Geology topics

Richard T. Busing

Publications and source records attributed to Richard T. Busing.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

USGS2007

A Spatial Landscape Model of Forest Patch Dynamics and Climate Change

FOREL (a FOREst Landscape model) is an individual-based, multi-scale simulator of forest and climate dynamics. Rationale and design of the model are presented in relation to other forest patch models. Information on implementation of the model is also provided. Capabilities of the FOREL model are demonstrated for forest composition, structure and dynamics along climatic gradients. The model relies on a patch simulation approach that has been tested and developed by independent ecologists for more than three decades. Improvements made over the last decade to the simulation of climate effects on trees are incorporated in the landscape model. A single parameterization of the model is capable of simulating major shifts in forest composition and structure across broad climatic gradients. It is responsive along moisture gradients and temperature gradients. The landscape model is flexible and can be altered easily to test various assumptions about the effects of climate on trees, and the effects of spatial pattern on processes operating within and among forest stands. The spatial structure of the model makes interaction of patches possible. Interactions may include dispersal of propagules and competition for light. The model is a useful tool for projecting temporal climate change effects on forested sites, landscapes and regions.

Scientific Investigations Report↗

USGS2006

Modeling the Effects of Fire Frequency and Severity on Forests in the Northwestern United States

This study used a model of forest dynamics (FORCLIM) and actual forest survey data to demonstrate the effects of various fire regimes on different forest types in the Pacific Northwest. We examined forests in eight ecoregions ranging from wet coastal forests dominated by Pseudotsuga menziesii and other tall conifers to dry interior forests dominated by Pinus ponderosa. Fire effects simulated as elevated mortality of trees based on their species and size did alter forest structure and species composition. Low frequency fires characteristic of wetter forests (return interval >200 yr) had minor effects on composition. When fires were severe, they tended to reduce total basal area with little regard to species differences. High frequency fires characteristic of drier forests (return interval <30 yr) had major effects on species composition and on total basal area. Typically, they caused substantial reductions in total basal area and shifts in dominance toward highly fire tolerant species. With the addition of fire, simulated basal areas averaged across ecoregions were reduced to levels approximating observed basal areas.

Scientific Investigations Report↗

USGS2005

Tree mortality, canopy turnover, and woody detritus in old cove forests of the southern Appalachians

A long-term study of tree mortality, canopy turnover, and coarse woody detritus inputs was conducted in cove forests of the Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee, USA. Seven old-growth stands were studied over a 10-yr period using 0.6–1.0 ha plots. Annual mortality of trees >10 cm dbh was 0.5–1.4% among stands (mean 0.7%). The highest mortality rate among canopy trees was exhibited by trees >80 cm dbh. An increase in mortality rate with canopy tree size was evident for two (Tsuga canadensis and Acer saccharum) of the three most abundant species in the forest. The increase in mortality with tree size had implications for canopy turnover and detritus input. Gap disturbance frequency was estimated at 0.008–0.019 forest area/yr, giving a return interval of ∼130 yr or less. Standing death was the most common mode of mortality (59%). Annual rates of snag formation were 1.4 snags/ha for trees >10 cm dbh and 0.4 snags/ha for trees >50 cm dbh. The density of large snags (>50 cm dbh) was 5 snags/ha. Snags accounted for 8% of the total standing tree basal area and 23% of the coarse woody detritus mass (total of 48 Mg/ ha). The mean annual rate of coarse woody detritus input was 3.0 Mg/ha. A decay rate constant was estimated at 0.07, yielding a detritus half-life of 10 yr. Although mean mortality rates and canopy turnover in old cove forests were moderate in comparison with other old forests of eastern North America, input and accumulation of coarse woody detritus were high for the region. This resulted, in part, from the relatively large sizes attained by canopy trees and the fact that larger trees tended to suffer higher mortality. In comparison to forests worldwide, rates of mortality, canopy gap formation, and decay of coarse woody detritus were intermediate.

Tennessee↗

USGS2005

Assessment of a model of forest dynamics under contrasting climate and disturbance regimes in the Pacific Northwest [FORCLIM]

An individual-based model of forest dynamics (FORCLIM) was tested for its ability to simulate forest composition and structure in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. Simulation results across gradients of climate and disturbance were compared to forest survey data from several vegetation zones in western Oregon. Modelled patterns of tree species composition, total basal area and stand height across climate gradients matched those in the forest survey data. However, the density of small stems (<50 cm DBH) was underestimated by the model. Thus actual size-class structure and other density-based parameters of stand structure were not simulated with high accuracy. The addition of partial-stand disturbances at moderate frequencies (<0.01 yr-1) often improved agreement between simulated and actual results. Strengths and weaknesses of the FORCLIM model in simulating forest dynamics and structure in the Pacific Northwest are discussed.

Scientific Investigations Report↗

USGS2004

Climate data by elevation in the Great Smoky Mountains: a database and graphical displays for 1947 - 1950 with comparison to long-term data

A climate data set is presented for four sites spanning the elevation gradient in the Great Smoky Mountains from Gatlinburg to Clingmans Dome. Monthly mean values for cloud cover, temperature, humidity, precipitation, and soil moisture are included. Stephens (1969) is the source of all summarized mean monthly data. Values are the averages of four years (1947-1950) with moderate to high precipitation. Graphical displays show strong climatic patterns of variation among seasons and elevations. The upper stations had lower temperatures and higher precipitation totals; however, temperature lapse rates and variation in vapor pressure deficits decreased at upper elevations. To examine how well the four-year sample represents the long-term climate, temperature and precipitation for the Gatlinburg (1460 ft elevation at park headquarters) station were compared between the years in the sample and the years in the full record from 1928 to 2003. Trends related to season and elevation are consistent with earlier studies and provide a basis for interpretation of climate dynamics in the southern Appalachian Mountains.

Data Series↗

USGS2004

A Forest Vegetation Database for Western Oregon

Data on forest vegetation in western Oregon were assembled for 2323 ecological survey plots. All data were from fixed-radius plots with the standardized design of the Current Vegetation Survey (CVS) initiated in the early 1990s. For each site, the database includes: 1) live tree density and basal area of common tree species, 2) total live tree density, basal area, estimated biomass, and estimated leaf area; 3) age of the oldest overstory tree examined, 4) geographic coordinates, 5) elevation, 6) interpolated climate variables, and 7) other site variables. The data are ideal for ecoregional analyses of existing vegetation.

Open-File Report↗

USGS2004

A Comparison of Forest Survey Data with Forest Dynamics Simulators FORCLIM and ZELIG along Climatic Gradients in the Pacific Northwest

Two forest dynamics simulators are compared along climatic gradients in the Pacific Northwest. The ZELIG and FORCLIM models are tested against forest survey data from western Oregon. Their ability to generate accurate patterns of forest basal area and species composition is evaluated for series of sites with contrasting climate. Projections from both models approximate the basal area and composition patterns for three sites along the elevation gradient at H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest in the western Cascade Range. The ZELIG model is somewhat more accurate than FORCLIM at the two low-elevation sites. Attempts to project forest composition along broader climatic gradients reveal limitations of ZELIG, however. For example, ZELIG is less accurate than FORCLIM at projecting the average composition of a west Cascades ecoregion selected for intensive analysis. Also, along a gradient consisting of several sites on an east to west transect at 44.1oN latitude, both the FORCLIM model and the actual data show strong changes in composition and total basal area, but the ZELIG model shows a limited response. ZELIG does not simulate the declines in forest basal area and the diminished dominance of mesic coniferous species east of the Cascade crest. We conclude that ZELIG is suitable for analyses of certain sites for which it has been calibrated. FORCLIM can be applied in analyses involving a range of climatic conditions without requiring calibration for specific sites.

Scientific Investigations Report↗