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Forecasting The Onset And Course Of Mental Illness With Twitter Data, Andrew G. Reece, Andrew J. Reagan, Katharina L.M. Lix, Peter Sheridan Dodds, Christopher M. Danforth, Ellen J. Langer
Forecasting The Onset And Course Of Mental Illness With Twitter Data, Andrew G. Reece, Andrew J. Reagan, Katharina L.M. Lix, Peter Sheridan Dodds, Christopher M. Danforth, Ellen J. Langer
College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences Faculty Publications
We developed computational models to predict the emergence of depression and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Twitter users. Twitter data and details of depression history were collected from 204 individuals (105 depressed, 99 healthy). We extracted predictive features measuring affect, linguistic style, and context from participant tweets (N = 279,951) and built models using these features with supervised learning algorithms. Resulting models successfully discriminated between depressed and healthy content, and compared favorably to general practitioners' average success rates in diagnosing depression, albeit in a separate population. Results held even when the analysis was restricted to content posted before first depression diagnosis. …
Erratum To: Instagram Photos Reveal Predictive Markers Of Depression (Epj Data Science, (2017), 6, 1, (15), 10.1140/Epjds/S13688-017-0110-Z), Andrew G. Reece, Christopher M. Danforth
Erratum To: Instagram Photos Reveal Predictive Markers Of Depression (Epj Data Science, (2017), 6, 1, (15), 10.1140/Epjds/S13688-017-0110-Z), Andrew G. Reece, Christopher M. Danforth
College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences Faculty Publications
Upon publication of the original article [1], it was noticed that Figure 2 contained an error. The horizontal bars for the likes row were incorrectly shown as blue. The horizontal bars for the ‘likes’ row should be orange. This has now been acknowledged and corrected in this erratum. The correct Figure 2 is shown below. In the section Method, subsection Improving data quality, the sentence ‘We also excluded participants with CES-D scores of 22 or higher. should read as We also excluded participants with CES-D scores of 21 or lower. This has now been acknowledged and corrected in this erratum. …
Instagram Photos Reveal Predictive Markers Of Depression, Andrew G. Reece, Christopher M. Danforth
Instagram Photos Reveal Predictive Markers Of Depression, Andrew G. Reece, Christopher M. Danforth
College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences Faculty Publications
Using Instagram data from 166 individuals, we applied machine learning tools to successfully identify markers of depression. Statistical features were computationally extracted from 43,950 participant Instagram photos, using color analysis, metadata components, and algorithmic face detection. Resulting models outperformed general practitioners’ average unassisted diagnostic success rate for depression. These results held even when the analysis was restricted to posts made before depressed individuals were first diagnosed. Human ratings of photo attributes (happy, sad, etc.) were weaker predictors of depression, and were uncorrelated with computationally-generated features. These results suggest new avenues for early screening and detection of mental illness.
Sentiment Analysis Methods For Understanding Large-Scale Texts: A Case For Using Continuum-Scored Words And Word Shift Graphs, Andrew J. Reagan, Christopher M. Danforth, Brian Tivnan, Jake Ryland Williams, Peter Sheridan Dodds
Sentiment Analysis Methods For Understanding Large-Scale Texts: A Case For Using Continuum-Scored Words And Word Shift Graphs, Andrew J. Reagan, Christopher M. Danforth, Brian Tivnan, Jake Ryland Williams, Peter Sheridan Dodds
College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences Faculty Publications
The emergence and global adoption of social media has rendered possible the real-time estimation of population-scale sentiment, an extraordinary capacity which has profound implications for our understanding of human behavior. Given the growing assortment of sentiment-measuring instruments, it is imperative to understand which aspects of sentiment dictionaries contribute to both their classification accuracy and their ability to provide richer understanding of texts. Here, we perform detailed, quantitative tests and qualitative assessments of 6 dictionary-based methods applied to 4 different corpora, and briefly examine a further 20 methods. We show that while inappropriate for sentences, dictionary-based methods are generally robust in …
Evaluating Spatial Variability In Sediment And Phosphorus Concentration-Discharge Relationships Using Bayesian Inference And Self-Organizing Maps, Kristen L. Underwood, Donna M. Rizzo, Andrew W. Schroth, Mandar M. Dewoolkar
Evaluating Spatial Variability In Sediment And Phosphorus Concentration-Discharge Relationships Using Bayesian Inference And Self-Organizing Maps, Kristen L. Underwood, Donna M. Rizzo, Andrew W. Schroth, Mandar M. Dewoolkar
College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences Faculty Publications
Given the variable biogeochemical, physical, and hydrological processes driving fluvial sediment and nutrient export, the water science and management communities need data-driven methods to identify regions prone to production and transport under variable hydrometeorological conditions. We use Bayesian analysis to segment concentration-discharge linear regression models for total suspended solids (TSS) and particulate and dissolved phosphorus (PP, DP) using 22 years of monitoring data from 18 Lake Champlain watersheds. Bayesian inference was leveraged to estimate segmented regression model parameters and identify threshold position. The identified threshold positions demonstrated a considerable range below and above the median discharge—which has been used previously …
Catastrophic Failure Of Nacre Under Pure Shear Stresses Of Torsion, Saleh Alghamdi, Ting Tan, Christopher Hale-Sills, Floyd Vilmont, Tian Xia, Jie Yang, Dryver Huston, Mandar Dewoolkar
Catastrophic Failure Of Nacre Under Pure Shear Stresses Of Torsion, Saleh Alghamdi, Ting Tan, Christopher Hale-Sills, Floyd Vilmont, Tian Xia, Jie Yang, Dryver Huston, Mandar Dewoolkar
College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences Faculty Publications
Nacre, a composite made from biogenic aragonite and proteins, exhibits excellent strength and toughness. Here, we show that nacreous sections can exhibit complete brittle fracture along the tablet interfaces at the proportional limit under pure shear stresses of torsion. We quantitatively separate the initial tablet sliding primarily resisted by nanoscale aragonite pillars from the following sliding resisted by various microscale toughening mechanisms. We postulate that the ductility of nacre can be limited by eliminating tablet interactions during crack propagations. Our findings should help pursuing further insights of layered materials by using torsion.
Upstream Watershed Condition Predicts Rural Children's Health Across 35 Developing Countries, Diego Herrera, Alicia Ellis, Brendan Fisher, Christopher D. Golden, Kiersten Johnson, Mark Mulligan, Alexander Pfaff, Timothy Treuer, Taylor H. Ricketts
Upstream Watershed Condition Predicts Rural Children's Health Across 35 Developing Countries, Diego Herrera, Alicia Ellis, Brendan Fisher, Christopher D. Golden, Kiersten Johnson, Mark Mulligan, Alexander Pfaff, Timothy Treuer, Taylor H. Ricketts
Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources Faculty Publications
Diarrheal disease (DD) due to contaminated water is a major cause of child mortality globally. Forests and wetlands can provide ecosystem services that help maintain water quality. To understand the connections between land cover and childhood DD, we compiled a database of 293,362 children in 35 countries with information on health, socioeconomic factors, climate, and watershed condition. Using hierarchical models, here we find that higher upstream tree cover is associated with lower probability of DD downstream. This effect is significant for rural households but not for urban households, suggesting differing dependence on watershed conditions. In rural areas, the effect of …
Mining Drives Extensive Deforestation In The Brazilian Amazon, Laura J. Sonter, Diego Herrera, Damian J. Barrett, Gillian L. Galford, Chris J. Moran, Britaldo S. Soares-Filho
Mining Drives Extensive Deforestation In The Brazilian Amazon, Laura J. Sonter, Diego Herrera, Damian J. Barrett, Gillian L. Galford, Chris J. Moran, Britaldo S. Soares-Filho
Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources Faculty Publications
Mining poses significant and potentially underestimated risks to tropical forests worldwide. In Brazil's Amazon, mining drives deforestation far beyond operational lease boundaries, yet the full extent of these impacts is unknown and thus neglected in environmental licensing. Here we quantify mining-induced deforestation and investigate the aspects of mining operations, which most likely contribute. We find mining significantly increased Amazon forest loss up to 70 km beyond mining lease boundaries, causing 11,670 km2 of deforestation between 2005 and 2015. This extent represents 9% of all Amazon forest loss during this time and 12 times more deforestation than occurred within mining leases …
A Multi-Country Assessment Of Factors Related To Smallholder Food Security In Varying Rainfall Conditions, Meredith T. Niles, Molly E. Brown
A Multi-Country Assessment Of Factors Related To Smallholder Food Security In Varying Rainfall Conditions, Meredith T. Niles, Molly E. Brown
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications
Given that smallholder farmers are frequently food insecure and rely significantly on rain-fed agriculture, it is critical to examine climate variability and food insecurity. We utilize data from smallholder farmer surveys from 12 countries with 30 years of rainfall data to examine how rainfall variability and household resources are correlated with food security. We find that on average, households that experienced a drier than average year are 3.81 months food insecure, while households within a normal range of rainfall were 3.67 months food insecure, and wetter than average households were 2.86 months food insecure. Reduced odds of food insecurity is …
Genomic Signature Of Adaptive Divergence Despite Strong Nonadaptive Forces On Edaphic Islands: A Case Study Of Primulina Juliae, Jing Wang, Chao Feng, Tenglong Jiao, Eric Bishop Von Wettberg, Ming Kang
Genomic Signature Of Adaptive Divergence Despite Strong Nonadaptive Forces On Edaphic Islands: A Case Study Of Primulina Juliae, Jing Wang, Chao Feng, Tenglong Jiao, Eric Bishop Von Wettberg, Ming Kang
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications
Both genetic drift and divergent selection are expected to be strong evolutionary forces driving population differentiation on edaphic habitat islands. However, the relative contribution of genetic drift and divergent selection to population divergence has rarely been tested simultaneously. In this study, restriction-site associated DNA-based population genomic analyses were applied to assess the relative importance of drift and divergent selection on population divergence of Primulina juliae, an edaphic specialist fromsouthern China. All populations were found with low standing genetic variation, small effective population size (NE), and signatures of bottlenecks. Populations with the lowest genetic variation were most genetically differentiated from other …
How We Met Our Data Librarian: Designing, Recruiting, And Implementing A New Position, Graham Sherriff, Christie Silkotch, Laurie Kutner, Fred C. Pond, Laura L. Haines
How We Met Our Data Librarian: Designing, Recruiting, And Implementing A New Position, Graham Sherriff, Christie Silkotch, Laurie Kutner, Fred C. Pond, Laura L. Haines
University Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications
Strategic support for a range of data management needs has emerged as a campus-level priority at UVM, as at many other colleges and universities. In Spring 2017, the UVM Libraries reconfigured the vacant position of “Science Librarian” as “Science and Data Librarian” with new responsibilities for supporting data management. This presentation will describe a case study of how the UVM Libraries aligned these responsibilities with campus needs and initiatives; what we learned about data librarianship from the recruitment process; and the opportunities for an incoming librarian shaping the course of new library services.
Recoding “Guide On The Side” To Collect Learner Performance Data: Collaboration, Customization, And Assessment, Graham Sherriff
Recoding “Guide On The Side” To Collect Learner Performance Data: Collaboration, Customization, And Assessment, Graham Sherriff
University Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications
University of Vermont (UVM) libraries use the open-source tutorial platform “Guide on the Side”. This flexible and robust platform for split-screen tutorials provides learners with dynamic, authentic learning experiences. But the out-of-the-box program has a major shortcoming: learners’ performance data is generated in the form of email “certificates”. This poster describes how we collaborated with a UVM Center for Teaching and Learning programmer on the integration of custom code that aggregates and reports this data. It explains how our custom installation now supports the validation of our learning objects and the large-scale assessment of our students’ performance.
The Complete Chloroplast Genome Of Primulina And Two Novel Strategies For Development Of High Polymorphic Loci For Population Genetic And Phylogenetic Studies, Chao Feng, Meizhen Xu, Chen Feng, Eric J.B. Von Wettberg, Ming Kang
The Complete Chloroplast Genome Of Primulina And Two Novel Strategies For Development Of High Polymorphic Loci For Population Genetic And Phylogenetic Studies, Chao Feng, Meizhen Xu, Chen Feng, Eric J.B. Von Wettberg, Ming Kang
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications
Background: Primulina Hance is an emerging model for studying evolutionary divergence, adaptation and speciation of the karst flora. However, phylogenetic relationships within the genus have not been resolved due to low variation detected in the cpDNA regions. Chloroplast genomes can provide important information for phylogenetic and population genetic studies. Recent advances in next-generation sequencing (NGS) techniques greatly facilitate sequencing whole chloroplast genomes for multiple individuals. Consequently, novel strategies for development of highly polymorphic loci for population genetic and phylogenetic studies based on NGS data are needed. Methods: For development of high polymorphic loci for population genetic and phylogenetic studies, two …
Climate Change And Food Systems: Assessing Impacts And Opportunities, Meredith T. Niles, Richie Ahuja, Jimena M. Esquivel, Nelson Mango, Mil Duncan, Martin Heller, Cristina Tirado
Climate Change And Food Systems: Assessing Impacts And Opportunities, Meredith T. Niles, Richie Ahuja, Jimena M. Esquivel, Nelson Mango, Mil Duncan, Martin Heller, Cristina Tirado
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications
No abstract provided.
Deciphering The Enigma Of Undetected Species, Phylogenetic, And Functional Diversity Based On Good-Turing Theory, Anne Chao, Chun Huo Chiu, Robert K. Colwell, Luiz Fernando S. Magnago, Robin L. Chazdon, Nicholas J. Gotelli
Deciphering The Enigma Of Undetected Species, Phylogenetic, And Functional Diversity Based On Good-Turing Theory, Anne Chao, Chun Huo Chiu, Robert K. Colwell, Luiz Fernando S. Magnago, Robin L. Chazdon, Nicholas J. Gotelli
College of Arts and Sciences Faculty Publications
Estimating the species, phylogenetic, and functional diversity of a community is challenging because rare species are often undetected, even with intensive sampling. The Good-Turing frequency formula, originally developed for cryptography, estimates in an ecological context the true frequencies of rare species in a single assemblage based on an incomplete sample of individuals. Until now, this formula has never been used to estimate undetected species, phylogenetic, and functional diversity. Here, we first generalize the Good-Turing formula to incomplete sampling of two assemblages. The original formula and its two-assemblage generalization provide a novel and unified approach to notation, terminology, and estimation of …
A Comprehensive Framework For The Study Of Species Co-Occurrences, Nestedness And Turnover, Werner Ulrich, Wojciech Kryszewski, Piotr Sewerniak, Radosław Puchałka, Giovanni Strona, Nicholas J. Gotelli
A Comprehensive Framework For The Study Of Species Co-Occurrences, Nestedness And Turnover, Werner Ulrich, Wojciech Kryszewski, Piotr Sewerniak, Radosław Puchałka, Giovanni Strona, Nicholas J. Gotelli
College of Arts and Sciences Faculty Publications
Binary presence–absence matrices (rows = species, columns = sites) are often used to quantify patterns of species co-occurrence, and to infer possible biotic interactions from these patterns. Previous classifications of co-occurrence patterns as nested, segregated, or modular have led to contradictory results and conclusions. These analyses usually do not incorporate the functional traits of the species or the environmental characteristics of the sites, even though the outcomes of species interactions often depend on trait expression and site quality. Here we address this shortcoming by developing a method that incorporates realized functional and environmental niches, and relates them to species co-occurrence …
Quantifying The Impact That New Capital Projects Will Have On Roadway Snow And Ice Control Operations, James Sullivan, Jonathan Dowds, David Novak, Darren Scott, Cliff Ragsdale
Quantifying The Impact That New Capital Projects Will Have On Roadway Snow And Ice Control Operations, James Sullivan, Jonathan Dowds, David Novak, Darren Scott, Cliff Ragsdale
University of Vermont Transportation Research Center
In recent years, many states have experienced heavy burdens on their snow and ice control budgets. Increases in winter/spring precipitation results in increased costs to state DOTs for winter roadway maintenance materials (salt, sand, chemicals, etc.), plow operator time, equipment maintenance and replacement budgets, and fuel use. As state DOTs adjust to climate conditions that include not only more precipitation, but more severe and unpredictable weather events, it will become increasingly important to integrate the cost of roadway snow and ice control (RSIC) operations into their capital-project planning processes. The overall goal of this project was to support state DOTs’ …
Closing The Reference Desk: Increasing Number Of Questions Asked, And Level Of Librarian Embeddedness, Laura Haines, Alice Stokes
Closing The Reference Desk: Increasing Number Of Questions Asked, And Level Of Librarian Embeddedness, Laura Haines, Alice Stokes
University Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications
In January 2016, Dana Medical Library closed its physical Reference Desk and moved to an on-demand reference service model. Reference needs are now predominantly met by para-professional staff at a Main Desk. Librarians answer chat, email and telephone questions in their offices on a shift basis, and respond to more complex questions from in person walk-ins referred from the Main Desk. Patrons can also schedule consultations directly with librarians. Over a year later, the number of interactions has increased, and librarians are more engaged in units across campus. This poster explores the transition from physical desk to on-call service, and …
Isolation By Distance, Not Rivers, Control The Distribution Of Termite Species In The Amazonian Rain Forest, Cristian S. Dambros, José W. Morais, Renato A. Azevedo, Nicholas J. Gotelli
Isolation By Distance, Not Rivers, Control The Distribution Of Termite Species In The Amazonian Rain Forest, Cristian S. Dambros, José W. Morais, Renato A. Azevedo, Nicholas J. Gotelli
College of Arts and Sciences Faculty Publications
The spatial distribution of species is affected by dispersal barriers, local environmental conditions and climate. However, the effect of species dispersal and their adaptation to the environment across geographic scales is poorly understood. To investigate the distribution of species from local to broad geographic scales, we sampled termites in 198 transects distributed in 13 sampling grids in the Brazilian Amazonian forest. The sampling grids encompassed an area of 271 500 km2 and included the five major biogeographic regions delimited by Amazonian rivers. Environmental data for each transect were obtained from local measurements and remote sensing. Similar to previous studies, termite …
Environmental Proteomics Reveals Taxonomic And Functional Changes In An Enriched Aquatic Ecosystem, Amanda C. Northrop, Rachel K. Brooks, Aaron M. Ellison, Nicholas J. Gotelli, Bryan A. Ballif
Environmental Proteomics Reveals Taxonomic And Functional Changes In An Enriched Aquatic Ecosystem, Amanda C. Northrop, Rachel K. Brooks, Aaron M. Ellison, Nicholas J. Gotelli, Bryan A. Ballif
College of Arts and Sciences Faculty Publications
Aquatic ecosystem enrichment can lead to distinct and irreversible changes to undesirable states. Understanding changes in active microbial community function and composition following organic matter loading in enriched ecosystems can help identify biomarkers of such state changes. In a field experiment, we enriched replicate aquatic ecosystems in the pitchers of the northern pitcher plant, Sarracenia purpurea. Shotgun metaproteomics using a custom metagenomic database identified proteins, molecular pathways, and contributing microbial taxa that differentiated control ecosystems from those that were enriched. The number of microbial taxa contributing to protein expression was comparable between treatments; however, taxonomic evenness was higher in controls. …
Studying Human Behavior For Species Conservation, Hilary Byerly, Brendan Fisher
Studying Human Behavior For Species Conservation, Hilary Byerly, Brendan Fisher
Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources Faculty Publications
No abstract provided.
2015 Maple Business Benchmark, Mark Cannella, Christopher Lindgren, Betsy Miller
2015 Maple Business Benchmark, Mark Cannella, Christopher Lindgren, Betsy Miller
UVM Extension Faculty Publications
The 2015 Maple Business Benchmark is the third year of financial analysis for a small group of commercial syrup producers. The University of Vermont Extension worked with 14 maple producers to complete financial analysis of their maple enterprise. This report demonstrates key management and financial metrics including: yield statistics, land use, operating costs, investment requirements, total cost of production, marketing strategy and net income. The participants represent a small sample of the entire Vermont maple industry but the findings can compel any manager to consider the methods and results of financial analysis for their particular business situations. This report will …
Identifying The Spatial Pattern And Importance Of Hydro-Geomorphic Drainage Impairments On Unpaved Roads In The Northeastern Usa, Beverley C. Wemple, Gordon E. Clark, Donald S. Ross, Donna M. Rizzo
Identifying The Spatial Pattern And Importance Of Hydro-Geomorphic Drainage Impairments On Unpaved Roads In The Northeastern Usa, Beverley C. Wemple, Gordon E. Clark, Donald S. Ross, Donna M. Rizzo
College of Arts and Sciences Faculty Publications
Roads have been widely studied as sources of runoff and sediment and identified as pollutant production sources to receiving waters. Despite the wealth of research on logging roads in forested, upland settings, little work has been conducted to examine the role of extensive networks of rural, low-volume, unpaved roads on water quality degradation at the catchment scale. We studied a network of municipal unpaved roads in the northeastern US to identify the type and spatial extent of ‘hydro-geomorphic impairments’ to water quality. We mapped erosional and depositional features on roads to develop an estimate of pollutant production. We also mapped …
Ecological Network Metrics: Opportunities For Synthesis, Matthew K. Lau, Stuart R. Borrett, Benjamin Baiser, Nicholas J. Gotelli, Aaron M. Ellison
Ecological Network Metrics: Opportunities For Synthesis, Matthew K. Lau, Stuart R. Borrett, Benjamin Baiser, Nicholas J. Gotelli, Aaron M. Ellison
College of Arts and Sciences Faculty Publications
Network ecology provides a systems basis for approaching ecological questions, such as factors that influence biological diversity, the role of particular species or particular traits in structuring ecosystems, and long-term ecological dynamics (e.g., stability). Whereas the introduction of network theory has enabled ecologists to quantify not only the degree, but also the architecture of ecological complexity, these advances have come at the cost of introducing new challenges, including new theoretical concepts and metrics, and increased data complexity and computational intensity. Synthesizing recent developments in the network ecology literature, we point to several potential solutions to these issues: integrating network metrics …
Mountain Forests And Sustainable Development: The Potential For Achieving The United Nations' 2030 Agenda, Georg Gratzer, William S. Keeton
Mountain Forests And Sustainable Development: The Potential For Achieving The United Nations' 2030 Agenda, Georg Gratzer, William S. Keeton
Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources Faculty Publications
The world is facing numerous and severe environmental, social, and economic challenges. To address these, in September 2015 the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the resolution Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The United Nations' 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) and their 169 targets are ambitious, broadly encompassing, and indivisible. They are intended to guide nations and communities toward attaining healthy and peaceful livelihoods free of poverty and hunger. Collectively the goals envision sound and safe environments, where global threats like climate change are successfully combated through both mitigation and adaptation. Agenda 2030 envisages sustainable …
The Changing Risk Of Extreme Event Impacts On Vermont Transportation Infrastructure, Arne Bomblies
The Changing Risk Of Extreme Event Impacts On Vermont Transportation Infrastructure, Arne Bomblies
University of Vermont Transportation Research Center
Vermont is seeing significant increases in extreme precipitation, total precipitation, and precipitation persistence. These changes can affect the behavior of stream flows, resulting in changing magnitude of extreme flows such as the 100-year discharge. For hydraulic design of culverts and bridges, design flows are traditionally used based on assumptions of stationarity, resulting in a design that does not incorporate ongoing changes in streamflow behavior. This report describes a modeling study in the Mad River and the Missisquoi River that derives change factors for Vermont that can be applied to the magnitude of a design discharge (100- year, 50-year flow and …
Nutrient Leaching From Compost: Implications For Bioretention And Other Green Stormwater Infrastructure, Stephanie Hurley, Paliza Shrestha, Amanda Cording
Nutrient Leaching From Compost: Implications For Bioretention And Other Green Stormwater Infrastructure, Stephanie Hurley, Paliza Shrestha, Amanda Cording
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications
This work is made available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license,. Compost is often used as a soil amendment in gardens, agricultural fields, and other landscaped systems to alter soil biophysical characteristics and increase availability of valuable nutrients including nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and carbon (C). However, leaching of soluble nutrients from compost is of concern, particularly in wet settings, such as within green stormwater infrastructure, riparian areas, and floodplains. This research highlights the importance of saturation as an influencing factor on the nutrient leaching potential of different composts and compost-amended bioretention soils. Nutrient leaching …
Community-Level Regulation Of Temporal Trends In Biodiversity, Nicholas J. Gotelli, Hideyasu Shimadzu, Maria Dornelas, Brian Mcgill, Faye Moyes, Anne E. Magurran
Community-Level Regulation Of Temporal Trends In Biodiversity, Nicholas J. Gotelli, Hideyasu Shimadzu, Maria Dornelas, Brian Mcgill, Faye Moyes, Anne E. Magurran
College of Arts and Sciences Faculty Publications
Many theoretical models of community dynamics predict that species richness (S) and total abundance (N) are regulated in their temporal fluctuations. We present novel evidence for widespread regulation of biodiversity. For 59 plant and animal assemblages from around the globe monitored annually for a decade or more, the majority exhibited regulated fluctuations compared to the null hypothesis of an unconstrained random walk. However, there was little evidence for statistical artifacts, regulation driven by correlations with average annual temperature, or local-scale compensatory fluctuations in S or N. In the absence of major environmental perturbations, such as urbanization or cropland transformation, species …
Heat Tolerance Predicts The Importance Of Species Interaction Effects As The Climate Changes, Sarah E. Diamond, Lacy Chick, Clint A. Penick, Lauren M. Nichols, Sara Helms Cahan, Robert R. Dunn, Aaron M. Ellison, Nathan J. Sanders, Nicholas J. Gotelli
Heat Tolerance Predicts The Importance Of Species Interaction Effects As The Climate Changes, Sarah E. Diamond, Lacy Chick, Clint A. Penick, Lauren M. Nichols, Sara Helms Cahan, Robert R. Dunn, Aaron M. Ellison, Nathan J. Sanders, Nicholas J. Gotelli
College of Arts and Sciences Faculty Publications
Few studies have quantified the relative importance of direct effects of climate change on communities versus indirect effects that are mediated thorough species interactions, and the limited evidence is conflicting. Trait-based approaches have been popular in studies of climate change, but can they be used to estimate direct versus indirect effects? At the species level, thermal tolerance is a trait that is often used to predict winners and losers under scenarios of climate change. But thermal tolerance might also inform when species interactions are likely to be important because only subsets of species will be able to exploit the available …
Accounting For Photodegradation Dramatically Improves Prediction Of Carbon Losses In Dryland Systems, E. Carol Adair, William J. Parton, Jennifer Y. King, Leslie A. Brandt, Yang Lin
Accounting For Photodegradation Dramatically Improves Prediction Of Carbon Losses In Dryland Systems, E. Carol Adair, William J. Parton, Jennifer Y. King, Leslie A. Brandt, Yang Lin
Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources Faculty Publications
Traditional models of decomposition fail to capture litter mass loss patterns in dryland systems. This shortcoming has stimulated research into alternative drivers of decomposition, including photodegradation. Here, we use aboveground litter decomposition data for dryland (arid) sites from the Long-term Intersite Decomposition Experiment Team data set to test hypotheses (models) about the mechanisms and impacts of photodegradation. Incorporating photodegradation into a traditional biotic decomposition model substantially improved model predictions for mass loss at these dryland sites, especially after four years. The best model accounted for the effects of solar radiation via photodegradation loss from the intermediate cellulosic and lignin pools …