Publications
Publications, scientific literature, and information products from the Land Change Science Program.
Filter Total Items: 565
Fine‐resolution conservation planning with limited climate‐change information Fine‐resolution conservation planning with limited climate‐change information
Climate‐change induced uncertainties in future spatial patterns of conservation‐related outcomes make it difficult to implement standard conservation‐planning paradigms. A recent study translates Markowitz's risk‐diversification strategy from finance to conservation settings, enabling conservation agents to use this diversification strategy for allocating conservation and restoration...
Authors
Payal Shah, Mindy L. Mallory, Amy W. Ando, Glenn R. Guntenspergen
A synthesis of radial growth patterns preceding tree mortality A synthesis of radial growth patterns preceding tree mortality
Tree mortality is a key factor influencing forest functions and dynamics, but our understanding of the mechanisms leading to mortality and the associated changes in tree growth rates are still limited. We compiled a new pan-continental tree-ring width database from sites where both dead and living trees were sampled (2970 dead and 4224 living trees from 190 sites, including 36 species)...
Authors
Maxime Cailleret, Steven Jansen, Elisabeth M.R. Robert, Lucia Desoto, Tuomas Aakala, Joseph A. Antos, Barbara Beikircher, Christof Bigler, Harald Bugmann, Marco Caccianiga, Vojtech Cada, Jesus J. Camarero, Paolo Cherubini, Herve Cochard, Marie R. Coyea, Katarina Cufar, Adrian J. Das, Hendrik Davi, Sylvain Delzon, Michael Dorman, Guillermo Gea-Izquierdo, Sten Gillner, Laurel J. Haavik, Henrik Hartmann, Ana-Maria Heres, Kevin R. Hultine, Pavel Janda, Jeffrey M. Kane, Vyacheslav I. Kharuk, Thomas Kitzberger, Tamir Klein, Koen Kramer, Frederic Lens, Tom Levanic, Juan C. Linares Calderon, Francisco Lloret, Raquel Lobo-Do-Vale, Fabio Lombardi, Rosana Lopez Rodriguez, Harri Makinen, Stefan Mayr, IIona Meszaros, Juha M. Metsaranta, Francesco Minunno, Walter Oberhuber, Andreas Papadopoulos, Mikko Peltoniemi, Any M. Petritan, Brigitte Rohner, Gabriel Sanguesa-Barreda, Dimitrios Sarris, Jeremy M. Smith, Amanda B. Stan, Frank Sterck, Dejan B. Stojanovic, Maria L. Suarez, Miroslav Svoboda, Roberto Tognetti, Jose M. Torres-Ruiz, Volodymyr Trotsiuk, Ricardo Villalba, Floor Vodde, Alana R. Westwood, Peter H. Wyckoff, Nikolay Zafirov, Jordi Martínez-Vilalta
Temperature and hydrology affect methane emissions from Prairie Pothole Wetlands Temperature and hydrology affect methane emissions from Prairie Pothole Wetlands
The Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) in central North America consists of millions of depressional wetlands that each have considerable potential to emit methane (CH4). Changes in temperature and hydrology in the PPR from climate change may affect methane fluxes from these wetlands. To assess the potential effects of changes in climate on methane emissions, we examined the relationships...
Authors
Sheel Bansal, Brian Tangen, Raymond Finocchiaro
Application of decision science to resilience management in Jamaica Bay Application of decision science to resilience management in Jamaica Bay
This book highlights the growing interest in management interventions designed to enhance the resilience of the Jamaica Bay socio-ecological system. Effective management, whether the focus is on managing biological processes or human behavior or (most likely) both, requires decision makers to anticipate how the managed system will respond to interventions (i.e., via predictions or...
Authors
Mitchell J. Eaton, Angela K. Fuller, Fred A. Johnson, M. P. Hare, Richard C. Stedman
Interaction between climate, volcanism, and isostatic rebound in Southeast Alaska during the last deglaciation Interaction between climate, volcanism, and isostatic rebound in Southeast Alaska during the last deglaciation
Observations of enhanced volcanic frequency during the last deglaciation have led to the hypothesis that ice unloading in glaciated volcanic terrains can promote volcanism through decompression melting in the shallow mantle or a reduction in crustal magma storage time. However, a direct link between regional climate change, isostatic adjustment, and the initiation of volcanism remains to...
Authors
Summer Praetorius, Alan Mix, Britta Jensen, Duane Froese, Glenn A. Milne, Matthew Wolhowe, Jason A. Addison, Fred Prahl
Groundwater level trends and drivers in two northern New England glacial aquifers Groundwater level trends and drivers in two northern New England glacial aquifers
We evaluated long-term trends and predictors of groundwater levels by month from two well-studied northern New England forested headwater glacial aquifers: Sleepers River, Vermont, 44 wells, 1992-2013; and Hubbard Brook, New Hampshire, 15 wells, 1979-2004. Based on Kendall Tau tests with Sen slope determination, a surprising number of well-month combinations had negative trends...
Authors
James B. Shanley, Ann T. Chalmers, Thomas J. Mack, Thor E. Smith, Philip T. Harte
Climate change and dissolved organic carbon export to the Gulf of Maine Climate change and dissolved organic carbon export to the Gulf of Maine
Ongoing climate change is affecting the concentration, export (flux), and timing of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) exported to the Gulf of Maine (GoM) through changes in hydrologic regime. DOC export was calculated for water years 1950 through 2013 for 20 rivers and for water years 1930 through 2013 for 14 rivers draining to the GoM. DOC export was also estimated for the 21st century...
Authors
Thomas G. Huntington, William M. Balch, George R. Aiken, Justin Sheffield, Lifeng Luo, Collin S. Roesler, Philip Camill
Seismic evidence of glacial-age river incision into the Tahaa barrier reef, French Polynesia Seismic evidence of glacial-age river incision into the Tahaa barrier reef, French Polynesia
Rivers have long been recognized for their ability to shape reef-bound volcanic islands. On the time-scale of glacial–interglacial sea-level cycles, fluvial incision of exposed barrier reef lagoons may compete with constructional coral growth to shape the coastal geomorphology of ocean islands. However, overprinting of Pleistocene landscapes by Holocene erosion or sedimentation has...
Authors
Michael Toomey, Jonathan D. Woodruff, Andrew D. Ashton, J. Taylor Perron
Status and trends of land change in the Eastern United States—1973 to 2000 Status and trends of land change in the Eastern United States—1973 to 2000
Preface U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Professional Paper 1794–D is the fourth in a four-volume series on the status and trends of the Nation’s land use and land cover, providing an assessment of the rates and causes of land-use and land-cover change in the Eastern United States between 1973 and 2000. Volumes A, B, and C provide similar analyses for the Western United States, the Great...
Radiocarbon constraints imply reduced carbon uptake by soils during the 21st century Radiocarbon constraints imply reduced carbon uptake by soils during the 21st century
Soil is the largest terrestrial carbon reservoir and may influence the sign and magnitude of carbon cycle-climate feedbacks. Many Earth system models (ESMs) estimate a significant soil carbon sink by 2100, yet the underlying carbon dynamics determining this response have not been systematically tested against observations. We used 14C data from 157 globally distributed soil profiles...
Authors
Yujie He, Susan E. Trumbore, Margaret S. Torn, Jennifer W. Harden, Lydia J.S. Vaughn, Steven D. Allison, J. T. Randerson
Ancient DNA reveals substantial genetic diversity in the California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus) prior to a population bottleneck Ancient DNA reveals substantial genetic diversity in the California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus) prior to a population bottleneck
Critically endangered species that have undergone severe population bottlenecks often have little remaining genetic variation, making it difficult to reconstruct population histories to apply in reintroduction and recovery strategies. By using ancient DNA techniques, it is possible to combine genetic evidence from the historical population with contemporary samples to provide a more...
Authors
Jesse D'Elia, Susan M. Haig, Thomas D. Mullins, Mark P. Miller
Comparison of methods for quantifying surface sublimation over seasonally snow-covered terrain Comparison of methods for quantifying surface sublimation over seasonally snow-covered terrain
Snow sublimation can be an important component of the snow-cover mass balance, and there is considerable interest in quantifying the role of this process within the water and energy balance of snow-covered regions. In recent years, robust eddy covariance (EC) instrumentation has been used to quantify snow sublimation over snow-covered surfaces in complex mountainous terrain. However, EC...
Authors
Graham A. Sexstone, David W. Clow, David I. Stannard, Steven R. Fassnacht