Blacksburg, Virginia, United States
Donald Orth teaches and conducts research on all aspects of river and stream fisheries. Numerous states, including Virginia, have incorporated Don’s findings and recommendations into their own water-withdrawal policies. He firmly believes that the optimal scientific basis for management relies on sound theory, interdisciplinary thinking, good field data and mediated modeling approaches. His principal interests are in the management of human uses of rivers to enhance or protect fish populations and sustainable rivers. He served for seven years as Department Head where he lead a progressive fisheries and wildlife program and improved coordination with USGS Cooperative Fisheries and Wildlife Research Unit, USFS Coldwater Fisheries Research Unit, and NMFS Cooperative Recruiting, Training, and Research Unit. He has served on numerous University Committees and Commissions, including the Faculty Senate and the Commissions on Graduate Studies and Policy and Faculty Affairs. He has done research on stream fish habitat, population analyses, and the biological mechanisms controlling fish populations and organizing aquatic communities since 1977. His doctoral research was a critical examination of the key assumptions of the Instream Flow Incremental Methodology. Orth has published over 150 technical works, including 90 journal articles, book chapters, or monographs, and mentored 27 graduate students. His scholarly works largely represent studies coauthored with students, all of which are active fisheries and wildlife professionals. He is frequently called upon to lecture on instream flow, develop study design proposals, critique instream flow and fish population studies, or provide expert consultation or testimony. Specialties: Fisheries management; stream fish ecology; bioethics; population dynamics; instream flow and habitat assessment. Currently I teach Ichthyology (the study of fishes) and Stream Habitat Management. In the past I have taught Fisheries Management, Fish Population Dynamics and Modeling, Principles of Fisheries and Wildlife Management, and Conservation Biology.
Fisheries, Environmental Science, Statistics