Treesearch

In the last decade, pine forests throughout much of the western United States have been ravaged by the mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae). This bark beetle is native to the United States and has been responsible for massive tree kills in the past. The current outbreak, however, has been notably severe and wide ranging and the effects have been more dramatic and longer lasting. Scientists have documented infestations in areas never before recorded. The insect has expanded its host selection from its more-preferred species of pine— ponderosa, lodgepole, limber, whitebark, and...

The Cope’s Giant Salamander Dicamptodon copei is a stream dwelling amphibian reliant on cool streams, native to forested areas primarily west of the crest of the Cascade Range in the Pacific Northwest region, USA. Unlike other members of the genus, adult D. copei are most often found in a paedomorphic form, and rarely transforms to a terrestrial stage. As a result, they are dispersal-limited, which may affect gene flow between watersheds. Land-use activities that alter stream and riparian temperatures, substrates, and stream flow patterns can negatively affect the salamander. Forest...

Bohemian knotweed spreads aggressively along rivers. This invasive weed chokes waterways, displaces native plants, erodes riverbanks, and keeps tree seedlings from growing. Communities in the Pacific Northwest spend millions of dollars to eradicate it on the assumption that it harms fish habitats. But knotweed is difficult to kill. It takes years of herbicide applications to destroy the weed, and a single fragment can sprout and start new infestations. Also, control programs typically don’t evaluate whether native plants reestablish themselves after knotweed is cleared. Forest Service...

We quantified carbon (C) dynamics of forests in Washington, US using theoretical models of C dynamics as a function of forest age. We fit empirical models to chronosequences of forest inventory data at two scales: a coarse-scale ecosystem classification (ecosections) and forest types (potential vegetation) within ecosections. We hypothesized that analysis at the finer scale of forest types would reduce variability, yielding better fitting models. We fit models for three temporal dynamics: accumulation of live biomass, accumulation of dead biomass, and net primary productivity. We compared...

The North Cascadia Adaptation Partnership (NCAP) is a science-management partnership consisting of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service Mount Baker-Snoqualmie and Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forests and Pacific Northwest Research Station; North Cascades National Park Complex; Mount Rainier National Park; and University of Washington Climate Impacts Group. These organizations worked with numerous stakeholders over 2 years to identify climate change issues relevant to resource management in the North Cascades and to find solutions that will facilitate the transition of the...

Western juniper has increased in density and distribution in the interior Pacific Northwest since the late 1800s. Management goals for many juniper woodlands are now focused on reducing tree densities and promoting biodiversity, prompting the use of fuel reduction treatments. Fuel reduction often involves mechanical cutting and disturbances such as slash pile burning and skid trail formation. While these activities may reduce tree densities, the extent to which they will restore native biodiversity and community composition, particularly in woodlands invaded by exotic annual grasses, is...

The study of the diversity of multivariate objects shares common characteristics and goals across disciplines, including ecology and organizational management. Nevertheless, subject-matter experts have adopted somewhat separate diversity concepts and analysis techniques, limiting the potential for sharing and comparing across disciplines. Moreover, while large and complex diversity data may benefit from exploratory data analysis, most of the existing techniques emphasize confirmatory analysis based on statistical metrics and models. This work aims to bridge these gaps. First, by cross...

Changes in winter precipitation that include both decreases and increases in winter snow are underway across the Arctic. In this study, we used a 14-year experiment that has increased and decreased winter snow in the moist acidic tussock tundra of northern Alaska to understand impacts of variation in winter snow depth on summer leaf-level ecophysiology of two deciduous shrubs and a graminoid species, including: instantaneous rates of leaf gas exchange, and δ13C, δ15N, and nitrogen (N) concentrations of Betula nana, Salix pulchra, and Eriophorum vaginatum. Leaf-level measurements were...

The Pacific Northwest (PNW) of the conterminous United States is characterized by large variations in climate and topography, and provides an ideal geographic domain for studying interactions between regional climate and vegetation dynamics. We examined vegetation carbon (C) and water dynamics along PNW climate and topographic gradients using a process-based biogeochemical model, BIOME-BGC, the algorithms of which form bases for a fully-prognostic treatment of carbon and nitrogen cycles in Land Community Model (CLM). Simulation experiments were used to (1) analyze spatial and temporal...

Participatory mapping of landscape values is gaining ground as a method for engaging communities and stakeholders in natural resource management. Socio-spatial mapping allows the public to identify places of economic, social, cultural, or personal importance. In addition to providing data for planning and land management, the mapping process can open dialogue about interests and concerns related to specific places. This paper presents the collaborative development and results of a values mapping exercise with a Latino community on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. While mapping...