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At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
USGS2016

Spatial and temporal variability of contaminants within estuarine sediments and native Olympia oysters: A contrast between a developed and an undeveloped estuary

Chemical contaminants can be introduced into estuarine and marine ecosystems from a variety of sources including wastewater, agriculture and forestry practices, point and non-point discharges, runoff from industrial, municipal, and urban lands, accidental spills, and atmospheric deposition. The diversity of potential sources contributes to the likelihood of contaminated marine waters and sediments and increases the probability of uptake by marine organisms. Despite widespread recognition of direct and indirect pathways for contaminant deposition and organismal exposure in coastal systems, spatial and temporal variability in contaminant composition, deposition, and uptake patterns are still poorly known. We investigated these patterns for a suite of persistent legacy contaminants including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and chemicals of emerging concern including pharmaceuticals within two Oregon coastal estuaries (Coos and Netarts Bays). In the more urbanized Coos Bay, native Olympia oyster ( Ostrea lurida ) tissue had approximately twice the number of PCB congeners at over seven times the total concentration, yet fewer PBDEs at one-tenth the concentration as compared to the more rural Netarts Bay. Different pharmaceutical suites were detected during each sampling season. Variability in contaminant types and concentrations across seasons and between species and media (organisms versus sediment) indicates the limitation of using indicator species and/or sampling annually to determine contaminant loads at a site or for specific species. The results indicate the prevalence of legacy contaminants and CECs in relatively undeveloped coastal environments highlighting the need to improve policy and management actions to reduce contaminant releases into estuarine and marine waters and to deal with legacy compounds that remain long after prohibition of use. Our results point to the need for better understanding of the ecological and human health risks of exposure to the diverse cocktail of pollutants and harmful compounds that will continue to leach from estuarine sediments over time.

Oregon↗
USGS2016

Modeled effects of soil acidification on long-term ecological and economic outcomes for managed forests in the Adirondack region (USA)

Sugar maple ( Acer saccharum ) is among the most ecologically and economically important tree species in North America, and its growth and regeneration is often the focus of silvicultural practices in northern hardwood forests. A key stressor for sugar maple (SM) is acid rain, which depletes base cations from poorly-buffered forest soils and has been associated with much lower SM vigor, growth, and recruitment. However, the potential interactions between forest management and soil acidification – and their implications for the sustainability of SM and its economic and cultural benefits – have not been investigated. In this study, we simulated the development of 50 extant SM stands in the western Adirondack region of NY (USA) for 100 years under different soil chemical conditions and silvicultural prescriptions. We found that interactions between management prescription and soil base saturation will strongly shape the ability to maintain SM in managed forests. Below 12% base saturation, SM did not regenerate sufficiently after harvest and was replaced mainly by red maple ( Acer rubrum ) and American beech ( Fagus grandifolia ). Loss of SM on acid-impaired sites was predicted regardless of whether the shelterwood or diameter-limit prescriptions were used. On soils with sufficient base saturation, models predicted that SM will regenerate after harvest and be sustained for future rotations. We then estimated how these different post-harvest outcomes, mediated by acid impairment of forest soils, would affect the potential monetary value of ecosystem services provided by SM forests. Model simulations indicated that a management strategy focused on syrup production – although not feasible across the vast areas where acid impairment has occurred – may generate the greatest economic return. Although pollution from acid rain is declining, its long-term legacy in forest soils will shape future options for sustainable forestry and ecosystem stewardship in the northern hardwood forests of North America.

New York↗
USGS2021

An increase in the slope of the concentration-discharge relation for total organic carbon in major rivers in New England, 1973 to 2019

The mobilization and transport of organic carbon (OC) in rivers and delivery to the near-coastal ocean are important processes in the carbon cycle that are affected by both climate and anthropogenic activities. Riverine OC transport can affect carbon sequestration, contaminant transport, ocean acidification , the formation of toxic disinfection by-products, ocean temperature and phytoplankton productivity. There have been many studies reporting temporal trends in OC concentrations in comparatively small streams with minimal anthropogenic influences but there have been fewer studies on larger rivers and fewer still that have investigated changes in OC concentration-discharge (C-Q) relations. This study examined changes in C-Q relations for total organic carbon (TOC) from 1973 to 2019 in 8 rivers in New England, USA. TOC concentrations declined in all rivers, and in most rivers, and in most seasons, the slope of the C-Q relation increased between 1973 to 1995 and 1996 to 2019. The increase in C-Q slope between periods may be related to changes in the magnitude of TOC sources. The most likely sources to have changed are wastewater inputs, urban runoff, production through photosynthesis in aquatic systems, and runoff from agricultural and forestry practices. Changes in wetland abundance and changes in sulfate concentrations can be ruled out as drivers of the observed changes in C-Q.

Connecticut↗
USGS2000

Vegetation composition and structure of southern coastal plain pine forests: An ecological comparison

Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) ecosystems are characterized by a diverse community of native groundcover species. Critics of plantation forestry claim that loblolly (Pinus taeda) and slash pine (Pinus elliottii) forests are devoid of native groundcover due to associated management practices. As a result of these practices, some believe that ecosystem functions characteristic of longleaf pine are lost under loblolly and slash pine plantation management. Our objective was to quantify and compare vegetation composition and structure of longleaf, loblolly, and slash pine forests of differing ages, management strategies, and land-use histories. Information from this study will further our understanding and lead to inferences about functional differences among pine cover types. Vegetation and environmental data were collected in 49 overstory plots across Southlands Experiment Forest in Bainbridge, GA. Nested plots, i.e. midstory, understory, and herbaceous, were replicated four times within each overstory plot. Over 400 species were identified. Herbaceous species richness was variable for all three pine cover types. Herbaceous richness for longleaf, slash, and loblolly pine averaged 15, 13, and 12 species per m2, respectively. Longleaf pine plots had significantly more (p < 0.029) herbaceous species and greater herbaceous cover (p < 0.001) than loblolly or slash pine plots. Longleaf and slash pine plots were otherwise similar in species richness and stand structure, both having lower overstory density, midstory density, and midstory cover than loblolly pine plots. Multivariate analyses provided additional perspectives on vegetation patterns. Ordination and classification procedures consistently placed herbaceous plots into two groups which we refer to as longleaf pine benchmark (34 plots) and non-benchmark (15 plots). Benchmark plots typically contained numerous herbaceous species characteristic of relic longleaf pine/wiregrass communities found in the area. Conversely, non-benchmark plots contained fewer species characteristic of relic longleaf pine/wiregrass communities and more ruderal species common to highly disturbed sites. The benchmark group included 12 naturally regenerated longleaf plots and 22 loblolly, slash, and longleaf pine plantation plots encompassing a broad range of silvicultural disturbances. Non-benchmark plots included eight afforested old-field plantation plots and seven cutover plantation plots. Regardless of overstory species, all afforested old fields were low either in native species richness or in abundance. Varying degrees of this groundcover condition were also found in some cutover plantation plots that were classified as non-benchmark. Environmental variables strongly influencing vegetation patterns included agricultural history and fire frequency. Results suggest that land-use history, particularly related to agriculture, has a greater influence on groundcover composition and structure in southern pine forests than more recent forest management activities or pine cover type. Additional research is needed to identify the potential for afforested old fields to recover native herbaceous species. In the interim, high-yield plantation management should initially target old-field sites which already support reduced numbers of groundcover species. Sites which have not been farmed in the past 50-60 years should be considered for longleaf pine restoration and multiple-use objectives, since they have the greatest potential for supporting diverse native vegetation. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V.

Forest Ecology and Management↗
USGS2016

Historical reconstructions of California wildfires vary by data source

Historical data are essential for understanding how fire activity responds to different drivers. It is important that the source of data is commensurate with the spatial and temporal scale of the question addressed, but fire history databases are derived from different sources with different restrictions. In California, a frequently used fire history dataset is the State of California Fire and Resource Assessment Program (FRAP) fire history database, which circumscribes fire perimeters at a relatively fine scale. It includes large fires on both state and federal lands but only covers fires that were mapped or had other spatially explicit data. A different database is the state and federal governments’ annual reports of all fires. They are more complete than the FRAP database but are only spatially explicit to the level of county (California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection – Cal Fire) or forest (United States Forest Service – USFS). We found substantial differences between the FRAP database and the annual summaries, with the largest and most consistent discrepancy being in fire frequency. The FRAP database missed the majority of fires and is thus a poor indicator of fire frequency or indicators of ignition sources. The FRAP database is also deficient in area burned, especially before 1950. Even in contemporary records, the huge number of smaller fires not included in the FRAP database account for substantial cumulative differences in area burned. Wildfires in California account for nearly half of the western United States fire suppression budget. Therefore, the conclusions about data discrepancies and the implications for fire research are of broad importance.

California↗
USGS2017

Different historical fire–climate patterns in California

The relationship between annual variation in area burned and seasonal temperatures and precipitation was investigated for the major climate divisions in California. Historical analyses showed marked differences in fires on montane and foothill landscapes. Based on roughly a century of data, there are five important lessons on fire–climate relationships in California: (1) seasonal variations in temperature appear to have had minimal influence on area burned in the lower elevation, mostly non-forested, landscapes; (2) temperature has been a significant factor in controlling fire activity in higher elevation montane forests, but this varied greatly with season – winter and autumn temperatures showed no significant effect, whereas spring and summer temperatures were important determinants of area burned; (3) current season precipitation has been a strong controller of fire activity in forests, with drier years resulting in greater area burned on most United States Forest Service (USFS) lands in the state, but the effect of current-year precipitation was decidedly less on lower elevation California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection lands; (4) in largely grass-dominated foothills and valleys the magnitude of prior-year rainfall was positively tied to area burned in the following year, and we hypothesise that this is tied to greater fuel volume in the year following high rainfall. In the southern part of the state this effect has become stronger in recent decades and this likely is due to accelerated type conversion from shrubland to grassland in the latter part of the 20th century; (5) the strongest fire–climate models were on USFS lands in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and these explained 42–52% of the variation in area burned; however, the models changed over time, with winter and spring precipitation being the primary drivers in the first half of the 20th century, but replaced by spring and summer temperatures after 1960.

California↗
USGS2016

Modeled historical land use and land cover for the conterminous United States

The landscape of the conterminous United States has changed dramatically over the last 200 years, with agricultural land use, urban expansion, forestry, and other anthropogenic activities altering land cover across vast swaths of the country. While land use and land cover (LULC) models have been developed to model potential future LULC change, few efforts have focused on recreating historical landscapes. Researchers at the US Geological Survey have used a wide range of historical data sources and a spatially explicit modeling framework to model spatially explicit historical LULC change in the conterminous United States from 1992 back to 1938. Annual LULC maps were produced at 250-m resolution, with 14 LULC classes. Assessment of model results showed good agreement with trends and spatial patterns in historical data sources such as the Census of Agriculture and historical housing density data, although comparison with historical data is complicated by definitional and methodological differences. The completion of this dataset allows researchers to assess historical LULC impacts on a range of ecological processes.

Journal of Land Use Science↗
USGS2025

Land use strategies for achieving Chile’s nationally determined contributions

Chile’s Nationally determined contributions (NDCs) commit to carbon neutrality by 2050, with measures to reduce emissions and natural hazards while enhancing water security. The Forestry and Other Land Uses (FOLU) sectors are critical to Chile’s goal of carbon neutrality, as they serve as a net carbon sink. In this paper, we conduct policy scenario analysis focusing on FOLU strategies for meeting the NDCs. We implement the Integrated Economic-Environmental Modeling framework linked with spatial Land Use-Land Cover and Ecosystem Services (ES) Modeling (IEEM + ESM) to assess impacts on economic, environmental and social indicators. Our results show that the implementation of Chile’s FOLU strategies would reduce emissions, enhance wealth and economic growth and increase future flows of ES. Carbon dioxide emissions would be reduced (by 151 million tons by 2050) to levels that would be considerably better than current Government expectations. Gross Domestic Product and wealth would be bolstered by US$16 065 million and US$22 731 million, respectively. Water-related ES would improve including the quality of potable water, while more water would be maintained within forested ecosystems, thereby reducing the future risk of natural hazards such as landslides and floods. The FOLU strategies would create 72 800 new jobs and reduce poverty by 15 586 individuals. Analysis with IEEM + ESM demonstrates that reducing wildfire-driven forest loss would have outsized impacts and be the most effective and expedient way to contribute to meeting NDC targets. The IEEM + ESM approach is an example of an analytical framework that is meeting growing demand from Government institutions and multilateral development banks for understanding the effects and transition pathways of NDC strategies on economic, social and environmental outcomes.

Environmental Research: Ecology↗
USGS2020

Vegetation management on private forestland can increase avian species richness and abundance

Conservation efforts on private lands are important for biodiversity conservation. On private lands in South Carolina, in the southeastern United States, forestry management practices (prescribed burning, thinning, herbicide application) are used to improve upland pine habitat for wildlife and timber harvest and are incentivized through U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Bill cost-share programs. Because many forest-dependent avian species have habitat requirements created primarily through forest management, data are needed on the effectiveness of these management activities. We studied privately owned loblolly pine ( Pinus taeda ) stands in the South Carolina Piedmont region. Our objective was to understand how management practices influence avian species richness and abundance at local (forest stand) and landscape levels in relatively small stands (average ~28 ha). We surveyed 49 forest stands during 2 bird breeding seasons with traditional point counts and vegetation surveys. We evaluated the effects of management on pine stand characteristics, avian species richness, and abundance of state-designated bird species of concern. Repeated burning and thinning shifted stand conditions to open pine woodlands with reduced basal area and herbaceous understories. Stands with lower basal area supported greater avian species richness. Some species increased in abundance in response to active management (e.g., Brown-headed Nuthatch [ Sitta pusilla ] and Indigo Bunting [ Passerina cyanea ]), but relationships varied. Some species responded positively to increases in forest quantity at a landscape scale (1–5 km; e.g., Northern Bobwhite [ Colinus virginianus ]). We found species-rich avian communities and species of conservation concern on working timber lands, indicating that incentivized forest management on private lands can provide valuable habitat for wildlife.

South Carolina↗
USGS2025

Occurrence of pesticides in Oregon coastal waters

Pesticides are used globally for a wide range of applications including agricultural, forestry, roadsides, freshwater systems, and personal use. While pesticides have ensured efficient crop production, they are frequently transported away from application sites and are found in almost all terrestrial and aquatic environments. Pesticides are frequently detected in watersheds and rivers, but there is limited research on pesticide presence in United States (U.S.) marine environments. To address these data gaps, this study documents pesticide occurrence in U.S. coastal waters, providing new understanding of pesticide contamination in offshore environments. Polar organic chemical integrative samples (POCIS) were deployed at five sites along the Oregon, U.S. coast to examine the occurrence of pesticides. Between two and seven different pesticides were detected at every site, with herbicides diuron, and atrazine, and fungicides carbendazim, propiconazole, and tebuconazole being the most frequently detected at three sites. The prevalence of herbicides and fungicides in coastal waters indicates a connection between terrestrial pesticide practices and marine contamination. These findings provide new insights into the presence of pesticides in coastal nearshore and offshore waters and suggest that a comprehensive monitoring effort could enhance our understanding of sources, transport, and pesticide risks for marine species both nearshore and offshore.

Oregon↗
USGS2018

Remote sensing analysis of vegetation at the San Carlos Apache Reservation, Arizona and surrounding area

Mapping of vegetation types is of great importance to the San Carlos Apache Tribe and their management of forestry and fire fuels. Various remote sensing techniques were applied to classify multitemporal Landsat 8 satellite data, vegetation index, and digital elevation model data. A multitiered unsupervised classification generated over 900 classes that were then recoded to one of the 16 generalized vegetation/land cover classes using the Southwest Regional Gap Analysis Project (SWReGAP) map as a guide. A supervised classification was also run using field data collected in the SWReGAP project and our field campaign. Field data were gathered and accuracy assessments were generated to compare outputs. Our hypothesis was that a resulting map would update and potentially improve upon the vegetation/land cover class distributions of the older SWReGAP map over the 24,000 km 2 study area. The estimated overall accuracies ranged between 43% and 75%, depending on which method and field dataset were used. The findings demonstrate the complexity of vegetation mapping, the importance of recent, high-quality-field data, and the potential for misleading results when insufficient field data are collected.

Arizona↗
USGS2015

Remote sensing change detection methods to track deforestation and growth in threatened rainforests in Madre de Dios, Peru

Two forestry-change detection methods are described, compared, and contrasted for estimating deforestation and growth in threatened forests in southern Peru from 2000 to 2010. The methods used in this study rely on freely available data, including atmospherically corrected Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) vegetation continuous fields (VCF). The two methods include a conventional supervised signature extraction method and a unique self-calibrating method called MODIS VCF guided forest/nonforest (FNF) masking. The process chain for each of these methods includes a threshold classification of MODIS VCF, training data or signature extraction, signature evaluation, k-nearest neighbor classification, analyst-guided reclassification, and postclassification image differencing to generate forest change maps. Comparisons of all methods were based on an accuracy assessment using 500 validation pixels. Results of this accuracy assessment indicate that FNF masking had a 5% higher overall accuracy and was superior to conventional supervised classification when estimating forest change. Both methods succeeded in classifying persistently forested and nonforested areas, and both had limitations when classifying forest change.

Madre de Dios↗
USGS2022

Working toward a National Coordinated Soil Moisture Monitoring Network: Vision, progress, and future directions

Soil moisture is a critical land surface variable, impacting the water, energy, and carbon cycles. While in situ soil moisture monitoring networks are still developing, there is no cohesive strategy or framework to coordinate, integrate, or disseminate these diverse data sources in a synergistic way that can improve our ability to understand climate variability at the national, state, and local levels. Thus, a national strategy is needed to guide network deployment, sustainable network operation, data integration and dissemination, and user-focused product development. The National Coordinated Soil Moisture Monitoring Network (NCSMMN) is a federally led, multi-institution effort that aims to address these needs by capitalizing on existing wide-ranging soil moisture monitoring activities, increasing the utility of observational data, and supporting their strategic application to the full range of decision-making needs. The goals of the NCSMMN are to 1) establish a national “network of networks” that effectively demonstrates data integration and operational coordination of diverse in situ networks; 2) build a community of practice around soil moisture measurement, interpretation, and application—a “network of people” that links data providers, researchers, and the public; and 3) support research and development (R&D) on techniques to merge in situ soil moisture data with remotely sensed and modeled hydrologic data to create user-friendly soil moisture maps and associated tools. The overarching mission of the NCSMMN is to provide coordinated high-quality, nationwide soil moisture information for the public good by supporting applications like drought and flood monitoring, water resource management, agricultural and forestry planning, and fire danger ratings.

Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society↗
USGS2020

Website usability differences between males and females: An eye-tracking evaluation of a climate decision support system

Decision support systems, which are collections of related information located in a central place, can be used as platforms from which climate information can be shared with decision-makers. In this study, a web-based climate decision support system (DSS) for foresters in the Southeast United States was evaluated using eye-tracking technology. The initial study design was exploratory and focused on assessing usability concerns within the website. Results showed differences between male and female forestry experts in their eye-tracking behavior and in their success with completing tasks and answering questions related to the climate information presented in the DSS. A follow-up study, using undergraduate students from a large university in the Southeast United States, aimed to determine if similar gender differences would be detected, and if so, if the cause(s) could be determined. The second evaluation, similar to the first, showed that males and females focused their attention on different aspects of the website; males focused more on the maps depicting climate information, while females focused more on other aspects of the website (e.g., text, search bars, color bars). DSS developers should consider these gender differences when designing a web-based DSS in order to effectively support various populations of users.

Weather, Climate, and Society↗
USGS2012

History of land cover mapping

The historical roots of land-cover mapping reside in the early history of aerial photography and applications spanning forestry, agriculture, urban planning, and water-resources management. Considering this long span of mapping, any attempt to provide an exhaustive treatment of the full history of land-cover mapping will necessarily be incomplete. For that reason, this chapter on the history of land-cover mapping emphasizes the “modern” era of land-cover mapping, which has been arbitrarily defined to begin in the early 1970s. This was when civil space-based remote sensing came of age, and intellectual efforts focused on strategies for using new observations in understanding the characteristics of, and the changes in, land use and land cover.

Book chapter↗
USGS2006

Towards sustainable management of Louisiana's coastal wetland forests: Problems, constraints, and a new beginning

Over 345,000 ha of forested swamps occur throughout the Mississippi River Deltaic Plain. Natural and anthropogenic changes in hydrology and geomorphology at local and landscape levels have reduced the productivity in many of these coastal wetland forests areas and have caused the complete loss of forest cover in some places. A summary and interpretation of the available science, suggestions for policy change, and a multidisciplinary (multi-responsibility) approach were needed to address these issues [in the context of private land]. In response, the Louisiana Governor's office formed a Coastal Wetland Forest Conservation and Use Science Working Group (SWG) and an associated Advisory Panel to provide the Governor with information and suggestions of strategies for environmental and economic utilization, conservation, and protection of Louisiana's coastal wetland forest ecosystem in the long-term. The process of engaging scientists, resource managers, and other stakeholders in this effort is described, and the recommendations of the SWG are presented relative to forestry practices and the potential for sustainable management of coastal wetland forests.

Louisiana↗
USGS2025

Autumn as an overlooked opportunity for limnology

Ecological disciplines, from forestry to soil sciences and ornithology, recognize the critical role of autumn in an array of physical and biological processes. Terrestrial studies categorize autumn as the end of the growing season. Autumn weather conditions can disrupt plant-soil interactions, affecting nutrient cycling and soil fertility [1]; determine dormancy and freezing tolerance of trees during winter [2]; and create phenological mismatches that affect diet quality and predator-prey relationships [3]. In many lakes, autumn is marked by an important period of flux within the water column, affecting nutrient cycling, phytoplankton, and fish productivity [4]. Despite their importance, autumnal limnological processes remain understudied.

PLOS Climate↗
USGS2024

A multi-objective approach for timber harvest scheduling to include management of at-risk species and spatial configuration objectives

Sustainable forestry typically involves integration of several economic and ecological objectives which, at times, may not be compatible with one another. Multi-objective prioritization via harvest scheduling programs can be used to elucidate these relationships and explore solutions. One such program is a spatially explicit harvest scheduler that adopts the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm to iteratively find management solutions to achieve multiple objectives (Habplan). Although this program has been used to address forest management scheduling and simulation-based tasks, its utility is constrained by time-intensive data preparation and challenges with incorporating spatial configuration objectives. To address these shortcomings, we introduce an open-source software package, HabplanR, streamlines data preparation, sets parameters, visualizes results, and assesses spatial components of ecological objectives. We developed four example objectives to incorporate into a multi-objective management problem: habitat quality indices for three species “types” (open, closed, and intermediate-canopy-associated species), and harvested pine pulpwood (revenue). We demonstrate the utility of this package to find management schedules that can accommodate potentially conflicting habitat needs of species, while achieving economic targets. We produced 100 software runs and prioritized individual objectives to select four management schedules for further comparisons. We compared outcome differences of the four schedules, including a spatial comparison of two high performing schedules. The software package makes costs and benefits of different schedules explicit and allows for consideration of the spatial configuration of management outcomes in decision-making.

southeastern United States↗