Dr. Buda is a Hydrologist for the Pasture Systems and Watershed Management Research Unit. He serves as a team member on the project "Management and Conservation Practices to Improve Water Quality in Agroecosystems of the Northeastern Us." His research focuses on hydrological and water quality studies at plot, field, and watershed scales to determine the effects of agricultural management, landscape factors, and soil characteristics on the fate and transport of nutrients, sediments, and emerging contaminants in runoff. Current research activities include:

•• Determining the role of variable source area hydrology in controlling nutrient losses in overland and subsurface flow

•• Developing short-term decision support tools for nutrient management using hydrologic simulation models and weather forecasting data

•• Using tracers (stable isotopes, rare earth elements, inorganic chemicals) to track nutrients and sediments in runoff waters

•• Testing the ability of phosphorus sorbing materials (PSMs) to remove phosphorus from agricultural drainage waters

•• Assessing long-term trends in water quantity and quality in response to changes in agricultural management

•• Evaluating the potential impacts of climate change on water quantity and quality in agricultural watersheds