Scott’s interests include the effects of landscape level changes on the character, composition, and amounts of organic matter that enter streams. He is researching the effects of differing land management practices on first order headwater stream organic matter source contributions. Different land management practices, such as crop agriculture versus cattle grazing, can result in vastly different responses by the watershed in terms of the amount of organic matter that enters a stream, as well as where in the soil that organic matter originated. This knowledge can be used to help better inform land management practices in an effort to maintain water quality throughout the US as well as mitigate downstream effects of organic matter loss, such as hypoxia. He is also interested in the effects of terrestrial pest species on stream organic matter sources and concentrations through the demise of woody biomass throughout the watershed. There are many correlates between anthropogenic alterations of the landscape and alterations by insect pests. Understanding the effects of woody biomass demise due to insect pests on stream biogeochemistry can help better inform management decisions, especially ones which intend to mitigate the damage caused by destructive insect pest species.