Professor Martin Thoms

Professor - School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences

Martin Thoms

Phone: +61 2 6773 2768

Email: mthoms2@une.edu.au

Biography

Martin Thoms is a Professor of Physical Geography.  He is an interdisciplinary river scientist that applies cutting edge research and thinking to further our understanding of social-ecological systems, and how they can help solve the global riverine landscape challenges we currently face.  He has an active postgraduate program, with a proven track record of students completing and publishing their work.  His post graduate students form an excellent network of research alumni who work in government departments, consulting agencies and universities.  He currently serves on the editorial board of four international journals and is a visiting scientist at several international research institutes.  Professor Thoms also teaches into the undergraduate environmental program.

Qualifications

BSc, MSc (Canterbury, NZ), PhD (Loughborough, UK)

Teaching Areas

GEPL306 & GEPL506 Water in the Environment
GEPL308 & GEPL508 Environmental Change

Supervision Areas

Past supervision areas have included: Anthropogenic Fragmentation of River Networks, Connectivity and food webs in lowland rivers, The Ecohydrology of large wood, Modelling flow regime for extreme events, Environmental influences on anostracan zoogegoraphy, Using LiDAR to quanitify the physical complexity of floodplain landscapes, investigating the influences of scale and hydrology on such physical complexity, and its implications for ecosystem functioning, Floodplain vegetation landscape, The influence of habitat heterogeneity and hydrological connectivity on riverine foodweb structure, The Ecohydrology and restoration of an estuarine wetland.

Research Interests

Professor Martin Thoms is an internationally recognised scientist in the field of riverine ecosystems specializing in fluvial geomorphology and freshwater ecology. His competency in the field of interdisciplinary river science has been recognised numerous times by Australian and International organisations/institutions. He has been won awards for his innovation in river science from the University of Canberra, the International Association of Hydrological Sciences and the Binghamton Geomorphology Group.

Publications

Books and Special Issues

Thoms, M.C. Fuller, I.C., (2024). Resilience and Riverine Landscapes. Elsevier, Oxford, 653pp.

DeBoer, J.A., Thoms, M.C., Chick, J., Witten, A., (2024). River management in the Anthropocene. Frontiers in Environmental Science.

Allan, C.A., Flint, C.F., Thoms, M.C., Watts, R., (2024). Human – River Relationships.  River Research and Applications.

Owens, R., Thoms, M.C., Martin, R., El Kadiri, R. (2023). Geomorphology of the Anthropocene.  Geomorphology, 442

Thoms, M.C., Rose, T., Dyer, F. (2020). Riverine landscapes, water development and management: A view from down-under. River Research and Applications, 36.

Pingram, M., Price, J., Thoms, M.C., (2019). Integrating multiple values in the study and management of river systems. River Research and Applications, 35.

Thoms, M.C., Sheldon, F., (2019). Large river ecosystems. River Research and Applications, 35.

Butler, D.R., Julian, J.P., Meitzen, K., Thoms, M.C., (2018). Biogeomorphology and Resilience Thinking. Geomorphology, 305.

Gilvear, D.A., Greenwood, M.W., Thoms, M.C., Wood, P.A., (2016). River Science, Management and Policy for 21st Century. Wiley.

Delong, M.A., Hein, T., Thoms, M.C., (2015). Human modification to riverine landscapes. River Systems.

Stone, M., Collins, A., Thoms, M.C., (2012). Wildfire and Water Quality: Processes, Impacts and Challenges¸ International Association of Hydrological Sciences, 354.

Peters, N., Krysanova, V., Lepisto, A., Prasad, R., Thoms, M.C., Wibly, R., Zandaryaa, S., (2011). Water Quality: Current Trends and Expected Climate Change Impacts. International Association of Hydrological Sciences, 348.

Thoms, M.C., Heal, K, Beogh, E., Chambel, A., Smakhtin, V., (2009). Ecohydrology of surface and groundwater dependant systems: Concepts, methods and recent developments. International Association of Hydrological Sciences, 328.

Thorp, J.H., Thoms, M.C., Delong, M.D., (2008). The Riverine Ecosystem Synthesis. San Diego, California, Elsevier. 210pp.

Thoms, M.C., Markwort, K., Tyson, D. (2008). Changing channels: Life on the Narran. Murray Darling Basin Commission, ACT, Australia, 208pp.

Thoms, M.C., Renschler, C., Doyle, M., (2007). Geomorphology and EcosystemsGeomorphology, 89.

Journal Articles (selected)

Arthington, A., Olden, J., Balcombe, S., Thoms, M.C. (in press). Multi-scale environmental factors explain fish losses and refuge quality in drying waterholes of Cooper Creek, an Australian arid-zone river. Marine and Freshawter Research, 61, 842-856.

Harris, C.A., Thoms, M.C., Scown, M.A. (2009). The ecohydrology of stream networks. International Association of Hydrological Sciences,328, 127-138.

Likens, G.E., Walker, K.F., Davies, P.E., Brookes, J., Olley, J.M., Young, W., Thoms, M.C., Lake, P.S., Davis, J., Arthington, A., Thompson, R., Oliver, R.L., (2009). Ecosystem science: toward a new paradigm for managing Australia's inland aquatic ecosystems. Marine and Freshwater Research, 60, 271-279.

Parsons, M.E., Thoms, M.C. (2007). Hierarchical patterns of large woody debris distribution and macroinvertebrate-environment associations in river ecosystems. Geomorphology, 89, 127-146.

Rayburg, S.C., Thoms, M.C., Neave, N., (2009). A comparison of digital elevation models generated from different data sources. Geomorphology, 106, 261-270.

Rayburg, S.C., Thoms, M.C., (2009). A coupled hydraulic-hydrologic modelling approach to deriving a water balance model for a complex floodplain-wetland system. Hydrological Research, 40, 364-379.

Reid, M.A., Thoms, M.C., (2008). Near bed hydraulics and associated invertebrate communities. Biogeosciences, 5, 1033-1041.

Renschler, C.S., Doyle, M., Thoms, M.C., (2007). Geomorphology and Ecosystems: Challenges and Keys for Success. Geomorphology,89, 1-8.

Thorp, J.H., Flotemersch, J.E., Delong, M.D, Casper, A.F., Thoms, M.C., Ballantyne, F, Williams, B.S, O'Neill, B.J, Haase, S.C, (2010) Linking Ecosystem Services, Rehabilitation, and River Hydrogeomorphology, Bioscience, 60, 74-75.

Thoms, M.C (2007). The distribution of heavy metals in a highly regulated river: the River Murray, Australia. International Association of Hydrological Sciences, 314, 145-153.

Thoms, M.C., Brennan, S., Franks, S.W., (2008). The sources and dispersal of sediment within a large flood plain complex. International Association of Hydrological Sciences,325, 52-59.

Related Links

http://martinthoms.com/