;R.G. Wetzel

  • Photochemical transformation of allochthonous organic matter provides bioavailable nutrients in a humic lake

    Anssi V. Vähätalo;Kalevi Salonen;Uwe Münster;Marko Järvinen

  • The importance of zooplankton‐protozoan trophic couplings in Lake Michigan

    Hunter J. Carrick;Gary L. Fahnenstiel;Eugene F. Stoermer;Robert G. Wetzel

  • 19 – Dissolved Organic Carbon: Detrital Energetics, Metabolic Regulators, and Drivers of Ecosystem Stability of Aquatic Ecosystems1

    Robert G. Wetzel

  • METABOLISM OF DISSOLVED AND PARTICULATE DETRITAL CARBON IN A TEMPERATE HARD- WATER LAKE.

    Unknown

  • Microcommunities and microgradients: Linking nutrient regeneration, microbial mutualism, and high sustained aquatic primary production

    Robert G. Wetzel

  • Natural organic matter and sunlight accelerate the degradation of 17ß-estradiol in water

    Dina M. Leech;Matthew T. Snyder;Robert G. Wetzel

  • Biomass, production, and specific growth rate of bacterioplankton and coupling to phytoplankton in an oligotrophic lake

    Michael F. Coveney;Robert G. Wetzel

  • Extracellular enzyme-clay mineral complexes: Enzyme adsorption, alteration of enzyme activity, and protection from photodegradation

    Todd Tietjen;Robert G. Wetzel

  • Direct Comparison of Phosphate Uptake by Adnate and Loosely Attached Microalgae within an Intact Biofilm Matrix.

    JoAnn M. Burkholder;Robert G. Wetzel;Karen L. Klomparens

  • Wetlands. Ecology and Management.

    C. F. Mason;B. Gopal;R. E. Turner;R. G. Wetzel

Frequent Co-Authors

Gene E. Likens
Gene E. Likens University of Connecticut
James A. Teeri
James A. Teeri University of Michigan–Ann Arbor
James B. Grace
James B. Grace United States Geological Survey
Martin W. Doyle
Martin W. Doyle Duke University
Eric E. Roden
Eric E. Roden University of Wisconsin–Madison
Thomas S. Bianchi
Thomas S. Bianchi University of New Hampshire
Dennis F. Whigham
Dennis F. Whigham Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
JoAnn M. Burkholder
JoAnn M. Burkholder North Carolina State University
Laura Gunn Leff
Laura Gunn Leff Kent State University
Patrick G. Hatcher
Patrick G. Hatcher Old Dominion University

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