Publications
Below are publications associated with the Southwest Biological Science Center's research.
Trying to access a publication? Or looking for a GCMRC/GCES historical report? Reach out to Meredith Hartwell: mhartwell@usgs.gov with your request.
Filter Total Items: 1512
Semi-arid vegetation response to antecedent climate and water balance windows Semi-arid vegetation response to antecedent climate and water balance windows
Questions Can we improve understanding of vegetation response to water availability on monthly time scales in semi-arid environments using remote sensing methods? What climatic or water balance variables and antecedent windows of time associated with these variables best relate to the condition of vegetation? Can we develop credible near-term forecasts from climate data that can be used...
Authors
David P. Thoma, Seth M. Munson, Kathryn M. Irvine, Dana L. Witwicki, Erin Bunting
Low soil moisture during hot periods drives apparent negative temperature sensitivity of soil respiration in a dryland ecosystem: A multi-model comparison Low soil moisture during hot periods drives apparent negative temperature sensitivity of soil respiration in a dryland ecosystem: A multi-model comparison
Arid and semiarid ecosystems (drylands) may dominate the trajectory of biosphere-to-atmosphere carbon (C) exchange, and understanding dryland CO2 efflux is important for C cycling at the global-scale. However, unknowns remain regarding how temperature and moisture interact to regulate dryland soil respiration (R s ), while ‘islands of fertility’ in drylands create spatially heterogeneous...
Authors
Colin Tucker, Sasha C. Reed
Spatially explicit rangeland erosion monitoring using high-resolution digital aerial imagery Spatially explicit rangeland erosion monitoring using high-resolution digital aerial imagery
Nearly all of the ecosystem services supported by rangelands, including production of livestock forage, carbon sequestration, and provisioning of clean water, are negatively impacted by soil erosion. Accordingly, monitoring the severity, spatial extent, and rate of soil erosion is essential for long-term sustainable management. Traditional field-based methods of monitoring erosion...
Authors
Jeffrey K. Gillan, Jason W. Karl, Nichole N. Barger, Ahmed Elaksher, Michael C. Duniway
Available data support protection of the Southwestern Willow Flycatcher under the Endangered Species Act Available data support protection of the Southwestern Willow Flycatcher under the Endangered Species Act
Zink (2015) argued there was no evidence for genetic, morphological, or ecological differentiation between the federally endangered Southwestern Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii extimus) and other Willow Flycatcher subspecies. Using the same data, we show there is a step-cline in both the frequency of a mtDNA haplotype and in plumage variation roughly concordant with the currently...
Authors
Tad C. Theimer, Aaron D. Smith, Sean M. Mahoney, Kirsten E. Ironside
Cumulative drought and land-use impacts on perennial vegetation across a North American dryland region Cumulative drought and land-use impacts on perennial vegetation across a North American dryland region
Question The decline and loss of perennial vegetation in dryland ecosystems due to global change pressures can alter ecosystem properties and initiate land degradation processes. We tracked changes of perennial vegetation using remote sensing to address the question of how prolonged drought and land-use intensification have affected perennial vegetation cover across a desert region in...
Authors
Seth M. Munson, A. Lexine Long, Cynthia Wallace, Robert H. Webb
A review of precipitation and temperature control on seedling emergence and establishment for ponderosa and lodgepole pine forest regeneration A review of precipitation and temperature control on seedling emergence and establishment for ponderosa and lodgepole pine forest regeneration
The persistence of ponderosa pine and lodgepole pine forests in the 21st century depends to a large extent on how seedling emergence and establishment are influenced by driving climate and environmental variables, which largely govern forest regeneration. We surveyed the literature, and identified 96 publications that reported data on dependent variables of seedling emergence and/or...
Authors
Matthew Petrie, A.M. Wildeman, John B. Bradford, R.M. Hubbard, W.K. Lauenroth
Demographic response of northern spotted owls to barred owl removal Demographic response of northern spotted owls to barred owl removal
Federally listed as threatened in 1990 primarily because of habitat loss, the northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) has continued to decline despite conservation efforts resulting in forested habitat being reserved throughout its range. Recently, there is growing evidence the congeneric invasive barred owl (Strix varia) may be responsible for the continued decline primarily...
Authors
V. Lowell Diller, Keith A. Hamm, Desiree A Early, David W Lamphear, Katie M. Dugger, Charles B. Yackulic, Carl J. Schwarz, Peter C. Carlson, Trent L. McDonald
Production of greenhouse-grown biocrust mosses and associated cyanobacteria to rehabilitate dryland soil function Production of greenhouse-grown biocrust mosses and associated cyanobacteria to rehabilitate dryland soil function
Mosses are an often-overlooked component of dryland ecosystems, yet they are common members of biological soil crust communities (biocrusts) and provide key ecosystem services, including soil stabilization, water retention, carbon fixation, and housing of N2 fixing cyanobacteria. Mosses are able to survive long dry periods, respond rapidly to precipitation, and reproduce vegetatively...
Authors
Anita Antoninka, Matthew A. Bowker, Sasha C. Reed, Kyle Doherty
Nutrient resorption helps drive intra-specific coupling of foliar nitrogen and phosphorus under nutrient-enriched conditions Nutrient resorption helps drive intra-specific coupling of foliar nitrogen and phosphorus under nutrient-enriched conditions
Aims Plant biomass growth, storage, and decomposition connect nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) cycles, yet we know relatively little about the dynamics of such coupling under nutrient enriched conditions, and our understanding of the interactive relationships between plant N and P in drylands remains particularly poor. Methods In a semiarid steppe of northern China, we examined the...
Authors
Lü Xiao-Tao, Sasha C. Reed, Qiang Yu, Xing-Guo Han
Microbial community assembly and metabolic function during mammalian corpse decomposition Microbial community assembly and metabolic function during mammalian corpse decomposition
Vertebrate corpse decomposition provides an important stage in nutrient cycling in most terrestrial habitats, yet microbially mediated processes are poorly understood. Here we combine deep microbial community characterization, community-level metabolic reconstruction, and soil biogeochemical assessment to understand the principles governing microbial community assembly during...
Authors
Jessica L Metcalf, Zhenjiang Zech Xu, Sophie Weiss, Simon Lax, Will Van Treuren, Embriette R. Hyde, Jin Song, Amnon Amir, Peter Larsen, Naseer Sangwan, Daniel Haarmann, Greg C Humphrey, Gail Ackermann, Luke R Thompson, Christian Lauber, Alexander Bibat, Catherine Nicholas, Matthew J Gebert, Joseph F Petrosino, Sasha C. Reed, Jack A Gilbert, Aaron M Lynne, Sibyl R Bucheli, David O Carter, Rob Knight
Prey size and availability limits maximum size of rainbow trout in a large tailwater: insights from a drift-foraging bioenergetics model Prey size and availability limits maximum size of rainbow trout in a large tailwater: insights from a drift-foraging bioenergetics model
The cold and clear water conditions present below many large dams create ideal conditions for the development of economically important salmonid fisheries. Many of these tailwater fisheries have experienced declines in the abundance and condition of large trout species, yet the causes of these declines remain uncertain. Here, we develop, assess, and apply a drift-foraging bioenergetics...
Authors
Michael J. Dodrill, Charles B. Yackulic, Theodore A. Kennedy, John W Haye
Wide-area estimates of evapotranspiration by red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) and associated vegetation in the Murray-Darling River Basin, Australia Wide-area estimates of evapotranspiration by red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) and associated vegetation in the Murray-Darling River Basin, Australia
Floodplain red gum forests (Eucalyptus camaldulensis plus associated grasses, reeds and sedges) are sites of high biodiversity in otherwise arid regions of southeastern Australia. They depend on periodic floods from rivers, but dams and diversions have reduced flood frequencies and volumes, leading to deterioration of trees and associated biota. There is a need to determine their water
Authors
Pamela L. Nagler, Tanya M. Doody, Edward P. Glenn, Christopher J. Jarchow, Armando Barreto-Munoz, Kamel Didan