Teaching emphasis is on the application of ecological knowledge to species conservation and ecosystem management. Research interests center on the influence of human activities on the condition of rivers and their watersheds, including the effects of land use on stream health, assessment of variation in flow regime, and estimation of nutrient loads and budgets. Additional, collaborative activities are directed at the translation of aquatic science into useful products for management, conservation, and restoration of running waters. 

Current/Recent Research:

Influence of land use on stream ecosystem health

Nutrient runoff from watersheds

Freshwater conservation planning

Selected Publications:

• Bosch, N.S. and J.D. Allan.  2008.  The influence of impoundments on nutrient budgets in two catchments of Southeastern Michigan.  Biogeochemistry 87:325-338
• Allan, J. D. and M.M. Castillo. 2007. Stream Ecology: Structure and Function of Running Waters. 2end Edition Springer
• Abell, R., J.D. Allan and Bernhard Lehner (2006) Unlocking the potential of protected areas for freshwaters. Biological Conservation 134: 48-63
• Alexander, G. G. and J. D. Allan. 2006. Stream restoration in the upper Midwest, USA. Restoration Ecology 14:595-604
• Allan, J.D. 2004. Landscape and riverscapes: The influence of land use on river ecosystems. Annual Reviews of Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 35:257-284
• Castillo, M. M., J. D. Allan, G. W. Kling, and R.L. Sinsabaugh. 2004. Seasonal and interanual variation of bacterial production in lowland rivers of the Orinoco Basin. Freshwater Biology 49:1400-1414.
• Poff, N.L., J.D. Allan, M.A. Palmer, D.D. Hart, B. Richter, A.H. Arthington, K.H. Rogers, J.L. Meyer and J.A. Stanford. 2003. River flows and water wars: Emerging science for environmental decision-making. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 1:298-306.
• Castillo, M. M., G. W. Kling, and J. D. Allan. 2002. Bottom-up controls on bacterial production in tropical lowland rivers. Limnology & Oceanography 48:1466-1475.
• Cushing, C. E. and J. D. Allan. 2001. Streams: Their Ecology and Life. Academic Press, San Diego (400+ pp).