Treesearch

The rapid and extensive expansion of emerald ash borer (EAB) in North America since 2002 may eliminate most existing ash stands, likely affecting critical ecosystem services associated with water and carbon cycling. To our knowledge, no studies have evaluated the coupled response of black ash (Fraxinus nigra Marsh.) wetland water tables, soil temperatures, and soil gas fluxes to an EAB infestation. Water table position, soil temperature, and soil CO2 and CH4 fluxes were monitored in nine depressional headwater black ash wetlands in northern Michigan. An EAB disturbance was simulated by...

Rapid ‘Ōhi‘a Death (ROD) is a disease aggressively killing large numbers of Metrosideros polymorpha (‘ōhi‘a), a native keystone tree species on Hawaii Island. This loss threatens to deeply alter the biological make-up of this unique island ecosystem. Spatially explicit information about the present and past advancement of the disease is essential for its containment; yet, currently such data are severely lacking. To this end, we used the Carnegie Airborne Observatory to collect Laser-Guided Imaging Spectroscopy data and high-resolution digital imagery across >500,000 ha of Hawaii Island in...

We summarize the status of semiochemical-based management of the major bark beetle species in western North America. The conifer forests of this region have a long history of profound impacts by phloem-feeding bark beetles, and species such as the mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) and the spruce beetle (D. rufipennis) have recently undergone epic outbreaks linked to changing climate. At the same time, great strides are being made in the application of semiochemicals to the integrated pest management of bark beetles. In this review, we synthesize and interpret these recent...

Understanding the linkage between accumulated fuel dryness and temporal fire occurrence risk is key for improving decision-making in forest fire management, especially under growing conditions of vegetation stress associated with climate change. This study addresses the development of models to predict the number of 10-day observed Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) active fire hotspots—expressed as a Fire Hotspot Density index (FHD)—from an Accumulated Fuel Dryness Index (AcFDI), for 17 main vegetation types and regions in Mexico, for the period 2011–2015. The AcFDI was...

Prescribed burning (controlled burning) is used to decrease accumulation of combustible materials and reduce impact of uncontrolled wildland fires. Prescribed fires are often used to burn undergrowth in Southern forests of the United States. In order to improve prescribed fire application, accomplish desired fire effects, and limit potential runaway fires, an improved understanding of the fundamental processes related to combustion of heterogeneous fuel beds of live and dead fuels is needed. The initial processes of combustion involve pyrolysis and ignition. During this research, fast...

Echolocation allows bats to occupy diverse nocturnal niches. Bats almost always use echolocation, even when other sensory stimuli are available to guide navigation. Here, using arrays of calibrated infrared cameras and ultrasonic microphones, we demonstrate that hoary bats (Lasiurus cinereus) use previously unknown echolocation behaviours that challenge our current understanding of echolocation. We describe a novel call type (‘micro’ calls) that has three orders of magnitude less sound energy than other bat calls used in open habitats. We also document bats flying close to microphones...

This chapter examines recreation ecosystem services provided by chaparral dominated landscapes. Such areas are popular around the world amongst recreation users, including hikers, mountain bikers, campers, and nature enthusiasts. Yet, relatively few studies have documented the recreation services provided by chaparral landscapes such as national forests. For policy makers to manage these areas effectively, baseline information on the provision of recreation services and the populations who benefit is important, especially given current stressors such as overuse and projected climate change...

Along the western margin of North America, the winter expression of the North Pacific High (NPH) strongly influences interannual variability in coastal upwelling, storm track position, precipitation, and river discharge. Coherence among these factors induces covariance among physical and biological processes across adjacent marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Here, we show that over the past century the degree and spatial extent of this covariance (synchrony) has substantially increased, and is coincident with rising variance in the winter NPH. Furthermore, centuries‐long blue oak (Quercus...

To advance understanding of the distribution, climatic relationships, and status of American pikas (Ochotona princeps) in the Great Basin, United States, we compiled 2,387 records of extant pika sites surveyed since 2005, 89 records of documented extirpated sites (resurvey of historic sites), and 774 records of sites with old sign only. Extant sites extended across five degrees latitude and ten degrees longitude, encompassed six subregions, traversed forty mountain ranges, spanned 2,378 m in elevation (1,631–4,009 m), and comprised three of five currently described pika subspecies. A...

OP-Yield is a Microsoft Excel™ spreadsheet with 14 specified user inputs to derive custom yield estimates using the original Oliver and Powers (1978) functions as the foundation. It presents yields for ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Lawson & C. Lawson) plantations in northern California. The basic model forms for dominantand subdominant-height (Powers and Oliver 1978), height-diameter relationships, and stand density index-driven mortality (Reineke 1933) were derived from the original publication in the first implementation of this model. However, after reviewing trends, the height-diamete...