Life Sciences Commons^™

Climate Change, Woodpeckers, And Forests: Current Trends And Future Modeling Needs, Eric S. Walsh, Kerri T. Vierling, Eva Strand, Kristina Bartowitz, Tara W. Hudiburg

Aspen Bibliography

The structure and composition of forest ecosystems are expected to shift with climate‐induced changes in precipitation, temperature, fire, carbon mitigation strategies, and biological disturbance. These factors are likely to have biodiversity implications. However, climate‐driven forest ecosystem models used to predict changes to forest structure and composition are not coupled to models used to predict changes to biodiversity. We proposed integrating woodpecker response (biodiversity indicator) with forest ecosystem models. Woodpeckers are a good indicator species of forest ecosystem dynamics, because they are ecologically constrained by landscape‐scale forest components, such as composition, structure, disturbance regimes, and management activities. In addition, they are …

Nutrient Acquisition Strategies Augment Growth In Tropical N2‐Fixing Trees In Nutrient‐Poor Soil And Under Elevated Co2, Megan K. Nasto, Klaus Winter, Benjamin L. Turner, Cory C. Cleveland

Ecology Center Publications

Tropical forests play a dominant role in the global carbon (C) cycle, and models predict increases in tropical net primary productivity (NPP) and C storage in response to rising atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentrations. The extent to which increasing CO₂ will enhance NPP depends in part on the availability of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) to support growth. Some tropical trees can potentially overcome nutrient limitation by acquiring N via symbiotic dinitrogen (N₂) fixation, which may provide a benefit in acquiring P via investment in N‐rich phosphatase enzymes or arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. We conducted …

Predatory Hymenopteran Assemblages In Boreal Alaska: Associations With Forest Composition And Post-Fire Succession, Alexandria Wenninger, Teresa Hollingsworth, Diane Wagner

Aspen Bibliography

Changes to the fire regime in boreal Alaska are shifting the ratio of coniferous to deciduous dominance on the landscape. The increase in aspen and birch may have important effects on predatory hymenopteran assemblages by providing a source of extrafloral nectar and increasing prey availability. Furthermore, fire-induced changes in successional age alter habitat structure and microclimate in ways that may favor ants. This study is the first to characterize the influence of fire-related vegetation changes on boreal predatory hymenopteran assemblages. We compare the abundance, species richness, and composition of predatory hymenopteran assemblages among forests at different stages of succession and …

Weighting Effective Number Of Species Measures By Abundance Weakens Detection Of Diversity Responses, Yong Cao, Charles P. Hawkins

Ecology Center Publications

1. The effective number of species (ENS) has been proposed as a robust measure of species diversity that overcomes several limitations in terms of both diversity indices and species richness (SR). However, it is not yet clear if ENS improves interpretation and comparison of biodiversity monitoring data, and ultimately resource management decisions.

2. We used simulations of five stream macroinvertebrate assemblages and spatially extensive field data of stream fishes and mussels to show (a) how different ENS formulations respond to stress and (b) how diversity–environment relationships change with values of q, which weight ENS measures by species abundances.

3. Values …