Treesearch

Advances in topobathymetric LiDARs could enable rapid surveys at sub-meter resolution over entire stream networks. This is the first step to improving our knowledge of riverine systems, both their morphology and role in ecosystems. The Experimental Advanced Airborne Research LiDAR B (EAARL-B) system is one such topobathymetric sensor, capable of mapping both terrestrial and aquatic systems. Whereas the original EAARL was developed to survey littoral areas, the new version, EAARL-B, was also designed for riverine systems but has yet to be tested. Thus, we evaluated the ability of EAARL-B to...

Advances in remote sensing coupled with numerical modelling allow us to build a “virtual ecohydraulics watershed” at the micro-habitat scale. This approach is an integrated modelling framework with a cascade of models including physical (hydrologic, hydraulic, and stream water temperature) and biological (fish habitat) modelling at a resolution and extent important for aquatic and terrestrial organisms. We applied this approach to quantify the impacts of discharges and water temperature on habitat quality and spatial/temporal habitat use patterns of bull trout, a federally listed species...

Hydrological processes in mountainous settings depend on snow distribution, whose prediction accuracy is a function of model spatial scale. Although model accuracy is expected to improve with finer spatial resolution, an increase in resolution comes with modelling costs related to increased computational time and greater input data and parameter information. This computational and data collection expense is still a limiting factor for many large watersheds. Thus, this work's main objective is to question which physical processes lead to loss in model accuracy with regard to input spatial...

With the proportion of the global population living in urban areas expected to reach 67% by 2040, soils located in these areas, or urban soils, will become increasingly important, particularly with regards to how these soils respond to climate change and their ability to provide ecosystem services. Moreover, urban areas to a large degree have already experienced elevated air temperatures, carbon dioxide concentrations, and increased variability in precipitation, and thus can serve as analogs for how forest soils will respond to climate change. This chapter reviews the wide range of soil...

Deforestation, rising temperatures, drought, fire and other ecological disturbances are reducing forest cover on much of the earth, and compromising the ability of forests to supply important ecosystem services. Ecosystem management and ecological restoration are focused on preventing and repairing ecosystem degradation, but the rapidity and pervasiveness of these global transformations threaten to exceed our capacity to plan for or respond to them at sufficient spatiotemporal scales. In this chapter we focus on forests in two contrasting biomes e boreal and Mediterranean e that are...

Wetlands are characterized by water at or near the soil surface for all or significant part of the year, are a source for food, fiber and water to society, and because of their position in landscapes and ecological structure help to moderate floods. They are also unique ecosystems with long-persistent flora and fauna. Because water is a driving factor for existence as a wetland, these systems are particularly vulnerable to climate change, especially as warming is accompanied by changes the quality and quantity of water moving through these systems. Because they are such diverse ecosystems,...

Temperate forests are extensive in the mid-latitudes of Earth and include a broad range of forest types and climates. Temperate forest soils reflect the seasonal variability in temperature and precipitation that make them productive and highly variable. Temperate forest soils also reflect the forest vegetation under which they develop. The extent, distribution and characteristics of temperate forests and forest soils are described in this Chapter, as well as their sensitivity to climate change. Because temperate forests are often located near large human populations, they are also affected...

Soil maps provide essential information for forest management, and a recent transformation of the map making process through digital soil mapping (DSM) is providing much improved soil information compared to what was available through traditional mapping methods. The improvements include higher resolution soil data for greater mapping extents, and incorporating a wide range of environmental factors to predict soil classes and attributes, along with a better understanding of mapping uncertainties. In this chapter, we provide a brief introduction to the concepts and methods underlying the...

Human history is intricately linked to the soil. As human populations increased agricultural land use intensified. Wood availability was also important and resulted in the management of forested land for fuel, fiber and food. Soil mapping was an essential tool in planning future expansion of agriculture and resulted in an increased understanding in the factors that regulate soil formation. This understanding eventually lead to the formation of forest soil science as a separate area of research. Early forest soil research focused on silviculture, harvesting, soil chemistry and acid rain. As...

Long-term research studies are critical to understanding soil productivity and the sustainability of forest and woodland ecosystems around the world. They inform management decisions about best harvest techniques, soil property impacts and recovery, anthropogenic stressors (e.g., forest management, acid rain, climate change), and the influence if governmental policies, guidelines, and regulations. Forest ecosystems represent a major source of drinking water in much of the world making the interaction of atmospheric chemistry, vegetation, land use, soil and water one of global importance....