Treesearch

The invasive Japanese stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum) affects a wide range of ecosystems and threatens biodiversity across the eastern USA. However, the mechanisms underlying rapid adaptation, plasticity, and epigenetics in the invasive range are largely unknown. We present a chromosome-level assembly for M. vimineum to investigate genome dynamics, evolution, adaptation, and the genomics of phenotypic plasticity. We generated a 1.12-Gb genome with scaffold N50 length of 53.44Mb respectively, taking a de novo assembly approach that combined PacBio and Dovetail Genomics Omni-C sequencing....

In the USA, Celastrus orbiculatus is considered a significant weed where it negatively impacts native species, natural vegetation succession and forest regeneration (Fike & Niering, 2009). In the EPPO region Celastrus orbiculatus was first observed in in 1863 in horticulture in the Netherlands. The first records of the species in the natural environment were recorded in Germany in the 1950’s (Stadler & Walther, 1970). It is now recorded as established in 15 EPPO countries (EPPO, 2020). In the EPPO region, C. orbiculatus has shown an increase in occurrence in the last 30 years where it is...

The residential forest provides many amenities to communities, including aesthetics, air quality improvement, and higher property values. However, the residential forest may also contribute human-perceived problems or disamenities including allergens, leaf debris, infrastructure damage, and maintenance costs. Vegetation management by utility companies along power lines is one process that shapes the residential forest. Property owners’ decisions to consent or object to utility vegetation management may be influenced by perceived tree amenities and disamenities. To explore this decision-maki...

Previous research has shown that trees and other roadside vegetation can mitigate adverse environmental conditions on urban street corridors, and, in turn, positively contribute to pedestrian perceptions of safety and walkability. In this study, pedestrian surveys (n = 181) were collected from three Massachusetts post-industrial cities to understand if street trees moderate pedestrian perceptions of safety. Three street tree conditions – sparse street tree abundance, mature street trees, and new street tree plantings – were compared as study settings. Several methods were used to correlate...

The soil microbial community (SMC) provides critical ecosystem services including organic matter decomposition, soil structural formation, and nutrient cycling. Studies suggest plants, specifically trees, act as soil keystone species controlling SMC structure via multiple mechanisms (e.g., litter chemistry, root exudates, and canopy alteration of precipitation). Tree influence on SMC is shaped by local/regional climate effects on forested environments and the connection of forests to surrounding landscapes (e.g., urbanization). Urban soils offer an ideal analog to assess the influence of...

Temperate deciduous forests in the United States are in the most densely populated states across the northern and mid-Atlantic east coast. Land development and associated human activities have resulted in small forests that are susceptible to various anthropogenic influences across multiple spatiotemporal scales. The objective of this study was to assess soil chemistry in forest patches of various sizes embedded within an urban development gradient. We established 36 forest sites along the U.S. east coast in northern Delaware and southeastern Pennsylvania, and assessed soil chemical...

Thermal regime warming and increased variability can result in human developed watersheds due to runoff over impervious surfaces and influence of stormwater pipes. This study quantified relationships between tree canopy, impervious surface, and water temperature in stream sites with 4 to 62% impervious land cover in their “loggersheds” to predict water temperature metrics relevant to aquatic species thermal stress thresholds. This study identified significant (≥0.7, p < 0.05) negative correlations between water temperature and percent tree canopy in the 5 m riparian area and positive...

International frameworks for climate mitigation that build from national actions have been developed under the United National Framework Convention on Climate Change and advanced most recently through the Paris Climate Agreement. In parallel, sub-national actors have set greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction goals and developed corresponding climate mitigation plans. Within the U.S., multi-state coalitions have formed to facilitate coordination of related science and policy. Here, utilizing the forum of the NASA Carbon Monitoring System’s Multi-State Working Group, we collected and reviewed...

Globally important carbon (C) stores in boreal peatlands are vulnerable to altered hydrology through changes in precipitation and runoff patterns, groundwater inputs, and a changing cryosphere. These changes can affect the extent of boreal wetlands and their ability to sequester and transform C and other nutrients. Variation in precipitation patterns has also been increasing, with greater occurrences of both flooding and drought periods. Recent work has pointed to the increasing role of algal production in regulating C cycling during flooded periods in fen peatlands, but exactly how this...

As urbanization increases worldwide, investments in nature-based solutions that aim to mitigate urban stressors and counter the impacts of global climate change are also on the rise. Tree planting on degraded urban lands—or afforestation—is one form of nature-based solution that has been increasingly implemented in cities around the world. The benefits of afforestation are, however, contingent on the capacity of soils to support the growth of planted trees, which poses a challenge in some urban settings where unfavorable soil conditions limit tree performance. Soil-focused site treatments...