Don Schoolmaster is an Ecologist at WARC in Lafayette, LA.
RESEARCH
Don Schoolmaster's research focuses on the use quantitative tools to combine ecological theory and data to address important applied questions. Two major avenues his work takes is 1) Using theory in inform causal networks (such as structural equations) that can be tested with data. His work in this area included both the development of methods, such as advanced methods for Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and applying these method to address ecological problems. 2) Using ecological theory to inform tools of ecological assessment. The methods used to develop quantitative tools such as Ecological Indicators (EI) and Multimetric Indices (MMI) often imply causal assumptions. The usefulness of the final assessment tool will often depend critically on how well these assumptions are met. Schoolmaster works to develop quantitative assessment methods that have causal assumptions that are met by ecological theory and expert opinion to insure a match between the assessment tool and understanding of how the systems works.
Science and Products
Understanding Impacts of Sea-Level Rise and Land Management on Critical Coastal Marsh Habitat
Understanding Impacts of Sea-Level Rise and Land Management on Critical Coastal Marsh Habitat
Development of a Multimetric Index for Integrated Assessment of Salt Marsh Condition in the Northeast Coastal and Barrier Network
Influence of Sea-Level Rise on Wetland Vegetation Community Structure, Primary Productivity, Organic Matter Decomposition and Carbon Storage
Spatiotemporal dynamics of soil carbon following coastal wetland loss at a Louisiana coastal salt marsh in the Mississippi River Deltaic Plain in 2019
Land area change in Coastal Louisiana (1932 to 2016) - persistent land change spatial data
Primary production across a coastal wetland landscape in Louisiana, U.S.A. (2012-2014)
Organic matter decomposition along coastal wetland landscape gradient from tidal freshwater forested wetland to oligohaline marsh in Southeastern U.S.A. (2010-2011)
Land area change in coastal Louisiana (1932 to 2016)
Analysis of per capita contributions from a spatial model provides strategies for controlling spread of invasive carp
A model of the spatiotemporal dynamics of soil carbon following coastal wetland loss applied to a Louisiana salt marsh in the Mississippi River Deltaic Plain
A graphical causal model for resolving species identity effects and biodiversity–ecosystem function correlations
Using maintenance records from a long-term sensor monitoring network to evaluate the relationship between maintenance schedule and data quality
A causal partition of trait correlations: using graphical models to derive statistical models from theoretical language
Development of a multimetric index for integrated assessment of salt marsh ecosystem condition
Vegetation cover, tidal amplitude and land area predict short-term marsh vulnerability in Coastal Louisiana
Resource competition model predicts zonation and increasing nutrient use efficiency along a wetland salinity gradient
Causal mechanisms of soil organic matter decomposition: Deconstructing salinity and flooding impacts in coastal wetlands
Soils mediate the impact of fine woody debris on invasive and native grasses as whole trees are mechanically shredded into firebreaks in piñon-juniper woodlands
A landscape-scale assessment of above- and belowground primary production in coastal wetlands: Implications for climate change-induced community shifts
Science and Products
- Science
Understanding Impacts of Sea-Level Rise and Land Management on Critical Coastal Marsh Habitat
To ensure successful restoration of coastal wetlands, WARC researchers will measure carbon cycling processes that indicate ecosystem health and sustainability.Understanding Impacts of Sea-Level Rise and Land Management on Critical Coastal Marsh Habitat
The Science Issue and Relevance: Coastal wetlands are some of the most productive and valuable habitats in the world. Louisiana contains 40% of the United States’ coastal wetlands, which provide critical habitat for waterfowl and fisheries, as well as many other benefits, such as storm surge protection for coastal communities. In terms of ecosystem services, biological resource production, and inf...Development of a Multimetric Index for Integrated Assessment of Salt Marsh Condition in the Northeast Coastal and Barrier Network
Salt marsh ecosystems along all US coastlines have been altered, degraded, and destroyed by human activities, including ditching and drainage of the marsh platform, tidal restrictions, discharge of pollutants, and introduction of invasive species. The National Park Service conducts long-term monitoring of salt marsh vegetation and nekton (fish and free-swimming crustaceans) to provide information...Influence of Sea-Level Rise on Wetland Vegetation Community Structure, Primary Productivity, Organic Matter Decomposition and Carbon Storage
This study will employ a space for time substitution to show long-term effects of rising sea-level and increasing salinity on vegetation community structure, primary production and decomposition. Productivity and decomposition rates will be estimated for four wetland plant community types defined by salinity zones and dominant plant species. - Data
Spatiotemporal dynamics of soil carbon following coastal wetland loss at a Louisiana coastal salt marsh in the Mississippi River Deltaic Plain in 2019
This dataset provides the water content, bulk density, carbon concentrations, nitrogen concentrations, and carbon content of all fourteen cores sampled in coastal Louisiana (CRMS 0224) in October of 2019. Each sample is identified by a unique identifier that corresponds to each site by depth increment combination. The pond age range associated with each site is provided. The depth increment associLand area change in Coastal Louisiana (1932 to 2016) - persistent land change spatial data
Coastal Louisiana wetlands are one of the most critically threatened environments in the United States. These wetlands are in peril because Louisiana currently experiences greater coastal wetland loss than all other States in the contiguous United States combined. The analyses of landscape change presented here have utilized historical surveys, aerial, and satellite data to quantify landscape chanPrimary production across a coastal wetland landscape in Louisiana, U.S.A. (2012-2014)
Above- and belowground production in coastal wetlands are important contributors to carbon accumulation and ecosystem sustainability. As sea level rises, we can expect shifts to more salt-tolerant communities, which may alter these ecosystem functions and services. Although the direct influence of salinity on species-level primary production has been documented, we lack an understanding of the lanOrganic matter decomposition along coastal wetland landscape gradient from tidal freshwater forested wetland to oligohaline marsh in Southeastern U.S.A. (2010-2011)
Coastal wetlands significantly contribute to global carbon storage potential. Sea-level rise and other climate change-induced disturbances threaten coastal wetland sustainability and carbon storage capacity. It is critical that we understand the mechanisms controlling wetland carbon loss so that we can predict and manage these resources in anticipation of climate change. - Maps
Land area change in coastal Louisiana (1932 to 2016)
Coastal Louisiana wetlands are one of the most critically threatened environments in the United States. These wetlands are in peril because Louisiana currently experiences greater coastal wetland loss than all other States in the contiguous United States combined. The analyses of landscape change presented here have utilized historical surveys, aerial, and satellite data to quantify landscape chan - Publications
Filter Total Items: 21
Analysis of per capita contributions from a spatial model provides strategies for controlling spread of invasive carp
Metapopulation models may be applied to inform natural resource management to guide actions targeted at location-specific subpopulations. Model insights frequently help to understand which subpopulations to target and highlight the importance of connections among subpopulations. For example, managers often treat aquatic invasive species populations as discrete populations due to hydrological (e.g.A model of the spatiotemporal dynamics of soil carbon following coastal wetland loss applied to a Louisiana salt marsh in the Mississippi River Deltaic Plain
The potential for carbon sequestration in coastal wetlands is high due to protection of carbon (C) in flooded soils. However, excessive flooding can result in the conversion of the vegetated wetland to open water. This transition results in the loss of wetland habitat in addition to the potential loss of soil carbon. Thus, in areas experiencing rapid wetland submergence, such as the Mississippi RiA graphical causal model for resolving species identity effects and biodiversity–ecosystem function correlations
Identifying and clearly communicating the drivers of ecosystem function is a crucially important goal for both basic and applied ecology. This has proven difficult because the putative causes (e.g., environment, species identity, biodiversity, and functional traits) are numerous and correlated. The problem is exacerbated by a lack of a formal framework for unambiguously relating theoretical languaUsing maintenance records from a long-term sensor monitoring network to evaluate the relationship between maintenance schedule and data quality
Sensor-based environmental monitoring networks are beginning to provide the large-scale, long-term data required to address important fundamental and applied questions in ecology. However, the data quality from deployed sensors can be difficult and costly to ensure. In this study, we use maintenance records from the 12-year history of Louisiana’s Coastwide Reference Monitoring System (CRMS) to assA causal partition of trait correlations: using graphical models to derive statistical models from theoretical language
Recent studies hypothesize various causes of species‐level trait covariation, namely size (e.g., metabolic theory of ecology and leaf economics spectrum), pace‐of‐life (e.g., slow‐to‐fast continuum; lifestyle continuum), evolutionary history (e.g., phylogenetic conservatism), and ecological conditions (e.g., stabilizing selection). Various methods have been used in attempts to partition trait corrDevelopment of a multimetric index for integrated assessment of salt marsh ecosystem condition
Tools for assessing and communicating salt marsh condition are essential to guide decisions aimed at maintaining or restoring ecosystem integrity and services. Multimetric indices (MMIs) are increasingly used to provide integrated assessments of ecosystem condition. We employed a theory-based approach that considers the multivariate relationship of metrics with human disturbance to construct a salVegetation cover, tidal amplitude and land area predict short-term marsh vulnerability in Coastal Louisiana
The loss of coastal marshes is a topic of great concern, because these habitats provide tangible ecosystem services and are at risk from sea-level rise and human activities. In recent years, significant effort has gone into understanding and modeling the relationships between the biological and physical factors that contribute to marsh stability. Simulation-based process models suggest that marshResource competition model predicts zonation and increasing nutrient use efficiency along a wetland salinity gradient
A trade-off between competitive ability and stress tolerance has been hypothesized and empirically supported to explain the zonation of species across stress gradients for a number of systems. Since stress often reduces plant productivity, one might expect a pattern of decreasing productivity across the zones of the stress gradient. However, this pattern is often not observed in coastal wetlands tCausal mechanisms of soil organic matter decomposition: Deconstructing salinity and flooding impacts in coastal wetlands
Coastal wetlands significantly contribute to global carbon storage potential. Sea-level rise and other climate change-induced disturbances threaten coastal wetland sustainability and carbon storage capacity. It is critical that we understand the mechanisms controlling wetland carbon loss so that we can predict and manage these resources in anticipation of climate change. However, our current underSoils mediate the impact of fine woody debris on invasive and native grasses as whole trees are mechanically shredded into firebreaks in piñon-juniper woodlands
To stem wildfires, trees are being mechanically shredded into firebreaks with the resulting fine woody debris (FWD) potentially exerting immense control over soil and plants. We linked FWD-induced changes in microbial activity and nutrient availability to the frequency of Bromus tectorum and three native, perennial grasses across 31 piñon-juniper woodlands, UT, USA. Using a series of mixed models,A landscape-scale assessment of above- and belowground primary production in coastal wetlands: Implications for climate change-induced community shifts
Above- and belowground production in coastal wetlands are important contributors to carbon accumulation and ecosystem sustainability. As sea level rises, we can expect shifts to more salt-tolerant communities, which may alter these ecosystem functions and services. Although the direct influence of salinity on species-level primary production has been documented, we lack an understanding of the lan - News