Current Lit Spring_2011-1

8/6/2019 Current Lit Spring_2011-1

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Spring 2011

CURRENT LITERATURE

Table of Contents:

y ClimateChange ............................................................................ 2

y Conservation ................................................................................ 5

y Restoration .................................................................................. 6

y Biodiversity .................................................................................. 7

y Invasive Species.......................................................................... 10

y Infectiousdisease/parasites ....................................................... 12y Roads,impactof......................................................................... 13

y Wildfires..................................................................................... 14

y Forests ....................................................................................... 18

y Grasslands.................................................................................. 22

y Soil ............................................................................................. 23

y Land Ecosystems ........................................................................ 24

y Riparian Ecosystems................................................................... 24

y Freshwater Ecosystems .............................................................. 25

y Marine Ecosystems .................................................................... 26

y Hydrology................................................................................... 28y Aquaticwildlife,otherthanfish.................................................. 28

y FreshwaterFish .......................................................................... 29

y MarineFish ................................................................................ 29

y Salmonoids................................................................................. 29

y Wildlife....................................................................................... 30

y Birds ........................................................................................... 32

y Plants/Botany............................................................................. 33

y GeneralInterest ......................................................................... 33

y History........................................................................................ 34

y EnvironmentalLaw & Policy ....................................................... 34y Visitor Use .................................................................................. 34

y Environmental Education ........................................................... 34

y Reviews ...................................................................................... 35

Copies of these publications can be obtained through the NPS Pacific West Regional

Library via email to [email protected] or phone (206/220-4154).


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Climate ChangeSchuldt, JonathonP.,SaraH. Konrathand Norbert Schwartz. 2011. Global Warming or Climate Change?

Whether the plant is warming depends on question wording. Public Opinion Quarterly 75(1): 115-124.

In publicdiscourseandsurveyresearch,globalclimatechangeissometimesreferredtoas global

warmingandsometimesas climatechange.Ananalysisofwebsitesofconservativeandliberalthink

tankssuggeststhatconservativesprefertousetheterm globalwarmingwhereasliberals preferclimatechange.Aquestionwordingexperiment (N = 2267) illustratesthe poweroftheseframes:

Republicanswerelesslikelytoendorsethatthe phenomenonisrealwhenitwasreferredtoas global

warming (44.0%) ratherthan climatechange (60.2%),whereas Democratswereunaffectedbyquestion

wording (86.9% vs. 86.4%). Asaresult,the partisandivideontheissuedroppedfrom 42.9 percentage

pointsundera globalwarmingframeto 26.2 percentage pointsundera climatechangeframe.

Theoreticalandmethodologicalimplicationsarediscussed.

Verschuuren,Jonathan. 2010. Climate Change: Rethinking Restoration in the European Unions Birds and Habitats

Directives.Ecological Restoration 28(4):431

Kerr,RichardA. 2011. First Detection of ozone hole recovery claimed. Science. 332 (6026): 160.

Althoughozone-destroyingchemicalshavebeenindeclineforadecadenow,researchershavelongprojectedthattheywillnotglimpsethefirstsignsthattheAntarcticozoneholeishealinguntilwell past

2020. Butforthefirsttime,agroup ofresearchersclaimstheycanalreadyseetheozoneholeslowly

recovering. Manyothers,however,saythe paper,nowin pressinGeophysical Research Letters,leaves

outcriticalinformationneededtoclinchthecase.

Lambrecht,SusanC. andAntonia DAmore. 2010. Solarization for Non-native Plant Control in Cool, Coastal

California.Ecological Restoration 28(4):424.

Girardin,M. P. ,P. Y. Bernier,and S.Gauthier. 2011. Increasing potential NEP of eastern boreal North American

forests constrained by decreasing wildfire activity.Ecosphere. 2(3): art25. [NaturalResourcesCanada,Canadian

Forest Service,Qubec, QCG1V4C7 Canada]

Heath,Linda S., James E. Smith,ChristopherW. Woodall,DavidL. Azuma,and KarenL. Waddell. 2011. Carbon

stocks on forestland of the United States, with emphasis on USDA Forest Service ownership.Ecosphere. 2(1):

art6. [USDAForest Service,NorthernResearch Station, Durham, NewHampshire 03824; USDAForest Service,

NorthernResearch Station, St. Paul,Minnesota 55108; USDAForest Service,Pacific NorthwestResearch Station,

Portland, Oregon 97205]

The U.S. DepartmentofAgricultureForest Service (USFS) managesone-fifthoftheareaofforestlandin

the United States. TheForest ServiceRoadmap forrespondingtoclimatechangeidentifiedassessingand

managingcarbonstocksandchangeasamajorelementofits plan. Thisstudy presentsmethodsand

resultsofestimatingcurrentforestcarbonstocksandchangeinthe United Statesfor publicand private

owners,consistentwiththeofficial 2010 U.S. greenhousegasinventory,butwithimproveddatasources

forthreestates. Resultsare presentedby NationalForest Systemregion,amajororganizational

managementunitwithintheForest Service,andbyindividualnationalforest. USFS forestlandintheUnited Statesisestimatedtocontainanaverageof192 MgC/ha (megagramscarbon perhectare) on 60.4

millionha,foratotalof11,604 TgC (teragramsC) intheyear 2005. Privately-ownedforestlandaverages

150 MgC/haon 173.8millionha,withforestlandofother publicownersaveraging 169MgC/haon 43.1

millionha. Intermsofchange, privateand USFS ownershipseachsequesteraboutanet 150 TgCO2/yr,

butanadditional 92 TgCO2/yrisstoredin productsfrom privateharvestscomparedtoabout 3 TgCO2/yr

fromharveston USFS land. Emissionsfromotherdisturbancessuchasfires,aswellascorrespondingarea

estimatesofdisturbancearealsoimportant,buttheneededdatasetsarenotyetavailable.

Recommendationsaregivenforimprovingtheestimates.


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Damschen, EllenI., SusanHarrison,and JamesB. Grace, 2011. Climate change effects on an endemic-rich edaphic

flora: resurveying Robert H. Whittaker's Siskiyou sites (Oregon, USA).Ecology. 91(12):36093619. [ Departmentof

Biology,WashingtonUniversity, St. Louis,Missouri 63130; DepartmentofEnvironmental ScienceandPolicy,

UniversityofCalifornia,Davis,California 95616; U.S.Geological Survey,NationalWetlandsResearchCenter, 700

CajundomeBoulevard,Lafayette,Louisiana 70506]

Turner,DavidP. 2011. Global vegetation monitoring: toward a sustainable technobiosphere.Frontiers in Ecology

and the Environment. 9(2). p.111-116. [DivisionofEarth Systems Science,DepartmentofForest Ecosystemsand

Society, Oregon State University,Corvallis,OR]

Theconceptofsustainableresourcemanagementcanbeappliedatmultiplescales. Monitoringisan

essentialcomponentofsustainablenaturalresourcemanagementschemes,andaswebegintoconfront

theneedtomanagenaturalresourcesattheglobalscale,theimportanceofmonitoringattheglobalscale

isalsogrowing. Thecombinationofsatelliteremotesensing,insitumeasurements,andsimulation

modelinghasthe potentialtodeliveranannualassessmentofstatusandtrendsforseveralmeasuresof

terrestrialbiospherestructureandfunctionrelevanttosustainability. However,thereis,asyet,no

internationallycoordinatedeffortin placeto performthatanalysis. Synthesisactivityofthatkindwould

supportthedevelopmentofglobalenvironmentalgovernanceinstitutions,includingbothnon-

governmentalorganizationsandinternationalbodies.

West,PaulC,Gemma T Narisma,CarolCBarford,Christopher J Kucharik,and JonathanAFoley. 2011. An

alternative approach for quantifying climate regulation by ecosystems.Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment.

9(2): 126-133.

Ecosystems providemultiplebenefitsto people,includingclimateregulation. Previouseffortstoquantify

thisecosystemservicehavebeeneitherlargelyconceptualorbasedoncomplexatmosphericmodels.

Here,wereview previousresearchonthistopicand proposeanewandsimpleanalyticalapproachfor

estimatingthe physicalregulationofclimatebyecosystems. The proposedmetricestimateshowland-

coverchangeaffectstheloadingofheatandmoistureintotheatmosphere,whilealsoaccountingforthe

relativecontributionofwind-transportedheatandmoisture. Althoughfeedbackdynamicsbetweenland,

atmosphere,andoceansarenotmodeled,themetriccompareswellwith previousstudiesforseveralregions. Wefindthatecosystemshavethestrongestinfluenceonsurfaceclimaticconditionsintheboreal

andtropicalregions,wheretemperatureandmoisturechangescouldsubstantiallyoffsetormagnify

greenhouse-forcedchanges. Thisapproachcanbeextendedtoestimatetheeffectsofchangingland

coveronlocal, physicalclimate processesthatarerelevanttosociety.

Mumby,Peter J,RobertoIglesias-Prieto,Anthony J Hooten,PeterF Sale, OveHoegh-Guldberg,Alasdair J Edwards,

C DrewHarvell, Edgardo D Gomez, Nancy Knowlton,Marea E Hatziolos,Margareth S Kyewalyanga,and Nyawira

Muthiga. 2011. Revisiting climate thresholds and ecosystem collapse. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment.

9(2): 94-96.

Conant,Richard T, StephenM Ogle, EldorAPaul,and KeithPaustian. 2011.Measuring and monitoring soil organic

carbon stocks in agricultural lands for climate mitigation.Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. 9(3): 169-173.

Policiesthatencouragegreenhouse-gasemitterstomitigateemissionsthroughterrestrialcarbon (C)

offsets Csequestrationinsoilsorbiomass will promote practicesthatreduceerosionandbuildsoil

fertility,whilefosteringadaptationtoclimatechange,agricultural development,andrehabilitationof

degradedsoils. However,noneofthesebenefitswillbe possibleuntilchangesinCstockscanbe

documentedaccuratelyandcost-effectively. Thisis particularlychallengingwhendealingwithchangesin

soilorganicC (SOC) stocks. PrecisemethodsformeasuringCinsoilsamplesarewellestablished,but

spatialvariabilityinthefactorsthatdetermine SOCstocksmakesitdifficulttodocumentchange.

WidespreadinterestinthebenefitsofSOCsequestrationhasbroughtthisissuetotheforeinthe


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developmentofUS andinternationalclimate policy. Here,wereviewthechallengestodocumenting

changesin SOCstocks,how policydecisionsinfluenceoffsetdocumentationrequirements,andthe

benefitsanddrawbacksofdifferentsamplingstrategiesandextrapolationmethods.

Anderson,RayG,et.al. 2011. Biophysical considerations in forestry for climate protection.Frontiers in Ecology and

the Environment. 9(3): 174-182.

Forestry includingafforestation (the plantingoftreesonlandwheretheyhavenotrecentlyexisted),

reforestation,avoideddeforestation,andforestmanagement canleadtoincreasedsequestrationof

atmosphericcarbondioxideandhasthereforebeen proposedasastrategytomitigateclimatechange.

However,forestryalsoinfluencesland-surface properties,includingalbedo (thefractionofincident

sunlightreflectedbacktospace),surfaceroughness,andevapotranspiration,allofwhichaffectthe

amountandformsofenergytransfertotheatmosphere. Insomecircumstances,thesebiophysical

feedbackscanresultinlocalclimatewarming,therebycounteractingtheeffectsofcarbonsequestration

onglobalmeantemperatureandreducingoreliminatingthenetvalueofclimate-changemitigation

projects. Here,wereview publishedandemergingresearchthatsuggestswaysinwhichforestry projects

cancounteracttheconsequencesassociatedwithbiophysicalinteractions,andhighlightknowledgegaps

inmanagingforestsforclimate protection. Wealsooutlineseveralwaysinwhichbiophysicaleffectscan

beincorporatedintoframeworksthatusethemaintenanceofforestsasaclimate protectionstrategy.

Aufdenkampe,Anthony K,et.al.2011. Riverine coupling of biogeochemical cycles between land, oceans, and

atmosphere.Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. 9(1): 53-60. [StroudWaterResearchCenter,Avondale,PA]

Streams,rivers,lakes,andotherinlandwatersareimportantagentsinthecouplingofbiogeochemical

cyclesbetweencontinents,atmosphere,andoceans. Thedepictionoftheserolesinglobal-scale

assessmentsofcarbon (C) andotherbioactiveelementsremainslimited,yetrecentfindingssuggestthat

Cdischargedtotheoceansisonlyafractionofthatenteringriversfromterrestrialecosystemsviasoil

respiration,leaching,chemicalweathering,and physicalerosion. MostofthisCinfluxisreturnedtothe

atmospherefrominlandwatersascarbondioxide (CO2) orburiedinsedimentarydepositswithin

impoundments,lakes,floodplains,andotherwetlands. Carbonandmineralcyclesarecoupledbyboth

erosiondeposition processesandchemicalweathering,withthelatter producingdissolvedinorganicC

andcarbonatebufferingcapacitythatstronglymodulatedownstream pH,biological productionofcalcium-carbonateshells,andCO2outgassinginrivers,estuaries,andcoastalzones. Humanactivities

substantiallyaffectallofthese processes.

Dawson, TerenceP.,Stephen T. Jackson, JoannaI. House,IainColinPrentice,andGeorginaM. Mace. 2011. Beyond

Predictions: Biodiversity Conservation in a Changing Climate.Science. 332(6025): 53-58.

Climatechangeis predictedtobecomeamajorthreattobiodiversityinthe 21stcentury,butaccurate

predictionsandeffectivesolutionshave proveddifficulttoformulate. Alarming predictionshavecome

fromarathernarrowmethodologicalbase,butanew,integratedscienceofclimate-changebiodiversity

assessmentisemerging,basedonmultiplesourcesandapproaches. Drawingonevidencefrom

paleoecologicalobservations,recent phenologicalandmicroevolutionaryresponses,experiments,and

computationalmodels,wereviewtheinsightsthatdifferentapproachesbringtoanticipatingand

managingthebiodiversityconsequencesofclimatechange,includingtheextentofspecies natural

resilience. Weintroduceaframeworkthatusesinformationfromdifferentsourcestoidentify

vulnerabilityandtosupportthedesignofconservationresponses. Althoughmuchoftheinformation

reviewedisonspecies,ourframeworkandconclusionsarealsoapplicabletoecosystems,habitats,

ecologicalcommunities,andgeneticdiversity,whetherterrestrial,marine,orfreshwater.

Hole, DavidG.,etal. 2011. Toward a Management Framework for networks of protected areas in the face of

climate change. Conservation Biology. 25(2): 305.


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Cole, KennethL., KirstenIronside, Jon Eischeid,GreggGarfin,Phillip B. Duffy,andChris Toney. 2011. Past and

ongoing shifts in Joshua tree distribution support future modeled range contraction. Ecological Applications.

21(1): 137-149. [USGS,ColoradoPlateauResearch Station,P.O. Box 5614, NorthernArizona University,Flagstaff,

Arizona 86011; NOAA Earth SystemsResearchLaboratory, 325 Broadway,Boulder,Colorado 80305; Lawrence

Livermore NationalLaboratoryand UniversityofCalifornia,Merced,California 94550; USDAForest Service,Rocky

MountainResearch Station,Missoula,Montana 59808]

Thefuturedistributionofthe Joshuatree (Yucca brevifolia) is projectedbycombiningageostatistical

analysisof20th-centuryclimatesoveritscurrentrange,futuremodeledclimates,and paleoecological

datashowingitsresponsetoa pastsimilarclimatechange. Asclimaterapidlywarmed 11700 years

ago,therangeofJoshuatreecontracted,leavingonlythe populationsnearwhathadbeenits

northernmostlimit. Itsabilitytospreadnorthwardintonewsuitablehabitatsafterthistimemayhave

beeninhibitedbythesomewhatearlierextinctionofmegafaunaldispersers,especiallythe Shastaground

sloth. Weappliedamodelofclimatesuitabilityfor Joshuatree,developedfromits 20th-centuryrange

andclimates,tofutureclimatesmodeledthroughasetofsixindividualgeneralcirculationmodels (GCM)

andonesuiteof22 modelsforthelate 21stcentury. Alldistributiondata,observedclimatedata,and

futureGCMresultswerescaledtospatialgridsof 1 kmand 4 kminordertofacilitateapplication

withinthistopographicallycomplexregion. Allofthemodels projectthefutureeliminationofJoshuatree

throughoutmostofthesouthern portionsofitscurrentrange. Althoughestimatesoffuturemonthly

precipitationdifferbetweenthemodels,thesechangesareoutweighedbylargeincreasesintemperature

commontoallthemodels. Onlyafew populationswithinthecurrentrangeare predictedtobe

sustainable. Severalmodels projectsignificant potentialfutureexpansionintonewareasbeyondthe

currentrange,butthespecies'historicalandcurrentratesofdispersalwouldseemto preventnatural

expansionintothesenewareas. Severalareasare predictedtobe potentialsitesforrelocation/assisted

migration. This projectdemonstrateshowinformationfrom paleoecologyandmodernecologycanbe

integratedinordertounderstandongoing processesandfuturedistributions.

ConservationTurner, DavidP. 2011. Global vegetation monitoring: toward a sustainable technobiosphere. Frontiers in Ecology

and the Environment. 9(2): 111-116. [DivisionofEarth Systems Science, DepartmentofForest Ecosystemsand

Society, Oregon State University,Corvallis,OR]

Theconceptofsustainableresourcemanagementcanbeappliedatmultiplescales. Monitoringisan

essentialcomponentofsustainablenaturalresourcemanagementschemes,andaswebegintoconfront

theneedtomanagenaturalresourcesattheglobalscale,theimportanceofmonitoringattheglobalscale

isalsogrowing. Thecombinationofsatelliteremotesensing,insitumeasurements,andsimulation

modelinghasthe potentialtodeliveranannualassessmentofstatusandtrendsforseveralmeasuresof

terrestrialbiospherestructureandfunctionrelevanttosustainability. However,thereis,asyet,no

internationallycoordinatedeffortin placeto performthatanalysis. Synthesisactivityofthatkindwould

supportthedevelopmentofglobalenvironmentalgovernanceinstitutions,includingbothnon-

governmentalorganizationsandinternationalbodies.

VanDover,C.L.,Scientists as stakeholders in conservation of hydrothermal vents.Conservation Biology. 25(2):

214.

Brosius, J.P.,Acknowledging conservation trade-offs and embracing complexity.Conservation biology. 25(2): 259.


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RestorationHenn,Aviand David Ostergren. 2010. The San Juan River Basin Fluvial Restoration Database and the Conservation

Registry (California). EcologicalRestoration 28(4): 415.

Merritt,David J. and KingsleyW. Dixon. 22 April 2011. Restoration SeedBanks amatterofscale. Science.

332(6028): 383-500.

Seedbanksmustshiftfrombeing stamp-collectionsofspeciestocollectionsthatcan providetonsof

seedsandtheexpertisetoimproverestorationefforts.

Verschuuren,Jonathan. 2010. Climate Change: Rethinking Restoration in the European Unions Birds and Habitats

Directives. Ecological Restoration 28(4): 431

Hough-Snee, Nate,RodneyPondand Jake Jacobson. 2010. The Stillaguamish Big Trees Project: Watershed-Scale

Riparian Restoration (Washington).Ecological Restoration 28(3): 243

Nyoka.Susan E.2010. Can Restoration Management Improve Habitat for Insect Pollinators in Ponderosa Pine

Forests of the American Southwest?Ecological Restoration 28(3): 280

Allen,Anastasia E.,Francisco J. Santana-Michel,ClaudiaOrtizArronaand JoyB. Zedler.2010. Integrating Ecologicaland Ethnobotanical Priorities into Riparian Restoration.Ecological:377

Sorensen,Christopher D. andChristopher M. McGlone. 2010. Ponderosa Pine Understory Response to Short-Term

Grazing Exclusion (Arizona). Ecological Restoration. 28(2): 124

Murcia.Carolina.2010. On-the-Job Training for National Park Staff: What They Need to Know about Ecological

Restoration (Colombia).Ecological Restoration. 28(2): 139

Sandel,B.,J. D. Corbin,andM. Krupa. 2011. Using plant functional traits to guide restoration: A case study in

California coastal grassland.Ecosphere. 2(2): art 23. [DepartmentofIntegrativeBiology, UniversityofCalifornia,

Berkeley,Berkeley,California 94720;DepartmentofBiological Sciences, UnionCollege, Schenectady,New York

12308; DepartmentofLand,Air,andWaterResources,UniversityofCalifornia,Davis, Davis,California 95616]

Restorationecologycanbenefitgreatlyfromdevelopmentsintrait-basedecologythatenableimproved

predictionsofhowthecompositionofplantcommunitieswillrespondtochangesinenvironmental

conditions. Plantfunctionaltraitscanbeusedtoguidetherestorationofdegradedhabitatsbyclosely

tailoringtreatmentstothelocalspecies pool. Wetestedthisapproachintwoheavilyinvadedcoastal

Californiagrasslands. Weaskedwhethernative plantabundanceand plantcommunitytraitcomposition

respondto (1) experimentalsoilfertilityreductionintheformoftwice-yearlycarbon (C) amendmentsand

(2) disturbanceintheformofmowing. Wemeasuredheight,specificleafarea,leafthicknessandleaf

densityfromindividualsof39 speciesinthecontrolandCaddition plots,andsupplementedthesetrait

valueswithdatabaseinformationongrowthform,lifespan,nitrogen-fixingabilityandseedmass.

Consistentwiththeoretical predictions,Cadditionfavoredshort,large-seededandnitrogen-fixingspecies,

whilemowingbenefittedshortspecieswithhighspecificleafarea. However,nativeandexoticspeciesdid

notdifferinanyofthemeasuredtraits,andneithergroup benefittedgenerallyfromthetreatments.Carbonadditionledtolargeintraspecifictraitshifts,withindividualsinCaddition plotshavingsmaller,

denserleavesandshorterstature. Species'trait plasticity,however,wasnotrelatedtothecommunity

compositionresponsetoCaddition. Ourstudyindicatesthattrait-basedecologyissufficientlymature

to provideuseful predictionsintherealmofrestorationecology. Traitscreeningatasitecanhelp predict

thesuccessofa particularrestorationmeasureinthatcommunity.

Krawchuk,MegA. and SteveG. Cumming. 2011. Effects of biotic feedback and harvest management on boreal

forest fire activity under climate change. Ecological Applications. 21(1): 122-136. [DepartmentofEnvironmental


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Science,Policy,andManagement, 137MulfordHall,MCnumber 3114, UniversityofCalifornia,Berkeley,California

94720; Dpartementdes SciencesduBoisetdelaFort,FacultdeForesterieetdeGomatique,PavillonAbitibi-

Price,Bureau 3143-A, UniversitLaval, QubecCity,QubecG1K7P4 Canada]

PredictionsoffuturefireactivityoverCanada'sborealforestshave primarilybeengeneratedfromclimate

datafollowingassumptionsthatdirecteffectsofweatherwillstandaloneincontributingtochangesin

burning. However,thisassumptionneedsexplicittesting. First,areasrecentlyburnedcanbelesslikelytoburnagaininthenearterm,andthisendogenousregulationsuggeststhe potentialforself-limiting,

negativebioticfeedbacktoregionalclimate-drivenincreasesinfire. Second,forestharvestisongoing,and

resultingchangesinvegetationstructurehavebeenshowntoaffectfireactivity. Consequently,wetested

theassumptionthatfireactivitywillbedrivenbychangesinfireweatherwithoutregulationbybiotic

feedbackorregionalharvest-drivenchangesinvegetationstructureinthemixedwoodborealforestof

Alberta,Canada,usingasimulationexperimentthatincludestheinteractionoffire,standdynamics,

climatechange,andclearcutharvestmanagement.

Wefoundthatclimatechange projectedwithfireweatherindicescalculatedfromtheCanadianRegional

ClimateModelincreasedfireactivity,asexpected,andoursimulationsestablishedevidencethatthe

magnitudeofregionalincreaseinfirewassufficienttogeneratenegativefeedbacktosubsequentfire

activity. Weillustratea 39% (1.39-fold) increaseinfireinitiationand 47% (1.47-fold) increaseinarea

burnedwhenclimateandstanddynamicswereincludedinsimulations,yet 48% (1.48-fold) and 61%

(1.61-fold) increases,respectively,whenclimatewasconsideredalone. Thus,althoughbioticfeedbacks

reducedburnedareaestimatesinimportantways,theyweresecondarytothedirecteffectofclimateon

fire. Wethenshowthatongoingharvestmanagementinthisregionchangedlandscapecompositionina

waythatledtoreducedfireactivity,eveninthecontextofclimatechange. Althoughforestharvesting

resultedindecreasedregionalfireactivitywhencomparedtounharvestedconditions,forestcomposition

andagestructurewasshiftedsubstantially,illustratingatrade-offbetweenmanagementgoalsto

minimizefireandconservationgoalstoemulatenaturaldisturbance.

Pike, DavidA.,Jonathan K. Webb,andRichard Shine. 2011.Removing forest canopy cover restores a reptile

assemblage.EcologicalApplications. 21(1): 274-280. [SchoolofBiological SciencesA08, UniversityofSydney,

NSW 2006 Australia]

Ando,AmyW. andLeeHannah. 2011. Lessons from finance for new land-conservation strategies given climate-change uncertainty.Conservation Biology. 25(2): 412.

Hardwick, K. etal.,Role of botanic gardens in the science and practice of ecological restoration.Conservation

biology. 25(2): 265.

Michel, J.T.,Helfield, J.M.,Hooper, D.U.,Seed rain and revegetation of exposed substrates following dam

removal on the Elwha River.NorthwestScience 85(1): 15-29

BiodiversityPillsbury,FinnC., JamesR. Miller, DianeM. Debinski,DavidM. Engle. 2011. Another tool in the toolbox? Using fire

and grazing to promote bird diversity in highly fragmented landscapes. Ecosphere. 2(3):art28

Kennedy,ThomasL. and ThomasF. Turner. 2011. River channelization reduces nutrient flow and

macroinvertebrate diversity at the aquatic terrestrial transition zone.Ecosphere. 2(3):art 35 [Departmentof

BiologyandMuseumofSouthwesternBiology, UniversityofNewMexico,Albuquerque, NewMexico 87131 USA]

Aquaticandterrestrialecosystemsarelinkedthroughlateralinteractionsthatsupportandmaintain

biodiversityinbothregions. However,inmany places,riverregulationandchannelizationhaveisolated

riversfromsurroundingriparianareas. Weevaluatedtheeffectsofchannelizationonthelinkages


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betweenaquaticandterrestrialinvertebrateassemblagesintheRioGrande, NewMexicoviacomparison

ofquantitativemacroinvertebratesurveydataandanalysesofcarbonandnitrogenisotopestotestfor

changesinnutrientflowbetweenchannelizedandnon-channelizedreachesofthishighlyregulated

system. Aquaticandterrestrialmacroinvertebratesweresurveyedinsummer 2008 atchannelizedand

non-channelizedreaches. Averagedensitiesofaquaticmacroinvertebrateswere 50% lowerinthe

channelizedreaches. Taxonomicrichnessanddensitiesofmacroinvertebratesinthetransitionzone

betweentheriverandforestedfloodplainwerealsolowerinchannelizedreachesandthiseffectwasespecially pronouncedfor predatorymacroinvertebratespecies. Carbonisotoperatiosinconsumers

indicatedthatinstream (i.e.,benthicalgae) productionservedasthemajorsourceofcarbonfor

predaceousarthropodsinthetransitionzone. Ourresultsindicatethatriverregulationthatleadsto

channelizationcanreducediversityandmacroinvertebratedensitiesatthelandscapescalebysevering

linkagesbetweentheaquaticandripariancommunities. Theseeffectsappearespeciallyacutefor

predaceousmacroinvertebrates,perhapsbecause preferred preydensityislowered. Restorationof

naturalflowregimesisvitallyimportanttoreducechannelizationandmaintainconnectivitybetweenthe

aquaticandterrestrialenvironmentstoconservetheuniqueassemblageofmacroinvertebratesinthe

transitionzone

Merritt, DavidM.,ChristerNilsson,andRoland Jansson. 2010. Consequences of propagule dispersal and river

fragmentation for riparian plant community diversity and turnover.Ecological Monographs. 80(4): 600-626.

[NationalWatershed,Fish,Wildlife,Air,andRarePlants, U.S. Forest Service, NaturalResourceResearchCenter,

FortCollins,Colorado 80526]

Letourneau,Deborah K. et.al. 2011. Does plant diversity benefit agroecosystems? A synthetic review. Ecological

Applications. 21(1): 9-21. [Environmental Studies Department, 1156 High Street, UniversityofCalifornia, Santa

Cruz,California 95064]

Russ,GarryR. andAngelC. Alcala. 2011. Enhanced biodiversity beyond marine reserve boundaries: The cup

spillith over. Ecological Applications. 21(1): 241-250.[SchoolofMarineand TropicalBiologyandARCCentrefor

CoralReefStudies, JamesCook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811 Australia; Silliman UniversityAngelo King

CenterforResearchand EnvironmentalManagement, Silliman University,DumagueteCity, 6200,Philippines]

Swanson,Mark E, JerryFFranklin,RobertLBeschta,CharlesMCrisafulli,DominickA DellaSala,RichardLHutto,DavidBLindenmayer,andFrederick J Swanson. 2011.The forgotten stage of forest succession: early-successional

ecosystems on forest sites.Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. 9(2): 117-125.

Early-successionalforestecosystemsthatdevelop afterstand-replacingor partialdisturbancesarediverse

inspecies, processes,andstructure. Post-disturbanceecosystemsarealsooftenrichinbiologicallegacies,

includingsurvivingorganismsandorganicallyderivedstructures,suchaswoodydebris. Theselegaciesand

post-disturbance plantcommunitiesprovideresourcesthatattractandsustainhighspeciesdiversity,

includingnumerousearly-successionalobligates,suchascertainwoodpeckersandarthropods. Early

successionistheonly periodwhentreecanopiesdonotdominatetheforestsite,andsothisstagecanbe

characterizedbyhigh productivityofplantspecies (includingherbsandshrubs),complexfoodwebs,large

nutrientfluxes,andhighstructuralandspatialcomplexity. Differentdisturbancescontrastmarkedlyin

termsofbiologicallegacies,andthiswillinfluencetheresultant physicalandbiologicalconditions,thus

affectingsuccessional pathways. Managementactivities,suchas post-disturbancelogginganddensetree

planting,canreducetherichnesswithinandthedurationofearly-successionalecosystems. Where

maintenanceofbiodiversityisanobjective,theimportanceandvalueofthesenaturalearly-successional

ecosystemsareunderappreciated.

Fletcher,Robert J Jr,BruceARobertson, Jason Evans,Patrick J Doran, JanakiRRAlavalapati,andDouglasW

Schemske .2011. Biodiversity conservation in the era of biofuels: risks and opportunities.Frontiers in Ecology and



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Growingdemandforalternativeenergysourceshascontributedtoincreasedbiofuel production,butthe

effectsonbiodiversityofland-usechangetobiofuelcropsremainunclear. Usingameta-analysisforcrops

beingusedorconsideredinthe US,wefindthatvertebratediversityandabundancearegenerallylower

inbiofuelcrop habitatsrelativetothenon-crop habitatsthatthesecropsmayreplace. Diversityeffects

aregreaterforcornthanfor pineand poplar,andbirdsofconservationconcernexperiencegreater

negativeeffectsfromcornthanspeciesoflessconcern. Yetconversionofrow-crop fieldstograsslands

dedicatedtobiofuelscouldincreaselocaldiversityandabundanceofbirds. Tominimizeimpactsofbiofuelcropsonbiodiversity,werecommendmanagementpracticesthatreducechemicalinputs,

increaseheterogeneitywithinfields,anddelayharvestsuntilbirdbreedinghasceased. Weencourage

researchthatwillmoveustowardasustainablebiofuelseconomy,includingtheuseofnative plants,

developmentofrobustenvironmentalcriteriaforevaluatingbiofuelcrops,andintegratedcostbenefit

analysisofpotentialland-usechange.

Dawson,TerenceP., Stephen T. Jackson, JoannaI. House,IainColinPrentice,andGeorginaM. Mace. 2011. Beyond

Predictions: Biodiversity Conservation in a Changing Climate.Science. 332(6025): 53-58.

Climatechangeis predictedtobecomeamajorthreattobiodiversityinthe 21stcentury,butaccurate

predictionsandeffectivesolutionshave proveddifficulttoformulate. Alarming predictionshavecome

fromarathernarrowmethodologicalbase,butanew,integratedscienceofclimate-changebiodiversity

assessmentisemerging,basedonmultiplesourcesandapproaches. Drawingonevidencefrom

paleoecologicalobservations,recent phenologicalandmicroevolutionaryresponses,experiments,and

computationalmodels,wereviewtheinsightsthatdifferentapproachesbringtoanticipatingand

managingthebiodiversityconsequencesofclimatechange,includingtheextentofspecies natural

resilience. Weintroduceaframeworkthatusesinformationfromdifferentsourcestoidentify

vulnerabilityandtosupportthedesignofconservationresponses. Althoughmuchoftheinformation

reviewedisonspecies,ourframeworkandconclusionsarealsoapplicabletoecosystems,habitats,

ecologicalcommunities,andgeneticdiversity,whetherterrestrial,marine,orfreshwater.

Narwani,AnitaandAsitMazumder. 2011. Community composition and consumer identity determine the effect of

resource species diversity on rates of consumption.Ecology. 91(12): 34413447 [WaterandAquatic Sciences

ResearchProgram, DepartmentofBiology, UniversityofVictoria,P.O. Box 3020, StationC.S.C.,Victoria,British

ColumbiaV8W3N5 Canada]

Theeffectofspeciesdiversityonecosystemfunctioniscommonlystudiedwithinasingletrophiclevel,

butlessisknownabouthowresourcediversityaffectsspeciesinteractionsbetweentrophiclevels. We

conductedagrazingexperimenttodeterminehowresourcespeciesdiversityaffectsratesofconsumption

bythreespeciesoffreshwaterzooplanktonconsumers. Wemeasuredtheeffectofresourcediversityon

ratesofconsumptionforseveralresourcecommunitycompositions. Thesecompositionsvariedinterms

ofpalatabilityfortheconsumers. Theeffectofresourcediversityonconsumptionratesdependedonthe

dietbreadthoftheconsumerspecies (fromspecialisttogeneralist) andthecommunitycompositionof

resources. Overall,highresourcediversitycommonlycausedadeclineinconsumptionratesof

consumers. Themostselectivegrazershowedreducedconsumptionfornearlyallcommunity

compositions,whereasthemostgeneralistgrazershowedacceleratedconsumptionwhenallresource

specieswere palatable. Ourresultsdemonstratethatresourcespeciesdiversitycanmodulateratesof

consumptionthroughtheactionofmultipledifferentmechanisms.


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Invasive Species

Bateman,HeatherL., TomL. Dudley, DanW. Bean, StevenM. Ostoja, KevinR. HultineandMichael J. Kuehn., 2010.

A River System to Watch: Documenting the Effects ofSaltcedar (Tamarix spp.) Biocontrol in the Virgin River

Valley. Ecological restoration 28(4): 405-410.

Lambrecht,SusanC. andAntonia DAmore. 2010. Solarization for Non-native Plant Control in Cool, CoastalCalifornia.Ecological Restoration 28(4):424-426.

Prasser Nickand JoyB. Zedler.2010. Salt Tolerance ofInvasive PhalarisarundinaceaExceeds That of Native Carex

stricta(Wisconsin). Ecological Restoration. 28(3): 238-240

Gertzen, E. L.,B. Leung,and N. D. Yan. 2011. Propagule pressure, Allee effects and the probability of

establishment of an invasive species (Bythotrepheslongimanus)Ecosphere 2(3): art 30. [DepartmentofBiology,

McGill University,Montreal,Quebec,CanadaH3A 1B1,McGill SchoolofEnvironment,McGill University,Montreal,

Quebec,CanadaH3A 2A7, DepartmentofBiology, York University, Toronto, Ontario,CanadaM3J 1P3 ]

Predictingestablishmentofexoticspeciesisacentralgoalofinvasionbiology,andisdependentupon

propagule pressureand population processes. Weintroducedinvadingspinywaterfleas,Bythotrephes

longimanusatdifferent propagule pressuresinto 19 experimentalenclosures,following populationsover

asexualgenerations,restingegg production,andemergenceinthefollowingyear. Weintegrated

experimentalresultswithfielddatatogenerateastochastic populationmodel, predictingestablishment

inrelationto propagule pressureandintroductiondate. OurresultssuggestedthatAlleeeffectsare

operationalathigherdensitiesorsmallervolumesthan previously predicted,thatstochasticityplaysan

importantroleinestablishment,anddemographicstochasticitymaybecorrelatedbetweenindividuals.

Further,ournoveltheoreticalderivationssuggestthatorganismsshouldmodifytheirsexratiostoreduce

Alleeeffects. Thefunctionalformusingadaptivesex-ratioswasconsistentwithbothmesocosmandfield

data. DespitetheoccurrenceofAlleeeffectsandstochasticity,therewasstillnodateduringthegrowing

seasonwherewe predictlakestobeentirelysafefromBythotrephesinvasions. Asingle propagulehad

approximatelya 0.15 establishment probabilityinourmesocosms,ifintroducedearlyintheseason;

propagule pressuresof10 had > 0.50 probability,regardlessofintroductiondate.

Corbin,Jeffrey D. andCarlaM. D'Antonio.(2011). Abundance and productivity mediate invader effects on nitrogen

dynamics in a California grassland.Ecosphere. 2(3): art 32.

Soilnitrogen (N) transformationshavebeenshowntobeinfluencedby plantcommunitycomposition.

Identifyingspeciestraitsthatcontrolnitrogendynamicsismorestraightforwardwhenspecies

dramaticallydifferin N inputvialitter (e.g., N-fixinginvadersinanon-fixingcommunity) orinlitter

carbon:N orlignin:N ratios. Caseswhereinvadersandresidentsaremoresimilarforsuchtraitsaremore

challengingtoevaluate. Inthesesettings,aspecies'relativeabundanceanditscontributiontooverall

ecosystem productivityarelikelytocontributesignificantlytothedevelopmentofeffectson N availability

andcycling.

Wecomparedsoil N dynamicsinexperimentalgrasslandcommunitiesdominatedbynative perennial

grasses (NP),exoticannualgrasses (EA),andexotic perennialgrasses (EP),aswellasmixturesofthe

native perennialgrasseswitheachexoticgrassgroup (NP + EAand NP + EP). Thesegroupsdifferfrom

eachotherinsubtlewaysintraitslikelytoinfluencesoil N cyclingincludingannual productivity,allocation

torootsversusshoots,litter production,litterchemistry,anddegreeofsummertimeactivity. Wefound

thatecosystemN dynamicsweresignificantlydifferentbetweenthevariousspeciesgroupswiththe

greatestdifferencesoccurringbetween EA plotsandothercommunitytypes: soilsin EA plotshad

significantlylowerratesofnet N mineralization,netnitrification,andmicrobialbiomass-N comparedto

either NPor NP + EA plots,andlowerextractablenitrateinthespringcomparedtoeither NPor EP plots.

Thehigherthe proportionofproductivityina plotthatderivedfromexoticspecies, particularlyexotic


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annualspecies,thelowerwerethemeasuredratesofnet N mineralization. Stepwiseregressionanalysis

showedthatvegetation productivitywasthebest predictorofN cyclingmetrics: thehigherthe

productivity,thehighertheratesofnetmineralizationandnitrification,andmicrobialbiomass-N.

Weconcludethatspecies'abundanceand productivitywerestrongcontrollingfactorsinthedevelopment

ofdifferencesinecosystem N dynamicsbetweenourexperimentaltreatments. Inclusionofrelative

proportionofproductivitycontributedbycommunitymembersinmodelsofthedevelopmentofspecies

effectswilllikelyaidin predictingwhenandwhereinvasivespecieswillalterecosystem N dynamics.

Warren,Robert J. II,VolkerBahn, Timothy D. Kramer, Yaya Tang,andMarkA. Bradford. (2011). Performance and

reproduction of an exotic invader across temperate forest gradients.Ecosphere. 2(2): art 14. [SchoolofForestry

and Environmental Studies, Yale University,NewHaven,Connecticut 06511 USA, DepartmentofBiological

Sciences,Wright State University,Dayton,Ohio 45435 USA]

Widespreadcolonizationbyinvasivespeciesoftenobscurestheirunderlyingnicherequirements. Arobust

inferenceintohabitatrequirementsdemandsdirectmeasuresofinvasivespecies performancelinked

withassociatedenvironmentalconditions. Inthecontextofgeneralecologicaltheory,weinvestigatedthe

nicherequirementsofMicrostegium vimineum,aninvasivegrassinthe U.S. thatoverrunsnative

vegetationinforestunderstories. WeexaminedM. vimineum's performanceandreproductionasa

functionofenvironmentaldriversacrossforestedandunforestedhabitatsalonga 100-kmregionaland

climaticgradientinthesoutheasternU.S. fromthesouthernAppalachianMountainstotheGeorgia

piedmont. WethenmeasuredM. vimineum performanceandreproductioninresponsetodirect

environmentaldrivers (diffuselight,littercover,soilmoisture,herbaceouscover,soil pH,claycontentand

temperature) in pairedinvadedanduninvaded plots. Lastly,weexperimentallyinvestigatedrecruitment

inthecontextofexperimentalandnaturaldisturbances. Wefindthatallhabitatsarenotequallysuitable

forM. vimineumeventhosewithinwhichitoccursandthattheenvironmentalconditionsassociated

withroadsidesandwaterwaysaremostsuitableforM. vimineum persistenceandspread. Microstegium

vimineum'ssoilmoisture,lightandleaflitterrequirementsmaydelineatetheboundariesofsuitable

habitatfortheexoticinvader. SignificantdecreasesinM. vimineumrecruitment, performanceand

reproductionalongtheseenvironmentalgradientssuggestits potentialnichelimitations. Nevertheless,

wealsofindsignificantdispersallimitsonM. vimineum populationsnotsubjecttoconspicuousoverland

waterflow. Wediscussourfindingsinthecontextofspread,impactandmanagementofinvasivespecies.

Sandel,B.,J. D. Corbin,andM. Krupa. (2011). Using plant functional traits to guide restoration: A case study in

California coastal grassland.Ecosphere. 2(2): art 23. [DepartmentofIntegrativeBiology, UniversityofCalifornia,

Berkeley,Berkeley,California 94720;DepartmentofBiological Sciences, UnionCollege, Schenectady,New York

12308; DepartmentofLand,Air,andWaterResources,UniversityofCalifornia,Davis, Davis,California 95616]

Restorationecologycanbenefitgreatlyfromdevelopmentsintrait-basedecologythatenableimproved

predictionsofhowthecompositionofplantcommunitieswillrespondtochangesinenvironmental

conditions. Plantfunctionaltraitscanbeusedtoguidetherestorationofdegradedhabitatsbyclosely

tailoringtreatmentstothelocalspecies pool. Wetestedthisapproachintwoheavilyinvadedcoastal

Californiagrasslands. Weaskedwhethernative plantabundanceand plantcommunitytraitcomposition

respondto (1) experimentalsoilfertilityreductionintheformoftwice-yearlycarbon (C) amendmentsand

(2) disturbanceintheformofmowing. Wemeasuredheight,specificleafarea,leafthicknessandleaf

densityfromindividualsof39 speciesinthecontrolandCaddition plots,andsupplementedthesetrait

valueswithdatabaseinformationongrowthform,lifespan,nitrogen-fixingabilityandseedmass.

Consistentwiththeoretical predictions,Cadditionfavoredshort,large-seededandnitrogen-fixingspecies,

whilemowingbenefittedshortspecieswithhighspecificleafarea. However,nativeandexoticspeciesdid

notdifferinanyofthemeasuredtraits,andneithergroup benefittedgenerallyfromthetreatments.

Carbonadditionledtolargeintraspecifictraitshifts,withindividualsinCaddition plotshavingsmaller,

denserleavesandshorterstature. Species'trait plasticity,however,wasnotrelatedtothecommunity



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Kulhanek, StefanieA.,AnthonyRicciardi,andBrianLeung. 2011. Is invasion history a useful tool for predicting the

impacts of the world's worst aquatic invasive species?Ecological Applications. 21(1): 189-202. [Departmentof

Biology,McGill University,Montreal,QuebecH3A1B1 Canada.]

Kulhanek, StefanieA.,BrianLeung,andAnthonyRicciardi. 2011. Using ecological niche models to predict the

abundance and impact of invasive species: application to the common carp. Ecological Applications. 21(1): 203-

213. [DepartmentofBiology,McGill University,Montreal,QuebecH3A1B1 Canada]

Bled,Florent J.,AndrewRoyle,and EmmanuelleCam. 2011. Hierarchical modeling of an invasive spread: the

Eurasian Collared-Dove Streptopeliadecaocto in the United States. Ecological Applications. 21(1): 290-302. [U.S.

Geological Survey,PatuxentWildlifeResearchCenter,Laurel,Maryland 20708 USA]

Oppel, Steffen,BrentM. Beaven,MarkBolton, JulietVickeryand ThomasW. Bodey. 2011. Eradication ofInvasive

Mammals on Islands Inhabited by Humans and Domestic Animals. Conservation Biology. 25(2): 232-240.

Foxcroft,LlewellynC.,Vojtech Jarosik,etal. 2011. Protected-area boundaries as filters of plant invasions.

Conservation Biology. 25(2): 400-405.

Infectious Disease/ParasitesMeentemeyer,Ross K.,et.al. 2011. Epidemiological modeling of invasion in heterogeneous landscapes: spread of

sudden oak death in California (19902030). Ecosphere. 2(2): art 17.

Thespreadofemerginginfectiousdiseases (EIDs) innaturalenvironments posessubstantialrisksto

biodiversityandecosystemfunction. As EIDsandtheirimpactsgrow,landscape- toregional-scalemodels

ofdiseasedynamicsareincreasinglyneededforquantitative predictionofepidemicoutcomesanddesign

ofpracticablestrategiesforcontrol. Hereweusespatio-temporal,stochasticepidemiologicalmodelingin

combinationwithrealisticgeographicalmodelingto predictthespreadofthesuddenoakdeath pathogen

(Phytophthora ramorum) throughheterogeneoushost populationsinwildlandforests,subjectto

fluctuatingweatherconditions. Themodelconsidersthreestochastic processes: (1) the productionofinoculumatagivensite; (2) thechancethatinoculumisdispersedwithinandamongsites; and (3) the

probabilityofinfectionfollowingtransmissiontosusceptiblehostvegetation. We parameterizedthe

modelusingMarkovchainMonteCarlo (MCMC) estimationfromsnapshotsoflocal- andregional-scale

dataondiseasespread,takingaccountoflandscapeheterogeneityandthe principalscalesofspread. Our

applicationofthemodeltoCalifornianlandscapesovera 40-year period (19902030),sincethe

approximatetimeofpathogenintroduction,revealedkey parametersdrivingthespatialspreadofdisease

andthemagnitudeofstochasticvariabilityinepidemicoutcomes. Resultsshowthatmostdiseasespread

occursvialocaldispersal (


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Teste,FranoisP.,Victor J. Lieffers,and SimonM. Landhusser. 2011. Seed release in serotinous lodgepole pine

forests after mountain pine beetle outbreak. Ecological Applications. 21(1): 150-162. [DepartmentofRenewable

Resources,UniversityofAlberta, Edmonton,Alberta T6G2H1 Canada]

Thereareconcernsthatlarge-scalestandmortalityduetomountain pinebeetle (MPB) couldgreatly

reducenaturalregenerationofserotinousRockyMountain (RM) lodgepole pine (Pinus contortavar.

latifolia) becausetheclosedconesareheldin placewithoutthefirecueforconeopening. Weselected 20

stands (fivestandseachoflive [control], 3 yearssinceMPB [3-yr-MPB], 6 yearssinceMPB [6-yr-MPB],and9 yearssinceMPB [9-yr-MPB]mortality) innorthcentralBritishColumbia,Canada. Thegoalwasto

determine partiallossofserotinyduetofallofcrown-storedconesviabreakageofbranchesandinsitu

openingofcanopyconesthroughoutthe 2008 and 2009 growingseasons. Wealsoquantifiedseedrelease

bytheopeningofforest-floorcones,lossofseedfromrodent predation,andconeburial. Treeskilledby

MPBthreeyearsearlierdropped 3.5 timesmoreconesviabranchbreakagecomparedtolivestands.

Aftersixyears,MPB-killedstandshadreleased 45% oftheircanopyseedbankthroughconeopening,

conefallduetobreakage,andsquirrel predation. Furtherlossesofcanopyseedbanksareexpectedwith

timesincewefound 9-yr-MPBstandshad 38%moreopencanopycones. Thiswascounteredbythe

developmentofamodestforest-floorseedbank (6% oftheoriginalcanopyseedbank) fromburialof

cones; thisseedbankmaybeecologicallyimportantifafireoranthropogenicdisturbancereexposes

thesecones. Ifadequatelevelsofregenerationaretooccur,disturbancestocreateseedbedsmustoccur

shortlyaftertreemortality,beforetheseedbanksarelost. Ourfindingsalsosuggestthatthesustained

seedrain (overatleastnineyears) afterMPBoutbreakmaybebeneficialfor populationgrowthof

ground-foragingvertebrates. Ourstudyaddsinsighttotheseedecologyofserotinous pinesundera

potentiallycontinental-wideinsectoutbreak,threateningvastforestsadaptedtoregenerationafterfire.

Brinkerhoff, R Jory,CorrineMFolsom-O'Keefe, Kimberly Tsao,andMariaA Diuk-Wasser. 2011. Do birds affect

Lyme disease risk? Range expansion of the vector-borne pathogen Borrelia burgdorferi.Frontiers in Ecology and


White,P.J., John J. Treanor,andRickL. Wallen. 2011. Balancing Brucellosis Risk Management and Wildlife

Conservation.Yellowstone Science. 19(1): 15-21.

Landmanagersand parkscientistsexaminethecomplexscientificandsocialissuessurroundingthehow,

when,andwhereofbrucellosistransmission.

Foley,Janet, DeanaClifford,etal. 2011. Investigating and managing the rapid emergence of white-nose

syndrome, a novel, fatal infectious disease of hibernating bats.Conservation Biology. 25(2): 223-231.

Roads, Impact ofShanley,Colin S. and SanjayPyare. 2011. Evaluating the road-effect zone on wildlife distribution in a rural

landscape.Ecosphere. 2(2): art 16. [BiologyandWildlife Department, UniversityofAlaska,Fairbanks,Alaska 99775

USA, Environmental SciencesandGeographyProgram, UniversityofAlaska Southeast, Juneau,Alaska 99801 USA]

Theroad-effectzoneistheareainwhichecologicaleffectsextendoutwardfromaroad. Dispersedoff-

highwayvehicle (OHV; e.g.,four-wheelersandsnowmachines) activityonruralroadnetworkscreatesa

disturbancethatreducestheeffectiveamountofwildlifehabitatandthereforehasthe potentialforan

extensiveroad-effectzone. Consequently,landmanagersmustconsiderthetrade-offsbetweenruralroad

developmentandtheconservationofhabitatforspeciesofconcern. Weconductedaspatially-explicit

studyofmoose,Alces alces,occurrenceinrelationtoruralroadsand OHVroutesinruralAlaska, U.S.A.

WeusedlogisticregressionandAICmodelselectioncriteriontodevelop resourceselectionfunctions

(RSFs) formaleandfemalemooseatthreespatialscales (250 m, 500 m,and 1000 m) intwoseasons

(summerandfall). Toevaluateanecologicaldisturbancethresholdfromincreasingrouteactivityonthe

probabilityofanimaloccurrence,theRSFswere plottedagainstanindexofrouteactivityderivedfrom

interviewswith OHVusers,andfitwithlogarithmicfunctions. Thevariableforrouteactivityimprovedthe


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fitofRSFmodelsforbothsexesatallspatialscalesandinbothseasons. Anegativerelationship wasfound

betweenmooseoccurrenceandroutesorareasinwhichrouteswereinclose proximityto primary

forage,withtheexceptionofmalemooseatthe 1000-mscaleinthefall. Therefore,amongthespatial

scalesofanalysis,theroad-effectzoneformalemoosewasdeterminedtobebetween 500 mand 1000

m,and >1000mforfemalemoose. Furthermore,routeactivity


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severities,andsuchheterogeneitymay promotehabitatlongevity. Ourestimateofoveralldetection

probability (acrossallsurveyintervals) was 0.772. Wefoundstrongeffectsofsurveyintervallength

(higherforlongerinterval) and,especiallysurveytype (higherforbroadcastsurvey) ondetection

probability. OurmodelingframeworkandimplementationillustratestheflexibilityoftheBayesian

hierarchicalapproachforhandlingcomplexitiessuchasestimatingderived parameters (andvariances)

andmodelingrandomeffects,andshould provegenerallyusefulforoccupancystudies.

FrancoBiondi,LeiaP. Jamieson, Scotty Strachan,and Jason Sibold, 2011. Dendroecological testing of the

pyroclimatic hypothesis in the central Great Basin, Nevada, USA.Ecosphere. 2(1). [DendroLab, Departmentof

Geography,MS 154, UniversityofNevada,Reno, Nevada 89557; Environmental SciencesGraduateProgram,

UniversityofNevada,Reno, Nevada 89557; DepartmentofAnthropology,Colorado State University,FortCollins,

Colorado 80523]

IntheGreatBasinregionofwestern NorthAmerica,recordsofpastclimateandwildfirevariabilityare

needednotonlyforfireuse,butalsoforunderstandingthemechanismsbehindthecentury-long

expansionofpion-juniperwoodlands. TheMt. Irisharea (LincolnCounty,south-eastern Nevada) isa

remotemountainecosystemonthehydrographicboundarybetweentheGreatBasinandtheColorado

RiverBasin. Non-scarred ponderosa pines (Pinus ponderosaC. Lawsonvar. scopulorum Engelm.) and

single-needle pinyons (Pinus monophylla Torr. & Frm.) wereusedtodevelop atree-ringreconstruction

ofdrought (meanPDSIforMayJulyfrom NVClimate Division 3) from 1396 to 2003. Ahypotheticalfire

regimewasobtainedfromthePDSIreconstructionandfromexplicitlyassumedrelationshipsbetween

climateandwildfireoccurrence. Acensusoffire-scarredtreeswasthensampledatthestudyarea,and

crossdatedfire-scarrecordswereusedtogeneratethefirehistory,independentlyofthe pre-existing

pyroclimaticmodel. Outof250 collectedfire-scarwoodsections, 197 couldbecrossdated (about 89%

from ponderosa pines),coveredthe periodfrom 1146 to 2006,andcontained 485 firescars, 390 ofwhich

couldbedatedtoasingleyear. Numericalsummarieswerecomputedforthe period 15502006,when

recordertreesrangedfrom 16 to 169,usingatotalof360 firescarson 176 sections. Up to 1860,thetime

ofEuro-Americansettlement,firesthatscarredatleasttwotreeswereveryfrequent (minimumfire

interval: 1 year,mean: 4,median: 2,Weibullmedian: 3,maximum: 19),whilefiresthatscarredatleast

10% oftherecordertreeswererelativelyrare (minimumfireinterval: 40 years,mean: 66,median: 50,

Weibullmedian: 63,maximum: 123). Firefrequencyremainedhighduringthe 17801840 period,when

firewasreducedorabsentinotherareasofthewestern United States. Boththe expectedandtheobservedfirehistoryshowedlowerfirefrequencyafter Euro-Americansettlement,whichmostlikely

displaced Native peopleandanydeliberateuseoffire,butdidnotintroduce publiclyorganized

suppressioninthearea. Therefore,lessfavorableclimaticconditions,not post-settlementfire

management,wereresponsibleforreducedwildfireoccurrenceinthemodernera.

Akira S. Mori. 2011. Climatic variability regulates the occurrence and extent of large fires in the subalpine forests

of the Canadian Rockies. Ecosphere. 2(1). [Graduate SchoolofEnvironmentandInformation Sciences, Yokohama

National University, 79-7 Tokiwadai,Hodogaya, Yokohama, Kanagawa 240-8501, Japan]

Droughtoccurrenceandwildfireactivityinsubalpineforestsin Kootenay NationalPark (KNP) ofthe

CanadianRockiesarestudiedbyfocusingontheinterannualandmulti-decadalvariationsinclimate

patternsofthePacific Ocean. Thequestionaddressediswhetherbroad-scaleclimate patternscan

regulatebothlargefireoccurrenceandfire-free periodscausingfuelbuildups. Thisstudycomparedyears

oflargewildfireoutbreaksforthesubalpineforestsofKNPduringthelastthreecenturiesusingindicesof

climate patternsofthePacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and El Nio-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). PDO

and ENSO werecorrelatedwithdroughtandfireoccurrencein KNP. A positivePDOpositive ENSO

combinationcreatedextremedroughtconducivetocrownfires,indicatingthattheoccurrenceofhigh-

severitywildfiresinthesegenerallymoist/coolforestsisstronglydeterminedbyclimaticanomalies. Large

fireactivityischieflymodulatedbyPDO comparedto ENSO,becauseanegativePDO phasegreatly

decreasedfireactivityinthemid-twentiethcentury. Althoughthisfire-free periodisseeminglymatched

withafire-suppression period,itmaybeattributabletoanegativePDO,whichincreased precipitationin


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theregion. Thismid-centuryfiregap contributedtotheaccumulationofoldforestsservingasloaded

fuelswithinthelandscapeandultimatelyledtooccurrencesofcrownfiresasthePDO shiftedtothe

positive phase. Thus,inadditiontothefundamentalimportanceofinterannualvariationsinthePacific

thatinitiatesacurrent-yearseveredrought,multi-decadalscaleclimatevariabilityalsoinfluencesthe

extentandseverityofsubsequentfiresbymodulating pre-firelandscapeconditions. Forfiremanagement

insubalpineareasoftheRockies,althoughdroughtoccurrenceisa primaryconcernandtherearestill

uncertaintiesinthedetailedchangesinfireriskthroughthesuccessional process,itisworth payingattentiontofuel-loadsofolderforestsinthelandscape,whichmayleadtoextensivelargefires. Because

theclimaticteleconnection patternisoneofthemaindriversofcrownfireoccurrenceintheregionin

termsofcreatingcurrentsummerdrought,andalsoforconstructingalandscapestructure pronetolarger

fires,moreofafocusonshorttolong-termvariationsintheclimateforwildfiremanagementisneededin

high-elevationforestedlandscapes.

PaulR. Gagnon,HeatherA. Passmore2,William J. Platt, JonathanA. Myers,C. E. TimothyPaine,and Kyle E. Harms.

2011. Does pyrogenicity protectburning plants?Ecology. 91(12).

JasonP. Field, David D. Breshears, Jeffrey J. Whicker,andChrisB. Zou. 2011. Interactive effects of grazing and

burning on wind- and water-driven sediment fluxes: rangeland management implications.Ecological

Applications. 21(1). 22-32. [SchoolofNaturalResourcesandthe Environment,UniversityofArizona, Tucson,

Arizona 85721; DepartmentofEcologyand EvolutionaryBiology, UniversityofArizona, Tucson,Arizona 85721;

EnvironmentalPrograms,LosAlamos NationalLaboratory,LosAlamos, NewMexico 87545; DepartmentofNatural

Resource EcologyandManagement,Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma 74078]

Rangelandsaregloballyextensive, providefundamentalecosystemservices,andaretightlycoupled

humanecologicalsystems. Rangelandsustainabilitydependslargelyontheimplementationand

utilizationofvariousgrazingandburning practicesoptimizedto protectagainstsoilerosionandtransport.

Inmanycases,however,landmanagement practicesleadtoincreasedsoilerosionandsedimentfluxes

forreasonsthatare poorlyunderstood. Becausefewstudieshavedirectlymeasuredbothwindandwater

erosionandtransport,anassessmentofhowtheymaydifferentiallyrespondtograzingandburning

practicesislacking. Here,wereportsimultaneous,co-locatedestimatesofwind- andwater-driven

sedimenttransportinasemiaridgrasslandinArizona, USA,overthreeyearsforfourlandmanagement

treatments: control,grazed,burned,andburned + grazed. Foralltreatmentsandmostyears,annualratesofwind-drivensedimenttransportexceededthatofwaterduetoacombinationofongoingsmallbut

nontrivialwindeventsandlarger,lessfrequent,windeventsthatgenerally precededthemonsoon

season. Sedimentfluxesbybothwindandwaterdifferedconsistentlybytreatment: burned + grazed >

burned grazed control,witheffectsimmediatelyapparentafterburningbutdelayedaftergrazinguntil

thefollowinggrowingseason. Notably,thewind:watersedimenttransportratiodecreasedfollowing

burningbutincreasedfollowinggrazing. Ourresultsshowhowrangeland practicesdisproportionallyalter

sedimentfluxesdrivenbywindandwater,differencesthatcould potentiallyhelp explaindivergence

betweenrangelandsustainabilityanddegradation.

Johanna E. FreemanandLeda N. Kobziar. 2011. Tracking postfire successional trajectories in a plant community

adapted to high-severity fire.Ecological Monographs. 21(1). p.61-74. [SchoolofForestResourcesand

Conservation,UniversityofFlorida, 208 Newins-ZeiglerHall,Gainesville,Florida 32611 USA]

Inordertodevelop managementstrategiesthatmaintainnativebiodiversityin plantcommunities

adaptedtohigh-severityfire,anunderstandingofnatural postfiresuccessioninthetargetecosystemis

essential. Detailedinformationonfireeffectsislackingforthesand pine (Pinus clausa [Chapm. ex

Engelm.]Vaseyex Sarg.) scrubofthesoutheasternUnited States,limitingourabilitytodecidehowand

whentoapply prescribedfireinthisecosystem. Westudiedtheeffectsoffire-severityheterogeneityon

sand pinescrubfollowinga 4700-hawildfireinFlorida's JuniperPrairieWildernessArea (USA). We

identifiedfourlevelsoffireseverity (unburned,low,moderate,andhigh) andthree pre-burnstand

conditions (sapling,mature,andsenescent). Study plotswereestablishedineachseveritystand-class


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combination,andweresampledatoneandtwoyearsfollowingfire. Nonmetricmultidimensionalscaling

(NMS) ordinationwasappliedinordertoidentifydifferencesincommunitycompositionandsuccessional

trajectoriesineachofthestand-classfire-severitycombinations. NMS analysesindicatedashiftin

dominancebetweenthedominantunderstoryoakspecies,fromQuercus myrtifoliaWilld. toQuercus

geminata Small,assand pinebasalareaincreases. OurordinationandregressionresultsshowedthatQ.

myrtifoliawasthemostaggressivecolonizerofpostfireopenspace,whichisanimportantstructuraland

habitatcomponentofasand pinescrub. SuccessionaltrajectorieswereheavilyinfluencedbyQuercusmyrtifoliaWilld. andweremoreuniforminthematureclassthaninthesenescentclass, probablydueto

moreconsistentoverstorybasalarea. Inbothmatureandsaplingstands,herbaceousspeciescoverwas

highestinmoderate-severity plots. Woody-debrisloadvariedsignificantlywithstandage,fireseverity

level,andtime. Sand pineseedlingrecruitmentwashighestinmaturestandsburnedathighseverity,

whilesaplingandsenescentstandsexhibitedmuchlowersand pineseedlingrecruitmentratesatalllevels

offireseverity. Theobserveddifferencesinseedlingrecruitmentareexpectedtoinfluencethe

progressivedevelopmentofverticalstructureandcompositioninthesand pineforest,leadingto

communitydifferencesthatwill persistandinfluencetheeffectsofsubsequentdisturbances.

MegA. Krawchukand SteveG. Cumming. 2011. Effects of biotic feedback and harvest management on boreal

forest fire activity under climate change. Ecological Applications. 21(1). P.122-136. [DepartmentofEnvironmental






burning. However,thisassumptionneedsexplicittesting. First,areasrecentlyburnedcanbelesslikelyto

burnagaininthenearterm,andthisendogenousregulationsuggeststhe potentialforself-limiting,






climatechange,andclearcutharvestmanagement.Wefoundthatclimatechange projectedwithfireweatherindicescalculatedfromtheCanadianRegional










andagestructurewasshiftedsubstantially,illustratingatrade-offbetweenmanagementgoalsto

minimizefireandconservationgoalstoemulatenaturaldisturbance.

Fonda,R.W.,Binney, E.P. Vegetation Response to prescribed fire in Douglas Fir forests, Olympic National Park.

NorthwestScience. 85(1). p.30.

Rosenberger,A., Dunham, J.B.,Buffington, J.M.,Wipfli,M.S.,Persistent Effects of Wildfire and Debris Flows on

the Invertebrate Prey Base of Rainbow Trout in Idaho streams. NorthwestScience. 85(1): 55-63.

Peterson, D.L. After the Fire is GoneMerging Science and Resource Management. A book review on FireEffects

onSoilsandRestorationStrategies. Northwest Science. 85(1): 71.


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Forests

ThomasB. Simpson. Perspective: Thinking Like a Forest: On Fire and Oak Woods. Ecological Restoration 28(3):

234-235.

Susan E. Nyoka., 2010. Can Restoration Management Improve Habitat for Insect Pollinators in Ponderosa Pine

Forests of the American Southwest? Ecological Restoration 28(3): 280-290.

Susan Nyoka.2010. Effects ofFuel-Reduction Treatments on Pollinators in a Pinyon-Juniper Woodland (Arizona).

Ecological Restoration 28(2).p.119.

Christopher D. SorensenandChristopherM. McGlone. 2010. Ponderosa Pine Understory Response to Short-Term

Grazing Exclusion (Arizona). Ecological Restoration. 28(2). p.124

Girardin,M. P.,P. Y. Bernier,and S. Gauthier. 2011.Increasing potential NEP of eastern boreal North American

forests constrained by decreasing wildfire activity.Ecosphere. 2(3): art 25 [NaturalResourcesCanada,Canadian

Forest Service,Qubec, QCG1V4C7 Canada]

Saracco, JamesF.,RodneyB. Siegel,andRobertL. Wilkerson. 2011.Occupancy modeling of Black-backed

Woodpeckers on burned Sierra Nevada forests. Ecosphere. 2(3): art 31. [TheInstituteforBirdPopulations,P.O.

Box 1346,PointReyes Station,California 94956-1346 USA]

Warren,Robert J. II,VolkerBahn, Timothy D. Kramer, Yaya Tang,andMarkA. Bradford. 2011. Performance and

reproduction of an exotic invader across temperate forest gradients. Ecosphere. 2(2): 14. [SchoolofForestryand

Environmental Studies, Yale University,NewHaven,Connecticut06511 USA, DepartmentofBiological Sciences,

Wright State University,Dayton, Ohio 45435 USA]

Widespreadcolonizationbyinvasivespeciesoftenobscurestheirunderlyingnicherequirements. Arobust

inferenceintohabitatrequirementsdemandsdirectmeasuresofinvasivespecies performancelinked

withassociatedenvironmentalconditions. Inthecontextofgeneralecologicaltheory,weinvestigatedthenicherequirementsofMicrostegium vimineum,aninvasivegrassinthe U.S. thatoverrunsnative

vegetationinforestunderstories. WeexaminedM. vimineum's performanceandreproductionasa

functionofenvironmentaldriversacrossforestedandunforestedhabitatsalonga 100-kmregionaland

climaticgradientinthesoutheasternU.S. fromthesouthernAppalachianMountainstotheGeorgia

piedmont. WethenmeasuredM. vimineum performanceandreproductioninresponsetodirect

environmentaldrivers (diffuselight,littercover,soilmoisture,herbaceouscover,soil pH,claycontentand

temperature) in pairedinvadedanduninvaded plots. Lastly,weexperimentallyinvestigatedrecruitment

inthecontextofexperimentalandnaturaldisturbances. Wefindthatallhabitatsarenotequallysuitable

forM. vimineumeventhosewithinwhichitoccursandthattheenvironmentalconditionsassociated

withroadsidesandwaterwaysaremostsuitableforM. vimineum persistenceandspread. Microstegium

vimineum'ssoilmoisture,lightandleaflitterrequirementsmaydelineatetheboundariesofsuitable

habitatfortheexoticinvader. SignificantdecreasesinM. vimineumrecruitment, performanceand

reproductionalongtheseenvironmentalgradientssuggestits potentialnichelimitations. Nevertheless,

wealsofindsignificantdispersallimitsonM. vimineum populationsnotsubjecttoconspicuousoverland

waterflow. Wediscussourfindingsinthecontextofspread,impactandmanagementofinvasivespecies.

Meentemeyer,Ross K., Nik J. Cunniffe,AlexR. Cook, JoaoA. N. Filipe,Richard D. Hunter,DavidM. Rizzo,and

ChristopherA. Gilligan. 2011. Epidemiological modeling of invasion in heterogeneous landscapes: spread of

sudden oak death in California (19902030).Ecosphere. 2(2): art 17.


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Thespreadofemerginginfectiousdiseases (EIDs) innaturalenvironments posessubstantialrisksto

biodiversityandecosystemfunction. As EIDsandtheirimpactsgrow,landscape- toregional-scalemodels

ofdiseasedynamicsareincreasinglyneededforquantitative predictionofepidemicoutcomesanddesign

ofpracticablestrategiesforcontrol. Hereweusespatio-temporal,stochasticepidemiologicalmodelingin

combinationwithrealisticgeographicalmodelingto predictthespreadofthesuddenoakdeath pathogen

(Phytophthora ramorum) throughheterogeneoushost populationsinwildlandforests,subjectto

fluctuatingweatherconditions. Themodelconsidersthreestochastic processes: (1) the productionofinoculumatagivensite; (2) thechancethatinoculumisdispersedwithinandamongsites; and (3) the

probabilityofinfectionfollowingtransmissiontosusceptiblehostvegetation. We parameterizedthe

modelusingMarkovchainMonteCarlo (MCMC) estimationfromsnapshotsoflocal- andregional-scale

dataondiseasespread,takingaccountoflandscapeheterogeneityandthe principalscalesofspread. Our

applicationofthemodeltoCalifornianlandscapesovera 40-year period (19902030),sincethe

approximatetimeofpathogenintroduction,revealedkey parametersdrivingthespatialspreadofdisease

andthemagnitudeofstochasticvariabilityinepidemicoutcomes. Resultsshowthatmostdiseasespread

occursvialocaldispersal (


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Weibullmedian: 63,maximum: 123). Firefrequencyremainedhighduringthe 17801840 period,when

firewasreducedorabsentinotherareasofthewestern United States. Boththe expectedandthe

observedfirehistoryshowedlowerfirefrequencyafter Euro-Americansettlement,whichmostlikely

displaced Native peopleandanydeliberateuseoffire,butdidnotintroduce publiclyorganized

suppressioninthearea. Therefore,lessfavorableclimaticconditions,not post-settlementfire

management,wereresponsibleforreducedwildfireoccurrenceinthemodernera.

Heath,Linda S., James E. Smith,ChristopherW. Woodall,DavidL. Azuma,and KarenL. Waddell. 2011. Carbon

stocks on forestland of the United States, with emphasis on USDA Forest Service ownership.Ecosphere. 2(1) art

6. [USDAForest Service, NorthernResearch Station, Durham, NewHampshire 03824; USDAForest Service,

NorthernResearch Station, St. Paul,Minnesota 55108; USDAForest Service,Pacific NorthwestResearch Station,

Portland, Oregon 97205]

The U.S. DepartmentofAgricultureForest Service (USFS) managesone-fifthoftheareaofforestlandin

the United States. TheForest ServiceRoadmap forrespondingtoclimatechangeidentifiedassessingand

managingcarbonstocksandchangeasamajorelementofits plan. Thisstudy presentsmethodsand

resultsofestimatingcurrentforestcarbonstocksandchangeinthe United Statesfor publicand private

owners,consistentwiththeofficial 2010 U.S. greenhousegasinventory,butwithimproveddatasources

forthreestates. Resultsare presentedby NationalForest Systemregion,amajororganizational

managementunitwithintheForest Service,andbyindividualnationalforest. USFS forestlandinthe

United Statesisestimatedtocontainanaverageof192 MgC/ha (megagramscarbon perhectare) on 60.4

millionha,foratotalof11,604 TgC (teragramsC) intheyear 2005. Privately-ownedforestlandaverages

150 MgC/haon 173.8millionha,withforestlandofother publicownersaveraging 169MgC/haon 43.1

millionha. Intermsofchange, privateand USFS ownershipseachsequesteraboutanet 150 TgCO2/yr,

butanadditional 92 TgCO2/yrisstoredin productsfrom privateharvestscomparedtoabout 3 TgCO2/yr

fromharveston USFS land. Emissionsfromotherdisturbancessuchasfires,aswellascorrespondingarea

estimatesofdisturbancearealsoimportant,buttheneededdatasetsarenotyetavailable.

Recommendationsaregivenforimprovingtheestimates.

Mori,Akira S.2011. Climatic variability regulates the occurrence and extent of large fires in the subalpine forests

of the Canadian Rockies.Ecosphere. 2(1) art 7. [Graduate SchoolofEnvironmentandInformation Sciences,

Yokohama National University, 79-7 Tokiwadai,Hodogaya, Yokohama, Kanagawa 240-8501, Japan]

Rawchuk,MegA. K and SteveG. Cumming. 2011. Effects of biotic feedback and harvest management on boreal

forest fire activity under climate change.Ecological Applications. 21(1): 122-136. [DepartmentofEnvironmental






burning. However,thisassumptionneedsexplicittesting. First,areasrecentlyburnedcanbelesslikelyto

burnagaininthenearterm,andthisendogenousregulationsuggeststhe potentialforself-limiting,






climatechange,andclearcutharvestmanagement.

Wefoundthatclimatechange projectedwithfireweatherindicescalculatedfromtheCanadianRegional





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andagestructurewasshiftedsubstantially,illustratingatrade-offbetweenmanagementgoalstominimizefireandconservationgoalstoemulatenaturaldisturbance.

Teste,FranoisP.,Victor J. Lieffers,and SimonM. Landhusser. 2011. Seed release in serotinous lodgepole pine

forests after mountain pine beetle outbreak. Ecological Applications. 21(1): 150-162. [DepartmentofRenewable

Resources,UniversityofAlberta, Edmonton,Alberta T6G2H1 Canada]

Thereareconcernsthatlarge-scalestandmortalityduetomountain pinebeetle (MPB) couldgreatly

reducenaturalregenerationofserotinousRockyMountain (RM) lodgepole pine (Pinus contortavar.

latifolia) becausetheclosedconesareheldin placewithoutthefirecueforconeopening. Weselected 20

stands (fivestandseachoflive [control], 3 yearssinceMPB [3-yr-MPB], 6 yearssinceMPB [6-yr-MPB],and

9 yearssinceMPB [9-yr-MPB]mortality) innorthcentralBritishColumbia,Canada. Thegoalwasto

determine partiallossofserotinyduetofallofcrown-storedconesviabreakageofbranchesandinsitu

openingofcanopyconesthroughoutthe 2008 and 2009 growingseasons. Wealsoquantifiedseedrelease

bytheopeningofforest-floorcones,lossofseedfromrodent predation,andconeburial. Treeskilledby

MPBthreeyearsearlierdropped 3.5 timesmoreconesviabranchbreakagecomparedtolivestands.

Aftersixyears,MPB-killedstandshadreleased 45% oftheircanopyseedbankthroughconeopening,

conefallduetobreakage,andsquirrel predation. Furtherlossesofcanopyseedbanksareexpectedwith

timesincewefound 9-yr-MPBstandshad 38%moreopencanopycones. Thiswascounteredbythe

developmentofamodestforest-floorseedbank (6% oftheoriginalcanopyseedbank) fromburialof

cones; thisseedbankmaybeecologicallyimportantifafireoranthropogenicdisturbancereexposes

thesecones. Ifadequatelevelsofregenerationaretooccur,disturbancestocreateseedbedsmustoccur

shortlyaftertreemortality,beforetheseedbanksarelost. Ourfindingsalsosuggestthatthesustained

seedrain (overatleastnineyears) afterMPBoutbreakmaybebeneficialfor populationgrowthof

ground-foragingvertebrates. Ourstudyaddsinsighttotheseedecologyofserotinous pinesundera

potentiallycontinental-wideinsectoutbreak,threateningvastforestsadaptedtoregenerationafterfire.

Pike, DavidA., Jonathan K. Webb,andRichard Shine. 2011.Removing forest canopy cover restores a reptile

assemblage. Ecological Applications. 21(1): 274-280. [SchoolofBiological SciencesA08, UniversityofSydney, NSW

2006 Australia]

Swanson,Mark E, JerryFFranklin,RobertLBeschta,CharlesMCrisafulli,DominickA DellaSala,RichardLHutto,

DavidBLindenmayer,andFrederick J Swanson.2011. The forgotten stage of forest succession: early-successional

ecosystems on forest sites.Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. 9(2)117-125.

Early-successionalforestecosystemsthatdevelop afterstand-replacingor partialdisturbancesarediverse

inspecies, processes,andstructure. Post-disturbanceecosystemsarealsooftenrichinbiologicallegacies,

includingsurvivingorganismsandorganicallyderivedstructures,suchaswoodydebris. Theselegaciesand

post-disturbance plantcommunitiesprovideresourcesthatattractandsustainhighspeciesdiversity,

includingnumerousearly-successionalobligates,suchascertainwoodpeckersandarthropods. Early

successionistheonly periodwhentreecanopiesdonotdominatetheforestsite,andsothisstagecanbe

characterizedbyhigh productivityofplantspecies (includingherbsandshrubs),complexfoodwebs,large

nutrientfluxes,andhighstructuralandspatialcomplexity. Differentdisturbancescontrastmarkedlyin

termsofbiologicallegacies,andthiswillinfluencetheresultant physicalandbiologicalconditions,thus

affectingsuccessional pathways. Managementactivities,suchas post-disturbancelogginganddensetree

planting,canreducetherichnesswithinandthedurationofearly-successionalecosystems. Where


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Field, Jason,P. David D. Breshears, Jeffrey J. Whicker,andChrisB. Zou. 2011. Interactive effects of grazing and

burning on wind- and water-driven sediment fluxes: rangeland management implications. Ecological

Applications. 21(1): 22-32. [SchoolofNaturalResourcesandthe Environment,UniversityofArizona, Tucson,Arizona 85721; DepartmentofEcologyand EvolutionaryBiology, UniversityofArizona, Tucson,Arizona 85721;

EnvironmentalPrograms,LosAlamos NationalLaboratory,LosAlamos, NewMexico 87545; DepartmentofNatural

Resource EcologyandManagement,Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma 74078]

Rangelandsaregloballyextensive, providefundamentalecosystemservices,andaretightlycoupled

humanecologicalsystems. Rangelandsustainabilitydependslargelyontheimplementationand

utilizationofvariousgrazingandburning practicesoptimizedto protectagainstsoilerosionandtransport.

Inmanycases,however,landmanagement practicesleadtoincreasedsoilerosionandsedimentfluxes

forreasonsthatare poorlyunderstood. Becausefewstudieshavedirectlymeasuredbothwindandwater

erosionandtransport,anassessmentofhowtheymaydifferentiallyrespondtograzingandburning

practicesislacking. Here,wereportsimultaneous,co-locatedestimatesofwind- andwater-driven

sedimenttransportinasemiaridgrasslandinArizona, USA,overthreeyearsforfourlandmanagement

treatments: control,grazed,burned,andburned + grazed. Foralltreatmentsandmostyears,annualrates

ofwind-drivensedimenttransportexceededthatofwaterduetoacombinationofongoingsmallbut

nontrivialwindeventsandlarger,lessfrequent,windeventsthatgenerally precededthemonsoon

season. Sedimentfluxesbybothwindandwaterdifferedconsistentlybytreatment: burned + grazed >

burned grazed control,witheffectsimmediatelyapparentafterburningbutdelayedaftergrazinguntil

thefollowinggrowingseason. Notably,thewind:watersedimenttransportratiodecreasedfollowing

burningbutincreasedfollowinggrazing. Ourresultsshowhowrangeland practicesdisproportionallyalter

sedimentfluxesdrivenbywindandwater,differencesthatcould potentiallyhelp explaindivergence

betweenrangelandsustainabilityanddegradation.

Soil

Corbin, JeffreyD. andCarlaM. D'Antonio.(2011). Abundance and productivity mediate invader effects on

nitrogen dynamics in a California grassland. Ecosphere. 2(3):32.

Pregitzer, Kurt S., DonaldR. Zak,AlanF. Talhelm,Andrew J. Burton,and JenniferR. Eikenberry. 2011. Nitrogen

turnover in the leaf litter and fine roots of sugar maple.Ecology. 91(12): 4356-3462. [CollegeofNatural

Resources,UniversityofIdaho,Moscow,Idaho 83844; SchoolofNaturalResourcesand Environment,Universityof

Michigan,AnnArbor,Michigan 48109; SchoolofForestResourcesand Environmental Science,Michigan

Technological University,Houghton,Michigan 49931 USA]

Damschen, EllenI., SusanHarrison,and JamesB. Grace, 2011. Climate change effects on an endemic-rich edaphic

flora: resurveying Robert H. Whittaker's Siskiyou sites (Oregon, USA).Ecology. 91(12):3609-3619. [ Departmentof

Biology,WashingtonUniversity, St. Louis,Missouri 63130; DepartmentofEnvironmental ScienceandPolicy,

UniversityofCalifornia,Davis,California 95616; U.S.Geological Survey,NationalWetlandsResearchCenter, 700

CajundomeBoulevard,Lafayette,Louisiana 70506]

Specieswithrelativelynarrowniches,suchas plantsrestricted (endemic) to particularsoils,maybe

especiallyvulnerabletoextinctionunderachangingclimateduetotheenhanceddifficultytheyfacein

migratingtosuitablenewsites. Totestforcommunity-leveleffectsofclimatechange,andtocompare

sucheffectsinahighlyendemic-richfloraonunproductiveserpentinesoilsvs. thefloraofnormal (diorite)

soils,in 2007 weresampledascloselyas possible 108 sitesoriginallystudiedbyecologistRobertH.

Whittakerfrom 1949 to 1951 inthe SiskiyouMountainsofsouthern Oregon, USA. Wefoundsharp

declinesinherbcoverandrichnessonbothserpentineanddioritesoils. Declineswerestrongestin

speciesofnorthernbiogeographicaffinity,speciesendemictotheregion (inserpentinecommunities


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only),andspeciesendemictoserpentinesoils. Consistentwithclimaticwarming,herbcommunitieshave

shiftedfrom 1949-1951 to 2007 tomorecloselyresemblecommunitiesfoundonxeric (warm,dry) south-

facingslopes. Thechangesfoundinthe Siskiyouherbflorasuggestthatbiotasrichinnarrowlydistributed

endemicsmaybe particularlysusceptibletotheeffectsofawarmingclimate.

Peay, KabirG.,MatteoGarbelotto,and Thomas D. Bruns. 2011. Evidence of dispersal limitation in soil

microorganisms: Isolation reduces species richness on mycorrhizal tree islands. Ecology. 91(12): 36313640.[DepartmentofEnvironmental Science,PolicyandManagement, UniversityofCalifornia,Berkeley,California

94720; DepartmentofPlantandMicrobialBiology, UniversityofCalifornia,Berkeley,California 94720]

Conant,Richard T., StephenM Ogle, EldorAPaul,and KeithPaustian. 2011.Measuring and monitoring soil organic

carbon stocks in agricultural lands for climate mitigation.Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. 9(3): 169-173.

Policiesthatencouragegreenhouse-gasemitterstomitigateemissionsthroughterrestrialcarbon (C)

offsets Csequestrationinsoilsorbiomass will promote practicesthatreduceerosionandbuildsoil

fertility,whilefosteringadaptationtoclimatechange,agricultural development,andrehabilitationof

degradedsoils. However,noneofthesebenefitswillbe possibleuntilchangesinCstockscanbe

documentedaccuratelyandcost-effectively. Thisis particularlychallengingwhendealingwithchangesin

soilorganicC (SOC) stocks. PrecisemethodsformeasuringCinsoilsamplesarewellestablished,but

spatialvariabilityinthefactorsthatdetermine SOCstocksmakesitdifficulttodocumentchange.

WidespreadinterestinthebenefitsofSOCsequestrationhasbroughtthisissuetotheforeinthe

developmentofUS andinternationalclimate policy. Here,wereviewthechallengestodocumenting

changesin SOCstocks,how policydecisionsinfluenceoffsetdocumentationrequirements,andthe

benefitsanddrawbacksofdifferentsamplingstrategiesandextrapolationmethods.

Land Ecosystems

Letourneau,Deborah K.,et.al. 2011. Does plant diversity benefit agroecosystems? A synthetic review. Ecological

Applications. 21(1): 9-21. [Environmental Studies Department, 1156 High Street, UniversityofCalifornia, Santa

Cruz,California 95064]

Shuster, DavidL., KurtM. Cuffey, JohnnyW. Sanders,andGregBalco. 2011. Thermochronometry Reveals

Headward Propagation of Erosion in an Alpine Landscape.Science. 332(6025): 84-88.Glacialtroughsin New Zealandmountainsdevelopedby propagationoferosionup valleys.

Riparian Ecosystems:

Hough-Snee, Nate,RodneyPondand Jake Jacobson. 2010.The Stillaguamish Big Trees Project: Watershed-Scale

Riparian Restoration (Washington).Ecological Restoration 28(3): 243-245.

Allen,Anastasia E.,Francisco J. Santana-Michel,ClaudiaOrtizArronaand JoyB. Zedler. 2010. Integrating Ecological

and Ethnobotanical Priorities into Riparian Restoration. Ecological Restoration 28(3): 377-388.

Kennedy, ThomasL. and ThomasF. Turner.2011. River channelization reduces nutrient flow and

macroinvertebrate diversity at the aquatic terrestrial transition zone.Ecosphere. 2(3):art 35. [Departmentof

BiologyandMuseumofSouthwesternBiology, UniversityofNewMexico,Albuquerque, NewMexico 87131 USA]

Merritt, DavidM.,Christer Nilsson,andRoland Jansson.2010. Consequences of propagule dispersal and river

fragmentation for riparian plant community diversity and turnover. Ecological Monographs. 80(4): 600-626.

[NationalWatershed,Fish,Wildlife,Air,andRarePlants, U.S. Forest Service, NaturalResourceResearchCenter,

FortCollins,Colorado 80526]

Aufdenkampe,Anthony K.,et.al.2011. Riverine coupling of biogeochemical cycles between land, oceans, and

atmosphere. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. 9(1): 53-60. [StroudWaterResearchCenter,Avondale,PA;

AppliedPhysicsLaboratory,UniversityofWashington, Seattle,WA; Bren SchoolofEnvironmental Scienceand

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