Treesearch

The Acetivibrio clariflavus (basonym: Clostridium clariflavum) glycoside hydrolase family 30 cellulosomal protein encoded by the Clocl_1795 gene was highly represented during growth on cellulosic substrates. In this report, the recombinantly expressed protein has been characterized and shown to be a non-reducing terminal (NRT)-specific xylobiohydrolase (AcXbh30A). Biochemical function, optimal biophysical parameters, and phylogeny were investigated. The findings indicate that AcXbh30A strictly cleaves xylobiose from the NRT up until an α-1,2-linked glucuronic acid (GA)-decorated xylose if...

Colorado's water supply is under threat due to climate change pressures and population growth, however Colorado has been recognized to have some of the most progressive water conservation programs in the country. Limiting outdoor water consumption is an increasingly popular approach to conserving water in semi-arid cities, yet in order to implement effective water reduction and conservation policies, more utilities and city managers need a firm understanding of the local drivers of outdoor water consumption. This research explores the drivers of outdoor water consumption in a semi-arid,...

While deforestation has traditionally been the focus for forest canopy disturbance detection, forest degradation must not be overlooked. Both deforestation and forest degradation influence carbon loss and greenhouse gas emissions and thus must be included in activity data reporting estimates, such as for the Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD+) program. Here, we report on efforts to develop forest degradation mapping capacity in Nepal based on a pilot project in the country’s Terai region, an ecologically complex physiographic area. To strengthen Nepal’s estimates...

Current estimates of forest degradation are associated with large uncertainties. However, recent advancements in the availability of remote sensing data (e.g., the free data policies of the Landsat and Sentinel Programs) and cloud computing platforms (e.g., Google Earth Engine (GEE)) provide new opportunities for monitoring forest degradation. Several recent studies focus on monitoring forest degradation in the tropics, particularly the Amazon, but there are less studies of temperate forest degradation. Compared to the Amazon, temperate forests have more seasonality, which complicates...

Land use and fire exclusion have influenced ecosystems worldwide, resulting in alternative ecosystem states. Here, I provide two examples from the southeastern United States of fire-dependent open pine and pine-oak forest loss and examine dynamics of the replacement forests, given continued long-term declines in foundation longleaf (Pinus palustris) and shortleaf (Pinus echinata) pines and recent increases in commercial loblolly (Pinus taeda) and slash (Pinus elliottii var. elliottii) pines. Shortleaf pine-oak forest historically may have been dominant on about 32 to 38 million ha, a...

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations have recovered to about 30 million animals in the United States, but land cover has changed during the interval of recovery. To address the relationship between deer densities and current land cover at regional scales, I applied random forests and extreme gradient boosting classifiers to model low and high deer density classes, at two different thresholds (5.8 and 11.6 deer/km2), and land classes in three regions during approximately 2003. For low and high deer density classes divided at 5.8 deer/km2, deciduous broadleaf forest overall...

A significant amount of research has examined what motivates people living in fire-prone areas to mitigate their wildfire risk (i.e. engage in activities that reduce vulnerability and the effects of a wildfire on an individual’s property). However, drawing overarching conclusions from this research is difficult because of the myriad of ways researchers have measured and analysed wildfire risk mitigation. Although recommendations exist for measuring risk mitigation activities, no research to date has based these recommendations on an examination of how different operationalisations influence...

Wildfires of uncharacteristic severity, a consequence of climate changes and accumulated fuels, can cause amplified or novel impacts to archaeological resources. The archaeological record includes physical features associated with human activity; these exist within ecological landscapes and provide a unique long-term perspective on human–environment interactions. The potential for fire-caused damage to archaeological materials is of major concern because these resources are irreplaceable and non-renewable, have social or religious significance for living peoples, and are protected by an...

A new instrument to quantify firebrand dynamics during fires with particular focus on those associated with the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) has been developed. During WUI fires, firebrands can ignite spot fires, which can rapidly increase the rate of spread (ROS) of the fire, provide a mechanism by which the fire can pass over firebreaks and are the leading cause of structure ignitions. Despite this key role in driving wildfire dynamics and hazards, difficulties in collecting firebrands in the field and preserving their physical condition (e.g. dimensions and temperature) have limited...

There is a strong need to increase the basic understanding of the propagation mechanisms in wildfires to improve the scientific tools needed for firefighting and fire prevention. This study focuses on the fire spread mechanisms by radiation. Three contiguous trees were ignited and the mechanisms leading to flame spread to a target tree were analyzed. The experiments were designed to avoid fire spread by flame contact and study how radiation heat transfer could ignite the target tree. Different measurements were performed, including heat fluxes, temperature and mass loss rate. The vegetation...