The application of single-tree selection compared to diameter-limit cutting in an upland oak-hickory forest on the Cumberland Plateau in Jackson County, Alabama

Treesearch

Callie Jo Schweitzer; Greg Janzen

2012-01-01

Cumberland Plateau region upland oak forests have undergone a myriad of disturbances (including periods of few and minor disturbances). Traditional timber harvesting practices such as diameter-limit cutting have negatively altered species composition and skewed stand structure, especially on medium-quality sites. We assessed the ability of single-tree selection to...

Estimation of biophysical properties of upland Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) plantations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Green, Robert M.

1993-01-01

It is widely accepted that estimates of forest above-ground biomass are required as inputs to forest ecosystem models, and that SAR data have the potential to provide such information. This study describes relationships between polarimetric radar backscatter and key biophysical properties of a coniferous plantation in upland central Wales, U.K. Over the test site, topography was relatively complex and was expected to influence the amount of radar backscatter.

Stand compositional dynamics in a mature Illinois Ozarks forest: implications for management

Treesearch

John W. Groninger; Trevor B. Ozier; Charles M. Ruffner

2003-01-01

The Ozark Hills region of southern Illinois is characterized by the severe topography typical of the Ozark Plateau, but is overlain by loess deposits and therefore supports site conditions more typical of mesophytic forests. As is common in lightly disturbed and undisturbed mesic upland sites throughout this region, mature stands in Trail of Tears State Forest are...

Fauna using nest boxes in four timber types in eastern Texas

Treesearch

Richard N. Conner; Daniel Saenz; D. Craig Rudolph

1995-01-01

Occupancy of 240 nest boxes in pure pine, pine-hardwood, upland hardwood, and bottomland hardwood forests (60 boxes in each forest type) were monitored for six years on the Stephen F. Austin Experimental Forest, Nacogdoches County in eastern Texas. Three boxes were placed at twenty sites in each forest type. Initially, each site had a box with 3.2, 4.7, or 5.7 cm...

The South's forestland - on the hot seat to provide more

Treesearch

Raymond M. Sheffield; James G. Dickson

1998-01-01

Forests of the Southern United States range from tropical/subtropical forests on the southern extremities of the region, oak savanna forests on the western fringe, to central hardwood forests, and high elevation boreal forests in the north. Upland and bottomland hardwood, southern pine, and mixed pine-hardwood forests are found on the more moderate sites between these...

Seeding and planting upland oaks

Treesearch

T. E. Russell

1971-01-01

Upland oaks can be established by seeding or planting, but additional experience is needed before these methods become economical alternatives to natural regeneration. Recently forested sites are generally more favorable than abandoned fields. Lack of repellents to protect acorns from animals severely limits direct seeding, but oaks can be planted readily by...

Short-term response of breeding birds to oak regeneration treatments in upland hardwood forest.

Treesearch

Katie Greenberg; Kathleen Franzreb; Tara Keyser; Stan Zarnoch; Dean Simon; Gordon Warburton

2015-01-01

Population declines of several successional-scrub bird species are partly associated with deceased habitat availability as abandoned farmlands return to forest and recently harvested forests regrow. Restoration of mixed-oak (Quercus spp.) forest is also a concern because of widespread oak regeneration failure, especially on moist, productive sites where competition...

Tropical secondary forests regenerating after shifting cultivation in the Philippines uplands are important carbon sinks.

PubMed

Mukul, Sharif A; Herbohn, John; Firn, Jennifer

2016-03-08

In the tropics, shifting cultivation has long been attributed to large scale forest degradation, and remains a major source of uncertainty in forest carbon accounting. In the Philippines, shifting cultivation, locally known as kaingin, is a major land-use in upland areas. We measured the distribution and recovery of aboveground biomass carbon along a fallow gradient in post-kaingin secondary forests in an upland area in the Philippines. We found significantly higher carbon in the aboveground total biomass and living woody biomass in old-growth forest, while coarse dead wood biomass carbon was higher in the new fallow sites. For young through to the oldest fallow secondary forests, there was a progressive recovery of biomass carbon evident. Multivariate analysis indicates patch size as an influential factor in explaining the variation in biomass carbon recovery in secondary forests after shifting cultivation. Our study indicates secondary forests after shifting cultivation are substantial carbon sinks and that this capacity to store carbon increases with abandonment age. Large trees contribute most to aboveground biomass. A better understanding of the relative contribution of different biomass sources in aboveground total forest biomass, however, is necessary to fully capture the value of such landscapes from forest management, restoration and conservation perspectives.

Tropical secondary forests regenerating after shifting cultivation in the Philippines uplands are important carbon sinks

PubMed Central

Mukul, Sharif A.; Herbohn, John; Firn, Jennifer

2016-01-01

In the tropics, shifting cultivation has long been attributed to large scale forest degradation, and remains a major source of uncertainty in forest carbon accounting. In the Philippines, shifting cultivation, locally known as kaingin, is a major land-use in upland areas. We measured the distribution and recovery of aboveground biomass carbon along a fallow gradient in post-kaingin secondary forests in an upland area in the Philippines. We found significantly higher carbon in the aboveground total biomass and living woody biomass in old-growth forest, while coarse dead wood biomass carbon was higher in the new fallow sites. For young through to the oldest fallow secondary forests, there was a progressive recovery of biomass carbon evident. Multivariate analysis indicates patch size as an influential factor in explaining the variation in biomass carbon recovery in secondary forests after shifting cultivation. Our study indicates secondary forests after shifting cultivation are substantial carbon sinks and that this capacity to store carbon increases with abandonment age. Large trees contribute most to aboveground biomass. A better understanding of the relative contribution of different biomass sources in aboveground total forest biomass, however, is necessary to fully capture the value of such landscapes from forest management, restoration and conservation perspectives. PMID:26951761

Tropical secondary forests regenerating after shifting cultivation in the Philippines uplands are important carbon sinks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mukul, Sharif A.; Herbohn, John; Firn, Jennifer

2016-03-01

In the tropics, shifting cultivation has long been attributed to large scale forest degradation, and remains a major source of uncertainty in forest carbon accounting. In the Philippines, shifting cultivation, locally known as kaingin, is a major land-use in upland areas. We measured the distribution and recovery of aboveground biomass carbon along a fallow gradient in post-kaingin secondary forests in an upland area in the Philippines. We found significantly higher carbon in the aboveground total biomass and living woody biomass in old-growth forest, while coarse dead wood biomass carbon was higher in the new fallow sites. For young through to the oldest fallow secondary forests, there was a progressive recovery of biomass carbon evident. Multivariate analysis indicates patch size as an influential factor in explaining the variation in biomass carbon recovery in secondary forests after shifting cultivation. Our study indicates secondary forests after shifting cultivation are substantial carbon sinks and that this capacity to store carbon increases with abandonment age. Large trees contribute most to aboveground biomass. A better understanding of the relative contribution of different biomass sources in aboveground total forest biomass, however, is necessary to fully capture the value of such landscapes from forest management, restoration and conservation perspectives.

Habitat association patterns of forest and steppe birds of northern Patagonia, Argentina

Treesearch

C. John Ralph

1985-01-01

I censused birds across a moisture gradient in northern Patagonia, Argentina, in the vicinity of Bariloche. Over a 60-km distance, the 12 sites ranged from grassland at lower elevations to upland climax Nothofagus forests of the eastern Andes. Here, I correlated bird abundance and diversities with various vegetation measures. Using all sites, bird...

Impacts of forestry planting on primary production in upland lakes from north-west Ireland.

PubMed

Stevenson, Mark A; McGowan, Suzanne; Anderson, N John; Foy, Robert H; Leavitt, Peter R; McElarney, Yvonne R; Engstrom, Daniel R; Pla-Rabés, Sergi

2016-04-01

Planted forests are increasing in many upland regions worldwide, but knowledge about their potential effects on algal communities of catchment lakes is relatively unknown. Here, the effects of afforestation were investigated using palaeolimnology at six upland lake sites in the north-west of Ireland subject to different extents of forest plantation cover (4-64% of catchment area). (210)Pb-dated sediment cores were analysed for carotenoid pigments from algae, stable isotopes of bulk carbon (δ(13)C) and nitrogen (δ(15)N), and C/N ratios. In lakes with >50% of their catchment area covered by plantations, there were two- to sixfold increases in pigments from cryptophytes (alloxanthin) and significant but lower increases (39-116%) in those from colonial cyanobacteria (canthaxanthin), but no response from biomarkers of total algal abundance (β-carotene). In contrast, lakes in catchments with <20% afforestation exhibited no consistent response to forestry practices, although all lakes exhibited fluctuations in pigments and geochemical variables due to peat cutting and upland grazing prior to forest plantation. Taken together, patterns suggest that increases in cyanobacteria and cryptophyte abundance reflect a combination of mineral and nutrient enrichment associated with forest fertilization and organic matter influx which may have facilitated growth of mixotrophic taxa. This study demonstrates that planted forests can alter the abundance and community structure of algae in upland humic lakes of Ireland and Northern Ireland, despite long histories of prior catchment disturbance. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Examining the sensitivity of modelled evapotranspiration to vegetation structural characteristics within boreal peatlands, riparian ecosystems and upland mixedwood forest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petrone, R. M.; Chasmer, L. E.; Brown, S. M.; Mendoza, C. A.; Diiwu, J.; Quinton, W. L.; Hopkinson, C.; Devito, K. J.

2010-12-01

The Western Boreal Plain (WBP) of northern Alberta is comprised of a complex mosaic of small ponds, riparian buffer zones, and upland aspen dominated mixedwood forests surrounded by low-lying peatlands. The hydrology of the WBP is strongly influenced by climatic drivers and geology, whereby water budgets are often controlled by vertical fluxes. During most years, potential evapotranspiration (PET) exceeds precipitation (P), and changes in P as a result of climatic change will likely alter actual evapotranspiration (AET) and regional water balances. In recent years, the WBP has also undergone intense anthropogenic disturbance via oil and gas exploration and extraction, and silvicultural and forest harvesting activities. The extent to which changes in land cover types/characteristics affect estimates of PET and AET is currently unknown. This study examines the sensitivity of PET using a simple estimate of equilibrium ET (Priestley-Taylor) and AET (Penman-Monteith variant) to variability in canopy structural and ground surface characteristics at 12 sites throughout the 2008 growing season (June, July, August). Energy balance meteorological stations are deployed within four peatland ecosystems, four riparian buffer zones, two regenerating upland mixedwood forests and two mature upland mixedwood forests. Airborne Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) is used to derive metrics of canopy height, leaf area index (LAI), uplands and lowlands, elevation, zero plane displacement, roughness length governing momentum, roughness length governing heat and vapour, and understory vegetation characteristics. LiDAR land surface metrics and energy balance measurements are used to model evapotranspiration for classified land cover types throughout the larger basin. Sensitivity of potential and actual estimates to changes in land cover characteristics within each of the three land cover types (peatland, riparian and upland) is quantified.

Species-site relationships in a Northern Arkansas upland forest

Treesearch

Eric Heitzman; Michael G. Shelton; Ruth Ann Chapman

2006-01-01

Phytosociological aspects of the forest vegetation were described for a 780-ha area on the Sylamore Experimental Forest in northern Arkansas. Pronounced changes in species composition occurred with topographic position in this deeply dissected area. For the overstory, oaks and pines dominated the upper slope positions, while other tree species dominated the lower...

Emerging patterns in the distribution of roadless forested areas in the Midsouth

Treesearch

Victor A. Rudis

1986-01-01

Of the roughly 100 million acres (40.5 million ha) of forest land in the Midsouth, roadless forested areas comprise some 23 million acres (9.3 million ha).Although much of the acreage is on bottomland sites (7 million acres, or 2.8 million ha) and areas with rugged terrain or steep slopes (4 million acres, or 1.6 million ha), half of the acreage is on upland sites with...

Floristic conservation value, nested understory floras, and the development of second-growth forest.

PubMed

Spyreas, Greg; Matthews, Jeffrey W

2006-08-01

Nestedness analysis can reveal patterns of plant composition and diversity among forest patches. For nested floral assemblages, the plants occupying any one patch are a nested subset of the plants present in successively more speciose patches. Elimination of sensitive understory plants with human disturbance is one of several mechanisms hypothesized to generate nonrandom, nested floral distributions. Hypotheses explaining distributions of understory plants remain unsubstantiated across broad landscapes of varying forest types and disturbance histories. We sampled the vegetation of 51 floodplain and 55 upland forests across Illinois (USA) to examine how the diversity, composition, and nestedness of understory floras related to their overstory growth and structure (basal area), and their overall floristic conservation value (mean C). We found that plant assemblages were nested with respect to site species richness, such that rare plants indicated diverse forests. Floras were also nested with respect to site mean C and basal area (BA). However, in an opposite pattern from what we had expected, floras of high-BA stands were nested subsets of those of low-BA stands. A set of early-successional plants restricted to low-BA stands, and more importantly, the absence of a set of true forest plants in high-BA stands, accounted for this pattern. Additionally, we observed a decrease in species richness with increasing BA. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that recovery of true forest plants does not occur concurrently with overstory regeneration following massive anthropogenic disturbance. Nestedness by site mean C indicates that high conservation value (conservative) plants co-occur in highly diverse stands; these forests are assumed to be less disturbed historically. Because site mean C was uncorrelated with BA, BA-neutral disturbances such as livestock usage are suggested as accounting for between-site differences in mean C. When considered individually, conservative plants were actually more likely to be found in low-BA stands (uplands only). This suggests that floras of historically more open-canopied oak-hickory uplands are being degraded by canopy closure from increasing density of "mesophytic, nonpyrogenic" trees. It also indirectly suggests that recent moderate logging is uncorrelated with floristic conservation values.

Harvesting intensity affects forest structure and composition in an upland Amazonian forest

Treesearch

John A. Parrotta; John K. Francis; Oliver H. Knowles; NO-VALUE

2002-01-01

Forest structure and floristic composition were studied in a series of 0.5 ha natural forest plots at four sites near Porto Trombetas in Pará State, Brazil, 11–12 years after being subjected to differing levels of above-ground biomass harvest and removal. In addition to undisturbed control plots, experimental treatments included: removal of...

Mercury Speciation and Bioaccumulation In Riparian and Upland Food Webs of the White Mountains Region, New Hampshire, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodenhouse, N.; Gebauer, R.; Lowe, W.; McFarland, K.; Bank, M. S.

2015-12-01

The soils and foods webs associated with mid to high elevation, forested, headwater streams are potential hotspots for mercury methylation and bioaccumulation but are not well studied. We tested the hypothesis that spatial variation in mercury bioaccumulation in upland taxa associated with headwater streams can be explained by variation in soil conditions promoting Hg methylation such as soil moisture, pH, and sulfur and organic matter content. We sampled at high (c. 700m) and mid elevation (c. 500m) in northern hardwood forest adjacent to and away from (75m) replicate headwater streams in the Hubbard Brook and Jeffers Brook watersheds of the White Mountains region, New Hampshire, USA. These forested watersheds differed primarily in soil calcium content and pH. We measured and assessed spatial variation in total Hg (THg) and methyl Hg (MeHg) concentrations in soils, insects, spiders, salamanders and birds. We also tested whether trophic position, as determined by nitrogen stable isotopes, was a major predictor of Hg bioaccumulation across these riparian and upland forest taxa. We found elevated levels of THg in all measured components of the food web, and conditions for methylation were better in the upland forest sites compared to the riparian sites located adjacent to headwater streams. Both THg and MeHg in biota were positively correlated with trophic position as indicated by 15N enrichment. In fact, trophic position was a better predictor of THg and MeHg content than spatial location, but the spatial patterning of bioaccumulation differed among taxa. Our data show that that significant Hg bioaccumulation and biomagnification can occur in soils and food webs of mid to high elevation temperate deciduous forests of the Northeast. They also suggest that mercury methylation in forested watersheds is a widespread phenomenon and not limited to areas with high soil moisture, such as lotic environments.

Methane Emissions from Upland Forests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Megonigal, Patrick; Pitz, Scott; Wang, Zhi-Ping

2016-04-01

Global budgets ascribe 4-10% of atmospheric methane sinks to upland soils and assume that soils are the sole surface for methane exchange between upland forests and the atmosphere. The dogma that upland forests are uniformly atmospheric methane sinks was challenged a decade ago by the discovery of abiotic methane production from plant tissue. Subsequently a variety of relatively cryptic microbial and non-microbial methane sources have been proposed that have the potential to emit methane in upland forests. Despite the accumulating evidence of potential methane sources, there are few data demonstrating actual emissions of methane from a plant surface in an upland forest. We report direct observations of methane emissions from upland tree stems in two temperate forests. Stem methane emissions were observed from several tree species that dominate a forest located on the mid-Atlantic coast of North America (Maryland, USA). Stem emissions occurred throughout the growing season while soils adjacent to the trees simultaneously consumed methane. Scaling fluxes by stem surface area suggested the forest was a net methane source during a wet period in June, and that stem emissions offset 5% of the soil methane sink on an annual basis. High frequency measurements revealed diurnal cycles in stem methane emission rates, pointing to soils as the methane source and transpiration as the most likely pathway for gas transport. Similar observations were made in an upland forest in Beijing, China. However, in this case the evidence suggested the methane was not produced in soils, but in the heartwood by microbial or non-microbial processes. These data challenge the concept that forests are uniform sinks of methane, and suggest that upland forests are smaller methane sinks than previously estimated due to stem emissions. Tree emissions may be particularly important in upland tropical forests characterized by high rainfall and transpiration.

Restoring perennial warm-season grasses as a means of reversing mesophication of oak woodlands in northern Mississippi

Treesearch

Erynn E. Maynard; J. Stephen Brewer

2012-01-01

Fire suppression has removed an important ecological force previously responsible for shaping many plant communities throughout the world. Upland areas of northcentral Mississippi that have been protected from fire are now closed-canopy forests including species known to be uncommon as bearing/witness trees in upland portions of the landscape (historically off-site...

Nesting Ecology of Wood Thrush (Turdidae: Passeriformes) in Hardwood Forests of South Carolina

Treesearch

Robert A. Sargent; John C. Kilgo; Brian R. Chapman; Karl V. Miller

2003-01-01

We studied nesting success of the Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina) in bottomland and upland hardwood forests in South Carolina. Twenty-one of 26 nests (80.8%) were located in bottomland sites, and 76.2% of these nests were in narrow (

Songbird use of floodplain and upland forests along the Upper Mississippi River corridor during spring migration

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kirsch, Eileen M.; Heglund, Patricia J.; Gray, Brian R.; Mckann, Patrick

2013-01-01

The Upper Mississippi River is thought to provide important stopover habitat for migrating landbirds because of its north-south orientation and floodplain forests. The river flows through the Driftless Area of southwestern Wisconsin and southeastern Minnesota where forests are plentiful, yet forests of the floodplain and Driftless Area uplands differ greatly in landscape setting, tree species composition, and topography. We compared landbird assemblages in these upland and floodplain forests over three springs, 2005–2007, using line-transect surveys at randomly selected areas in and within 16 km of the floodplain. We found more species of both transient and locally breeding migrants per survey in floodplain than in upland forest. Detections of transient neotropical migrants did not differ statistically by habitat. Detections of locally breeding neotropical and temperate-zone migrants and transient temperate-zone migrants were greater in floodplain than in upland forest. Between floodplain and upland forest, assemblages of locally breeding species, including neotropical and temperate-zone migrants (of which some individuals were in transit), differed substantially, but assemblages of transients (including both neotropical and temperate-zone migrants) did not differ as much. Only two species of transient migrants had clear affinities for floodplain forest, and none had an affinity for upland forest, whereas most locally breeding migrants had an affinity for either upland or floodplain forest. Within each spring, however, detections of transient neotropical migrants shifted from being greater in floodplain to greater in upland forests. This intraseasonal shift may be related to the phenology of certain tree species.

Acorn viability following prescribed fire in upland hardwood forests

Treesearch

Katie Greenberg; Tara Keyser; Stan Zarnoch; Kris Connor

2012-01-01

Restoration of structure and function of mixed-oak (Quercus spp.) forests is a focal issue of forest land managers in the eastern United States due to widespread regeneration failure and poor overstory recruitment of oaks, particularly on productive sites. Prescribed fire is increasingly used as a tool in oak ecosystem restoration, with the goal of reducing competition...

Development of a Site Comparison Index: Southeast Upland Forests

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-05-01

was recorded to 0.1 cm, and only individual trees with a DBH =/> 5 cm were tallied. Pine snags and deciduous snags were also measured. Forty-three... tree species (plus Pine Snags and Deciduous Snags) represent- ing 7031 individuals were identified at the 40 sites, ranging from 1433 Loblolly Pines...of 40 sites. Based on basal areas of 24 tree species (N=6903), pine and deciduous snags. Table 1. Ten forest communities independently

Changes in ground layer vegetation following timber harvests on the Missouri Ozark Forest Ecosystem Project

Treesearch

Jennifer K. Grabner; Eric K. Zenner

2002-01-01

The Missouri Ozark Forest Ecosystem Project (MOFEP) is a landscape-scale experiment to test for effects of the following three common forest management practices on upland forests: 1) even-aged management (EAM), 2) uneven-aged management (UAM), and 3) no-harvest management (NHM). The first round of harvesting treatments was applied on the nine MOFEP sites in 1996. One...

Cryptic Methane Emissions from Upland Forest Ecosystems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Megonigal, Patrick; Pitz, Scott

This exploratory research on Cryptic Methane Emissions from Upland Forest Ecosystems was motivated by evidence that upland ecosystems emit 36% as much methane to the atmosphere as global wetlands, yet we knew almost nothing about this source. The long-term objective was to refine Earth system models by quantifying methane emissions from upland forests, and elucidate the biogeochemical processes that govern upland methane emissions. The immediate objectives of the grant were to: (i) test the emerging paradigm that upland trees unexpectedly transpire methane, (ii) test the basic biogeochemical assumptions of an existing global model of upland methane emissions, and (iii) developmore » the suite of biogeochemical approaches that will be needed to advance research on upland methane emissions. We instrumented a temperate forest system in order to explore the processes that govern upland methane emissions. We demonstrated that methane is emitted from the stems of dominant tree species in temperate upland forests. Tree emissions occurred throughout the growing season, while soils adjacent to the trees consumed methane simultaneously, challenging the concept that forests are uniform sinks of methane. High frequency measurements revealed diurnal cycling in the rate of methane emissions, pointing to soils as the methane source and transpiration as the most likely pathway for methane transport. We propose the forests are smaller methane sinks than previously estimated due to stem emissions. Stem emissions may be particularly important in upland tropical forests characterized by high rainfall and transpiration, resolving differences between models and measurements. The methods we used can be effectively implemented in order to determine if the phenomenon is widespread.« less

Snags and Down Wood on Upland Oak Sites in the Missouri Ozark Forest Ecosystem Project

Treesearch

Stephen R. Shifley; Brian L. Brookshire; David R. Larsen; Laura A. Herbeck; Randy G. Jensen

1997-01-01

We analyzed volume, surface area, and percent cover of down wood to determine if there were pre-treatment differences among the sites in the Missouri Ozark Forest Ecosystem Project. We also compared pre-treatment values for the number and basal area of snags. We observed no statistically significant differences (P > 0.05) among treatment classes for these...

Proceedings of the 12th biennial southern silvicultural research conference

Treesearch

Kristina F. Connor; [Editor

2004-01-01

Ninety-two papers and thirty-six poster summaries address a range of issues affecting southern forests. Papers are grouped in 15 sessions that include wildlife ecology; fire ecology; natural pine management; forest health; growth and yield; upland hardwoods - natural regeneration; hardwood intermediate treatments; longleaf pine; pine plantation silviculture; site...

Assessing the feasibility and profitability of cable logging in southern upland hardwood forests

Treesearch

Chris B. LeDoux; Dennis M. May; Tony Johnson; Richard H. Widmann

1995-01-01

Procedures developed to assess available timber supplies from upland hardwood forest statistics reported by the USDA Forest Services' Forest Inventory and Analysis unit were modified to assess the feasibility and profitability of cable logging in southern upland hardwood forests. Depending on the harvest system and yarding distance used, cable logging can be...

Impact of in-woods product merchandizing on profitable logging opportunities in southern upland hardwood forests

Treesearch

Dennis M. May; Chris B. LeDoux; John B. Tansey; Richard Widmann

1994-01-01

Procedures developed to assess available timber supplies from upland hardwood forest statistics reported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) units, were modified to demonstrate the impact of three in-woods product-merchandizing options on profitable logging opportunities in upland hardwood forests in 14 Southern...

Ghost forest creation and the conversion of uplands to wetlands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirwan, M. L.; Schieder, N. W.; Reay, W.

2017-12-01

Global sea level rise rates began accelerating sharply in the late 19th century, with an approximate tripling in sea level rise rates in many regions of the world. Some portions of the coastal landscape, such as marshes and barrier islands, survive relative sea level rise by natural eco-geomorphic processes that allow them to build elevation vertically and migrate landward. In contrast, adjacent uplands typically occupied by forests and agricultural fields have limited ability to resist the impacts of sea level rise. This portion of the coastal landscape consists of mostly salt intolerant plants, receives little mineral sediment deposition, and rarely builds elevation through the accumulation of soil organic matter. Thus, ghost forests- dead trees surrounded by marshland- are a prominent feature of many low-relief coastal landscapes, and represent a striking visual indicator of upland to wetland conversion. Here, we report preliminary results of several efforts designed to quantify rates and drivers of upland to wetland conversion in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Drone based canopy monitoring and ground-based seedling experiments suggest that ghost forests are created by episodic, storm-driven adult tree mortality paired with continuous seedling mortality. Preliminary comparisons between sediment cores and historical photographs from 5 sites in Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina suggest that modern coastal forest retreat is 2-10 times faster than late-Holocene retreat rates, and that rates have accelerated in most decades since the 1930's. Finally, historical T-Sheet maps suggest that approximately 100,000 acres (400 km2) of uplands have converted to wetlands in the Chesapeake region, and that about 1/3 of all present-day marsh was created by upland drowning since the late 19th Century. Together, these observations indicate rapid coastal transgression, where low-relief, terrestrial portions of the coastal landscape are perhaps more sensitive to sea level rise than better studied, more seaward portions.

Modeling the hydrologic impacts of forest harvesting on Florida flatwoods

Treesearch

Ge Sun; Hans Rierkerk; Nicholas B. Comerford

1998-01-01

The great temporal and spatial variability of pine flatwoods hydrology suggests traditional short-term field methods may not be effective in evaluating the hydrologic effects of forest management. The flatwoods model was developed, calibrated and validated specifically for the cypress wetland-pine upland landscape. The model was applied to two typical flatwoods sites...

Preliminary evaluation of operational oak regeneration methods in central Missouri

Treesearch

Carrie Steen; Gus Raeker; David. Gwaze

2011-01-01

Oak regeneration on mesic upland sites continues to be a major challenge throughout the hardwood forests of eastern North America. Oak forests across northern and central Missouri have been historically maintained through natural and anthropogenic disturbance regimes. This cycle has been interrupted in many areas through fire suppression, high-grading, and intensive...

Forest nutrient and carbon pools at Walker Branch watershed: changes during a 21-year period

Treesearch

Carl C. Trettin; D.W. Johnson; D.E. Todd

1999-01-01

A 21-yr perspective on changes in nutrient and C pools on undisturbed upland forest sites is provided. Plots originally representing four cover types have been sampled three times. On each plot, forest biomass, forest floor, and soil, to a depth of 60 cm, were measured, sampled, and analyzed for Ca, Mg, C, N, and P. Exchangeable soil Ca and Mg have declined in most...

A discrimlnant function approach to ecological site classification in northern New England

Treesearch

James M. Fincher; Marie-Louise Smith

1994-01-01

Describes one approach to ecologically based classification of upland forest community types of the White and Green Mountain physiographic regions. The classification approach is based on an intensive statistical analysis of the relationship between the communities and soil-site factors. Discriminant functions useful in distinguishing between types based on soil-site...

Methane production potential and microbial community structure for different forest soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsumoto, Y.; Ueyama, M.; Kominami, Y.; Endo, R.; Tokumoto, H.; Hirano, T.; Takagi, K.; Takahashi, Y.; Iwata, H.; Harazono, Y.

2017-12-01

Forest soils are often considered as a methane (CH4) sink, but anaerobic microsites potentially decrease the sink at the ecosystem scale. In this study, we measured biological CH4 production potential of soils at various ecosystems, including upland forests, a lowland forest, and a bog, and analyzed microbial community structure using 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes. Three different types of soil samples (upland, bank of the stream, and center of the stream) were collected from Yamashiro forest meteorology research site (YMS) at Kyoto, Japan, on 11 May 2017. The soils were incubated at dark and anaerobic conditions under three different temperatures (37°C, 25°C, and 10°C) from 9 June 2017. The upland soils emitted CH4 with largest yields among the three soils at 37°C and 25°C, although no CH4 emission was observed at 10°C. For all temperature ranges, the emission started to increase with a 14- to 20-days lag after the start of the incubation. The lag indicates a slow transition to anaerobic conditions; as dissolved oxygen in water decreased, the number and/or activity of anaerobic bacteria like methanogens increased. The soils at the bank and center of the stream emitted CH4 with smaller yields than the upland soils in the three temperature ranges. The microbial community analyses indicate that methanogenic archaea presented at the three soils including the aerobic upland soil, but compositions of methanogenic archaea were different among the soils. In upland soils, hydrogenotrophic methanogens, such as Methanobacterium and Methanothermobacter, consisted almost all of the total methanogen detected. In the bank and center of the stream, soils contained approximately 10-25% of acetoclastic methanogens, such as Methanosarcina and Methanosaeta, among the total methanogen detected. Methanotrophs, a genus of Methanobacteriaceae, was appeared in the all types of soils. We will present results from same incubation and 16S rRNA analyses for other ecosystems, including a larch forest on volcanic soils, a young larch forest on Gleyic Cambisol, and a boreal bog and a lowland forest on permafrost. Comparing various soils from temperate and boreal ecosystems, we will discuss differences of biogenic CH4 production potential among the soils with the microbial community analyses.

Environmental drivers of spatial variation in whole-tree transpiration in an aspen-dominated upland-to-wetland forest gradient

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loranty, Michael M.; Mackay, D. Scott; Ewers, Brent E.; Adelman, Jonathan D.; Kruger, Eric L.

2008-02-01

Assumed representative center-of-stand measurements are typical inputs to models that scale forest transpiration to stand and regional extents. These inputs do not consider gradients in transpiration at stand boundaries or along moisture gradients and therefore potentially bias the large-scale estimates. We measured half-hourly sap flux (JS) for 173 trees in a spatially explicit cyclic sampling design across a topographically controlled gradient between a forested wetland and upland forest in northern Wisconsin. Our analyses focused on three dominant species in the site: quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx), speckled alder (Alnus incana (DuRoi) Spreng), and white cedar (Thuja occidentalis L.). Sapwood area (AS) was used to scale JS to whole tree transpiration (EC). Because spatial patterns imply underlying processes, geostatistical analyses were employed to quantify patterns of spatial autocorrelation across the site. A simple Jarvis type model parameterized using a Monte Carlo sampling approach was used to simulate EC (EC-SIM). EC-SIM was compared with observed EC(EC-OBS) and found to reproduce both the temporal trends and spatial variance of canopy transpiration. EC-SIM was then used to examine spatial autocorrelation as a function of environmental drivers. We found no spatial autocorrelation in JS across the gradient from forested wetland to forested upland. EC was spatially autocorrelated and this was attributed to spatial variation in AS which suggests species spatial patterns are important for understanding spatial estimates of transpiration. However, the range of autocorrelation in EC-SIM decreased linearly with increasing vapor pressure deficit, implying that consideration of spatial variation in the sensitivity of canopy stomatal conductance to D is also key to accurately scaling up transpiration in space.

Responses of upland herpetofauna to the restoration of Carolina Bays and thinning of forested Bay Margins.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ledvina, Joseph A.

2008-05-01

Research on the effects of wetland restoration on reptiles and amphibians is becoming more common, but almost all of these studies have observed the colonization of recently disturbed habitats that were completely dry at the time of restoration. In a similar manner, investigations herpetofaunal responses to forest management have focused on clearcuts, and less intensive stand manipulations are not as well studied. To evaluate community and population responses of reptiles and amphibians to hydrology restoration and canopy removal in the interior of previously degraded Carolina bays, I monitored herpetofauna in the uplands adjacent to six historically degraded Carolina bays atmore » the Savannah River Site (SRS) in South Carolina for four years after restoration. To evaluate the effects of forest thinning on upland herpetofauna, forests were thinned in the margins of three of these bays. I used repeated measures ANOVA to compare species richness and diversity and the abundance of selected species and guilds between these bays and with those at three reference bays that were not historically drained and three control bays that remained degraded. I also used Non-metric Multidimensional Scaling (NMDS) to look for community-level patterns based treatments.« less

Fate of residual canopy trees following harvesting to underplant longleaf pine seedlings in loblolly pine stands in Georgia

Treesearch

Benjamin O. Knapp; G. Geoff Wang; Joan L. Walker; Robert N. Addington

2016-01-01

Over the past few decades, reports of forest health problems have concerned scientists and forest managers in loblolly pine forests of the southeastern United States. Several interacting factors likely contribute to observed reductions in loblolly pine health, including low resource availability on many upland sites that were once dominated by longleaf pine. Currently...

Planting bottomland hardwoods

Treesearch

Karl Tennant

1989-01-01

Diverse problems confront the forest manager when planting bottomland hardwoods. Bottomland vegetation types and sites are complex and differ markedly from uplands. There are different and more numerous hardwood species that grow faster in denser stands. Sites are subject to varying intensities and duration of flooding and the action of overflow river currents that...

Site characteristics of red spruce witness tree locations in the uplands of West Virginia, USA

Treesearch

Melissa Thomas-Van Gundy; Michael Strager; James. Rentch

2012-01-01

Knowledge, both of the historical range of spruce-dominated forests and associated site conditions, is needed by land managers to help define restoration goals and potential sites for restoration. We used an existing digital database of witness trees listed in deeds from 1752 to 1899 to compare characteristics of red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.) sites...

Downed Wood in micronesian mangrove Forests

Treesearch

James A. Allen; Katherine C. Ewel; Bobby D. Keeland; Tara Tara; Thomas J. Smith

2000-01-01

Dead, downed wood is an important component of upland forest and aquatic ecosystems, but its role in wetland ecosystems, including mangroves, is poorly understood. We measured downed wood in ten sites on the western Pacific islands of Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap, all located within the Federated States of Micronesia. Our goals were to examine patterns of variability in...

Restoring Upland Forests to Longleaf Pine: Initial Effects on Fuel Load, Fire Danger, Forest Vegetation, and Beetle Populations

Treesearch

James D. Haywood; Tessa A. Bauman; Richard A. Goyer; Finis L. Harris

2004-01-01

Without fire in the Southeastern United States, loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) often becomes the overstory dominant on sites historically dominated by longleaf pine (P. palustris Mill.). Beneath the loblolly pine canopy a mature midstory and understory develops of woody vegetation supporting draped fuels. The resulting deep shade...

Hydrological responses to changes in forest cover on uplands and peatlands. Chapter 13.

Treesearch

Stephen D. Sebestyen; Elon S. Verry; Kenneth N. Brooks

2011-01-01

Long-term data are used to quantify how ecosystem disturbances such as vegetation management, insect defoliation, wildfires, and extreme meteorological events affect hydrological processes in forested watersheds. The long-term, paired-watershed approach has been used at many sites to measure the effects of vegetation manipulations (e.g., harvesting and cover-type...

Impacts of short-rotation early-growing season prescribed fire on a ground nesting bird in the central hardwoods region of North America

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pittman, H. Tyler; Krementz, David G.

2016-01-01

Landscape-scale short-rotation early-growing season prescribed fire, hereafter prescribed fire, in upland hardwood forests represents a recent shift in management strategies across eastern upland forests. Not only does this strategy depart from dormant season to growing season prescriptions, but the strategy also moves from stand-scale to landscape-scale implementation (>1,000 ha). This being so, agencies are making considerable commitments in terms of time and resources to this management strategy, but the effects on wildlife in upland forests, especially those dominated by hardwood canopy species, are relatively unknown. We initiated our study to assess whether this management strategy affects eastern wild turkey reproductive ecology on the Ozark-St. Francis National Forest. We marked 67 wild turkey hens with Global Positioning System (GPS) Platform Transmitting Terminals in 2012 and 2013 to document exposure to prescribed fire, and estimate daily nest survival, nest success, and nest-site selection. We estimated these reproductive parameters in forest units managed with prescribed fire (treated) and units absent of prescribed fire (untreated). Of 60 initial nest attempts monitored, none were destroyed or exposed to prescribed fire because a majority of fires occurred early than a majority of the nesting activity. We found nest success was greater in untreated units than treated units (36.4% versus 14.6%). We did not find any habitat characteristic differences between successful and unsuccessful nest-sites. We found that nest-site selection criteria differed between treated and untreated units. Visual concealment and woody ground cover were common selection criteria in both treated and untreated units. However, in treated units wild turkey selected nest-sites with fewer small shrubs (<5 cm ground diameter) and large trees (>20 cm DBH) but not in untreated units. In untreated units wild turkey selected nest-sites with more large shrubs (≥5cm ground diameter) but did not select for small shrubs or large trees. Our findings suggest that wild turkey have not benefited from the reintroduction of prescribed fire to the WRERA.

Impacts of Short-Rotation Early-Growing Season Prescribed Fire on a Ground Nesting Bird in the Central Hardwoods Region of North America

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Landscape-scale short-rotation early-growing season prescribed fire, hereafter prescribed fire, in upland hardwood forests represents a recent shift in management strategies across eastern upland forests. Not only does this strategy depart from dormant season to growing season prescriptions, but the strategy also moves from stand-scale to landscape-scale implementation (>1,000 ha). This being so, agencies are making considerable commitments in terms of time and resources to this management strategy, but the effects on wildlife in upland forests, especially those dominated by hardwood canopy species, are relatively unknown. We initiated our study to assess whether this management strategy affects eastern wild turkey reproductive ecology on the Ozark-St. Francis National Forest. We marked 67 wild turkey hens with Global Positioning System (GPS) Platform Transmitting Terminals in 2012 and 2013 to document exposure to prescribed fire, and estimate daily nest survival, nest success, and nest-site selection. We estimated these reproductive parameters in forest units managed with prescribed fire (treated) and units absent of prescribed fire (untreated). Of 60 initial nest attempts monitored, none were destroyed or exposed to prescribed fire because a majority of fires occurred early than a majority of the nesting activity. We found nest success was greater in untreated units than treated units (36.4% versus 14.6%). We did not find any habitat characteristic differences between successful and unsuccessful nest-sites. We found that nest-site selection criteria differed between treated and untreated units. Visual concealment and woody ground cover were common selection criteria in both treated and untreated units. However, in treated units wild turkey selected nest-sites with fewer small shrubs (<5 cm ground diameter) and large trees (>20 cm DBH) but not in untreated units. In untreated units wild turkey selected nest-sites with more large shrubs (≥5cm ground diameter) but did not select for small shrubs or large trees. Our findings suggest that wild turkey have not benefited from the reintroduction of prescribed fire to the WRERA. PMID:26795913

Impacts of Short-Rotation Early-Growing Season Prescribed Fire on a Ground Nesting Bird in the Central Hardwoods Region of North America.

PubMed

Pittman, H Tyler; Krementz, David G

2016-01-01

Landscape-scale short-rotation early-growing season prescribed fire, hereafter prescribed fire, in upland hardwood forests represents a recent shift in management strategies across eastern upland forests. Not only does this strategy depart from dormant season to growing season prescriptions, but the strategy also moves from stand-scale to landscape-scale implementation (>1,000 ha). This being so, agencies are making considerable commitments in terms of time and resources to this management strategy, but the effects on wildlife in upland forests, especially those dominated by hardwood canopy species, are relatively unknown. We initiated our study to assess whether this management strategy affects eastern wild turkey reproductive ecology on the Ozark-St. Francis National Forest. We marked 67 wild turkey hens with Global Positioning System (GPS) Platform Transmitting Terminals in 2012 and 2013 to document exposure to prescribed fire, and estimate daily nest survival, nest success, and nest-site selection. We estimated these reproductive parameters in forest units managed with prescribed fire (treated) and units absent of prescribed fire (untreated). Of 60 initial nest attempts monitored, none were destroyed or exposed to prescribed fire because a majority of fires occurred early than a majority of the nesting activity. We found nest success was greater in untreated units than treated units (36.4% versus 14.6%). We did not find any habitat characteristic differences between successful and unsuccessful nest-sites. We found that nest-site selection criteria differed between treated and untreated units. Visual concealment and woody ground cover were common selection criteria in both treated and untreated units. However, in treated units wild turkey selected nest-sites with fewer small shrubs (<5 cm ground diameter) and large trees (>20 cm DBH) but not in untreated units. In untreated units wild turkey selected nest-sites with more large shrubs (≥5 cm ground diameter) but did not select for small shrubs or large trees. Our findings suggest that wild turkey have not benefited from the reintroduction of prescribed fire to the WRERA.

Structure and dynamics of an upland old- growth forest at Redwood National Park, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

van Mantgem, Philip J.; Stuart, John D.

2011-01-01

Many current redwood forest management targets are based on old-growth conditions, so it is critical that we understand the variability and range of conditions that constitute these forests. Here we present information on the structure and dynamics from six one-hectare forest monitoring plots in an upland old-growth forest at Redwood National Park, California. We surveyed all stems =20 cm DBH in 1995 and 2010, allowing us to estimate any systematic changes in these stands. Stem size distributions for all species and for redwood (Sequoia sempervirens (D. Don) Endl.) alone did not appreciably change over the 15 year observation interval. Recruitment and mortality rates were roughly balanced, as were basal area dynamics (gains from recruitment and growth versus losses from mortality). Similar patterns were found for Sequoia alone. The spatial structure of stems at the plots suggested a random distribution of trees, though the pattern for Sequoia alone was found to be significantly clumped at small scales (< 5 m) at three of the six plots. These results suggest that these forests, including populations of Sequoia, have been generally stable over the past 15 years at this site, though it is possible that fire exclusion may be affecting recruitment of smaller Sequoia (< 20 cm DBH). The non-uniform spatial arrangement of stems also suggests that restoration prescriptions for second-growth redwood forests that encourage uniform spatial arrangements do not appear to mimic current upland old-growth conditions.

Bolts Salvaged From Cull Oaks

Treesearch

B. E. Carpenter

1959-01-01

But how about bolts from cull oaks on upland pine sites? Though a bolt operation in such material offers many difficulties, at least one Southern firm is currently trying it. That firm is Potlatch Forests, Inc., of Warren, Arkansas.

A comparison of point-count and mist-net detections of songbirds by habitat and time-of-season

Treesearch

Rich W. Pagen; Frank R., III Thompson; Dirk E. Burhans

2002-01-01

We compared the results of point-count and mist-net surveys during the breeding and post-breeding seasons in four Missouri Ozark habitats: mature upland forest, mature riparian forest, 9- to 10-yr-old upland forest and 3- to 4-yr-old upland forest created by clearcutting. We determined whether differences in abundance estimates among habitats or between breeding and...

The use of time and space by the Panamanian tamarin, Saguinus oedipus.

PubMed

Dawson, G A

1979-01-01

Tamarin activity patterns and habitat utilization strategies in the Tropical Dry Forest of the Panama Canal Zone were monitored quantitatively using radio-location telemetry. The daily tamarin activity pattern differed from that of other Neotropical primates in that early morning and late afternoon activity normally did not occur. Total daily activity time averaged 676 +/- 62 min. Sleeping trees, and behaviors associated with their use, were documented. Daily path length averaged 2,061 +/- 402 m. Mean travel distance was 468 +/- 66 m. Approximately one-third of the home range was utilized on a given day. Wet season home ranges for two social groups were 26 and 32 ha in area. Areas of low brush, forest edge, and vine-entangled second growth were heavily used by foraging tamarins. Large shade trees, particularly evergreens, were important as refuges from solar radiation. Open-canopy forest types and areas of grass were avoided. Social groups on resource-stable lowland sites defended territories; those on unstable upland sites used a system of time-space segregation. Upland groups became seminomadic during the dry season. Suitability of home range site may affect social group stability, natality, and infant survivorship.

Estimating site index from tree species composition in mixed stands of upland eastern hardwoods: Should shrubs be included?

Treesearch

W. Henry McNab

2010-01-01

Site index is the most widely used method for site quality assessment in hardwood forests of the eastern United States. Its application in most oak (Quercus sp. L.) dominated stands is often problematic, however, because available sample trees usually do not meet important underlying assumptions of the method. A prototype method for predicting site index from tree...

Breeding birds in riparian and upland dry forests of the Cascade Range

Treesearch

John F. Lehmkuhl; E. Dorsey Burger; Emily K. Drew; John P. Lindsey; Maryellen Haggard; Kent Z. Woodruff

2007-01-01

We quantified breeding bird abundance, diversity, and indicator species in riparian and upland dry forests along six third- to fourth-order streams on the east slope of the Cascade Range, Washington, USA. Upland mesic forest on southerly aspects was dominated by open ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) and dry Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii...

Upland forests of the American/Pacific Islands: research opportunities in Micronesia and American Samoa

Treesearch

Dean S. DeBell; Craig D. Whitesell

1993-01-01

Upland forests of Micronesia and American Samoa can provide many social, ecological, and esthetic benefits for island inhabitants. Substantial upland areas (the majority of acreage on some islands) are now occupied by secondary and grassland/savanna vegetation; such areas represent opportunities for restoration, with both native forest cover and plantations of...

The effects of fire suppression on Bachman's sparrows in upland pine forests of eastern Texas

Treesearch

Richard N. Conner; Clifford E. Shackelford; Richard R. Schaefer; Daniel Saenz

2005-01-01

We studied the effects of 8 years of fire suppression on shrub-level vegetation, Bachman's Sparrows (Aimophila aestivalis), and selected forest bird species between 1995 and 2003in eastern Texas. Woody shrub-level vegetation between ground level and 3 m above the ground, measured using a leaf area index, increased significantly in all sites !n...

Breeding bird response to a second-stage shelterwood harvest in an upland hardwood forest

Treesearch

Eric L. Margenau; Yong Wang; Callie J. Schweitzer

2016-01-01

Post-logging sites were historically assumed to provide unfavorable habitat for songbirds. Timber harvests have always been important for species that require disturbances, but while most studies focus on clearcuts, few examine the harvesting methods ranging between clearcutting and undisturbed forests; such as those created with shelterwood prescriptions. We studied...

Development, succession, and stand dynamics of upland oak forests in the Wisconsin Driftless Area: Implications for oak regeneration and management

Treesearch

Megan L. Buchanan; Kurt F. Kipfmueller; Anthony W. D' Amato

2017-01-01

Throughout the deciduous forests of the eastern United States, oak (Quercus) regeneration has declined in stands historically dominated by oak species. In the Wisconsin Driftless Area, the level of decline in oak regeneration is variable and influenced by stand structural development, historical disturbance regime, abiotic site characteristics, and...

Source Areas of Water and Nitrate in a Peatland Catchment, Minnesota, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sebestyen, S. D.

2017-12-01

In nitrogen polluted forests, stream nitrate concentrations increase and some unprocessed atmospheric nitrate may be transported to streams during stormflow events. This understanding has emerged from forests with upland mineral soils. In contrast, catchments with northern peatlands may have both upland soils and lowlands with deep organic soils, each with unique effects on nitrate transport and processing. While annual budgets show nitrate yields to be relatively lower from peatland than upland-dominated catchments, little is known about particular runoff events when stream nitrate concentrations have been higher (despite long periods with little or no nitrate in outlet streams) or the reasons why. I used site knowledge and expansive/extensive monitoring at the Marcell Experimental Forest in Minnesota, along with a targeted 2-year study to determine landscape areas, water sources, and nitrate sources that affected stream nitrate variation in a peatland catchment. I combined streamflow, upland runoff, snow amount, and frost depth data from long-term monitoring with nitrate concentration, yield, and isotopic data to show that up to 65% of stream nitrate during snowmelt of 2009 and 2010 was unprocessed atmospheric nitrate. Up to 46% of subsurface runoff from upland soils during 2009 was unprocessed atmospheric nitrate, which shows the uplands to be a stream nitrate source during 2009, but not during 2010 when upland runoff concentrations were below the detection limit. Differences are attributable to variations in water and nitrate sources. Little snow (a nitrate source), less upland runoff relative to peatland runoff, and deeper soil frost in the peatland caused a relatively larger input of nitrate from the uplands to the stream during 2009 and the peatland to the stream during 2010. Despite the near-absence of stream nitrate during much of rest of the year, these findings show an important time when nitrate transport affected downstream aquatic ecosystems, reasons why nitrate was transported, and that atmospheric nitrate pollution had a direct effect on a stream in a peatland catchment. Furthermore, this work illustrates how long-term monitoring when coupled with shorter-duration studies allows contemporary questions to be addressed within legacy catchment studies.

Sensitivity of the boreal forest-mire ecotone CO2, CH4, and N2O global warming potential to rainy and dry weather

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ťupek, Boris; Minkkinen, Kari; Vesala, Timo; Nikinmaa, Eero

2015-04-01

In a mosaic of well drained forests and poorly drained mires of boreal landscape the weather events such as drought and rainy control greenhouse gas dynamics and ecosystem global warming potential (GWP). In forest-mire ecotone especially in ecosystems where CO2 sink is nearly balanced with CO2 source, it's fairly unknown whether the net warming effect of emissions of gases with strong radiative forcing (CH4 and N2O) could offset the net cooling effect of CO2 sequestration. We compared the net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) estimated from the carbon sequestrations of forest stands and forest floor CO2 fluxes against CH4 and N2O fluxes of nine forest/mire site types along the soil moisture gradient in Finland. The ground water of nine sites changed between 10 m in upland forests and 0.1 m in mires, and weather during three years ranged between exceptionally wet and dry for the local climate. The NEE of upland forests was typically a sink of CO2, regardless the weather. Though, xeric pine forest was estimated to be a source of CO2 during wet and intermediate year and became a weak sink only in dry year. The NEE of forest-mire transitions ranged between a sink in dry year, while increased stand carbon sequestration could offset the reduced forest floor CO2 emission, and a source in wet year. The NEE of two sparsely forested mires strongly differed. The lawn type mire was balanced around zero and the hummock type mire was relatively strong NEE sink, regardless the weather. Generally, nearly zero N2O emission could not offset the cooling effect of net CH4 sink and net CO2 sink of upland forest and forest-mire transitions. However in sparsely forested mires, with N2O emission also nearly zero, the CH4 emission during wet and intermediate year played important role in turning the net cooling effect of NEE into a net warming. When evaluating GWP of boreal landscapes, undisturbed forest-mire transitions should be regarded as net cooling ecosystems instead of hotspots of net warming.

AmeriFlux BR-Sa1 Santarem-Km67-Primary Forest

DOE Data Explorer

Saleska, Scott [University of Arizona

2016-01-01

This is the AmeriFlux version of the carbon flux data for the site BR-Sa1 Santarem-Km67-Primary Forest. Site Description - The LBA Tapajos KM67 Mature Forest site is located in the Tapajos National Forest, a 450,000 ha closed-canopy upland forest in Amazonian Brazil. Bounded by the Tapajos River in the west and highway BR-163 to the east, the tower is located on a flat plateau (or planalto) that extends up to 150 km to the north, south, and east. Within the confines of the National Forest, anthropogenic disturbances are limited to a few small hunting trails. The surrounding stand is classified as primary or "old-growth"" predominantly by its uneven age distribution, emergent trees, numerous epiphytes and abundant large logs. In 2007 falling trees hit the tower guy wires rendering all instrumentation in-operational. After a complete restoration tower measurements resumed in August of 2008.

Carbon exchange between the atmosphere and subtropical forested cypress and pine wetlands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shoemaker, W. Barclay; Anderson, Frank E.; Barr, Jordan G.; Graham, Scott L.; Botkin, Daniel B.

2015-01-01

Carbon dioxide exchange between the atmosphere and forested subtropical wetlands is largely unknown. Here we report a first step in characterizing this atmospheric–ecosystem carbon (C) exchange, for cypress strands and pine forests in the Greater Everglades of Florida as measured with eddy covariance methods at three locations (Cypress Swamp, Dwarf Cypress and Pine Upland) for 2 years. Links between water and C cycles are also examined at these three sites, as are methane emission measured only at the Dwarf Cypress site. Each forested wetland showed net C uptake from the atmosphere both monthly and annually, as indicated by the net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of carbon dioxide (CO2). For this study, NEE is the difference between photosynthesis and respiration, with negative values representing uptake from the atmosphere that is retained in the ecosystem or transported laterally via overland flow (unmeasured for this study). Atmospheric C uptake (NEE) was greatest at the Cypress Swampp (−900 to −1000 g C m2 yr−1), moderate at the Pine Upland (−650 to −700 g C m2 yr−1) and least at the Dwarf Cypress (−400 to −450 g C m2 yr−1). Changes in NEE were clearly a function of seasonality in solar insolation, air temperature and flooding, which suppressed heterotrophic soil respiration. We also note that changes in the satellite-derived enhanced vegetation index (EVI) served as a useful surrogate for changes in NEE at these forested wetland sites.

Temperate Forest Methane Sink Diminished by Tree Emissions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Megonigal, P.; Pitz, S.

2015-12-01

Global budgets ascribe 4-10% of atmospheric CH4 sinks to upland soils and assume that soils are the sole surface for CH4 exchange between upland forests and the atmosphere. The prevailing dogma that upland forests are sinks of atmospheric CH4 was challenged a decade ago by large discrepancies in bottom-up versus top-down models of CH4 concentrations over upland forests that are still unexplained. Evidence of a novel abiotic mechanism for CH4 production from plant tissue is too small to explain the discrepancy. Alternative hypotheses for this observation have been proposed, but not tested. Here we demonstrate that CH4 is emitted from the stems of dominant tree species in an upland forest. Tree emissions occur throughout the growing season while soils adjacent to the trees are consuming CH4, challenging the concept that forests are uniform sinks of CH4. Scaling by stem surface area showed the forest to be a net CH4 source during a wet sample in June and a reduced CH4 sink by 5% annually. High frequency measurements revealed diurnal cycling in the rate of CH4 emissions, pointing to soils as the CH4 source and transpiration as the most likely pathway for CH4 transport. We propose the forests are smaller CH4 sinks than previously estimated due to stem emissions. Stem emissions may be particularly important in upland tropical forests characterized by high rainfall and transpiration, resolving differences between models and measurements.

Bat activity following restoration prescribed burning in the central Appalachian Upland and riparian habitats

USGS Publications Warehouse

Austin, Lauren V.; Silvis, Alexander; Ford, W. Mark; Muthersbaugh, Michael; Powers, Karen E.

2018-01-01

After decades of fire suppression in eastern North America, land managers now are prioritizing prescribed fire as a management tool to restore or maintain fire-adapted vegetation communities. However, in long—fire-suppressed landscapes, such as the central and southern Appalachians, it is unknown how bats will respond to prescribed fire in both riparian and upland forest habitats. To address these concerns, we conducted zero-crossing acoustic surveys of bat activity in burned, unburned, riparian, and non-riparian areas in the central Appalachians, Virginia, USA. Burn and riparian variables had model support (ΔAICc < 4) to explain activity of all bat species. Nonetheless, parameter estimates for these conditions were small and confidence intervals overlapped zero for all species, indicating effect sizes were marginal. Our results suggest that bats respond to fire differently between upland and riparian forest habitats, but overall, large landscape-level prescribed fire has a slightly positive to neutral impact on all bats species identified at our study site post—fire application.

Riparian buffers and forest thinning: Effects on headwater vertebrates 10 years after thinning

Treesearch

Deanna H. Olson; Jeffery B. Leirness; Patrick G. Cunningham; E. Ashley Steel

2014-01-01

We monitored instream vertebrate and stream-bank-dwelling amphibian counts during a stand-scale experiment of the effect of riparian buffer width with upland forest thinning in western Oregon, USA using a before/after/control methodology. We analyzed animal counts along 45 streams at 8 study sites, distributed from the foothills of Mount Hood to Coos Bay, Oregon using...

Using silvicultural practices to regulate competition, resource availability, and growing conditions for Pinus palustris seedlings underplanted in Pinus taeda forests

Treesearch

Benjamin O. Knapp; G. Geoff Wang; Joan L. Walker; Huifeng Hu

2016-01-01

In the southeastern United States, many forest managers are interested in restoring longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) to upland sites that currently support loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.). We quantified the effects of four canopy treatments (uncut Control; MedBA, harvest to 9 m2·ha−1...

Assessment of Loblolly Pine Decline in Central Alabama

Treesearch

Nolan J. Hess; William J. Otrosina; Emily A. Carter; Jim R. Steinman; John P. Jones; Lori G. Eckhardt; Ann M. Weber; Charles H. Walkinshaw

2002-01-01

Loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) decline has been prevalent on upland sites of central Alabama since the 1960's. The purpose of this study was to compare Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) standards and protocols with root health evaluations relative to crown, stem, and site measurements. Thirty-nine 1/6 acre plots were established on loblolly decline...

Soil-Site Factors Affecting Southern Upland Oak Managment and Growth

Treesearch

John K. Francis

1980-01-01

Soil supplies trees with physical support, moisture, oxygen, and nutrients. Amount of moisture most limits tree growth; and soil and topographic factors such as texture and aspect, which influence available soil moisture. are most useful in predicting growth. Equations that include soil and topographic variables can be used to predict site index. Foresters can also...

Upland forest vegetation of the Ozark Mountains in Northwestern Arkansas

Treesearch

Steven L. Stephenson; Harold S. Adams; Cynthia D. Huebner

2007-01-01

Quantitative data on structure and composition of all strata of vegetation were collected from 20 study sites in the Boston Mountains Subsection of the Ozark Mountains of northwestern Arkansas in June 2004. All study sites were located at upper slope or ridgetop positions and occurred at elevations > 457 m. Oaks (Quercus spp.) were dominants in...

Red alder, Alnus rubra, as a potential mitigating factor for wildlife habitat following clearcut logging in southeastern Alaska.

Treesearch

T.A. Hanley; J.C. Barnard

1998-01-01

Within-stand variation in understory species composition and biomass was studied in 16 even-aged stands of mixed red alder-Sitka spruce-western hemlcock (Alnus rubra-Picea sitchensis-Tsuga heterophylla) forest. The sites were upland sites, and the stands were 28-39 years old. We compared understory within...

Upland Oak Ecology Symposium: A Synthesis

Treesearch

Martin A. Spetich

2004-01-01

Recent changes in upland forests of the Interior Highlands have raised the interest of and questions from professional resource specialists and the public. This renewed interest in Interior Highland forests provided researchers an opportunity to update resource specialists on new knowledge regarding upland oak ecology. Symposium presentations and the papers presented...

Effects of Sea Level Rise and Coastal Marsh Transgression on Soil Organic Matter in a Chesapeake Bay Salt Marsh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Van Allen, R.; Schreiner, K. M.; Guntenspergen, G. R.

2016-12-01

Salt marsh, mangrove swamp, and seagrass bed ecosystems comprise a global carbon stock known as "blue carbon." While vegetated coastal ecosystems have a small global areal extent, their total carbon burial rates are comparable to global marine carbon burial rates. Under global climate change-induced sea level rise, the role of these systems in the global carbon cycle could change significantly. This study aims to develop a more complete view of how coastal marsh transgression into terrestrial upland environments impacts soil organic matter characteristics. A US Geological Survey study site in Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge on the eastern coast of Chesapeake Bay, Maryland was chosen for this study. This marsh has undergone transgression into adjacent upland forest as local relative sea level has risen, making it an ideal location to study the source and stability of organic matter underlying the shifting marsh-forest boundary. Peat cores and vegetation samples were collected from the study site in May 2015 and June 2016. Care was taken to sample marsh soils underlying a range of elevations and vegetation types from the intertidal zone through the transition to upland forest. Radiocarbon and lead-210 dating give age estimates for basal peat layers within the cores. Analysis of stable carbon isotopes in bulk soils in this site suggests a broad shift towards C4-dominated marsh vegetation. Finally, cupric oxide oxidation products of soil organic matter provide information about the changing molecular organic geochemistry of the marsh soils as sea level rises and the marsh transgresses. This represents a novel molecular-level study of the changing organic geochemistry of marsh soils with sea level rise and resulting vegetation changes.

Effects of groundwater-flow paths on nitrate concentrations across two riparian forest corridors

USGS Publications Warehouse

Speiran, Gary K.

2010-01-01

Groundwater levels, apparent age, and chemistry from field sites and groundwater-flow modeling of hypothetical aquifers collectively indicate that groundwater-flow paths contribute to differences in nitrate concentrations across riparian corridors. At sites in Virginia (one coastal and one Piedmont), lowland forested wetlands separate upland fields from nearby surface waters (an estuary and a stream). At the coastal site, nitrate concentrations near the water table decreased from more than 10 mg/L beneath fields to 2 mg/L beneath a riparian forest buffer because recharge through the buffer forced water with concentrations greater than 5 mg/L to flow deeper beneath the buffer. Diurnal changes in groundwater levels up to 0.25 meters at the coastal site reflect flow from the water table into unsaturated soil where roots remove water and nitrate dissolved in it. Decreases in aquifer thickness caused by declines in the water table and decreases in horizontal hydraulic gradients from the uplands to the wetlands indicate that more than 95% of the groundwater discharged to the wetlands. Such discharge through organic soil can reduce nitrate concentrations by denitrification. Model simulations are consistent with field results, showing downward flow approaching toe slopes and surface waters to which groundwater discharges. These effects show the importance of buffer placement over use of fixed-width, streamside buffers to control nitrate concentrations.

Oak-black bear relationships in southeastern uplands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Clark, Joseph D.; Spetich, Martin A.

2004-01-01

Bears (Ursus americanus) primarily occur in upland habitats in the Southeast because uplands were the last to be developed for agriculture and were more likely to become publicly owned. National parks and forests created in the early to mid-1900s served as sources to supply surrounding uplands with bears. Bears could not survive in southeastern uplands without oak mast. Bear reproductive and mortality rates in the region have been shown to be directly linked with acorn production. Masting is thought to be an adaptation by oaks to satiate predators during good acorn years, thus ensuring that the remainder will germinate. Acorn predator populations, however, cannot respond numerically to increased acorn production because the masting is episodic and synchronous. Consequently, bears have developed physiological, behavioral, and ecological adaptations to cope with such food shortages. Despite such adaptations, upland hardwood forests in the Southeast are of lower quality than they once were. The loss of the American chestnut (Castanea dentata), higrading, and soil degradation have markedly decreased the carrying capacity for bears and other wildlife. Other changes such as recent forest management practices, forest fragmentation, invasion by the gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar), and oak decline threaten to further degrade the capability of southeastern uplands to support bears.

Late archaic settlement systems in the northern Rio Grande

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vierra, Bradley J.

2003-01-01

Last year at these meetings I proposed a possible seasonal transhumance pattern for the Late Archaic in the northern Rio Grande region. This pattern involved the movement of groups from the lowland juniper-savanna grasslands in the early summer, to the upland ponderosa pindmixed conifer forests in the mid to late summer, and then back down to the piiion-juniper woodlands during the fall. The Rio Grande Valley was also used for winter habitation sites. Following on this research, I take the next step by studying the inter-assemblage variability represented in a sample of open-air sites located within each of these vegetationmore » communities. The results indicate that there are significant differences in reduction tactics represented between valley habitation vs., upland campsites, and that these site sites are linked together by obsidian procurement patterns.« less

Prescribed fire in upland harwood forests

Treesearch

T.L. Keyser; C.H. Greenberg; H. McNab

2014-01-01

In upland hardwood forests of the Southeastern U.S.,prescribed fire is increasingly used by land managers citing objectives that include hazardous fuels reduction, wildlife habitat improvement, promoting oak regeneration, or restoring forest composition or structure to an historic condition. Research suggests that prescribed fire effects on hardwood forests and...

Evaluating the effects of varying levels and patterns of green-tree retention: experimental design of the DEMO study.

Treesearch

Keith B. Aubry; Michael P. Amaranthus; Charles B. Haipern; James D. White; Brenda L. Woodard; Charles E. Peterson; Cynthia A. Lagoudakisi; Alan J. Horton

1999-01-01

In western Oregon and Washington, recent changes in federal forest management policy contained in the Northwest Forest Plan have led to new harvest prescriptions on millions of acres of public lands. For example. on upland sites, standards and guidelines now require that live (green) trees are retained in at least 15% of the area within each harvest unit and recommend...

Tropical forest soil microbial communities couple iron and carbon biogeochemistry

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dubinsky, E.A.; Silver, W.L.; Firestone, M.K.

2009-10-15

We report that iron-reducing bacteria are primary mediators of anaerobic carbon oxidation in upland tropical soils spanning a rainfall gradient (3500 - 5000 mm yr-1) in northeast Puerto Rico. The abundant rainfall and high net primary productivity of these tropical forests provide optimal soil habitat for iron-reducing and iron-oxidizing bacteria. Spatially and temporally dynamic redox conditions make iron-transforming microbial communities central to the belowground carbon cycle in these wet tropical forests. The exceedingly high abundance of iron-reducing bacteria (up to 1.2 x 10{sup 9} cells per gram soil) indicated that they possess extensive metabolic capacity to catalyze the reduction ofmore » iron minerals. In soils from the higher rainfall sites, measured rates of ferric iron reduction could account for up to 44 % of organic carbon oxidation. Iron reducers appeared to compete with methanogens when labile carbon availability was limited. We found large numbers of bacteria that oxidize reduced iron at sites with high rates of iron reduction and large numbers of iron-reducers. the coexistence of large populations of ironreducing and iron-oxidizing bacteria is evidence for rapid iron cycling between its reduced and oxidized states, and suggests that mutualistic interactions among these bacteria ultimately fuel organic carbon oxidation and inhibit CH4 production in these upland tropical forests.« less

Dissolved organic nitrogen budgets for upland, forested ecosystems in New England

Treesearch

John L. Campbell; James W. Hornbeck; William H. McDowell; Donald C. Buso; James B. Shanley; Gene E. Likens

2000-01-01

Relatively high deposition of nitrogen (N) in the northeastern United States has caused concern because sites could become N saturated. In the past, mass-balance studies have been used to monitor the N status of sites and to investigate the impact of increased N deposition. Typically, these efforts have focused on dissolved inorganic forms of N (DIN = NH4-...

Stand and individual tree growth response to treatments in young natural hardwoods

Treesearch

Daniel J. Robison; Tracy San Filipo; Charlie Lawrence III; Jamie L. Schuler; Bryan J. Berenguer

2012-01-01

Young even-aged upland Piedmont mixed hardwood and pine stands were treated with a variety of fertilizer and release (competition control) treatments. The sites studied are on the NC State University Hill Demonstration Forest in central North Carolina, and are characterized by formerly highly eroded agricultural sites (Richter et al. 2000) now in their third rotation...

AmeriFlux US-Syv Sylvania Wilderness Area

DOE Data Explorer

Desai, Ankur [University of Wisconsin

2016-01-01

This is the AmeriFlux version of the carbon flux data for the site US-Syv Sylvania Wilderness Area. Site Description - Old growth forest consisting primarily of sugar maple and eastern hemlock. Note that a small lake to the north and data analyses suggest that wind direction screening is appropriate (see Desai, A.R., Bolstad, P.V., Cook, B.D., Davis, K.J., and Carey, E.V., 2005. Comparing net ecosystem exchange of carbon dioxide between an old-growth and mature forest in the upper midwest, USA. Ag. For. Met. 128(1-2): 33-55 (doi: 10.1016/j.agrformet.2004). Site was chosen to represent an end member representative of the upland forests in the WLEF tall tower flux footprint. (Note, however, that old growth forests are not found within the WLEF tall tower flux footprint.)

Watershed-scale Hydrology and Water Quality Impact of Switchgrass Intercropping in Southern Managed Pine Forests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chescheir, G. M.; Birgand, F.; Allen, E.; Bennett, E.; Carter, T.; Dobbs, N.; Muwamba, A.; Amatya, D. M.; Youssef, M.; Nettles, J. E.

2016-12-01

The use of marginal land for cellulosic biofuel crop production is an attractive solution to preserve agricultural land for food production. The space available between rows of young loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) trees offers enough light to support growth of biofuel crops for several years. A five year field study was conducted to assess the hydrology and water quality impacts of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) intercropping with pine trees in watersheds of the southeastern US. Paired-watershed studies were replicated in Mississippi and Alabama on upland sites, and in North Carolina on a flat lowland site. In each state, the impact of switchgrass intercropping was assessed from differences in water and nutrient yields from contiguous 20-40 ha watersheds established as: conventional young pine plantation, switchgrass intercropped in young pine plantation, switchgrass only, and mid-rotation mature pine plantation. A total of 14 watersheds were equipped with continuous flow monitoring stations, flow proportional water samplers, groundwater wells, soil moisture sensors and weather stations. Data collection continued through a two year pre-treatment period, a one year treatment period when field operations were conducted to establish switchgrass, and a two year post-treatment period when the established switchgrass was fertilized and harvested annually. Our results showed that significant increases in total suspended solids (TSS) and nitrogen (N) loading occurred during the treatment periods at the upland sites in MS and AL. During the post treatment periods, TSS and N loading decreased to levels near those observed in pretreatment. At the lowland site, only nitrogen loading was increased during the treatment period. Concentrations of TSS at the lowland site were two orders of magnitude lower than those observed at the upland sites and were not significantly affected by the treatment. Inherent flow variability between watersheds within sites made detection of subtle differences in hydrology and water quality difficult to detect. Increases in N loading were not significant in response to annual fertilization of switchgrass. Our results suggest that intercropping switchgrass in managed pine forests does not significantly change the typically benign hydrology and water quality of the managed forests.

Responses of Isolated Wetland Herpetofauna to Upland Forest Management

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Russell, K.R.; Hanlin, H.G.; Wigley, T.B.

2002-01-02

Measurement of responses of herpetofauna at isolated wetlands in the Coastal Plain of South Carolina to disturbance of adjacent loblolly pine forest. Many species of isolated wetland herpetofauna in the Southeastern Coastal Plain may tolerate some disturbance in adjacent upland stands. Responses of isolated wetland herpetofauna to upland silviculture and the need for adjacent forested buffers likely depend on the specific landscape context in which the wetlands occur and composition of the resident herpetofaunal community.

Silviculture and management strategies applicable to southern hardwoods

Treesearch

Ray R. Hicks; William H. Conner; Robert C. Kellison; David Van Lear

2004-01-01

Southern hardwood forests stretch from the Virginias to Florida and from the mid-Atlantic to Missouri. They can generally be grouped into upland forests and bottomland forests. The upland hardwood forests of the southern region are usually associated with the mountainous topography of the Appalachians and Ozarks. Bottomland hardwoods are found along the floodplains of...

Structure and dynamics of an upland old-growth forest at Redwood National Park, California

Treesearch

Phillip J. van Mantgem; John D. Stuart

2012-01-01

Many current redwood forest management targets are based on old-growth conditions, so it is critical that we understand the variability and range of conditions that constitute these forests. Here we present information on the structure and dynamics from six one-hectare forest monitoring plots in an upland old-growth forest at Redwood National Park, California. We...

The Late Quaternary peat, vegetation and climate history of the Southern Oceanic Islands of New Zealand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McGlone, M. S.

2002-02-01

Seven oceanic island groups (Chatham, Bounty, Snares, Antipodes, Auckland, Campbell and Macquarie) lie to the south and east of the southern New Zealand mainland between the Subtropical Convergence and the Antarctic Convergence. They are highly oceanic, experiencing moist, cool, cloudy and windy climates. Deep peat soils cover most of the islands, except for steep slopes and exposed high altitude sites. The three large island groups (Chatham, Auckland and Campbell) support forest and tall scrub in the lowlands, in the latter two grading with altitude through shrubland and grassland to upland tundra. Macrophyllous forbs create luxuriant herbfields in nutrient-rich coastal sites and also, as stunted forms, dominate upland tundra associations. The southernmost island, Macquarie has no woody species, and is covered with tussock grassland, herbfield and tundra. Vegetation cover is highly sensitive to soil saturation and exposure to the strong westerly winds of this region. Extensive oligotrophic bogs occur where drainage is poor and exposure high, and forest and tall scrub are abundant only in sheltered, well-drained lowland sites. Glacial cirque levels indicate mean annual temperatures fell by 5-6°C during the Last Glacial Maximum. A depression of 6-10°C in sea surface temperatures is suggested by deep-sea core analyses, but this seems incompatible with terrestrial evidence. Auckland and Campbell Islands were extensively glaciated, and grassland, herbfield and tundra landscapes prevailed. Glaciers retreated by 15,000 yr BP, and landscapes had stabilised and peat soils begun forming by 12,000 yr BP. By the beginning of the Holocene, oligotrophic bog, grassland and shrubland were dominant. Scrub and low forest spread slowly during the early Holocene in the Chatham, Auckland and Campbell Islands, inhibited by cloudy, moist climates, low insolation and wet soils. Maximum extent of forest and scrub occurred between 6000 and 2000 yr BP, most probably linked with a drying of the soils and increasing summer insolation. Upland sites and those exposed to westerly gales on Auckland and Campbell Islands remained in grassland, herbfield and bog throughout the Holocene. Wind-blown sand and stones in cliff edge peat profiles on Auckland and Campbell Island from 8000 yr BP suggest strengthening westerly winds.

Mercury methylation in forested uplands; how important is it?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shanley, J. B.; Marvin-Dipasquale, M.; Schuster, P. F.; Chalmers, A.; Reddy, M. M.

2004-05-01

Episodic fluxes of mercury during high flows at the headwater catchment at the Sleepers River Research Watershed in Vermont indicate that uplands are an important source of total mercury (Hg) to known downstream methylation sites (i.e. large wetlands). Methylmercury (MeHg) behavior in streamwater, soil water, and sediment porewater coupled with high potential methylation rates suggests that forested uplands may be significant source areas for MeHg as well. In a July 2003 incubation, potential Hg methylation rates exceeded potential demethylation rates by factors of 1.6 each in shallow (0-4 cm) swamp and riparian soils and by 19.6 in anoxic stream sediments. The stream sediment had the greatest methylation rate of 7.5 ng/ g of wet sediment / day. However, MeHg concentrations in filtered (0.4 um) porewater at these sites ranged only from 0.07 to 0.37 ng/ L, similar to the range at low-lying wetland sites elsewhere in Vermont (0.06 to 0.56 ng/L). In Sleepers River headwaters as well as larger Vermont rivers, most of the MeHg export occurs during snowmelt and summer / fall storms, with nearly all of the MeHg occurring in the particulate phase. Stream total Hg and MeHg concentrations were consistently correlated, suggesting a common source, probably soil organic matter. The methylation efficiency (ratio MeHg / total Hg) was near 2% in the Sleepers River headwaters, similar to that in Vermont rivers draining large wetland systems, indicating that the methylation process originates in the headwaters.

Brood cover and food resources for wild turkeys following silvicultural treatments in mature upland hardwoods

Treesearch

M. McCord; C. Harper; Katie Greenberg

2014-01-01

Closed-canopy, upland hardwood forests with limited understory development provide suboptimal habitat for wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) broods and may lead to low recruitment. Various forest management practices have been used to stimulate understory development within upland hardwoods, but evaluation of such practices on cover and food resources for wild turkey...

Effects of overstory retention, herbicides, and fertilization on sub-canopy vegetation structure and functional group composition in loblolly pine forests restored to longleaf pine

Treesearch

Benjamin O. Knapp; Joan L. Walker; G. Geoff Wang; Huifeng Hu; Robert N.  Addington

2014-01-01

The desirable structure of longleaf pine forests, which generally includes a relatively open canopy of pines, very few woody stems in the mid-story, and a well-developed, herbaceous ground layer, provides critical habitat for flora and fauna and contributes to ecosystem function. Current efforts to restore longleaf pine to upland sites dominated by second-growth...

Disturbance, succession, and structural development of an upland hardwood forest on the Interior Low Plateau, Tennessee

Treesearch

Justin L. Hart; Merrit M. Cowden; Scott J. Torreano; J. Patrick R. Vestal

2017-01-01

We quantified species composition, stand structure, canopy disturbance history, and Quercus establishment and canopy accession patterns in an upland hardwood forest in Tennessee. The forest established in the mid-1800s and exhibited structural characteristics that were within the range of what has been reported from other late-successional forests...

Migrating birds’ use of stopover habitat in the southwestern United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ruth, Janet M.; Diehl, R.H.; Felix, R.K.

2012-01-01

In the arid Southwest, migratory birds are known to use riparian stopover habitats; we know less about how migrants use other habitat types during migratory stopover. Using radar data and satellite land-cover data, we determined the habitats with which birds are associated during migration stopover. Bird densities differed significantly by habitat type at all sites in at least one season. In parts of Arizona and New Mexico upland forest supported high densities of migrants, especially in fall. Developed habitat, in areas with little upland forest, also supported high densities of migrants. Scrub/shrub and grassland habitats supported low to intermediate densities, but because these habitat types dominate the Southwestern landscape, they may provide stopover habitat for larger numbers of migratory birds than previously recognized. These results are complicated by continuing challenges related to target identity (i.e., distinguishing among birds, arthropods and bats). Our results suggest that it is too simplistic to (1) consider the arid West as a largely inhospitable landscape in which there are only relatively small oases of habitat that provide the resources needed by all migrants, (2) think of western riparian and upland forests as supporting the majority of migrants in all cases, and (3) consider a particular habitat unimportant for stopover solely on the basis of low densities of migrants.

Stand structure, fuelloads, and fire behavior in riparian and upland forests, Sierra Nevada Mountains, USA; a comparison of current and reconstructed conditions

Treesearch

Kip Van de Water; Malcolm North

2011-01-01

Fire plays an important role in shaping many Sierran coniferous forests, but longer fire return intervals and reductions in area burned have altered forest conditions. Productive, mesic riparian forests can accumulate high stem densities and fuel loads, making them susceptible to high-severity fire. Fuels treatments applied to upland forests, however, are...

Subsoil methanogenesis as source of stem CH4 emission in upland forest trees: preferential CH4 transport via the root system?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maier, M.; Machacova, K.; Urban, O.; Friederike, L.

2016-12-01

Quantifying and understanding green house gas fluxes in natural soil-plant-atmosphere systems are crucial to predicting global climate change. Wetland species or trees at waterlogged sites are known to emit large amounts of CH4. Yet upland forest soils are regarded as CH4 sinks and tree species like upland European beech (Fagus sylvatica, L.) are assumed not to emit CH4. We studied the soil-atmosphere and stem-atmosphere fluxes of CH4, and soil gas profiles at two upland beech forest sites in Central Europe. Soil was a net CH4 sink at both. Unusually there was one beech tree with substantial CH4 emissions that were higher than the CH4 sink of the soil. The soil gas profile at this tree indicated CH4 production at a soil depth >0.3 m, despite the net uptake of CH4 observed at the soil surface adjacent to the tree. Field soil assessment showed strong redoximorphic color patterns in the adjacent soil. We think that there is a transport link between the soil and stem via the root system representing a preferential transport mechanism for CH4 despite the fact that beech roots usually do not bear aerenchyma. The gas transport process , either via dissolved CH4 in the xylem water or in the root gas phase, is not yet clear. The observed CH4 stem emissions represent an important CH4flux in this ecosystem, und thus should be considered in future research. AcknowledgementThis research was financially supported by the Czech Academy of Sciences and the German Academic Exchange Service within the project "Methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from Fagus sylvatica trees" (DAAD-15-03), National Programme for Sustainability I (LO1415) and project DFG (MA 5826/2-1). We would like to thank Marek Jakubik, Katerina Svobodova, Sinikka Paulus, Ellen Halaburt and Sally Haddad for technical support.

Thinning young oak stands on poor sites in southern New Jersey does not pay

Treesearch

S. Little; H. A. Somes

1956-01-01

Between 1933 and 1940 the Civilian Conservation Corps undertook many cultural operations in the state forests of southern New Jersey; one of the most common was thinnings in predominantly oak stands on upland sites. The thinnings varied from very light - removing only trees that would soon die - to very heavy. They were usually justified on the prevalent notion that...

Whole-island carbon stocks in the tropical Pacific: implications for mangrove conservation and upland restoration.

PubMed

Donato, D C; Kauffman, J B; Mackenzie, R A; Ainsworth, A; Pfleeger, A Z

2012-04-30

Management of forest carbon (C) stocks is an increasingly prominent land-use issue. Knowledge of carbon storage in tropical forests is improving, but regional variations are still poorly understood, and this constrains forest management and conservation efforts associated with carbon valuation mechanisms (e.g., carbon markets). This deficiency is especially pronounced in tropical islands and low-lying coastal areas where climate change impacts are expected to be among the most severe. This study presents the first field estimate of island-wide carbon storage in ecosystems of Oceania, with special attention to the regional role of coastal mangroves, which occur on islands and coastal zones throughout the tropics. On two island groups of Micronesia (Yap and Palau), we sampled all above- and belowground C pools, including soil and vegetation, in 24 sites distributed evenly among the three major vegetation structural types: mangroves, upland forests, and open savannas (generally on degraded lands formerly forested). Total C stocks were estimated to be 3.9 and 15.2 Tg C on Yap and Palau, respectively. Mangroves contained by far the largest per-hectare C pools (830-1218 Mg C ha(-1)), with deep organic-rich soils alone storing more C (631-754 Mg C ha(-1)) than all pools combined in upland systems. Despite covering just 12-13% of land area, mangroves accounted for 24-34% of total island C stocks. Savannas (156-203 Mg C ha(-1)) contained significantly lower C stocks than upland forests (375-437 Mg C ha(-1)), suggesting that reforesting savannas where appropriate has high potential for carbon-based funding to aid restoration objectives. For mangroves, these results demonstrate the key role of these systems within the broader context of C storage in island and coastal landscapes. Sustainable management of mangrove forests and their large C stocks is of high importance at the regional scale, and climate change mitigation programs such as REDD+ could play a large role in avoiding deforestation of mangroves where this is a management objective. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Proceedings of the tenth biennial southern silvicultural research conference

Treesearch

James D. Haywood; [Editor

1999-01-01

One hundred and twenty-two papers and three poster summaries address a range of issues affecting southern forests. Papers are grouped in 15 sessions that included upland hardwoods, intensive management of bottomland hardwoods, intermediate hardwood management, hardwood and bottomland regeneration, ecological relationships, water and soil hydrology, site preparation for...

The future of forests and orangutans (Pongo abelii) in Sumatra: predicting impacts of oil palm plantations, road construction, and mechanisms for reducing carbon emissions from deforestation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaveau, David L. A.; Wich, Serge; Epting, Justin; Juhn, Daniel; Kanninen, Markku; Leader-Williams, Nigel

2009-09-01

Payments for reduced carbon emissions from deforestation (RED) are now attracting attention as a way to halt tropical deforestation. Northern Sumatra comprises an area of 65 000 km2 that is both the site of Indonesia's first planned RED initiative, and the stronghold of 92% of remaining Sumatran orangutans. Under current plans, this RED initiative will be implemented in a defined geographic area, essentially a newly established, 7500 km2 protected area (PA) comprising mostly upland forest, where guards will be recruited to enforce forest protection. Meanwhile, new roads are currently under construction, while companies are converting lowland forests into oil palm plantations. This case study predicts the effectiveness of RED in reducing deforestation and conserving orangutans for two distinct scenarios: the current plan of implementing RED within the specific boundary of a new upland PA, and an alternative scenario of implementing RED across landscapes outside PAs. Our satellite-based spatially explicit deforestation model predicts that 1313 km2 of forest would be saved from deforestation by 2030, while forest cover present in 2006 would shrink by 22% (7913 km2) across landscapes outside PAs if RED were only to be implemented in the upland PA. Meanwhile, orangutan habitat would reduce by 16% (1137 km2), resulting in the conservative loss of 1384 orangutans, or 25% of the current total population with or without RED intervention. By contrast, an estimated 7824 km2 of forest could be saved from deforestation, with maximum benefit for orangutan conservation, if RED were to be implemented across all remaining forest landscapes outside PAs. Here, RED payments would compensate land users for their opportunity costs in not converting unprotected forests into oil palm, while the construction of new roads to service the marketing of oil palm would be halted. Our predictions suggest that Indonesia's first RED initiative in an upland PA may not significantly reduce deforestation in northern Sumatra and would have little impact on orangutan conservation because a large amount of forest inside the project area is protected de facto by being inaccessible, while lowland forests will remain exposed to the combined expansion of high-revenue plantations and road networks. In contrast, RED would be more effective in terms of its conservation impact if payments were extended to all remaining carbon-rich tropical forests, including lowland peat swamp forests, the preferred habitat for dense populations of orangutans, and if the construction of new roads was halted.

Carbon exchange and venting anomalies in an upland deciduous forest in northern Wisconsin, USA

Treesearch

Bruce D. Cook; Kenneth J. Davis; Weiguo Wang; Ankur Desai; Bradford W. Berger; Ron M. Teclaw; Jonathan G. Martin; Paul V. Bolstad; Peter S. Bakwin; Chuixiang Yi; Warren Heilman

2004-01-01

Turbulent fluxes of carbon, water vapor, and temperature were continuously measured above an upland forest in north central Wisconsin during 1999 and 2000 using the eddy covariance method. Maple (Acer saccharum), basswood (Tilia americana), and green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) species found in this forest...

Changes in Microbial Nitrogen Across a 100-Year Chronosequence of Upland Hardwood Forests

Treesearch

Travis W. Idol; Phillip E. Pope; Felix, Jr. Ponder

2002-01-01

Soil microorganisms mediate many of the major processes involved in soil N cycling. Also, they are strong competitors with plants for available soil N. Thus, changes in microbial N because of forest harvesting may have significant impacts on N availability and overall forest N cycling. A chronosequence of upland hardwood forest stands in southern Indiana, USA, ranging...

Using silviculture to sustain upland oak forests under stress on the Daniel Boone National Forest, Kentucky

Treesearch

Callie Jo Schweitzer; Kurt W. Gottschalk; Jeff W. Stringer; Stacy L. Clark; David L. Loftis

2011-01-01

We used a large-scale silvicultural assessment designed to examine the efficacy of five stand-level prescriptions in reducing the potential impacts of gypsy moth infestations and oak decline on upland hardwood forests in Kentucky's Daniel Boone National Forest. Prescriptions involved a mix of intermediate stand treatments aimed at increasing residual tree vigor...

Response of seasonal pond plant communities to upland forest harvest in northern Minnesota forests, USA

Treesearch

Brian J. Palik; Doug. Kastendick

2010-01-01

Small seasonally flooded forest ponds have received increased attention due to a growing recognition of their abundance in many landscapes, their importance as habitat for a variety of organisms, and the contributions they make to species and ecosystem diversity. There also is concern over potential negative effects of forest management in adjacent uplands on seasonal...

Litter and nutrient flows in tropical upland forest flooded by a hydropower plant in the Amazonian basin.

PubMed

Pereira, Guilherme Henrique A; Jordão, Henos Carlos K; Silva, Vanessa Francieli V; Pereira, Marcos Gervasio

2016-12-01

Extensive areas in the Brazilian Amazon have been flooded for the construction of hydroelectric dams. However, the water regime of these areas affects the dynamics of igarapés (streams) in adjacent terra firme (upland forests). When the reservoirs are filled, the water levels of streams rise above the normal levels and upland bank forests are flooded. We investigated how this flooding affects the litterfall and nutrient input in the upland forests upstream of a hydroelectric dam reservoir in the Central Amazonia. When the reservoir was filled, the forests were flooded and produced more than twice the litter (8.80Mg·ha -1 yr -1 ), with three times more leaves (6.36Mg·ha -1 yr -1 ) than when they were not flooded (4.20 and 1.92Mg·ha -1 yr -1 , respectively). During flooding, the decomposition rate was four times lower in flooded forests (0.328g·g -1 yr -1 ) than in control forests (1.460g·g -1 yr -1 ). Despite this, the flooding did not favor litter or nutrient accumulation. Therefore, dam construction changes the organic matter and nutrient cycling in upland Amazon rainforests. This may influence the important role that they play in organic matter dynamics and could have consequences for the regional carbon balance and, ultimately, global climate. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An analysis of modern pollen rain from the Maya lowlands of northern Belize

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bhattacharya, T.; Beach, T.; Wahl, D.

2011-01-01

In the lowland Maya area, pollen records provide important insights into the impact of past human populations and climate change on tropical ecosystems. Despite a long history of regional paleoecological research, few studies have characterized the palynological signatures of lowland ecosystems, a fact which lowers confidence in ecological inferences made from palynological data. We sought to verify whether we could use pollen spectra to reliably distinguish modern ecosystem types in the Maya lowlands of Central America. We collected 23 soil and sediment samples from eight ecosystem types, including upland, riparian, secondary, and swamp (bajo) forests; pine savanna; and three distinct wetland communities. We analyzed pollen spectra with non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS), and found significant compositional differences in ecosystem types' pollen spectra. Forested sites had spectra dominated by Moraceae/Urticaceae pollen, while non-forested sites had significant portions of Poaceae, Asteraceae, and Amaranthaceae pollen. Upland, bajo, and riparian forest differed in representation of Cyperaceae, Bactris-type, and Combretaceae/Melastomataceae pollen. High percentages of pine (Pinus), oak (Quercus), and the presence of Byrsonima characterized pine savanna. Despite its limited sample size, this study provides one of the first statistical analyses of modern pollen rain in the Maya lowlands. Our results show that pollen assemblages can accurately reflect differences between ecosystem types, which may help refine interpretations of pollen records from the Maya area. ?? 2010 Elsevier B.V.

Exotic Earthworms Decrease Cd, Hg, and Pb Pools in Upland Forest Soils of Vermont and New Hampshire USA.

PubMed

Richardson, J B; Görres, J H; Friedland, A J

2017-10-01

Exotic earthworms are present in the forests of northeastern USA, yet few studies have documented their effects on pollutant metals in soil. The objective of this study was to identify if Cd, Hg, and Pb strong-acid extractable concentrations and pools (bulk inventories) in forest soils decreased with the presence of exotic earthworms. We compared 'Low Earthworm Abundance' (LEA) sites (≤10 g m -2 earthworms, n = 13) and 'High Earthworm Abundance' (HEA) (>10 g m -2 earthworms, n = 17) sites at five watersheds across Vermont and New Hampshire. Organic horizon Cd, Hg, and Pb concentrations were lower at HEA than LEA sites. Organic horizon and total soil pools of Cd and Hg were negatively correlated with earthworm biomass. Soil profile Cd and Hg concentrations were lower at HEA than LEA sites. Our results suggest earthworms are decreasing accumulation of Cd, Hg, and Pb in forest soils, potentially via greater mobilization through organic matter disruption or bioaccumulation.

Upland log volumes and conifer establishment patterns in two northern, upland old-growth redwood forests, a brief synopsis

Treesearch

Daniel J. Porter; John O. Sawyer

2007-01-01

We characterized the volume, weight and top surface area of naturally fallen logs in an old-growth redwood forest, and quantified conifer recruit densities on these logs and on the surrounding forest floor. We report significantly greater conifer recruit densities on log substrates as compared to the forest floor. Log substrate availability was calculated on a per...

Shortleaf pine composition and structure in the United States

Treesearch

W. Keith Moser; Mark Hansen; William H. McWilliams; Raymond M. Sheffield

2007-01-01

Although shortleaf pine currently occupies a prominent position in many eastern forests, particularly on upland sites, many scientists and managers have expressed concern about the future of this species in the absence of the disturbance patterns that facilitated its establishment up to now. Reductions in timber harvesting and fire, in particular, may give the...

Niches and coexistence of ant communities in Puerto Rico

Treesearch

J.A. Torres

1984-01-01

I studied ant coexistence in adjacent areas of upland tropical forest, grassland, and agricultural land in San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico. Data on food utilization, daily activity, nesting sites, microhabitat utilization and interspecific aggression were collected. Ants' tolerance to 45 degree C was determined in the laboratory. Agricultural and grassland ants eat grain...

Early fire history near Seguin Falls, Ontario

Treesearch

Daniel C. Dey; Richard P. Guyette

1996-01-01

This report is one of a series of site-specfic fire histories being developed for red oak (Quercus rubra L.)-pine ecosystems in central Ontario. Collectively, these studies documents the role of fire in upland oak forests. this information also provides an ecological basis for developing silviculture prescriptions that use prescribed burning to...

Factors affecting broadleaf woody vegetation in upland pine forests managed for longleaf pine restoration

Treesearch

Robert N. Addington; Benjamin O. Knapp; Geoffrey G. Sorrell; Michele L. Elmore; G. Geoff Wang; Joan L. Walker

2015-01-01

Controlling broadleaf woody plant abundance is one of the greatest challenges in longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) ecosystem restoration. Numerous factors have been associated with broadleaf woody plant abundance in longleaf pine ecosystems, including site quality, stand structure, and fire frequency and intensity, yet the way in which these...

The importance of floodplain forests in the conservation and management of neotropical migratory birds in the Midwest

USGS Publications Warehouse

Knutson, M.G.; Hoover, J.P.; Klaas, E.E.; Thompson, Frank R.

1996-01-01

Bottomland forests of the Central Forest Region of the Upper Midwest are found primarily on the floodplains of large rivers and include at least six types of forest communities. Birds breeding in bottomland forests are affected by extensive variation in latitude, climate, hydrology, forest succession, and change caused by anthropogenic disturbances. The floodplain forest bird community differs in species composition and in relative abundance from adjacent upland habitats. High abundances of some species are found in the floodplain and some species, such as the prothonotary warbler, brown creeper, yellow-billed cuckoo, yellow-bellied sapsucker, and great crested flycatcher, show a clear preference for floodplain forests. Studies of nesting success indicate that, for some species, nest success may be higher in the floodplain than in the uplands. Floodplain birds face threats due to large-scale loss of floodplain forest habitat. Conservation efforts should focus on restoring degraded floodplains by maintaining high tree species diversity and wide corridors. To accomplish this, the underlying hydrodynamics which support a diverse floodplain forest habitat may need to be restored. Large, contiguous tracts of floodplain and upland forests should be maintained where they exist and restored in other locations. This will provide some high quality habitat for area-sensitive neotropical migratory birds (NTMBs) in agricultural landscapes where small, scattered forest fragments are the rule. Future research efforts should examine the importance of floodplain forests in maintaining populations of neotropical migrants, especially birds experiencing population declines in adjacent uplands.

Birds of Upland Oak Forests in the Arkansas Ozarks: Present Community Structure and Potential Impacts of Burning, Borers, and Forestry Practices

Treesearch

Kimberly Smith; Michael Mlodinow; Janet S. Self; Thomas M. Haggerty; Tamara R. Hocut

2004-01-01

Based on published works, our own research, and the U.S. Forest Service’s R8 Bird database, we characterize breeding bird communities in mesic and xeric upland hardwood forests of the Arkansas Ozarks. Although 59 species have been recorded as breeding, typical breeding assemblages in mesic forests are 20-25 species, with only 5 species commonly found in xeric forests....

Reptile and amphibian response to season of burn in an upland hardwood forest

Treesearch

Cathryn H. Greenberg; Tyler Seiboldt; Tara L. Keyser; W. Henry McNab; Patrick Scott; Janis Bush; Christopher E. Moorman

2018-01-01

Growing-season burns are increasingly used in upland hardwood forest for multiple forest management goals. Many species of reptiles and amphibians are ground-dwelling, potentially increasing their vulnerability to prescribed fire, especially during the growing-season when they are most active. We used drift fences with pitfall traps to experimentally assess how...

The specificity of host-bat fly interaction networks across vegetation and seasonal variation.

PubMed

Zarazúa-Carbajal, Mariana; Saldaña-Vázquez, Romeo A; Sandoval-Ruiz, César A; Stoner, Kathryn E; Benitez-Malvido, Julieta

2016-10-01

Vegetation type and seasonality promote changes in the species composition and abundance of parasite hosts. However, it is poorly known how these variables affect host-parasite interaction networks. This information is important to understand the dynamics of parasite-host relationships according to biotic and abiotic changes. We compared the specialization of host-bat fly interaction networks, as well as bat fly and host species composition between upland dry forest and riparian forest and between dry and rainy seasons in a tropical dry forest in Jalisco, Mexico. Bat flies were surveyed by direct collection from bats. Our results showed that host-bat fly interaction networks were more specialized in upland dry forest compared to riparian forest. Bat fly species composition was different between the dry and rainy seasons, while host species composition was different between upland dry forest and riparian forest. The higher specialization in upland dry forest could be related to the differences in bat host species composition and their respective roosting habits. Variation in the composition of bat fly species between dry and rainy seasons coincides with the seasonal shifts in their species richness. Our study confirms the high specialization of host-bat fly interactions and shows the importance of biotic and abiotic factors to understand the dynamics of parasite-host interactions.

Land cover effects on thresholds for surface runoff generation in Eastern Madagascar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Meerveld, Ilja H. J.; Prasad Ghimire, Chandra; Zwartendijk, Bob W.; Ravelona, Maafaka; Lahitiana, Jaona; Bruijnzeel, L. Adrian

2016-04-01

Reforestation and natural regrowth in the tropics are promoted for a wide range of benefits, including carbon sequestration, land rehabilitation and streamflow regulation. However, their effects on runoff generation mechanisms and streamflow are still poorly understood. Evaporative losses (transpiration and interception) likely increase with forest regrowth, while infiltration rates are expected to increase and surface runoff occurrence is, therefore, expected to decrease. As part of a larger project investigating the effects of land use on hydrological processes in upland Eastern Madagascar, this presentation reports on a comparison of the thresholds for surface runoff generation at a degraded grassland site, a young secondary forest site (5-7 years; LAI 1.83) and a mature secondary forest site (ca. 20 years; LAI 3.39). Surface runoff was measured on two (young and mature secondary forest) or three (degraded site) 3 m by 10 m plots over a one-year period (October 2014-September 2015). Soil moisture was measured at four (degraded site) to six depths (both forests), while perched groundwater levels were measured in piezometers installed at 30 cm below the soil surface. Soil hydraulic conductivity was measured in situ at the surface and at 10-20 and 20-30 cm depths at three locations in each plot. Porosity, moisture content at field capacity and bulk density were determined from soil cores taken at 2.5-7.5, 12.5-17.5 and 22.5-27.5 cm depth. The porosity and texture of the different plots were comparable. The hydraulic conductivity of the soil differed between the different land uses and declined sharply at 20-30 cm below the soil surface. Total surface runoff during the study period was 11% of incident rainfall at the degraded site vs. 2% for the two secondary forest sites. Maximum monthly runoff coefficients were 22%, 3.5% and 2.7% for the degraded site, the young forest site and the mature forest site, respectively, but individual event runoff coefficients could be as high as 45%, 12%, and 10%, respectively. Initial analyses indicate that a threshold rainfall amount was required before surface runoff occurs. Comparison of surface runoff occurrence with perched groundwater levels and soil moisture data showed that surface runoff was generated once the top-soil (0-20 cm) became saturated because of impeded drainage to the low hydraulic conductivity deeper layers. Thresholds for saturation overland flow generation were higher at the two forested sites compared to the degraded grassland due to their greater percolation to deeper layers, faster shallow lateral flow, and larger available storage in the top layers. The detailed analyses of the soil moisture and rainfall thresholds for surface runoff generation and their temporal variation will be used to develop a bucket-based conceptual model for runoff generation at these upland tropical sites. Key words: Runoff plot, rainfall threshold, soil moisture, saturation overland flow, secondary forest, soil hydraulic conductivity, Madagascar, p4ges project

Influences of upland timber harvest on aquatic invertebrate communities in seasonal ponds: efficacy of forested buffers

Treesearch

Mark A. Hanson; Brian J. Palik; James O. Church; Anthony T. Miller

2010-01-01

We assessed community responses of aquatic invertebrates in 16 small, seasonal ponds in a forested region of north central Minnesota, USA, to evaluate potential influences of timber harvest and efficacy of uncut forested buffers in adjacent uplands. Invertebrate data gathered before (2000) and during the first 4 years following clearcut timber harvest (2001-2004)...

Hydrological responses to defoliation and drought of an upland oak/pine forest

Treesearch

K.V.R. Schäfer; H.J. Renninger; K.L. Clark; D. Medvigy

2014-01-01

Hydrologic variability during 2005-2011 was observed and analyzed at an upland oak/pine forest in the New Jersey Pinelands. The forest experienced defoliation by Gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar L.) in 2007, drought conditions in 2006 and a more severe drought in 2010. By using sap flux and eddy covariance measurements, stream discharge data from USGS,...

Measurement and simulation of evapotranspiration at a wetland site in the New Jersey Pinelands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sumner, David M.; Nicholson, Robert S.; Clark, Kenneth L.

2012-01-01

Evapotranspiration (ET) was monitored above a wetland forest canopy dominated by pitch-pine in the New Jersey Pinelands during November 10, 2004-February 20, 2007, using an eddy-covariance method. Twelve-month ET totals ranged from 786 to 821 millimeters (mm). Minimum and maximum ET rates occurred during December-February and in July, respectively. Relations between ET and several environmental variables (incoming solar radiation, air temperature, relative humidity, soil moisture, and net radiation) were explored. Net radiation (r = 0.72) and air temperature (r = 0.73) were the dominant explanatory variables for daily ET. Air temperature was the dominant control on evaporative fraction with relatively more radiant energy used for ET at higher temperatures. Soil moisture was shown to limit ET during extended dry periods. With volumetric soil moisture below a threshold of about 0.15, the evaporative fraction decreased until rain ended the dry period, and the evaporative fraction sharply recovered. A modified Hargreaves ET model, requiring only easily obtainable daily temperature data, was shown to be effective at simulating measured ET values and has the potential for estimating historical or real-time ET at the wetland site. The average annual ET measured at the wetland site during 2005-06 (801 mm/yr) is about 32 percent higher than previously reported ET for three nearby upland sites during 2005-09. Periodic disturbance by fire and insect defoliation at the upland sites reduced ET. When only undisturbed periods were considered, the wetland ET was 17 percent higher than the undisturbed upland ET. Interannual variability in wetlands ET may be lower than that of uplands ET because the upland stands are more susceptible to periodic drought conditions, disturbance by fire, and insect defoliation. Precipitation during the study period at the nearby Indian Mills weather station was slightly higher than the long-term (1902-2011) annual mean of 1,173 millimeters (mm), with 1,325 and 1,396 mm of precipitation in 2005 and 2006, respectively.

Pyro-eco-hydrologic feedbacks and catchment co-evolution in fire-prone forested uplands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sheridan, Gary; Inbar, Assaf; Lane, Patrick; Nyman, Petter

2017-04-01

The south east Australian forested uplands are characterized by complex and inter-correlated spatial patterns in standing biomass, soil depth/quality, and fire regimes, even within areas with similar rainfall, geology and catenary position. These system properties have traditionally been investigated independently, however recent research in the areas of post fire hydrology and erosion, and new insights into forest structure, fuel moisture, and flammability, suggest the presence of critical co-evolutionary feedbacks between fire, soils and vegetation that may explain the observed system states. To test this hypothesis we started with a published ecohydrologic model, modifying and extending the algorithms to capture feedbacks between hyrology and fire, and between fire, vegetation and soil production and erosion. The model was parameterized and calibrated with new data from instrumented forested hillslopes across energy and rainfall gradients generated by selecting sites with a range of aspect (energy) and elevation (rainall). The calibrated model was able to reasonably replicate the observed patterns of standing biomass, water balance, fire interval, and soil depth. The catchment co-evolution/feedback modelling approach to understanding patterns of vegetation, soils and fire regimes provides a promising new paradigm for predicting the response of forested se Australian catchments to declining rainfall and increasing temperatures under climate change.

Oak composition and structure in the eastern United States

Treesearch

W. Keith Moser; Mark Hansen; Will McWilliams; Ray Sheffield

2006-01-01

Although oak species currently occupy a dominant position in most eastern deciduous forests, particularly on upland sites, many scientists and managers have expressed concern about the future of this genus in the absence of the disturbance patterns that facilitated its establishment up to now. Reductions in timber harvesting and fire in particular may give the...

Early fire history near Papineau lake, Ontario

Treesearch

Daniel C. Dey; Richard P. Guyette

1996-01-01

Research that defines the role of fire in upland red oak-pine ecosystems in central Ontario is being conducted by the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Silviculture program. Site-specific fire histories are being developed that document fire frequency, fire behavior, fire effects on forest regeneration and grwoth, and the influnce of human activites on fire disturbances. This...

Plant Communities in Selected Longleaf Pine Landscapes on the Catahoula Ranger District, Kisatchie National Forest, Louisiana

Treesearch

James D. Haywood; William D. Boyer; Finis L. Harris

1998-01-01

In Grant Parish, Louisiana, increases in overstory basal area, canopy cover, and development of understory woody plants reduced productivity of herbaceous plants in longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) stands that were managed with fire. Still, the herbaceous plant community can reestablish itself on properly managed upland longleaf pine sites in...

Using high-frequency sampling to detect effects of atmospheric pollutants on stream chemistry

Treesearch

Stephen D. Sebestyen; James B. Shanley; Elizabeth W. Boyer

2009-01-01

We combined information from long-term (weekly over many years) and short-term (high-frequency during rainfall and snowmelt events) stream water sampling efforts to understand how atmospheric deposition affects stream chemistry. Water samples were collected at the Sleepers River Research Watershed, VT, a temperate upland forest site that receives elevated atmospheric...

Impacts of prescribed fire on Pinus rigida Mill

Treesearch

Nicholas J. Carlo; Heidi J. Renninger; Kenneth L. Clark; Karina V.R. Schäfer

2016-01-01

A comparative analysis of the impacts of prescribed fire on three upland forest stands in the Northeastern Atlantic Plain, NJ, USA, was conducted. Effects of prescribed fire on water use and gas exchange of overstory pines were estimated via sap-flux rates and photosynthetic measurements on Pinus rigida Mill. Each study site had two sap-flux plots...

Flood tolerance of oak seedlings from bottomland and upland sites

Treesearch

Michael P. Walsh; Jerry Van Sambeek; Mark Coggeshall; David Gwaze

2009-01-01

Artificial regeneration of oak species in floodplains presents numerous challenges because of the seasonal flooding associated with these areas. Utilizing not only flood-tolerant oak species, but also flood tolerant seed sources of the oak species, may serve to enhance seedling survival and growth rates. Despite the importance of these factors to hardwood forest...

Presettlement and modern disturbance regimes in coast redwood forests: Implications for the conservation of old-growth stands

Treesearch

C.G. Lorimer; D.G. Porter; M.A. Madej; J.D. Stuart; S.D. Veirs; S.P. Norman; K.L OHara; W.J. Libby

2009-01-01

Coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), a western North American conifer of ancient lineage, has a paradoxical combination of late-successional characteristics and strong adaptations to disturbance. Despite its shade tolerance and heavy dominance of the canopy on many sites, redwood saplings are uncommon in upland old-growth stands. Information needed...

Nesting habitat of Warbling Vireos across an elevational gradient in the southern Sierra Nevada

Treesearch

Kathryn Purcell

2007-01-01

Populations of Warbling Vireos (Vireo gilvus) are declining in California, apparently due to low reproductive success. From 1989—2002, I studied the nest-site selection and reproductive success ofWarbling Vireos across an elevational gradient in the southern Sierra Nevada. Warbling Vireos regularly nested in upland coniferous forests with...

Oak decline risk rating for the southeastern United States

Treesearch

S. Oak; F. Tainter; J. Williams; D. Starkey

1996-01-01

Oak decline risk rating models were developed for upland hardwood forests in the southeastern United States using data gathered during regional oak decline surveys. Stepwise discriminant analyses were used to relate 12 stand and site variables with major oak decline incidence for each of three subregions plus one incorporating all subregions. The best model for the...

Topographic Position and Site Index: An Oak Regeneratoin Relationship

Treesearch

David I. Shostak; Edward F. Loewenstein; Mark R. Dubois

2004-01-01

In 1996, a 10-year study was initiated in an upland hardwood forest in northern Alabama to assess establishment success and stocking levels of oak reproduction following three regeneration treatments: block clearcutting, strip clearcutting, and deferment cutting. Each treatment was applied to two 4-acre stands. In addition, two 2-acre uncut controls were monitored. All...

The Role of Fine Root Dynamics in the N and P Cycles of Regenerating Upland Oak-Hickory Forests

Treesearch

Travis W. Idol; Phillip E. Pope; Jennifer Tucker; Felix, Jr. Ponder

1998-01-01

ln naturally regenerating hardwood forest stands, inputs of organic matter and nutrients from fine root turnover and decomposition are significant but not well-quantified. Four forest stands in southern Indiana-aged 6, 12, 31, and approximately 100 years since clearcutting at the time of the study-were chosen to represent the different developmental stages of upland...

Effects of periodic fire on composition and long-term dynamics of Arkansas upland hardwood forests

Treesearch

Martin A. Spetich

2005-01-01

Prescribed fire (at historic periodic fire frequencies) is seen as an important but little understood tool in the assortment of management techniques that could help restore oak to Arkansas upland hardwood forests and facilitate the maintenance of these keystone species.

Oak-Black Bear Relationships in Southeastern Uplands

Treesearch

Joseph D. Clark

2004-01-01

Bears (Ursus americanus) primarily occur in upland habitats in the Southeast because uplands were the last to be developed for agriculture and were more likely to become publicly owned. National parks and forests created in the early to mid-1900s served as sources to supply surrounding uplands with bears. Bears could not survive in southeastern...

Armillaria root disease affects oak coppice regeneration in upland Missouri Ozark forests

Treesearch

J. N. Bruhn; D. C. Dey; K. K. Kromroy; J. D. Mihail; J. M. Kabrick; J. J., Jr. Wetteroff

2005-01-01

Coppice regeneration is favored in North America for oak (Quercus spp.) regeneration. Although models of oak stump sprouting do not consider Armillaria root disease, many oak stumps in upland Ozark forest stands carry active Armillaria root crown infections. The spatial pattern of sprouting on oak stumps is...

Relationships between soil microbial communities and soil carbon turnover along a vegetation and moisture gradient in interior Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waldrop, M. P.; Harden, J. W.; Turetsky, M. R.; Petersen, D. G.; McGuire, A. D.; Briones, M. J.; Churchill, A. C.; Doctor, D. H.; Pruett, L. E.

2010-12-01

Boreal landscapes are characterized by a mosaic of uplands and lowlands, which differ in plant species composition, litter biochemistry, and biogeochemical cycling rates. Boreal ecosystems, from upland black spruce stands to lowland fens, are structured largely by water table position and contain quantitatively and qualitatively different forms of soil organic matter. Differences in carbon (C) availability among ecosystems likely translate to differences in the structure of soil microbial communities, which in turn could affect rates of organic matter decomposition and turnover. We examined relationships between microbial communities and soil C turnover in near-surface soils along a topographic soil moisture and vegetation gradient in interior Alaska. We tested the hypothesis that upland black spruce sites would be dominated by soil fungi and have slow rates of C turnover, whereas lowland ecosystems would be dominated by bacteria and mesofauna (enchytraeids) and have more rapid rates of C turnover. We utilized several isotopic measures of soil C turnover including bomb radiocarbon techniques, the δ15N of SOM, and the difference between δ13C of SOM, DOC, and respired CO2. All three measures indicated greater C turnover rates in the surface soils of the lowland fen sites compared to the more upland locations. Quantitative PCR analyses of soil bacteria and archaea, combined with enchytraed counts, confirmed that surface soils from the lowland fen ecosystems had the highest abundances of these functional groups. Fungal biomass was highly variable and tended to be more abundant in the upland forest sites. Soil enzymatic results were mixed: potential cellulase activities were higher in the more upland soils even though rates of microbial activity were generally lower. Oxidative enzyme activities were higher in fens, even though these ecosystems are saturated and partly anaerobic. Overall our data support soil food web theory which argues that rapidly cycling systems are bacterial dominated with mesofaunal grazing, whereas slowly cycling systems have characteristic higher fungal:bacterial ratios.

Hydrologic cycling of mercury and organic carbon in a forested upland-bog watershed

Treesearch

R. K. Kolka; D. F. Grigal; E. A. Nater; E. S. Verry

2001-01-01

The hydrologic cyvling of total Hg (HgT) and organic C (OC) was studies for a 1-yr period in a northern Minnesota forested watershed, consisting of an upland surrounding a bog peatland with a narrow lagg at their interface. Throughfall and sternflow contributed twice as much HgT as seven times as much OC to the forested watershed than atmospheric deposition in a...

Water Quality of a Tropical Montane Cloud Forest Watershed, Monteverde, Costa Rica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rhodes, A. L.; Guswa, A. J.; Dallas, S.; Kim, E. M.; Katchpole, S.; Newell, S. E.; Pufall, A.

2004-05-01

The Rio Guacimal originates in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve, located on the leeward side of the continental divide through Costa Rica. Agriculture and ecotourism has spurred growth adjacent to the preserve. Continued development coupled with changes in precipitation patterns could stress the quality and quantity of water. This study characterizes water chemistry and surface water hydrology of a 21 km2 headwater catchment to evaluate effects of current and projected land use on water quality. Stream samples have been collected from up to 11 sites since March 2000. Two sites located on tributaries in remote, forested areas serve as references for sites located downstream of agricultural and residential areas. Waters were analyzed for specific conductance, pH, DO, acid neutralizing capacity (ANC), Ca, Mg, Na, NH4, SO4, NO3, Cl, PO4 and dissolved silica. In the upland, forested streams, chemical loading is dominated by mineral weathering and cation exchange reactions. Silica, ANC and base cation concentrations all exceed sum of acid anions. During the dry season, concentrations of all dissolved constituents increase synchronously, but at different magnitudes (SO4 and Cl by 15 μ eq/L; silica by 250 μ mol/L; sum of base cations and ANC by 120 μ eq/L), suggesting that increased baseflow has a greater effect on temporal changes of chemical loads in high-elevation, forested streams than does evapotranspiration. Chemical loads of streams receiving runoff from populated areas are 2-5x more concentrated than the upland sites. Highest concentrations occur in Queb. Sucia (QS), which receives grey-water runoff from residential areas. Acidic runoff decreases the ANC of QS by 90-200 μ eq/L; however high alkalinity (ANC=400-1000 μ eq/L) prevents acidification. Acid anions in streams receiving grey-water runoff throughout the year are most concentrated during the dry season when dilution from precipitation is least. Conversely, a site that receives nonpoint source pollution from agricultural areas has its highest concentrations of acid anions during the wet season when surface runoff is the dominant flowpath.

Effect of clonal reproduction on genetic structure in Pentaclethra macroloba (Fabaceae: Mimosoideae).

PubMed

Gaddis, Keith D; Zukin, Helen L; Dieterich, Inca A; Braker, Elizabeth; Sork, Victoria L

2014-06-01

The existence of monodominant forests on well-drained soils in tropical regions has been widely reported. Such forests most likely result from a combination of both ecological and evolutionary factors. Under conditions of high seed and seedling mortality, vegetative reproduction could create a reproductive advantage leading to forest dominance, and profoundly affect the distribution of genetic variation in a clonal species. We investigated these effects in a low diversity forest site in Northeastern Costa Rica dominated by the species Pentaclethra macroloba, which sprouts from the root mass of fallen trees and from snapped trunks. We examined the population structure of juvenile P. macroloba growing in different soil types and across an elevational gradient. Using seven molecular markers, we genotyped 173 juvenile P. macroloba from 18 plots (six plots in seasonally inundated swamps, and 12 plots in upland non-swamp) spanning 50-300m in elevation at La Selva Biological Station and the adjacent Reserva Ecológica Bijagual in Northeastern Costa Rica. We answered two specific questions: (1) How extensive is clonal reproduction? and (2) what is the distribution of genetic diversity and structure? We found that clonal reproduction occurred exclusively within inundated swamp areas. However, there was no significant difference between genetic diversity measures in swamp and non-swamp plots, which were both generally low when compared with other tropical forest species. Genetic structure was significant across all plots (F(ST) = -0.109). However, genetic structure among swamp plots (F(ST) = 0.128) was higher than among non-swamp upland plots (F(ST) = 0.093). Additionally, spatial autocorrelation among individuals within non-swamp upland plots was significant from the 25 to 100m spatial scale, but not within swamp plots. The degree of overall genetic structure we found in P. macroloba is high for a tropical forest tree. The incidence of clonal reproduction is a contributing factor in genetic differentiation, but the high structure among plots without clonal reproduction indicates that other factors contribute as well.

The response of two very young naturally regenerated upland hardwood stands to weed control and fertilization

Treesearch

Jamie L. Schuler; Daniel J. Robison

2006-01-01

Two newly regenerated hardwood forest stands in the Piedmont of North Carolina were examined to determine the potential to accelerate productivity in young stands. Factorial combinations of fertilization and vegetation control treatments were applied to 1-year-old and 3-year-old stands. After three growing seasons, fertilization improved growth rates at both sites. The...

An evaluation of hardwood fuel models for planning prescribed fires in oak shelterwood stands

Treesearch

Patrick H. Brose

2017-01-01

The shelterwood burn technique is becoming more accepted and used as a means of regenerating eastern mixed-oak (Quercus spp.) forests on productive upland sites. Preparation is important to successfully implement this method; part of that preparation is selecting the proper fuel model (FM) for the prescribed fire. Because of the mix of leaf litter...

Factors influencing non-native tree species distribution in urban landscapes

Treesearch

Wayne C. Zipperer

2010-01-01

Non-native species are presumed to be pervasive across the urban landscape. Yet, we actually know very little about their actual distribution. For this study, vegetation plot data from Syracuse, NY and Baltimore, MD were used to examine non-native tree species distribution in urban landscapes. Data were collected from remnant and emergent forest patches on upland sites...

BOREAS TGB-5 CO2, CH4 and CO Chamber Flux Data Over the NSA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burke, Roger; Hall, Forrest G. (Editor); Conrad, Sara K. (Editor); Zepp, Richard

2000-01-01

The BOReal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study Trace Gas Biogeochemistry (BOREAS TGB-5) team collected a variety of trace gas concentration and flux measurements at several NSA sites. This data set contains carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and carbon monoxide (CO) chamber flux measurements conducted in 1994 at upland forest sites that experienced stand-replacement fires. These measurements were acquired to understand the impact of fires on soil biogeochemistry and related changes in trace gas exchange in boreal forest soils. Relevant ancillary data, including data concerning the soil temperature, solar irradiance, and information from nearby un-burned control sites, are included to provide a basis for modeling the regional impacts of fire and climate changes on trace gas biogeochemistry. The data are provided in tabular ASCII files.

Runoff water quality from a sierran upland forest, transition ecotone, and riparian wet meadow

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

High concentrations of inorganic N, P, and S have been reported in overland and litter interflow within forested uplands of the Tahoe basin and surrounding watersheds. In this study we compared runoff nutrient concentration and load as well as soil nutrient fluxes at three watershed locations; an up...

Bird response to fire severity and repeated burning in upland hardwood forest

Treesearch

Cathryn H. Greenberg; Thomas A. Waldrop; Joseph Tomcho; Ross J. Phillips; Dean Simon

2012-01-01

Prescribed burning is a common management tool for upland hardwood forests, with wildlife habitat improvement an often cited goal. Fire management for wildlife conservation requires understanding how species respond to burning at different frequencies, severities, and over time. In an earlier study, we experimentally assessed how breeding bird communities and species...

Comparison of oak and sugar maple distribution and regeneration in central Illinois upland oak forests

Treesearch

Peter J. Frey; Scott J. Meiners

2014-01-01

Changes in disturbance frequencies, habitat fragmentation, and other biotic pressures are allowing sugar maple (Acer saccharum) to displace oak (Quercus spp.) in the upland forest understory. The displacement of oaks by sugar maples represents a major management concern throughout the region. We collected seedling microhabitat data...

The effect of wildfire and clear-cutting on above-ground biomass, foliar C to N ratios and fiber content throughout succession: Implications for forage quality in woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mallon, E. E.; Turetsky, M.; Thompson, I.; Noland, T. L.; Wiebe, P.

2013-12-01

Disturbance is known to play an important role in maintaining the productivity and biodiversity of boreal forest ecosystems. Moderate to low frequency disturbance is responsible for regeneration opportunities creating a mosaic of habitats and successional trajectories. However, large-scale deforestation and increasing wildfire frequencies exacerbate habitat loss and influence biogeochemical cycles. This has raised concern about the quality of the under-story vegetation post-disturbance and whether this may impact herbivores, especially those vulnerable to change. Forest-dwelling caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) are declining in several regions of Canada and are currently listed as a species at risk by COSEWIC. Predation and landscape alteration are viewed as the two main threats to woodland caribou. This has resulted in caribou utilizing low productivity peatlands as refuge and the impact of this habitat selection on their diet quality is not well understood. Therefore there are two themes in the study, 1) Forage quantity: above-ground biomass and productivity and 2) Forage quality: foliar N and C to N ratios and % fiber. The themes are addressed in three questions: 1) How does forage quantity and quality vary between upland forests and peatlands? 2) How does wildfire affect the availability and nutritional quality of forage items? 3) How does forage quality vary between sites recovering from wildfire versus timber harvest? Research sites were located in the Auden region north of Geraldton, ON. This landscape was chosen because it is known woodland caribou habitat and has thorough wildfire and silviculture data from the past 7 decades. Plant diversity, above-ground biomass, vascular green area and seasonal foliar fiber and C to N ratios were collected across a matrix of sites representing a chronosequence of time since disturbance in upland forests and peatlands. Preliminary findings revealed productivity peaked in early age stands (0-30 yrs) and biomass peaked in late age stands (71+ yrs). Furthermore the peatlands were found to have greater overall biomass and productivity than the uplands. C to N ratios from summer foliar samples varied across plant functional type with lichen and mosses had the highest C to N ratios and deciduous trees, shrubs and forbs had the lowest ratios. C to N ratios from spring foliar samples also varied across plant functional type in a similar manner and also varied between uplands and peatlands and by age class. This suggests drainage class and stand age but not disturbance type affects the amount and quality of forage within terrestrial ecosystems. Our intention is to assess forage value of abundant species to help understand diet choices, possibly attributable to acquisition of forage low in C and high in N. This, in combination with biomass availability and productivity data, will be important for understanding the mechanisms contributing to caribou decline and for assessing adaptive forest management options under North American conservation initiatives.

Distribution of tetraether lipids in agricultural soils - differentiation between paddy and upland management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mueller-Niggemann, C.; Utami, S. R.; Marxen, A.; Mangelsdorf, K.; Bauersachs, T.; Schwark, L.

2015-10-01

Insufficient knowledge of the composition and variation of isoprenoid and branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs) in agricultural soils exists, despite of the potential effect of different management types (e.g. soil/water and redox conditions, cultivated plants) on GDGT distribution. Here, we determined the influence of different soil management types on the GDGT composition in paddy (flooded) and adjacent upland (non-flooded) soils, and if available also forest, bushland and marsh soils. To compare the local effects on GDGT distribution patterns, we collected comparable soil samples in various locations from tropical (Indonesia, Vietnam and Philippines) and subtropical (China and Italy) sites. We found that differences in the distribution of isoprenoid GDGTs (iGDGTs) as well as of branched GDGTs (brGDGTs) are predominantly controlled by management type and only secondarily by climatic exposition. In general upland soil had higher crenarchaeol contents than paddy soil, which on the contrary was more enriched in GDGT-0. The GDGT-0 / crenarchaeol ratio was 3-27 times higher in paddy soil and indicates the enhanced presence of methanogenic archaea, which were additionally linked to the number of rice cultivation cycles per year (higher number of cycles was coupled with an increase in the ratio). The TEX86 values were 1.3 times higher in upland, bushland and forest soils than in paddy soils. In all soils brGDGT predominated over iGDGTs, with the relative abundance of brGDGTs increasing from subtropical to tropical soils. Higher BIT values in paddy soils compared to upland soils together with higher BIT values in soil from subtropical climates indicate effects on the amounts of brGDGT through differences in management as well as climatic zones. In acidic soil CBT values correlated well with soil pH. In neutral to alkaline soils, however, no apparent correlation but an offset between paddy and upland managed soils was detected, which may suggest that soil moisture may exert an additional control on the CBT in these soils. Lower MBT' values and calculated temperatures (TMC) in paddy soils compared to upland soils may indicate a management (e.g. enhanced soil moisture through flooding practises) induced effect on mean annual soil temperature (MST).

Wood Products by Species and Quality in Upland Forests

Treesearch

David W. Patterson

2004-01-01

Products that can be produced from an upland forest depend on the species and quality of the trees present. Quality depends on growth rate and tree form. These variables are discussed as well as the products that can be produced such as veneer and plywood, grade lumber, handle stock, pallet stock, cross ties, and industrial lumber.

Visual quality assessment of alternative silvicultural practices in upland hardwood management

Treesearch

Tim McDonald; Bryce Stokes

1997-01-01

Visual impacts of forest operations are of increasing concern to forest managers. Tools are available for evaluating, and potentially avoiding, problems in visual quality resulting from poorly designed harvest unit boundaries. One of these visualization tools is applied in comparing various harvest unit shape alternatives in an upland hardwood stand on steeply sloping...

Spilogale gracilis in upland forests of western Washington and Oregon.

Treesearch

A.B. Carey; J.E. Kershner

1996-01-01

During surveys of upland forests in the Tsuga heterophylla Zone in Washington and Oregon, 1986 to 1996, we caught 192 S. gracilis. In the Oregon Coast Range, more (85%) S. gracilis were caught in oldeilar to Coast Range old growth (P = 0.60) with no differences between seral stages (P = 0.74). No S....

Influence of harvesting on understory vegetation along a boreal riparian-upland gradient

Treesearch

Rebecca L. MacDonald; Han Y.H. Chen; Brian P. Palik; Ellie E. Prepas

2014-01-01

Management of riparian forests, and how they respond to disturbance, continues to be a focus of interest in the literature. Earlier studies on riparian plant community assembly following harvesting in the boreal forest have focused merely on highly contrasting microhabitats within a landscape, for example, streambank riparian habitat or upland habitat. Sustaining...

Fire scars and tree vigor following prescribed fires in Missouri Ozark upland forests

Treesearch

Aaron P. Stevenson; Rose-Marie Muzika; Richard P. Guyette

2008-01-01

The goal of our project was to examine basal fire scars caused by prescribed fires and tree vigor in upland forests of the Missouri Ozarks. Fire scar data were collected in 100 plots from black oak (Quercus velutina Lam.), scarlet oak (Q. coccinea Muench.), Shumard oak (Q. shumardii Buckl.), post oak (Q...

Developing a stand hazard index for oak decline in upland Oak forests of the Ozark Highlands, Missouri

Treesearch

Fan Zhaofei; Fan Xiuli; Martin A. Spetich; Stephen R. Shifley; W. Keith Moser; Randy G. Jensen; John M. Kabrick

2011-01-01

Black oak (Quercus velutina Lam.) and scarlet oak (Quercus coccinea Muenchh.)--two major components (44% of total stand basal area) of upland oak forests--are suffering severe decline and mortality in the Ozark Highlands, Missouri. However, factors influencing their survival (mortality) are not well understood. In this study we...

Forest structure, composition, and tree diversity response to a gradient of regeneration harvests in the mid-Cumberland Plateau escarpment region, USA

Treesearch

Callie Schweitzer; Daniel C. Dey

2011-01-01

Upland hardwood stands on mesic, escarpment-oriented sites on the Cumberland Plateau region of northeastern Alabama provide a myriad management opportunities. Stands are primarily managed for Quercus, but the high species diversity allows for management that targets multiple species. Stand composition is unique in that dominant species include shade tolerant species...

Introduction of black walnut and northern red oak seedlings in an upland hardwood forest in southeastern Ohio

Treesearch

Donald E. Hilt

1977-01-01

Black walnut and northern red oak seedlings were planted on a clearcut area in 1964. Three cultural treatments were applied to seedlings to control competing trees. Average height and survival were analyzed 13 growing seasons after planting. Results indicated that black walnut seedlings can be effectively established on good sites if cultural treatments are applied....

Second-growth yield, stand, and volume tables for the western white pine type

Treesearch

Irvine T. Haig

1932-01-01

The western white pine type is the most important forest unit over large areas of rough uplands in northern Idaho and adjacent portions of eastern Washington and western Montana. It occupies throughout this region the cooler, moister sites between elevations of 2,000 and 5,500 feet, reaching its best development in northern Idaho between the international boundary and...

Relation of Crown Width to Tree Diameter In Some Upland Hardwood Stands of Southern Illinois

Treesearch

Leon S. Minckler; Samuel F. Gingrich

1970-01-01

Crown width-d.b.h. relationships in well stocked, uneven-aged stands of oak and hickory were similar to those for open-grown trees and were independent of site, crown class, and species. The irregular crowns of forest grown trees interface and overlap, however, and measuring crown extensions to the branch tips tended to overestimate effective crown area

FOREX - an expert system for managing even-aged upland oak forests on steep terrain

Treesearch

Chris B. LeDoux; B. Gopalakrishnan; K. Lankalapalli

1995-01-01

An expert system, FOREX, was developed to access the data from the database management provided by MANAGE. For a specific site index, the user of FOREX can obtain information on present net worth, optimal thinning entry timing, optimal stand rotation age, diameter at breast height, volume by grade and value of the trees harvested, and based on the cable yarder used,...

Upland oak ecology symposium: history, current conditions, and sustainability

Treesearch

Martin A. Spetich

2004-01-01

Fifty-one papers address the ecology, history, current conditions, and sustainability of upland oak forests - with emphasis on the Interior Highlands. Subject categories were selected to provide focused coverage of the state-of-the-art research and understanding of upland oak ecology of the region.

Convergent structural responses of tropical forests to diverse disturbance regimes.

PubMed

Kellner, James R; Asner, Gregory P

2009-09-01

Size frequency distributions of canopy gaps are a hallmark of forest dynamics. But it remains unknown whether legacies of forest disturbance are influencing vertical size structure of landscapes, or space-filling in the canopy volume. We used data from LiDAR remote sensing to quantify distributions of canopy height and sizes of 434,501 canopy gaps in five tropical rain forest landscapes in Costa Rica and Hawaii. The sites represented a wide range of variation in structure and natural disturbance history, from canopy gap dynamics in lowland Costa Rica and Hawaii, to stages and types of stand-level dieback on upland Mauna Kea and Kohala volcanoes. Large differences in vertical canopy structure characterized these five tropical rain forest landscapes, some of which were related to known disturbance events. Although there were quantitative differences in the values of scaling exponents within and among sites, size frequency distributions of canopy gaps followed power laws at all sites and in all canopy height classes. Scaling relationships in gap size at different heights in the canopy were qualitatively similar at all sites, revealing a remarkable similarity despite clearly defined differences in species composition and modes of prevailing disturbance. These findings indicate that power-law gap-size frequency distributions are ubiquitous features of these five tropical rain forest landscapes, and suggest that mechanisms of forest disturbance may be secondary to other processes in determining vertical and horizontal size structure in canopies.

Effects of fire on the thermal stability of permafrost in lowland and upland black spruce forests of interior Alaska in a changing climate

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jafarov, Elchin E.; Romanovsky, Vladimir E.; Genet, Helene; McGuire, Anthony David; Marchenko, Sergey S.

2013-01-01

Fire is an important factor controlling the composition and thickness of the organic layer in the black spruce forest ecosystems of interior Alaska. Fire that burns the organic layer can trigger dramatic changes in the underlying permafrost, leading to accelerated ground thawing within a relatively short time. In this study, we addressed the following questions. (1) Which factors determine post-fire ground temperature dynamics in lowland and upland black spruce forests? (2) What levels of burn severity will cause irreversible permafrost degradation in these ecosystems? We evaluated these questions in a transient modeling–sensitivity analysis framework to assess the sensitivity of permafrost to climate, burn severity, soil organic layer thickness, and soil moisture content in lowland (with thick organic layers, ~80 cm) and upland (with thin organic layers, ~30 cm) black spruce ecosystems. The results indicate that climate warming accompanied by fire disturbance could significantly accelerate permafrost degradation. In upland black spruce forest, permafrost could completely degrade in an 18 m soil column within 120 years of a severe fire in an unchanging climate. In contrast, in a lowland black spruce forest, permafrost is more resilient to disturbance and can persist under a combination of moderate burn severity and climate warming.

Microbial community dynamics and methane, carbon dioxide, oxygen, and nitrous oxide concentrations in upland forest and riparian soils across a seasonal gradient of fully saturated soils to completely dried soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, R. T.; McGlynn, B. L.; McDermott, T.; Dore, J. E.

2015-12-01

Gas concentrations (CH4, CO2, N2O, and O2), soil properties (soil water content and pH), and microbial community composition were measured from soils at 32 sites across the Stringer Creek Watershed in the Tenderfoot Creek Experimental Forest 7 times between June 3, 2013 and September 20, 2013. Soils were fully saturated during the initial sampling period and dried down over the course of the summer. Soils and gas were sampled from 5cm and 20cm at each site and also at 50cm at eight riparian sites. In total, 496 individual soil samples were collected. Soil moisture ranged from 3.7% to fully saturated; soil pH ranged from 3.60 to 6.68. Methane concentrations in soils ranged from 0.426 ppm to 218 ppm; Carbon dioxide concentrations ranged from 550 ppm to 42,990 ppm; Nitrous oxide concentrations ranged from 0.220 ppm to 2.111 ppm; Oxygen concentrations ranged from 10.2% to 21.5%. Soil microbial communities were characterized by DNA sequences covering the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene. DNA sequences were generated (~30,000,000 sequences) from the 496 soil samples using the Illumina MiSeq platform. Operational Taxonomic Units were generated using USEARCH, and representative sequences were taxonomically classified according the Ribosomal Database Project's taxonomy scheme. Analysis of similarity revealed that microbial communities found within a landscape type (high upland forest, low upland forest, riparian) were more similar than among landscape types (R = 0.600; p<0.001). Similarly, communities from unique site x depths were similar across the 7 collection periods (R = 0.646; p<0.001) despite changes in soil moisture. Euclidean distances of soil properties and gas concentrations were compared to Bray-Curtis community dissimilarity matrices using Mantel tests to determine how community structure co-varies with the soil environment and gas concentrations. All variables measured significantly co-varied with microbial community membership (pH: R = 0.712, p < 0.001; CO2: R = 0.578, p < 0.001; O2: R = 0.517, p < 0.001; Soil moisture: R = 0.408, p < 0.001; N2O: R = 0.218, p = 0.003; CH4: R = 0.195, p = 0.008). Despite the rather low co-variation between methane concentrations and microbial community composition, relative abundances of methanotrophic and methanogenic lineages did co-vary strongly with methane concentrations.

Differentiating climatic and successional influences on long-term development of a marsh

USGS Publications Warehouse

Singer, Darren K.; Jackson, Stephen T.; Madsen, Barbara J.; Wilcox, Douglas A.

1996-01-01

Comparison of long—term records of local wetland vegetation dynamics with regional, climate—forced terrestrial vegetation changes can be used to differentiate the rates and effects of autogenic successional processes and allogenic environmental change on wetland vegetation dynamics. We studied Holocene plant macrofossil and pollen sequences from Portage Marsh, a shallow, 18—ha marsh in northeastern Indiana. Between 10 000 and 5700 yr BP the basin was occupied by a shallow, open lake, while upland vegetation consisted of mesic forests of Pinus, Quercus, Ulmus, and Carya. At 5700 yr BP the open lake was replaced rapidly by a shallow marsh, while simultaneously Quercus savanna developed on the surrounding uplands. The marsh was characterized by periodic drawdowns, and the uplands by periodic fires. Species composition of the marsh underwent further changes between 3000 and 2000 yr BP. Upland pollen spectra at Portage Marsh and other sites in the region shifted towards more mesic vegetation during that period. The consistency and temporal correspondence between the changes in upland vegetation and marsh vegetation indicate that the major vegetational changes in the marsh during the Holocene resulted from hydrologic changes forced by regional climate change. Progressive shallowing of the basin by autogenic accumulation of organic sediment constrained vegetational responses to climate change but did not serve as the direct mechanism of change.

Enriched groundwater seeps in two Vermont headwater catchments are hotspots of nitrate turnover

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kaur, Amninder J.; Ross, Donald S.; Shanley, James B.; Yatzor, Anna R.

2016-01-01

Groundwater seeps in upland catchments are often enriched relative to stream waters, higher in pH, Ca2+ and sometimes NO3¯. These seeps could be a NO3¯ sink because of increased denitrification potential but may also be ‘hotspots’ for nitrification because of the relative enrichment. We compared seep soils with nearby well-drained soils in two upland forested watersheds in Vermont that are sites of ongoing biogeochemical studies. Gross N transformation rates were measured over three years along with denitrification rates in the third year. Gross ammonification rates were not different between the seep and upland soils but gross nitrification rates were about 3 × higher in the seep soils. Net nitrification rates trended higher in the upland soils and NO3¯ consumption (gross—net) was 8 times higher in the seep soils. The average denitrification rate for seep soils was about equal to the difference in NO3¯ consumption between seep and upland soils, suggesting denitrification can make up the difference. Temporal variation in seep water NO3¯ concentration was correlated with watershed outlet NO3¯ concentration. However, it is not clear that in-seep processes greatly altered seep water NO3¯ contribution to the streams. Seep soils appear to be hotspots of both nitrification and denitrification.

Upland hardwood silviculture DVD

Treesearch

Claire Payne; Donna Burnett

2010-01-01

The Upland Hardwood Ecology and Management unit of the Southern Research Station offers a week-long course that provides practicing foresters with information about current silvicultural practices and emerging issues based on scientific research and applied techniques that affect managing upland hardwoods. This DVD captures the course that took place in July 2007....

The transformation of vegetation vertical zonality affected by anthropogenic impact in East Fennoscandia (Russia)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sidorik, Vadim; Miulgauzen, Daria

2017-04-01

Ecosystems of East Fennoscandia have been affected by intensive anthropogenic influence that resulted in their significant transformation. Study of ecosystems in the framework of vegetation vertical zonality disturbance as well as its recovery allows to understand the trends of anthropogenically induced changes. The aim of the present research is the comparative analysis of vegetation vertical zonality of the two uplands in East Fennoscandia which may be considered as unaffected and affected by anthropogenic impact. The objects of key studies carried out in the north-west of Kola Peninsula in the vicinity of the Pechenganikel Mining and Metallurgical Plant are represented by ecosystems of Kalkupya (h 357 m) and Hangaslachdenvara (h 284 m) uplands. They are characterized by the similarity in sequence of altitudinal belts due to the position on the northern taiga - forest-tundra boundary. Plant communities of Kalkupya upland have no visible signs of anthropogenic influence, therefore, they can be considered as model ecosystems of the area. The sequence of altitudinal belts is the following: - up to 200 m - pine subshrub and green moss ("zonal") forest replaced by mixed pine and birch forest near the upper boundary; - 200-300 m - birch crooked subshrub wood; - above 300 m - tundra subshrub and lichen communities. Ecosystems of Hangaslachdenvara upland have been damaged by air pollution (SO2, Ni, Cu emissions) of the Pechenganikel Plant. This impact has led to plant community suppression and formation of barren lands. Besides the soil cover was significantly disturbed, especially upper horizons. Burying of soil profiles, represented by Podzols (WRB, 2015), also manifested itself in the exploited part of the area. The vegetation cover of Hangaslachdenvara upland is the following: - up to 130 m - birch and aspen subshrub and grass forest instead of pine forest ("zonal"); - 130-200 m - barren lands instead of pine forest ("zonal"); - above 200 m - barren lands instead of birch crooked subshrub wood, which stretched to the north-east, proving the leading role of prevailing southwestern winds in pollution spreading in the area. As the anthropogenic impact decreases due to the Plant's emissions decline, there have been identified signs of ecosystem restoration. The beginning restoration helps parvifoliate forests to grow in barren lands, including the above-mentioned birch and aspen forest on Hangaslachdenvara upland. Reductive processes of soil formation are responsible for the development of soddy or raw humus horizons in the substrate overlaying the well-developed Podzols. Nevertheless, there is no restoration above 130 m on Hangaslachdenvara upland owing to the barrier effect, in other words, intensive deposition and accumulation of air pollutants on the upland's top. Thus, there has been defined that the anthropogenic impact led to total vegetation vertical zonality modification and physical disturbance of soil cover in East Fennoscandia. The typical taiga scheme of "coniferous forest - birch crooked wood - tundra subshrub and lichen communities" altitudinal belts was replaced by that of "parvifoliate forest - barren land" altitudinal belts. However, after the reduction of anthropogenic influence "zonal" plant communities begin to restore gradually and weak developed soils are forming.

Timber resources of the Kuskokwim flood plain and adjacent upland.

Treesearch

Karl M. Hegg; Harold. Sieverding

1979-01-01

The first intensive forest inventory of the Kuskokwim River flood plains and adjacent uplands was conducted in 1967. A commercial forest area of 252.5 thousand acres (102.2 thousand hectares) was identified with a growing-stock volume of 343.0 million cubic feet (9.7 million cubic meters). A noncommercial stratum was also examined that had substantial standing volume...

Use of an Upland Pine Forest by the Star-Nosed Mole, Condylura Cristata

Treesearch

Timothy S. McCay; Mark J. Komoraoski; William M. Ford

1999-01-01

The star-nosed mole (Condylura cristata) is a semi-aquatic insectivore, commonly found near marshy areas and streams. We report two captures of star-nosed moles from a xeric, upland pine forest more than 500 m from the nearest persistent source of water. Both captures occurred during rainy nights, suggesting that star-nosed moles use rain events as...

The resilience of upland-oak forest canopy trees to chronic and acute precipitation manipulations

Treesearch

Paul J. Hanson; Timothy J. Tschaplinski; Stand D. Wullschleger; Donald e. Todd; Robert M. Auge

2007-01-01

Abstract—Implications of chronic (±33 percent) and acute (-100 percent) precipitation change were evaluated for trees of upland-oak forests of the eastern United States. Chronic manipulations have been conducted since 1993, and acute manipulations of dominant canopy trees (Quercus prinus; Liriodendron tulipifera) were initiated in 2003. Through 12...

Historic range of variability for upland vegetation in the Medicine Bow National Forest, Wyoming

Treesearch

Gregory K. Dillon; Dennis H. Knight; Carolyn B. Meyer

2005-01-01

An approach for synthesizing the results of ecological research pertinent to land management is the analysis of the historic range of variability (HRV) for key ecosystem variables that are affected by management activities. This report provides an HRV analysis for the upland vegetation of the Medicine Bow National Forest in southeastern Wyoming. The variables include...

Historic range of variability for upland vegetation in the Bighorn National Forest, Wyoming

Treesearch

Carolyn B. Meyer; Dennis H. Knight; Gregory K. Dillon

2005-01-01

An approach for synthesizing the results of ecological research pertinent to land management is the analysis of the historic range of variability (HRV) for key ecosystem variables that are affected by management activities. This report provides an HRV analysis for the upland vegetation of the Bighorn National Forest in northcentral Wyoming. The variables include live...

Upland Forest Linkages to Seasonal Wetlands: Litter Flux, Processing, and Food Quality

Treesearch

Brian J. Palik; Darold P. Batzer; Christel Kern

2005-01-01

The flux of materials across ecosystem boundaries has significant effects on recipient systems. Because of edge effects, seasonal wetlands in upland forest are good systems to explore these linkages. The purpose of this study was to examine flux of coarse particulate organic matter as litter fall into seasonal wetlands in Minnesota, and the relationship of this flux to...

Braconid (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) parasitoids of bark beetles in upland spruce stands of the Czech Republic

Treesearch

Aural Lozan; Jiri Zeleny

2003-01-01

Several species of bark beetles occur frequently in the upland spruce forests of the Czech Republic; some of them are serious pests that may cause vast destruction of forest stands. In the last decade, a complex of several species from the genera Ips, Pityogenes and Polygraphus contributed to large-scale devastation of thousand...

The role of young, recently disturbed upland hardwood forest as high quality food patches

Treesearch

Cathryn H. Greenberg; Roger W. Perry; Craig A. Harper; Douglas J. Levey; John M. McCord

2011-01-01

Young (1-10 year post-disturbance) upland hardwood forests function as high-quality food patches by providing abundant fruit, and nutritious foliage and flowers that attract pollinating and foliar arthropods and support high populations of small mammals that, in turn, are prey for numerous vertebrate predators. Reductions in basal area increase light penetration to the...

First-Year Response on an Upland Hardwood Forest to Five Levels of Overstory Tree Retention

Treesearch

Callie Jo Schweitzer

2004-01-01

Response of a north Alabama upland oak-hickory forest to five levels of overstory tree retention was compared following treatment. Fifty-acre experimental blocks were established on the mid-Cumberland Plateau, which included the highly dissected margins and sides of the southern subregion. Blocks were replicated three times. Each of the five retention treatments (...

Calcium isotope systematics in small upland catchments affected by spruce dieback in the period of extreme acid rain (1970-1990)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Novak, Martin; Farkas, Juraj; Holmden, Chris; Hruska, Jakub; Curik, Jan; Stepanova, Marketa; Prechova, Eva; Veselovsky, Frantisek; Komarek, Arnost

2017-04-01

Recently, new isotope tools have become available to study the behavior of nutrients in stressed ecosystems. In this study, we focus on changes in the abundance ratio of calcium (Ca) isotopes accompanying biogeochemical processes in small forested catchments. We monitored del44Ca values in ecosystem pools and fluxes in four upland sites situated in the Czech Republic, Central Europe. A heavily acidified site in the Eagle Mts. (northern Czech Republic) experienced 13 times higher atmospheric Ca inputs, compared to the other three sites, which were less affected by forest decline. Industrial dust was responsible for the elevated Ca input. Del44Ca values of individual poos/fluxes were used to identify Ca sources for the bioavailable Ca soil reservoir and for runoff. The bedrock of the study sites differed (leucogranite, orthogneiss vs. serpentinite and amphibolite). Across the sites, mean del44Ca values increased in the order: spruce bark < fine roots < needles < soil < bedrock < canopy throughfall < open-area precipitation < runoff < soil water. Plant preferentially took up isotopically light Ca, while residual isotopically heavy Ca was sorbed to soil particles or exported via runoff. Even at sites with a low del44Ca values of bedrock, runoff had a high del44Ca value. At the base-poor site, most runoff came from atmospheric deposition and residual Ca following plant uptake. It appeared that bedrock weathering did not supply enough Ca to replenish the bioavailable Ca pool in the soil. Currently, we are analyzing Ca isotope composition of individual rock-forming minerals to better assess the effect of different weathering rates of minerals with low/high radiogenic 40Ca contents on runoff del44Ca.

Seasonal changes of CO(2), CH(4) and N(2)O fluxes in relation to land-use change in tropical peatlands located in coastal area of South Kalimantan.

PubMed

Inubushi, K; Furukawa, Y; Hadi, A; Purnomo, E; Tsuruta, H

2003-07-01

Tropical peatland could be a source of greenhouse gases emission because it contains large amounts of soil carbon and nitrogen. However these emissions are strongly influenced by soil moisture conditions. Tropical climate is characterized typically by wet and dry seasons. Seasonal changes in the emission of carbon dioxide (CO(2)), methane (CH(4)) and nitrous oxide (N(2)O) were investigated over a year at three sites (secondary forest, paddy field and upland field) in the tropical peatland in South Kalimantan, Indonesia. The amount of these gases emitted from the fields varied widely according to the seasonal pattern of precipitation, especially methane emission rates were positively correlated with precipitation. Converting from secondary forest peatland to paddy field tended to increase annual emissions of CO(2) and CH(4) to the atmosphere (from 1.2 to 1.5 kg CO(2)-C m(-2)y(-1) and from 1.2 to 1.9 g CH(4)-C m(-2)y(-1)), while changing land-use from secondary forest to upland tended to decrease these gases emissions (from 1.2 to 1.0 kg CO(2)-C m(-2)y(-1) and from 1.2 to 0.6 g CH(4)-C m(-2)y(-1)), but no clear trend was observed for N(2)O which kept negative value as annual rates at three sites.

Forest response and recovery following disturbance in upland forests of the Atlantic Coastal Plain.

PubMed

Schäfer, Karina V R; Renninger, Heidi J; Carlo, Nicholas J; Vanderklein, Dirk W

2014-01-01

Carbon and water cycling of forests contribute significantly to the Earth's overall biogeochemical cycling and may be affected by disturbance and climate change. As a larger body of research becomes available about leaf-level, ecosystem and regional scale effects of disturbances on forest ecosystems, a more mechanistic understanding is developing which can improve modeling efforts. Here, we summarize some of the major effects of physical and biogenic disturbances, such as drought, prescribed fire, and insect defoliation, on leaf and ecosystem-scale physiological responses as well as impacts on carbon and water cycling in an Atlantic Coastal Plain upland oak/pine and upland pine forest. During drought, stomatal conductance and canopy stomatal conductance were reduced, however, defoliation increased conductance on both leaf-level and canopy scale. Furthermore, after prescribed fire, leaf-level stomatal conductance was unchanged for pines but decreased for oaks, while canopy stomatal conductance decreased temporarily, but then rebounded the following growing season, thus exhibiting transient responses. This study suggests that forest response to disturbance varies from the leaf to ecosystem level as well as species level and thus, these differential responses interplay to determine the fate of forest structure and functioning post disturbance.

Subfossil Leaves Reveal a New Upland Hardwood Component of the Pre-European Piedmont Landscape, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

PubMed Central

Elliott, Sara J.; Wilf, Peter; Walter, Robert C.; Merritts, Dorothy J.

2013-01-01

Widespread deforestation, agriculture, and construction of milldams by European settlers greatly influenced valley-bottom stream morphology and riparian vegetation in the northeastern USA. The former broad, tussock-sedge wetlands with small, anastomosing channels were converted into today’s incised, meandering streams with unstable banks that support mostly weedy, invasive vegetation. Vast accumulations of fine-grained “legacy” sediments that blanket the regional valley-bottom Piedmont landscape now are being reworked from stream banks, significantly impairing the ecological health of downstream water bodies, most notably the Chesapeake Bay. However, potential restoration is impaired by lack of direct knowledge of the pre-settlement riparian and upslope floral ecosystems. We studied the subfossil leaf flora of Denlingers Mill, an obsolete (breached) milldam site in southeastern Pennsylvania that exhibits a modern secondary forest growing atop thin soils, above bedrock outcrops immediately adjacent to a modified, incised stream channel. Presumably, an overhanging old-growth forest also existed on this substrate until the early 1700s and was responsible for depositing exceptionally preserved, minimally transported subfossil leaves into hydric soil strata, which immediately underlie post-European settlement legacy sediments. We interpret the eleven identified species of the subfossil assemblage to primarily represent a previously unknown, upland Red Oak-American Beech mixed hardwood forest. Some elements also appear to belong to a valley-margin Red Maple-Black Ash swamp forest, consistent with preliminary data from a nearby site. Thus, our results add significantly to a more complete understanding of the pre-European settlement landscape, especially of the hardwood tree flora. Compared with the modern forest, it is apparent that both lowland and upslope forests in the region have been modified significantly by historical activities. Our study underscores that generally overlooked subfossil leaves can provide important, local, temporally constrained paleoecological data, with much potential value in this case for stream and wetland restoration decisions in the mid-Atlantic region. PMID:24236120

Mercury dynamics in relation to dissolved organic carbon concentration and quality during high flow events in three northeastern U.S. streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dittman, Jason A.; Shanley, James B.; Driscoll, Charles T.; Aiken, George R.; Chalmers, Ann T.; Towse, Janet E.; Selvendiran, Pranesh

2010-01-01

Mercury (Hg) contamination is widespread in remote areas of the northeastern United States. Forested uplands have accumulated a large reservoir of Hg in soil from decades of elevated anthropogenic deposition that can be released episodically to stream water during high flows. The objective of this study was to evaluate spatial and temporal variations in stream water Hg species and organic matter fractions over a range of hydrologic conditions in three forested upland watersheds (United States). Mercury and organic matter concentrations increased with discharge at all three sites; however, the partitioning of Hg fractions (dissolved versus particulate) differed among sites and seasons. Associated with increased discharge, flow paths shifted from mineral soil under base flow to upper soil horizons. As flow paths shifted, greater concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) richer in aromatic substances were flushed from upper soil horizons to stream water. The hydrophobic organic matter associated with humic material from upper soils appears to have had a greater capacity to bind Hg. Because of the strong correlation between Hg and DOC, we hypothesize that there was a concurrent shift in the source of Hg with DOC from lower mineral soil to upper soil horizons. Our study suggests that stream discharge is an effective predictor of dissolved total Hg flux.

Changes in faunal and vegetation communities along a soil calcium gradient in northern hardwood forests

USGS Publications Warehouse

Beier, Colin M.; Woods, Anne M.; Hotopp, Kenneth P.; Gibbs, James P.; Mitchell, Myron J.; Dovciak, Martin; Leopold, Donald J.; Lawrence, Gregory B.; Page, Blair D.

2012-01-01

Depletion of Ca from forest soils due to acidic deposition has had potentially pervasive effects on forest communities, but these impacts remain largely unknown. Because snails, salamanders, and plants play essential roles in the Ca cycle of northern hardwood forests, we hypothesized that their community diversity, abundance, and structure would vary with differences in biotic Ca availability. To test this hypothesis, we sampled 12 upland hardwood forests representing a soil Ca gradient in the Adirondack Mountains, New York (USA), where chronic deposition has resulted in acidified soils but where areas of well-buffered soils remain Ca rich due to parent materials. Along the gradient of increasing soil [Ca2+], we observed increasing trends in snail community richness and abundance, live biomass of redback salamanders (Plethodon cinereus (Green, 1818)), and canopy tree basal area. Salamander communities were dominated by mountain dusky salamanders (Desmognathus ochrophaeus Cope, 1859) at Ca-poor sites and changed continuously along the Ca gradient to become dominated by redback salamanders at the Ca-rich sites. Several known calciphilic species of snails and plants were found only at the highest-Ca sites. Our results indicated that Ca availability, which is shaped by geology and acidic deposition inputs, influences northern hardwood forest ecosystems at multiple trophic levels, although the underlying mechanisms require further study.

Atmospheric Inputs of Mercury and Organic Carbon into a Forested Upland/Bog Watershed

Treesearch

Randall K. Kolka; E.A. Nater; D.F. Grigal; E.S. Verry

1999-01-01

Inputs of mercury (Hg) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in throughfall and stemflow waters were measured for an upland/bog watershed in northern Minnesota, and were compared to the deposition in a nearby opening to determine the influence of tree canopies on Hg and DOC deposition. Twice as much Hg and seven times as much DOC was deposited in the forested watershed...

Short-term stem mortality of 10 deciduous broadleaved species following prescribed burning in upland forests of the southern US

Treesearch

Tara L. Keyser; Virginia L. McDaniel; Robert N. Klein; Dan G. Drees; Jesse A. Burton; Melissa M. Forder

2018-01-01

In upland forests of the southern US, management is increasingly focussed on the restoration and maintenance of resilient structures and species compositions, with prescribed burning being the primary tool used to achieve these goals and objectives. In this study, we utilised an extensive dataset comprising 91 burn units and 210 plots across 13 National Park Service...

Sources, transformations, and hydrological processes that control stream nitrate and dissolved organic matter concentrations during snowmelt in an upland forest

Treesearch

Stephen D. Sebestyen; Elizabeth W. Boyer; James B. Shanley; Carol Kendall; Daniel H. Doctor; George R. Aiken; Nobuhito Ohte

2008-01-01

We explored catchment processes that control stream nutrient concentrations at an upland forest in northeastern Vermont, USA, where inputs of nitrogen via atmospheric deposition are among the highest in the nation and affect ecosystem functioning. We traced sources of water, nitrate, and dissolved organic matter (DOM) using stream water samples collected at high...

An old-growth definition for upland longleaf and south Florida slash pine forests, woodlands, and savannas

Treesearch

J. Larry Landers; William D. Boyer

1999-01-01

Upland longleaf pine forests, woodlands, and savannas once occupied most of the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains from southeastern Virginia south through the northern two-thirds of Florida and west to east Texas, with extensions into the Piedmont and mountains of Alabama and northwest Georgia. South Florida slash pine is native to the southern half of peninsular...

Development of prescribed fire as a silvicultural tool for the upland oak forests of the eastern United States

Treesearch

Patrick H. Brose

2014-01-01

In the past 40 years, the perception of periodic fire in upland oak (Quercus spp.) forests in the eastern United States has changed dramatically. Once thought of as a wholly destructive force, periodic fire is now considered an important disturbance whose absence is a major contributing factor to oak regeneration problems. This change in attitude and...

Dissolved organic nitrogen budgets for upland, forested ecosystems in New England

USGS Publications Warehouse

Campbell, J.L.; Hornbeck, J.W.; McDowell, W.H.; Buso, D.C.; Shanley, J.B.; Likens, G.E.

2000-01-01

Relatively high deposition of nitrogen (N) in the northeastern United States has caused concern because sites could become N saturated. In the past, mass-balance studies have been used to monitor the N status of sites and to investigate the impact of increased N deposition. Typically, these efforts have focused on dissolved inorganic forms of N (DIN = NH4-N + NO3-N) and have largely ignored dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) due to difficulties in its analysis. Recent advances in the measurement of total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) have facilitated measurement of DON as the residual of TDN - DIN. We calculated DON and DIN budgets using data on precipitation and streamwater chemistry collected from 9 forested watersheds at 4 sites in New England. TDN in precipitation was composed primarily of DIN. Net retention of TDN ranged from 62 to 89% (4.7 to 10 kg ha-1 yr-1) of annual inputs. DON made up the majority of TDN in stream exports, suggesting that inclusion of DON is critical to assessing N dynamics even in areas with large anthropogenic inputs of DIN. Despite the dominance of DON in streamwater, precipitation inputs of DON were approximately equal to outputs. DON concentrations in streamwater did not appear significantly influenced by seasonal biological controls, but did increase with discharge on some watersheds. Streamwater NO3-N was the only fraction of N that exhibited a seasonal pattern, with concentrations increasing during the winter months and peaking during snowmelt runoff. Concentrations of NO3-N varied considerably among watersheds and are related to DOC:DON ratios in streamwater. Annual DIN exports were negatively correlated with streamwater DOC:DON ratios, indicating that these ratios might be a useful index of N status of upland forests.

Presettlement and modern disturbance regimes in coast redwood forests: Implications for the conservation of old-growth stands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lorimer, Craig G.; Porter, Daniel J.; Madej, Mary Ann; Stuart, John D.; Veirs, Stephen D.; Norman, Steven P.; O'Hara, Kevin L.; Libby, William J.

2009-01-01

Coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), a western North American conifer of ancient lineage, has a paradoxical combination of late-successional characteristics and strong adaptations to disturbance. Despite its shade tolerance and heavy dominance of the canopy on many sites, redwood saplings are uncommon in upland old-growth stands. Information needed to ensure the conservation of old-growth redwood forests has been limited. In this review paper, we integrate evidence on redwood biology with data on the historic and modern disturbance regimes to help clarify the degree to which key attributes of redwood forests may have been dependent upon periodic disturbance. Available evidence suggests that episodes of fire, flooding, and slope failure prior to European settlement were frequent but predominantly of low to moderate severity and extent, resulting in broadly uneven-aged forests. The majority of fires prior to European settlement were apparently of human origin. Frequency and severity of the major disturbance agents have been radically changed in modern times. Fires have been largely excluded, and flooding has been altered in ways that have often been detrimental to old-growth redwoods on alluvial terraces. However, because of the apparent anthropogenic origin of most presettlement fires, the long-term evolutionary role of fire for coast redwood is ecologically ambiguous. With fire exclusion, redwood possibly could be displaced to some extent on upland sites by increasing abundance of fire-sensitive competitors. Alternatively, redwood may be able to maintain dominance by vegetative sprouting and new seedling establishment on root-wad mounds, fallen logs, and on soil exposed by slope failure. Future research priorities are suggested that will help resolve some of the current ambiguities.

Availability of nest cavity trees for wood ducks (Aix sponsa) at Sunkhaze Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, Maine

USGS Publications Warehouse

Clugston, D.A.

1999-01-01

The availability of natural cavities for cavitynesting waterfowl, especially wood ducks (Aix sponsa), was unknown ferating forest of Sunkhaze Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, ME. An assessment of cavity availability was needed to determine if the existing nesting box program should be increased. During November to March, 199697 and 199798, I sampled 56 onehalf ha random plots, stratified into 5 types (upland hardwood, upland conifer, upland mixwood, wetland conifer, and wetland hardwood) to assess availability of trees with cavities. The predominant tree species with cavities were red maple (Acer rubrum; 39%) and aspen (Populus sp.; 31%); 72% of all trees with cavities were alive. Density ees/plot averaged from 1.0 +0.4 (x +SE) in wetland softwoods to 1.9 +0.4 in upland hardwoods. This low density of potential cavity trees and the small mean dbh (39.4 +1.6 cm) indicate a young forest with few suitable cavities. Forested areas, especially hardwoods near canopy openings, need to be allowed to mature to increase the number and quality of future cavities. An expanded nest box program seems justified.

Interactive effects of fire, soil climate, and moss on CO2 fluxes in black spruce ecosystems of interior Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

O'Donnell, J. A.; Turetsky, M.R.; Harden, J.W.; Manies, K.L.; Pruett, L.E.; Shetler, G.; Neff, J.C.

2009-01-01

Fire is an important control on the carbon (C) balance of the boreal forest region. Here, we present findings from two complementary studies that examine how fire modifies soil organic matter properties, and how these modifications influence rates of decomposition and C exchange in black spruce (Picea mariana) ecosystems of interior Alaska. First, we used laboratory incubations to explore soil temperature, moisture, and vegetation effects on CO2 and DOC production rates in burned and unburned soils from three study regions in interior Alaska. Second, at one of the study regions used in the incubation experiments, we conducted intensive field measurements of net ecosystem exchange (NEE) and ecosystem respiration (ER) across an unreplicated factorial design of burning (2 year post-fire versus unburned sites) and drainage class (upland forest versus peatland sites). Our laboratory study showed that burning reduced the sensitivity of decomposition to increased temperature, most likely by inducing moisture or substrate quality limitations on decomposition rates. Burning also reduced the decomposability of Sphagnum-derived organic matter, increased the hydrophobicity of feather moss-derived organic matter, and increased the ratio of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) to total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) in both the upland and peatland sites. At the ecosystem scale, our field measurements indicate that the surface organic soil was generally wetter in burned than in unburned sites, whereas soil temperature was not different between the burned and unburned sites. Analysis of variance results showed that ER varied with soil drainage class but not by burn status, averaging 0.9 ?? 0.1 and 1.4 ?? 0.1 g C m-2d-1 in the upland and peatland sites, respectively. However, a more complex general linear model showed that ER was controlled by an interaction between soil temperature, moisture, and burn status, and in general was less variable over time in the burned than in the unburned sites. Together, findings from these studies across different spatial scales suggest that although fire can create some soil climate conditions more conducive to rapid decomposition, rates of C release from soils may be constrained following fire by changes in moisture and/or substrate quality that impede rates of decomposition. ?? 2008 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

Interactive effects of fire, soil climate, and moss on CO2 fluxes in black spruce ecosystems of interior Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

O'Donnell, Jonathan A.; Turetsky, Merritt R.; Harden, Jennifer W.; Manies, Kristen L.; Pruett, L.E.; Shetler, Gordon; Neff, Jason C.

2009-01-01

Fire is an important control on the carbon (C) balance of the boreal forest region. Here, we present findings from two complementary studies that examine how fire modifies soil organic matter properties, and how these modifications influence rates of decomposition and C exchange in black spruce (Picea mariana) ecosystems of interior Alaska. First, we used laboratory incubations to explore soil temperature, moisture, and vegetation effects on CO2 and DOC production rates in burned and unburned soils from three study regions in interior Alaska. Second, at one of the study regions used in the incubation experiments, we conducted intensive field measurements of net ecosystem exchange (NEE) and ecosystem respiration (ER) across an unreplicated factorial design of burning (2 year post-fire versus unburned sites) and drainage class (upland forest versus peatland sites). Our laboratory study showed that burning reduced the sensitivity of decomposition to increased temperature, most likely by inducing moisture or substrate quality limitations on decomposition rates. Burning also reduced the decomposability of Sphagnum-derived organic matter, increased the hydrophobicity of feather moss-derived organic matter, and increased the ratio of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) to total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) in both the upland and peatland sites. At the ecosystem scale, our field measurements indicate that the surface organic soil was generally wetter in burned than in unburned sites, whereas soil temperature was not different between the burned and unburned sites. Analysis of variance results showed that ER varied with soil drainage class but not by burn status, averaging 0.9 ± 0.1 and 1.4 ± 0.1 g C m−2 d−1 in the upland and peatland sites, respectively. However, a more complex general linear model showed that ER was controlled by an interaction between soil temperature, moisture, and burn status, and in general was less variable over time in the burned than in the unburned sites. Together, findings from these studies across different spatial scales suggest that although fire can create some soil climate conditions more conducive to rapid decomposition, rates of C release from soils may be constrained following fire by changes in moisture and/or substrate quality that impede rates of decomposition.

Catastrophic flood and forest cover change in the Huong river basin, central Viet Nam: a gap between common perceptions and facts.

PubMed

Tran, Phong; Marincioni, Fausto; Shaw, Rajib

2010-11-01

Recent catastrophic floods in Viet Nam have been increasingly linked to land use and forest cover change in the uplands. Despite the doubts that many scientists have expressed on such nexus, this common view prompted both positive forest protection/reforestation programs and often-unwarranted blame on upland communities for their forest management practices. This study discusses the disparity between public perceptions and scientific evidences relating the causes of catastrophic floods. The former was drawn on the results of a questionnaire and focus groups discussions with key informants of different mountainous communities, whereas the latter was based on GIS and remote sensing analysis of land cover change, including a statistical analysis of hydro-meteorological data of the Huong river basin in Viet Nam. Results indicate that there is a gap between the common beliefs and the actual relationship between the forest cover change and catastrophic floods. Undeniably, the studied areas showed significant changes in land cover over the period 1989-2008, yet, 71% of the variance of catastrophic flood level in the downstream areas appeared related to variance in rainfall. Evidences from this study showed that the overall increasing trends of catastrophic flooding in the Huong river basin was mainly due to climate variability and to the development of main roads and dyke infrastructures in the lowlands. Forest management policies and programs, shaped on the common assumption that forest degradation in the upland is the main cause of catastrophic flood in the downstream areas, should be reassessed to avoid unnecessary strain on upland people. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Aspen Regeneration in Riparian ManagementZones in Northern Minnesota: Effects ofResidual Overstory and Harvest Method

Treesearch

Brian Palik; Kory Cease; Leanne Egeland; Charles Blinn

2003-01-01

We examined aspen regeneration under diferent riparian management zone (RMZ) treatments in aspen forests in northern Minnesota. We also compared aspen regeneration in partially harvested RMZs to adjacent upland clearcuts. The four RMZ treatments included: (1) full control (no cutting in RMZ or upland); (2) riparian control (RMZ uncut; upland clearcut); and partially...

Soil-site relationships of the upland oaks

Treesearch

Willard H. Carmean

1971-01-01

Site quality for upland oaks can be estimated directly by using site-index curves, or indirect estimations can be made by using soil-site prediction methods. Presently available harmonized site-index curves may not be suitable for all upland oak species, or may not be suitable throughout their range. New stem-analysis data show that different species of oak have...

Statewide land cover derived from multiseasonal Landsat TM data: A retrospective of the WISCLAND project

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reese, H.M.; Lillesand, T.M.; Nagel, D.E.; Stewart, J.S.; Goldmann, R.A.; Simmons, T.E.; Chipman, J.W.; Tessar, P.A.

2002-01-01

Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) data were the basis in production of a statewide land cover data set for Wisconsin, undertaken in partnership with U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) Gap Analysis Program (GAP). The data set contained seven classes comparable to Anderson Level I and 24 classes comparable to Anderson Level II/III. Twelve scenes of dual-date TM data were processed with methods that included principal components analysis, stratification into spectrally consistent units, separate classification of upland, wetland, and urban areas, and a hybrid supervised/unsupervised classification called "guided clustering." The final data had overall accuracies of 94% for Anderson Level I upland classes, 77% for Level II/III upland classes, and 84% for Level II/III wetland classes. Classification accuracies for deciduous and coniferous forest were 95% and 93%, respectively, and forest species' overall accuracies ranged from 70% to 84%. Limited availability of acceptable imagery necessitated use of an early May date in a majority of scene pairs, perhaps contributing to lower accuracy for upland deciduous forest species. The mixed deciduous/coniferous forest class had the lowest accuracy, most likely due to distinctly classifying a purely mixed class. Mixed forest signatures containing oak were often confused with pure oak. Guided clustering was seen as an efficient classification method, especially at the tree species level, although its success relied in part on image dates, accurate ground troth, and some analyst intervention. ?? 2002 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.

Long-term changes in tree composition in a mesic old-growth upland forest in southern Illinois

Treesearch

James J. Zaczek; John W. Groninger; J.W. Van Sambeek

1999-01-01

The Kaskaskia Woods (Lat. 37.5 N, Long. 88.3 W), an old-growth hardwood forest in southern Illinois, has one of the oldest and best documented set of permanent plots with individual tree measurements in the Central Hardwood Region. In 1935, eight 0.101-ha plots were installed in a 7.4 ha upland area consisting of xeric oak-hickory and mesic mixed hardwoods communities...

N mineralization, nitrification, and N uptake across a 100-year chronosequence upland hardwood forests

Treesearch

Travis W. Idol; Phillip E. Pope; Felix, Jr. Ponder

2003-01-01

Net N mineralization, nitrification, and N uptake were monitored in the A (0-8 cm) and B (8-30 cm) soil horizons from 1997 to 1999 across a chronosequence of upland hardwood forest stands in southern Indiana, USA. Stand ages were 1, 6, 12, 31, and 80-100 years at the beginning of the study. Contrary to previous studies, there was no apparent stimulation of N...

Implementing watershed investment programs to restore fire-adapted forests for watershed services

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Springer, A. E.

2013-12-01

Payments for ecosystems services and watershed investment programs have created new solutions for restoring upland fire-adapted forests to support downstream surface-water and groundwater uses. Water from upland forests supports not only a significant percentage of the public water supplies in the U.S., but also extensive riparian, aquatic, and groundwater dependent ecosystems. Many rare, endemic, threatened, and endangered species are supported by the surface-water and groundwater generated from the forested uplands. In the Ponderosa pine forests of the Southwestern U.S., post Euro-American settlement forest management practices, coupled with climate change, has significantly impacted watershed functionality by increasing vegetation cover and associated evapotranspiration and decreasing runoff and groundwater recharge. A large Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program project known as the Four Forests Restoration Initiative is developing landscape scale processes to make the forests connected to these watersheds more resilient. However, there are challenges in financing the initial forest treatments and subsequent maintenance treatments while garnering supportive public opinion to forest thinning projects. A solution called the Flagstaff Watershed Protection Project is utilizing City tax dollars collected through a public bond to finance forest treatments. Exit polling from the bond election documented the reasons for the 73 % affirmative vote on the bond measure. These forest treatments have included in their actions restoration of associated ephemeral stream channels and spring ecosystems, but resources still need to be identified for these actions. A statewide strategy for developing additional forest restoration resources outside of the federal financing is being explored by state and local business and governmental leaders. Coordination, synthesis, and modeling supported by a NSF Water Sustainability and Climate project has been instrumental in facilitating the forest restoration and watershed health decision making processes.

CH_{4} production in the deep soil as a source of stem CH_{4} emission in Fagus sylvatica}

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maier, Martin; Machacova, Katerina; Urban, Otmar; Lang, Friederike

2017-04-01

Predicting greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes on a global scale requires understanding fluxes on the local scale. Understanding GHG processes in soil-plant-atmosphere systems is essential to understand and mitigate GHG fluxes on the local scale. Forests are known to act as carbon sink. Yet, trees at waterlogged sites are known to emit large amounts of CH4, what can offset the positive GHG balance due the CO2 that is sequestered as wood. Generally, upland trees like European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) are assumed not to emit CH4, and the upland forest soils are regarded as CH4 sinks. Soil-atmosphere fluxes and stem-atmosphere fluxes of CH4 were studied together with soil gas profiles at two upland beech forest sites in Germany and Czech Republic. Soil was a net CH4 sink at both sites. While most trees showed no or low emissions, one beech tree had exorbitant CH4 emissions that were higher than the CH4 sink capacity of the soil. A soil survey showed strong redoximorphic color patterns in the soil adjacent to this tree. Although the soil around the tree was taking up CH4, the soil gas profiles around this tree showed CH4 production at a soil depth >0.3 m. We interpret the coincidence of the production of CH4 in the deep soil below the beech with the large stem emissions as strong hint that there is a transport link between the soil and stem. We think that the root system represents a preferential transport system for CH4 despite the fact that beech roots usually do not have a special gas transport tissue. The observed CH4 stem emissions represent an important CH4 flux in this ecosystem, and, thus, should be considered in future research. Acknowledgement This research was supported by the Czech Academy of Sciences and the German Academic Exchange Service within the project "Methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from Fagus sylvatica trees" (DAAD-15-03), the Czech Science Foundation (17-18112Y), National Programme for Sustainability I (LO1415) and project DFG (MA 5826/2-1). We would like to thank Marek Jakubik, Sinikka Paulus, Ellen Halaburt and Sally Haddad for technical support.

Effects of moisture limitation on tree growth in upland and floodplain forest ecosystems in interior Alaska

Treesearch

John. Yarie

2008-01-01

The objective of this study was to examine the impact of summer throughfall on the growth of trees, at upland and floodplain locations, in the vicinity of Fairbanks, Alaska. Corrugated clear plastic covers were installed under the canopy of floodplain balsam poplar/white spruce stands and upland hardwood/white spruce stands to control soil moisture recharge as a result...

Salt marsh hydrology data web site facilitates research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gardner, L. R.; Reeves, H. W.

The interface between maritime forests and inter-tidal salt marshes along the southeastern coast of the United States is a major ecological boundary characterized by a sequence of botanical zones that typically consist of pine/ oak forest>Iva>Juncus>Salicornia>Spartina. In addition to questions regarding the physical and chemical factors that govern this ecotone, this interface is of interest because of the potential for groundwater flow to transfer nutrients and pollutants from developed uplands to the adjacent marshes. The interface is also of interest because it is presumably migrating upslope as a result of ongoing sea level rise and concomitant aquifer salinization.A new Web site, http://links.baruch.sc.edu/data/GRNDWATER/data/data.htm, contains long-term and spatially dense measurements of groundwater heads and salinity from a network of nested piezometers that has been installed along three forest-marsh transects across the Crab Haul Creek finger marsh basin at the North Inlet-Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Georgetown County South Carolina (Figure 1).

A cool-temperate young larch plantation as a net methane source - A 4-year continuous hyperbolic relaxed eddy accumulation and chamber measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ueyama, Masahito; Yoshikawa, Kota; Takagi, Kentaro

2018-07-01

Upland forests are thought to be methane (CH4) sinks due to oxidation by methanotrophs in aerobic soils. However, CH4 budget for upland forests are not well quantified at the ecosystem scale, when possible CH4 sources, such as small wet areas, exists in the ecosystem. Here, we quantified CH4 fluxes in a cool-temperate larch plantation based on four-year continuous measurements using the hyperbolic relaxed eddy accumulation (HREA) method and dynamic closed chambers with a laser-based analyzer. After filling data gaps for half-hourly data using machine-learning-based regressions, we found that the forest acted as a net CH4 source at the canopy scale: 30 ± 11 mg CH4 m-2 yr-1 in 2014, 56 ± 8 mg CH4 m-2 yr-1 in 2015, 154 ± 5 mg CH4 m-2 yr-1 in 2016, and 132 ± 6 mg CH4 m-2 yr-1 in 2017. Hotspot emissions from the edge of the pond could strongly contribute to the canopy-scale emissions. The magnitude of the hotspot emissions was 10-100 times greater than the order of the canopy-scale and chamber-based CH4 fluxes at the dry soils. The high temperatures with wet conditions stimulated the hotspot emissions, and thus induced canopy-scale CH4 emissions in the summer. Understanding and modeling the dynamics of hotspot emissions are important for quantifying CH4 budgets of upland forests. Micrometeorological measurements at various forests are required for revisiting CH4 budget of upland forests.

Assessing timber availability in upland Hardwood Forests

Treesearch

Dennis M. May; Chris B. LeDoux

1992-01-01

Reported forest inventory statistics gathered by the USDA Forest Service, Southern Forest Experiment Station, Forest Inventory and Analysis (SOFIA) have been criticized because not all of the inventory volume reported is truly available for harvest. In response to this criticism, a procedure has been developed for assessing timber availability from reported inventory...

Light, canopy closure, and overstory retention in upland Ozark forests

Treesearch

Elizabeth M. Blizzard; John M. Kabrick; Daniel C. Dey; David R. Larsen; Stephen G. Pallardy; David P. Gwaze

2013-01-01

Foresters, wildlife biologists, and naturalists manipulate forest composition and structure for numerous reasons including forest regeneration, timber production, wildlife habitat, conservation of native biodiversity, and ecosystem restoration. Light conditions in the understory of forests and woodlands are often key in meeting the management objectives. In this study...

Soil emissions of nitric oxide in a seasonally dry tropical forest of Mexico

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davidson, Eric A.; Vitousek, Peter M.; Riley, Ralph; Matson, Pamela A.; Garcia-Mendez, Georgina; Maass, J. M.

1991-01-01

Soil emissions of NO were measured at the Chamela Biological Station, Mexico, using soil covers and a field apparatus of NO detection based on CrO3 conversion of NO to NO2 and detection of NO2 by chemiluminescence with Luminol. Mean NO fluxes from forest soils ranged from 0.14 to 0.52 ng NO-N/sq cm/hr during the dry season and from 0.73 to 1.27 ng NO-N/sq cm/hr during the wet season. A fertilized floodplain pasture exhibited higher fluxes, but an unfertilized upland pasture, which represents the fastest growing land use in the region, had flux rates similar to the forest sites. Wetting experiments at the end of the dry season caused large pulses of NO flux, equaling 10 percent to 20 percent of the estimated annual NO emissions of 0.5-1.0 kg N/ha from the forest sites. Absence of a forest canopy during the dry season and the first wet season rain probably results in substantial NO(x) export from the forest system that may be important to regional atmospheric chemical processes. Wetting experiments during the wet season and a natural rain event had little or no stimulatory effect on NO flux rates.

Terrestrial flora and fauna in the vicinity of the Delmarva power and light station and proposed expansion site. Special report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Van Deusen, M.; Otto, R.G.

1980-04-01

The results of field surveys of the terrestrial vegetation, birds and mammals in the vicinity of the Delmarva Power and Light Company Vienna Steam Electric Station and proposed expansion area in Dorchester County, Maryland are presented. Four major habitats were identified: forest, oldfield, marsh and cultivated land. Qualitative surveys of flora and fauna were conducted to determine species present. Commercially important waterfowl, upland game birds and mammals and furbearers are discussed.

Archaeological Investigation in the Perry Lake Project Area, Northeastern Kansas National Register Evaluation of 17 Sites

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-01-01

Muscotah and Arrington marshes reveal the presence of open vegetation, with some pine, spruce, and birch trees and local stands of alder and willow...1977). Zone 4 pollen frequency curves demonstrate the dynamic nature of the prairie-forest ecotone. In zone 4a, grasses and deciduous trees are both...ecotone. Trees disappeared from the uplands and low values of some types of arboreal pollen suggest that the Delaware River floodplain "dried out over

The Value of Forest and Pasture to Water Supply in Kona, HI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brauman, K. A.; Daily, G. C.; Freyberg, D. L.

2007-12-01

By quantifying the supply and value of ecosystem services flowing from private land, we can provide a mechanism for sustaining ecosystem services by compensating landowners for their supply. In order for compensation to occur, however, both suppliers and users of ecosystem services require information about the way different land management scenarios will affect ecosystem service flows. This case study in Kona, HI, takes advantage of the direct link between upland water source areas and municipal drinking water users in Kailua-Kona to explore the value of one type of hydrologic service. By quantifying the difference in aquifer recharge under paired forest and pasture sites, we assess the impact of each land-cover type on the volume of water potentially available to municipal water users. We use a water balance approach - measuring rainfall interception and water use by plants, then calculating the balance to be aquifer recharge because of the absence of surface runoff. We aim to integrate these biophysical measurements with information, including costs of pumping, well construction, and land-cover maintenance, provided by the water utility and landowners to ascertain the value of forest and pasture to water supply. By determining the value to water users in Kailua-Kona of the increase or decrease in water quantity that would result from upland land-cover change, we aim both to protect drinking water quantity and to help landowners offset financial pressure to convert their land.

Peatlands and green frogs: A relationship regulated by acidity?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mazerolle, M.J.

2005-01-01

The effects of site acidification on amphibian populations have been thoroughly addressed in the last decades. However, amphibians in naturally acidic environments, such as peatlands facing pressure from the peat mining industry, have received little attention. Through two field studies and an experiment, I assessed the use of bog habitats by the green frog (Rana clamitans melanota), a species sensitive to various forestry and peat mining disturbances. First, I compared the occurrence and breeding patterns of frogs in bog and upland ponds. I then evaluated frog movements between forest and bog habitats to determine whether they corresponded to breeding or postbreeding movements. Finally, I investigated, through a field experiment, the value of bogs as rehydrating areas for amphibians by offering living Sphagnum moss and two media associated with uplands (i.e., water with pH ca 6.5 and water-saturated soil) to acutely dehydrated frogs. Green frog reproduction at bog ponds was a rare event, and no net movements occurred between forest and bog habitats. However, acutely dehydrated frogs did not avoid Sphagnum. Results show that although green frogs rarely breed in bogs and do not move en masse between forest and bog habitats, they do not avoid bog substrates for rehydrating, despite their acidity. Thus, bogs offer viable summering habitat to amphibians, which highlights the value of these threatened environments in terrestrial amphibian ecology.

45 years of non-stationary hydrology over a forest plantation growth cycle, Coalburn catchment, Northern England

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Birkinshaw, Stephen J.; Bathurst, James C.; Robinson, Mark

2014-11-01

The Coalburn research catchment (1.5 km2) in Kielder Forest, Northern England, is a long-term project to study the effect of upland afforestation on hydrology. There is now a unique 45-year record; making it Britain's longest running forest hydrology research catchment. The site was instrumented in 1967, ploughed and planted in 1972/73 and the trees have now reached maturity. Hourly meteorological data have been measured since 1993 and these have enabled hydrological simulations to be carried out using the Shetran model for the period 1993-2011. The results from this work show that after ploughing there was an increase of around 50-100 mm in annual streamflow compared with the original upland grassland vegetation. However, the mature trees now show a decrease of around 250-300 mm in the annual streamflow compared with the original vegetation and a decrease of around 350 mm in the annual streamflow compared with when the site was ploughed. The simulation results show very clearly the non-stationary nature of the catchment during 1993-2011 with an annual increase in intercepted evaporation and a decrease in discharge as the trees grow. Simulation results also show that peak discharges are higher for a cover of smaller trees compared with taller trees. However, the results suggest that the bigger the event the smaller is the difference, i.e. there is absolute convergence for the two different tree scenarios at higher discharges. The study shows how modelling can compensate for data deficiencies, to maximise outcomes. As a rare example of long-term analysis of non-stationary catchment behaviour it also provides real evidence of change that would otherwise have had to be inferred theoretically.

Bat Response to Differing Fire Severity in Mixed-Conifer Forest California, USA

PubMed Central

Heady, Paul A.; Hayes, John P.; Frick, Winifred F.

2013-01-01

Wildlife response to natural disturbances such as fire is of conservation concern to managers, policy makers, and scientists, yet information is scant beyond a few well-studied groups (e.g., birds, small mammals). We examined the effects of wildfire severity on bats, a taxon of high conservation concern, at both the stand (<1 ha) and landscape scale in response to the 2002 McNally fire in the Sierra Nevada region of California, USA. One year after fire, we conducted surveys of echolocation activity at 14 survey locations, stratified in riparian and upland habitat, in mixed-conifer forest habitats spanning three levels of burn severity: unburned, moderate, and high. Bat activity in burned areas was either equivalent or higher than in unburned stands for all six phonic groups measured, with four groups having significantly greater activity in at least one burn severity level. Evidence of differentiation between fire severities was observed with some Myotis species having higher levels of activity in stands of high-severity burn. Larger-bodied bats, typically adapted to more open habitat, showed no response to fire. We found differential use of riparian and upland habitats among the phonic groups, yet no interaction of habitat type by fire severity was found. Extent of high-severity fire damage in the landscape had no effect on activity of bats in unburned sites suggesting no landscape effect of fire on foraging site selection and emphasizing stand-scale conditions driving bat activity. Results from this fire in mixed-conifer forests of California suggest that bats are resilient to landscape-scale fire and that some species are preferentially selecting burned areas for foraging, perhaps facilitated by reduced clutter and increased post-fire availability of prey and roosts. PMID:23483936

The biogeochemistry of arsenic in a remote UK upland site: trends in rainfall and runoff, and comparisons with urban rivers.

PubMed

Rowland, A P; Neal, C; Reynolds, B; Jarvie, H P; Sleep, D; Lawlor, A J; Neal, M

2011-05-01

Ten years of monitoring of rainfall and streams in the remote acidic and acid sensitive moorland and afforested moorland of upland mid-Wales reveals concentrations of arsenic (As) typically <1 µg L(-1). On average, the lowest concentrations occur within rainfall and they have declined over time probably in response to reductions in global emissions. There is a corresponding reduction within the streams except for forested systems where concentrations up to doubled following clear-fell. Within the streams there are both annual cycling and diurnal cycling of As. The annual cycling gives maxima during the summer months and this probably reflects the importance of groundwater inputs and mineralisation/desorption from the surface soil layers. Correspondingly, the diurnal cycling occurs during the summer months at low flow periods with As concentrations highest in the afternoon/evening. For the urban/industrial basins of northern England with historically a much higher As deposition, land contamination and effluent discharges, comparative data indicate As concentrations around three fold higher: strong seasonal patterns are observed for the same reasons as with the uplands. Across the sites, the As concentrations are over an order of magnitude lower than that of environmental concern. Nonetheless, the results clearly show the effects of declining emissions on rainfall deposition and some indication of areas of historic contamination. Arsenic is mainly present in the <0.45 fraction, but cross-flow filtration indicates that approx. 43% is in the colloidal phase at the clean water sites, and 16% in the colloidal phase at the contaminated sites. Part of this colloidal component may well be associated with organic carbon.

Land-use and Land-cover Change from 1974 to 2008 around Mobile Bay

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ellis, Jean; Spruce, Joseph; Smoot, James; Hilbert, Kent; Swann, Roberta

2008-01-01

This project is a Gulf of Mexico Application Pilot in which NASA Stennis Space Center (SSC) is working within a regional collaboration network of the Gulf of Mexico Alliance. NASA researchers, with support from the NASA SSC Applied Science Program Steering Committee, employed multi-temporal Landsat data to assess land-use and land-cover (LULC) changes in the coastal counties of Mobile and Baldwin, AL, between 1974 and 2008. A multi-decadal time-series, coastal LULC product unique to NASA SSC was produced. The geographic extent and nature of change was quantified for the open water, barren, upland herbaceous, non-woody wetland, upland forest, woody wetland, and urban landscapes. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Coastal Development Data Center (NCDDC) will assist with the transition of the final product to the operational end user, which primarily is the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program (MBNEP). We found substantial LULC change over the 34-year study period, much more than is evident when the change occurring in the last years. Between 1974 and 2008, the upland forest landscape lost almost 6% of the total acreage, while urban land cover increased by slightly more than 3%. With exception to open water, upland forest is the dominant landscape, accounting for about 25-30% of the total area.

Relationships between dead wood and arthropods in the Southeastern United States.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ulyshen, Michael, Darragh

The importance of dead wood to maintaining forest diversity is now widely recognized. However, the habitat associations and sensitivities of many species associated with dead wood remain unknown, making it difficult to develop conservation plans for managed forests. The purpose of this research, conducted on the upper coastal plain of South Carolina, was to better understand the relationships between dead wood and arthropods in the southeastern United States. In a comparison of forest types, more beetle species emerged from logs collected in upland pine-dominated stands than in bottomland hardwood forests. This difference was most pronounced for Quercus nigra L., amore » species of tree uncommon in upland forests. In a comparison of wood postures, more beetle species emerged from logs than from snags, but a number of species appear to be dependent on snags including several canopy specialists. In a study of saproxylic beetle succession, species richness peaked within the first year of death and declined steadily thereafter. However, a number of species appear to be dependent on highly decayed logs, underscoring the importance of protecting wood at all stages of decay. In a study comparing litter-dwelling arthropod abundance at different distances from dead wood, arthropods were more abundant near dead wood than away from it. In another study, grounddwelling arthropods and saproxylic beetles were little affected by large-scale manipulations of dead wood in upland pine-dominated forests, possibly due to the suitability of the forests surrounding the plots.« less

Terrestrial flora and fauna in the vicinity of the Delmarva Power and Light station and proposed expansion site. Special report 77

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Van Deusen, M.; Otto, R.G.

1979-12-01

The results of field surveys of the terrestrial vegetation, birds and mammals in the vicinity of the Delmarva Power and Light Company Vienna Steam Electric Station and proposed expansion area in Dorchester County, Maryland are presented. Four major habitats were identified: forest, oldfield, marsh and cultivated land. Qualitative surveys of flora and fauna were conducted to determine species present. Commercially important waterfowl, upland game birds and mammals and furbearers are discussed. The status of endangered or threatened plants (seaside alder), birds (bald eagle) and mammals (Delmarva fox squirrel) on the site is evaluated.

Field Validation of a Conservation Network on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, USA, Using Breeding Birds as Bio-Indicators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weber, Theodore C.; Blank, Peter J.; Sloan, Anne

2008-04-01

Maryland’s Green Infrastructure (GI) is a network of large, intact natural areas (hubs), interconnected by linear swaths of riparian or upland vegetation (corridors). The GI serves significant ecological functions and provides the bulk of the state’s natural support system. This study examined whether the GI as mapped does, in fact, identify Maryland’s most ecologically valuable forested lands, using forest interior dwelling birds (hereafter called “forest birds”) as bio-indicators. We conducted bird point counts within forest both inside and outside of hubs on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. We also collected a wide variety of habitat data. We found that both the condition of a forest and its surrounding landscape influenced the bird communities. On average, forest bird richness was significantly higher within hubs; furthermore, almost all sites with at least five forest bird species present were in hubs. Forest bird richness and abundance were highest in undisturbed, mature broadleaf forest with wetlands and streams nearby. We detected a significant relationship between forest bird richness and the ecological score of a finer-scale landscape assessment, focused on “cells” of about 0.1 ha in size. This field study also validated the Rapid Field Assessment (RFA) protocol developed in 2001 to assess, on the ground, the relative condition of individual sites or properties within the GI. Forest bird richness and abundance were positively correlated with the RFA community scores. Our results underscore the importance of maintaining regional biological diversity by retaining large blocks of forest, especially mature forest containing streams and wetlands.

Temperate forest methane sink diminished by tree emissions.

PubMed

Pitz, Scott; Megonigal, J Patrick

2017-06-01

Global budgets ascribe 4-10% of atmospheric methane (CH 4 ) sinks to upland soils and have assumed until recently that soils are the sole surface for CH 4 exchange in upland forests. Here we report that CH 4 is emitted from the stems of dominant tree species in a temperate upland forest, measured using both the traditional static-chamber method and a new high-frequency, automated system. Tree emissions averaged across 68 observations on 17 trees from May to September were 1.59 ± 0.88 μmol CH 4  m -2  stem h -1 (mean ± 95% confidence interval), while soils adjacent to the trees consumed atmospheric CH 4 at a rate of -4.52 ± 0.64 μmol CH 4  m -2  soil h -1 (P < 0.0001). High-frequency measurements revealed diurnal patterns in the rate of tree-stem CH 4 emissions. A simple scaling exercise suggested that tree emissions offset 1-6% of the growing season soil CH 4 sink and may have briefly changed the forest to a net CH 4 source. © 2017 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2017 New Phytologist Trust.

Elevation as a barrier: genetic structure for an Atlantic rain forest tree (Bathysa australis) in the Serra do Mar mountain range, SE Brazil.

PubMed

Reis, Talita Soares; Ciampi-Guillardi, Maísa; Bajay, Miklos Maximiliano; de Souza, Anete Pereira; Dos Santos, Flavio Antonio Maës

2015-05-01

Distance and discrete geographic barriers play a role in isolating populations, as seed and pollen dispersal become limited. Nearby populations without any geographic barrier between them may also suffer from ecological isolation driven by habitat heterogeneity, which may promote divergence by local adaptation and drift. Likewise, elevation gradients may influence the genetic structure and diversity of populations, particularly those marginally distributed. Bathysa australis (Rubiaceae) is a widespread tree along the elevation gradient of the Serra do Mar, SE Brazil. This self-compatible species is pollinated by bees and wasps and has autochoric seeds, suggesting restricted gene dispersal. We investigated the distribution of genetic diversity in six B. australis populations at two extreme sites along an elevation gradient: a lowland site (80-216 m) and an upland site (1010-1100 m.a.s.l.). Nine microsatellite loci were used to test for genetic structure and to verify differences in genetic diversity between sites. We found a marked genetic structure on a scale as small as 6 km (F ST = 0.21), and two distinct clusters were identified, each corresponding to a site. Although B. australis is continuously distributed along the elevation gradient, we have not observed a gene flow between the extreme populations. This might be related to B. australis biological features and creates a potential scenario for adaptation to the different conditions imposed by the elevation gradient. We failed to find an isolation-by-distance pattern; although on the fine scale, all populations showed spatial autocorrelation until ∼10-20 m. Elevation difference was a relevant factor though, but we need further sampling effort to check its correlation with genetic distance. The lowland populations had a higher allelic richness and showed higher rare allele counts than the upland ones. The upland site may be more selective, eliminating rare alleles, as we did not find any evidence for bottleneck.

Continuous measurements of methane flux in two Japanese temperate forests based on the micrometeorological and chamber methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoshikawa, K.; Ueyama, M.; Takagi, K.; Kominami, Y.

2015-12-01

Methane (CH4) budget in forest ecosystems have not been accurately quantified due to limited measurements and considerable spatiotemporal heterogeneity. In order to quantify CH4 fluxes at temperate forest at various spatiotemporal scales, we have continuously measured CH4 fluxes at two upland forests based on the micrometeorological hyperbolic relaxed eddy accumulation (HREA) and automated dynamic closed chamber methods.The measurements have been conducted at Teshio experimental forest (TSE) since September 2013 and Yamashiro forest meteorology research site (YMS) since November 2014. Three automated chambers were installed on each site. Our system can measure CH4 flux by the micrometeorological HREA, vertical concentration profile at four heights, and chamber measurements by a laser-based gas analyzer (FGGA-24r-EP, Los Gatos Research Inc., USA).Seasonal variations of canopy-scale CH4 fluxes were different in each site. CH4 was consumed during the summer, but was emitted during the fall and winter in TSE; consequently, the site acted as a net annual CH4 source. CH4 was steadily consumed during the winter, but CH4 fluxes fluctuated between absorption and emission during the spring and summer in YMS. YMS acted as a net annual CH4 sink. CH4 uptake at the canopy scale generally decreased with rising soil temperature and increased with drying condition for both sites. CH4 flux measured by most of chambers showed the consistent sensitivity examined for the canopy scale to the environmental variables. CH4 fluxes from a few chambers located at a wet condition were independent of variations in soil temperature and moisture at both sites. Magnitude of soil CH4 uptake was higher than the canopy-scale CH4 uptake. Our results showed that the canopy-scale CH4 fluxes were totally different with the plot-scale CH4 fluxes by chambers, suggesting the considerable spatial heterogeneity in CH4 flux at the temperate forests.

SUBSURFACE CHARACTERIZATION OF UPLAND RIPARIAN MEADOWS IN CENTRAL NEVADA USING AN INNOVATIVE DIRECT-PUSH EXPLORATION RIG

EPA Science Inventory

The U.S. EPA and the USDA Forest Service are conducting a joint investigation to better understand the interactions between geomorphology, hydrology, and vegetation associated with riparian meadow ecosystems in upland watersheds in central Nevada. Stream incision is a major threa...

Intermediate Cutting in Mixed Upland Oak Stands on the Western Highland Rim, Tennessee, After a Quarter of a Century

Treesearch

Adrienne N. Hall; John C. Rennie; Glendon W. Smalley

2004-01-01

In 1973 and 1974, a study was established at Stewart State Forest (SSF) and Lewis State Forest (LSF) to evaluate Roach and Gingrich’s “Even-Aged Silviculture for Upland Central Oaks” on the Western Highland Rim. Harvesting to the “B-level” of the stocking guide primarily removed cull and low-quality stems. Basal area was reduced from 110 to 80 square feet per acre at...

Productivity and carbon sequestration of forests in the southern United States

Treesearch

Kurt H. Johnsen; Tara L. Keyser; John R. Butnor; Carlos A. Gonzalez-Beenecke; Donald J. Kaczmarek; Chris A. Maier; Heather R. McCarthy; Ge. Sun

2014-01-01

Sixty percent of the Southern United States landscape is forested (Wear 2002). Forest types vary greatly among the five subregions of the South, which include the Coastal Plain, Piedmont, Appalachian-Cumberland, Mid-South, and the Mississippi Alluvial Valley. Current inventory data show upland hardwood forests being the predominant forest type in the South (>30...

Invertabrates Associated with Woody Debris in a Southeastern U.S. Forested Floodplain Wetland

Treesearch

Amy Braccia; Darold P. Batzer

2001-01-01

Woody debris is an ecologically important resource in upland forests and stream ecosystems. Although much is known about invertebrate-woody debris interactions in forests and streams, little information exists for forested wetlands. In this study, invertebrates associated with woody debris in a Southeastern U. S. forested floodplain are described and factors that shape...

Effects of Atmospheric Nitrate on an Upland Stream of the Northeastern USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sebestyen, S. D.; Shanley, J. B.; Boyer, E. W.; Kendall, C.

2009-05-01

Excess nitrogen cascades through terrestrial biogeochemical cycles and affects stream nitrate concentrations in upland forests where atmospheric deposition is an important source of anthropogenic nitrogen. We will discuss approaches including high-frequency sampling, isotopic tracers, and end-member mixing analysis that can be used to decipher the sources, transformations, and hydrological processes that affect nitrate transport through forested upland catchments to streams. We present results of studies at the Sleepers River Research Watershed in Vermont, USA, a site where we have intensively measured stream nitrate concentrations during baseflow and stormflow. Stream nitrate concentrations are typically low and nearly 75% of annual inorganic N inputs from atmospheric deposition are retained within the catchment. However, high concentrations and stream loadings of nitrate occur during storm events due to source variation and hydrological flushing of nitrate from catchment soils. Using isotopic tracers and end-member mixing analysis, we have quantified source inputs of unprocessed atmospheric nitrate and show that this stream is directly affected by nitrogen pollution. Using a long-term record of stream hydrochemistry and our findings on event- scale nitrate flushing dynamics, we then explore how stream nitrate loading may respond to anthropogenic climate forcing during the next century. Results suggest that stream runoff and nitrate loadings will change during future emission scenarios (i.e. longer growing seasons and higher winter precipitation rates). Understanding the timing and magnitude of hydrological and hydrochemical responses is important because climate change effects on catchment hydrology may alter how nitrate is retained, produced, and hydrologically flushed in headwater ecosystems with implications for aquatic metabolism, nutrient export from catchments, and downstream eutrophication.

Description of Vegetation in Several Periodically Burned Longleaf Pine Forests on the Kisatchie National Forest

Treesearch

James D. Haywood; Finis L. Harris

1999-01-01

Abstract - In January 1993, the Kisatchie National Forest and Southern Research Station began a cooperative project on two Ranger Districts to monitor how prescribed burning affects tree, shrub, and herbaceous vegetation in upland longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) forests in Louisiana. Longleaf pine is the dominant species on...

Foresters' perceptions of windthrow dynamics in northern Minnesota riparian management zones

Treesearch

Jeremy C. Steil; Charles R. Blinn; Randy Kolka

2009-01-01

A survey was mailed to foresters in northern Minnesota to identify their perceptions of what conditions result in higher incidence of windthrow in riparian management zones (RMZ) where the upland has been clearcut. Results indicate that foresters think many variables impact windthrow, often interacting in complex ways. Foresters considered topographic exposure, species...

Factors Controlling Fluxes of Nitrous Oxide (N-N2O) in AN Upland Tropical Forest (atlantic Forest) - Brazil, Rio de Janeiro

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perry, I.; de Mello, W. Z.; McDowell, W. H.

2010-12-01

Atlantic Forest is located along the Brazilian coast and inland to Paraguay and Argentina. It has been largely devastated years ago by anthropogenic activities, such as agriculture and urbanization. Only ten percent of its original area remains (100.000 km2), which is concentrated on high lands. Atlantic Forest is a biodiversity hotspot that receives high nitrogen (N) input through atmospheric deposition in forests of Rio de Janeiro; however, not much is known about the consequences of this N addition. This study has been conducted in the Serra dos Orgaos National Park (SONP - 22.782 km2) located a few kilometers Northeast of Rio de Janeiro Metropolitan Region, Sea Mountain. The forest, characterized as Tropical Moist Forest, is rigorously protected. Vegetation varies along the altitudinal gradient, where the highest peak is at 2,200m asl. Previous studies reported that N atmospheric deposition in SONP varies from 14 to 24 kg ha-1 year-1. The high N deposition on tropical forests increases emission to the atmosphere of N-N2O, a greenhouse gas. There is a lack of N-N2O measurements in tropical forests, mainly in upland tropical forests. We present fluxes of N-N2O from a Brazilian upland tropical forest, and assess the factors controlling N-N2O fluxes. Samples were collected from eight grids (48m2), between 330-451m asl (Subtropical vegetation) and eight grids between 1137-1251m (Montane vegetation), during the dry (July 2008) and wet (Jan-Feb 2009) seasons. Daily, N-N2O (N=372) and soil (N=185) were collected. Nitrous oxide emission was 0,7 (lower altitude) and 0,3 kgN ha-1 year-1 (higher altitude), which is lower than in other upland tropical forests, such as Luquillo Experimental Forest, Puerto Rico, where atmospheric N input (4 kg ha-1 year-1) is not as high as in SONP. Water filled pore space, soil temperature, phosphorus and C:N are the main factors controlling N-N2O fluxes. Manganese was not a good indicator for presence or absence of N-N2O. Higher N-N2O fluxes occurred with a C:N ratio below 16, and also increased with WFPS, soil temperature and phosphorus. Nitrogen availability had little influence on N-N2O fluxes, while phosphorus might be a limiting nutrient for N-N2O production in SONP. *Presenting authot (E-mail: igperry@yahoo.com.br)

Upland beech trees significantly contribute to forest methane exchange

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Machacova, Katerina; Maier, Martin; Svobodova, Katerina; Halaburt, Ellen; Haddad, Sally; Lang, Friederike; Urban, Otmar

2016-04-01

Methane (CH4) can be emitted not only from soil, but also from plants. Fluxes of CH4were predominantly investigated in riparian herbaceous plants, whereas studies on trees, particularly those lacking an aerenchyma, are rare. In soil produced CH4 can be taken up by roots, transported via intercellular spaces and the aerenchyma system, or transpiration stream to aboveground plant tissues and released to the atmosphere via lenticels or stomata. Although CH4 might be also produced by microorganisms living in plant tissues or photochemical processes in plants, these processes are relatively minor. It has been shown that seedlings of European beech (Fagus sylvatica) emit CH4 from its stems despite the lack of an aerenchyma. Our objectives were to determine the CH4 fluxes from mature beech trees and adjacent soil under natural field conditions, and to estimate the role of trees in the CH4exchange within the soil-tree-atmosphere continuum. Measurements were conducted in two mountain beech forests with different geographical and climatic conditions (White Carpathians, Czech Republic; Black Forest, Germany). CH4 fluxes at stems (profile) and root bases level were simultaneously measured together with soil-atmosphere fluxes using static chamber systems followed by chromatographic analysis or continuous laser detection of CH4 concentrations. Our study shows that mature beech trees have the ability to exchange CH4 with the atmosphere. The beech stems emitted CH4 into the atmosphere at the White Carpathians site in the range from 2.00 to 179 μg CH4 m-2 stem area h-1, while CH4 flux rates ranged between -1.34 to 1.73 μg CH4 m-2 h-1 at the Black Forest site. The root bases of beech trees from the White Carpathians released CH4 into the atmosphere (from 0.62 to 49.8 μg CH4 m-2 root area h-1), whereas a prevailing deposition was observed in the Black Forest (from -1.21 to 0.81 μg CH4 m-2 h-1). These fluxes seem to be affected by soil water content and its spatial heterogeneity. Compared to beech trees, forest floor was a sink for CH4 on the both sites. The deposition rates reached -52 and -161 μg CH4 m-2 soil area h-1 at the White Carpathians and Black Forest site, respectively. Concluded, CH4 emissions from upland beech trees significantly contribute to total CH4 flux and have to be counted towards the overall CH4 balance of beech forest. Acknowledgement This research was financially supported by the Czech Academy of Sciences and the German Academic Exchange Service within the project "Methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from Fagus sylvatica trees" (DAAD-15-03), National Programme for Sustainability I (LO1415) and DFG project (MA 5826/2-1). We thank Marek Jakubik for technical support and Sinikka Paulus for help by field measurements.

Species-specific Mechanisms Contributing to the Mesophication of Upland Oak Stands in the Absence of Fire

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Babl, E. K.; Alexander, H. D.; Siegert, C. M.; Willis, J. L.; Berry, A. I.

2017-12-01

Upland oak forests of the eastern United States are shifting dominance towards shade-tolerant, fire-intolerant species. This shift is hypothesized to be driven by anthropogenic fire suppression and lead to mesophication, a positive feedback loop where shade-tolerant, fire-sensitive species (i.e. mesophytes) create a cool, moist understory, reducing forest flammability and promoting their own proliferation at the expense of pyrophytic, shade-intolerant species such as oaks. There have been few empirical studies identifying mechanisms of mesophication, and these studies have yet to extensively explore potential mesophytes other than red maple (Acer rubrum). To address this issue, we sampled four hypothesized mesophytes (A. rubrum, A. saccharum, Carya glabra, and Fagus grandifolia) and two upland oak species (Quercus alba and Q. montana) across a gradient of sizes (20-60 cm DBH) in western Kentucky. We quantified canopy, bark, and leaf litter traits among upland oaks and mesophytes that may lead to differences in forest flammability. Preliminary results show that mesophytes had thinner and smoother bark than upland oaks and an increased canopy volume (normalized to stem volume), traits known to influence water movement through the canopy and understory microclimate. Maple leaf litter also decomposed faster, which could decrease fuel loads; after 6 months, red and sugar maple leaf litter lost 37% of original mass compared to 32%, 22%, and 14% mass loss in hickory, oak, and American beech litter, respectively. Furthermore, volumetric soil moisture of the soil organic layer beneath the canopies of mesophytes was 62% moister two days following a rainfall event compared to oaks. These differences in soil organic layer water retention after rainfall could lead to fuel discontinuity. These findings suggest that mesophytes may alter future forest flammability through their bark, canopy, and leaf litter traits which may modify fuel moisture, loads, and continuity and that a mesophication tipping point may eventually occur that prevents restoration efforts using prescribed fire.

Spatial differences in hydrologic characteristics and water chemistry of a temperate coastal plain peatland: The Great Dismal Swamp, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Speiran, Gary K.; Wurster, Frederick C.

2016-01-01

Spatial differences in hydrologic processes and geochemistry across forested peatlands control the response of the wetland-community species and resiliency to natural and anthropogenic disturbances. Knowing these controls is essential to effectively managing peatlands as resilient wetland habitats. The Great Dismal Swamp is a 45,325 hectare peatland in the Atlantic Coastal Plain of Virginia and North Carolina, USA, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The existing forest-species distribution is a product of timber harvesting, hydrologic alteration by canal and road construction, and wildfires. Since 2009, studies of hydrologic and geochemical controls have expanded knowledge of groundwater flow paths, water chemistry, response to precipitation events, and characteristics of the peat. Dominant hydrologic and geochemical controls include (1) the gradual slope in land surface, (2) vertical differences in the hydraulic characteristics of the peat, (3) the proximity of lateral groundwater and small stream inflows from uplands, (4) the presence of an extensive canal and road network, and (5) small, adjustable-height dams on the canals. Although upland sources provide some surface water and lateral groundwater inflow to western parts of the swamp, direct groundwater recharge by precipitation is the major source of water throughout the swamp and the only source in many areas. Additionally, the proximity and type of upland water sources affect water levels and nutrient concentrations in canal water and groundwater. Where streams are a dominant upland source, variations in groundwater levels and nutrient concentrations are greater than where recharge by precipitation is the primary water source. Where upland groundwater is a dominant source, water levels are more stable. Because the species distribution of forest communities in the Swamp is strongly influenced by these controls, swamp managers are beginning to incorporate this knowledge into forest, water, and fire management plans.

Nine-year performance of a variety of Populus taxa on an upland site in western Kentucky

Treesearch

Randall J. Rousseau; Joshua P. Adams; David W. Wilkerson

2013-01-01

A variety of hybrid poplars have been planted on upland sites throughout the Midwest and Midsouth regions of the United States. Very few of these clones have proven to be worthwhile due to susceptibility to a variety of diseases. Five different Populus taxa were planted on an upland site in western Kentucky as a means of assessing resistance to local...

Winter browse selection by white-tailed deer and implications for bottomland forest restoration in the Upper Mississippi River Valley, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cogger, Benjamin J.; De Jager, Nathan R.; Thomsen, Meredith; Adams, Carrie Reinhardt

2014-01-01

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) forage selectively, modifying upland forest species composition and in some cases shifting ecosystems to alternative stable states. Few studies, however, have investigated plant selection by deer in bottomland forests. Herbaceous invasive species are common in wetlands and their expansion could be promoted if deer avoid them and preferentially feed on native woody species. We surveyed plant species composition and winter deer browsing in 14 floodplain forest restoration sites along the Upper Mississippi River and tributaries. Tree seedling density declined rapidly with increasing cover of invasive Phalaris arundinacea, averaging less than 1 per m2 in all sites in which the grass was present. Deer browsed ∼46% of available tree seedling stems (branches) at mainland restorations, compared to ∼3% at island sites. Across all tree species, the number of browsed stems increased linearly with the number available and responded unimodally to tree height. Maximum browsing rates were observed on trees with high stem abundances (>10 per plant) and of heights between 50 and 150 cm. Deer preferred Ulmus americana and Acer saccharinum, and avoided Fraxinus pennsylvanica, Acer negundo, and Quercus spp. at mainland sites, and did not browse Phalaris arundinacea if present. Depending on plant growth responses to herbivory and the competitive effects of unbrowsed species, our results suggest that selective foraging could promote the expansion of invasive species and/or alter tree species composition in bottomland forest restorations. Islands may, however, serve as refuges from browsing on a regional scale.

Wildlife of southern forests habitat & management (Chapter 4): Defining the Forests

Treesearch

James G. Dickson; Raymond M. Sheffield

2003-01-01

Forests of the South are very diverse and productive. Included among southern forests are the boreal spruce- fir forests of the highest mountain peaks of the Blue Ridge Mountains to the lowest bottomland hardwoods on flood-deposited soil with elevations near sea level. In between are the diverse upland hardwood stands in northerly mountainous areas of the South and...

Seeding and planting upland oaks

Treesearch

1989-01-01

Oaks can be planted or seeded in uplands to: (1) afforest old fields, strip-mined areas, or other areas devoid of trees, and (2) supplement natural reproduction within existing forests. Planting is usually more successful than direct seeding. But even under good conditions survival and growth of planted oak has been considerably poorer than with conifers and other...

Stocking chart for upland central hardwoods

Treesearch

Martin E. Dale; Donald E. Hilt

1989-01-01

The upland hardwoods stocking chart, introduced by Gingrich in 1967, has become one of the forest manager's most useful tools. The chart allows you to determine the condition of the present stand in relation to a stocking standard. The stocking of a stand is extremely helpful in prescribing various silvicultural treatments such as intermediate thinnings,...

Trial by fire: Restoration of Middle Rio Grande upland ecosystems

Treesearch

Samuel R. Loftin

1999-01-01

The majority of upland ecosystems (desert scrub, grassland, pinyon-juniper, ponderosa pine and higher elevation conifer forests) in the Middle Rio Grande Basin were historically dependent on periodic fire to maintain their composition, productivity, and distribution. The cultural practices of European man have altered the function, structure, and composition of...

Height prediction equations for even-aged upland oak stands

Treesearch

Donald E. Hilt; Martin E. Dale

1982-01-01

Forest growth models that use predicted tree diameters or diameter distributions require a reliable height-prediction model to obtain volume estimates because future height-diameter relationships will not necessarily be the same as the present height-diameter relationship. A total tree height prediction equation for even-aged upland oak stands is presented. Predicted...

Planting Wetland Species On Upland Soil

Treesearch

T. A. Harrington

1965-01-01

Baldcypress (Taxodium distichum var. distichum), pondcypress (T. distichum var. nutans), and blackgum(Nyssa sylvatica) can be successfullyplanted as bare-rooted, l- 0 stock on upland soils in northeast Florida according to a study on the Olustee Experimental Forest.This research was conducted with the cooperation of the Florida Board of Forestry. After three growing...

Mercury budget of an upland-peatland watershed

Treesearch

D. F. Grigal; Randy K. Kolka; J. A. Fleck; E. A. Nater

2000-01-01

Inputs, outputs, and pool sizes of total mercury (Hg) were measured in a forested 10 ha,watershed consisting of a 7 ha hardwood-dominated upland surrounding a 3 ha coniferdominated peatland. Hydrologic inputs via throughfall and stemflow, 13 +/- 0.4/ug m-2 yr-1 over the entire watershed, were about double precipitation...

77 FR 29636 - Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-18

..., Implementation, Paulina Ranger District, Ochoco National Forest, Crook and Wheeler Counties, OR, Review Period... Improve Health and Vigor Upland Forest Stands and Reduce Hazardous and Ladder Fuels, Walla Walla Ranger District, Umatilla National Forest, Wallowa and Union Counties, OR, Review Period Ends: 06/18/2012, Contact...

Invertebrates Associated with Coarse Woody Debris in Streams, Upland Forests, and Wetlands: A Review

Treesearch

A. Braccia; D.P. Batzer

1999-01-01

We reviewed literature on the inbvertebrate groups associated with coarse woody debris in forests, streams, and wetlands, and contrasted patterns of invertebrate community development and wood decomposition among ecosystems.

Multiple-use management of upland hardwood forests

Treesearch

Frederick A. Dorrell

1971-01-01

In recent years the National Forests have experienced much controversy over multiple-use management Because of this, the Forest Service is examining ways to improve the multiple-use planning process. One of the new approaches involves a special plan for eight National Forests in the South and Central Appalachian Mountains, in which planning is done by interdisciplinary...

Annual and seasonal variation and the effects of hydroperiod on benthic macroinvertebrates of seasonal forest (

Treesearch

Robert T. Brooks

2000-01-01

Seasonal forest ponds (SFPs) are isolated, ephemeral lentic habitats in upland forest ecosystems. These ponds occur commonly throughout temperate forests. Faunal communities of these ponds are dominated by invertebrates. Composition of these communities varies temporally both between years and also seasonally within a single hydrologic year, composition is most...

Integrating studies in the Missouri Ozark Forest Ecosystem Project: Status and outlook

Treesearch

David Gwaze; Stephen Sheriff; John Kabrick; Larry Vangilder

2011-01-01

The Missouri Ozark Forest Ecosystem Project (MOFEP), which was started in 1989 by the Missouri Department of Conservation, evaluates the effects of forest management practices (even-aged management, uneven-aged management, and no-harvest management) on upland oak-forest components in southern Missouri. MOFEP is a long-term, landscape-level, fully replicated, and...

Forest drainage

Treesearch

R.W. Skaggs; S. Tian; G.M. Chescheir; Devendra Amatya; M.A. Youssef

2016-01-01

Most of the world's 4030 million ha of forested lands are situated on hilly, mountainous or well-drained upland landscapes where improved drainage is not needed. However, there are millions of hectares of poorly drained forested lands where excessively wet soil conditions limit tree growth and access for harvesting and other management activities. Improved or...

Factors limiting northern red oak reproduction in Pennsylvania

Treesearch

Russell S. Walters; L. R. Auchmoody

1993-01-01

When harvested, upland oak forests of northwestern Pennsylvania generally regenerate to new forests dominated by non-oak species. In 1988, the Northeastern Forest Experiment Station began to identify and learn to manipulate factors that limit the establishment and development of northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.) seedlings in second-generation...

Upland Hardwood Forests and Related Communities of the Arkansas Ozarks in the Early 19th Century

Treesearch

Thomas L. Foti

2004-01-01

Historic accounts of the 19 th Century Arkansas Ozarks mention such communities as oak forests, pine forests, barrens and prairies. I document the region-wide distribution of these types based on data from the first land survey conducted by the General Land Office (GLO). Structural classes used here include closed forest, open forest, woodland, savanna, open savanna...

Short-Term Exposure to Warm Microhabitats Could Explain Amphibian Persistence with Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis

PubMed Central

Daskin, Joshua H.; Alford, Ross A.; Puschendorf, Robert

2011-01-01

Environmental conditions can alter the outcomes of symbiotic interactions. Many amphibian species have declined due to chytridiomycosis, caused by the pathogenic fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), but many others persist despite high Bd infection prevalence. This indicates that Bd's virulence is lower, or it may even be a commensal, in some hosts. In the Australian Wet Tropics, chytridiomycosis extirpated Litoria nannotis from high-elevation rain forests in the early 1990 s. Although the species is recolonizing many sites, no population has fully recovered. Litoria lorica disappeared from all known sites in the early 1990 s and was thought globally extinct, but a new population was discovered in 2008, in an upland dry forest habitat it shares with L. nannotis. All frogs of both species observed during three population censuses were apparently healthy, but most carried Bd. Frogs perch on sun-warmed rocks in dry forest streams, possibly keeping Bd infections below the lethal threshold attained in cooler rain forests. We tested whether short-term elevated temperatures can hamper Bd growth in vitro over one generation (four days). Simulating the temperatures available to frogs on strongly and moderately warmed rocks in dry forests, by incubating cultures at 33°C for one hour daily, reduced Bd growth below that of Bd held at 15°C constantly (representing rain forest habitats). Even small decreases in the exponential growth rate of Bd on hosts may contribute to the survival of frogs in dry forests. PMID:22028834

Short-term exposure to warm microhabitats could explain amphibian persistence with Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis.

PubMed

Daskin, Joshua H; Alford, Ross A; Puschendorf, Robert

2011-01-01

Environmental conditions can alter the outcomes of symbiotic interactions. Many amphibian species have declined due to chytridiomycosis, caused by the pathogenic fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), but many others persist despite high Bd infection prevalence. This indicates that Bd's virulence is lower, or it may even be a commensal, in some hosts. In the Australian Wet Tropics, chytridiomycosis extirpated Litoria nannotis from high-elevation rain forests in the early 1990 s. Although the species is recolonizing many sites, no population has fully recovered. Litoria lorica disappeared from all known sites in the early 1990 s and was thought globally extinct, but a new population was discovered in 2008, in an upland dry forest habitat it shares with L. nannotis. All frogs of both species observed during three population censuses were apparently healthy, but most carried Bd. Frogs perch on sun-warmed rocks in dry forest streams, possibly keeping Bd infections below the lethal threshold attained in cooler rain forests. We tested whether short-term elevated temperatures can hamper Bd growth in vitro over one generation (four days). Simulating the temperatures available to frogs on strongly and moderately warmed rocks in dry forests, by incubating cultures at 33°C for one hour daily, reduced Bd growth below that of Bd held at 15°C constantly (representing rain forest habitats). Even small decreases in the exponential growth rate of Bd on hosts may contribute to the survival of frogs in dry forests.

Gap characteristics of southeastern Ohio second-growth forests

Treesearch

David M. Hix; Katherine K. Helfrich

2003-01-01

Transect sampling was used to assess the features of 30 gaps encountered in upland oak stands on the Wayne National Forest. Tip-ups caused the most canopy gaps (52 percent), two-thirds of which were small (

Distribution of tetraether lipids in agricultural soils - differentiation between paddy and upland management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mueller-Niggemann, Cornelia; Rahayu Utami, Sri; Marxen, Anika; Mangelsdorf, Kai; Bauersachs, Thorsten; Schwark, Lorenz

2016-03-01

Rice paddies constitute almost a fifth of global cropland and provide more than half of the world's population with staple food. At the same time, they are a major source of methane and therewith significantly contribute to the current warming of Earth's atmosphere. Despite their apparent importance in the cycling of carbon and other elements, however, the microorganisms thriving in rice paddies are insufficiently characterized with respect to their biomolecules. Hardly any information exists on human-induced alteration of biomolecules from natural microbial communities in paddy soils through varying management types (affecting, e.g., soil or water redox conditions, cultivated plants). Here, we determined the influence of different land use types on the distribution of glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs), which serve as molecular indicators for microbial community structures, in rice paddy (periodically flooded) and adjacent upland (non-flooded) soils and, for further comparison, forest, bushland and marsh soils. To differentiate local effects on GDGT distribution patterns, we collected soil samples in locations from tropical (Indonesia, Vietnam and Philippines) and subtropical (China and Italy) sites. We found that differences in the distribution of isoprenoid GDGTs (iGDGTs) as well as of branched GDGTs (brGDGTs) are predominantly controlled by management type and only secondarily by climatic exposition. In general, upland soil had higher crenarchaeol contents than paddy soil, which by contrast was more enriched in GDGT-0. The GDGT-0 / crenarchaeol ratio, indicating the enhanced presence of methanogenic archaea, was 3-27 times higher in paddy soils compared to other soils and increased with the number of rice cultivation cycles per year. The index of tetraethers consisting of 86 carbons (TEX86) values were 1.3 times higher in upland, bushland and forest soils than in paddy soils, potentially due to differences in soil temperature. In all soils brGDGT predominated over iGDGTs with the relative abundance of brGDGTs increasing from subtropical to tropical soils. Higher branched vs. isoprenoid tetraether (BIT) values in paddy soils compared to upland soils together with higher BIT values in soils from subtropical climates indicated effects on the amounts of brGDGT induced by differences in management as well as climate. In acidic soils cyclization ratio of branched tetraethers (CBT) values correlated well with soil pH. In neutral to alkaline soils, however, no correlation but an offset in CBT between paddy and upland managed soils was detected. This is interpreted as indicating soil moisture exerting an additional control on the CBT in these soils. Lower modified methylation index of branched tetraether (MBT') values and temperatures calculated from this (TMC) in paddy soils compared to upland soils are attributed to a management-induced (e.g. enhanced soil moisture via flooding) effect on mean annual soil temperature (MST).

Element cycling in upland/peatland watersheds Chapter 8.

Treesearch

Noel Urban; Elon S. Verry; Steven Eisenreich; David F. Grigal; Stephen D. Sebestyen

2011-01-01

Studies at the Marcell Experimental Forest (MEF) have measured the pools, cycling, and transport of a variety of elements in both the upland and peatland components of the landscape. Peatlands are important zones of element retention and biogeochemical reactions that greatly influence the chemistry of surface water. In this chapter, we summarize findings on nitrogen (N...

Researching effects of prescribed fire in hardwood forests

Treesearch

Stacy L. Clark; Kathleen E. Franzreb; Cathryn H. Greenberg; Tara Keyser; Susan C. Loeb; David L. Loftis; W. Henry McNab; Joy M. O' Keefe; Callie Jo Schweitzer; Martin Spetich

2012-01-01

The Upland Hardwood Ecology and Management Research Work Unit (RWU 4157) is a group of research teams located across the South, strategically placed to conduct research in physiographic sub-regions of the upland hardwood ecosystems including the southern Appalachian Mountains, the Cumberland Plateau, the Boston Mountains, and the Missouri Plateau. Our RWU is one of 16...

Palaeoglaciology of the Central European Uplands - a link between the former ice masses over the Alps and Scandinavia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hauzenberger, B.; Fickert, T.

2009-04-01

The Central European Uplands are located northeast of the Alps along the western edge of the Czech border. A horseshoe shaped range of low mountains contains the Bavarian Forest Mountains, the Fichtel Mountains, the Erz Mountains and the Giant Mountains, with highest summit altitudes ranging from 1051 m a.s.l. (Fichtel Mountains) to 1603 m a.s.l. (Giant Mountains). The location north of the Alps makes these mountains highly interesting as a possible link between the Scandinavian ice sheet and the Alps. Although the glacial traces of the Central European Uplands have been investigated for more than 100 years, the glacial history is still elusive. While the highest mountains (the Bavarian Forest and the Giant Mountains) hold evidence of valley glaciers, the lower mountains (the Fichtel and the Erz Mountains) lack unambiguous glacial traces. As a first step towards a palaeoglaciological reconstruction for the Central European Uplands, we present a digital map of glacier termini with elevation data from the SRTM elevation model, compiled from previous investigations of the area. The glacial map of the Central European Uplands presents the pattern of glacial traces over an extensive area in central Europe and forms the basis for reconstructing the extent of former glaciers. We compare the glacial evidence with modern day climate data (from the high resolution WorldClim database), from which we can estimate the climate change needed to produce Central European Upland glaciers. The glacial traces of the Central European Uplands hold information on past climate of the region and this may be a key to link the glacial record of the Alps with the Scandinavian ice sheet.

Denitrification constitutes an import N sink in subtropical N-saturated forests - a nitrate dual isotope study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Lonfei; Zhu, Jing; Mulder, Jan; Dörsch, Peter

2016-04-01

Forests in China receive variable but increasing amounts of nitrogen from the atmosphere causing N saturation and nitrate runoff. Surprisingly high N-retention has been reported from subtropical forests, suggesting active mechanisms of N removal. Here we report a multi-site study of 15N and 18O abundances in soil nitrate (NO3-) across seven forested catchments spanning from temperate to subtropical China. In each catchment, samples were taken on one date during one or two summer along the hydrological continuum comprising hillslope positions and riparian zones. We had found previously in an intensive multi-year study at one of the sites, that the spatial pattern of summertime 15N and 18O in soil nitrate was remarkably stable across climatically distinct years, suggesting persistent N removal by denitrification at the foot of hill slopes and in groundwater discharge zones (Yu et al., submitted). In the present study, we extended the scope to five subtropical Chinese catchments and compared them with two temperate forests. Our data confirm the general pattern of efficient nitrification on hillslopes and strong denitrification in riparian zones in the subtropical catchments but not in the temperate ones. This is likely because high summer rainfalls at the monsoonal sites connect N mineralization and oxidation in upland positions with NO3- reduction in ground water discharge zones via NO3- runoff, rendering subtropical forests an efficient sink for reactive N with implications for regional N budgets. The impact of N deposition level, hydrology and edaphic factors on the predictive power of nitrate isotope signatures for N removal processes will be discussed. Yu L, Zhu J, Mulder J, Dörsch P: Spatiotemporal patterns in dual nitrate isotopes reveal efficient N transformation and denitrification along a hydrological continuum in N-saturated, subtropical forest. Submitted

Elevated atmospheric deposition and dynamics of mercury in a remote upland forest of southwestern China.

PubMed

Fu, Xuewu; Feng, Xinbin; Zhu, Wanze; Rothenberg, S; Yao, Heng; Zhang, Hui

2010-06-01

Mt. Gongga area in southwest China was impacted by Hg emissions from industrial activities and coal combustion, and annual means of atmospheric TGM and PHg concentrations at a regional background station were 3.98 ng m(-3) and 30.7 pg m(-3), respectively. This work presents a mass balance study of Hg in an upland forest in this area. Atmospheric deposition was highly elevated in the study area, with the annual mean THg deposition flux of 92.5 microg m(-2) yr(-1). Total deposition was dominated by dry deposition (71.8%), and wet deposition accounted for the remaining 28.2%. Forest was a large pool of atmospheric Hg, and nearly 76% of the atmospheric input was stored in forest soil. Volatilization and stream outflow were identified as the two major pathways for THg losses from the forest, which yielded mean output fluxes of 14.0 and 8.6 microg m(-2) yr(-1), respectively. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Canadian upland forest soil profile and carbon stocks database.

PubMed

Shaw, Cindy; Hilger, Arlene; Filiatrault, Michelle; Kurz, Werner

2018-04-01

"A Canadian upland forest soil profile and carbon stocks database" was compiled in phases over a period of 10 years to address various questions related to modeling upland forest soil carbon in a national forest carbon accounting model. For 3,253 pedons, the SITES table contains estimates for soil organic carbon stocks (Mg/ha) in organic horizons and mineral horizons to a 100-cm depth, soil taxonomy, leading tree species, mean annual temperature, annual precipitation, province or territory, terrestrial ecozone, and latitude and longitude, with an assessment of the quality of information about location. The PROFILES table contains profile data (16,167 records by horizon) used to estimate the carbon stocks that appear in the SITES table, plus additional soil chemical and physical data, where provided by the data source. The exceptions to this are estimates for soil carbon stocks based on Canadian National Forest Inventory data (NFI [2006] in REFERENCES table), where data were collected by depth increment rather than horizon and, therefore, total soil carbon stocks were calculated separately before being entered into the SITES table. Data in the PROFILES table include the carbon stock estimate for each horizon (corrected for coarse fragment content), and the data used to calculate the carbon stock estimate, such as horizon thickness, bulk density, and percent organic carbon. The PROFILES table also contains data, when reported by the source, for percent carbonate carbon, pH, percent total nitrogen, particle size distribution (percent sand, silt, clay), texture class, exchangeable cations, cation and total exchange capacity, and percent Fe and Al. An additional table provides references (REFERENCES table) for the source data. Earlier versions of the database were used to develop national soil carbon modeling categories based on differences in carbon stocks linked to soil taxonomy and to examine the potential of using soil taxonomy and leading tree species to improve accuracy in modeled predictions. The current database is being used to develop soil carbon model parameters linked to soil taxonomy and leading tree species and, by various governmental and nongovernmental organizations, to improve digital mapping of ecosite types and soil properties regionally, nationally, and internationally. © Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, 2018. Information contained in this publication or product may be reproduced, in part or in whole, and by any means, for personal or public non-commercial purposes, without charge or further permission, unless otherwise specified. You are asked to: exercise due diligence in ensuring the accuracy of the materials reproduced; indicate the complete title of the materials reproduced, and the name of the author organization; indicate that the reproduction is a copy of an official work that is published by Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) and that the reproduction has not been produced in affiliation with, or with the endorsement of, NRCan. Commercial reproduction and distribution is prohibited except with written permission from NRCan. For more information, contact NRCan at copyright.droitdauteur@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca. © 2018 by the Ecological Society of America.

Distribution of Diatoms in Relation to Land Use and pH in Blackwater Coastal Plain Streams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zampella, Robert A.; Laidig, Kim J.; Lowe, Rex L.

2007-03-01

We compared the composition of diatom assemblages collected from New Jersey Pinelands blackwater streams draining four different land uses, including forest land, abandoned-cranberry bogs, active-cranberry bogs, and developed and upland-agricultural land. Over a 2-year period (2002-2003), we collected 132 diatom taxa at 14 stream sites. Between-year variability in the composition of stream samples was high. Most diatom species were rarely encountered and were found in low abundance. Specific conductance and pH were higher at developed/agricultural sites compared with all other site types. Neither species richness nor genus richness was significantly different between stream types. However, clear community patterns were evident, and a significant difference in species composition existed between the developed/agricultural sites and both cranberry and forest sites. The primary community gradient, represented by the first axis of a DCA ordination, was associated with variations in pH and specific conductance. Although community patterns revealed by ordinating the data collected in 2002 differed from those obtained using the 2003 data, both ordinations contrasted the developed/agricultural sites and the other sites. Acidobiontic and acidophilous diatoms characterized the dominant species at forest, abandoned-bog, and cranberry sites, whereas indifferent species dominated the developed/agricultural samples. Although our study demonstrated a relationship between the composition of diatom assemblages and watershed conditions, several factors, including taxonomic problems, the large number of diatom species, incomplete pH classifications, and year-to-year variability may limit the utility of diatom species as indicators of watershed conditions in the New Jersey Pinelands.

An Old-Growth Definition for Southwestern Subtropical Upland Forests

Treesearch

David D. Diamond

1998-01-01

Mainly evergreen, broad-leaved forests in the Southwestern United States are restricted to the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas. The soils and long growing season make this region valuable cropland, and, thus, almost all of the area once occupied by this forest type has been converted to row crops. Remaining old-growth forests are usually dominated by some combination...

Comparison of riparian and upland forest stand structure and fuel loads in beetle infested watersheds, southern Rocky Mountains

Treesearch

Kathleen A. Dwire; Robert Hubbard; Roberto Bazan

2015-01-01

Extensive outbreaks of mountain pine beetle (MPB), spruce beetle (SB), and other insects are altering forest stand structure throughout western North America, and thereby contributing to the heterogeneity of fuel distribution. In forested watersheds, conifer-dominated riparian forests frequently occur as narrow linear features in the landscape mosaic and contribute to...

Harvest-associated disturbance in upland Ozark forests of the Missouri Ozark Forest Ecosystem Project

Treesearch

Johann N. Bruhn; James J. Wetteroff; Jeanne D. Mihail; Randy G. Jensen; James B. Pickens

2002-01-01

The Missouri Ozark Forest Ecosystem Project (MOFEP) is a long-term, multidisciplinary, landscape-based research program studying effects of even-aged (EAM), uneven-aged (UAM), and no-harvest (NHM) management on forest communities. The first MOFEP timber harvests occurred from May through November 1996. Harvest- related disturbance occurred on 69 of 180 permanent 0.2-ha...

Effects of riparian buffer width on wood loading in headwater streams after repeated forest thinning

Treesearch

Julia I. Burton; Deanna H. Olson; Klaus J. Puettmann

2016-01-01

Forested riparian buffer zones are used in conjunction with upland forest management, in part, to provide for the recruitment for large wood to streams. Small headwater streams account for the majority of stream networks in many forested regions. Yet, our understanding of how riparian buffer width influences wood dynamics in headwater streams is relatively less...

Early development of mixed-species studs on the Wayne Nation Forest

Treesearch

Eric R. Norland; Dr. David M. Hix

1993-01-01

The species compositions of many upland hardwood forests in southeastern Ohio appear to be changing. Since the arrival of settlers, most of the mixed mesophytic forest has been cleared at least once as a result of timber cutting, burning, and agriculture. The compositions of the second- and third-growth forests are shifting toward a smaller component of oaks (...

Use of Tree Species by Summer Birds in Ozark Upland Oak-Hickory Forest

Treesearch

C. Joan Patterson; Douglas A. James

2004-01-01

Impacts of oak-boring beetles in the Ozark region could produce major changes in forest communities of northwestern Arkansas resulting in loss of oaks replaced by other tree species. Because the extensive Ozark forests are a major source of surplus birds, alterations of forest structure producing changes in foraging opportunities for birds could have serious...

Relationships among net primary productivity, nutrients and climate in tropical rain forest: A pan-tropical analysis

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cleveland, Cory C.; Townsend, Alan R.; Taylor, Philip; Alvarez-Clare, Silvia; Bustamante, Mercedes M.C.; Chuyong, George; Dobrowski, Solomon Z.; Grierson, Pauline; Harms, Kyle E.; Houlton, Benjamin Z.; Marklein, Alison; Parton, William; Porder, Stephen; Reed, Sasha C.; Sierra, Carlos A.; Silver, Whendee L.; Tanner, Edmund V.J.; Wieder, William R.

2011-01-01

Tropical rain forests play a dominant role in global biosphere-atmosphere CO2 exchange. Although climate and nutrient availability regulate net primary production (NPP) and decomposition in all terrestrial ecosystems, the nature and extent of such controls in tropical forests remain poorly resolved. We conducted a meta-analysis of carbon-nutrient-climate relationships in 113 sites across the tropical forest biome. Our analyses showed that mean annual temperature was the strongest predictor of aboveground NPP (ANPP) across all tropical forests, but this relationship was driven by distinct temperature differences between upland and lowland forests. Within lowland forests (< 1000 m), a regression tree analysis revealed that foliar and soil-based measurements of phosphorus (P) were the only variables that explained a significant proportion of the variation in ANPP, although the relationships were weak. However, foliar P, foliar nitrogen (N), litter decomposition rate (k), soil N and soil respiration were all directly related with total surface (0–10 cm) soil P concentrations. Our analysis provides some evidence that P availability regulates NPP and other ecosystem processes in lowland tropical forests, but more importantly, underscores the need for a series of large-scale nutrient manipulations – especially in lowland forests – to elucidate the most important nutrient interactions and controls.

Limited Pollen Dispersal Contributes to Population Genetic Structure but Not Local Adaptation in Quercus oleoides Forests of Costa Rica.

PubMed

Deacon, Nicholas John; Cavender-Bares, Jeannine

2015-01-01

Quercus oleoides Cham. and Schlect., tropical live oak, is a species of conservation importance in its southern range limit of northwestern Costa Rica. It occurs in high-density stands across a fragmented landscape spanning a contrasting elevation and precipitation gradient. We examined genetic diversity and spatial genetic structure in this geographically isolated and genetically distinct population. We characterized population genetic diversity at 11 nuclear microsatellite loci in 260 individuals from 13 sites. We monitored flowering time at 10 sites, and characterized the local environment in order to compare observed spatial genetic structure to hypotheses of isolation-by-distance and isolation-by-environment. Finally, we quantified pollen dispersal distances and tested for local adaptation through a reciprocal transplant experiment in order to experimentally address these hypotheses. High genetic diversity is maintained in the population and the genetic variation is significantly structured among sampled sites. We identified 5 distinct genetic clusters and average pollen dispersal predominately occurred over short distances. Differences among sites in flowering phenology and environmental factors, however, were not strictly associated with genetic differentiation. Growth and survival of upland and lowland progeny in their native and foreign environments was expected to exhibit evidence of local adaptation due to the more extreme dry season in the lowlands. Seedlings planted in the lowland garden experienced much higher mortality than seedlings in the upland garden, but we did not identify evidence for local adaptation. Overall, this study indicates that the Costa Rican Q. oleoides population has a rich population genetic history. Despite environmental heterogeneity and habitat fragmentation, isolation-by-distance and isolation-by-environment alone do not explain spatial genetic structure. These results add to studies of genetic structure by examining a common, tropical tree over multiple habitats and provide information for managers of a successional forest in a protected area.

Shifts in microbial communities and soil nutrients along a fire chronosequence in Alaskan boreal forest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Treseder, K. K.; Mack, M. C.; Cross, A.

2002-12-01

Fires are important pathways of carbon loss from boreal forests, while microbial communities form equally important mechanisms for carbon accumulation between fires. We used a chronosequence in Alaska to examine shifts in microbial abundance and community composition in the several decades following severe fire, and then related these responses to soil characteristics in the same sites. The sites are located in upland forests near Delta Junction, Alaska, and represent stages at 3-, 15-, 45-, and over 100-yr following fire. Plant communities shift from herbaceous species in the youngest site, to deciduous shrubs and trees (e.g. Populus tremuloides and Salix) in the intermediate sites, to black spruce (Picea mariana) forest in the oldest site. Soil organic matter accumulated 2.8-fold over time. Potential mineralization was highest in the intermediate-aged sites, as was nitrification and standing pools of inorganic nitrogen. In contrast, inorganic phosphorus pools were highest immediately following fire, and then decreased nine-fold with age. As measured with BiologTM plates, bacterial diversity and abundance were greatest in the oldest sites. Plant roots in the intermediate-aged sites displayed higher colonization by ecto- and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi than those in the youngest and oldest sites. Likewise, glomalin, a glycoprotein produced by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, was most abundant in the 14-yr old site. Glomalin is believed to contribute to the formation of water-stable aggregates in the soil. However, water stable aggregates were most abundant in the younger sites and did not follow the pattern of glomalin or arbuscular mycorrhizal abundance. Our results indicate that fire may maintain landscape-level diversity of microbial functional groups, and that carbon sequestration in microbial tissues (e.g. glomalin and fungal biomass) may be greatest in areas that have burned several decades earlier. Changes in soil structure may not be directly attributable to microbial activity.

Uncovering the Minor Contribution of Land-Cover Change in Upland Forests to the Net Carbon Footprint of a Boreal Hydroelectric Reservoir.

PubMed

Dessureault, Pierre-Luc; Boucher, Jean-François; Tremblay, Pascal; Bouchard, Sylvie; Villeneuve, Claude

2015-07-01

Hydropower in boreal conditions is generally considered the energy source emitting the least greenhouse gas per kilowatt-hour during its life cycle. The purpose of this study was to assess the relative contribution of the land-use change on the modification of the carbon sinks and sources following the flooding of upland forested territories to create the Eastmain-1 hydroelectric reservoir in Quebec's boreal forest using Carbon Budget Model of the Canadian Forest Sector. Results suggest a carbon sink loss after 100 yr of 300,000 ± 100,000 Mg CO equivalents (COe). A wildfire sensitivity analysis revealed that the ecosystem would have acted as a carbon sink as long as <75% of the territory had burned over the 100-yr-long period. Our long-term net carbon flux estimate resulted in emissions of 4 ± 2 g COe kWh as a contribution to the carbon footprint calculation, one-eighth what was obtained in a recent study that used less precise and less sensitive estimates. Consequently, this study significantly reduces the reported net carbon footprint of this reservoir and reveals how negligible the relative contribution of the land-use change in upland forests to the total net carbon footprint of a hydroelectric reservoir in the boreal zone can be. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Short-term response of ground-dwelling macroarthropods to shelterwood harvests in a productive Southern Appalachian upland hardwood forest

Treesearch

Jr. Westby-Gibson; Cathryn H. Greenberg; Christopher E. Moorman; T.G. Forrest; Tara L. Keyser; Dean M. Simon; Gordon S. Warburton

2017-01-01

 Macroarthropods rarely are considered in forest management decisions, despite their ecological importance as decomposers, herbivores, pollinators, predators, and nutrient cyclers, and potential of some taxa as indicators of forest condition. We used a replicated design to experimentally determine if, and how, community composition,...

Plethodontid salamander distributions in managed forest headwaters in western Oregon

Treesearch

Deanna H. Olson; Matthew R. Kluber

2014-01-01

We examined terrestrial amphibians in managed headwater forest stands in western Oregon from 1998 to 2009. We assessed: (1) temporal and spatial patterns of species capture rates, and movement patterns with distance from streams and forest management treatments of alternative riparian buffer widths and upland thinning; (2) species survival and recapture probabilities;...

Historical trajectories and restoration strategies for the Mississippi River alluvial valley

Treesearch

Brice B. Hanberry; John M. Kabrick; Hong S. He; Brian J. Palik

2012-01-01

Unlike upland forests in the eastern United States, little research is available about the composition and structure of bottomland forests before Euro-American settlement. To provide a historical reference encompassing spatial variation for the Lower Mississippi River Alluvial Valley, we quantified forest types, species distributions, densities, and stocking of...

Effects of riparian buffers on hydrology of northern seasonal ponds

Treesearch

Randall K. Kolka; Brian J. Palik; Daniel P. Tersteeg; James C. Bell

2011-01-01

Although seasonal ponds are common in northern, glaciated, forested landscapes, forest management guidelines are generally lacking for these systems. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of riparian buffer type on seasonal pond hydrology following harvest of the adjacent upland forest. A replicated block design consisting of four buffer treatments...

Radon 222 tracing of soil and forest canopy trace gas exchange in an open canopy boreal forest

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ussler, William, III; Chanton, Jeffrey P.; Kelley, Cheryl A.; Martens, Christopher S.

1994-01-01

A set of continuous, high-resolution atmospheric radon (Rn-222) concentration time series and radon soil flux measurements were acquired during the summer of 1990 at a micrometeorological tower site 13 km northwest of Schefferville, Quebec, Canada. The tower was located in a dry upland, open-canopy lichen-spruce woodland. For the period July 23 to August 1, 1990, the mean radon soil flux was 41.1 +/- 4.8 Bq m(exp -2)/h. Radon surface flux from the two end-member forest floor cover types (lichen mat and bare soil) were 38.8 +/- 5.1 and 61.8 +/- 15.6 Bq m(exp -2)/h, respectively. Average total forest canopy resistances computed using a simple 'flux box' model for radon exchange between the forest canopy and the overlying atmosphere range from 0.47 +/- 0.24 s cm(exp -1) to 2.65 +/- 1.61 cm(exp -1) for daytime hours (0900-1700 LT) and from 3.44 +/- 0.91 s cm(exp -1) to 10.55 +/- 7.16 s cm(exp -1) for nighttime hours (2000-0600) for the period July 23 to August 6, 1990. Continuous radon profiling of canopy atmospheres is a suitable approach for determining rates of biosphere/atmosphere trace gas exchange for remote field sites where daily equipment maintenance is not possible. where daily equipment maintenance is not possible.

Midstory shelterwood to promote natural Quercus reproduction on the Mid-Cumberland Plateau, Alabama: Status four years after final harvest

Treesearch

Callie J. Schweitzer; Daniel C. Dey

2017-01-01

In 2001, we initiated a study in Jackson County, AL, to examine shelterwood prescriptions in mixed mesophytic upland hardwood forests located on the escarpment of the mid-Cumberland Plateau. We were particularly interested in testing a shelterwood method that was successfully applied in other upland hardwood systems to recruit Quercus into...

Mercury and Organic Carbon Relationships in Streams Draining Forested Upland/Peatland Watersheds

Treesearch

R. K. Kolka; D. F. Grigal; E. S. Verry; E. A. Nater

1999-01-01

We determined the fluxes of total mecury (HgT), total organic carbon (TOC), and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from five upland/peatland watersheds at the watershed outlet. The difference between TOC and DOC was defined as particulate OC (POC). Concentrations of HgT showed moderate to strong relationships with POC (R2 = 0.77) when all watersheds...

Mercury and Organic Carbon Relationships in Streams Draining Forested Upland/Peatland Watersheds

Treesearch

Randall K. Kolka; D.F. Grigal; E.S. Verry; E.A. Nater

1999-01-01

We determined the fluxes of total mercury (HgT), total organic carbon (TOC), and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from five upland/peatland watersheds at the watershed outlet. The difference between TOC and DOC was defined as particulate OC (POC). Concentrations of HgT showed moderate to strong relationships with POC (R2 = 0.77) when ah...

Riparian and upland small mammals on the east slope of the Cascade Range, Washington

Treesearch

John F. Lehmkuhl; Roger D. Peffer; Margaret A. O' Connell

2008-01-01

Differences in small mammal diversity and abundance between riparian and upland areas have not been consistently shown in the Pacific Northwest, and the issue is expected to be complex along the east slope of the Cascade Range with its complex biogeography and forest landscape structure. The information is important for evaluating buffer zone management and the...

Demographic source-sink dynamics restrict local adaptation in Elliott's blueberry (Vaccinium elliottii).

PubMed

Anderson, Jill T; Geber, Monica A

2010-02-01

In heterogeneous landscapes, divergent selection can favor the evolution of locally adapted ecotypes, especially when interhabitat gene flow is minimal. However, if habitats differ in size or quality, source-sink dynamics can shape evolutionary trajectories. Upland and bottomland forests of the southeastern USA differ in water table depth, light availability, edaphic conditions, and plant community. We conducted a multiyear reciprocal transplant experiment to test whether Elliott's blueberry (Vaccinium elliottii) is locally adapted to these contrasting environments. Additionally, we exposed seedlings and cuttings to prolonged drought and flooding in the greenhouse to assess fitness responses to abiotic stress. Contrary to predictions of local adaptation, V. elliottii families exhibited significantly higher survivorship and growth in upland than in bottomland forests and under drought than flooded conditions, regardless of habitat of origin. Neutral population differentiation was minimal, suggesting widespread interhabitat migration. Population density, reproductive output, and genetic diversity were all significantly greater in uplands than in bottomlands. These disparities likely result in asymmetric gene flow from uplands to bottomlands. Thus, adaptation to a marginal habitat can be constrained by small populations, limited fitness, and immigration from a benign habitat. Our study highlights the importance of demography and genetic diversity in the evolution of local (mal)adaptation.

Upscaling of greenhouse gas emissions in upland forestry following clearfell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toet, Sylvia; Keane, Ben; Yamulki, Sirwan; Blei, Emanuel; Gibson-Poole, Simon; Xenakis, Georgios; Perks, Mike; Morison, James; Ineson, Phil

2016-04-01

Data on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused by forest management activities are limited. Management such as clearfelling may, however, have major impacts on the GHG balance of forests through effects of soil disturbance, increased water table, and brash and root inputs. Besides carbon dioxide (CO2), the biogenic GHGs nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4) may also contribute to GHG emissions from managed forests. Accurate flux estimates of all three GHGs are therefore necessary, but, since GHG emissions usually show large spatial and temporal variability, in particular CH4 and N2O fluxes, high-frequency GHG flux measurements and better understanding of their controls are central to improve process-based flux models and GHG budgets at multiple scales. In this study, we determined CO2, CH4 and N2O emissions following felling in a mature Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) stand in an upland forest in northern England. High-frequency measurements were made along a transect using a novel, automated GHG chamber flux system ('SkyLine') developed at the University of York. The replicated, linear experiment aimed (1) to quantify GHG emissions from three main topographical features at the clearfell site, i.e. the ridges on which trees had been planted, the hollows in between and the drainage ditches, and (2) to determine the effects of the green-needle component of the discarded brash. We also measured abiotic soil and climatic factors alongside the 'SkyLine' GHG flux measurements to identify drivers of the observed GHG emissions. All three topographic features were overall sources of GHG emissions (in CO2 equivalents), and, although drainage ditches are often not included in studies, GHG emissions per unit area were highest from ditches, followed by ridges and lowest in hollows. The CO2 emissions were most important in the GHG balance of ridges and hollows, but CH4 emissions were very high from the drainage ditches, contributing to over 50% of their overall net GHG emissions. Ridges usually emitted N2O, whilst N2O emissions from hollows and ditches were very low. As much as 25% of the total GHG flux resulted from large intermittent emissions from the ditches following rainfall. Addition of green needles from the brash immediately increased soil respiration and reduced CH4 emission in comparison to controls. To upscale our high-frequency 'SkyLine' GHG flux measurements at the different topographic features to the field scale, we collected high resolution imagery from unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flights. We will compare results using this upscaling technique to GHG emissions simultaneously measured by eddy covariance with the 'SkyLine' system in the predominant footprint. This detailed knowledge of the spatial and temporal distribution of GHG emissions in an upland forest after felling and their drivers, and development of robust upscaling techniques can provide important tools to improve GHG flux models and to design appropriate management practices in upland forestry to mitigate GHG emissions following clearfell.

Thinning and prescribed fire alters hardwood seedling sprouting in the William B Bankhead National Forest, Alabama

Treesearch

Callie Jo Schweitzer; Daniel C. Dey; Yong Wang

2014-01-01

The William B. Bankhead National Forest is using active management to shift mixed Quercus-Pinus forests towards forests more dominated by upland hardwoods. We studied the use of three levels of thinning (none, light thin, and heavy thin) and three levels of prescribed fire (none, one burn, and two burns) and all combinations in a factorial...

Amazonian forest restoration: an innovative system for native species selection based on phenological data and performance indices

Treesearch

Oliver H. Knowles; John A. Parrotta

1995-01-01

One hundred and sixty taxa of upland moist forest trees were studied with reference to their suitability for forest restoration on bauxite mined Iands in western Para State, Brazil. Over a 14-year period, field observations in native primary forests, nursery studies, and evaluations of over 600 ha of mixed-species reforestation areas were used to characterize fruiting...

Oak decline and red oak borer outbreak: impact in upland oak-hickory forests of Arkansas, USA

Treesearch

Laurel J. Haavik; Joshua S. Jones; Larry D. Galligan; James M. Guldin; Fred M. Stephen

2012-01-01

Oak-hickory forests in the Ozark and Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas recently experienced an episode of oak mortality in concert with an outbreak of the red oak borer (Enaphalodes rufulus (Haldeman) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)). We utilized data from the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program of the USDA Forest Service to explore changes in percent red oak (Quercus...

Effects of surface run-off on the transport of agricultural chemicals to ground water in a sandplain setting

USGS Publications Warehouse

Delin, G.N.; Landon, M.K.

2002-01-01

An experiment was conducted at a depressional (lowland) and an upland site in sandy soils to evaluate the effects of surface run-off on the transport of agricultural chemicals to ground water. Approximately 16.5 cm of water was applied to both sites during the experiment, representing a natural precipitation event with a recurrence interval of approximately 100 years. Run-off was quantified at the lowland site and was not detected at the upland site during the experiment. Run-off of water to the lowland site was the most important factor affecting differences in the concentrations and fluxes of the agricultural chemicals between the two sites. Run-off of water to the lowland site appears to have played a dual role by diluting chemical concentrations in the unsaturated zone as well as increasing the concentrations at the water table, compared to the upland site. Concentrations of chloride, nitrate and atrazine plus metabolites were noticeably greater at the water table than in the unsaturated zone at both sites. The estimated mass flux of chloride and nitrate to the water table during the test were 5-2 times greater, respectively, at the lowland site compared to the upland site, whereas the flux of sulfate and atrazine plus metabolites was slightly greater at the upland site. Results indicate that matrix flow of water and chemicals was the primary process causing the observed differences between the two sites. Results of the experiment illustrate the effects of heterogeneity and the complexity of evaluating chemical transport through the unsaturated zone. Copyright ?? 2002 Elsevier Science B.V.

Effects of surface run-off on the transport of agricultural chemicals to ground water in a sandplain setting

USGS Publications Warehouse

Delin, Geoffrey N.; Landon, Matthew K.

2002-01-01

An experiment was conducted at a depressional (lowland) and an upland site in sandy soils to evaluate the effects of surface run-off on the transport of agricultural chemicals to ground water. Approximately 16.5 cm of water was applied to both sites during the experiment, representing a natural precipitation event with a recurrence interval of approximately 100 years. Run-off was quantified at the lowland site and was not detected at the upland site during the experiment. Run-off of water to the lowland site was the most important factor affecting differences in the concentrations and fluxes of the agricultural chemicals between the two sites. Run-off of water to the lowland site appears to have played a dual role by diluting chemical concentrations in the unsaturated zone as well as increasing the concentrations at the water table, compared to the upland site. Concentrations of chloride, nitrate and atrazine plus metabolites were noticeably greater at the water table than in the unsaturated zone at both sites. The estimated mass flux of chloride and nitrate to the water table during the test were 5–2 times greater, respectively, at the lowland site compared to the upland site, whereas the flux of sulfate and atrazine plus metabolites was slightly greater at the upland site. Results indicate that matrix flow of water and chemicals was the primary process causing the observed differences between the two sites. Results of the experiment illustrate the effects of heterogeneity and the complexity of evaluating chemical transport through the unsaturated zone.

Testing the accuracy of growth and yield models for southern hardwood forests

Treesearch

H. Michael Rauscher; Michael J. Young; Charles D. Webb; Daniel J. Robison

2000-01-01

The accuracy of ten growth and yield models for Southern Appalachian upland hardwood forests and southern bottomland forests was evaluated. In technical applications, accuracy is the composite of both bias (average error) and precision. Results indicate that GHAT, NATPIS, and a locally calibrated version of NETWIGS may be regarded as being operationally valid...

Determining Stocking Levels in Young, Mixed Hardwood Stands in the North Carolina Piedmmont

Treesearch

Jamie L. Schuler; Daniel J. Robison

2004-01-01

Upland Piedmont hardwood stands represent an important forest type in North Carolina and the Southeastern United States. Many of these forests are being converted to other land uses. A solution to maintaining these forest types lies in increasing productivity and profitability of this resource. This implies a shift from traditional, extensive management to more...

Spatial patterns in oxygen and redox sensitive biogeochemistry in tropical forest soils

Treesearch

Daniel Liptzin; Whendee L. Silver

2015-01-01

Humid tropical forest soils are characterized by warm temperatures, abundant rainfall, and high rates of biological activity that vary considerably in both space and time. These conditions, together with finely textured soils typical of humid tropical forests lead to periodic low redox conditions, even in well-drained upland environments. The relationship between redox...

Landscape-level forest cover is a predictor of cerulean warbler abundance

Treesearch

Frank R., III Thompson; Mark B. Robbins; Jane A. Fitzgerald

2012-01-01

We examined support for the hypothesis that abundance of Cerulean Warblers (Setophaga cerulea) increases with percentage of bottomland and upland forest, and decreases with percentage of developed land at a local-habitat scale (within a 250-m buffer) and increases with percentage of all forest at a landscape scale (within a 10-km buffer). We...

Vegetation of forested uplands in the Massabesic Experimental Forest

Treesearch

Alison C. Dibble; Catherine A. Rees; Paul E. Sendak; John C. Brissette

2004-01-01

A summary of an inventory of vascular plants in the 3,700-acre Massabesic Experimental Forest in York County, Maine. We identified about 500 species and subspecies. The most common overstory trees were eastern white pine, eastern hemlock, northern red oak, and red maple. Hemlock was the most abundant tree seedling. Shrub density was greatest for beaked hazlenut,...

Herpetofaunal abundance in forested edge and interior locations of West Virginia

Treesearch

James T. Anderson; Amy B. Solis; Joseph D. Osbourne

2013-01-01

The diversity of forest types in the Central Appalachians provides important habitat for amphibians and reptiles. As development continues, increased fragmentation is evident on the landscape. The objectives of our study were to determine the influence of location within a forest (edge or interior) and landscape position (riparian and upland) on West Virginia...

Whole-island carbon stocks in the tropical Pacific: Implications for mangrove conservation and upland restoration

Treesearch

D.C. Donato; J.B. Kauffman; R.A. Mackenzie; A. Ainsworth; A.Z. Pfleeger

2012-01-01

Management of forest carbon (C) stocks is an increasingly prominent land-use issue. Knowledge of carbon storage in tropical forests is improving, but regional variations are still poorly understood, and this constrains forest management and conservation efforts associated with carbon valuation mechanisms (e.g., carbon markets). This deficiency is especially pronounced...

Wildlife and Upland Oak Forests

Treesearch

James G. Dickson

2004-01-01

The oak forests of the eastern U.S. have always been diverse as well as dynamic; continually molded andinfluenced by a variety of natural and anthropogenic forces. These forests support thousands of species of plants, untold numbers of insects and other invertebrates, and hundreds of species of vertebrate wildlife. Because of the large number of species, I focus on...

ROOT BIOMASS ALLOCATION IN THE WORLD'S UPLAND FORESTS

EPA Science Inventory

Because the world's forests play a major role in regulating nutrient and carbon cycles, there is much interest in estimating their biomass. Estimates of aboveground biomass based on well-established methods are relatively abundant; estimates of root biomass based on standard meth...

Impacts of prescribed fire on Pinus rigida Mill. in upland forests of the Atlantic Coastal Plain.

PubMed

Carlo, Nicholas J; Renninger, Heidi J; Clark, Kenneth L; Schäfer, Karina V R

2016-08-01

A comparative analysis of the impacts of prescribed fire on three upland forest stands in the Northeastern Atlantic Plain, NJ, USA, was conducted. Effects of prescribed fire on water use and gas exchange of overstory pines were estimated via sap-flux rates and photosynthetic measurements on Pinus rigida Mill. Each study site had two sap-flux plots, one experiencing prescribed fire and one control (unburned) plot for comparison before and after the fire. We found that photosynthetic capacity in terms of Rubisco-limited carboxylation rate and intrinsic water-use efficiency was unaffected, while light compensation point and dark respiration rate were significantly lower in the burned vs control plots post-fire. Furthermore, quantum yield in pines in the pine-dominated stands was less affected than pines in the mixed oak/pine stand, as there was an increase in quantum yield in the oak/pine stand post-fire compared with the control (unburned) plot. We attribute this to an effect of forest type but not fire per se. Average daily sap-flux rates of the pine trees increased compared with control (unburned) plots in pine-dominated stands and decreased in the oak/pine stand compared with control (unburned) plots, potentially due to differences in fuel consumption and pre-fire sap-flux rates. Finally, when reference canopy stomatal conductance was analyzed, pines in the pine-dominated stands were more sensitive to changes in vapor pressure deficit (VPD), while stomatal responses of pines in the oak/pine stand were less affected by VPD. Therefore, prescribed fire affects physiological functioning and water use of pines, but the effects may be modulated by forest stand type and fuel consumption pattern, which suggests that these factors may need to be taken into account for forest management in fire-dominated systems. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Leaf-level photosynthetic capacity in lowland Amazonian and high-elevation Andean tropical moist forests of Peru.

PubMed

Bahar, Nur H A; Ishida, F Yoko; Weerasinghe, Lasantha K; Guerrieri, Rossella; O'Sullivan, Odhran S; Bloomfield, Keith J; Asner, Gregory P; Martin, Roberta E; Lloyd, Jon; Malhi, Yadvinder; Phillips, Oliver L; Meir, Patrick; Salinas, Norma; Cosio, Eric G; Domingues, Tomas F; Quesada, Carlos A; Sinca, Felipe; Escudero Vega, Alberto; Zuloaga Ccorimanya, Paola P; Del Aguila-Pasquel, Jhon; Quispe Huaypar, Katherine; Cuba Torres, Israel; Butrón Loayza, Rosalbina; Pelaez Tapia, Yulina; Huaman Ovalle, Judit; Long, Benedict M; Evans, John R; Atkin, Owen K

2017-05-01

We examined whether variations in photosynthetic capacity are linked to variations in the environment and/or associated leaf traits for tropical moist forests (TMFs) in the Andes/western Amazon regions of Peru. We compared photosynthetic capacity (maximal rate of carboxylation of Rubisco (V cmax ), and the maximum rate of electron transport (J max )), leaf mass, nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) per unit leaf area (M a , N a and P a , respectively), and chlorophyll from 210 species at 18 field sites along a 3300-m elevation gradient. Western blots were used to quantify the abundance of the CO 2 -fixing enzyme Rubisco. Area- and N-based rates of photosynthetic capacity at 25°C were higher in upland than lowland TMFs, underpinned by greater investment of N in photosynthesis in high-elevation trees. Soil [P] and leaf P a were key explanatory factors for models of area-based V cmax and J max but did not account for variations in photosynthetic N-use efficiency. At any given N a and P a , the fraction of N allocated to photosynthesis was higher in upland than lowland species. For a small subset of lowland TMF trees examined, a substantial fraction of Rubisco was inactive. These results highlight the importance of soil- and leaf-P in defining the photosynthetic capacity of TMFs, with variations in N allocation and Rubisco activation state further influencing photosynthetic rates and N-use efficiency of these critically important forests. © 2016 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2016 New Phytologist Trust.

Overstory vegetation influence nitrogen and dissolved organic carbon flux from the atmosphere to the forest floor: Boreal Plain, Canada

Treesearch

David E. Pelster; Randall K. Kolka; Ellie E. Prepas

2009-01-01

Nitrate, ammonium, total dissolved nitrogen (TDN), dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations and flux were measured for one year in bulk deposition and throughfall from three stand types (upland deciduous, upland conifer and wetland conifer) on the Boreal Plain, Canada. Annual (November 2006 to October 2007 water year) flux...

Involving the public in restoring the role of fire in the longleaf pine ecosystem of Upland Island Wilderness

Treesearch

Brian P. Oswald; Ike McWhorter; Penny. Whisenant

2011-01-01

The 13,250-acre Upland Island Wilderness (UIW) in Texas was established in 1984 and is managed by the United States Forest Service (USFS). Historically, portions of it consisted of open and diverse longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) ecosystems which depend on frequent, low-intensity surface fires. As in many other relatively small wilderness areas, the...

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Greenberg, Cathryn H.; Levey, Douglas J.; Kwit, Charles

ABSTRACT Fleshy fruit is a key food resource for many vertebrates and may be particularly important energy source to birds during fall migration and winter. Hence, land managers should know how fruit availability varies among forest types, seasons, and years. We quantified fleshy fruit abundance monthly for 9 years (1995-2003) in 56 0.1-ha plots in 5 forest types of South Carolina's upper Coastal Plain, USA. Forest types were mature upland hardwood and bottomland hardwood forest, mature closed-canopy loblolly (Pinus taeda) and longleaf pine (P. palustris) plantation, and recent clearcut regeneration harvests planted with longleaf pine seedlings. Mean annual number ofmore » fruits and dry fruit pulp mass were highest in regeneration harvests (264,592 _ 37,444 fruits; 12,009 _ 2,392 g/ha), upland hardwoods (60,769 _ 7,667 fruits; 5,079 _ 529 g/ha), and bottomland hardwoods (65,614 _ 8,351 fruits; 4,621 _ 677 g/ha), and lowest in longleaf pine (44,104 _ 8,301 fruits; 4,102 _ 877 g/ha) and loblolly (39,532 _ 5,034 fruits; 3,261 _ 492 g/ha) plantations. Fruit production was initially high in regeneration harvests and declined with stand development and canopy closure (1995-2003). Fruit availability was highest June-September and lowest in April. More species of fruit-producing plants occurred in upland hardwoods, bottomland hardwoods, and regeneration harvests than in loblolly and longleaf pine plantations. Several species produced fruit only in 1 or 2 forest types. In sum, fruit availability varied temporally and spatially because of differences in species composition among forest types and age classes, patchy distributions of fruiting plants both within and among forest types, fruiting phenology, high inter-annual variation in fruit crop size by some dominant fruit-producing species, and the dynamic process of disturbance-adapted species colonization and decline, or recovery in recently harvested stands. Land managers could enhance fruit availability for wildlife by creating and maintaining diverse forest types and age classes. .« less

Changes in tree species importance following harvesting disturbance in north Mississippi between 1967 and 1994

Treesearch

Andrew J. Hartsell; James F. Rosson

2007-01-01

We used continuous forest inventory data from the Forest Inventory and Analysis unit of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service to study the impacts of timber harvesting on species composition and species importance in a 26-county region in north Mississippi. The region was 59 percent forested and contained 1 965 223 ha of timberland. There were 524 upland...

Strip thinning young hardwood forests: multi-functional management for wood, wildlife, and bioenergy

Treesearch

Jamie Schuler; Ashlee Martin

2016-01-01

Upland hardwood forests dominate the Appalachian landscape. However, early successional forests are limited. In WV and PA, for example, only 8 percent of the timberland is classified as seedling and sapling-sized. Typically no management occurs in these forests due to the high cost of treatment and the lack of marketable products. If bioenergy markets come to fruition...

Drought response of upland oak (Quercus L.) species in Appalachian hardwood forests of the southeastern USA

Treesearch

Tara L. Keyser; Peter M. Brown

2016-01-01

Key message In Appalachian hardwood forests, density, stem size, and productivity affected growth duringdrought for red oak, but not white oak species. Minor effects of density suggest that a single low thinning does...

CLASSIFICATION, PROTECTION, AND MONITORING OF NONTIDAL FLOODPLAIN FOREST COMMUNITIES

EPA Science Inventory

New Jersey,s floodplain forests (FFs) contain 57 rare plant species, 25 of which are State Endangered. The acreage of FF has been substantially reduced over the past 200 years, and upland buffers have also been diminished. Threats to FF communities include stream degradation, ...

Woody browse production

Treesearch

Tom Crow; Forest Stearns

1992-01-01

Sugar maple has great potential as wildlife food, especially as good winter fare for deer in the northern Lake States. Deer will diligently seek out sugar maple browse in the hardwood forests along the edges of a winter yard or in isolated islands of upland forest within a yard.

Nesting ecology and behavior of Broad-winged Hawks in moist karst forests of Puerto Rico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hengstenberg, D.W.; Vilella, F.J.

2005-01-01

The Puerto Rican Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus brunnescens) is an endemic and endangered subspecies inhabiting upland montane forests of Puerto Rico. The reproductive ecology, behavior, and nesting habitat of the Broad-winged Hawk were studied in Ri??o Abajo Forest, Puerto Rico, from 2001-02. We observed 158 courtship displays by Broad-winged Hawks. Also, we recorded 25 territorial interactions between resident Broad-winged Hawks and intruding Red-tailed Hawks (Buteo jamaicensis jamaicensis). Broad-winged Hawks displaced intruding Red-tailed Hawks from occupied territories (P = 0.009). Mayfield nest survival was 0.67 across breeding seasons (0.81 in 2001, N = 6; 0.51 in 2002, N = 4), and pairs averaged 1.1 young per nest (years combined). The birds nested in mixed species timber plantations and mature secondary forest. Nests were placed in the upper reaches of large trees emerging from the canopy. Nest tree DBH, understory stem density, and distance to karst cliff wall correctly classified (77.8%) nest sites. ?? 2005 The Raptor Research Foundation, Inc.

DOE Research Set-Aside Areas of the Savannah River Site

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Davis, C.E.; Janecek, L.L.

1997-08-31

Designated as the first of seven National Environmental Research Parks (NERPs) by the Atomic Energy Commission (now the Department of Energy), the Savannah River Site (SRS) is an important ecological component of the Southeastern Mixed Forest Ecoregion located along the Savannah River south of Aiken, South Carolina. Integral to the Savannah River Site NERP are the DOE Research Set-Aside Areas. Scattered across the SRS, these thirty tracts of land have been set aside for ecological research and are protected from public access and most routine Site maintenance and forest management activities. Ranging in size from 8.5 acres (3.44 ha) tomore » 7,364 acres (2,980 ha), the thirty Set-Aside Areas total 14,005 acres (5,668 ha) and comprise approximately 7% of the Site`s total area. This system of Set-Aside Areas originally was established to represent the major plant communities and habitat types indigenous to the SRS (old-fields, sandhills, upland hardwood, mixed pine/hardwood, bottomland forests, swamp forests, Carolina bays, and fresh water streams and impoundments), as well as to preserve habitats for endangered, threatened, or rare plant and animal populations. Many long-term ecological studies are conducted in the Set-Asides, which also serve as control areas in evaluations of the potential impacts of SRS operations on other regions of the Site. The purpose of this document is to give an historical account of the SRS Set-Aside Program and to provide a descriptive profile of each of the Set-Aside Areas. These descriptions include a narrative for each Area, information on the plant communities and soil types found there, lists of sensitive plants and animals documented from each Area, an account of the ecological research conducted in each Area, locator and resource composition maps, and a list of Site-Use permits and publications associated with each Set-Aside.« less

Grazing in central hardwood forests

Treesearch

Robert A. McQuilkin; Harold Scholten

1989-01-01

Woodland grazing is a major forestry and land management problem in parts of the central hardwood region. Most forest grazing is by cattle and, to a lesser extent, hogs in woodlands adjacent to pastures or feedlots. The practice is particularly common in the cattle producing areas of the Corn Belt where often 50 percent or more of the upland forest is grazed. Woodland...

Changes in fine root dynamics and distribution along a chronosequence of upland oak-hickory forests

Treesearch

Travis W. Idol; Phillip E. Pope; Felix, Jr. Ponder

1997-01-01

Central Hardwood forests regenerate rapidly following a major disturbance like a clear-cut. The subsequent aboveground growth and development of the resulting stands have been well-documented for these forests. However, the belowground components, specifically the dynamics of fine roots, are not well understood. Fine roots are the main vectors through which plants...

Managing young upland forests in southeast Alaska for wood products, wildlife, aquatic resources, and fishes: problem analysis and study plan.

Treesearch

Mark S. Wipfli; Robert L. Deal; Paul E. Hennon; Adelaide C. Johnson; Toni L. de Santo; Thomas A. Hanley; Mark E. Schultz; Mason D. Bryant; Richard T. Edwards; Ewa H. Orlikowska; Takashi Gomi

2002-01-01

Red alder (Alnus rubra Bong.) appears to influence the productivity of young-growth conifer forests and affect the major resources (timber, wildlife, and fisheries) of forested ecosystems in southeast Alaska. We propose an integrated approach to understanding how alder influences trophic links and processes in young-growth ecosystems. The presence...

Energy content in dried leaf litter of some oaks and mixed mesophytic species that replace oaks

Treesearch

Aaron D. Stottlemeyer; G. Geoff Wang; Patrick H. Brose; Thomas A. Waldrop

2010-01-01

Mixed-mesophytic hardwood tree species are replacing upland oaks in vast areas of the Eastern United States deciduous forest. Some researchers have suggested that the leaf litter of mixed-mesophytic, oak replacement species renders forests less flammable where forest managers wish to restore a natural fire regime. We performed chemical analyses on dried leaf litter...

Regional distribution and dynamics of coarse woody debris in Midwestern old-growth forests

Treesearch

Martin A. Spetich; Stephen R. Shifley; George R. Parker

1999-01-01

Old-growth forests have been noted for containing significant quantities of deadwood. However, there has been no coordinated effort to quantify the deadwood component of old-growth remnants across large regions of temperate deciduous forest. We present results of a regional inventory that quantifies and examines regional and temporal trends for deadwood in upland old-...

Introduction to natural disturbances and historic range of variation: type, frequency, severity, and post-disturbance structure in central hardwood forests

Treesearch

Katie Greenberg; Beverly S. Collins; Henry McNab; Douglas K. Miller; Gary R. Wein

2015-01-01

EXCERPT FROM: Natural Disturbances and Historic Range Variation 2015. Throughout the history of upland hardwood forests of the Central Hardwood Region, natural disturbances have been integral to shaping forest structure and composition, and essential in maintaining diverse biotic...

Jack Pine and Aspen Forest Floors in Northeastern Minnesota

Treesearch

Robert M. Loomis

1977-01-01

Characteristics of upland forest floors under mature jack pine and aspen in northeastern Minnesota were investigated. These fuel measurements were needed as inputs for fire behavior prediction models -- useful for fire management decisions. The forest floor weight averaged 33,955 kg/ha and depth averaged 7.1 cm. Bulk density averaged 17 kg/m3 for the L (litter)...

Technology transfer: taking science from the books to the ground at Bent Creek Experimental Forest

Treesearch

Julia Kirschman

2014-01-01

Technology transfer has been an important part of the research program at Bent Creek Experimental Forest (Bent Creek) since its establishment in 1925. Our stated mission is to develop and disseminate knowledge and strategies for restoring, managing, sustaining, and enhancing the vegetation and wildlife of upland hardwood-dominated forest ecosystems of the Southern...

Spatial variation in population dynamics of Sitka mice in floodplain forests.

Treesearch

T.A. Hanley; J.C. Barnard

1999-01-01

Population dynamics and demography of the Sitka mouse, Peromyscus keeni sitkensis, were studied by mark-recapture live-trapping over a 4-year period in four floodplain and upland forest habitats: old-growth Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) floodplain; red alder (Alnus rubra) floodplain; beaver-pond...

Intentional systems management: managing forests for biodiversity.

Treesearch

A.B. Carey; B.R. Lippke; J. Sessions

1999-01-01

Conservation of biodiversity provides for economic, social, and environmental sustainability. Intentional management is designed to manage conflicts among groups with conflicting interests. Our goal was to ascertain if intentional management and principles of conservation of biodiversity could be combined into upland and riparian forest management strategies that would...

Predawn Leaf Water Potential of Oak-Hickory Forest at Missouri Ozark (MOFLUX) Site: 2004-2017

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pallardy, S.G.; Gu, L.; Wood, J.D.

Measurements of predawn leaf water potential (PLWP) have been made at weekly to biweekly intervals during the 2004 to 2017 growing seasons of the second-growth upland oak-hickory forests at the Missouri Ozark AmeriFlux (MOFLUX) site. The MOFLUX site is located in the University of Missouri Baskett Wildlife Research area (BWREA), situated in the Ozark Border Region of central Missouri, USA. Data Release Notes: The first release of PLWP data for MOFLUX covered the range of June 18, 2004 through October 18, 2014 (Pallardy et al., 2015). This second release appends data through October 3, 2017. • There were no changesmore » to the previously released data and the format and structure of this release are the same. • The data citation has been updated. o Addition of author J.D. Wood o Year published is now 2018 o Update of title for extended date range (2004-2017) o Change of publisher (Oak Ridge National Laboratory, TES SFA) o No change to the DOI (10.3334/CDIAC/ornlsfa.004) • Please use the updated citation when referencing any or all the PLWP data.« less

77 FR 64538 - Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge, Washington and Yamhill Counties, OR, Draft Comprehensive...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-22

... bordered by uplands. Habitats include rivers and streams, seasonal, scrub-shrub, and riparian forests; and... grasses, forbs, shrubs, and trees; and controlling weeds. The Refuge's high quality wildlife observation... (Preferred Alternative) The Tualatin River and Rock Creek Units' riparian forest, scrub- shrub wetland, and...

Saproxylic Hemiptera Habitat Associations

Treesearch

Michael D. Ulyshen; James L. Hanula; Robert L. Blinn; Gene. Kritsky

2012-01-01

Understanding the habitat requirements of organisms associated with dead wood is important in order to conserve them in managed forests. Unfortunately, many of the less diverse saproxylic taxa, including Hemiptera, remain largely unstudied. An effort to rear insects from dead wood taken from two forest types (an upland pine-dominated and a bottomland mixed hardwood),...

Deriving fair incentives for management of hardwood timber stands

Treesearch

David A. Gansner; W. Herrick Owen; David N. Larsen; David N. Larsen

1973-01-01

The authors present a practical method for deriving timber-management incentive payments and demonstrate its application in forest stands of upland hardwoods. The suggested incentive payment is based on the differences between discounted costs and returns of deliberate forest management and the "harvest and let grow" option.

Structure and resilience of fungal communities in Alaskan boreal forest soils

Treesearch

D. Lee Taylor; Ian C. Herriott; Kelsie E. Stone; Jack W. McFarland; Michael G. Booth; Mary Beth Leigh

2010-01-01

This paper outlines molecular analyses of soil fungi within the Bonanza Creek Long Term Ecological Research program. We examined community structure in three studies in mixed upland, black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP), and white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) forests and examined taxa involved in cellulose...

A stocking diagram for midwestern eastern cotonwood-silver maple-American sycamore bottomland forests

Treesearch

David R. Larsen; Daniel C. Dey; Thomas. Faust

2010-01-01

A stocking diagram for Midwestern bottomland eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides Bartram ex Marsh.)-silver maple (Acer saccharinum L.)-American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis L.) forests was developed following the methods of S.F. Gingrich (1967. Measuring and evaluating stocking and stand density in upland...

Evaluating Forest Vegetation Simulator predictions for southern Appalachian upland hardwoods with a modified mortality model

Treesearch

Philip J. Radtke; Nathan D. Herring; David L. Loftis; Chad E. Keyser

2012-01-01

Prediction accuracy for projected basal area and trees per acre was assessed for the growth and yield model of the Forest Vegetation Simulator Southern Variant (FVS-Sn). Data for comparison with FVS-Sn predictions were compiled from a collection of n

Summary of the US Army Corps of Engineers/US Environmental Protection Agency Field Verification Program

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-10-01

sites tend to be colonized by aquatic organisms adapted to an intertidal existence and by typical wetland plants. These plants may or may not be the...the upland site and within the intertidal range for the wetland site. Site Selection and Design Site selection 15. Acceptable sites for upland and... intertidal range. Along one side of the site, a sandbag dike was constructed that could be removed after filling to provide easy tidal interchange

Export of arsenic from forested catchments under easing atmospheric pollution

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lucie Erbanova; Martin Novak; Daniela Fottova

Massive lignite burning in Central European power plants peaked in the 1980s. Dissolved arsenic in runoff from upland forest ecosystems is one of the ecotoxicological risks resulting from power plant emissions. Maxima in As concentrations in runoff from four forest catchments have increased 2-5 times between 1995 and 2006, and approach the drinking water limit (10 {mu}g L{sup -1}). To assess the fate of anthropogenic As, we constructed input/output mass balances for three polluted and one relatively unpolluted forest catchment in the Czech Republic, and evaluated the pool size of soil As. The observation period was 11 years, and themore » sites spanned a 6-fold As pollution gradient. Two of the polluted sites exhibit large net As export via runoff solutes (mean of 4-5 g As ha{sup -1} yr{sup -1} for the 11-year period; up to 28 g As ha{sup -1} yr{sup -1} in 2005). This contrasts with previous studies which concluded that forest catchments are a net sink for atmogenic arsenic both at times of increasing and decreasing pollution. The amount of exported As is not correlated with the total As soil pool size, which is over 78% geogenic in origin, but correlates closely with water fluxes via runoff. Net arsenic release is caused by an interplay of hydrological conditions and retreating acidification which may mobilize arsenic by competitive ligand exchange. The effects of droughts and other aspects of climate change on subsequent As release from soil were not investigated. Between-site comparisons indicate that most pollutant As may be released from humus. 24 refs., 7 figs., 1 tab.« less

Comparison of Saproxylic Beetle (Coleoptera) Assemblages in Upland Hardwood and Bottomland Hardwood Forests

Treesearch

Michael D. Warriner; T. Even Nebeker; Steven A. Tucker; Terence L. Schiefer

2004-01-01

Insects dependent upon dead wood, wood-decaying fungi, or other organisms within dead wood for some portion of their life cycle have been termed saproxylic. Beetles comprise a large component of the saproxylic fauna within forests and play vital roles in the initial fragmentation and breakdown of dead woody debris. To evaluate the influence of forest type on saproxylic...

Seasonal Pond Characteristics Across A Chronosequence Of djacent Forest Ages In Northern Minnesota, USA

Treesearch

Brian J. Palik; Darold P. Batzer; Richard Buech; Dale Nichols; Kory Cease; Leanne M. Egeland; Dwight E. Streblow

2001-01-01

Small seasonal ponds are abundant in many forest landscapes, yet they remain poorly understood in terms of their response to disturbance of the surrounding upland forest. The potential for such a response is large because of the small size and, hence, high perimeter-to-area ratios of most ponds. High perimeter-to-area ratio may increase the importance of functional...

Monitoring oak-hickory forest change during an unprecedented red oak borer outbreak in the Ozark Mountains: 1990 to 2006

Treesearch

Joshua S. Jones; Jason A. Tullis; Laurel J. Haavik; James M. Guldin; Fred M. Stephen

2014-01-01

Upland oak-hickory forests in Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma experienced oak decline in the late 1990s and early 2000s during an unprecedented outbreak of a native beetle, the red oak borer (ROB), Enaphalodes rufulus (Haldeman). Although remote sensing supports frequent monitoring of continuously changing forests, comparable in situ observations are critical for...

Geology of Tenderfoot Creek Experimental Forest Little Belt Mountains, Meagher County, Montana

Treesearch

Mitchell W. Reynolds

1975-01-01

The Tenderfoot Creek Experimental Forest in the west-central part of the Little Belt Mountains occupies a transition zone in the west-central part of the Mountains-a transition from rolling mountain parks with rounded peaks that rise about 500 feet above the upland of the range to deeply incised canyons that drain the west end of the Mountains. The Experimental Forest...

Forest attributes and fuel loads of riparian vs. upland stands in mountain pine beetle infested watersheds, southern Rocky Mountains [Chapter 13

Treesearch

Kathleen A. Dwire; Roberto A. Bazan; Robert Hubbard

2015-01-01

Extensive outbreaks of mountain pine beetle (MPB), spruce beetle (SB), and other insects are altering forest stand structure throughout the Western United States, and thereby increasing the natural heterogeneity of fuel distribution. Riparian forests frequently occur as narrow linear features in the landscape mosaic and can contribute to the spatial complexity of...

Modeling the long-term effects of oak shelterwood regeneration treatments on species diversity and oak abundance in southern Appalachian forests of North Carolina

Treesearch

Tara L. Keyser; Chad E. Keyser

2013-01-01

In April 2008, the Upland Hardwoods Ecology and Management Research Work Unit of the U.S. Forest Service, Southern Research Station began a long-term cooperative study to describe forest ecosystem response to three oak (Quercus spp.) shelterwood regeneration treatments in the central hardwoods region of the United States. Pretreatment inventory data...

Long-term patterns of fruit production in five forest types of the South Carolina upper coastal plain

DOE PAGES

Greenberg, Cathryn H.; Levey, Douglas J.; Kwit, Charles; ...

2012-02-06

Fleshy fruit is a key food resource for many vertebrates and may be particularly important energy source to birds during fall migration and winter. Hence, land managers should know how fruit availability varies among forest types, seasons, and years. We quantified fleshy fruit abundance monthly for 9 years (1995–2003) in 56 0.1-ha plots in 5 forest types of South Carolina's upper Coastal Plain, USA. Forest types were mature upland hardwood and bottomland hardwood forest, mature closed-canopy loblolly ( Pinus taeda) and longleaf pine ( P. palustris) plantation, and recent clearcut regeneration harvests planted with longleaf pine seedlings. Mean annual numbermore » of fruits and dry fruit pulp mass were highest in regeneration harvests (264,592 ± 37,444 fruits; 12,009 ± 2,392 g/ha), upland hardwoods (60,769 ± 7,667 fruits; 5,079 ± 529 g/ha), and bottomland hardwoods (65,614 ± 8,351 fruits; 4,621 ± 677 g/ha), and lowest in longleaf pine (44,104 ± 8,301 fruits; 4,102 ± 877 g/ha) and loblolly (39,532 ± 5,034 fruits; 3,261 ± 492 g/ha) plantations. Fruit production was initially high in regeneration harvests and declined with stand development and canopy closure (1995–2003). Fruit availability was highest June–September and lowest in April. More species of fruit-producing plants occurred in upland hardwoods, bottomland hardwoods, and regeneration harvests than in loblolly and longleaf pine plantations. Several species produced fruit only in 1 or 2 forest types. In sum, fruit availability varied temporally and spatially because of differences in species composition among forest types and age classes, patchy distributions of fruiting plants both within and among forest types, fruiting phenology, high inter-annual variation in fruit crop size by some dominant fruit-producing species, and the dynamic process of disturbance-adapted species colonization and decline, or recovery in recently harvested stands. As a result, land managers could enhance fruit availability for wildlife by creating and maintaining diverse forest types and age classes.« less

In search of radiation minima for balancing the needs of forest and water management in snow dominated watersheds (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, M.; Seyednasrollah, B.; Link, T. E.

2013-12-01

In upland snowfed forested watersheds, where the majority of melt recharge occurs, there is growing interest among water and forest managers to strike a balance between maximizing forest productivity and minimizing impacts on water resources. Implementation of forest management strategies that involve reduction of forest cover generally result in increased water yield and peak flows from forests, which has potentially detrimental consequences including increased erosion, stream destabilization, water shortages in late melt season, and degradation of water quality and ecosystem health. These ill effects can be partially negated by implementing optimal gap patterns and vegetation densities through forest management, that may minimize net radiation on snow-covered forest floor (NRSF). A small NRSF can moderate peak flows and increase water availability late in the melt season. Since forest canopies reduce direct solar (0.28 - 3.5 μm) radiation but increase longwave (3.5-100 μm) radiation at the snow surface, by performing detailed quantification of individual radiation components for a range of vegetation density and and gap configurations, we identify the optimal vegetation configurations. We also evaluate the role of site location, its topographic setting, local meteorological conditions and vegetation morphological characteristics, on the optimal configurations. The results can be used to assist forest managers to quantify the radiative regime alteration for various thinning and gap-creation scenarios, as a function of latitudinal, topographic, climatic and vegetation characteristics.

A hierarchical approach to forest landscape pattern characterization.

PubMed

Wang, Jialing; Yang, Xiaojun

2012-01-01

Landscape spatial patterns have increasingly been considered to be essential for environmental planning and resources management. In this study, we proposed a hierarchical approach for landscape classification and evaluation by characterizing landscape spatial patterns across different hierarchical levels. The case study site is the Red Hills region of northern Florida and southwestern Georgia, well known for its biodiversity, historic resources, and scenic beauty. We used one Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper image to extract land-use/-cover information. Then, we employed principal-component analysis to help identify key class-level landscape metrics for forests at different hierarchical levels, namely, open pine, upland pine, and forest as a whole. We found that the key class-level landscape metrics varied across different hierarchical levels. Compared with forest as a whole, open pine forest is much more fragmented. The landscape metric, such as CONTIG_MN, which measures whether pine patches are contiguous or not, is more important to characterize the spatial pattern of pine forest than to forest as a whole. This suggests that different metric sets should be used to characterize landscape patterns at different hierarchical levels. We further used these key metrics, along with the total class area, to classify and evaluate subwatersheds through cluster analysis. This study demonstrates a promising approach that can be used to integrate spatial patterns and processes for hierarchical forest landscape planning and management.

Evaluating the spatial variation of total mercury in young-of-year yellow perch (Perca flavescens), surface water and upland soil for watershed-lake systems within the southern Boreal Shield

Treesearch

Mark C. Gabriel; Randy Kolka; Trent Wickman; Ed Nater; Laurel. Woodruff

2009-01-01

The primary objective of this research is to investigate relationships between mercury in upland soil, lake water and fish tissue and explore the cause for the observed spatial variation of THg in age one yellow perch (Perca flavescens) for ten lakes within the Superior National Forest. Spatial relationships between yellow perch THg tissue...

Pattern recognition of native plant communities: Manitou Colorado test site

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Driscoll, R. S.

1972-01-01

Optimum channel selection among 12 channels of multispectral scanner imagery identified six as providing the best information about 11 vegetation classes and two nonvegetation classes at the Manitou Experimental Forest. Intensive preprocessing of the scanner signals was required to eliminate a serious scan angle effect. Final processing of the normalized data provided acceptable recognition results of generalized plant community types. Serious errors occurred with attempts to classify specific community types within upland grassland areas. The consideration of the convex mixtures concept (effects of amounts of live plant cover, exposed soil, and plant litter cover on apparent scene radiances) significantly improved the classification of some of the grassland classes.

Arthropod prey for riparian associated birds in headwater forests of the Oregon Coast Range

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hagar, Joan C.; Li, Judith; Sobota, Janel; Jenkins, Stephanie

2012-01-01

Headwater riparian areas occupy a large proportion of the land base in Pacific Northwest forests, and thus are ecologically and economically important. Although a primary goal of management along small headwater streams is the protection of aquatic resources, streamside habitat also is important for many terrestrial wildlife species. However, mechanisms underlying the riparian associations of some terrestrial species have not been well studied, particularly for headwater drainages. We investigated the diets of and food availability for four bird species associated with riparian habitats in montane coastal forests of western Oregon, USA. We examined variation in the availability of arthropod prey as a function of distance from stream. Specifically, we tested the hypotheses that (1) emergent aquatic insects were a food source for insectivorous birds in headwater riparian areas, and (2) the abundances of aquatic and terrestrial arthropod prey did not differ between streamside and upland areas during the bird breeding season. We found that although adult aquatic insects were available for consumption throughout the study period, they represented a relatively small proportion of available prey abundance and biomass and were present in only 1% of the diet samples from only one of the four riparian-associated bird species. Nonetheless, arthropod prey, comprised primarily of insects of terrestrial origin, was more abundant in streamside than upland samples. We conclude that food resources for birds in headwater riparian areas are primarily associated with terrestrial vegetation, and that bird distributions along the gradient from streamside to upland may be related to variation in arthropod prey availability. Because distinct vegetation may distinguish riparian from upland habitats for riparian-associated birds and their terrestrial arthropod prey, we suggest that understory communities be considered when defining management zones for riparian habitat.

Utilization of LANDSAT multispectral data in geobotanical investigations: The location of ironstone gravel in the Sam Houston National Forest

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cibula, W. G.

1982-01-01

Practical techniques were developed and evaluated for deriving geobotanical information from LANDSAT MSS data acquired for a test site in the Sam Houston National Forest near Cleveland, Texas where gravel deposits exist in sufficient quantity that economical extraction would be feasible. A correlation was shown between a single spectral class and the presence of ironstone gravel. Field data indicates that this class relates to upland pine which was probably under stress as the result of a prolonged drought which was in progress at the time of data acquisition. It is suggested that the subsurface gravel produces a soil which has less field capacity for water retention, causing early appearance of water stress in the surface vegetation over these soils. In all areas within the QMC formation where this class occurred, gravel was located when borings were made.

Recent acceleration of biomass burning and carbon losses in Alaskan forests and peatlands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Turetsky, M.R.; Kane, E.S.; Harden, J.W.; Ottmar, R.D.; Manies, K.L.; Hoy, E.; Kasischke, E.S.

2011-01-01

Climate change has increased the area affected by forest fires each year in boreal North America. Increases in burned area and fire frequency are expected to stimulate boreal carbon losses. However, the impact of wildfires on carbon emissions is also affected by the severity of burning. How climate change influences the severity of biomass burning has proved difficult to assess. Here, we examined the depth of ground-layer combustion in 178 sites dominated by black spruce in Alaska, using data collected from 31 fire events between 1983 and 2005. We show that the depth of burning increased as the fire season progressed when the annual area burned was small. However, deep burning occurred throughout the fire season when the annual area burned was large. Depth of burning increased late in the fire season in upland forests, but not in peatland and permafrost sites. Simulations of wildfire-induced carbon losses from Alaskan black spruce stands over the past 60 years suggest that ground-layer combustion has accelerated regional carbon losses over the past decade, owing to increases in burn area and late-season burning. As a result, soils in these black spruce stands have become a net source of carbon to the atmosphere, with carbon emissions far exceeding decadal uptake.

Resilience of Alaska's Boreal Forest to Climatic Change

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chapin, F. S., III; McGuire, A. D.; Ruess, R. W.; Hollingsworth, T. N.; Mack, M. C.; Johnstone, J. F.; Kasischke, E. S.; Euskirchen, E. S.; Jones, J. B.; Jorgenson, M. T.;

Resilience of Alaska’s boreal forest to climatic change

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chapin, F.S.; McGuire, A. David; Ruess, Roger W.; Hollingsworth, Teresa N.; Mack, M.C.; Johnstone, J.F.; Kasischke, E.S.; Euskirchen, E.S.; Jones, J.B.; Jorgenson, M.T.; Kielland, K.; Kofinas, G.; Turetsky, M.R.; Yarie, J.; Lloyd, A.H.; Taylor, D.L.

2010-01-01

This paper assesses the resilience of Alaska’s boreal forest system to rapid climatic change. Recent warming is associated with reduced growth of dominant tree species, plant disease and insect outbreaks, warming and thawing of permafrost, drying of lakes, increased wildfire extent, increased postfire recruitment of deciduous trees, and reduced safety of hunters traveling on river ice. These changes have modified key structural features, feedbacks, and interactions in the boreal forest, including reduced effects of upland permafrost on regional hydrology, expansion of boreal forest into tundra, and amplification of climate warming because of reduced albedo (shorter winter season) and carbon release from wildfires. Other temperature-sensitive processes for which no trends have been detected include composition of plant and microbial communities, long-term landscape-scale change in carbon stocks, stream discharge, mammalian population dynamics, and river access and subsistence opportunities for rural indigenous communities. Projections of continued warming suggest that Alaska’s boreal forest will undergo significant functional and structural changes within the next few decades that are unprecedented in the last 6000 years. The impact of these social–ecological changes will depend in part on the extent of landscape reorganization between uplands and lowlands and on policies regulating subsistence opportunities for rural communities.

Insights for empirically modeling evapotranspiration influenced by riparian and upland vegetation in semiarid regions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bunting, Daniel P.; Kurc, Shirley A.; Glenn, Edward P.; Nagler, Pamela L.; Scott, Russell L.

2014-01-01

Water resource managers aim to ensure long-term water supplies for increasing human populations. Evapotranspiration (ET) is a key component of the water balance and accurate estimates are important to quantify safe allocations to humans while supporting environmental needs. Scaling up ET measurements from small spatial scales has been problematic due to spatiotemporal variability. Remote sensing products provide spatially distributed data that account for seasonal climate and vegetation variability. We used MODIS products [i.e., Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) and nighttime land surface temperatures (LSTn)] to create empirical ET models calibrated using measured ET from three riparian-influenced and two upland, water-limited flux tower sites. Results showed that combining all sites introduced systematic bias, so we developed separate models to estimate riparian and upland ET. While EVI and LSTn were the main drivers for ET in riparian sites, precipitation replaced LSTn as the secondary driver of ET in upland sites. Riparian ET was successfully modeled using an inverse exponential approach (r2 = 0.92) while upland ET was adequately modeled using a multiple linear regression approach (r2 = 0.77). These models can be used in combination to estimate ET at basin scales provided each region is classified and precipitation data is available.

Sensitivity of pine flatwoods hydrology to climate change and forest management in Florida, USA

Treesearch

Jianbiao Lu; Ge Sun; Steven G. McNulty; Nicholas B. Comerford

2009-01-01

Pine flatwoods (a mixture of cypress wetlands and managed pine uplands) is an important ecosystem in the southeastern U.S. However, long-term hydrologic impacts of forest management and climate change on this heterogeneous landscape are not well understood. Therefore, this study examined the sensitivity of cypress-pine flatwoods...

Reproducing Southern Hardwoods is Easier Than You Think

Treesearch

R. L. Johnson; R. C. Biesterfeldt

1971-01-01

Throughout the South poor upland hardwood stands are being converted to pine, while bottom-land hardwood stands are largely ignored. Why are Southern foresters preoccupied with pines? Uncertainties about hardwood markets and gaps in available information about hardwood management are contributing causes, but fear is probably a key factor. Foresters much prefer the well...

Instream-Flow Analysis for the Luquillo Experimental Forest, Puerto Rico: Methods and Analysis

Treesearch

F.N. Scatena; S.L. Johnson

2001-01-01

This study develops two habitat-based approaches for evaluating instream-flow requirements within the Luquillo Experimental Forest in northeastern Puerto Rico. The analysis is restricted to instream-flow requirements in upland streams dominated by the common communities of freshwater decapods. In headwater streams, pool volume was the most consistent factor...

Thirty-year assessment of released, overtopped white oaks

Treesearch

C. Miller; S. Grayson; A. Houser; W. Clatterbuck; K. Kuers

2011-01-01

White oak (Quercus alba L.) is a slow-growing species that is often overtopped in the mixed upland hardwood forests of the Cumberland Plateau. Forest managers have concerns about the potential economic value of releasing overtopped white oaks to become valuable crop trees. This study follows the growth and development of 104 overtopped white oaks...

Upland Oak Ecology and Management

Treesearch

D.H. Van Lear

2004-01-01

Of the many disturbance factors that shaped hardwood forests in the eastern United States, fire was perhaps the most important. Fires ignited by Native Americans and lightning played a dominant role in sustaining oak (Quercus spp.) forests throughout the Central Hardwood Region. Prior to logging at the turn of the last century, fires in the region...

Spatial Patterns of Irradiance and Advanced Reproduction along a Canopy Disturbance Severity Gradient in an Upland Hardwood Stand

Treesearch

Amanda Keasberry; Justin Hart; Daniel C. Dey; Callie Schweitzer

2016-01-01

Regeneration failure of Quercus in mature Quercus-dominated forests has been reported throughout the temperate zone. Quercus seedlings are often abundant in these forests, yet frequently fail to recruit to larger size classes despite canopy disturbances. To examine intra-stand patterns of advanced...

Using an Ecological Land Hierarchy to Predict Seasonal-Wetland Abundance in Upland Forests

Treesearch

Brian J. Palik; Richard Buech; Leanne Egeland

2003-01-01

Hierarchy theory, when applied to landscapes, predicts that broader-scale ecosystems constrain the development of finer-scale, nested ecosystems. This prediction finds application in hierarchical land classifications. Such classifications typically apply to physiognomically similar ecosystems, or ecological land units, e.g., a set of multi-scale forest ecosystems. We...

The Effects of Harvesting on Long-Term Soil Productivity in Southern Indiana Oak-Hickory Forests

Treesearch

Travis W. Idol; Phillip E. Pope; Felix Ponder

2002-01-01

Timber harvesting has the potential to alter long-term soil productivity in a variety of forest ecosystems. We monitored the effects of harvesting on N cycling processes in upland oak-hickory forests of southern Indiana, using a chronosequence of stands ranging in age from 1 year to 100 years after harvest. N cycling pools and processes were monitored from 1995-1999....

Bird migration patterns in the arid southwest-Final report

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ruth, Janet M.; Felix, Rodney K.; Dieh, Robert H.

2010-01-01

To ensure full life-cycle conservation, we need to understand migrant behavior en route and how migrating species use stopover and migration aerohabitats. In the Southwest, birds traverse arid and mountainous landscapes in migration. Migrants are known to use riparian stopover habitats; we know less about how migrant density varies across the Southwest seasonally and annually, and how migrants use other habitat types during migratory stopover. Furthermore, we lack information about migrant flight altitudes, speeds, and directions of travel, and how these patterns vary seasonally and annually across the Southwest. Using weather surveillance radar data, we identified targets likely dominated by nocturnally migrating birds and determined their flight altitudes, speeds, directions over ground, and variations in abundance. Migrating or foraging bats likely are present across the region in some of these data, particularly in central Texas. We found that migrants flew at significantly lower altitudes and significantly higher speeds in spring than in fall. In all seasons migrants maintained seasonally appropriate directions of movement. We detected significant differences in vertical structure of migrant densities that varied both geographically within seasons and seasonally within sites. We also found that in fall there was a greater and more variable passage of migrants through the central part of the borderlands (New Mexico and west Texas); in spring there was some suggestion of greater and more variable passage of migrants in the eastern borderlands (central and south Texas). Such patterns are consistent with the existence of at least two migration systems through western North America and the use of different migration routes in spring and fall for at least some species. Using radar data and satellite land cover data, we determined the habitats with which migrants are associated during migration stopover. There were significant differences in bird densities among habitat types at all sites in at least one season. Upland forest habitat in parts of Arizona and New Mexico supported high migrant densities, especially in fall. Developed habitats in areas with little upland forest habitat also supported high migrant densities. Scrub/shrub and grassland habitats supported low to intermediate migrant densities, but because these habitat types dominate the region, they may support large numbers of migratory birds. This may be especially true for species that do not use forested habitats during migration. Target identity remains a challenge for radar-based studies. Presence of bats in the data complicates interpretation of some observations, particularly from central Texas. Based on our results it is simplistic to: (1) consider the arid west as a largely inhospitable landscape in which there are only relatively small oases of habitat that provide the resources needed by all migrants; (2) think of western riparian and upland forest habitat as supporting the majority of migrants in all cases; or (3) consider a particular habitat type unimportant migrant stopover habitat based solely on migrant densities.

Effect of forest fragmentation on bird populations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Robbins, C.S.

1979-01-01

Many of the insectivorous songbird species that winter in the tropics are dependent on large unbroken tracts of forest during the breeding season. These species are disappearing from localities where forests are becoming fragmented. By long-range planning, managers can prevent local extinctions of these area-sensitive birds through use of such techniques as management in large units, retention of connecting corridors, and prevention of excessive isolation of forest fragments. Edge conditions can be provided, where appropriate to meet the needs of upland game species.

Effects of river flow regime on cottonwood leaf litter dynamics in semi-arid northwestern Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Andersen, D.C.; Nelson, S.M.

2003-01-01

We compared production and breakdown of Fremont cottonwood (Populus deltoides wislizenii) leaf litter at matched floodplain sites on the regulated Green River and unregulated Yampa River in semi-arid northwestern Colorado. Litter production under trees was similar at sites in 1999 (250 g/m2, oven-dry) but lower in 2000 (215 and 130 g/m2), a drought year that also featured an outbreak of defoliating beetles at the Yampa River site. Our production values were similar to the few others reported for riparian forests within semi-arid or arid areas. Leaf litter in portions of the floodplain not inundated during the spring flood lost organic matter at the same rate as leaves placed in upland sites in 1998 and 2000: 35 to 50% of organic matter during an approximately 160-day spring and summer period. Inundated litter lost 55 to 90% of its organic matter during the same period. Organic matter loss from inundated leaves increased with duration of inundation and with deposition of fine sediment. Pooled across locations, leafpack data suggested that nitrogen concentration (mg N/kg organic matter) increased until about 65% of the initial organic matter was lost. This increase likely reflected the buildup of microbial decomposer populations. The role of insects and other macroinvertebrates in litter breakdown apparently was minor at both sites. Large spatial and temporal variation in litter dynamics in aridland floodplain settings is ensured by microtopographic variation in the alluvial surface coupled with year-to-year variation associated with most natural flood regimes. Factors reducing flood flow frequency or magnitude will reduce overall breakdown rates on the floodplain towards those found in drier upland environments.

Stream Community Structure: An Analysis of Riparian Forest Buffer Restoration in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orzetti, L. L.; Jones, R. C.

2005-05-01

Forested riparian buffer zones have been proposed as an important aid in curtailing upland sources of pollution before they reach stream surface waters, and enhancing habitat for stream organisms. Our objective was to test the efficacy of restored forest riparian buffers along streams in the Chesapeake Bay watershed by examining the stream macrobenthic community structure. To test our hypothesis, we collected riffle benthic and water samples, and performed habitat evaluations at 30 stream sites in the mid-Atlantic Piedmont, ranging in buffer age from 0 to greater than 50 years of age. Results showed that habitat, water quality, and benthic macroinvertebrate metrics improved with age of restored buffer. Habitat scores were driven mostly by instream substrate availability and width and age of riparian buffer zones. Water quality parameters varied within buffer age groups depending age of surrounding forest vegetation. Benthic invertebrate taxa richness, % EPT, % Plecoptera, % Ephemeroptera, and the FBI all improved with age of buffer zone. Instream habitat quality was the greatest driver of benthic macroinvertebrate community diversity and health, and appeared to plateau within 10-15 years of restoration with noticeable improvements occurring within 5-10 years post restoration.

a Review of Late Holocene Fluvial Systems in the Karst Maya Lowlands with Focus on the Rio Bravo, Belize

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beach, T.; Luzzadder-Beach, S.; Krause, S.; Doyle, C.

2015-12-01

The Maya Lowlands is mostly an internally draining karst region with about 400 m of regional relief. Fluvial and fluviokarst systems drain the edges of this landscape either from low limestone uplands or igneous and metamorphic complexes. Thus far most fluvial research has focused around archaeology projects, and here we review the extant research conducted across the region and new research on the transboundary Rio Bravo watershed of Belize and Guatemala. The Rio Bravo drains a largely old growth tropical forest today, but was partly deforested around ancient Maya cities and farms from 3,000 to 1000 BP. Several studies estimate that 30 to 40 percent of forest survived through the Maya period. Work here has focused on soils and sediment movement along slope catenas, in floodplain sites, and on contributions from groundwater with high dissolved loads of sulfate and calcium. We review radiocarbon dates and present new dates and soil stratigraphy from these sequences to date slope and floodplain movement, and we estimate ancient land use from carbon isotopic and pollen evidence. Aggradation in this watershed occurred by flooding, gypsum precipitation, upland erosion, and ancient Maya canal building and filling for wetland farming. Soil erosion and aggradation started at least by 3,000 BP and continued through the ancient Maya period, though reduced locally by soil conservation, post urban construction, and source reduction, especially in Maya Classic period from 1700 to 1000 BP.

Color infrared video mapping of upland and wetland communities

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mackey, H.E. Jr.; Jensen, J.R.; Hodgson, M.E.

1987-01-01

Color infrared images were obtained using a video remote sensing system at 3000 and 5000 feet over a variety of terrestrial and wetland sites on the Savannah River Plant near Aiken, SC. The terrestrial sites ranged from secondary successional old field areas to even aged pine stands treated with varying levels of sewage sludge. The wetland sites ranged from marsh and macrophyte areas to mature cypress-tupelo swamp forests. The video data were collected in three spectral channels, 0.5-0.6 ..mu..m, 0.6-0.7 ..mu..m, and 0.7-1.1 ..mu..m at a 12.5 mm focal length. The data were converted to digital form and processed withmore » standard techniques. Comparisons of the video images were made with aircraft multispectral scanner (MSS) data collected previously from the same sites. The analyses of the video data indicated that this technique may present a low cost alternative for evaluation of vegetation and landcover types for environmental monitoring and assessment.« less

Riparian zones as havens for exotic plant species in the central grasslands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stohlgren, T.J.; Bull, K.A.; Otsuki, Yuka; Villa, C.A.; Lee, M.

1998-01-01

In the Central Grasslands of the United States, we hypothesized that riparian zones high in soil fertility would contain more exotic plant species than upland areas of low soil fertility. Our alternate hypothesis was that riparian zones high in native plant species richness and cover would monopolize available resources and resist invasion by exotic species. We gathered nested-scale vegetation data from 40 1 m2subplots (nested in four 1000 m2 plots) in both riparian and upland sites at four study areas in Colorado, Wyoming, and South Dakota (a total of 320 1 m2subplots and 32 1000 m2 plots). At the 1 m2 scale, mean foliar cover of native species was significantly greater (P < 0.001) in riparian zones (36.6% ?? 1.7%) compared to upland sites (28.7% ?? 1.5%), but at this small scale there were no consistent patterns of native and exotic species richness among the four management areas. Mean exotic species cover was slightly higher in upland sites compared to riparian sites (9.0% ?? 3.8% versus 8.2% ?? 3.0% cover). However, mean exotic species richness and cover were greater in the riparian zones than upland sites in three of four management areas. At the 1000 m2 scale, mean exotic species richness was also significantly greater (P < 0.05) in riparian zones (7.8 ?? 1.0 species) compared to upland sites (4.8 ?? 1.0 species) despite the heavy invasion of one upland site. For all 32 plots combined, 21% of the variance in exotic species richness was explained by positive relationships with soil % silt (t = 1.7, P = 0.09) and total foliar cover (t = 2.4, P = 0.02). Likewise, 26% of the variance in exotic species cover (log10 cover) was explained by positive relationships with soil % silt (t = 2.3, P = 0.03) and total plant species richness (t = 2.4, P = 0.02). At landscape scales (four 1000 m2 plots per type combined), total foliar cover was significantly and positively correlated with exotic species richness (r = 0.73, P < 0.05) and cover (r = 0.74, P < 0.05). Exotic species cover (log10 cover) was positively correlated with log10% N in the soil (r = 0.61, P = 0.11) at landscape scales. On average, we found that 85% (??5%) of the total number of exotic species in the sampling plots of a given management area could be found in riparian zones, while only 50% (??8%) were found in upland plots. We conclude that: (1 species-rich and productive riparian zones are particularly invasible in grassland ecosystems; and (2) riparian zones may act as havens, corridors, and sources of exotic plant invasions for upland sites and pose a significant challenge to land managers and conservation biologists.

60,000 years of vegetation and climate change in eastern, lowland Bolivia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whitney, B. S.; Mayle, F. E.

2006-12-01

Presented here is a late Quaternary pollen record from Laguna La Gaiba (17°45`S, 57°35`W), a 55 km2 lake located at the western margin of the Pantanal basin, the world's largest tropical wetland, and the eastern limit of the Bolivian Chiquitano dry forest. A suite of 12 AMS radiocarbon dates on terrestrial macrofossils demonstrates a continuous sediment record spanning at least the last 60,000 years. Today, upland areas of the lake catchment are blanketed by closed-canopy semi-deciduous forest. However, arboreal pollen was largely absent from glacial-age sediments, indicative of a climate drier than present, and a landscape dominated by open, herbaceous savanna. Tropical forest appeared during the glacial-Holocene transition, pointing to increased precipitation, but was floristically different from those of the Holocene. Seasonally-dry tropical forest, floristically similar to that of today, appeared during the early Holocene. Changes in proportions of key dry forest taxa point to rising precipitation in the mid-late Holocene, consistent with other records from the southern hemisphere lowlands, as well as the tropical Andes. However, our evidence for reduced precipitation in the lowlands during the Last Glacial Maximum contrasts with high water- levels at Lake Titicaca and other sites on the Altiplano.

Proactive restoration: planning, implementation, and early results of silvicultural strategies for increasing resilience against gypsy moth infestation in upland oak forests on the Daniel Boone National Forest, Kentucky

Treesearch

Callie Schweitzer; Stacy L. Clark; Kurt W. Gottschalk; Jeff Stringer; Robbie Sitzlar

2014-01-01

Determining targets in forest restoration is a complicated task that can be facilitated by cooperative partnerships. Too often restoration plans are implemented after adverse events that cause widespread tree mortality, such as drought or insect outbreaks, have occurred. Reactive management precludes the use of preemptive management techniques that can result in more...

Heed the head: buffer benefits along headwater streams

Treesearch

Rhonda Mazza; Deanna (Dede) Olson

2015-01-01

Since the Northwest Forest Plan implemented riparian buffers along non-fish bearing streams in 1994, there have been questions about how wide those buffers need to be to protect aquatic and riparian resources from upland forest management activities. The Density Management and Riparian Buffer Study of western Oregon, also initiated in 1994, examines the effects of...

Integrating land and resource management plans and applied large-scale research on two national forests

Treesearch

Callie Jo Schweitzer; Stacy Clark; Glen Gaines; Paul Finke; Kurt Gottschalk; David Loftis

2008-01-01

Researchers working out of the Southern and Northern Research Stations have partnered with two National Forests to conduct two large-scale studies designed to assess the effectiveness of silvicultural techniques used to restore and maintain upland oak (Quercus spp.)-dominated ecosystems in the Cumberland Plateau Region of the southeastern United...

Fine root dynamics across a chronosequence of upland temperate deciduous forests

Treesearch

Travis W. Idol; Phillip E. Pope; Felix Jr. Ponder

2000-01-01

Following a major disturbance event in forests that removes most of the standing vegetation, patterns of fine root growth, mortality, and decomposition may be altered from the pre-disturbance conditions. The objective of this study was to describe the changes in the seasonal and spatial dynamics of fine root growth, mortality, and decomposition that occur following...

Recovery of sediment characteristics in moraine, headwater streams of northern Minnesota after forest harvest

Treesearch

Eric C. Merten; Nathaniel A. Hemstad; Randall K. Kolka; Raymond M. Newman; Elon S. Verry; Bruce Vondracek

2010-01-01

We investigated the recovery of sediment characteristics in four moraine, headwater streams in north-central Minnesota after forest harvest. We examined changes in fine sediment levels from 1997 (preharvest) to 2007 (10 years postharvest) at study plots with upland clear felling and riparian thinning, using canopy cover, proportion of unstable banks, surficial fine...

Stump Sprouting 2 Years After Thinning in a Cherrybark Oak Plantation

Treesearch

Brian Roy Lockhart; Jim L. Chambers; Kristi L. Wharton

2002-01-01

Stump sprouts are considered an important regeneration source in hardwood management, especially in upland oak-dominated forests. Less is known about stump sprouting in bottomland oak forests. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the success and growth of stump sprouts following 2 thinning levels, 70-75 percent of initial stocking (light thinning)...

Fuels planning: science synthesis and integration; environmental consequences fact sheet 08: Evaluating sedimentation risks associated with fuel management

Treesearch

William Elliot; Pete Robichaud

2005-01-01

This fact sheet describes the sources of sediment in upland forest watersheds in the context of fuel management activities. It presents the dominant forest soil erosion processes, and the principles behind the new sediment delivery interface developed to aid in erosion analysis of fuel management projects.

Temporal Dynamics in Soil Oxygen and Greenhouse Gases in Two Humid Tropical Forests

Treesearch

Daniel Liptzin; Whendee L. Silver; Matteo Detto

2011-01-01

Soil redox plays a key role in regulating biogeochemical transformations in terrestrial ecosystems, but the temporal and spatial patterns in redox and associated controls within and across ecosystems are poorly understood. Upland humid tropical forest soils may be particularly prone to fluctuating redox as abundant rainfall limits oxygen (O2) diffusion through finely...

The timber-supply potential of intensive management in upland oak forests of Ohio

Treesearch

David A. Gansner; Owen W. Herrick; Owen W. Herrick

1973-01-01

Two alternative programs of intensive timber management were defined for Ohio's oak-hickory forests. Their potentials were evaluated by comparing the expected yields and yield values of each program with those expected from a continuation of current management practices. Neither program would produce large increases in timber yield. But the expected gains in yield...

Coupled hydraulic and photosynthetic feedbacks on forest transpiration throughout the growing season

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mackay, D. S.; Ewers, B. E.

2007-12-01

Ecosystem models account for vegetative controls on water fluxes using environmental drivers and hydraulic and/or biochemical limits on canopy stomatal conductance (Gs), variations in space and time of leaf area index (L), and species or biome specific parameters. However, some parameters, such as maximum stomatal conductance or its reference proxy at vapor pressure deficit of 1 kPa (Gsref), may not be strictly time-independent suggesting as yet undefined mechanisms in the models. We developed a model of coupled canopy water and carbon exchange, which allowed us to examine photosynthetic and hydraulic feedbacks on Gsref spanning the whole growing season for several dominant tree species in wetland and upland positions that collectively account for most a 1600 square km region centered on the WLEF AmeriFlux tower in Wisconsin, USA. The model assimilated half-hourly sap flux and micrometeorological data to quantify and explain temporal variations in Gsref for trembling aspen, sugar maple, and red pine in upland sites, and speckled alder and white cedar in wetland sites. Results show (1) phenological effects on photosynthetic activity with feedback on Gsref in all species, and (2) lags of up to two months between maximum per unit leaf area photosynthetic rates for conifer versus deciduous species. These results show that for given environmental conditions canopy transpiration depends on both L and timing of biochemical activation, both of which have implications for regional ecosystem water cycling.

Regeneration alternatives for upland white spruce after buring and logging in interior Alaska

Treesearch

R. V. Densmore; G. P. Juday; John C. Zasada

1999-01-01

Site-preparation and regeneration methods for white spruce (Picea glaucu (Meench) Voss) were tested near Fairbanks Alaska, on two upland sites which had been burned in a wildfire and salvage logged. After 5 and 10 years, white spruce regeneration did not differ among the four scarification methods but tended to be lower without scarification....

Environmental gradients and identification of wetlands in north-central Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Davis, M.M.; Sprecher, S.W.; Wakeley, J.S.; Best, G.R.

1996-01-01

Vegetation composition, soil morphology, and hydrology were characterized along wetland-to-upland gradients at six forested sites in north-central Florida to compare results of Federal wetland delineation methods with 3–5 yr of hydrologic data. Wetland and non-wetland identifications were supported by hydrology data in eight of nine plant communities. Lack of hydric soil indicators and hydrophytic vegetation in two upland communities (scrub and mixed mesic hardwoods) agreed with a deep water table. Six wetland communities (cypress dome, cypress strand, bayhead, cypress/bayhead, red maple/oak swamp, and cedar swamp) with field indicators of wetland hydrology, hydrophytic vegetation, and hydric soils were inundated or had water tables at or near the ground surface at least 5% of the growing season in most years., Flatwoods communities, however, occurred at intermediate positions on the moisture gradient and could not be consistently identified as wetland or upland communities. Identification of flatwoods as wetlands depended on wetland delineation method and was not usually supported by hydrologic measurements. In the flatwoods community, soil properties and vegetation composition were correlated with the mean and standard deviation of water-table depths, as well as the depth continuously exceeded by the water table at least 5% of the growing season in most years. Various hydrologic parameters need to be considered in addition to the 5% exceedence level currently used in Federal wetland delineation guidance when characterizing wetland conditions in low-gradient areas such as flatwoods.

Water, Energy and Carbon Balance Research: Recovery Trajectories For Oil Sands Reclamation and Disturbed Watersheds in the Western Boreal Forest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petrone, R. M.; Carey, S. K.

2014-12-01

The Oil Sand Region (OSR) of North-Central Alberta exists within the sub-humid Boreal Plains (BP) ecozone, with a slight long-term moisture deficit regime. Despite this deficit, the BP is comprised of productive wetland and mixed wood (aspen and conifer dominated) forests. Reclamation activities are now underway at a large number of surface mining operations in the OSR, where target ecosystems are identified, soil prescriptions placed and commercial forest species planted. Some watersheds have been created that now contain wetlands. However, recent work in the BP suggests that over time wetlands supply moisture for the productivity of upland forests. Thus, water use of reclaimed forests is going to be critical in determining the sustainability of these systems and adjacent wetlands, and whether in time, either will achieve some form of equivalent capability that will allow for certification by regulators. A critical component in the success of any reclamation is that sufficient water is available to support target ecosystems through the course of natural climate cycles in the region. Water Use Efficiency (WUE), which links photosynthesis (GEP) with water use (Evapotranspiration (ET)), provides a useful metric to compare ecosystems and evaluate their utilization of resources. In this study, 41 site years of total growing season water and carbon flux data over 8 sites (4 reclamation, 4 regeneration) were evaluated using eddy covariance micrometeorological towers. WUE shows clear discrimination among ecosystem types as aspen stands assimilate more carbon per unit weight of water than conifers. WUEs also change with time as ecosystems become more effective at transpiring water through plant pathways compared with bare-soil evaporation, which allows an assessment of ability to limit water loss without carbon uptake. In addition, clonal rooting systems allow aspen forests to recover quicker after disturbance than reclamation sites in terms of their WUE. For reclamation sites, there is considerable variability in GEP and ET associated with vegetation establishment, with enhanced ET losses over-riding any significant changes in C uptake, suggesting that long-term mine water management must consider ecosystem pathways if down-gradient wetlands and end-pit lakes are to be sustained.

Electrical resistivity surveys to understand vegetation-water interlinkages in a northern latitude headwater catchment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soulsby, C.; Dick, J.; Tetzlaff, D.; Bradford, J.

2016-12-01

The role of vegetation on the partitioning of precipitation, and the subsequent storage and release of water within the landscape is poorly understood. In particular, the relationship between vegetation and soil moisture is complex and reciprocal. The role of soil moisture as the primary source of water to plants may affect vegetation distribution. In turn, the structure of vegetation canopies may regulate water partitioning into interception, throughfall and steam flow. Such spatial differences in the inputs, together with complex patterns of water uptake from highly distributed root networks can create marked heterogeneity in soil moisture dynamics at small scales. Here, we present a study combining 3D and 2D ERT surveys with soil moisture measurements in a 3.2km upland catchment in the Scottish Highlands to understand influences of different vegetation types on spatio-temporal dynamics in soil moisture. The study focussed on one year of fortnightly ERT surveys to investigate plant-soil-water interactions within the root zone in podzolic soils. Locations were selected in both forest stands of 15m high Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and non-forest locations dominated by heather (Calluna vulgaris) shrubs (<0.5m high). These dominant species are typical of forest and non-forest vegetation communities in the Scottish Highlands. Results showed differences in the soil moisture dynamics under the different vegetation types, with heterogeneous patterns in the forested site mainly correlated with canopy cover and mirroring interception losses, with pronounced wetting cycles of the soil surrounding the bole of trees as a consequence of stem flow. Temporal variability in the forested site was greater, probably due to the interception, and increased evapotranspiration losses relative to the heather site, with drying typically being focussed on the areas around the trees, and reflecting the amount of water uptake. Moisture changes in the heather site were fairly heterogeneous are related to micro-topographic affects, lower interception ( 30% compared with 45%) and a smaller microclimatic effect of the canopy which serves to create greater fluctuations in soil moisture. Our results confirm the value in using geophysics to spatially elucidate subsurface plant-soil-water interactions.

Tropical forest soil microbial communities couple iron and carbon biogeochemistry

Treesearch

Eric A. Dubinsky; Whendee L. Silver; Mary K. Firestone

2010-01-01

We report that iron-reducing bacteria are primary mediators of anaerobic carbon oxidation in upland tropical soils spanning a rainfall gradient (3500–5000 mm/yr) in northeast Puerto Rico. The abundant rainfall and high net primary productivity of these tropical forests provide optimal soil habitat for iron-reducing and iron-oxidizing bacteria. Spatially and temporally...

Long-term effects of clearcutting on tree species composition in an oak-hickory forest

Treesearch

Jessica A. Yeagle; John W. Groninger

2006-01-01

In 1973, a silvicultural clearcut, with and without a post-harvest herbicide treatment, was performed on an upland oak-hickory forest in southern Illinois. Prior to harvest, permanent plots were established, and a survey was conducted to determine stand structure and composition. In 2003, a post-harvest survey was performed using the permanent plots. Relative density...

Simulating the biogeochemical cycles in cypress wetland-pine upland ecosystems at a landscape scale with the wetland-DNDC model

Treesearch

G. Sun; C. Li; C. Tretting; J. Lu; S.G. McNulty

2005-01-01

A modeling framework (Wetland-DNDC) that described forested wetland ecosystem processes has been developed and validated with data from North America and Europe. The model simulates forest photosynthesis, respiration, carbon allocation, and liter production, soil organic matter (SOM) turnover, trace gas emissions, and N leaching. Inputs required by Wetland-DNDC...

Effectiveness of streamside management zones on water quality: pretreatment measurements

Treesearch

J.L. Boggs; G. Sun; S.G. McNulty; W. Swartley; E. Treasure

2008-01-01

The objective of this paired watershed study is to quantify the effects of upland forest harvesting and Streamside Management Zones (SMZs) on stream water quantity and quality in North Carolina. Four watersheds ranging from 12 to 28 hectares (i.e., two on Hill Forest and two on Umstead Research Farm) with perennial stream channels were gauged for flow monitoring and...

Natural canopy damage and the ecological restoration of fire-indicative groundcover vegetation in an oak-pine forest

Treesearch

J. Stephen Brewer

2016-01-01

An important goal of restoring fire to upland oak-dominated communities that have experienced fire exclusion is restoring groundcover plant species diversity and composition indicative of fire-maintained habitats. Several studies have shown that fire alone, however, may not be sufficient to accomplish this goal. Furthermore, treatment-driven declines in rare forest...

A coupled upland-erosion and instream hydrodynamic-sediment transport model for evaluating sediment transport in forested watersheds

Treesearch

W. J. Conroy; R. H. Hotchkiss; W. J. Elliot

2006-01-01

This article describes a prototype modeling system for assessing forest management-related erosion at its source and predicting sediment transport from hillslopes to stream channels and through channel networks to a watershed outlet. We demonstrate that it is possible to develop a land management tool capable of accurately assessing the primary impacts of...

Effects of harvesting on nitrogen and phosphorus availability in riparian management zone soils in Minnesota, USA

Treesearch

Douglas N. Kastendick; Eric K. Zenner; Brian J. Palik; Randall K. Kolka; Charles R. Blinn

2012-01-01

Riparian management zones (RMZs) protect streams from excess nutrients, yet few studies have looked at soil nutrients in forested RMZs or the impacts of partial harvesting on nutrient availability. We investigated the impacts of upland clearcutting in conjunction with uncut and partially harvested RMZs (40% basal area reduction) on soil nutrients in forests in...

Phenology and recruitment of Ohio buckeye and sugar maple in Illinois forest stands

Treesearch

Michelle Henderson; Jeffery O. Dawson; Evan H. DeLucia

1993-01-01

Phenological patterns, light conditions, and photosynthetic activity of Ohio buckeye and sugar maple foliage on trees in the forest understory were monitored and compared over two growing seasons in two mesophytic upland woodlands in central Illinois. Ohio buckeye began leaf expansion three to four weeks earlier than sugar maple, started leaf senescence and shedding in...

Disking and mid- and understory removal following an above-average acorn crop in three mature oak forests in southern Indiana

Treesearch

Ronald A. Rathfon; Nathanael I. Lichti; Robert K. Swihart

2008-01-01

We disked using small-scale equipment in the understory of three mature upland oak (Quercus) forests in southern Indiana immediately following acorn dispersal in an aboveaverage seed crop year as a means of improving oak seedling establishment. Three different mid- and understory removal treatments were also applied to create favorable light...

Variable density management in riparian reserves: lessons learned from an operational study in managed forests of western Oregon, USA.

Treesearch

Samuel Chan; Paul Anderson; John Cissel; Larry Lateen; Charley Thompson

2004-01-01

A large-scale operational study has been undertaken to investigate variable density management in conjunction with riparian buffers as a means to accelerate development of late-seral habitat, facilitate rare species management, and maintain riparian functions in 40-70 year-old headwater forests in western Oregon, USA. Upland variable retention treatments include...

Assessing forest mortality patterns using climate and FIA data at multiple scales

Treesearch

Michael K. Crosby; Zhaofei Fan; Xingang Fan; Theodor D. Leininger; Martin A. Spetich

2012-01-01

Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) and PRISM climate data from 1991-2000 were obtained for 10 states in the southeastern United States. Mortality was calculated for each plot, and annual values for precipitation and maximum and minimum temperature were extracted from the PRISM data. Data were then stratified by upland/bottomland for red oak species, and classification...

Influence of reproduction cutting methods on structure, growth and regeneration of longleaf pine forests in flatwoods and uplands

Treesearch

Dale G. Brockway; Kenneth W. Outcalt

2017-01-01

Though longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) forests have been primarily managed with even-aged methods, interest is increasing in uneven-aged systems, as a means of achieving a wider range of stewardship goals. Selection silviculture has been practiced on a limited scale in longleaf pine, but difficulty with using traditional approaches and...

Soil properties in 35 y old pine and hardwood plantations after conversion from mixed pine-hardwood forest

Treesearch

D. Andrew Scott; Michael G. Messina

2009-01-01

Past management practices have changed much of the native mixed pine-hardwood forests on upland alluvial terraces of the western Gulf Coastal Plain to either pine monocultures or hardwood (angiosperm) stands. Changes in dominant tree species can alter soil chemical, biological, and physical properties and processes, thereby changing soil attributes, and ultimately,...

The transition from riparian to upland forest plant communities on headwater streams in the southern Sierra Nevada, California, United States

Treesearch

Christopher R. Dolanc; Carolyn T. Hunsaker

2017-01-01

Abstract. Fixed-width buffer zones on rivers and streams are designed to protect the diverse riparian community and its important function in the ecosystem. However, recent data suggest that riparian areas of some western forests have become more fire prone because of restrictions on fuel reduction treatments within buffer zones....

A comparison of the watershed hydrology of coastal forested wetlands and the mountainous uplands in the Southern US

Treesearch

G. Sun; S.G. McNulty; D.M. Amatya; R.W. Skaggs; L.W. Swift; J.P. Shepard; H. Riekerk

2002-01-01

Hydrology plays a critical roie in wetland development and ecosystem structure and functions. Hydrologic responses to forest management and climate change are diverse in the Southern United States due to topographic and climatic differences. This paper presents a comparison study on long-term hydrologic characteristics (long-term seasonal runoff patterns, water...

Streamwater chemistry and nutrient budgets for forested watersheds in New England: variability and management implications

Treesearch

J.W. Hornbeck; S.W. Bailey; D.C. Buso; J.B. Shanley

1997-01-01

Chemistry of precipitation and streamwater and resulting input-output budgets for nutrient ions were determined concurrently for three years on three upland, forested watersheds located within an 80 km radius in central New England. Chemistry of precipitation and inputs of nutrients via wet deposition were similar among the three watersheds and were generally typical...

Water quality, biodiversity, and codes of practice in relation to harvesting forest plantations in streamside management zones

Treesearch

Daniel G. Neary; Philip J. Smethurst; Brenda Baillie; Kevin C. Petrone

2011-01-01

Streamside management zones (SMZs) are special landscape units that include riparian areas and adjacent lands that mitigate the movement of sediment, nutrients and other chemicals from upland forest and agricultural management areas into streams. The size, shape, and management of SMZs are governed by various combinations of economic, ecological, and regulatory factors...

Characterization of coarse woody debris across a 100 year chronosequence of upland oak-hickory forest

Treesearch

Travis W. Idol; Phillip E. Pope; Rebecca A. Figler; Felix Ponder Jr.

1999-01-01

Coarse woody debris is an important component influencing forest nutrient cycling and contributes to long-term soil productivity. The common practice of classifying coarse woody debris into different decomposition classes has seldom been related to the chemistry/biochemistry of the litter, which is the long term objective of our research. The objective of this...

Patterns and processes: Monitoring and understanding plant diversity in frequently burned longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) landscapes

Treesearch

J. O' Brien; L. Dyer; R. Mitchell; A. Hudak

2013-01-01

Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) ecosystems are remarkably rich in plant species and represent the dominant upland forest type in several southeastern military installations. Management of these forests on installations is critical both to fulfill the military mission and to conserve this unique natural resource. The researchers will couple a series of field experiments...

Secondary succession following logging in the Sitka sprucewestern hemlock forests of southeast Alaska: Implications for wildlife management.

Treesearch

Paul B. Alaback

1984-01-01

Preliminary information on general landscape patterns in southeast Alaska suggests that two major, compositionally distinct vegetation zones can be defined for the closed-forest type: western hemlock-Sitka spruce/Alaska huckleberry/bunchberry on the uplands, and Sitka spruce/devils club-salmonberry on alluvial flats and terraces.Recent clearcuts (0 to 30...

Brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis) population density and carcass locations following exposure to acetaminophen.

PubMed

Smith, Joshua B; Turner, Kelsey L; Beasley, James C; DeVault, Travis L; Pitt, William C; Rhodes, Olin E

2016-10-01

Mass aerial delivery of dead mouse baits treated with acetaminophen has been evaluated as a means to reduce brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis) populations over large areas, increasing the likelihood of wide-scale eradication on Guam. Given the high density of snakes in some areas of their invasive range, eradication efforts could result in a resource pulse that may influence food web dynamics and the indirect transport of acetaminophen among trophic levels. We evaluated abundance, habitat type, and snake size (i.e., age) within two study sites on Guam, a secondary limestone forest (upland) and an abandoned coconut plantation (coastal), to determine how experimentally dosing snakes with acetaminophen is likely to influence carrion availability. We found snakes trapped in 3.24 ha plots occurred in greater abundance (population size = 72.5 snakes; SE = 8.8) and were significantly larger (978.6 mm, SE = 14.9) in the coastal than in the upland site (population size = 26.9, SE = 21.5; length = 903.0 mm, SE = 15.9). Despite these differences, carcasses of snakes that died after consuming acetaminophen-laced mice (80 mg) were recovered in consistent locations between sites, with 92 % located on the ground, 4 % in trees, and 4 % found in rock cavities at both sites. Given that most snakes were found on the ground rather than in the tree canopy, our results suggest that many poisoned snake carcasses will be accessible to a wide range of potential scavengers, possibly influencing food web dynamics and potentially contributing to indirect toxicant transfer within affected ecosystems.

Summer moisture contents of understory vegetation in northeastern Minnesota.

Treesearch

Robert M. Loomis; Peter J. Roussopoulos; Richard W. Blank

1979-01-01

Summer moisture contents and factors for converting fresh plant weights to ovendry biomass estimates are presented for some herbs, mosses, and small shrubs found in the upland forest stand of northeastern Minnesota.

An assessment of bird habitat quality using population growth rates

USGS Publications Warehouse

Knutson, M.G.; Powell, L.A.; Hines, R.K.; Friberg, M.A.; Niemi, G.J.

2006-01-01

Survival and reproduction directly affect population growth rate (lambda) making lambda a fundamental parameter for assessing habitat quality. We used field data, literature review, and a computer simulation to predict annual productivity and lambda for several species of landbirds breeding in floodplain and upland forests in the Midwestern United States. We monitored 1735 nests of 27 species; 760 nests were in the uplands and 975 were in the floodplain. Each type of forest habitat (upland and floodplain) was a source habitat for some species. Despite a relatively low proportion of regional forest cover, the majority of species had stable or increasing populations in all or some habitats, including six species of conservation concern. In our search for a simple analog for lambda, we found that only adult apparent survival, juvenile survival, and annual productivity were correlated with lambda; daily nest survival and relative abundance estimated from point counts were not. Survival and annual productivity are among the most costly demographic parameters to measure and there does not seem to be a low-cost alternative. In addition, our literature search revealed that the demographic parameters needed to model annual productivity and lambda were unavailable for several species. More collective effort across North America is needed to fill the gaps in our knowledge of demographic parameters necessary to model both annual productivity and lambda. Managers can use habitat-specific predictions of annual productivity to compare habitat quality among species and habitats for purposes of evaluating management plans.

Reviews and syntheses: Soil N2O and NO emissions from land use and land-use change in the tropics and subtropics: a meta-analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Lent, J.; Hergoualc'h, K.; Verchot, L. V.

2015-12-01

Deforestation and forest degradation in the tropics may substantially alter soil N-oxide emissions. It is particularly relevant to accurately quantify those changes to properly account for them in a REDD+ climate change mitigation scheme that provides financial incentives to reduce the emissions. With this study we provide updated land use (LU)-based emission rates (104 studies, 392 N2O and 111 NO case studies), we determine the trend and magnitude of flux changes with land-use change (LUC) using a meta-analysis approach (44 studies, 135 N2O and 37 NO cases) and evaluate biophysical drivers of N2O and NO emissions and emission changes for the tropics. The average N2O and NO emissions in intact upland tropical forest amounted to 2.0 ± 0.2 (n = 90) and 1.7 ± 0.5 (n = 36) kg N ha-1 yr-1, respectively. In agricultural soils annual N2O emissions were exponentially related to N fertilization rates and average water-filled pore space (WFPS) whereas in non-agricultural sites a Gaussian response to WFPS fit better with the observed NO and N2O emissions. The sum of soil N2O and NO fluxes and the ratio of N2O to NO increased exponentially and significantly with increasing nitrogen availability (expressed as NO3- / [NO3-+NH4+]) and WFPS, respectively; following the conceptual Hole-In-the-Pipe model. Nitrous and nitric oxide fluxes did not increase significantly overall as a result of LUC (Hedges's d of 0.11 ± 0.11 and 0.16 ± 0.19, respectively), however individual LUC trajectories or practices did. Nitrous oxide fluxes increased significantly after intact upland forest conversion to croplands (Hedges's d = 0.78 ± 0.24) and NO increased significantly following the conversion of low forest cover (secondary forest younger than 30 years, woodlands, shrublands) (Hedges's d of 0.44 ± 0.13). Forest conversion to fertilized systems significantly and highly raised both N2O and NO emission rates (Hedges's d of 1.03 ± 0.23 and 0.52 ± 0.09, respectively). Changes in nitrogen availability and WFPS were the main factors explaining changes in N2O emissions following LUC, therefore it is important that experimental designs monitor their spatio-temporal variation. Gaps in the literature on N oxide fluxes included geographical gaps (Africa, Oceania) and LU gaps (degraded forest, wetland (notably peat) forest, oil palm plantation and soy cultivation).

Soil N2O and NO emissions from land use and land-use change in the tropics and subtropics: a meta-analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Lent, J.; Hergoualc'h, K.; Verchot, L. V.

2015-08-01

Deforestation and forest degradation in the tropics may substantially alter soil N-oxide emissions. It is particularly relevant to accurately quantify those changes to properly account for them in a REDD+ climate change mitigation scheme that provides financial incentives to reduce the emissions. With this study we provide updated land use (LU)-based emission rates (103 studies, 387 N2O and 111 NO case studies), determine the trend and magnitude of flux changes with land-use change (LUC) using a meta-analysis approach (43 studies, 132 N2O and 37 NO cases) and evaluate biophysical drivers of N2O and NO emissions and emission changes for the tropics. The average N2O and NO emissions in intact upland tropical forest amounted to 2.0 ± 0.2 (n = 88) and 1.7 ± 0.5 (n = 36) kg N ha-1 yr-1, respectively. In agricultural soils annual N2O emissions were exponentially related to N fertilization rates and average water-filled pore space (WFPS) whereas in non-agricultural sites a Gaussian response to WFPS fit better the observed NO and N2O emissions. The sum of soil N2O and NO fluxes and the ratio of N2O to NO increased exponentially and significantly with increasing nitrogen availability (expressed as NO3-/[NO3-+NH4+]) and WFPS, respectively; following the conceptual Hole-In-the-Pipe model. Nitrous and nitric oxide fluxes did not overall increase significantly as a result of LUC (Hedges's d of 0.11 ± 0.11 and 0.16 ± 0.19, respectively), however individual LUC trajectories or practices did. Nitrous oxide fluxes increased significantly after intact upland forest conversion to croplands (Hedges's d = 0.78 ± 0.24) and NO increased significantly following the conversion of low forest cover (secondary forest younger than 30 years, woodlands, shrublands) (Hedges's d of 0.44 ± 0.13). Forest conversion to fertilized systems significantly and highly raised both N2O and NO emission rates (Hedges's d of 1.03 ± 0.23 and 0.52 ± 0.09, respectively). Changes in nitrogen availability and WFPS were the main factors explaining changes in N2O emissions following LUC, therefore it is important that experimental designs monitor their spatio-temporal variation. Gaps in the literature on N oxide fluxes included geographical gaps (Africa, Oceania) and LU gaps (degraded forest, wetland (notably peat) forest, oil palm plantation and soy cultivation).

Soil, environmental, and watershed measurements in support of carbon cycling studies in northwestern Mississippi

USGS Publications Warehouse

Huntington, T.G.; Harden, J.W.; Dabney, S.M.; Marion, D.A.; Alonso, C.; Sharpe, J.M.; Fries, T.L.

1998-01-01

Measurements including soil respiration, soil moisture, soil temperature, and carbon export in suspended sediments from small watersheds were recorded at several field sites in northwestern Mississippi in support of hillslope process studies associated with the U.S. Geological Survey's Mississippi Basin Carbon Project (MBCP). These measurements were made to provide information about carbon cycling in agricultural and forest ecosystems to understand the potential role of erosion and deposition in the sequestration of soil organic carbon in upland soils. The question of whether soil erosion and burial constitutes an important net sink of atmospheric carbon dioxide is one hypothesis that the MBCP is evaluating to better understand carbon cycling and climate change. This report contains discussion of methods used and presents data for the period December 1996 through March 1998. Included in the report are ancillary data provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) ARS National Sedimentation Laboratory and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Center for Bottomland Hardwoods Research on rainfall, runoff, sediment yield, forest biomass and grain yield. Together with the data collected by the USGS these data permit the construction of carbon budgets and the calibration of models of soil organic matter dynamics and sediment transport and deposition. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has established cooperative agreements with the USDA and USFS to facilitate collaborative research at research sites in northwestern Mississippi.

Using Shelterwood Harvests and Prescribed Fire to Regenerate Oak Stands on Productive Upland Sites

Treesearch

Patrick H. Brose; David H. van Lear; Roderick Cooper

1999-01-01

Regenerating oak stands on productive upland sites in the Piedmont region is a major problem because of intense competition from yellow-poplar. As a potential solution to this problem, we tested the hypothesis that a shelterwood harvest of an oak-dominated stand. followed several years later by a prescribed fire, would adequately regeneraie the stand. Three oak-...

Robbing Peter to Pay Paul: Modeling the Dynamic Evolution of the Coastal Carbon Sink Across Multiple Landforms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herbert, E. R.; Walters, D.; Windham-Myers, L.; Kirwan, M. L.

2016-12-01

Evaluating the strength and long-term stability of the coastal carbon sink requires a consideration of the spatial evolution of coastal landscapes in both the horizontal and vertical dimensions. We present a model of the transformation and burial of carbon along a bay-marsh-upland forest complex to explore the response of the coastal carbon sink to sea level rise (SLR) and anthropogenic activity. We establish a carbon mass-balance by coupling dynamic biogeochemically-based models of soil carbon burial in aquatic, intertidal, and upland environments with a physically-based model of marsh edge erosion, vertical growth and migration into adjacent uplands. The modeled increase in marsh vertical growth and carbon burial at moderate rates of sea level rise (3-10 mm/yr) is consistent with a synthesis of 219 field measurements of marsh carbon accumulation that show a significant (p<0.0001) positive correlation with local SLR rates. The model suggests that at moderate SLR rates in low topographic relief landscapes, net marsh expansion into upland forest concomitant with increased carbon burial rates are sufficient to mitigate the associated loss of forest carbon stocks. Coastlines with high relief or barriers to wetland migration can become sources of carbon through the erosion of buried carbon stocks, but we show that the recapture of eroded carbon through vertical growth can be an important mechanism for reducing carbon loss. Overall, we show that the coastal carbon balance must be evaluated in a landscape context to account for changes in the size and magnitude of both the stocks and sinks of marsh carbon and for the transfers of carbon between coastal habitats. These results may help inform current efforts to appraise coastal carbon sinks that are beset by issues of landscape heterogeneity and the provenance of buried carbon.

Effects of Construction of the Digital Multipurpose Range Complex (DMPRC) on Riparian and Stream Ecosystems at Fort Benning, Georgia. Addendum

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-06-01

root dynamics in riparian forests. Soil Science Society of America 69(3):729-737. Houser, J. N., P. J. Mulholland, and K. O. Maloney. 2006. Upland...Forested Wetlands, D. M. Amatya and J. Nettles (eds). New Bern, NC. American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, St. Joseph, MI...primary productivity, vegetation composition, structure, and fine root dynamics in riparian forests. Kelly O. Maloney, Ph.D. in Biological Sciences

The First Estimates of Marbled Cat Pardofelis marmorata Population Density from Bornean Primary and Selectively Logged Forest.

PubMed

Hearn, Andrew J; Ross, Joanna; Bernard, Henry; Bakar, Soffian Abu; Hunter, Luke T B; Macdonald, David W

2016-01-01

The marbled cat Pardofelis marmorata is a poorly known wild cat that has a broad distribution across much of the Indomalayan ecorealm. This felid is thought to exist at low population densities throughout its range, yet no estimates of its abundance exist, hampering assessment of its conservation status. To investigate the distribution and abundance of marbled cats we conducted intensive, felid-focused camera trap surveys of eight forest areas and two oil palm plantations in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. Study sites were broadly representative of the range of habitat types and the gradient of anthropogenic disturbance and fragmentation present in contemporary Sabah. We recorded marbled cats from all forest study areas apart from a small, relatively isolated forest patch, although photographic detection frequency varied greatly between areas. No marbled cats were recorded within the plantations, but a single individual was recorded walking along the forest/plantation boundary. We collected sufficient numbers of marbled cat photographic captures at three study areas to permit density estimation based on spatially explicit capture-recapture analyses. Estimates of population density from the primary, lowland Danum Valley Conservation Area and primary upland, Tawau Hills Park, were 19.57 (SD: 8.36) and 7.10 (SD: 1.90) individuals per 100 km2, respectively, and the selectively logged, lowland Tabin Wildlife Reserve yielded an estimated density of 10.45 (SD: 3.38) individuals per 100 km2. The low detection frequencies recorded in our other survey sites and from published studies elsewhere in its range, and the absence of previous density estimates for this felid suggest that our density estimates may be from the higher end of their abundance spectrum. We provide recommendations for future marbled cat survey approaches.

The First Estimates of Marbled Cat Pardofelis marmorata Population Density from Bornean Primary and Selectively Logged Forest

PubMed Central

Hearn, Andrew J.; Ross, Joanna; Bernard, Henry; Bakar, Soffian Abu; Hunter, Luke T. B.; Macdonald, David W.

2016-01-01

The marbled cat Pardofelis marmorata is a poorly known wild cat that has a broad distribution across much of the Indomalayan ecorealm. This felid is thought to exist at low population densities throughout its range, yet no estimates of its abundance exist, hampering assessment of its conservation status. To investigate the distribution and abundance of marbled cats we conducted intensive, felid-focused camera trap surveys of eight forest areas and two oil palm plantations in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. Study sites were broadly representative of the range of habitat types and the gradient of anthropogenic disturbance and fragmentation present in contemporary Sabah. We recorded marbled cats from all forest study areas apart from a small, relatively isolated forest patch, although photographic detection frequency varied greatly between areas. No marbled cats were recorded within the plantations, but a single individual was recorded walking along the forest/plantation boundary. We collected sufficient numbers of marbled cat photographic captures at three study areas to permit density estimation based on spatially explicit capture-recapture analyses. Estimates of population density from the primary, lowland Danum Valley Conservation Area and primary upland, Tawau Hills Park, were 19.57 (SD: 8.36) and 7.10 (SD: 1.90) individuals per 100 km2, respectively, and the selectively logged, lowland Tabin Wildlife Reserve yielded an estimated density of 10.45 (SD: 3.38) individuals per 100 km2. The low detection frequencies recorded in our other survey sites and from published studies elsewhere in its range, and the absence of previous density estimates for this felid suggest that our density estimates may be from the higher end of their abundance spectrum. We provide recommendations for future marbled cat survey approaches. PMID:27007219

Monitoring the Effects of Forest Restoration Treatments on Post-Fire Vegetation Recovery with MODIS Multitemporal Data

PubMed Central

van Leeuwen, Willem J. D.

2008-01-01

This study examines how satellite based time-series vegetation greenness data and phenological measurements can be used to monitor and quantify vegetation recovery after wildfire disturbances and examine how pre-fire fuel reduction restoration treatments impact fire severity and impact vegetation recovery trajectories. Pairs of wildfire affected sites and a nearby unburned reference site were chosen to measure the post-disturbance recovery in relation to climate variation. All site pairs were chosen in forested uplands in Arizona and were restricted to the area of the Rodeo-Chediski fire that occurred in 2002. Fuel reduction treatments were performed in 1999 and 2001. The inter-annual and seasonal vegetation dynamics before, during, and after wildfire events can be monitored using a time series of biweekly composited MODIS NDVI (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer - Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) data. Time series analysis methods included difference metrics, smoothing filters, and fitting functions that were applied to extract seasonal and inter-annual change and phenological metrics from the NDVI time series data from 2000 to 2007. Pre- and post-fire Landsat data were used to compute the Normalized Burn Ratio (NBR) and examine burn severity at the selected sites. The phenological metrics (pheno-metrics) included the timing and greenness (i.e. NDVI) for the start, peak and end of the growing season as well as proxy measures for the rate of green-up and senescence and the annual vegetation productivity. Pre-fire fuel reduction treatments resulted in lower fire severity, which reduced annual productivity much less than untreated areas within the Rodeo-Chediski fire perimeter. The seasonal metrics were shown to be useful for estimating the rate of post-fire disturbance recovery and the timing of phenological greenness phases. The use of satellite time series NDVI data and derived pheno-metrics show potential for tracking vegetation cover dynamics and successional changes in response to drought, wildfire disturbances, and forest restoration treatments in fire-suppressed forests. PMID:27879809

Hardwood regeneration twenty years after three distinct diameter-limit cuts in upland central hardwoods

Treesearch

Randall B. Heiligmann; Jeffery S. Ward

1993-01-01

The effects of diameter-limit cutting on the future species composition and development of 60-80 year-old upland oak stands were studied in southern Ohio. Four treatments, 11-inch diameter-limit cut, 14-inch diameter-limit cut with selective thinning, 14-inch diameter-limit cut with low thinning, and uncut control were evaluated on medium oak sites (black oak site...

Field trip on the Kellogg Forest of Michigan State University near Augusta, Michigan

Treesearch

Jonathan W. Wright; Walter Lemmien

1966-01-01

When the Kellogg Forest was established in 1932, 90 percent of the farmland in the locality was idle. The original tree cover had been oak-hickory on the upland areas and basswood, white ash, American elm, and black cherry on the lower, more fertile areas. Agricultural activities had begun between 1830 and 1850. Since then, continued cropping had resulted in severe...

Evaluation of ikonos satellite imagery for detecting ice storm damage to oak forests in Eastern Kentucky

Treesearch

W. Henry McNab; Tracy Roof

2006-01-01

Ice storms are a recurring landscape-scale disturbance in the eastern U.S. where they may cause varying levels of damage to upland hardwood forests. High-resolution Ikonos imagery and semiautomated detection of ice storm damage may be an alternative to manually interpreted aerial photography. We evaluated Ikonos multispectral, winter and summer imagery as a tool for...

Regional patterns of dead wood in forested habitats of Oregon and Washington.

Treesearch

Janet L. Ohmann; Karen L. Waddell

2002-01-01

We describe regional patterns of variation in dead wood across 20 million ha of upland forests of all ownerships in Oregon and Washington, based on an analysis of data on snags and down wood collected on over 16,000 field plots. Current patterns of dead wood are highly variable and complex. The strongest differences were among nine habitats that reflect strong regional...

Influence of harvesting on biogeochemical exchange in sheetflow and soil processes in a eutrophic floodplain forest

Treesearch

B.G. Lockaby; R.G. Clawson; K. Flynn; Robert Rummer; S. Meadows; B Stokes; John A. Stanturf

1997-01-01

Floodplain forests contribute to the maintenance of water quality as a result of various biogeochemical transformations which occur within them. In particular, they can serve as sinks for nutrient run-off from adjacent uplands or as nutrient transformers as water moves downstream. However, little is known about the potential that land management activities may have for...

Soil organic carbon quality in forested mineral wetlands at different mean annual temperature.

Treesearch

Cinzia Fissore; Christian P. Giardina; Randall K. Kolka; Carl C. Trettin

2009-01-01

Forested mineral soil wetlands (FMSW) store large stocks of soil organic carbon (SOC), but little is known on: (i) whether the quality of SOC stored in these soils (proportion of active versus more resistant SOC compounds) differs from SOC in upland soils; (ii) how the quality of SOC in FMSW varies with mean annual temperature (MAT); and (iii) whether SOC decomposition...

Organic matter accumulation and community change at the peatland-upland interface: inferences from 14C and 210Pb dated profiles

Treesearch

Ilka E. Bauer; Jagtar S. Bhatti; Christopher Swanston; R. Kelman Wieder; Caroline M. Perston

2009-01-01

Peatland-margin habitats with organic matter accumulation of 40-150 cm make up a significant but poorly quantified portion of Canada's boreal forest region. Spanning the transition between non-wetland forest and fen proper, these ecosystems represent a zone of complex environmental and vegetation change, yet little is known about their ecological function or...

Effects of watershed experiments on water chemistry at the Marcell Experimental Forest. Chapter 14.

Treesearch

Stephen D. Sebestyen; Elon S. Verry

2011-01-01

The Marcell Experimental Forest (MEF) was established during the 1960s to study the hydrology and ecology of lowland watersheds where upland mineral soils drain to central peatlands (Boelter and Verry 1977). The effects of seven large-scale manipulations on water chemistry have been studied on the MEF watersheds and the data now span up to four decades. In this chapter...

Coupled hydrological and biogeochemical processes controlling variability of nitrogen species in streamflow during autumn in an upland forest

Treesearch

Stephen D. Sebestyen; James B. Shanley; Elizabeth W. Boyer; Carol Kendall; Daniel H. Doctor

2014-01-01

Autumn is a season of dynamic change in forest streams of the northeastern United States due to effects of leaf fall on both hydrology and biogeochemistry. Few studies have explored how interactions of biogeochemical transformations, various nitrogen sources, and catchment flow paths affect stream nitrogen variation during autumn. To provide more information on this...

Long-term hydrologic research on the San Dimas Experimental Forest, southern California: lessons learned and future directions

Treesearch

Pete Wohlgemuth

2016-01-01

The San Dimas Experimental Forest (SDEF) is located in the San Gabriel Mountains, about 45 km northeastof Los Angeles, California. The SDEF was originally established in 1934 to document and quantify the hydrologic cycle in semiarid uplands with intermittent headwater streams. New and innovative equipment was necessary to measure rainfall and streamflow in this...

Influence of selection systems and shelterwood methods on understory plant communities of longleaf pine forests in flatwoods and uplands

Treesearch

Dale G. Brockway; Kenneth W. Outcalt

2015-01-01

Although longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) forests have mostly been managed with even-aged methods, interest has been rising in uneven-aged systems, as a means of achieving a broader range of stewardship objectives. Selection silviculture has been practiced on a limited scale in longleaf pine, but difficulty of using traditional approaches and...

Evaluation of landsat imagery for detecting ice storm damage in upland forests of Eastern Kentucky

Treesearch

Henry W. McNab; Tracy Roof; Jeffrey F. Lewis; David L. Loftis

2007-01-01

Two categories of forest canopy damage (none to light vs. moderate to heavy) resulting from a 2003 ice storm in eastern Kentucky could be identified on readily available Landsat Thematic Mapper imagery using change detection techniques to evaluate the ratio of spectral bands 4 and 5. Regression analysis was used to evaluate several model formulations based on the...

Overstory tree status following thinning and burning treatments in mixed pine-hardwood stands on the William B. Bankhead National Forest, Alabama

Treesearch

Callie Jo Schweitzer; Yong Wang

2013-01-01

Prescribed burning and thinning are intermediate stand treatments whose consequences when applied in mixed pine-hardwood stands are unknown. The William B. Bankhead National Forest in northcentral Alabama has undertaken these two options to move unmanaged, 20- to 50-year-old loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) plantations towards upland hardwood-dominated...

Improving Estimates of Acceptable Growiing Stock in Young Upland Oak Forests in the Missouri Ozarks

Treesearch

Daniel C. Dey; Paul S. Johnson; H.E. Garrett

1998-01-01

Estimates of regeneration or growing stock in young oak forests may be too high unless criteria are established that define explicitly acceptable growing stock. In young hardwood stands, crown class can be used to identify acceptable growing stock because it is related to the future growth and survival of reproduction. A method is presented for assigning crown class...

Oak decline across the Ozark Highlands- from stand to landscape and regional scale processes

Treesearch

Marty Spetich; Zhaofei Fan; Hong S. He; Wen J. Wang; Michael K. Crosby; Stephen R. Shifley

2016-01-01

Oak decline has been a problem in forests of the Ozark Highlands (OzH) for decades. It has impacted upland oak-hickory forests, particularly species in the red oak group (Quercus section Lobatae) across the Ozark Highlands of Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. The oak decline complex is often described in terms of predisposing...

Multi-scale habitat use of male ruffed grouse in the Black Hills National Forest

Treesearch

Cassandra L. Mehls; Kent C. Jensen; Mark A. Rumble; Michael C. Wimberly

2014-01-01

Ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus) are native upland game birds and a management indicator species (MIS) for aspen (Populus tremuloides) in the Black Hills National Forest (Black Hills). Our objective was to assess resource selection of male ruffed grouse to identify the most appropriate scale to manage for aspen and ruffed grouse in the Black Hills. During spring 2007...

Immobilization of Agricultural Phosphorus in an Illinois Floodplain Soil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arenberg, M. R.; Arai, Y.

2017-12-01

Nutrient losses from the Mississippi watershed are exacerbating the growth of the hypoxic zone in the Gulf of Mexico. Located within the highly agricultural Piatt County, IL, Allerton Park encompasses a riparian forest that receives an influx of phosphorus (P) via surface runoff and leaching during spring flooding. The purpose of this study is to investigate the ability of a poorly drained Sawmill silty clay loam (fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Cumulic Endoaquolls) and a poorly drained Tice silty clay loam (fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Fluvaquentic Hapludolls), both with an average pH of 7.08, to buffer agricultural P losses through immobilization. If P is effectively sequestered, it may also lead to improved tree growth in woody biomass. The system's response to the seasonal flooding event was assessed by comparing P mineralization-immobilization dynamics within the bottomland and surrounding upland of the forest. Specifically, organic P, microbial P, phosphatase activity, and total P were assessed. First, total P ranged from 338 to 819 mg kg-1, averaging at 580 mg kg-1, in the bottomland and from 113 to 370 mg kg-1, averaging at 245 mg kg-1, in the upland. Next, organic P spanned from 90 to 457 mg kg-1in the bottomland, comprising an average of 45% of total P, and ranged from 42 to 191 mg kg-1in the upland, comprising an average of 36% of total P. Furthermore, microbial P averaged 13.08 mg kg-1 in the bottomland and 6.87 mg kg-1 in the upland. Finally, acidic phosphatase activity averaged 13 μmol p-nitrophenyl phosphate (PNP)/g·hr in the bottomland and 11 μmol PNP/g·hr in the upland while alkaline phosphatase activity averaged 24 μmol PNP/g·hr in the bottomland and 8 μmol PNP/g·hr in the upland. Our preliminary assessment suggests that the concentrations of total P, organic P, and microbial P in the bottomland are greater than that of the upland. This suggests that the floodplain has been effectively immobilizing agricultural P. This observation is further evidenced by a higher organic P percentage in the bottomland. In this presentation, statistical assessment of the soil P characterization will also be presented.

Changing drivers of deforestation and new opportunities for conservation.

PubMed

Rudel, Thomas K; Defries, Ruth; Asner, Gregory P; Laurance, William F

2009-12-01

Over the past 50 years, human agents of deforestation have changed in ways that have potentially important implications for conservation efforts. We characterized these changes through a meta-analysis of case studies of land-cover change in the tropics. From the 1960s to the 1980s, small-scale farmers, with state assistance, deforested large areas of tropical forest in Southeast Asia and Latin America. As globalization and urbanization increased during the 1980s, the agents of deforestation changed in two important parts of the tropical biome, the lowland rainforests in Brazil and Indonesia. Well-capitalized ranchers, farmers, and loggers producing for consumers in distant markets became more prominent in these places and this globalization weakened the historically strong relationship between local population growth and forest cover. At the same time, forests have begun to regrow in some tropical uplands. These changing circumstances, we believe, suggest two new and differing strategies for biodiversity conservation in the tropics, one focused on conserving uplands and the other on promoting environmental stewardship in lowlands and other areas conducive to industrial agriculture.

Linking fluvial and aeolian morphodynamics in the Grand Canyon, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kasprak, Alan; Bangen, Sara G.; Buscombe, Daniel; Caster, Joshua; East, Amy; Grams, Paul E.; Sankey, Joel B.

2017-01-01

In river valleys, fluvial and upland landscapes are intrinsically linked through sediment exchange between the active channel, near-channel fluvial deposits, and higher elevation upland deposits. During floods, sediment is transferred from channels to low-elevation nearchannel deposits [Schmidt and Rubin, 1995]. Particularly in dryland river valleys, subsequent aeolian reworking of these flood deposits redistributes sediment to higher elevation upland sites, thus maintaining naturallyoccurring aeolian landscapes [Draut, 2012].

Terrestrial Ecosystems - Topographic Moisture Potential of the Conterminous United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cress, Jill J.; Sayre, Roger G.; Comer, Patrick; Warner, Harumi

2009-01-01

As part of an effort to map terrestrial ecosystems, the U.S. Geological Survey has generated topographic moisture potential classes to be used in creating maps depicting standardized, terrestrial ecosystem models for the conterminous United States, using an ecosystems classification developed by NatureServe. A biophysical stratification approach, developed for South America and now being implemented globally, was used to model the ecosystem distributions. Substrate moisture regimes strongly influence the differentiation and distribution of terrestrial ecosystems, and therefore topographic moisture potential is one of the key input layers in this biophysical stratification. The method used to produce these topographic moisture potential classes was based on the derivation of ground moisture potential using a combination of computed topographic characteristics (CTI, slope, and aspect) and mapped National Wetland Inventory (NWI) boundaries. This method does not use climate or soil attributes to calculate relative topographic moisture potential since these characteristics are incorporated into the ecosystem model though other input layers. All of the topographic data used for this assessment were derived from the USGS 30-meter National Elevation Dataset (NED ) including the National Compound Topographic Index (CTI). The CTI index is a topographically derived measure of slope for a raster cell and the contributing area from upstream raster cells, and thus expresses potential for water flow to a point. In other words CTI data are 'a quantification of the position of a site in the local landscape', where the lowest values indicate ridges and the highest values indicate stream channels, lakes and ponds. These CTI values were compared to independent estimates of water accumulation by obtaining geospatial data from a number of sample locations representing two types of NWI boundaries: freshwater emergent wetlands and freshwater forested/shrub wetlands. Where these shorelines (the interface between the NWI wetlands and adjacent land) occurred, the CTI values were extracted and a histogram of their statistical distributions was calculated. Based on an evaluation of these histograms, CTI thresholds were developed to separate periodically saturated or flooded land, mesic uplands (moderately moist), and uplands. After the range of CTI values for these three different substrate moisture regimes was determined, the CTI values were grouped into three initial topographic moisture potential classes. As a final step in the generation of this national data layer, the uplands classification was subdivided into either very dry uplands or dry uplands. Very dry uplands were defined as uplands with relatively steep, south-facing slopes, and identification of this class was based on the slope and aspect datasets derived from the NED. The remaining uplands that did not meet these additional criteria were simply re-classified as dry uplands. The final National Topographic Moisture Potential dataset for the conterminous United States contains four classes: periodically saturated or flooded land (CTI = 18.5), mesic uplands (12 = 24 degrees and 91 degrees =< Aspect =< 314 degrees). This map shows a smoothed and generalized image of the four topographic moisture potential classes. Additional information about this map and any of the data developed for the ecosystems modeling of the conterminous United States is available online at http://rmgsc.cr.usgs.gov/ecosystems/.

Soricid response to coarse woody debris manipulations in Coastal Plain loblolly pine forests.

Treesearch

Kurtis R. Moseley; Audrey K. Owens; Steven B. Castleberry; W. Mark Ford; John C. Kilgo; Timothy S. McCay

2009-01-01

We assessed shrew (soricids) response to coarse woody debris (CWD) manipulations in managed upland loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) stands in the upper Coastal Plain of South Carolina over multiple years and...

[Community structure and seasonal change of soil micro-arthropodes in the Lower Reaches of Liaohe River Plain under different land utilization].

PubMed

Ke, Xin; Liang, Wenju; Yu, Wantai; Xie, Rongdong; Weng, Chaolian; Yang, Yiming; Yin, Wenying

2004-04-01

The data on the soil micro-arthropodes under four land utilization types (fallow, forest, upland field and paddy) in the Lower Reaches of Liaohe River Plain were collected in a period from October 2000 to October 2001. Using the community parameters of population density, group richness, diversity index and evenness, the community structure and its seasonal changes were described. There were 12 groups of soil micro-arthropodes in this region, and of the groups, Collembola and Acarina were dominant, and Diptera, Coleoptera and Hymenoptera were often seen in fallow, forest and upland field, while Collembola, Acarina and Diptera were dominant in paddy. Both land utilization and seasonal change influenced the population density, group richness and diversity index of soil micro-arthropodes. The vertical distribution in both density and group number of arthropods in soil was in the order of surface > middle > bottom.

Seasonal and spatial variation of bug flux in a northern California drainage network under a Mediterranean climate: implications for reciprocal subsidies between coupled ecosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Power, M. E.; Moreno-Mateos, D.; Uno, H.; Bode, C.; Rainey, W.

2010-12-01

Background/Question/Methods. Network configuration of river drainages affects ecological exchange between mainstem channels and smaller tributaries, and between coupled terrestrial and aquatic habitats. Seasonal complementarity of fluxes may enhance predator densities and persistence in linked habitats under continental climate regimes (Nakano and Murakami 2001). In a Mediterranean watershed (the upper South Fork Eel River of Northern California (39°44’N, 123°37’W)), we studied spatial and seasonal patterns in insect fluxes among river, wetland, and forest habitats. We quantified insect emergence with vertical traps, and lateral fluxes between six wetland and eight river reaches and the upland forest adjacent to each. Insect horizontal fluxes were sampled using sticky traps along 50-150 m transects from the moister to the dryer habitats. We also studied vertical gradients of insect fluxes over rivers (up to 7 m) and in the forest (up to 40 m). Ca. 1800 traps and 40,000 insects were quantified. Results/Conclusions. In contrast to linked forest-river ecosystems in Hokkaido, peaks of insect fluxes in aquatic versus terrestrial habitats of the Eel River basin were less offset, and the seasonality of terrestrial versus river peaks was reversed. From late April through May, when the whole landscape was moist, there was no spatial variation in insect abundance-activity along forest, wetland, or river transects, and abundances averaged 315 insects m-2d-1. As the uplands dried out, from June to September, insect abundance peaked in wetlands and near the river, but dropped in the forest to average 32 insects m-2d-1 . The wetlands, with three abundance peaks distributed through spring, summer, and fall, maintained insect fluxes when river and forest fluxes were low. Vertically arrayed sticky traps over the river documented maximal insect activity-abundance near the water surface. In some positions, movements appeared random (equal downstream and upstream fluxes), but at other sites movements were strongly directional. For example, Amaletus mayflies that reared as larvae in the productive mainstem swarmed as adults into a small, dark, steep tributary, where extensive crusts of dead adults over tributary pools suggested that they mated and died. We are investigating how insectivorous birds and bats track and respond to these seasonal shifts in food supply points and spatial fluxes through the basin network of linked habitats.

The critical role of fire in catchment coevolution in South Eastern Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nyman, P.; Inbar, A.; Lane, P. N. J.; Sheridan, G. J.

2016-12-01

Temperate south east Australian forested uplands are characterised by complex spatial patterns in forest types, soils and fire regimes, even within areas with similar geologies and landscape position. Preliminary measurements and experiments suggest that positive and negative feedbacks between the vegetation, fuels, fire frequency and soil erosion may control the coevolution of these observed system states. Here we propose the hypotheses that in this landscape post-fire soil erosion has played a dominant role in the coevolved system-state combinations of standing biomass, fire frequency and soil depth. To test the hypothesis a 1D simulation model was developed that links together an ecohydrological model to drive the biomass production and water and energy partitioning, a stochastic fire model that is controlled by climate, fuel load and moisture conditions, and a geomorphic model that controls soil production and fluvial and diffusive sediment transport rates. The model was calibrated to the range of existing observed quasi-equalibrium system-states of soil depth, standing biomass, fuel loading and fire frequency using field measurements from 12 instrumented eco-hydrologic microclimate research sites. The long-term partitioning of rainfall into evaporation, transpiration, and streamflow was calibrated against field and literature values. Fuel moisture and micro-climate variables were calibrated to the field microclimate stations. The calibrated model was able to reasonably replicate the observed quasi-equilibrium system-states and hydrologic outputs using current climate forcings operating over a 10,000 year period, providing confidence in the model structure and performance. The model was then used to test the hypothesis stated above, by alternatively including or excluding the post fire erosion process. An alternate hypothesis, whereby the observed system states are dominated by climate related differences in soil production rates was also tested in this way. The results support the hypothesis that feedbacks between fire, ecology, hydrology and geomorphology have played a critical role in the coevolution of south east Australian forested uplands. Similar pyro-eco-hydrologic feedbacks may play a critical role in catchment coevolution in other forested systems globally.

Black walnut response to subsoiling, irrigation, and vegetation management on a site with a shallow fragipan

Treesearch

F. D. McBride; J. W. Van Sambeek

1995-01-01

Vegetation management with glyphosate and simazine proved to be more effective than preplant subsoiling or irrigation for achieving acceptable walnut biomass growth on an upland old field site (SI = 70 for white oak). In 1980, we direct seeded germinating black walnut seed on an upland, slightly eroded, old field ridge with a 45 to 60 cm deep fragipan. We tested all...

Nitrate in watersheds: straight from soils to streams?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sudduth, Elizabeth B.; Perakis, Steven S.; Bernhardt, Emily S.

2013-01-01

Human activities are rapidly increasing the global supply of reactive N and substantially altering the structure and hydrologic connectivity of managed ecosystems. There is long-standing recognition that N must be removed along hydrologic flowpaths from uplands to streams, yet it has proven difficult to assess the generality of this removal across ecosystem types, and whether these patterns are influenced by land-use change. To assess how well upland nitrate (NO3-) loss is reflected in stream export, we gathered information from >50 watershed biogeochemical studies that reported nitrate concentrations ([NO3-]) for stream water and for either upslope soil solution or groundwater NO3- to examine whether stream export of NO3- accurately reflects upland NO3- losses. In this dataset, soil solution and streamwater [NO3-] were correlated across 40 undisturbed forest watersheds, with streamwater [NO3-] typically half (median = 50%) soil solution [NO3-]. A similar relationship was seen in 10 disturbed forest watersheds. However, for 12 watersheds with significant agricultural or urban development, the intercept and slope were both significantly higher than the relationship seen in forest watersheds. Differences in concentration between soil solution or groundwater and stream water may be attributed to biological uptake, microbial processes including denitrification, and/or preferential flow routing. The results of this synthesis are consistent with the hypotheses that undisturbed watersheds have a significant capacity to remove nitrate after it passes below the rooting zone and that land use changes tend to alter the efficiency or the length of watershed flowpaths, leading to reductions in nitrate removal and increased stream nitrate concentrations.

Sources, transformations, and hydrological processes that control stream nitrate and dissolved organic matter concentrations during snowmelt in an upland forest

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sebestyen, Stephen D.; Boyer, Elizabeth W.; Shanley, James B.; Kendall, Carol; Doctor, Daniel H.; Aiken, George R.; Ohte, Nobuhito

2008-01-01

We explored catchment processes that control stream nutrient concentrations at an upland forest in northeastern Vermont, USA, where inputs of nitrogen via atmospheric deposition are among the highest in the nation and affect ecosystem functioning. We traced sources of water, nitrate, and dissolved organic matter (DOM) using stream water samples collected at high frequency during spring snowmelt. Hydrochemistry, isotopic tracers, and end‐member mixing analyses suggested the timing, sources, and source areas from which water and nutrients entered the stream. Although stream‐dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) both originated from leaching of soluble organic matter, flushing responses between these two DOM components varied because of dynamic shifts of hydrological flow paths and sources that supply the highest concentrations of DOC and DON. High concentrations of stream water nitrate originated from atmospheric sources as well as nitrified sources from catchment soils. We detected nitrification in surficial soils during late snowmelt which affected the nitrate supply that was available to be transported to streams. However, isotopic tracers showed that the majority of nitrate in upslope surficial soil waters after the onset of snowmelt originated from atmospheric sources. A fraction of the atmospheric nitrogen was directly delivered to the stream, and this finding highlights the importance of quick flow pathways during snowmelt events. These findings indicate that interactions among sources, transformations, and hydrologic transport processes must be deciphered to understand why concentrations vary over time and over space as well as to elucidate the direct effects of human activities on nutrient dynamics in upland forest streams.

Long-term decrease in satellite vegetation indices in response to environmental variables in an iconic desert riparian ecosystem: the Upper San Pedro, Arizona, United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nguyen, Uyen; Glenn, Edward P.; Nagler, Pamela L.; Scott, Russell L.

2015-01-01

The Upper San Pedro River is one of the few remaining undammed rivers that maintain a vibrant riparian ecosystem in the southwest United States. However, its riparian forest is threatened by diminishing groundwater and surface water inputs, due to either changes in watershed characteristics such as changes in riparian and upland vegetation, or human activities such as regional groundwater pumping. We used satellite vegetation indices to quantify the green leaf density of the groundwater-dependent riparian forest from 1984 to 2012. The river was divided into a southern, upstream (mainly perennial flow) reach and a northern, downstream (mainly intermittent and ephemeral flow) reach. Pre-monsoon (June) Landsat normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) values showed a 20% drop for the northern reach (P < 0·001) and no net change for the southern reach (P > 0·05). NDVI and enhanced vegetation index values were positively correlated (P < 0·05) with river flows, which decreased over the study period in the northern reach, and negatively correlated (P < 0·05) with air temperatures in both reaches, which have increased by 1·4 °C from 1932 to 2012. NDVI in the uplands around the river did not increase from 1984 to 2012, suggesting that increased evapotranspiration in the uplands was not a factor in reducing river flows. Climate change, regional groundwater pumping, changes in the intensity of monsoon rain events and lack of overbank flooding are feasible explanations for deterioration of the riparian forest in the northern reach.

Soil physical, chemical and gas-flux characterization from Picea mariana stands near Erickson Creek, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

O'Donnell, Jonathan A.; Harden, Jennifer W.; Manies, Kristen L.

2011-01-01

Fire is a particularly important control on the carbon (C) balance of the boreal forest, and fire-return intervals and fire severity appear to have increased since the late 1900s in North America. In addition to the immediate release of stored C to the atmosphere through organic-matter combustion, fire also modifies soil conditions, possibly affecting C exchange between terrestrial and atmospheric pools for decades after the burn. The effects of fire on ecosystem C dynamics vary across the landscape, with topographic position and soil drainage functioning as important controls. The data reported here contributed to a larger U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) study, published in the journal Ecosystems by O'Donnell and others (2009). To evaluate the effects of fire and drainage on ecosystem C dynamics, we selected sample sites within the 2003 Erickson Creek fire scar to measure CO2 fluxes and soil C inventories in burned and unburned (control) sites in both upland and lowland black spruce (Picea mariana) forests. The results of this study suggested that although fire can create soil climate conditions which are more conducive to rapid decomposition, rates of C release from soils may be constrained after fire by changes in moisture and (or) substrate quality that impede rates of decomposition. Here, we report detailed site information, methodology, and data (in spreadsheet files) from that study.

Short term response of herpetofaunal to oak-regeneration treatments on the mid-Cumberland Plateau of southern Tennessee

Treesearch

Andrew W. Cantrell; Yong Wang; Callie J. Schweitzer; Cathryn H. Greenberg

2013-01-01

We examined the short term response of herpetofauna to two treatments designed to regenerate oak in upland hardwood forest: (1) shelterwood (30–40% BA retention), and (2) oak-shelterwood (midstory removal by use of herbicide), along with controls. Research was conducted 1 and 2 years post treatment within an oak-hickory forest within the mid-Cumberland Plateau of...

Effects of fuel reduction treatments on breeding birds in a Southern Appalachian upland hardwood forest

Treesearch

Aimee L. Tomcho; Cathryn H. Greenberg; J. Drew Lanham; Thomas A. Waldrop; Joseph Tomcho; Dean Simon

2007-01-01

In the past, fires set by American Indians and settlers shaped much of the southern Appalachian forest by reducing the shrub layer and maintaining an open understory. Since the 1930’s, fire exclusion has allowed the development of a thick shrub layer and accumulation of woody debris. This fuel buildup contributes to the potential for wildfire in many ecosystems....

Predicting the ability to produce emerald ash borer: a comparison of riparian and upland ash forests in southern lower Michigan

Treesearch

Susan J. Crocker; Deborah G. McCullough; Nathan W. Siegert

2009-01-01

Concern for the future of ash trees in the United States has risen since the 2002 discovery of emerald ash borer (EAB) (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) in southeastern Michigan. The ability of ash forests in the Southern Lower Peninsula of Michigan to produce EAB was compared by physiographic class and stand size. Results showed that EAB production...

Stem diameter dynamics under varying shelterwood treatments in an upland hardwood forest on the Cumberland Plateau escarpment

Treesearch

Callie J. Schweitzer; Daniel C. Dey

2016-01-01

Managing forests on the Cumberland Plateau escarpment for select desirable species can be particularly onerous due to the high diversity of dominant tree species. We implemented 5 treatments to alter species composition and structure in an effort to favor Quercus and maintain its dominance in the stands. Treatments were shelterwood prescriptions that in the first stage...

Current and historical composition and size structure of upland forests across a soil gradient in north Mississippi

Treesearch

Sherry B. Surrette; Steven M. Aquilani; J. Stephen Brewer

2008-01-01

Comparisons of current and historical tree species composition and size structure along natural productivity gradients are useful for inferring effects of disturbance regimes and productivity on patterns of succession.

Future of forest gardens in the Uvan uplands of Sri Lanka

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nuberg, Ian K.; Evans, David G.; Senanayake, Ranil

1994-11-01

Forest gardens are traditional agroecosystems in the humid tropics that have evolved a forestlike structure and as such are commonly thought to be a good example of sustainable agriculture. While this may be true in the sense of soil protection and maintenance of biodiversity, they are not necessarily maintainable in the context of competing land use in the landscape. Such appears to be the case of forest gardens in the uplands of Uva Province of Sri Lanka. This paper reports an agroecological analysis of forest gardens and other forms of land use in Uva, and discusses how this understanding can be used to make use of the good properties of forest gardens. It shows that although they have very real environmental and social benefits, they are unable to satisfy the material needs of a rural population undergoing demographic and cultural changes. However, the alternative land-use systems, both private smallholder and state owned, have serious deficiencies with respect to long-term sustainability, and it is essential to develop appropriate alternatives. It should be possible to design a smallholder farming system that incorporates the high productivity of market gardens (i.e., the cultivation of seasonal crops such as vegetables) with, at least, the high stability and biophysical sustainability of the forest garden. Considerable work still needs to be done on the design of such a system as well as the agency for its development and promotion. The paper treats the forest gardens of Uva as a case study from which some general conclusions can be drawn with respect to the conscious development of forest garden systems elsewhere in the tropics.

Two decades of climate driving the dynamics of functional and taxonomic diversity of a tropical small mammal community in western Mexico.

PubMed

Mason-Romo, Edgard David; Farías, Ariel A; Ceballos, Gerardo

2017-01-01

Understanding the effects of global climate disruption on biodiversity is important to future conservation efforts. While taxonomic diversity is widely studied, functional diversity of plants, and recently animals, is receiving increasing attention. Most studies of mammals are short-term, focus on temperate habitats, and rely on traits described in the literature rather than generating traits from observations. Unlike previous studies, this long-term field study assessed the factors driving the functional and taxonomic diversity of small-mammal assemblages in dry tropical forests using both traits recorded from literature and a demographic database. We assessed the drivers (abundance and biomass, temperature and rainfall) of taxonomic richness and functional diversity for two rain-driven seasons in two adjacent but distinct forests-upland and lowland (arroyo or riparian) forests. Our analysis found that rainfall, both seasonal and atypical, was the primary factor driving functional and taxonomic diversity of small-mammal assemblages. Functional responses differed between the two types of forests, however, with effects being stronger in the harsher conditions of the upland forests than in the less severe conditions prevailing in the arroyo (riparian) forest. The latter also supports a richer, more diverse, and more stable small-mammal assemblage. These findings highlight the importance of climate to tropical biological diversity, as extreme climate events (hurricanes, droughts and floods) and disruption of rainfall patterns were shown to decrease biodiversity. They also support the need to preserve these habitats, as their high taxonomic diversity and functional redundancy makes them resilient against global climate disruption and local extreme events. Tropical dry forests constitute a potential reservoir for biodiversity and the ecosystem services they provide. Unfortunately, these forests are among the most endangered terrestrial ecosystems because of deforestation and the likely impacts of global climate disruption.

Improved simulation of poorly drained forests using Biome-BGC.

PubMed

Bond-Lamberty, Ben; Gower, Stith T; Ahl, Douglas E

2007-05-01

Forested wetlands and peatlands are important in boreal and terrestrial biogeochemical cycling, but most general-purpose forest process models are designed and parameterized for upland systems. We describe changes made to Biome-BGC, an ecophysiological process model, that improve its ability to simulate poorly drained forests. Model changes allowed for: (1) lateral water inflow from a surrounding watershed, and variable surface and subsurface drainage; (2) adverse effects of anoxic soil on decomposition and nutrient mineralization; (3) closure of leaf stomata in flooded soils; and (4) growth of nonvascular plants (i.e., bryophytes). Bryophytes were treated as ectohydric broadleaf evergreen plants with zero stomatal conductance, whose cuticular conductance to CO(2) was dependent on plant water content. Individual model changes were parameterized with published data, and ecosystem-level model performance was assessed by comparing simulated output to field data from the northern BOREAS site in Manitoba, Canada. The simulation of the poorly drained forest model exhibited reduced decomposition and vascular plant growth (-90%) compared with that of the well-drained forest model; the integrated bryophyte photosynthetic response accorded well with published data. Simulated net primary production, biomass and soil carbon accumulation broadly agreed with field measurements, although simulated net primary production was higher than observed data in well-drained stands. Simulated net primary production in the poorly drained forest was most sensitive to oxygen restriction on soil processes, and secondarily to stomatal closure in flooded conditions. The modified Biome-BGC remains unable to simulate true wetlands that are subject to prolonged flooding, because it does not track organic soil formation, water table changes, soil redox potential or anaerobic processes.

General Design Memorandum Appendix D, Environmental Documents. Pascagoula Harbor Channel Improvement, Pascagoula, Mississippi

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-02-01

herbaceous uplands ( Cogon grass ), and 29 acres of tidal marsh. The entire area includes about 183 acres. 3. Alternative 3 is similar to Alternative 2...acres of tidal wetlands outside of the old Tenneco dike 61 acres of scrub/shrub uplands 21 acres of herbaceous uplands ( Cogon grass ) While wetlands...shrub wetlands exist within the old levees at the Tenneco site. Wetland grasses include such species as threesquare (Sciryus spp.), black needlerush

Letter from Galo Jackson Final Comments on November 2012 Draft ofthe Remedial Investigation Report fpr Operable Unit 3-Upland Soils

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Letter from Galo Jackson contains the Final Comments on November 2012 Draft ofthe Remedial Investigation Report for Operable Unit 3-Upland Soils: LCP Chemical National Priorities List Site, Brunswick, Glynn County, GA.

The effects of fire on the thermal stability of permafrost in lowland and upland black spruce forests of interior Alaska in a changing climate

Treesearch

E.E. Jafarov; V.E. Romanovsky; H. Genet; A.D. McGuire; S.S. Marchenko

2013-01-01

Fire is an important factor controlling the composition and thickness of the organic layer in the black spruce forest ecosystems of interior Alaska. Fire that burns the organic layer can trigger dramatic changes in the underlying permafrost, leading to accelerated ground thawing within a relatively short time. In this study, we addressed the following questions. (1)...

Thirty-year results from a paired-catchment study of upland flowpath responses to forest cover conversion in northern Minnesota

Treesearch

Stephen Sebestyen; Randy Kolka

2016-01-01

Long-term studies on paired-research catchments have often showed periods of changes to water yields and peak stormflow after forest harvesting. Most studies have focused on wholecatchment or downstream responses. In contrast, few studies have ever been established to measure and investigate specific pathways of water routing through catchment soils or how sub-...

Development of an upland hardwood demonstration forest on the Mary Olive Thomas Demonstration Forest

Treesearch

Seth D. Hunt; John S. Kush; Rebecca J. Barlow

2016-01-01

Landowners have experienced a dizzying array of timber prices over the past several years. At one time, hardwood pulpwood brought very little per ton and today it brings as much or more than pine pulpwood. In some markets in the Southeast today, oak sawtimber is bringing more than pine poles. Many landowners, who previously said they wanted their hardwood stands left...

Patterns of total ecosystem carbon storage with changes in soil temperature in boreal black spruce forests

Treesearch

E.S. Kane; J.G. Vogel

2009-01-01

To understand how carbon (C) pools in boreal ecosystems may change with warming, we measured above- and belowground C pools and C increment along a soil temperature gradient across 16 mature upland black spruce (Picea mariana Mill. [B•S.P]) forests in interior Alaska. Total spruce C stocks (stand and root C) increased from 1.3 to 8.5 kg C m

Stand response of 16-year-old upland hardwood regeneration to crop-tree release on a medium quality site in the Southern Appalachians after 24 years

Treesearch

W. Henry. McNab

2010-01-01

A crop tree release was made in a 16-year-old upland hardwood stand on a medium-quality site using one of two treatments: mechanical or chemical. After 24 years there was no significant difference in stand response between the two treatments as measured by mean increase in stand diameter, basal area, total height, height to base of live...

A synthesis of growing-season, non-growing season, and annual methane emission measurements among temperate, boreal, and tundra wetlands and uplands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Treat, C. C.; Bloom, A. A.; Marushchak, M. E.

2017-12-01

Wetlands are the largest natural source of methane to the atmosphere, while upland soils are a consistent sink of atmospheric methane. Wetland methane emissions are highly variable among sites, years, and temporal scales due to differences in production, oxidation, and transport pathways. Currently, process model predictions of methane emissions from wetlands remain challenging due to uncertain parameterizations of net methane production and emission processes. Here, we synthesize growing season, non-growing season, and annual methane emissions from chamber and eddy-covariance measurements for more than 150 sites in undisturbed temperate, boreal, and tundra wetlands and uplands. We compare the magnitude of fluxes among regions, wetland classifications, vegetation classifications, and environmental variables. Growing season measurements were most abundant in bogs, fens, and tundra sites, while marshes and swamps were relatively undersampled. Annual methane emissions were largest from marshes and lowest from upland mineral soils. Non-growing season emissions accounted for large fraction of annual methane emissions, especially in tundra sites. These results provide constraints for methane emissions from temporal, boreal, and arctic wetlands utilizing the numerous flux measurements conducted over the past 25 years. We find that state-of-the-art model ensembles are seasonally biased; in particular, the vast majority of models overestimate predictions of the growing season to annual wetland methane emission ratio across all biomes.

Ecohydrological dynamics of peatlands and adjacent upland forests in the Rocky Mountains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Millar, D.; Parsekian, A.; Mercer, J.; Ewers, B. E.; Mackay, D. S.; Williams, D. G.; Cooper, D. J.; Ronayne, M. J.

2017-12-01

Mountain peatlands are susceptible to a changing climate via changes in the water cycle. Understanding the impacts of such changes requires knowledge of the hydrological processes within these peatlands and in the upland forests that supply them with water. We investigated hydrological processes in peatland catchments in the Rocky Mountains by developing empirical models of groundwater dynamics, and are working to improve subsurface water dynamics in a ecohydrological process model, the Terrestrial Regional Ecosystem Exchange Simulator (TREES). Results from empirical models showed major differences in water budget components between two peatlands with differing climate, vegetation, and hydrogeological settings. Several-fold higher rates of evapotranspiration from the saturated zone, and groundwater inflow were observed for a sloping fen in southern Wyoming than that of a basin fen in southwestern Colorado, where rainfall was two-fold higher due to stronger influence of the North American monsoon. We also present ongoing work coupling stable water isotope and borehole nuclear magnetic resonance analyses to test which soil water pools (bound or mobile) are used by dominant upland and peatland vegetation in two catchments in southern Wyoming. These data are being used to test whether the root hydraulic mechanisms in TREES can simulate water uptake from these two soil water pools, and sap flux measurements are being used to evaluate simulated transpiration. Preliminary results from this work suggest that upland vegetation utilize tightly-bound soil water pools, as these pools comprise the largest amount of subsurface water (> 80%) in the vadose zone long after snow melt. Conversely, it appears that herbaceous peatland hydrophytes may preferentially utilize mobile soil water pools, since their roots extend below the water table. The results of this work are expected to increase predictive understanding of hydrological processes in these important ecosystems.

Contrasting patterns of litterfall seasonality and seasonal changes in litter decomposability in a tropical rainforest region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parsons, S. A.; Valdez-Ramirez, V.; Congdon, R. A.; Williams, S. E.

2014-06-01

The seasonality of litter inputs in forests has important implications for understanding ecosystem processes and biogeochemical cycles. We quantified the drivers of seasonality in litterfall and leaf decomposability, using plots throughout the Australian wet tropical region. Litter fell mostly in the summer (wet, warm) months in the region, but other peaks occurred throughout the year. Litterfall seasonality was modelled well with the level of deciduousness of the site (plots with more deciduous species had lower seasonality than evergreen plots), temperature (higher seasonality in the uplands), disturbance (lower seasonality with more early secondary species) and soil fertility (higher seasonality with higher N : P/P limitation) (SL total litterfall model 1 = deciduousness + soil N : P + early secondary sp: r2 = 0.63, n = 30 plots; model 2 = temperature + early secondary sp. + soil N : P: r2 = 0.54, n = 30; SL leaf = temperature + early secondary sp. + rainfall seasonality: r2 = 0.39, n = 30). Leaf litter decomposability was lower in the dry season than in the wet season, driven by higher phenolic concentrations in the dry, with the difference exacerbated particularly by lower dry season moisture. Our results are contrary to the global trend for tropical rainforests; in that seasonality of litterfall inputs were generally higher in wetter, cooler, evergreen forests, compared to generally drier, warmer, semi-deciduous sites that had more uniform monthly inputs. We consider this due to more diverse litter shedding patterns in semi-deciduous and raingreen rainforest sites, and an important consideration for ecosystem modellers. Seasonal changes in litter quality are likely to have impacts on decomposition and biogeochemical cycles in these forests due to the litter that falls in the dry being more recalcitrant to decay.

Contrasting patterns of litterfall seasonality and seasonal changes in litter decomposability in a tropical rainforest region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parsons, S. A.; Valdez-Ramirez, V.; Congdon, R. A.; Williams, S. E.

2014-09-01

The seasonality of litter inputs in forests has important implications for understanding ecosystem processes and biogeochemical cycles. We quantified the drivers of seasonality in litterfall and leaf decomposability using plots throughout the Australian wet tropical region. Litter fell mostly in the summer (wet, warm) months in the region, but other peaks occurred throughout the year. Litterfall seasonality was modelled well with the level of deciduousness of the site (plots with more deciduous species had lower seasonality than evergreen plots), temperature (higher seasonality in the uplands), disturbance (lower seasonality with more early secondary species) and soil fertility (higher seasonality with higher N : P/P limitation) (SL total litterfall model 1 = deciduousness + soil N : P + early secondary sp.: r2 = 0.63, n = 30; model 2 = temperature + early secondary sp. + soil N : P: r2 = 0.54, n = 30; SL leaf = temperature + early secondary sp. + rainfall seasonality: r2 = 0.39, n = 30). Leaf litter decomposability was lower in the dry season than in the wet season, driven by higher phenolic concentrations in the dry, with the difference exacerbated particularly by lower dry season moisture. Our results are contrary to the global trend for tropical rainforests; in that seasonality of litterfall input was generally higher in wetter, cooler, evergreen forests, compared to generally drier, warmer, semi-deciduous sites that had more uniform monthly inputs. We consider this due to more diverse litter shedding patterns in semi-deciduous and raingreen rainforest sites, and an important consideration for ecosystem modellers. Seasonal changes in litter quality are likely to have impacts on decomposition and biogeochemical cycles in these forests due to the litter that falls in the dry season being more recalcitrant to decay.

Use of olfactory cues by newly metamorphosed wood frogs (Lithobates sylvaticus) during emigration

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zydlewski, Joseph D.; Popescu, Viorel D.; Brodie, Bekka S.; Hunter, Malcom L.

2012-01-01

Juvenile amphibians are capable of long-distance upland movements, yet cues used for orientation during upland movements are poorly understood. We used newly metamorphosed Wood Frogs (Lithobates sylvaticus) to investigate: (1) the existence of innate (i.e., inherited) directionality, and (2) the use of olfactory cues, specifically forested wetland and natal pond cues during emigration. In a circular arena experiment, animals with assumed innate directionality did not orient in the expected direction (suggested by previous studies) when deprived of visual and olfactory cues. This suggests that juvenile Wood Frogs most likely rely on proximate cues for orientation. Animals reared in semi-natural conditions (1500 l cattle tanks) showed a strong avoidance of forested wetland cues in two different experimental settings, although they had not been previously exposed to such cues. This finding is contrary to known habitat use by adult Wood Frogs during summer. Juvenile Wood Frogs were indifferent to the chemical signature of natal pond (cattle tank) water. Our findings suggest that management strategies for forest amphibians should consider key habitat features that potentially influence the orientation of juveniles during emigration movements, as well as adult behavior.

Landscape heterogeneity, soil climate, and carbon exchange in a boreal black spruce forest.

PubMed

Dunn, Allison L; Wofsy, Steven C; v H Bright, Alfram

2009-03-01

We measured soil climate and the turbulent fluxes of CO2, H2O, heat, and momentum on short towers (2 m) in a 160-yr-old boreal black spruce forest in Manitoba, Canada. Two distinct land cover types were studied: a Sphagnum-dominated wetland, and a feathermoss (Pleurozium and Hylocomium)-dominated upland, both lying within the footprint of a 30-m tower, which has measured whole-forest carbon exchange since 1994. Peak summertime uptake of CO2, was higher in the wetland than for the forest as a whole due to the influence of deciduous shrubs. Soil respiration rates in the wetland were approximately three times larger than in upland soils, and 30% greater than the mean of the whole forest, reflecting decomposition of soil organic matter. Soil respiration rates in the wetland were regulated by soil temperature, which was in turn influenced by water table depth through effects on soil heat capacity and conductivity. Warmer soil temperatures and deeper water tables favored increased heterotrophic respiration. Wetland drainage was limited by frost during the first half of the growing season, leading to high, perched water tables, cool soil temperatures, and much lower respiration rates than observed later in the growing season. Whole-forest evapotranspiration increased as water tables dropped, suggesting that photosynthesis in this forest was rarely subject to water stress. Our data indicate positive feedback between soil temperature, seasonal thawing, heterotrophic respiration, and evapotranspiration. As a result, climate warming could cause covariant changes in soil temperature and water table depths that may stimulate photosynthesis and strongly promote efflux of CO2 from peat soils in boreal wetlands.

Simulating the impact of water storage on agricultural intensification and deforestation in Northern Thailand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gower, D.; Zeng, Z.; Caylor, K. K.; Wood, E. F.

2017-12-01

In the Nan province of Thailand, agriculture provides a livelihood for much of the population. In the province's lowlands, farmers grow rice, typically with access to irrigation from rivers draining the surrounding mountains. In the uplands, farmers grow rainfed maize, with very little irrigation. Soil erosion from these slopes quickly leads to soil degradation, decreasing yields and forcing farmers to cut down forests to create new farmland. Over the past decades, this practice has led to extensive deforestation throughout the uplands, including within the province's national parks. In response to these issues, the local administration has proposed building upland reservoirs that will provide farmers with greater access to irrigation water and allow them to intensify agricultural production, thus decreasing the need to expand into forested areas. Concerns have been raised, however, about the benefits of such plans as water may need to be pumped uphill from the reservoirs in some cases and soil erosion will remain a problem on the steepest slopes. Such concerns must be investigated before implementation to avoid wasting money on fruitless interventions. This project addresses the above concerns using an agent-based model (ABM) to simulate agricultural production and farmer decision-making in an upland catchment of the Nan province. Here we use HydroBlocks, a field scale land surface model, to simulate soil moisture and runoff at daily-30m resolution. These hydrological variables are integrated in an ABM framework to simulate agricultural production, reservoir capacity and farmer decision-making. As part of the framework, farmers may irrigate their crops using reservoir water but must pay pumping costs that depend on the location of their fields relative to the reservoir. At the end of each growing season, farmers sell their produce and may choose to plant the same crop on the same land, plant a different crop or clear more land for more crops. These decisions change the landscape, feeding back into the HydroBlocks model in subsequent years as changes to the land cover parameters. In this way, the model predicts the long-term impacts of reservoir construction on farmer livelihoods and forest cover in the province.

Ecosystem development after mangrove wetland creation: plant-soil change across a 20-year chronosequence

USGS Publications Warehouse

Osland, Michael J.; Spivak, Amanda C.; Nestlerode, Janet A.; Lessmann, Jeannine M.; Almario, Alejandro E.; Heitmuller, Paul T.; Russell, Marc J.; Krauss, Ken W.; Alvarez, Federico; Dantin, Darrin D.; Harvey, James E.; From, Andrew S.; Cormier, Nicole; Stagg, Camille L.

2012-01-01

Mangrove wetland restoration and creation efforts are increasingly proposed as mechanisms to compensate for mangrove wetland losses. However, ecosystem development and functional equivalence in restored and created mangrove wetlands are poorly understood. We compared a 20-year chronosequence of created tidal wetland sites in Tampa Bay, Florida (USA) to natural reference mangrove wetlands. Across the chronosequence, our sites represent the succession from salt marsh to mangrove forest communities. Our results identify important soil and plant structural differences between the created and natural reference wetland sites; however, they also depict a positive developmental trajectory for the created wetland sites that reflects tightly coupled plant-soil development. Because upland soils and/or dredge spoils were used to create the new mangrove habitats, the soils at younger created sites and at lower depths (10-30 cm) had higher bulk densities, higher sand content, lower soil organic matter (SOM), lower total carbon (TC), and lower total nitrogen (TN) than did natural reference wetland soils. However, in the upper soil layer (0-10 cm), SOM, TC, and TN increased with created wetland site age simultaneously with mangrove forest growth. The rate of created wetland soil C accumulation was comparable to literature values for natural mangrove wetlands. Notably, the time to equivalence for the upper soil layer of created mangrove wetlands appears to be faster than for many other wetland ecosystem types. Collectively, our findings characterize the rate and trajectory of above- and below-ground changes associated with ecosystem development in created mangrove wetlands; this is valuable information for environmental managers planning to sustain existing mangrove wetlands or mitigate for mangrove wetland losses.

Stratigraphic Reconstruction of a Late Pleistocene Cypress Forest Discovered on the Northern Gulf of Mexico Continental Shelf

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gonzalez Rodriguez, S. M.; Bentley, S. J.; Obelcz, J.; Truong, J. T.; DeLong, K. L.; Xu, K.; Harley, G. L.; Reese, C. A.; Caporaso, A.; Shen, Z.

2017-12-01

A previously buried bald cypress forest (Taxodium distichum) was discovered on the continental shelf, offshore of Orange Beach, Alabama, USA, in 20 m water depth. The forest was possibly exhumed by Hurricane Ivan in 2004, and is now exposed as stumps in life position in a trough located in the northern Gulf of Mexico continental shelf seafloor. We are investigating the local stratigraphy, paleo-landscape, and mode of forest preservation of this unique site. In August 2015 and July 2016, submersible vibracores (18 in total) were collected. Core analysis included: bulk density and imaging via Geotek multi sensor core logger, sediment grain size, structure, and organic content via loss-on-ignition. Selected samples have been dated using 14C and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) methods. Multibeam and CHIRP subbottom bathymetry provide context for litho- and chrono-stratigraphy of the site. Integration of core lithostratigraphy and modern shelf bathymetry reveal Holocene transgressive sands blanketing diverse sedimentary facies that are truncated by the late Pleistocene-early Holocene ravinement. Deposits below the ravinement surface include interbedded sand and mud (exact age unknown, but possibly pertaining to a shallow marine environment), overlying a floodplain/swamp facies of woody debris, peat, and mud (provisionally dated by 14C to 41-45 ka). These units grade laterally into paleosols that appear to be 10-15 ka older, based on recently obtained preliminary OSL dates. Occurrence of paleosols and swamp deposits of broadly similar age and elevation suggests that the ancient landscape possessed topographic relief that allowed wetland and upland habitats to develop in close proximity. These new OSL dates enhance our initial hypothesis that floodplain aggradation in the area was a key factor that might have allowed forest preservation. The timing of temporary sea level rises (SLR) ca. 40 and 60 ka. with our 14C and preliminary OSL dates, suggests that floodplain aggradation associated with SLRs could have buried the swamp and forest sediments. Variable paleo-topography in the area at the time of burial provided enough sediment to keep the cypress forest blanketed, withstanding periods of erosion as sea level fluctuated through the late Pleistocene to Holocene, thus facilitating forest preservation.

Slow recovery of tropical old-field rainforest regrowth and the value and limitations of active restoration.

PubMed

Shoo, Luke P; Freebody, Kylie; Kanowski, John; Catterall, Carla P

2016-02-01

There is current debate about the potential for secondary regrowth to rescue tropical forests from an otherwise inevitable cascade of biodiversity loss due to land clearing and scant evidence to test how well active restoration may accelerate recovery. We used site chronosequences to compare developmental trajectories of vegetation between self-organized (i.e., spontaneous) forest regrowth and biodiversity plantings (established for ecological restoration, with many locally native tree species at high density) in the Australian wet tropics uplands. Across 28 regrowth sites aged 1-59 years, some structural attributes reached reference rainforest levels within 40 years, whereas wood volume and most tested components of native plant species richness (classified by species' origins, family, and ecological functions) reached less than 50% of reference rainforest values. Development of native tree and shrub richness was particularly slow among species that were wind dispersed or animal dispersed with large (>10 mm) seeds. Many species with animal-dispersed seeds were from near-basal evolutionary lineages that contribute to recognized World Heritage values of the study region. Faster recovery was recorded in 25 biodiversity plantings of 1-25 years in which wood volume developed more rapidly; native woody plant species richness reached values similar to reference rainforest and was better represented across all dispersal modes; and species from near-basal plant families were better (although incompletely) represented. Plantings and regrowth showed slow recovery in species richness of vines and epiphytes and in overall resemblance to forest in species composition. Our results can inform decision making about when and where to invest in active restoration and provide strong evidence that protecting old-growth forest is crucially important for sustaining tropical biodiversity. © 2015 Society for Conservation Biology.

The role of forest floor and trees to the ecosystem scale methane budget of boreal forests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pihlatie, Mari; Halmeenmäki, Elisa; Peltola, Olli; Haikarainen, Iikka; Heinonsalo, Jussi; Santalahti, Minna; Putkinen, Anuliina; Fritze, Hannu; Urban, Otmar; Machacova, Katerina

2016-04-01

Boreal forests are considered as a sink of atmospheric methane (CH4) due to the activity of CH4 oxidizing bacteria (methanotrophs) in the soil. This soil CH4 sink is especially strong for upland forest soils, whereas forests growing on organic soils may act as small sources due to the domination of CH4 production by methanogens in the anaerobic parts of the soil. The role of trees to the ecosystem-scale CH4 fluxes has until recently been neglected due to the perception that trees do not contribute to the CH4 exchange, and also due to difficulties in measuring the CH4 exchange from trees. Findings of aerobic CH4 formation in plants and emissions from tree-stems in temperate and tropical forests during the past decade demonstrate that our understanding of CH4 cycling in forest ecosystems is not complete. Especially the role of forest canopies still remain unresolved, and very little is known of CH4 fluxes from trees in boreal region. We measured the CH4 exchange of tree-stems and tree-canopies from pine (Pinus sylvestris), spruce (Picea abies) and birch (Betula pubescens, Betula pendula) trees growing in Southern Finland (SMEAR II station) on varying soil conditions, from upland mineral soils to paludified soil. We compared the CH4 fluxes from trees to forest-floor CH4 exchange, both measured by static chambers, and to CH4 fluxes measured above the forest canopy by a flux gradient technique. We link the CH4 fluxes from trees and forest floor to physiological activity of the trees, such as transpiration, sap-flow, CO2 net ecosystem exchange (NEE), soil properties such as temperature and moisture, and to the presence of CH4 producing methanogens and CH4 oxidizing methanotrophs in trees or soil. The above canopy CH4 flux measurements show that the whole forest ecosystem was a small source of CH4 over extended periods in the spring and summer 2012, 2014 and 2015. Throughout the 2013-2014 measurements, the forest floor was in total a net sink of CH4, with variation between high CH4 uptake in the dominating dry upland areas and high emissions from the few wet spots of the forest. All the studied tree species emitted small amounts of CH4 from the stems and shoots, with emission rates depending on the season, tree species and soil conditions. Especially, CH4 emissions from birch canopies were high and can therefore contribute significantly to the ecosystem-scale CH4 fluxes. Processes behind the canopy and stem CH4emission remain unresolved, however, ongoing analysis of the methanogens and methanotrophs within the plant-soil systems will reveal whether CH4 production or consumption is of microbial origin. Also, comparison of the CH4 fluxes from trees and forest floor to sap-flow, transpiration, and NEE as well as soil parameters will help to explain the seasonality and mechanisms involved in the CH4 emissions.

Downed wood in Micronesian mangrove forests

USGS Publications Warehouse

Allen, J.A.; Ewel, K.C.; Keeland, B.D.; Tara, T.; Smith, T. J.

2000-01-01

Dead, downed wood is an important component of upland forest and aquatic ecosystems, but its role in wetland ecosystems, including mangroves, is poorly understood. We measured downed wood in ten sites on the western Pacific islands of Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap, all located within the Federated States of Micronesia. Our goals were to examine patterns of variability in the quantity of downed wood in these mangrove ecosystems, provide a general characterization of downed wood in a region with no previously published accounts, and investigate the relationship between harvesting practices and the amount of downed wood. The overall mean volume of downed wood at our study sites was estimated to be 60.8 m3 ha-1 (20.9 t ha-1), which is greater than most published data for forested wetlands. There were significant differences among islands, with the sites on Kosrae (104.2 m3 ha-1) having a much greater mean volume of downed wood than those on Pohnpei (43.1 m3 ha-1) or Yap (35.1 m3 ha-1). Part of the difference among islands may be attributable to differences in stand age and structure, but the most important factor seems to be the greater amount of wood harvesting on Kosrae, coupled with a low efficiency of use of cut trees. Of a total of 45 cut trees examined on Kosrae, no wood had been removed from 18 (40%); these are believed to be trees cut down because other, more valuable, trees were caught on them as they were felled. Of the other 27 trees, only 24 to 42% of the stem volume (to a 10 cm top) was removed from the forest, the amount varying by species. The impacts of current harvesting practices are unknown but may include important effects on tree regeneration and the abundance and species composition of crab populations.

Forest Types in the Lower Suwannee River Floodplain, Florida?-A Report and Interactive Map

USGS Publications Warehouse

Darst, M.R.; Light, H.M.; Lewis, L.J.; Sepulveda, A.A.

2003-01-01

A map of forest types in the lower Suwannee River floodplain, Florida, was created during a study conducted from 1996 to 2000 by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Suwannee River Water Management District. The map is presented with this report on a compact disc with interactive viewing software. The forest map can be used by scientists for ecological studies in the floodplain based on land cover types and by landowners and management personnel making land use decisions. The study area is the 10-year floodplain of the lower Suwannee River from its confluence with the Santa Fe River to the lower limit of forests near the Gulf of Mexico. The floodplain is divided into three reaches: riverine (non-tidal), upper tidal, and lower tidal, due to changes in hydrology, vegetation, and soils with proximity to the coast. The 10-year floodplain covers about 21,170 hectares; nearly 88 percent of this area (18,580 hectares) is mapped as 14 major forest types. Approximately 29 percent (5,319 hectares) of these forests have been altered by agriculture or development. About 75 percent of the area of major forest types (13,994 hectares) is wetland forests and about 25 percent (4,586 hectares) is upland forests. Tidal wetland forests (8,955 hectares) cover a much greater area than riverine wetland forests (5,039 hectares). Oak/pine upland forests are present in the riverine and upper tidal reaches of the floodplain on elevations that are inundated only briefly during the highest floods. High bottomland hardwoods are present on the higher levees, ridges, and flats of the riverine reach where soils are usually sandy. Low bottomland hardwood forests are present in the riverine reach on swamp margins and low levees and flats that are flooded continuously for several weeks or longer every 1 to 3 years. Riverine swamps are present in the lowest and wettest areas of the non-tidal floodplain that are either inundated or saturated most of the time. Upper tidal bottomland hardwood forests are present on sandy soils on high flats and in transitional areas between upland forests and swamps. Upper tidal mixed forests are found on low levees or between swamps and higher forest types. Upper tidal swamps are present at elevations below median monthly high stage and usually have surface soils that are permanently saturated mucks. Lower tidal hammocks are found on higher elevations that do not receive regular tidal inundation but have a high water table and are briefly inundated by storm surges several times a decade. Lower tidal mixed forests include swamps with numerous small hummocks or less common larger hummocks. Lower tidal swamps are found on deep muck soils that are below the elevation of the median daily or monthly high stage. Seven additional land cover types (2,590 hectares) are mapped. Water in the main channel of the lower Suwannee River (1,767 hectares) was mapped separately from open water in the floodplain (239 hectares). Other land cover types are: seepage slopes (70 hectares), isolated forested wetlands (19 hectares), marshes upstream of the tree line (505 hectares), beds of emergent aquatic vegetation (21 hectares), and floodplain glades (46 hectares)

Understory response to varying fire frequencies after 20 years of prescribed burning in an upland oak forest

USGS Publications Warehouse

Burton, J.A.; Hallgren, S.W.; Fuhlendorf, S.D.; Leslie, David M.

2011-01-01

Ecosystems in the eastern United States that were shaped by fire over thousands of years of anthropogenic burning recently have been subjected to fire suppression resulting in significant changes in vegetation composition and structure and encroachment by invasive species. Renewed interest in use of fire to manage such ecosystems will require knowledge of effects of fire regime on vegetation. We studied the effects of one aspect of the fire regime, fire frequency, on biomass, cover and diversity of understory vegetation in upland oak forests prescribe-burned for 20 years at different frequencies ranging from zero to five fires per decade. Overstory canopy closure ranged from 88 to 96% and was not affected by fire frequency indicating high tolerance of large trees for even the most frequent burning. Understory species richness and cover was dominated by woody reproduction followed in descending order by forbs, C3 graminoids, C4 grasses, and legumes. Woody plant understory cover did not change with fire frequency and increased 30% from one to three years after a burn. Both forbs and C3 graminoids showed a linear increase in species richness and cover as fire frequency increased. In contrast, C4 grasses and legumes did not show a response to fire frequency. The reduction of litter by fire may have encouraged regeneration of herbaceous plants and helped explain the positive response of forbs and C3 graminoids to increasing fire frequency. Our results showed that herbaceous biomass, cover, and diversity can be managed with long-term prescribed fire under the closed canopy of upland oak forests. ?? 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

Deterioration of soil fertility by land use changes in South Sumatra, Indonesia: from 1970 to 1990

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lumbanraja, Jamalam; Syam, Tamaluddin; Nishide, Hiroyo; Kabul Mahi, Ali; Utomo, Muhajir; Sarno; Kimura, Makoto

1998-10-01

We monitored the land use changes in a hilly area of West Lampung, South Sumatra, Indonesia, from 1970 to 1990. The main data sources were the land use maps produced in 1970, 1978, 1984 and 1990 covering the area of 27 km×27 km. Transmigration and the resultant effect of increased population were the major driving forces in land use changes. Fifty-seven per cent of the study area was covered with primary forests in 1970, but only 13% in 1990. Areas under plantations, which were absent in 1970, increased to 60% in 1990. In addition, the change from monoculture plantations (mostly coffee plantation) to mixed plantations was noticeable from 1984 to 1990. Total upland areas including upland areas under shifting cultivation and upland fields with crops and vegetables decreased from 21% in 1970 to 0·1% in 1990. Soil chemical properties (total organic C, total N, available P, total P, exchangeable cations, cation exchangeable capacity (CEC), etc.) were analysed for lands under different land use forms after deforestation in the study area. Soil samples (surface layers, 0-20 cm, and subsurface layers, 20-40 cm) were collected from three different locations, each comprised of four different land use systems: i.e. primary forests, secondary forests, coffee plantations and cultivated lands. The contents of total organic C, total N, available P, total P, exchangeable cations and CEC decreased significantly with land use change from primary forests to the other land use forms. Cultivated lands exhibited the lowest values. Although less remarkable than in the surface layers, the amounts of total organic C, total N, total P, exchangeable cations and CEC were also decreased by forest clearing in the subsurface layers.Based on the land use changes from 1978 in the study area and the deterioration of soil chemical properties by forest clearing, total decreases in the amounts of nutrients in the surface and subsurface layers were estimated. The land use changes were estimated to have decreased the total amounts of total organic C, total N, available P, total P, exchangeable cations and CEC by 2-9% in 1984 and by 2-15% in 1990 in the surface layers, and by 1-6%% in 1984 and by 2-9% in 1990 in the subsurface layers from the levels in 1978, respectively.

Scaling up of Carbon Exchange Dynamics from AmeriFlux Sites to a Super-Region in the Eastern United States

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hans Peter Schmid; Craig Wayson

The primary objective of this project was to evaluate carbon exchange dynamics across a region of North America between the Great Plains and the East Coast. This region contains about 40 active carbon cycle research (AmeriFlux) sites in a variety of climatic and landuse settings, from upland forest to urban development. The core research involved a scaling strategy that uses measured fluxes of CO{sub 2}, energy, water, and other biophysical and biometric parameters to train and calibrate surface-vegetation-atmosphere models, in conjunction with satellite (MODIS) derived drivers. To achieve matching of measured and modeled fluxes, the ecosystem parameters of the modelsmore » will be adjusted to the dynamically variable flux-tower footprints following Schmid (1997). High-resolution vegetation index variations around the flux sites have been derived from Landsat data for this purpose. The calibrated models are being used in conjunction with MODIS data, atmospheric re-analysis data, and digital land-cover databases to derive ecosystem exchange fluxes over the study domain.« less

Baseline report - tall upland shrubland at the Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site (Site) is located on the Colorado Piedmont east of the Front Range between Boulder and Golden. At an elevation of approximately 6,000 feet, the Site contains a unique ecotonal mixture of mountain and prairie plant species, resulting from the topography and close proximity to the mountain front. The Buffer Zone surrounding the Industrial Area is one of the largest remaining undeveloped areas of its kind along the Colorado Piedmont. A number of plant communities at the Site have been identified as increasingly rare and unique by Site ecologists and the Colorado Natural Heritage Program (CNHP).more » These include the xeric tallgrass prairie, tall upland shrubland, wetlands, and Great Plains riparian woodland communities. Many of these communities support populations of increasingly rare animals as well, including the Preble`s meadow jumping mouse, grasshopper sparrow, loggerhead shrike, Merriam`s shrew, black crowned night heron, and Hops blue and Argos skipper butterflies. One of the more interesting and important plant communities at the Site is the tall upland shrubland community. It has been generally overlooked by previous Site ecological studies, probably due to its relatively small size; only 34 acres total. Although mentioned in a plant community ordination study conducted by Clark et al. and also in the Site baseline ecological study, few data were available on this plant community before the present study.« less

Modeling the effects of throughfall reduction on soil water content in a Brazilian Oxisol under a moist tropical forest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belk, Elizabeth L.; Markewitz, Daniel; Rasmussen, Todd C.; Carvalho, Eduardo J. Maklouf; Nepstad, Daniel C.; Davidson, Eric A.

2007-08-01

Access to water reserves in deep soil during drought periods determines whether or not the tropical moist forests of Amazonia will be buffered from the deleterious effects of water deficits. Changing climatic conditions are predicted to increase periods of drought in Amazonian forests and may lead to increased tree mortality, changes in forest composition, or greater susceptibility to fire. A throughfall reduction experiment has been established in the Tapajós National Forest of east-central Amazonia (Brazil) to test the potential effects of severe water stress during prolonged droughts. Using time domain reflectometry observations of water contents from this experiment, we have developed a dynamic, one-dimensional, vertical flow model to enhance our understanding of hydrologic processes within these tall-stature forests on well-drained, upland, deep Oxisols and to simulate changes in the distribution of soil water. Simulations using 960 days of data accurately captured mild soil water depletion near the surface after the first treatment year and decreasing soil moisture at depth during the second treatment year. The model is sensitive to the water retention and unsaturated flow equation parameters, specifically the van Genuchten parameters θs, θr, and n, but less sensitive to Ks and α. The low root-mean-square error between observed and predicted volumetric soil water content suggests that this vertical flow model captures the most important hydrologic processes in the upper landscape position of this study site. The model indicates that present rates of evapotranspiration within the exclusion plot have been sustained at the expense of soil water storage.

Herpetofaunal species composition and relative abundance among three New England forest types

Treesearch

Richard M. DeGraaf; Deborah D. Rudis

1990-01-01

Drift fences and pitfall traps captured > 2000 reptiles and amphibians during 2 years; the most common species were wood frog (Rana sylvatica), American toad (Bufo americanus), and redback salamander (Plethodon cinereus). There were differences in species abundances among streamside and upland...

Seasat synthetic aperture radar ( SAR) response to lowland vegetation types in eastern Maryland and Virginia.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Krohn, M.D.; Milton, N.M.; Segal, D.B.

1983-01-01

Examination of Seasat SAR images of eastern Maryland and Virginia reveals botanical distinctions between vegetated lowland areas and adjacent upland areas. Radar returns from the lowland areas can be either brighter or darker than returns from the upland forests. Scattering models and scatterometer measurements predict an increase of 6 dB in backscatter from vegetation over standing water. This agrees with the 30-digital number (DN) increase observed in the digital Seasat data. The density, morphology, and relative geometry of the lowland vegetation with respect to standing water can all affect the strength of the return L band signal.-from Authors

Ground-based structure from motion - multi view stereo (SFM-MVS) for upland soil erosion assessment.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McShane, Gareth; James, Mike; Quniton, John; Farrow, Luke; Glendell, Miriam; Jones, Lee; Kirkham, Matthew; Morgan, David; Evans, Martin; Anderson, Karen; Lark, Murray; Rawlins, Barry; Rickson, Jane; Quine, Timothy; Benaud, Pia; Brazier, Richard

2016-04-01

In upland environments, quantifying soil loss through erosion processes at a high resolution can be time consuming, costly and logistically difficult. In this pilot study 'A cost effective framework for monitoring soil erosion in England and Wales', funded by the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), we evaluate the use of annually repeated ground-based photography surveys, processed using structure-from-motion and multi-view stereo (SfM-MVS) 3-D reconstruction software (Agisoft Photoscan). The aim is to enable efficient but detailed site-scale studies of erosion forms in inaccessible UK upland environments, in order to quantify dynamic processes, such as erosion and mass movement. The evaluation of the SfM-MVS technique is particularly relevant in upland landscapes, where the remoteness and inaccessibility of field sites may render some of the more established survey techniques impractical. We present results from 5 upland sites across the UK, acquired over a 2-year period. Erosion features of varying width (3 m to 35 m) and length (20 m to 60 m), representing a range of spatial scales (from 100 m2 to 1000 m2) were surveyed, in upland habitats including bogs, peatland, upland grassland and moorland. For each feature, around 150 to 600 ground-based photographs were taken at oblique angles over a 10 to 20 minute period, using an uncalibrated Canon 600D SLR camera with a 28 mm lens (focal length set to infinity). Camera settings varied based upon light conditions (exposure 100-400 ISO, aperture F4.5 to F8, shutter speed 1/100 to 1/250 second). For inter-survey comparisons, models were geo-referenced using 20 to 30 ground control points (numbered black markers with a white target) placed around and within the feature, with their co-ordinates measured by survey-grade differential GNSS (Trimble R4). Volumetric estimates of soil loss were quantified using digital surface models (DSMs) derived from the repeat survey data and subtracted from a modelled pre-erosion surface (CloudCompare, Golden Software Surfer). We discuss the survey performance achieved in terms of the time required and the precisions delivered, and consider the practical application of SfM-MVS for long-term upland erosion monitoring.

Maritime climate influence on chaparral composition and diversity in the coast range of central California.

PubMed

Vasey, Michael C; Parker, V Thomas; Holl, Karen D; Loik, Michael E; Hiatt, Seth

2014-09-01

We investigated the hypothesis that maritime climatic factors associated with summer fog and low cloud stratus (summer marine layer) help explain the compositional diversity of chaparral in the coast range of central California. We randomly sampled chaparral species composition in 0.1-hectare plots along a coast-to-interior gradient. For each plot, climatic variables were estimated and soil samples were analyzed. We used Cluster Analysis and Principle Components Analysis to objectively categorize plots into climate zone groups. Climate variables, vegetation composition and various diversity measures were compared across climate zone groups using ANOVA and nonmetric multidimensional scaling. Differences in climatic variables that relate to summer moisture availability and winter freeze events explained the majority of variance in measured conditions and coincided with three chaparral assemblages: maritime (lowland coast where the summer marine layer was strongest), transition (upland coast with mild summer marine layer influence and greater winter precipitation), and interior sites that generally lacked late summer water availability from either source. Species turnover (β-diversity) was higher among maritime and transition sites than interior sites. Coastal chaparral differs from interior chaparral in having a higher obligate seeder to facultative seeder (resprouter) ratio and by being dominated by various Arctostaphylos species as opposed to the interior dominant, Adenostoma fasciculatum. The maritime climate influence along the California central coast is associated with patterns of woody plant composition and β-diversity among sites. Summer fog in coastal lowlands and higher winter precipitation in coastal uplands combine to lower late dry season water deficit in coastal chaparral and contribute to longer fire return intervals that are associated with obligate seeders and more local endemism. Soil nutrients are comparatively less important in explaining plant community composition, but heterogeneous azonal soils contribute to local endemism and promote isolated chaparral patches within the dominant forest vegetation along the coast.

Remote Assessment of Forest Ecosystem Stress (RAFES): Development of a Real Time Decision Support Tool for the Eastern U.S

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clinton, B.; Vose, J.; Novick, K.; Liu, Y.

2011-12-01

Drier and warmer conditions predicted with climate change models are likely to significantly impact forest ecosystems over the next several decades. The U.S. has experienced significant droughts over the past several years that have increased the susceptibility of forests to insect outbreaks, disease, and wildfire. Weather data collected with traditional approaches provide an indirect measure of drought or temperature stress; however, the significance of short-term or prolonged climate-related stress varies considerably across the landscape as topography, elevations, edaphic condition and antecedent conditions vary. This limits the capacity of land managers to anticipate and initiate management activities that could offset the impacts of climate-related forest stress. Decision support tools are needed that allow fine scale monitoring of stress conditions in forest ecosystems in real time to help land managers evaluate response strategies. To assist land managers in managing the impacts of climate change, we are developing a stress monitoring and decision support system across multiple sites in the eastern U.S. that (1) provides remote data capture of environmental parameters that quantify climate-related forest stress, (2) links remotely captured data with physiologically-based indices of tree water stress, and (3) provides a PC-based analytical tool for land managers to monitor and assess the severity of climate-related stress. Currently the network represents southern coastal plain pine plantation, Atlantic coastal flatwoods mixed pine-hardwood, southern piedmont upland mixed pine-hardwood, southern Appalachian dry ridge and mesic riparian, southern Arkansas managed mature pine, and northern Minnesota mature aspen. The strategy for selecting additional sites for the network will be a focus on at-risk ecosystems deemed particularly vulnerable to the affects of predicted climate change such as those in ecotonal transition regions, or those at the fringes of their ranges. The sensor arrays at each site detect water and temperature stress variables and transmit those data to a field office. Sensors include air and soil temperature, relative humidity, fuel moisture and temperature, xylem sap flux density, soil moisture and matric potential, precipitation, and solar radiation. Data are transmitted in real-time to the NOAA Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES). A PC-based software program that downloads monitoring data from the GOES satellite, analyzes the data, and provides the land manager with an assessment of climate-related stress conditions and potential forest health threat levels in real time is under development. Data collection began in early 2010 on most sites, and we have at least one year of data from all nine sites within the network. We are currently comparing estimates of stress levels on our sites with estimates of stress from common drought indices. For this presentation, we are comparing and contrasting four sites representing an environmental gradient within the network.

Oil Palm and Rubber Tree Water Use Patterns: Effects of Topography and Flooding

PubMed Central

Hardanto, Afik; Röll, Alexander; Niu, Furong; Meijide, Ana; Hendrayanto; Hölscher, Dirk

2017-01-01

Oil palm and rubber plantations extend over large areas and encompass heterogeneous site conditions. In periods of high rainfall, plants in valleys and at riparian sites are more prone to flooding than plants at elevated topographic positions. We asked to what extent topographic position and flooding affect oil palm and rubber tree water use patterns and thereby influence spatial and temporal heterogeneity of transpiration. In an undulating terrain in the lowlands of Jambi, Indonesia, plantations of the two species were studied in plot pairs consisting of upland and adjacent valley plots. All upland plots were non-flooded, whereas the corresponding valley plots included non-flooded, long-term flooded, and short-term flooded conditions. Within each plot pair, sap flux densities in palms or trees were monitored simultaneously with thermal dissipation probes. In plot pairs with non-flooded valleys, sap flux densities of oil palms were only slightly different between the topographic positions, whereas sap flux densities of rubber trees were higher in the valley than at the according upland site. In pairs with long-term flooded valleys, sap flux densities in valleys were lower than at upland plots for both species, but the reduction was far less pronounced in oil palms than in rubber trees (-22 and -45% in maximum sap flux density, respectively). At these long-term flooded valley plots palm and tree water use also responded less sensitively to fluctuations in micrometeorological variables than at upland plots. In short-term flooded valley plots, sap flux densities of oil palm were hardly affected by flooding, but sap flux densities of rubber trees were reduced considerably. Topographic position and flooding thus affected water use patterns in both oil palms and rubber trees, but the changes in rubber trees were much more pronounced: compared to non-flooded upland sites, the different flooding conditions at valley sites amplified the observed heterogeneity of plot mean water use by a factor of 2.4 in oil palm and by a factor of 4.2 in rubber plantations. Such strong differences between species as well as the pronounced heterogeneity of water use across space and time may be of relevance for eco-hydrological assessments of tropical plantation landscapes. PMID:28421091

Planting yellow-poplar, white ash, black cherry, and black locust

Treesearch

Robert D. Williams; Calvin F. Bey

1989-01-01

Hardwood plantations that include yellow-poplar, white ash, black cherry, and black locust can be established on upland sites in the central hardwoods region (see Note 3.06 Seeding and Planting Upland Oaks, and Note 3.08 Seeding and Planting Walnut). Even though hardwoods are more difficult to establish than conifers, there are...

Strips, Clearcuts, And Deferment Cuts: Harvest Costs And Site Impacts For Alternative Prescriptions In Upland Hardwoods

Treesearch

Robert B. Rummer; Emily Carter; Bryce Stokes; John Klepac

1997-01-01

Clearcutting upland hardwood stands is a common management prescription in the South which maximizes harvest efficiency. However, with increasing concerns about esthetics and ecological impacts, a better understanding of alternative treatments is needed. This study compared conventional block clearcutting, strip clearcutting, and deferment cutting in replicated...

Associations between regional moisture gradient, tree species dominance, and downed wood abundance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, A. C.; Mills, J.

2007-12-01

Downed wood functions as a source of nurse logs, physical structure in streams, food, and carbon. Because downed wood is important in upland and aquatic habitats, an understanding of wood recruitment along a continuum from wet to dry landscapes is critical for both preservation of biodiversity and restoration of natural ecosystem structure and function. We assessed downed wood in public and private forests of Washington and Oregon by using a subset of the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) database including 15,842 sampled conditions. Multivariate regression trees, ANOVA, and t-tests were used to discern environmental conditions most closely associated with abundance of woody debris. Of the 16 parameters included in the analysis, rainfall, forest ownership, number of damaged standing trees, and forest elevation were most indicative of woody debris abundance. The Hemlock/spruce Group, including hemlock, spruce, cedar, and white pine, most associated with wetter soils, had significantly more downed wood than 12 other forest groups. The Ponderosa Pine Group, indicative of drier sites with higher fire frequencies, included ponderosa pine, sugar pine, and incense cedar, and had significantly less downed wood volume. Overall, the amount of woody debris in either the Spruce/hemlock Group or the Ponderosa Pine Group did not change significantly as tree age increased from 5 to 350 years. Plots within the Hemlock/spruce with greater standing tree volume also had significantly greater downed wood volume. In contrast, greater downed wood volume was not associated with greater standing tree volume in the Ponderosa Pine Group. Knowledge of linkages among environmental variables and stand characteristics are useful in development of regional forest models aimed at understanding the effects of climate change and disturbance on forest succession.

Terrestrial movements of juvenile and adult tailed frogs in relation to timber harvest in coastal British Columbia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wahbe, Tanya R.; Bunnell, Fred L.; Bury, R. Bruce

2004-01-01

Tailed frog (Ascaphus truei Stejneger) populations are at risk in much of the Pacific Northwest, and recolonization of sites may be slow postlogging. To examine the terrestrial movements of Ascaphus in clearcuts and old growth, we employed pitfall traps and drift-fence arrays installed along streams and 100 m into upland habitat. In the fall, we captured frogs farther from streams in old growth than in clearcuts, and more frogs were captured a??25 m from streams in clearcuts. Stronger stream affinity in clearcuts was most evident with juvenile frogs, which exhibited more upstream movements than adults. Compared with inland sites where frogs remained close to streams (e.g., 12 m), frogs at our coastal sites were captured at greater distances from streams (a?Y100 m), having lower stream affinity than frogs at inland sites. Long-distance overland movements appear more likely where forested stands are present. Aggregations of Ascaphus at individual streams may not represent distinct populations and should not be managed as distinct units. Preserving groups of interconnected streams within watersheds instead of individual streams will improve the conservation status of Ascaphus. Population monitoring can ensure conservation measures promote long-term persistence.

76 FR 51929 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; 90-Day Finding on a Petition To Delist the Valley...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-19

... shrub component of riparian forests and adjacent uplands along river corridors of the Central Valley... elderberry shrubs (Barr 1991, p. 4). The larvae hatch in a few days and bore into living stems that are at...

Final Programmatic Environmental Assessment for Test Area C-74 Complex, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-08-18

Sarracenis purpurea Green Anole Anolis carolinensis Red Titi Cyrilla racemiflora Garter Snake Thamnophis sirtalis Tulip Poplar Liriodendrom...Tephrosia mohrii) Eglin’s open canopy Sandhills and upland pine forest Sweet Pitcher Plant ( Sarracenia rubra) Wet flatwoods, wet prairies, and baygalls

How do beetle assemblages respond to cyclonic disturbance of a fragmented tropical rainforest landscape?

PubMed

Grimbacher, Peter S; Stork, Nigel E

2009-09-01

There are surprisingly few studies documenting effects of tropical cyclones (including hurricanes and typhoons) on rainforest animals, and especially insects, considering that many tropical forests are frequently affected by cyclonic disturbance. Consequently, we sampled a beetle assemblage inhabiting 18 upland rainforest sites in a fragmented landscape in north-eastern Queensland, Australia, using a standardised sampling protocol in 2002 and again 12 months after the passage of Severe Tropical Cyclone Larry (March 2006). The spatial configuration of sites allowed us to test if the effects of a cyclone and those from fragmentation interact. From all insect samples we extracted 12,568 beetles of 382 species from ten families. Beetle species composition was significantly different pre-and post-cyclone although the magnitude of faunal change was not large with 205 species, representing 96% of all individuals, present in both sampling events. Sites with the greatest changes to structure had the greatest changes in species composition. At the site level, increases in woody debris and wood-feeding beetle (Scolytinae) counts were significantly correlated but changes in the percent of ground vegetation were not mirrored by changes in the abundance of foliage-feeding beetles (Chrysomelidae). The overall direction of beetle assemblage change was consistent with increasing aridity, presumably caused by the loss of canopy cover. Sites with the greatest canopy loss had the strongest changes in the proportion of species previously identified in the pre-cyclone study as preferring arid or moist rainforest environments. The magnitude of fragmentation effects was virtually unaltered by the passage of Cyclone Larry. We postulate that in the short-term the effects of cyclonic disturbance and forest fragmentation both reduce the extent of moist, interior habitat.

Regime Shifts and Weakened Environmental Gradients in Open Oak and Pine Ecosystems

PubMed Central

Hanberry, Brice B.; Dey, Dan C.; He, Hong S.

2012-01-01

Fire suppression allows tree species that are intolerant of fire stress to increase their distribution, potentially resulting in disruption of historical species-environmental relationships. To measure changes between historical General Land Office surveys (1815 to 1850) and current USDA Forest Inventory and Assessment surveys (2004 to 2008), we compared composition, distribution, and site factors of 21 tree species or species groups in the Missouri Ozarks. We used 24 environmental variables and random forests as a classification method to model distributions. Eastern redcedar, elms, maples, and other fire-sensitive species have increased in dominance in oak forests, with concurrent reductions by oak species; specific changes varied by ecological subsection. Ordinations displayed loss of separation between formerly distinctive oak and fire-sensitive tree species groups. Distribution maps showed decreased presence of disturbance-dependent oak and pine species and increased presence of fire-sensitive species that generally expanded from subsections protected from fire along rivers to upland areas, except for eastern redcedar, which expanded into these subsections. Large scale differences in spatial gradients between past and present communities paralleled reduced influence of local topographic gradients in the varied relief of the Missouri Ozarks, as fire-sensitive species have moved to higher, drier, and sunnier sites away from riverine corridors. Due to changes in land use, landscapes in the Missouri Ozarks, eastern United States, and world-wide are changing from open oak and pine-dominated ecosystems to novel oak-mixed species forests, although at fine scales, forests are becoming more diverse in tree species today. Fire suppression weakened the influence by environmental gradients over species dominance, allowing succession from disturbance-dependent oaks to an alternative state of fire-sensitive species. Current and future research and conservation that rely on historical relationships and ecological principles based on disturbance across the landscape will need to incorporate modern interactions among species for resources into management plans and projections. PMID:22848467

Regime shifts and weakened environmental gradients in open oak and pine ecosystems.

PubMed

Hanberry, Brice B; Dey, Dan C; He, Hong S

2012-01-01

Fire suppression allows tree species that are intolerant of fire stress to increase their distribution, potentially resulting in disruption of historical species-environmental relationships. To measure changes between historical General Land Office surveys (1815 to 1850) and current USDA Forest Inventory and Assessment surveys (2004 to 2008), we compared composition, distribution, and site factors of 21 tree species or species groups in the Missouri Ozarks. We used 24 environmental variables and random forests as a classification method to model distributions. Eastern redcedar, elms, maples, and other fire-sensitive species have increased in dominance in oak forests, with concurrent reductions by oak species; specific changes varied by ecological subsection. Ordinations displayed loss of separation between formerly distinctive oak and fire-sensitive tree species groups. Distribution maps showed decreased presence of disturbance-dependent oak and pine species and increased presence of fire-sensitive species that generally expanded from subsections protected from fire along rivers to upland areas, except for eastern redcedar, which expanded into these subsections. Large scale differences in spatial gradients between past and present communities paralleled reduced influence of local topographic gradients in the varied relief of the Missouri Ozarks, as fire-sensitive species have moved to higher, drier, and sunnier sites away from riverine corridors. Due to changes in land use, landscapes in the Missouri Ozarks, eastern United States, and world-wide are changing from open oak and pine-dominated ecosystems to novel oak-mixed species forests, although at fine scales, forests are becoming more diverse in tree species today. Fire suppression weakened the influence by environmental gradients over species dominance, allowing succession from disturbance-dependent oaks to an alternative state of fire-sensitive species. Current and future research and conservation that rely on historical relationships and ecological principles based on disturbance across the landscape will need to incorporate modern interactions among species for resources into management plans and projections.

Phenological observations and tree seed characteristics in an equatorial moist forest at Trombetas, Pará State, Brazil

Treesearch

Oliver H. Knowles; John A. Parrotta

1997-01-01

Seasonal patterns of flowering and fruiting were studìed over an 18-vear period in an upland (terra firme) primary forest area near Trombetas, Pará ìn centrai Amazonìa. The study included 160 common tree taxa. While a number of specìes produced flowers and fruits during all months, distinct seasonal patterns were observed. Flowerìng peaks usually occurred during the...

The Effects of Prescribed Burning and Thinning on Herpetofauna and Small Mammals in the Upper Piedmont of South Carolina: Preliminary Results of the National Fire and Fire Surrogate Study

Treesearch

Eran S. Kilpatrick; Dean B. Kubacz; David C. Guynn; J. Drew Lanham; Thomas A. Waldrop

2004-01-01

Due to heavy fuel loads resulting from years of fire suppression, upland pine and mixed pine hardwood forests in the Upper Piedmont of South Carolina are at risk of severe wildfire. The National Fire and Fire Surrogate Study (NFFS) was conducted on the Clemson Experimental Forest to study the effects of prescribed burning and thinning on a multitude of factors,...

The Influence of Wetland Cover and Dissolved Organic Carbon on Mercury Export in Forest Landscapes, Northeastern USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dittman, J. A.; Shanley, J. B.; Driscoll, C. T.; Aiken, G.; Chalmers, A.; Towse, J.

2007-12-01

Mercury (Hg) contamination is widespread in remote areas of the northeastern USA. Atmospheric Hg is deposited on terrestrial uplands and subsequently mobilized to downstream aquatic ecosystems. We are investigating the fate of Hg deposited in forested watersheds by quantifying stream transport of Hg, and the interactions with dissolved and particulate organic matter. We hypothesize that the landscape characteristics controlling the production and mobility of organic matter will likewise control the mobility of Hg. This research was conducted at three sites in the Northeast that represent a range of hydrochemical conditions and span a range of wetland cover. Most stream export of Hg occurs at high flow; therefore we collected samples during snowmelt and storms. Mercury concentrations increase with discharge at all three sites; however the partitioning of Hg fractions (dissolved vs. particulate) differs among sites during high flow events. At the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, NH (watershed 6), there are no true wetlands and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and total Hg (THg) concentrations, and suspended sediment concentration (SSC) (mean DOC = 3.1 mg C L-1; THg = 1.5 ng L-1; SSC < 50 mg L-1) are low even during the highest of flow events. At Sleepers River, VT (watershed 9), SSC can be elevated during events (SSC > 500 mg L-1), consequently the particulate Hg fraction can range as high as 95% of the THg concentration (mean particulate Hg concentration = 10.2 ng L- 1). At Archer Creek (Huntington Forest, NY), which has the greatest percent wetland cover (10%) of our three sites, DOC concentrations are high (mean DOC = 7.5 mg C L-1), while SSC are low (SSC < 10 mg L- 1). At Archer Creek, Hg is largely in the dissolved form (~75% of Hg) and strongly correlated with DOC (r2 = 0.90). The hydrophobic organic acid (HPOA) fraction of DOC is most effective at mobilizing Hg and is strongly correlated to Hg concentrations in stream water. This research suggests that high concentrations of Hg can be present in stream water from forest watersheds during high flow events, and that wetlands and suspended sediment favor Hg export. However, it is not clear to what degree this Hg is bioavailable for potential uptake by organisms in aquatic ecosystems following mobilization.