Treesearch

This study used dense time-series satellite imagery, field data and historical streamflow records in a paired catchment approach to 1) estimate burn severity across a large ecoregion; 2) analyze vegetation recovery and 3) evaluate the effects of forest disturbance on annual water yield. While wildfire is an important driver of annual forest disturbance in Western United States, forest disturbance due to fire is infrequent in the Eastern United States. Changes in wildfire frequency and intensity amid climate variability are anticipated to increasingly impact forest ecosystems in regions...

Representing species interactions probabilistically as opposed to deterministically conveys uncertainties in our knowledge of interactions. The sources of uncertainty captured by interaction probabilities depend on the method used to evaluate them: uncertainty of predictive models, subjective assessment of experts, or empirical measurement of interaction spatiotemporal variability. However, guidelines for the estimation and documentation of probabilistic interaction data are lacking. This is concerning because our understanding of interaction probabilities depend on their sometimes elusive...

Understanding how vegetation management affects animals' habitat selection patterns is critical for comprehensive conservation planning. As part of a decade-long study (2011-2019) of 486 adult female sage-grouse in central Montana, we investigated how a conservation-based grazing program (CGP) affected greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) habitat selection at two temporal scales: (a) the seasonal scale (four biologically relevant seasons) and (b) the annual scale. We used resource selection functions to assess sagegrouse selection for pastures enrolled in a CGP as well as plant...

Anthropogenic nitrogen (N) deposition presents a global threat to ecosystem functions. In terrestrial ecosystems, N-deposition is predicted to increase plant productivity but reduce diversity by bolstering dominant plants that suppress subordinate species. However, herbivores are predicted to offset these effects by consuming excess biomass produced by N-deposition. Here, we use a multifactorial field experiment in a grassland ecosystem to investigate the effects of N-addition on top-down control by herbivores and plant diversity. We show that at ambient N, grasshoppers suppress total...

Environmental DNA techniques are continuously demonstrating their efficiencies over traditional survey methods for detecting rare species. Unionids have a need for focused conservation efforts as they represent some of the most imperiled aquatic species in North America. Freshwater mussels are notoriously difficult to detect using traditional sampling techniques due to their cryptic morphological features, benthic habitat use, and low densities. Further, the persistence of freshwater mussel populations requires that viable fish host species be present during spawning. Therefore, improved...

The frequencies, intensities, and durations of extreme weather are increasing under climate change, furthering biodiversity loss. In the Southwestern USA, rising drought frequencies and intensities are anticipated to increasingly affect wildlife and their habitat. Particularly in highly arid regions, where species live closer to the limit of physiological tolerances, increasing drought emerges as a major threat to biodiversity. Using North American Breeding Bird Survey data (1998-2022) in combination with the Standardized Precipitation-Evaporation Index (SPEI), we estimated the effects of...

Planting a mixture of species during reforestation is of increasing interest, underlying a need to quantify the long-term effects of mixtures on stand development for a wide array of species. Here we report on ∼40 year response of three dual species mixture trials at a moderate quality site in Washington, USA where coast Douglas-fir (DF, Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii) was grown at 3 m spacing in a 50:50 mix with either western hemlock (WH, Tsuga heterophylla), noble fir (NF, Abies procera) or western white pine (WWP, Pinus monticola). Stand metrics were compared for each trial...

Spatial stream networks (SSN) models characterize correlated ecological processes in dendritic ecosystems. Conventional SSN models rely on pre-processed stream networks and point-to-point hydrologic distances. However, this data processing may be labor-intensive and time-consuming over large spatial domains. Therefore, we propose to infer the functional connectivity of stream networks stochastically. Our physically-guided model utilizes the knowledge that water flows from high elevation to low elevation, and flow rate typically increases when two tributaries merge. We also leverage the...

Voss et al. (2025) aptly noted the importance of collaborative multidisciplinary research that incorporates diverse stakeholder perspectives. Based on this, they provided specific recommendations for instilling engaged scholarship across the various stages of the research process. They noted that their "hard-won advice" was based on their "rich and unique experiences" with respect to collaborative research efforts. Despite the wealth of meaningful experiences amassed by the author team, their focal article was lacking in specific examples of successful collaborative efforts that showcase...

Cold air drainage is common in mountains, and leads to large, fine-scale differences in diurnal temperature range (DTR). DTR is hypothesized to drive plant community assembly, because areas with high DTR can be exposed to both extreme high and extreme low temperatures in the same day. We established networks of temperature and relative humidity sensors along DTR gradients in two montane forest basins, and conducted plant surveys around each sensor (n = 45). We studied the seasonal stability of DTR and its effects on fine-scale variation in plant community composition, and used topographic...