Dr Arved Schwendel

Teaching

I have taught many aspects of Physical Geography and Environmental Sciences at undergraduate and postgraduate level.

Currently I am responsible for the following Geography modules:

• Environmental Hazards
• Earth systems and geomorphology
• Mapping the geographies of Yorkshire
• Environmental field work studies. 

I also accompany some of the Geography students on the field trip to Slovenia. 

Research

My research interests are in fluvial geomorphology, hydrological processes within a catchment and stream ecology. I focus in particular on sediment fluxes in a changing environment, conveyance of sediment from slopes through the fluvial system, river channel migration and floodplain evolution.

I also have a strong interest in interdisciplinary research on river-floodplain interactions, eco-hydraulics and the effects of fluvial processes on lotic ecosystems.

Publications

Publications in peer reviewed journals and books

Schwendel A.C., Cooper A.H. (2021). Meander chute cutoff at an alluvial river facilitated by gypsum sinkholes. Geomorphology. DOI: 10.1016/j.geomorph.2021.107944

Milan D.J., Schwendel A.C. (2021). Climate-change driven increased flood magnitudes and frequency in the British uplands: geomorphologically informed scientific underpinning for upland flood-risk management. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms. DOI: 10.1002/esp.5206

Schwendel A.C., Milan D.J. (2020). Terrestrial structure-from-motion: spatial error analysis of roughness and morphology. Geomorphology. DOI: 10.1016/j.geomorph.2019.106883

Milan D., Schwendel A. (2019). Long-term channel response to a major flood in an upland gravel-bed river. Proceedings of the 38th IAHR World Congress, Panama. pp. 2831-2838. DOI: 10.3850/38WC092019-1734

Schwendel A.C., Aalto R.E., Nicholas A.P., Parsons D.R. (2019). Fill characteristics of abandoned channels and resulting stratigraphy of a mobile sand-bed river floodplain. In Fluvial Meanders and Their Sedimentary Products in the Rock Record, IAS Special Publication 48. (Eds. M. Ghinassi, L. Colombera, N.P. Mountney, A.J.H. Reesink), pp. 251-272. Wiley, Chichester. ISBN: 978-1-119-42432-1

Nicholas A.P., Aalto R.E., Sambrook Smith G.H., Schwendel A.C. (2018). Hydrodynamic controls on alluvial ridge construction and avulsion likelihood in meandering river floodplains. Geology 46(7): 639-642. DOI: 10.1130/G40104.1

Glendell M., Jones R., Dungait J.A.J., Meusburger K., Schwendel A.C., Barclay R., Barker S., Haley S., Quine T.A., Meersmans J. (2018). Tracing of particulate organic C sources across the terrestrial-aquatic continuum, a case study at the catchment scale (Carminowe Creek, Southwest England). Science of the Total Environment. 616-617: 1077-1088. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.10.211

Schwendel A.C., Nicholas A.P., Sambrook Smith G.H., Aalto R.E., Buckley S. (2015). Interaction between meander dynamics and floodplain heterogeneity in a large tropical sand-bed river: the Rio Beni, Bolivian Amazon. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 40(15): 2026-2040. DOI: 10.1002/esp.3777

Schwendel A.C., Death R.G., Fuller I.C., Tonkin J. (2012). A new approach to assess bed stability relevant for invertebrate communities in upland streams. River Research and Applications 28(10): 1726-1739. DOI: 10.1002/rra.1570

Schwendel A.C., Fuller I.C., Death R.G. (2012). Assessing DEM interpolation methods for effective representation of upland stream morphology for rapid appraisal of bed stability. River Research and Applications 28(5): 567-584. DOI: 10.1002/rra.1475

Schwendel A. C. (2012). Measurement of stream bed stability characteristics relevant to lotic ecosystems. In: Management of mountain watersheds. in Management of mountain watersheds. (Eds: J. Krecek, M.J. Haigh, T. Hofer, E. Kubin), pp. 113-122. Springer, Dordrecht. DOI: 10.1007/978-94-007-2476-1, ISBN: 978-94-007-2475-4

Schwendel A. C., Fuller I. C. (2011). Connectivity in forested upland catchments and associated channel dynamics: The eastern Ruahine Range. Journal of Hydrology (NZ) 50(1): 205-226.

Schwendel A.C., Joy M. K., Death R.G., Fuller I.C. (2011). A macroinvertebrate index to assess stream bed stability. Marine & Freshwater Research 62(1): 30-37. DOI: 10.1071/MF10137

Schwendel A.C., Death R.G., Fuller I.C., Joy M. K. (2011). Linking disturbance and stream invertebrate communities – how best to measure bed stability. Journal of the North American Benthological Society 30(1): 11-24. DOI: 10.1899/09-172.1

Schwendel A.C., Fuller I.C., Death R.G. (2010). Morphological dynamics of upland headwater streams in the southern North Island of New Zealand. New Zealand Geographer 66: 14-32. DOI: 10.1111/j.1745-7939.2010.01170.x

Schwendel A.C., Death R.G., Fuller I.C. (2010). The assessment of shear stress and bed stability in stream ecology. Freshwater Biology 55(2): 261-281. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2427.2009.02293.x

Conference Presentations

Conference presentations

Milan D.J., Schwendel A.C. (2021). Climate-change driven increased flood magnitudes and frequency in the British uplands: quantifying fluvial response and recovery. BSG Annual Meeting, online, poster

Schwendel A.C., Cooper A.H. (2021). Meander chute cutoff at the River Ure facilitated by gypsum sinkholes. BSG Annual Meeting, online, poster

Milan D., Schwendel A. (2019). Long-term channel response to a major flood in an upland gravel-bed river. IAHR World Congress, Panama City

Schwendel A.C., Aalto R.E., Buckley S., Nicholas A.P. (2018). Inundation and sediment dispersion on a natural floodplain along the Rio Beni, Bolivian Amazon. I.S.Rivers, Lyon

Hackney C.R, Darby S.E., Aalto R., Parsons D.R, Nicholas A., Leyland J., Best J., Schwendel A.C., Stephens J., Clayton A. (2018). Cohesive sediment distribution on floodplains driven by crevasse-splay hydrograph characteristics. EGU, Vienna

Milan D.J., Schwendel A., Heritage G.L., Entwistle N., Skinner C.J. (2017). Ten years after the flood: a case of extended geomorphic convalescence in an upland stream. AGU Fall Meeting, San Francisco

Hackney C.R, Darby S.E., Aalto R., Parsons D.R, Nicholas A., Schwendel A.C., Stephens J., Leyland J., Best J. (2017). Flood frequency and magnitude controls on crevasse-splay sedimentation revealed through high-resolution modelling. BSG Annual Meeting, Hull

Schwendel A.C., Milan D.J. (2017). Scale-dependent utility of structure-from-motion photogrammetry for fluvial morphological unit detection. BSG Annual Meeting, Hull

Nicholas A.P., Aalto R.E., Sambrook Smith G.H., Schwendel A. (2017). Hydrodynamic controls on the long-term construction of large river floodplains and alluvial ridges. EGU, Vienna

Nicholas A.P., Aalto R.E., Sambrook Smith G.H., Schwendel A. (2014). Long-term construction of large river floodplains and alluvial ridges: Modelling the controls on avulsion likelihood. EGU, Vienna

Schwendel A., Aalto R.E., Nicholas A.P. (2014). Sediment accumulation and net storage determined by field observation and numerical modelling for an extensive tropical floodplain: Beni River, Bolivian Llanos. EGU, Vienna

Nicholas A.P., Aalto R.E., Aragao L., Ashworth P., Amsler M., Best J., Buckley S., Darby S., Hackney C., Hardy R., Lane S., Leyland J., Orfeo O., Parsons D., Reesink A., Sandbach S., Sambrook Smith G., Schwendel A., Stephens J., Szupiany R. (2014). Modelling the evolution of large river floodplains. Community Surface Dynamics Modeling System Annual Meeting, Boulder

Nicholas A.P., Aalto R.E., Schwendel A., Sambrook-Smith G. (2013). Hydrodynamic controls on floodplain construction over years to millennia. AGU, San Francisco

Schwendel A.C., Aalto R., Nicholas A.P. (2013). Basin-scale sediment fluxes along the Rio Beni, Bolivian Amazon. BSG Annual Meeting, Royal Holloway University London

Schwendel A.C., Aalto R., Nicholas A.P. (2012). Contemporary river and floodplain co-evolution along the Rio Beni, Bolivian Amazon. BSG Annual Meeting, Nottingham

Aalto R., Schwendel A., Nicholas A. (2012). Morphodynamics of migration surveyed at large scales. EGU, Vienna

Schwendel A.C., Joy M.K., Fuller I.C. (2011). A macroinvertebrate index to assess stream bed stability. HydroEco, Vienna

Schwendel A.C., Fuller I.C. (2011). Morphological dynamics and landscape connectivity in upland catchments: The eastern Ruahine Ranges. Conference of the Australian and New Zealand Geomorphology Group, Oamaru

Schwendel A.C., Death R.G., Fuller I.C. (2010). A new approach to assess bed stability relevant for invertebrate communities in upland streams. New Zealand Freshwater Sciences Societies Conference, Christchurch

Schwendel A.C., Death R.G., Fuller I.C. (2009). Measurement of bed stability relevant for benthic invertebrate communities in mountain streams. The New Zealand Hydrological & Freshwater Sciences Societies Joint Conference, Whangarei

Schwendel A.C., Fuller I.C., Death R.G. (2008). Influence of bedload transport on benthic invertebrate communities in mountain streams. New Zealand Geographical Society 24^th conference, Wellington

Schwendel A.C., Fuller I.C., Death R.G. (2008). Methods to assess bedload transport relevant for benthic invertebrate communities in mountain streams. Conference of the Australian and New Zealand Geomorphology Group, Queenstown, Tasmania

Research seminars and invited talks

Schwendel A.C., Milan D.J., Coulthard T., Skinner C.J. (2018). Ten years after the flood: a case of extended geomorphic convalescence in an upland stream. University of Graz, Geographical Colloquium, 17/05/2018

Schwendel A.C. (2014). Channel migration and floodplain evolution at a large sand-bed river: the Rio Beni, Bolivian Amazon.  Plymouth University, Departmental seminar, 10/12/2014

Schwendel A.C., Fuller I.C. (2010). Morphological dynamics and connectivity in upland catchments: The eastern Ruahine Ranges. University of Auckland, Invited talk at National Sediment Flux Workshop, Auckland, 04/11/2010

Schwendel A.C. (2010). The influence of stream bed stability and channel dynamics on lotic ecosystems: measurement and methodological advances. Massey University, Departmental seminar series, Palmerston North, 29/07/2010

Schwendel A.C. (2010). The influence of stream bed stability and channel dynamics on lotic ecosystems: measurement and methodological advances. Landcare Research Institute, Invited talk, Palmerston North, 11/06/2010

Schwendel A.C. (2008). The influence of bedload transport on benthic stream invertebrate communities. Massey University, Departmental seminar series, Palmerston North, 06/05/2008

Schwendel A.C. (2007). The influence of bedload transport on benthic invertebrate communities - a review. Massey University, Departmental seminar series, Palmerston North, 24/05/2007

Schwendel A.C. (2006). The river and its floodplain – Mapping and assessment of hydromorphological and ecological components at the River Weißeritz. TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Departmental seminar series, Freiberg, 21/06/2006

Professional Activities

I regularly work on environmental consultancy contracts in the areas of topographical and geophysical surveying and river restoration.