Dr Arved Schwendel
Lecturer in Geography
School of Humanities, Religion & Philosophy
T: 01904 876115

I completed my undergraduate degree in Geo-Ecology at the University of Mining and Technology Freiberg/ Germany before moving to Massey University Palmerston North/ New Zealand where I undertook my PhD project on the influence of river bed stability on lotic ecosystems and worked as an Assistant Lecturer in the Geography department.
From 2011 - 2015 I worked in two NERC funded post-doctoral research positions at the University of Exeter which assessed floodplain evolution of large sand-bed river systems such as the Rio Beni in the Bolivian Amazon and the Mekong River.
Before I joined York St John University in September 2017 I developed my teaching portfolio as a two-year Teaching Fellow at the University of Hull.
Further Information
Teaching
I have taught many aspects of Physical Geography and Environmental Sciences at undergraduate and postgraduate level.
Currently I am responsible for the Geography 2nd year module 'Environmental Hazards' and I am also involved in teaching on the 1st year modules 'Mapping the Geographies of Yorkshire' and 'Critical Thinking'.
I have acted as an academic support tutor for undergraduate students and have tutored dissertation students. Currently I am supervising a MSc dissertation in Renewable Energy.
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.
Professional Activities
I regularly work on environmental consultancy contracts in the areas of topographical and geophysical surveying and reporting.
Publications
Publications in peer reviewed journals and books
Schwendel A.C., Aalto R.E., Nicholas A.P., Parsons D.R. (in revision). Fill characteristics of abandoned channels and resulting stratigraphy of a mobile sand-bed river floodplain. IAS Special Publication 48
Glendell M., Jones R., Dungait J.A.J., Meusburger K., Schwendel A.C., Barclay R., Barker S., Haley S., Quine T.A., Meersmans J. (2017). 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. 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Conference presentations
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. (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 24th 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. (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