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Articles 1 - 12 of 12

Full-Text Articles in Forest Sciences

Environmental Forcing Does Not Induce Diel Or Synoptic Variation In The Carbon Isotope Content Of Forest Soil Respiration, Steven J. Hall, D. R. Bowling, J. E. Egan Aug 2015

Environmental Forcing Does Not Induce Diel Or Synoptic Variation In The Carbon Isotope Content Of Forest Soil Respiration, Steven J. Hall, D. R. Bowling, J. E. Egan

Steven J. Hall

Recent studies have examined temporal fluctuations in the amount and carbon isotope content (δ13C) of CO2 produced by the respiration of roots and soil organisms. These changes have been correlated with diel cycles of environmental forcing (e.g., sunlight and soil temperature) and with synoptic-scale atmospheric motion (e.g., rain events and pressure-induced ventilation). We used an extensive suite of measurements to examine soil respiration over 2 months in a subalpine forest in Colorado, USA (the Niwot Ridge AmeriFlux forest). Observations included automated measurements of CO2 and δ13C of CO2 in the soil efflux, the soil gas profile, and forest air. There …


Improving Alternate Lignin Catabolite Utilization Of Ligab From Sphingobium Sp. Strain Syk-6 Through Site Directed Mutagenesis, Kevin P. Barry, Erin F. Cohn, Abraham Ngu, Erika A. Taylor Jun 2015

Improving Alternate Lignin Catabolite Utilization Of Ligab From Sphingobium Sp. Strain Syk-6 Through Site Directed Mutagenesis, Kevin P. Barry, Erin F. Cohn, Abraham Ngu, Erika A. Taylor

Erika A. Taylor, Ph.D.

Protocatechuate 4,5-dioxygenase (LigAB) catalyzes dioxygenation of multiple lignin derived aromatic compounds—such as protocatechuate (PCA), gallate (GA) and 3-O-methyl gallate (3OMG)—with decreasing proficiency as the molecule size increases. We predicted that phenylalanine-103 of the α subunit (Phe103α) controls substrate specificity through interaction with the C5-funtionality of bound substrates, and mutagenesis would enhance GA and 3OMG catalysis. LigAB with Phe103α mutations (F103 V, F103T and F103H) displayed enhanced catalytic efficiency for dioxygenation of 3OMG, with mutants displaying 12- to 31-fold increases in View the MathML source, making these mutant enzymes more active with 3OMG than its native dioxygenase (DesZ). The F103T and …


Annual Brome Biocontrol After Wildfire Using A Native Fungal Seed Pathogen, Susan E. Meyer, Phil S. Allen, Julie Beckstead, Michael Gregg, Heidi Newsome, Kathleen Harcksen, Gary Kidd, Glenn Paulsen, Karen Prentice, Dana Quinney, David Wilderman, Stephanie Carlson, Suzette Clement, Duane Smith, Thom Stewart, Katie Merrill, Keith Merrill, Kedra Foote, Stephen Harrison, Kelly Bergen, Brian Connelly, Trevor Davis, Sandra Dooley, Michael Huck, Laura Street, Lauren Miller Jun 2015

Annual Brome Biocontrol After Wildfire Using A Native Fungal Seed Pathogen, Susan E. Meyer, Phil S. Allen, Julie Beckstead, Michael Gregg, Heidi Newsome, Kathleen Harcksen, Gary Kidd, Glenn Paulsen, Karen Prentice, Dana Quinney, David Wilderman, Stephanie Carlson, Suzette Clement, Duane Smith, Thom Stewart, Katie Merrill, Keith Merrill, Kedra Foote, Stephen Harrison, Kelly Bergen, Brian Connelly, Trevor Davis, Sandra Dooley, Michael Huck, Laura Street, Lauren Miller

Benjamin L. Harwood

A major problem in post-fire restoration of semi-arid shrublands dominated by annual bromes is the presence of carryover seed banks that cannot be controlled using conventional methods. These seeds can provide significant competition for seeded species in the years following treatment. We investigated the feasibility of using a naturally occurring seed pathogen, the ascomycete Pyrenophora semeniperda, as a biocontrol organism for eliminating this carryover seed bank. We carried out the necessary technology development to create and apply field inoculum to cheatgrass- or red brome-infested areas (both burned and unburned) at six sites located in three states across two years of …


Overstory Dynamics In An Uncut Pine-Hardwood Stand: Lessons From Seventy Years Of Passive Management, Don Bragg, Michael G. Shelton Apr 2015

Overstory Dynamics In An Uncut Pine-Hardwood Stand: Lessons From Seventy Years Of Passive Management, Don Bragg, Michael G. Shelton

Michael Shelton

Long-term demonstration projects on experimental forests can be adapted from their original goals to provide insights into contemporary research questions. For instance, a 32.4-hectare cutover parcel on the Crossett Experimental Forest, the eventual Reynolds Research Natural Area (RRNA), was reserved in 1936 to act as a control for more intensively managed study areas. Over the last 70+ years, the RRNA has been allow to develop under 'natural' conditions that include no harvesting or other human interventions-with the notable exception of fire control. From 1937 until the most recent measurement in 2007, overall stand basal increased from about 20 to 36 …


Large Fluxes And Rapid Turnover Of Mineral-Associated Carbon Across Topographic Gradients In A Humid Tropical Forest: Insights From Paired 14c Analysis, Steven J. Hall, G. Mcnicol, T. Natake, W. L. Silver Apr 2015

Large Fluxes And Rapid Turnover Of Mineral-Associated Carbon Across Topographic Gradients In A Humid Tropical Forest: Insights From Paired 14c Analysis, Steven J. Hall, G. Mcnicol, T. Natake, W. L. Silver

Steven J. Hall

It has been proposed that the large soil carbon (C) stocks of humid tropical forests result predominantly from C stabilization by reactive minerals, whereas oxygen (O2) limitation of decomposition has received much less attention. We examined the importance of these factors in explaining patterns of C stocks and turnover in the Luquillo Experimental Forest, Puerto Rico, using radiocarbon (14C) measurements of contemporary and archived samples. Samples from ridge, slope, and valley positions spanned three soil orders (Ultisol, Oxisol, Inceptisol) representative of humid tropical forests, and differed in texture, reactive metal content, O2 availability, and root biomass. Mineral-associated C comprised the …


Tb178: Methods For Evaluating Carbon Fractions In Forest Soils: A Review, Jennifer L. Evans, Ivan J. Fernandez, Lindsey E. Rustad, Stephen A. Norton Mar 2015

Tb178: Methods For Evaluating Carbon Fractions In Forest Soils: A Review, Jennifer L. Evans, Ivan J. Fernandez, Lindsey E. Rustad, Stephen A. Norton

Ivan J. Fernandez

This publication was developed as part of an effort to evaluate the existing methodologies for determining carbon fractions in soils that might be applied to the question of forest soil C sequestration. A great deal of research has been done on this topic although often focused on agronomic soils. Forest land managers will be increasingly interested in identifying methods to monitor and to evaluate the effects of forest practices on soil C reserves. As well researchers are interested in this and the logical linkages to N cycling. Ultimately practical methods that can be widely utilized will be needed; these may …


Soil Denitrification Fluxes From Three Northeastern North American Forests Across A Range Of Nitrogen Deposition, Jennifer Morse, Jorge Durán, Fred Beall, Eric Enanga, Irena Creed, Ivan Fernandez, Peter Groffman Mar 2015

Soil Denitrification Fluxes From Three Northeastern North American Forests Across A Range Of Nitrogen Deposition, Jennifer Morse, Jorge Durán, Fred Beall, Eric Enanga, Irena Creed, Ivan Fernandez, Peter Groffman

Ivan J. Fernandez

In northern forests, large amounts of missing N that dominate N balances at scales ranging from small watersheds to large regional drainage basins may be related to N-gas production by soil microbes. We measured denitrification rates in forest soils in northeastern North America along a N deposition gradient to determine whether N-gas fluxes were a significant fate for atmospheric N inputs and whether denitrification rates were correlated with N availability, soil O2 status, or forest type. We quantified N2 and N2O fluxes in the laboratory with an intact-core method and monitored soil O2, temperature and moisture in three forests differing …


Tb196: Temperature, Soil Moisture, And Streamflow At The Bear Brook Watershed In Maine (Bbwm), Ivan J. Fernandez, Joseph E. Karem, Stephen A. Norton, Lindsey E. Rustad Mar 2015

Tb196: Temperature, Soil Moisture, And Streamflow At The Bear Brook Watershed In Maine (Bbwm), Ivan J. Fernandez, Joseph E. Karem, Stephen A. Norton, Lindsey E. Rustad

Ivan J. Fernandez

The Bear Brook Watershed in Maine is a whole-ecosystem chemical manipulation initiated in 1987 to study the effects of acid deposition on forests and surface waters. The focus of this research was to understand the biogeochemical response of watersheds with emphasis on chemistry and hydrology. In 2001 a program was initiated to provide more detailed measurements of temperature and moisture to examine critical linkages amongst chemical, biological, and physical processes that ultimately work together to define ecosystem function. The purpose of this publication is to provide data from the initial phase of soil temperature, air temperature, and soil moisture measurements …


Tb162: Red Maple And White Pine Litter Quality: Initial Changes With Decomposition, Mairin T. Delaney, Ivan J. Fernandez, Jeffrey A. Simmons, Russel D. Briggs Mar 2015

Tb162: Red Maple And White Pine Litter Quality: Initial Changes With Decomposition, Mairin T. Delaney, Ivan J. Fernandez, Jeffrey A. Simmons, Russel D. Briggs

Ivan J. Fernandez

The specific objectives of this study were (a) to define the organic and inorganic composition of foliar litter from red maple (Acer rubrum L.) and white pine (Pinus strobus L.), and (b) to determine the shifts in the organic and inorganic composition of these two litter types during the initial stages of decomposition. These two species were chosen because of their prominence in the northeastern U.S. and the contrast they afforded in litter quality characteristics which have a strong influence on litter decomposition.


Tb200: Carbon And Nutrients In Maine Forest Soils, Ivan J. Fernandez Mar 2015

Tb200: Carbon And Nutrients In Maine Forest Soils, Ivan J. Fernandez

Ivan J. Fernandez

Recent public concerns surrounding climate change and greenhouse gas emissions have resulted in a lively debate about approaches to fossil fuel offsets and carbon (C) sequestration in forests. The forest community sees opportunities for the intensification of the use of forests for markets ranging from forest products, such as fuel or fuel feedstock, to a range of new bioproducts. This report provides initial insights from an ongoing effort to synthesize forest soils data for Maine. The specific objectives presented here were (1) to develop descriptive statistics for C and measures of available forms of the essential nutrients N, P, and …


Tb195: Element Concentrations In Maine Forest Vegetation And Soils, Chandra J. Mcgee, Ivan J. Fernandez, Stephen A. Norton, Constance S. Stubbs Mar 2015

Tb195: Element Concentrations In Maine Forest Vegetation And Soils, Chandra J. Mcgee, Ivan J. Fernandez, Stephen A. Norton, Constance S. Stubbs

Ivan J. Fernandez

Bioaccumulation of trace metals in plant tissues can present a health risk to wildlife, and potentially to humans. The Passamaquoddy Tribe in Maine was concerned about health risks of cadmium (Cd) because of a health advisory for moose liver and kidney consumption due to high Cd levels. In addition to Cd, this study evaluated concentrations of aluminum (Al), calcium (Ca), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), phosphorus (P), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) in four common terrestrial moose-browse species, associated forest soils, and two species of aquatic vegetation on Passamaquoddy tribal land in eastern …


Collaborative Research: Interactive Effects Of Chronic N Deposition, Acidification, And Phosphorus Limitation On Coupled Element Cycling In Streams, Kevin S. Simons, Ivan J. Fernandez, Stephen A. Norton Mar 2015

Collaborative Research: Interactive Effects Of Chronic N Deposition, Acidification, And Phosphorus Limitation On Coupled Element Cycling In Streams, Kevin S. Simons, Ivan J. Fernandez, Stephen A. Norton

Ivan J. Fernandez

The overarching goal of this project is to understand how chronic acidification and nitrogen enrichment of watersheds influences coupled biogeochemical cycling in streams. Embedded in the project were two primary research elements: 1) examining nitrogen satuartion and the extent of coupling between nitrogen and phosphorus cycling and 2) resolving the interactions among acidification, phosphorus bioavailability and biotic demand for nitrogen and phosphorus. The research involved a series of stable isotope tracer experiments to document nitrogen uptake under ambient and elevated phosphrous conditions and examination of a suite of key microbial processes (denitrification, decomposition, microbial enzyme activity) at two whole-watershed experiment …