A5070128874- Peatlands and Wetlands Ecology
- Fire effects on ecosystems
- Fish Ecology and Management Studies
- Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamics
- Hydrology and Watershed Management Studies
- Transportation Safety and Impact Analysis
- Science and Climate Studies
- Wildlife-Road Interactions and Conservation
- Atmospheric and Environmental Gas Dynamics
- Hydrological Forecasting Using AI
- Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management
- Water Resource Management and Quality
- Fish biology, ecology, and behavior
- Evacuation and Crowd Dynamics
- Safety Warnings and Signage
- Aquatic Ecosystems and Phytoplankton Dynamics
- Marine and coastal ecosystems
- Hydrology and Sediment Transport Processes
- Biological Control of Invasive Species
- Fish Biology and Ecology Studies
- Hydropower, Displacement, Environmental Impact
- Constructed Wetlands for Wastewater Treatment
- Land Use and Ecosystem Services
- Urban Green Space and Health
- Marine and environmental studies
Stanford University
2022-2025
University of California, Santa Cruz
2024-2025
ETH Zurich
2017-2023
Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology
2019-2023
Duke University
1970-2020
École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
2018
Abstract. The impact of large dams is a popular topic in environmental science, but the importance altered water quality as driver ecological impacts often missing from such discussions. This partly because information on relationship between and relatively sparse fragmentary, especially for low-latitude developing countries where dam building now concentrated. In this paper, we review synthesize effects damming with special focus low latitudes. We find that two ultimate physical processes...
Ongoing conflict resolution in Colombia brings an opportunity for economic development of impoverished communities and a conservation threat deforestation newly accessible rural areas. Ecotourism is often proposed as “win–win” solution developing countries to meet both needs. With the highest number bird species any country, including 443 rare highly valued by bird-watchers, has unique develop lucrative conservation-friendly bird-watching tourism industry postconflict Through geospatial...
Abstract. Peatlands store large amounts of soil carbon and freshwater, constituting an important component the global hydrologic cycles. Accurate information on extent distribution peatlands is presently lacking but needed by Earth system models (ESMs) to simulate effects climate change balance. Here, we present Peat-ML, a spatially continuous map peatland fractional coverage generated using machine learning (ML) techniques suitable for use as prescribed geophysical field in ESM. Inputs our...
Abstract Peatlands are some of the world’s most carbon-dense ecosystems and release substantial quantities greenhouse gases when degraded. However, conserving peatlands in many tropical areas is challenging due to limited knowledge their distribution. To address this, we surveyed soils plant communities Colombia’s eastern lowlands, where few have previously been described. We documented peat >40 cm thick at 51 more than 100 wetlands. use our data update a regional peatland classification,...
Worldwide, regularly recurring wildfires shape many peatland ecosystems to the extent that fire-adapted species often dominate plant communities, suggesting wildfire is an integral part of ecology rather than anomaly. The most destructive blazes are smoldering fires usually initiated in periods drought and can combust entire carbon stores. However, more typically occur as low-severity surface burns arise dormant season when vegetation desiccated, soil moisture high. In such fires, layers...
Bird-window collisions cause an estimated one billion bird deaths annually in the United States. Building characteristics and surrounding habitat affect collision frequency. Given importance of as anthropogenic threat to birds, mitigation is essential. Patterned glass UV-reflective films have been proven prevent collisions. At Duke University's West campus Durham, North Carolina, we set out identify buildings building associated with highest frequencies order propose a strategy. We surveyed...
Recent studies show that tropical hydroelectric reservoirs may be responsible for substantial greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere, yet from surface of released water downstream dam are poorly characterized if not neglected entirely most assessments. We found carbon dioxide (CO2) emission Kariba Dam (southern Africa) varied widely over different timescales and accounting their fluctuations is critically important reservoir budget. Seasonal variation was driven by stratification...
Invasions of water bodies by floating vegetation, including hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), are a huge global problem for fisheries, hydropower generation, and transportation. We analyzed plant coverage on 20 reservoirs across the world's tropics subtropics, using > 30 year time-series LANDSAT remote-sensing imagery. Despite decades costly weed control, invasion severity is increasing. Floating correlates with expanding urban land cover in catchments, implicating nutrient sources as...
ABSTRACT Global peatlands store more carbon than all the world's forests biomass on just 3% of planet's land surface. Failure to address mounting threats peatland ecosystems will jeopardize critical climate targets and exacerbate biodiversity loss. Our analysis reveals that 17% are protected globally—substantially less many other high‐value ecosystems. Just 11% percent boreal 27% temperate tropical protected, while Indigenous peoples' lands encompass at least another one‐quarter globally....
White sand ecosystems (WSE)- known locally as Campinarana, Campinarana florestada (in Brazil) or Caatinga Amazonica (Venezuela) are typically thin-stemmed, nutrient scarce, low canopy located on sandy soils (podzols) distributed across the Amazon basin. It has been previously documented that WSEs can form histosol layers capable of storing significant carbon, but existing studies limited in geographic scope and quantity data points. Notably a new study measured up to 2m peat Colombian WSEs,...
Abstract The extent and distribution of tropical peatlands, their importance as a vulnerable carbon (C) store, remain poorly quantified. Although large peatland complexes in Peru, the Congo basin, Southeast Asia have been mapped detail, information on many other areas is uncertain. In Eastern Colombian lowlands, area estimates range from 700 km 2 to nearly 60,000 , leading highly uncertain C stocks. Using new field data, high‐resolution Earth observation (EO), random forest approach, we...
Wittig, T. W., N. L. Cagle, Ocampo-Peñuela, R. Scott Winton, E. Zambello, and Z. Lichtneger. 2017. Species traits local abundance affect bird-window collision frequency. Avian Conservation Ecology 12(1):17. https://doi.org/10.5751/ACE-01014-120117
Hydropower dams along with urban and agricultural land-use changes are altering surface water quality in the Zambezi River Basin, Zambia. Field data reveal local impacts point to monitoring needs for safeguarding resources under pressure.
Tropical wetlands are thought to be the most important source of interannual variability in atmospheric methane (CH4) concentrations, yet sparse data prevents them from being incorporated into Earth system models. This problem is particularly pronounced neotropics where bottom-up models based on water table depth incongruent with top-down inversion suggesting unaccounted sinks or sources CH4. The newly documented vast areas peatlands Amazon basin may account for an unrecognized CH4 source,...
Abstract. Peatlands store large amounts of soil carbon and freshwater, constituting an important component the global hydrologic cycles. Accurate information on extent distribution peatlands is presently lacking but needed by Earth System Models (ESMs) to simulate effects climate change balance. Here, we present Peat-ML, a spatially continuous map peatland fractional coverage generated using machine learning techniques suitable for use as prescribed geophysical field in ESM. Inputs our...
Abstract Tropical peatlands are among the most carbon-dense terrestrial ecosystems yet recorded. Collectively, they comprise a large but highly uncertain reservoir of global carbon cycle, with wide-ranging estimates their area (441 025–1700 000 km 2 ) and below-ground storage (105–288 Pg C). Substantial gaps remain in our understanding peatland distribution some key regions, including tropical South America. Here we compile 2413 ground reference points around Amazonian use them alongside...
Abstract Aquatic herbivores impose top‐down control on the structure of wetland ecosystems, but biogeochemical consequences herbivory methane ( CH 4 ) and nitrogen (N) are poorly known. To investigate effects waterfowl biogeochemistry, we implemented exclosure experiments in a major overwintering southeastern United States over two growing seasons. We found that inhibited oxidation , leading to mean increase emission by 230% plots, prevented nitrification, as indicated low nitrate...
Bird collisions with windows are an important conservation concern. Efficient mitigation efforts should prioritize retrofitting sections of glass exhibiting the highest mortality birds. Most collision studies, however, record location meta-data at a spatial scale too coarse (i.e., compass direction facing façade) to be useful for large buildings complex geometries. Through analysis three seasons survey data building university campus, we found that GPS were able identify hotspots while...
ABSTRACT We describe the change in fish community of Porce River Magdalena Basin, Colombia, following construction III hydropower reservoir based on 13 years monitoring data. The results show a clear reduction number native species, which have been supplanted by colonizing non-native especially reservoir. Four species detected prior to dam apparently disappeared, but 12 new were registered post-construction. analyzed spatial changes beta diversity aquatic environments surrounding dam....
Abstract One prominent effect of nutrient pollution surface waters is the mass invasion floating plants, which can clog waterways, disrupting human use aquatic systems. These plants are widely vilified and motivate expensive control campaigns, but their presence may be providing a poorly recognized function in cycling excess nutrients. The capacity for to absorb nutrients from water has been understood decades, primarily constructed wetlands wastewater treatment. Yet, natural settings, there...