A5083345803- Fire effects on ecosystems
- Rangeland and Wildlife Management
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Plant Water Relations and Carbon Dynamics
- Forest Management and Policy
- Forest ecology and management
- Hydrology and Watershed Management Studies
- Landslides and related hazards
- Forest Ecology and Biodiversity Studies
- Tree-ring climate responses
- Forest Insect Ecology and Management
- Atmospheric and Environmental Gas Dynamics
- Irrigation Practices and Water Management
- Hydrology and Sediment Transport Processes
- Peatlands and Wetlands Ecology
- Fire dynamics and safety research
- Soil erosion and sediment transport
- Plant responses to water stress
- Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics
- Economic and Environmental Valuation
- Seedling growth and survival studies
- Soil and Unsaturated Flow
- Collembola Taxonomy and Ecology Studies
The Nature Conservancy
2014-2023
Duke University
2007
University of Georgia
2004-2005
The Jones Center at Ichauway
1999-2005
Increasing fire severity and warmer, drier postfire conditions are making forests in the western United States (West) vulnerable to ecological transformation. Yet, relative importance of interactions between these drivers forest change remain unresolved, particularly over upcoming decades. Here, we assess how interactive impacts changing climate wildfire activity influenced conifer regeneration after 334 wildfires, using a dataset from 10,230 field plots. Our findings highlight declining...
We investigated relationships between whole-tree hydraulic architecture and stomatal conductance in Pinus palustris Mill. (longleaf pine) across habitats that differed soil properties habitat structure. Trees occupying a xeric (characterized by sandy, well-drained soils, higher nitrogen availability lower overstory tree density) were shorter stature had sapwood-to-leaf area ratio (A(S):A(L)) than trees mesic habitat. The soil-leaf water potential gradient (psiS - psiL) leaf-specific (kL)...
We studied the response of stomatal conductance at leaf (gS) and canopy (GS) scales to increasing vapor pressure deficit (D) in mature Pinus palustris Mill. (longleaf pine) growing a sandhill habitat coastal plain southeastern USA. Specifically, we determined if variation D was related hydraulic along soil-to-leaf pathway (KL) over course season. Reductions KL were associated with severe season drought that significantly reduced soil water content (θ) upper 90-cm profile. Although recovered...
ABSTRACT Although deep roots can contribute substantially to whole‐tree water use, little is known about root functioning because of limited access for in situ measurements. We used a cave system on the Edwards Plateau central Texas investigate physiology transport at 18–20 m depth two common tree species, Quercus fusiformis and Bumelia lanuginosa . Using sap flow potential measurements roots, we found that calculated hydraulic conductivity (RHC) fluctuated diurnally both species decreased...
Concern over increasing wildfire activity in the last few decades has prompted increased investment fuels reduction treatments worldwide. Prescribed fire is a commonly used management tool for reducing and modifying subsequent dynamics, yet influence of prescribed on difficult to evaluate empirically due often unpredictable nature wildfire. In this study we evaluated 30-year record wildfire, drought at Fort Benning, 74 000-ha military training installation west-central Georgia, USA. Annual...
Concerns over wildfire impacts to water supplies have motivated efforts mitigate risk by reducing forest fuels. Methods assess fuel treatment effects and prioritise their placement are needed guide mitigation efforts. We present a optimisation model minimise multiple based on constraints for feasibility cost. Risk is quantified as the expected sediment impact costs combining measures of fire likelihood behaviour, erosion, transport supply vulnerability. demonstrate model’s utility...
Abstract In recent decades, conservation objectives have driven changes to the management of some pine forests in southeastern United States. Forest thinning and frequent burning old‐field plantation resulted an open loblolly–shortleaf forest community which resembles original longleaf forest. It is, however, unclear how structure, composition, function compare natural forest, whether it represents alternative stable state, or simply a transitional state. Understanding stability is critical,...
Abstract The escalating climate and wildfire crises have generated worldwide interest in using proactive forest management (e.g. thinning, prescribed fire, cultural burning) to mitigate the risk of wildfire-caused carbon loss forests. To estimate western United States (US) conifer forests, we used a generalizable framework evaluate interactions among hazard exposure vulnerability. By evaluating where high social adaptive capacity for overlaps with most vulnerable loss, identified opportunity...
Abstract The influence of forest treatments on wildfire effects is challenging to interpret. This is, in part, because the impact have can be slight and variable across many factors. Effectiveness a treatment also depends metric considered. We present define human–fire interaction, fire behavior, ecological metrics discuss important considerations recommendations for evaluating treatments. demonstrate these concepts using case study from Cameron Peak Fire Colorado, USA. Pre-fire generally,...
Herbicide site preparation is common in longleaf pine artificial regeneration and restoration to reduce competition promote seedling establishment. However, few studies have evaluated longer-term influences of herbicide on ecosystem development fire management. We report results from a field study Fort Benning, Georgia, initiated 2003 evaluate the response seedlings, woody plant stem density, herbaceous vegetation cover, species richness, fine fuels two treatments: imazapyr/glyphosate...
Young longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) plantations provide an important starting point for restoration of ecosystems in the southeastern United States, with management goals often emphasizing vegetation composition and structure, as well reestablishment ecological processes such fire. We evaluated influence seasonal prescribed fire overstory density on structure across overstory, midstory, understory strata a 23-year-old plantation west-central Georgia. After three cycles through 8...