Treesearch

Estimating tree leaf biomass can be challenging in applications where predictions for multiple tree species is required. This is especially evident where there is limited or no data available for some of the species of interest. Here we use an extensive national database of observations (61 species, 3628 trees) and formulate models of varying complexity, ranging from a simple model with diameter at breast height (DBH) as the only predictor to more complex models with up to 8 predictors (DBH, leaf longevity, live crown ratio, wood specific gravity, shade tolerance, mean annual temperature,...

Since the 1990s, recognition of urban biodiversity research has increased steadily. Knowledge of how ecological communities respond to urban pressures can assist in addressing global questions related to biodiversity. To assess the state of this research field in meeting this aim, we conducted a systematic review of the urban biodiversity literature published since 1990. We obtained data from 1209 studies that sampled ecological communities representing 12 taxonomic groups. While advances have been made in the field over the last 30 years, we found that urban biodiversity research has...

Soil heterogeneity versus homogeneity patterns are observed within and across urban landscapes at multiple scales. To fully evaluate humanmediated influences on soil properties and processes, we need to understand spatial patterns and variation in soil characteristics within a single ecosystem patch type (e.g., forests) in and near cities. Our research objectives were to: (1) identify soil characteristics important in driving variation in soil chemistry within urban forests, and (2) examine whether urbanization and invasion gradients were related to variation in soil chemistry within these...

In this study, a North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR)-based climate dataset of wind and Pasquill stability class is developed for the North American Great Lakes region. Motivated by the need to update the limited wind and Pasquill stability class climatology previously incorporated into a livestock odour nuisance-mitigation application used in Michigan, this study is motivated more generally by the lack of a long-term climate dataset suitable for studies of atmospheric dispersion in the Great Lakes region. As a preliminary step, NARR 10-m wind speed, 10-m wind direction, and 2-m...

In temperate and northern ecosystems where there are pronounced seasonal patterns in weather and available energy, there are corresponding patterns of body condition among white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Body condition of white‐tailed deer can affect survival and reproduction, which has large repercussions for state‐level natural resource agencies that allocate hunting permits. In this study, we investigated how variation in winter weather, spring phenology, habitat composition, and browse quantity affected white‐tailed deer body condition across a large spatial scale. Several...

Trout and salmon commonly coexist in stream networks. Exploring similarities and differences among species can help explain coexistence and invasive ability. Here, we describe spatial distribution, cohort strengths and size-at-age of three co-occurring species in a small stream network. Spatial distributions varied dramatically among species; native brook trout (Salvellinus fontinalis) occupied all stream reaches, naturalized brown trout (Salmo trutta) were found in the mainstem and lower portions of tributaries and fry-stocked Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) were limited to the mainstem....

Nitrogen export from catchments provides insight into the functioning of forested ecosystems. In this study, we evaluated where in the forest streamwater nitrate comes from, and how it gets to the stream. Because of the intensive instrumentation at our long-term ecological study site, the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, we were able to record differences in nitrogen production based on the topography. Compared to the soils near the stream, the soils below bedrock outcrops, higher uphill in the forest, produced more nitrate and were thus considered “hotspots” for nitrate production. Our...

Quantifying historical patterns of fire regimes in peatlands can help contextualise current fire behaviour and aid in planning on ecosystem and landscape scales. However, current methods for detecting the evidence of past fires in peat soils are laborious or expensive. Our goal was to develop an effective and inexpensive method for detecting pyrogenic carbon (PyC) concentration in peat which could be used to estimate the occurrence of fires by analysis of discrete soil samples. We correlated diffuse reflectance Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) measurements of peat, and...

Eastern Red-backed Salamanders are a woodland species found primarily in northern Wisconsin, with isolated records from southeastern counties. This small slender salamander typically has a reddish dorsal stripe that extends from the head to the tail over a generally dark body, with light flecks on the belly, and five toes on the hind feet.