World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!
Award Badge
Ecology and Evolution
USA
2026

D-Index & Metrics

Ecology and Evolution

D-Index
108
Citations
51750
World Ranking
191
National Ranking
83

Research.com Recognitions

  • 2026 - Research.com Ecology and Evolution in United States Leader Award
  • 2025 - Research.com Ecology and Evolution in United States Leader Award

Overview

Walter C. Oechel is affiliated with San Diego State University in the United States. Their research primarily spans the fields of Environmental Science and Earth and Planetary Sciences, addressing diverse topics within atmospheric and ecological studies.

Their work focuses on several main topics, including:

  • Atmospheric and Environmental Gas Dynamics
  • Climate change and permafrost
  • Cryospheric studies and observations
  • Peatlands and Wetlands Ecology
  • Plant Water Relations and Carbon Dynamics
  • Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
  • Horticultural and Viticultural Research

Oechel has contributed notably to major subfields such as Atmospheric Science, Global and Planetary Change, Ecology, Plant Science, and Soil Science. Their publications often appear in established scientific venues, reflecting a consistent output across multiple disciplines.

Frequent publication venues for Oechel include:

  • Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
  • Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
  • Global Change Biology
  • Biogeosciences
  • Nature Communications

Their recent papers showcase a range of investigative themes related to ecosystem fluxes, greenhouse gas dynamics, and climatic impacts on terrestrial and wetland environments. Some notable publications include:

  • Representativeness of Eddy-Covariance flux footprints for areas surrounding AmeriFlux sites, 2021, Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
  • Statistical upscaling of ecosystem CO2 fluxes across the terrestrial tundra and boreal domain: Regional patterns and uncertainties, 2021, Global Change Biology
  • FLUXNET-CH4: a global, multi-ecosystem dataset and analysis of methane seasonality from freshwater wetlands, 2021, Earth System Science Data
  • Gap-filling eddy covariance methane fluxes: Comparison of machine learning model predictions and uncertainties at FLUXNET-CH4 wetlands, 2021, Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
  • Substantial hysteresis in emergent temperature sensitivity of global wetland CH4 emissions, 2021, Nature Communications

Frequent collaborators in their work include Donatella Zona, Oliver Sonnentag, E. S. Euskirchen, Masahito Ueyama, and Mathias Goeckede. Collaboration with these researchers has resulted in numerous publications, further contributing to the study of ecosystem gas fluxes and climate interactions.

Best Publications

  • FLUXNET: A New Tool to Study the Temporal and Spatial Variability of Ecosystem-Scale Carbon Dioxide, Water Vapor, and Energy Flux Densities

    Dennis Baldocchi;Eva Falge;Lianhong Gu;Richard Olson

  • Energy balance closure at FLUXNET sites

    Kell Wilson;Allen Goldstein;Eva Falge;Marc Aubinet

  • OBSERVATIONAL EVIDENCE OF RECENT CHANGE IN THE NORTHERN HIGH-LATITUDE ENVIRONMENT

    M. C. Serreze;J. E. Walsh;F. S. Chapin;T. Osterkamp

  • Evidence and implications of recent climate change in northern Alaska and other arctic regions.

    Larry D. Hinzman;Neil D. Bettez;W. Robert Bolton;F. Stuart Chapin

  • The FLUXNET2015 dataset and the ONEFlux processing pipeline for eddy covariance data

    Gilberto Pastorello;Carlo Trotta;Eleonora Canfora;Housen Chu

  • Environmental controls over carbon dioxide and water vapor exchange of terrestrial vegetation

    B.E Law;E Falge;L Gu;D.D Baldocchi

  • Recent change of Arctic tundra ecosystems from a net carbon dioxide sink to a source

    Walter C. Oechel;Steven J. Hastings;George Vourlitis;Mitchell Jenkins

  • Seasonality of ecosystem respiration and gross primary production as derived from FLUXNET measurements

    Eva Falge;Dennis Baldocchi;John Tenhunen;Marc Aubinet

  • Acclimation of ecosystem CO2 exchange in the Alaskan Arctic in response to decadal climate warming

    Walter C. Oechel;George L. Vourlitis;George L. Vourlitis;Steven J. Hastings;Rommel C. Zulueta

  • Evaluation of remote sensing based terrestrial productivity from MODIS using regional tower eddy flux network observations

    F.A. Heinsch;Maosheng Zhao;S.W. Running;J.S. Kimball

  • Modeling temporal and large‐scale spatial variability of soil respiration from soil water availability, temperature and vegetation productivity indices

    Markus Reichstein;Ana Rey;Annette Freibauer;John Tenhunen

  • Global Change and the Carbon Balance of Arctic EcosystemsCarbon/nutrient interactions should act as major constraints on changes in global terrestrial carbon cycling

    Gaius R. Shaver;W. D. Billings;F. Stuart Chapin;Anne E. Giblin

  • Strategies for measuring and modelling carbon dioxide and water vapour fluxes over terrestrial ecosystems

    Dennis Baldocchi;Riccardo Valentini;Steven W Running;Walt Oechel

  • A new model of gross primary productivity for North American ecosystems based solely on the enhanced vegetation index and land surface temperature from MODIS

    Daniel A. Sims;Abdullah F. Rahman;Vicente D. Cordova;Bassil Z. El-Masri

  • On the use of MODIS EVI to assess gross primary productivity of North American ecosystems

    Daniel A. Sims;Abdullah F. Rahman;Vicente D. Cordova;Bassil Z. El-Masri

  • PREDICTING ECOSYSTEM RESPONSES TO ELEVATED CO2 CONCENTRATIONS

    H. A. Mooney;Bert G. Drake;R. J. Luxmoore;W. C. Oechel

  • A model-data comparison of gross primary productivity: Results from the North American Carbon Program site synthesis

    Kevin Schaefer;Christopher R. Schwalm;Chris Williams;M. Altaf Arain

  • Representativeness of Eddy-Covariance flux footprints for areas surrounding AmeriFlux sites

    Housen Chu;Xiangzhong Luo;Xiangzhong Luo;Zutao Ouyang;W. Stephen Chan

  • Variability of the Seasonally Integrated Normalized Difference Vegetation Index Across the North Slope of Alaska in the 1990s

    D. Stow;Scott Daeschner;A. Hope;David C. Douglas

  • Response of Eriophorum Vaginatum to Elevated CO_2 and Temperature in the Alaskan Tussock Tundra

    David T. Tissue;Walter C. Oechel

  • Large loss of CO2 in winter observed across the northern permafrost region

    Susan M. Natali;Jennifer D. Watts;Brendan M. Rogers;Stefano Potter

  • Evidence and Implications of Recent Climate Change in Northern Alaska and Other Arctic Regions

    L. D. Hinzman;N. Bettez;W. R. Bolton;F. S. Chapin

Frequent Co-Authors

Donatella Zona
Donatella Zona San Diego State University
Torben R. Christensen
Torben R. Christensen Aarhus University
Dennis D. Baldocchi
Dennis D. Baldocchi University of California, Berkeley
Beverly E. Law
Beverly E. Law Oregon State University
Terry V. Callaghan
Terry V. Callaghan University of Sheffield
Yoshinobu Harazono
Yoshinobu Harazono University of Alaska Fairbanks
Brian Huntley
Brian Huntley Durham University
Tilden P. Meyers
Tilden P. Meyers National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Russell K. Monson
Russell K. Monson University of Colorado Boulder
David Y. Hollinger
David Y. Hollinger US Forest Service

If you think any of the details on this page are incorrect, let us know.

Report an issue

We appreciate your kind effort to assist us to improve this page, it would be helpful providing us with as much detail as possible in the text box below:

Related Online Degrees & Career Pathways

Studying Ecology and Evolution can open doors to diverse career pathways—many of which intersect with the social and behavioral sciences. If you’re considering broadening your skillset or exploring new roles, there are several related online degree programs to consider.

For those drawn to working with youth, an online masters in child psychology offers a flexible way to specialize in child development and behavioral health. If your interests extend to supporting broader populations, online master degree programs in counseling can equip you with essential skills in guidance and mental health support.

Careers in assessment and therapy can be pursued through clinical psychology programs online, ideal for those who want to understand and address psychological concerns in diverse communities.

If you’re seeking a faster route into the workforce, consider accelerated human services degree online programs. These can quickly prepare you for roles in community outreach, advocacy, and support services.

Best Scientists Citing Walter C. Oechel

Trending Scientists