Life Sciences Commons^™

Snowpack Properties Vary In Response To Burn Severity Gradients In Montane Forests, Jordan Maxwell, Samuel B. St. Clair

Aspen Bibliography

Wildfires are altering ecosystems globally as they change in frequency, size, and severity. As wildfires change vegetation structure, they also alter moisture inputs and energy fluxes which influence snowpack and hydrology. In unburned forests, snow has been shown to accumulate more in small clearings or in stands with low to moderate forest densities. Here we investigate whether peak snowpack varies with burn severity or percent overstory tree mortality post-fire in a mid-latitude, subalpine forest. We found that peak snowpack across the burn severity gradients increased 15% in snow-water equivalence (SWE) and 17% in depth for every 20% increase in overstory …

A 100-M-Scale Modeling Study Of A Gale Event On The Lee Side Of A Long Narrow Mountain, Halie Xue, Jian Li, Tingting Qian, Hongping Gu

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

In this study, a gale event that occurred on the lee side of a long narrow mountain was investigated, together with the associated mountain flows, using a realistic-case large-eddy simulation (LES) that is based on the Weather Research and Forecasting Model. The mountain is located on the southeastern Tibetan Plateau, where approximately 58 gales occur annually, mostly in the afternoons during the winter season. Benefitting from realistic topography and high horizontal resolution as fine as 111 m, the LES can replicate features similar to the wind fields observed during the gale period. Investigation of the early morning wind structure over …

Seed‐To‐Seedling Transitions Exhibit Distance‐Dependent Mortality But No Strong Spacing Effects In A Neotropical Forest, Philippe Marchand, Liza S. Comita, S. Joseph Wright, Richard Condit, Stephen P. Hubbell, Noelle G. Beckman

Biology Faculty Publications

Patterns of seed dispersal and seed mortality influence the spatial structure of plant communities and the local coexistence of competing species. Most seeds are dispersed in proximity to the parent tree, where mortality is also expected to be the highest, because of competition with siblings or the attraction of natural enemies. Whereas distance‐dependent mortality in the seed‐to‐seedling transition was often observed in tropical forests, few studies have attempted to estimate the shape of the survival‐distance curves, which determines whether the peak of seedling establishment occurs away from the parent tree (Janzen–Connell pattern) or if the peak attenuates but remains at …

Green And Animal Manure Use In Organic Field Crop Systems, Patrick M. Carr, Michel A. Cavigelli, Heather Darby, Kathleen Delate, Jed O. Eberly, Heather K. Fryer, Greta G. Gramig, Joseph R. Heckman, Ellen B. Mallory, Jennifer R. Reeve, Erin M. Silva, David H. Suchoff, Alex L. Woodley

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

Dual‐use cover/green manure (CGM) crops and animal manure are used to supply nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) to organically grown field crops. A comprehensive review of previous research was conducted to identify how CGM crops and animal manure have been used to meet N and P needs of organic field crops, and to identify knowledge gaps to direct future research efforts. Results indicate that: (a) CGM crops are used to provide N to subsequent cash crops in rotations; (b) CGM‐supplied N generally can meet field crop needs in warm, humid regions but is insufficient for organic grain crops grown in …

Future Climate Change Will Have A Positive Effect On Populus Davidiana In China, Jie Li, Guan Liu, Qi Lu, Yanru Zhang, Guoqing Li, Sheng Du

Aspen Bibliography

Since climate change significantly affects global biodiversity, a reasonable assessment of the vulnerability of species in response to climate change is crucial for conservation. Most existing methods estimate the impact of climate change on the vulnerability of species by projecting the change of a species’ distribution range. This single-component evaluation ignores the impact of other components on vulnerability. In this study, Populus davidiana (David’s aspen), a tree species widely used in afforestation projects, was selected as the research subject under four future climate change scenarios (representative concentration pathway (RCP)2.6, RCP4.5, RCP6.0, and RCP8.5). Exposure components of range change as well …

Single-Molecule Real-Time Transcript Sequencing Identified Flowering Regulatory Genes In Crocus Sativus, Xiaodong Qian, Youping Sun, Guifen Zhou, Yumei Yuan, Jing Li, Huilian Huang, Limin Xu, Liqin Li

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

Background: Saffron crocus (Crocus sativus) is a valuable spice with medicinal uses in gynaecopathia and nervous system diseases. Identify flowering regulatory genes plays a vital role in increasing flower numbers, thereby resulting in high saffron yield.

Results: Two full length transcriptome gene sets of flowering and non-flowering saffron crocus were established separately using the single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing method. A total of sixteen SMRT cells generated 22.85 GB data and 75,351 full-length saffron crocus unigenes on the PacBio RS II panel and further obtained 79,028 SSRs, 72,603 lncRNAs and 25,400 alternative splicing (AS) events. Using an Illumina RNA-seq platform, …

Salt Tolerance Of Sego Supremetm Plants, Asmita Paudel, Ji Jhong Chen, Youping Sun, Yuxiang Wang, Richard M. Anderson

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

Sego Supreme^TM is a designated plant breeding and introduction program at the Utah State University Botanical Center and the Center for Water Efficient Landscaping. This plant selection program introduces native and adapted plants to the arid West for aesthetic landscaping and water conservation. The plants are evaluated for characteristics such as color, flowering, ease of propagation, market demand, disease/pest resistance, and drought tolerance. However, salt tolerance has not been considered during the evaluation processes. Four Sego Supreme^TM plants [Aquilegia barnebyi (oil shale columbine), Clematis fruticosa (Mongolian gold clematis), Epilobium septentrionale (northern willowherb), and Tetraneuris acaulis var. arizonica …

Effectiveness Of Prescribed Fire To Re-Establish Sagebrush Steppe Vegetation And Ecohydrologic Function On Woodland-Encroached Sagebrush Reangelands, Great Basin, Usa: Part Ii: Runoff And Sediment Transport At The Patch Scale, Sayjro K. Nouwakpo, Christopher Jason Williams, Frederick B. Pierson, Mark A. Weltz, Patrick R. Kormos, Osama Z. Al-Hamdan

Articles

Woody species encroachment into herbaceous and shrub-dominated vegetations is a concern in many rangeland ecosystems of the world. Arrival of woody species into affected rangelands leads to changes in the spatial structure of vegetation and alterations of biophysical processes. In the western USA, encroachment of pinyon (Pinus spp.) and juniper (Juniperus spp.) tree species into sagebrush steppes poses a threat to the proper ecohydrological functioning of these ecosystems. Prescribed fire has been proposed and used as one rangeland improvement practice to restore sagebrush steppe from pinyon-juniper encroachment. Short-term effects of burning on the ecohydrologic response of these systems …

Differences In Drought Tolerance Among Gisela® Cherry Rootstocks Determined Using Automated Weighing Lysimeters, Lance V. Stott, Brent Black, Bruce Bugbee

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

The Gisela® series of dwarfing rootstock are widely used because they enable high-density production, but they may be sensitive to drought. Drought tolerance may be associated with root-zone distribution and depth or with physiological adaptation to low water potential. Here we describe a novel technique for determining physiological tolerance to drought when root distribution is held constant. In two matching studies, we continuously measured transpiration of two groups of eight trees using a 16-container automated weighing lysimeter system in a greenhouse. With this system, Gisela® 3, 5, and 12 (G.3, G.5, and G.12) rootstocks were subjected to multiple, controlled drought …

Growth, Gas Exchange, And Mineral Nutrients Of Ornamental Grasses Irrigated With Saline Water, Yuxiang Wang, Youping Sun, Genhua Niu, Chaoyi Deng, Yi Wang, Jorge Gardea-Torresdey

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

Ornamental grasses are commonly used in urban landscapes in Utah and the Intermountain West of the United States. The relative salt tolerance of Eragrostis spectabilis (Pursh) Steud. (purple love grass), Miscanthus sinensis Andersson ‘Gracillimus’ (maiden grass), Panicum virgatum L. ‘Northwind’ (switchgrass), and Schizachyrium scoparium (Michx.) Nash (little bluestem) were evaluated in a greenhouse. Plants were irrigated with a nutrient solution at an electrical conductivity (EC) of 1.2 dS·m^–1 (control), or saline solution at an EC of 5.0 or 10.0 dS·m^–1. At harvest (65 days after the initiation of treatment), P. virgatum and S. scoparium exhibited no foliar …

Importance Of Tree-And Species-Level Interactions With Wildfire, Climate, And Soils In Interior Alaska: Implications For Forest Change Under A Warming Climate, Adrianna C. Foster, Amanda H. Armstrong, Jacquelyn K. Shuman, Herman H. Shugart, Brendan M. Rogers, Michelle C. Mack, Scott J. Goetz, K. Jon Ranson

Aspen Bibliography

The boreal zone of Alaska is dominated by interactions between disturbances, vegetation, and soils. These interactions are likely to change in the future through increasing permafrost thaw, more frequent and intense wildfires, and vegetation change from drought and competition. We utilize an individual tree-based vegetation model, the University of Virginia Forest Model Enhanced (UVAFME), to estimate current and future forest conditions across sites within interior Alaska. We updated UVAFME for application within interior Alaska, including improved simulation of permafrost dynamics, litter decay, nutrient dynamics, fire mortality, and postfire regrowth. Following these updates, UVAFME output on species-specific biomass and stem density …

Everyone In: A Road Map For Science-Based, Collaborative Restoration Of Western Quaking Aspen, Sue Miller

Aspen Bibliography

With concern over the health of aspen in the Intermountain West, public and private land managers need better guidance for evaluating aspen condition and selecting and implementing actions that will be effective in restoring aspen health. The Utah Forest Restoration Group collaboratively synthesized a step-by-step approach for aspen restoration that was applicable to western U.S. forests. In a successful case study in shared stewardship, these restoration guidelines were applied to a challenging real-world setting.The Monroe Mountain Aspen Ecosystem Restoration Project, addressed diverse public and private lands needs and interests using an “All Hands, All Lands” strategy. The Monroe Mountain Working …

Remote Sensing Of Ploidy Level In Quaking Aspen (Populus Tremuloides Michx.), Benjamin Blonder, Bente J. Graae, Burke Greer, Marja Haagsma, Kenny Helsen, Rozália E. Kapás, Henry Pai, Jolanta Rieksta, Dillon Sapena, Christopher J. Still, Richard Strimbeck

Aspen Bibliography

1. Ploidy level in plants may influence ecological functioning, demography and response to climate change. However, measuring ploidy level typically requires intensive cell or molecular methods.
2. We map ploidy level variation in quaking aspen, a dominant North American tree species that can be diploid or triploid and that grows in spatially extensive clones. We identify the predictors and spatial scale of ploidy level variation using a combination of genetic and ground‐based and airborne remote sensing methods.
3. We show that ground‐based leaf spectra and airborne canopy spectra can both classify aspen by ploidy level with a precision‐recall harmonic mean of 0.75–0.95 and …

Quantitative Trait Loci (Qtl) For Forage Traits In Intermediate Wheatgrass When Grown As Spaced-Plants Versus Monoculture And Polyculture Swards, John S. Mortenson, Blair L. Waldron, Steven R. Larson, Kevin B. Jensen, Lee R. Dehann, Michael D. Peel, Paul G. Johnson, J. Earl Creech

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

It has been hypothesized that the genetic control of forage traits, especially biomass, for grass plants growing as spaced-plants versus swards is different. Likewise, the genetic control of compatibility in grass–legume polyculture mixtures is assumed to be different than for forage production in a grass monoculture. However, these hypotheses are largely unvalidated, especially at the DNA level. This study used an intermediate wheatgrass mapping population to examine the effect of three competition environments (spaced-plants, polyculture, and monoculture) on classical quantitative genetic parameters and quantitative trait loci (QTL) identification for biomass, morphology, and forage nutritive value. Moderate to high heritable variation …

Increasing The Efficacy And Integration Of A Biocontrol Tool For Managing Canada Thistle In The Intermountain West, Steve Young

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

From Compost Carryover To Compost Legacy: Intercropping And Compost Effects On Yield, Quality, And Soil Health In Organic Dryland Wheat, Jennifer Reeve

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Pleasantview Hills Aspen Stand Diversity Project: Environmental Assessment, Pocatello Field Office

Aspen Bibliography

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Pocatello Field Office (PFO) has prepared this Environmental Assessment (EA) to analyze the environmental impacts of implementing treatments on aspen stands in the Pleasantview Hills area. This EA discloses the direct, indirect, and cumulative environmental effects that would result from implementation of this proposal as required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969. This EA will determine whether to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) or a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) based on environmental impact context and intensity, thereby informing agency decision making. Guidance for EA organization is determined by …

Comparing The Salt Tolerance Of Three Landscape Plants Using A Near-Continuous Gradient Dosing System, Ji Jhong Chen, Yuxiang Wang, Asmita Paudel, Youping Sun

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

Screening salinity-tolerant plants is usually time intensive and only applicable to a limited number of salinity levels. A near-continuous gradient dosing (NCGD) system allows researchers to evaluate a large number of plants for salinity tolerance with multiple treatments, more flexibility, and reduced efforts of irrigation. Rose of sharon (Hibiscus syriacus), ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius), and japanese spirea (Spiraea japonica) were irrigated using an NCGD system with eight electrical conductivity (EC) levels ranging from 0.9 to 6.5 dS·m^–1. At 11 weeks after irrigation was initiated, there were no significant differences among EC levels in …

A Drift-Free Decadal Climate Prediction System For The Community Earth System Model, Yoshimitsu Chikamoto, Axel Timmermann, Matthew J. Widlansky, Shaoqing Zhang, Magdalena A. Balmaseda

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

Performance of a newly developed decadal climate prediction system is examined using the low-resolution Community Earth System Model (CESM). To identify key sources of predictability and determine the role of upper and deeper ocean data assimilation, we first conduct a series of perfect model experiments. These experiments reveal the importance of upper ocean temperature and salinity assimilation in reducing sea surface temperature biases. However, to reduce biases in the sea surface height, data assimilation below 300 m in the ocean is necessary, in particular for high-latitude regions. The perfect model experiments clearly emphasize the key role of combined three-dimensional ocean …

Phototrophic N2 And Co2 Fixation Using A Rhodopseudomonas Palustris-H2 Mediated Electrochemical System With Infrared Photons, Mathangi Soundararajan, Rhesa Ledbetter, Paul Kusuma, Shuyang Zhen, Paul Ludden, Bruce Bugbee, Scott A. Ensign, Lance C. Seefeldt

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

A promising approach for the synthesis of high value reduced compounds is to couple bacteria to the cathode of an electrochemical cell, with delivery of electrons from the electrode driving reductive biosynthesis in the bacteria. Such systems have been used to reduce CO2 to acetate and other C-based compounds. Here, we report an electrosynthetic system that couples a diazotrophic, photoautotrophic bacterium, Rhodopseudomonas palustris TIE-1, to the cathode of an electrochemical cell through the mediator H2 that allows reductive capture of both CO2 and N2 with all of the energy coming from the electrode and infrared (IR) photons. R. palustris TIE-1 …

Sudden Aspen Decline: A Review Of Pattern And Process In A Changing Climate, Jack A. Singer, Rob Turnbull, Mark Foster, Charles Bettigole, Brent R. Frey, Michelle C. Downey, Kristofer R. Covey, Mark S. Ashton

Aspen Bibliography

The American quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) and its close relative, the Eurasian quaking aspen (Populus tremula L.), cover a realm that is perhaps the most expansive of all tree species in the world. In North America, sudden aspen decline (SAD) is a growing concern that marks the rapid decline of quaking aspen trees leading to mortality at the stand and landscape scale. Research suggests that drought and water stress are the primary causes of SAD. Predisposing factors (age, structure, and landscape position), as well as associated stressors (i.e., pests and pathogens), have been linked to mortality in affected stands. …

Impacts Of Climate And Insect Herbivory On Productivity And Physiology Of Trembling Aspen (Populus Tremuloides) In Alaskan Boreal Forests, Melissa A. Boyd, Logan T. Berner, Patricia Doak, Scott J. Goetz, Brendan M. Rogers, Diane Wagner, Xanthe J. Walker, Michelle C. Mack

Aspen Bibliography

Climate change is impacting forested ecosystems worldwide, particularly in the Northern Hemisphere where warming has increased at a faster rate than the rest of the globe. As climate warms, trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) is expected to become more successful in northern boreal forests because of its current presence in drier areas of North America. However, large-scale productivity decline of aspen has recently been documented throughout the United States and Canada as a result of drought and insect outbreaks. We used tree ring measurements (basal area increment (BAI) and stable carbon isotopes (δ 13C)) and remote sensing indices …

Consecutive Extreme Flooding And Heat Wave In Japan: Are They Becoming A Norm?, Shih-Yu Simon Wang, Hyungjun Kim, Dim Coumou, Jin-Ho Yoon, Lin Zhao, Robert R. Gillies

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

In July 2018, Japan experienced two contrasting, yet consecutive, extreme events: a devastating flood in early July followed by unprecedented heat waves a week later. Death tolls from these two extreme events combined exceeded 300, accompanying tremendous economic losses (BBC: July 24, 2018; AP: July 30, 2018). Meteorological analysis on these 2018 events quickly emerged (JMA-TCC, 2018; Kotsuki et al., 2019; Tsuguti et al., 2019), highlighting several compound factors: a strengthened subtropical anticyclone, a deepened synoptic trough, and Typhoon Prapiroon that collectively enhanced the Baiu rainband (the Japanese summer monsoon), fostering heavy precipitation. The comprehensive study of these events, conducted …

Trends And Controls On Water-Use Efficiency Of An Old-Growth Coniferous Forest In The Pacific Northwest, Yueyang Jiang, Christopher J. Still, Bharat Rastogi, Gerald F. M. Page, Sonia Wharton, Frederick C. Meinzer, Steve Voelker, John B. Kim

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

At the ecosystem scale, water-use efficiency (WUE) is defined broadly as the ratio of carbon assimilated to water evaporated by an ecosystem. WUE is an important aspect of carbon and water cycling and has been used to assess forest ecosystem responses to climate change and rising atmospheric CO₂ concentrations. This study investigates the influence of meteorological and radiation variables on forest WUE by analyzing an 18 year (1998–2015) half-hourly time series of carbon and water fluxes measured with the eddy covariance technique in an old-growth conifer forest in the Pacific Northwest, USA. Three different metrics of WUE exhibit an …

Seedling Emergence Patterns Of Six Restoration Species In Soils From Two Big Sagebrush Plant Communities, Lacey E. Wilder, Kari E. Veblen, Eugene W. Schupp, Thomas A. Monaco

Ecology Center Publications

Despite the critical need to improve degraded herbaceous understory conditions in many semiarid ecosystems, the influence of soil properties on seedling emergence of species seeded in shrubland plant communities is largely unexplored. We evaluated emergence patterns of 6 restoration species in soils from wyomingensis (i.e., Wyoming big sagebrush, Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis [Beetle & A. Young] S.L. Welsh) and vaseyana (i.e., mountain big sagebrush, A. t. ssp. vaseyana [Rydb.] Beetle) plant communities that differed in soil texture, soil organic matter content, and soil water-holding capacity. We conducted 2 separate experiments that regularly wetted soils to standardized soil water potentials (i.e., …

Fall Tillage Reduced Nutrient Loads From Liquid Manure Application During The Freezing Season, Melanie N. Stock, Francisco J. Arriaga, Peter A. Vadas, Laura Ward Good, Michael D. Casler, Krishnapuram G. Karthikeyan, Zachariah P. Zopp

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

Reducing agricultural runoff is important year round, particularly on landscapes that receive wintertime applications of manure. No-tillage systems are typically associated with reduced runoff loads during the growing season, but surface roughness from fall tillage may aid infiltration on frozen soils by providing surface depressional storage. The timing of winter manure applications may also affect runoff, depending on snow and soil frost conditions. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate runoff and nutrient loads during the freezing season from combinations of tillage and manure application timings. Six management treatments were tested in south-central Wisconsin during the winters of …

Contrasting Development Of Canopy Structure And Primary Production In Planted And Naturally Regenerated Red Pine Forests, Laura J. Hickey, Jeff Atkins, Robert T. Fahey, Mark R. Kreider, Shea B. Wales, Christopher M. Gough

Ecology Center Publications

Globally, planted forests are rapidly replacing naturally regenerated stands but the implications for canopy structure, carbon (C) storage, and the linkages between the two are unclear. We investigated the successional dynamics, interlinkages and mechanistic relationships between wood net primary production (NPP_w) and canopy structure in planted and naturally regenerated red pine (Pinus resinosa Sol. ex Aiton) stands spanning ≥ 45 years of development. We focused our canopy structural analysis on leaf area index (LAI) and a spatially integrative, terrestrial LiDAR-based complexity measure, canopy rugosity, which is positively correlated with NPP_w in several naturally regenerated forests, but …

Interactive Effects Of Water And Fertilizer On Yield, Soil Water And Nitrate Dynamics Of Young Apple Tree In Semiarid Region Of Northwest China, Hanmi Zhou, Xiaoli Niu, Hui Yan, Na Zhao, Fucang Zhang, Lifeng Wu, Dongxue Yin, Roger Kjelgren

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

Exploring the interactive effect of water and fertilizer on yield, soil water and nitrate dynamics of young apple tree is of great importance to improve the management of irrigation and fertilization in the apple-growing region of semiarid northwest China. A two-year pot experiment was conducted in a mobile rainproof shelter of the water-saving irrigation experimental station in Northwest A&F University, and the investigation evaluated the response of soil water and fertilizer migration, crop water productivity (CWP), irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE), partial factor productivity (PFP) of young apple tree to different water and fertilizer regimes (four levels of soil water: …

Guidelines For Aspen Restoration In Utah With Applicability To The Intermountain West, Stanley G. Kitchen, Patrick N. Behrens, Sherel K. Goodrich, Ashley Green, John Guyon, Mary O'Brien, David Tart

Aspen Bibliography

As highly productive and biologically diverse communities, healthy quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides; hereafter aspen) forests provide a wide range of ecosystem services across western North America. Western aspen decline during the last century has been attributed to several causes and their interactions, including altered fire regimes, drought, excessive use by domestic and wild ungulates, and conifer encroachment. Today’s managers need science-based guidance to develop and implement strategies and practices to restore structure, processes, and resilience to the full range of aspen functional types across multiple spatial scales. In these guidelines, we detail a process for making step-by-step decisions …

Drought And Freezing Vulnerability Of The Isolated Hybrid Aspen Populus X Smithii Relative To Its Parental Species, P. Tremuloides And P. Grandidentata, Nicholas J. Deacon, Jake J. Grossman, Jeannine Cavender-Bares

Aspen Bibliography

Aim

We assessed the vulnerability of an isolated, relictual Pleistocene hybrid aspen population of conservation interest (Populus x. smithii ) and the nearest populations of its parent species (Populus grandidentata and Populus tremuloides ) to springtime post‐bud break freezing and growing season drought stress. Response to these stressors in the three taxa was compared in terms of avoidance and tolerance.

Location

North American Midwest; USA.

Methods

Unique genets from the hybrid Niobrara River population and from the two parental populations were propagated in a common garden from rhizome cuttings. We tracked their phenology before and after bud break …