Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Life Sciences Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 6 of 6

Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Biogeochemical Hotspots In Forested Landscapes: The Role Of Vernal Pools In Denitrification And Organic Matter, Krista A. Capps, Regina L. Rancatti, Nathan Tomczyk, Aram J K Calhoun, Malcolm L. Hunter Jr. Dec 2014

Biogeochemical Hotspots In Forested Landscapes: The Role Of Vernal Pools In Denitrification And Organic Matter, Krista A. Capps, Regina L. Rancatti, Nathan Tomczyk, Aram J K Calhoun, Malcolm L. Hunter Jr.

Publications

Quantifying spatial and temporal heterogeneity in ecosystem processes presents a challenge for conserving ecosystem function across landscapes. In particular, many ecosystems contain small features that play larger roles in ecosystem processes than their size would indicate; thus, they may represent ‘‘hotspots’’ of activity relative to their surroundings. Biogeochemical hotspots are characterized as small features within a landscape that show comparatively high chemical reaction rates. In northeastern forests in North America, vernal pools are abundant, small features that typically fill in spring with snow melt and precipitation and dry by the end of summer. Ephemeral flooding alters soil moisture and the …


Pushing The Pace Of Tree Species Migration, Eli D. Lazarus, Brian Mcgill Aug 2014

Pushing The Pace Of Tree Species Migration, Eli D. Lazarus, Brian Mcgill

Publications

Plants and animals have responded to past climate changes by migrating with habitable environments, sometimes shifting the boundaries of their geographic ranges by tens of kilometers per year or more. Species migrating in response to present climate conditions, however, must contend with landscapes fragmented by anthropogenic disturbance. We consider this problem in the context of wind-dispersed tree species. Mechanisms of long-distance seed dispersal make these species capable of rapid migration rates. Models of species-front migration suggest that even tree species with the capacity for long-distance dispersal will be unable to keep pace with future spatial changes in temperature gradients, exclusive …


Managing The Middle Ground: Forests In The Transition Zone Between Cities And Remote Areas, Charles Colgan, Malcolm L. Hunter Jr., Aaron Weiskittel, Brian Mcgill Jun 2014

Managing The Middle Ground: Forests In The Transition Zone Between Cities And Remote Areas, Charles Colgan, Malcolm L. Hunter Jr., Aaron Weiskittel, Brian Mcgill

Publications

In many parts of the world there are extensive landscapes where forests and people strongly intermingle, notably in the suburbs and exurbs of cities. This landscape of transitional forest generally receives limited attention from policy makers and researchers who tend to be rooted in traditions centered on either urban planning or management of natural resources in rural areas. The transitional forest is on the periphery of both perspectives, but it is a large area that provides numerous important values (biodiversity, ecosystem function, forest products, and amenities) to the people that live in them and their neighboring cities. Here we argue …


The Complementary Niches Of Anthropocentric And Biocentric Conservationists, Malcolm L. Hunter Jr., Kent H. Redford, David Lindenmayer Apr 2014

The Complementary Niches Of Anthropocentric And Biocentric Conservationists, Malcolm L. Hunter Jr., Kent H. Redford, David Lindenmayer

Publications

A divergence of values has become apparent in recent debates between conservationists who focus on ecosystem services that can improve human well-being and those who focus on avoiding the extinction of species. These divergent points of view fall along a continuum from anthropocentric to biocentric values, but most conservationists are relatively closer to each other than to the ends of the spectrum. We have some concerns with both positions but emphasize that conservation for both people and all other species will be most effective if conservationists focus on articulating the values they all share, being respectful of divergent values, and …


Different Open-Canopy Vegetation Types Affect Matrix Permeability For A Dispersing Forest Amphibian, Brittany Cline, Malcolm L. Hunter Jr. Apr 2014

Different Open-Canopy Vegetation Types Affect Matrix Permeability For A Dispersing Forest Amphibian, Brittany Cline, Malcolm L. Hunter Jr.

Publications

Population viability often depends on conserving functional connectivity in fragmented landscapes. For pool-breeding amphibians, population connectivity is largely maintained through juvenile dispersal, often through various vegetation types that may differ as filters or conduits to movement. We quantified the relative permeability of different types of open-canopy vegetation to juvenile wood frogs Lithobates sylvaticus to determine whether this influences functional connectivity during dispersal. We conducted experimental releases of juveniles (n = 561) in ten runways representing five treatments: hayfield, moderate-cover lawn (45–85% cover), open lawn (0% cover), row crop (forage-corn) and recent clear-cut. Runways consisted of 35 × 2·5 m enclosures, …


Comparafac: A Library And Tools For Rapid And Quantitative Comparison Of Dissolved Organic Matter Components Resolved By Parallel Factor Analysis., Thomas B. Parr, Tsutomu Ohno, Kevin Simon Mar 2014

Comparafac: A Library And Tools For Rapid And Quantitative Comparison Of Dissolved Organic Matter Components Resolved By Parallel Factor Analysis., Thomas B. Parr, Tsutomu Ohno, Kevin Simon

Publications

Parallel Factor Analysis (PARAFAC) is a well-established method for characterizing dissolved organic matter (DOM). While methods for sample processing and PARAFAC analysis are well defined and robust, subsequent classification of DOM fluorescence components and comparisons of components among studies remain highly qualitative. Because these comparisons often guide the interpretation of subsequent data, it is important that quantitatively accurate comparisons be made. We developed a statistical tool, comPARAFAC, using a modified Tucker’s Congruence Coefficient (mTCC), an established method of factor comparison, to provide a quantitative basis for comparing models. To develop and test this tool we used mTCC to compare factors …