Treesearch

Over the last two decades, mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) populations reached epidemic levels across much of western North America, including high elevations where cool temperatures previously limited mountain pine beetle persistence. Many high-elevation pine species are susceptible hosts and experienced high levels of mortality in recent outbreaks, but co-occurring Great Basin bristlecone pines (Pinus longaeva) were not attacked. Using no-choice attack box experiments, we compared Great Basin bristlecone pine resistance to mountain pine beetle with that of limber pine (P....

Hummel's observations on the limits of science to inform practice provides a useful starting point for a book chapter devoted to examining post-normal environmental policy where the "facts are uncertain, values in dispute, stakes high, and decisions urgent" (Funtowicz and Ravetz 1993, 739, 744). Central to the argument here is that the integration of science with practice requires greater attention to the science of practice, and not just the practice of science. In particular, a geographic or place-focused approach can help explain why the science-practice gap persists and why efforts to...

We measured soil heating and subsequent changes in soil properties between two forest residue disposal methods: slash pile burning (SPB) and air curtain burner (ACB). The ACB consumes fuels more efficiently and safely via blowing air into a burning container. Five burning trials with different fuel sizes were implemented in northern California, USA. Soil temperature was measured at 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8 cm depth. Immediately after burning, soil samples from two depths (0-10 and 10-20 cm) and ash samples were collected for analyzing organic matter; carbon and nitrogen content; and calcium,...

An increasing number of threats, both natural (e.g. fires, drought) and anthropogenic (e.g. agriculture, infrastructure development), are likely to affect both availability and quality of plants that grouse rely on for cover and food. As such, there is an increasing need to monitor plants and their use by grouse over space and time to better predict how changes in habitat quality influence the behavior of grouse. We use the greater sage-grouse Centrocercus urophasianus to showcase how new technology can be used to advance our understanding of the ecology, behavior and conservation of...

Natural and managed ecosystems are undergoing rapid environmental change due to a growing human population and associated increases in industrial and agricultural activity. Global environmental change directly and indirectly impacts insect herbivores and pollinators. In this review, we highlight recent research examining how environmental change factors affect plant chemistry and, in turn, ecological interactions among plants, herbivores, and pollinators. Recent studies reveal the complex nature of understanding global change effects on plant secondary metabolites and plant-insect interacti...

This paper critically examines the temporal and spatial dynamics of adaptation in climate change science and explores how dynamic notions of 'place' elucidate novel ways of understanding community vulnerability and adaptation. Using data gathered from a narrative scenario-building process carried out among communities of the Big Hole Valley in Montana, the paper describes the role of 'place-making' and the 'politics of place' in shaping divergent future climate adaptation pathways. Drawing on a situated adaptation pathways framework and employing an iterative scenario building process,...

The formation of traumatic resin ducts (TRDs) represents an important induced defense in woody plants that enhances oleoresin production and flow in response to environmental perturbations. In some genera (Pinus), resin ducts are copious and conspicuous; however, in others (Picea), resin ducts are relatively rare. The occurrence and strength of resin ducts, in particular TRDs, in annually resolved rings could be used to reconstruct mechanical damage associated with natural disturbances. We analyzed tree-ring data from paired live and dead Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii Parry ex...

The distribution and abundance of obligate grassland breeding birds in the US have declined across the Great Plains as native habitats have been converted to intensive human land use. A major finding of Scholtz et al. (2017: Table 3) was that the group-wise extinction rate among 13 common grassland nesting birds declined with increasing cropland. This conclusion runs counter to expectations and may be attributable to an artefact of flawed data or analyses. Here, we outline four concerns that may be contributing to the counter-intuitive association.

We examined multiple environmental factors related to climate change that affect cattle production on rangelands to identify sources of vulnerability among seven regions of the western United States. Climate change effects were projected to 2100 using published spatially explicit model output for four indicators of vulnerability: forage quantity, vegetation type trajectory, heat stress, and interannual forage variability. Departure of projections from the baseline (2001-2010) was used to estimate vulnerability of present-day cattle operations. The analysis indicated 1) an increase in...

Aspen ecosystems are valued because they add biodiversity and ecological value to the landscape. They provide rich and productive habitats and increase aesthetic value. Climate change poses the risk of altering and disrupting these ecosystems, and it may worsen the effects of non-climate stressors. To provide scientific information for land managers facing the challenge of helping aspen ecosystems adapt to climate change, we developed an aspen vulnerability assessment on the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache and Ashley National Forests. Literature-based information and expert elicitation are used to...