Kumara, M.P., L.P. Jayatissa, K.W. Krauss, D.H. Phillips, & M. Huxham. 2010. High mangrove density enhances surface accretion, surface elevation change, and tree survival in coastal areas susceptible to sea-level rise. Oecologia 164: 545-553.
Ken Krauss, Ph.D.
Biography
EDUCATION
Ph.D., Biology, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, 2004
M.S., Forestry, Louisiana State University, 1997
B.S., Biology, University of Southwestern Louisiana, 1994
RESEARCH
Ken Krauss' research spans several habitats, from mangroves to tidal freshwater forested wetlands and marshes. His research takes a multi-tiered approach to understanding eco-physiological processes in coastal wetland forests; defining gas exchange between the soil and atmosphere, and among the leaf, tree, and atmosphere. Research has defined thresholds to tidal freshwater forested wetland habitat change in the face of persistent environmental drivers (esp. sea level rise and salinity), defined the potential of forested wetlands to influence water cycling in coastal areas, and has begun to establish the potential of other wetland types to contribute to water conservation, especially under drought and perennial salinization. Krauss also focuses on the vulnerability of coastal swamp forests and mangroves to sea-level rise, and on how science can inform management and restoration activity within the coastal zone.
BACKGROUND
He has been a scientist with the federal government since 1997, first with the USDA Forest Service in Stoneville, Mississippi and, then, in Honolulu, Hawaii, where he studied sedimentation, systematics, regeneration, growth, invasion biology, and ecophysiology of Pacific island forested wetlands in the Federated States of Micronesia and Hawaii. Krauss began working at the USGS National Wetlands Research Center in 2001 (renamed to USGS Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, or WARC, in 2015), where he maintains an expertise in forest ecology and ecophysiology, and serves as one of WARC's climate change scientists focusing on mangroves and tidal freshwater forested wetlands.
2004-present, Research Ecologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Lafayette, Louisiana
2001-2004, Ecologist, U.S. Geological Survey, National Wetlands Research Center, Lafayette, Louisiana
1997-2001, Ecologist, USDA Forest Service, Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry, Honolulu, Hawaii
1996-1997, Ecophysiologist Technician, USDA Forest Service, Center for Bottomland Hardwoods Forestry, Stoneville, Mississippi
1995-1996, Graduate Research Assistant, Louisiana State University, School of Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Science and Products
Year Published: 2017
Forested floristic quality index: An assessment tool for forested wetland habitats using the quality and quantity of woody vegetation at Coastwide Reference Monitoring System (CRMS) vegetation monitoring stations
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana and the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act, developed the Forested Floristic Quality Index (FFQI) for the Coastwide Reference Monitoring System (CRMS). The FFQI will help evaluate forested wetland sites on a...
Wood, William B.; Shaffer, Gary P.; Visser, Jenneke M.; Krauss, Ken W.; Piazza, Sarai C.; Sharp, Leigh Anne; Cretini, Kari F.View Citation
Wood, W.B., Shaffer, G.P., Visser, J.M., Krauss, K.W., Piazza, S.C., Sharp, L.A., and Cretini, K.F., 2017, Forested Floristic Quality Index—An assessment tool for forested wetland habitats using the quality and quantity of woody vegetation at Coastwide Reference Monitoring System (CRMS) vegetation monitoring stations: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2017–1002, 15 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20171002.
Year Published: 2017
Climatic controls on the global distribution, abundance, and species richness of mangrove forests
Mangrove forests are highly productive tidal saline wetland ecosystems found along sheltered tropical and subtropical coasts. Ecologists have long assumed that climatic drivers (i.e., temperature and rainfall regimes) govern the global distribution, structure, and function of mangrove forests. However, data constraints have hindered the...
Osland, Michael J.; Feher, Laura C.; Griffith, Kereen; Cavanaugh, Kyle C.; Enwright, Nicholas M.; Day, Richard H.; Stagg, Camille L.; Krauss, Ken W.; Howard, Rebecca J.; Grace, James B.; Rogers, KerryleeView Citation
Osland, M.J., Feher, L.C., Griffith, K.T., Cavanaugh, K.C., Enwright, N.M., Day, R.H., Stagg, C.L., Krauss, K.W., Howard, R.J., Grace, J.B., and Rogers, K., 2016, Climatic controls on the global distribution, abundance, and species richness of mangrove forests: Ecological Monographs, Accepted Online, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ecm.1248.
Year Published: 2017
Hydrologic restoration in a dynamic subtropical mangrove-to-marsh ecotone
Extensive hydrologic modifications in coastal regions across the world have occurred to support infrastructure development, altering the function of many coastal wetlands. Wetland restoration success is dependent on the existence of hydrologic regimes that support development of appropriate soils and the growth and persistence of wetland...
Howard, Rebecca J.; Day, Richard H.; Krauss, Ken W.; From, Andrew S.; Allain, Larry K.; Cormier, NicoleAttribution: Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Ecosystems
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Howard, R.J., Day, R.H., Krauss, K.W., From, A.S., Allain, L., and Cormier, N., 2016, Hydrologic restoration in a dynamic subtropical mangrove-to-marsh ecotone: Restoration Ecology, v. 25, no. 3, p. 471–482, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/rec.12452.
Year Published: 2017
Salinity influences on aboveground and belowground net primary productivity in tidal wetlands
Tidal freshwater wetlands are one of the most vulnerable ecosystems to climate change and rising sea levels. However salinification within these systems is poorly understood, therefore, productivity (litterfall, woody biomass, and fine roots) were investigated on three forested tidal wetlands [(1) freshwater, (2) moderately saline, and (...
Pierfelice, Kathryn N.; Graeme Lockaby, B.; Krauss, Ken W.; Conner, William H.; Noe, Gregory B.; Ricker, Matthew C.Attribution: Water Resources,
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Pierfelice, K.N, B.G. Lockaby, K.W. Krauss, W.H. Conner, G.B. Noe, and M.C. Ricker. 2015. Salinity influences on above- and belowground net primary productivity in tidal wetlands. Journal of Hydraulic Engineering. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)HE.1943-5584.0001223
Year Published: 2017
Hydrologic modeling in a marsh-mangrove ecotone: Predicting wetland surface water and salinity response to restoration in the Ten Thousand Islands region of Florida, USA
At the fringe of Everglades National Park in southwest Florida, United States, the Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge (TTINWR) habitat has been heavily affected by the disruption of natural freshwater flow across the Tamiami Trail (U.S. Highway 41). As the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) proposes to restore the natural...
Michot, B.D.; Meselhe, E.A.; Krauss, Ken W.; Shrestha, Surendra; From, Andrew S.; Patino, Eduardo
Year Published: 2016
Greenhouse gas emissions from a created brackish marsh in eastern North Carolina
Tidal marsh creation helps remediate global warming because tidal wetlands are especially proficient at sequestering carbon (C) in soils. However, greenhouse gas (GHG) losses can offset the climatic benefits gained from C storage depending on how these tidal marshes are constructed and managed. This study attempts to determine the GHG emissions...
Shiau, Yo-Jin; Burchell, Michael R.; Krauss, Ken W.; Birgand, François; Broome, Stephen W.Attribution: Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC), Water Resources, Ecosystems, Southeast, North Carolina
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Shiau, Y.-J., Burchell, M.R., Krauss, K.W., Birgand, F., and Broome, S.W., 2016, Greenhouse gas emissions from a created brackish marsh in eastern North Carolina: Wetlands, Online First, 16 p., http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13157-016-0815-y.
Year Published: 2016
Contemporary deposition and long-term accumulation of sediment and nutrients by tidal freshwater forested wetlands impacted by sea level rise
Contemporary deposition (artificial marker horizon, 3.5 years) and long-term accumulation rates (210Pb profiles, ~150 years) of sediment and associated carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) were measured in wetlands along the tidal Savannah and Waccamaw rivers in the southeastern USA. Four sites along each river spanned an...
Noe, Gregory B.; Hupp, Cliff R.; Bernhardt, Christopher E.; Krauss, Ken W.View Citation
Noe, G.B., Hupp, C.R., Bernhardt, C.E., and Krauss, K.W., 2016, Contemporary deposition and long-term accumulation of sediment and nutrients by tidal freshwater forested wetlands impacted by sea level rise: Estuaries and Coasts, v. 39, no. 4, p. 1006-1019, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12237-016-0066-4.
Year Published: 2016
Hydrology of flooded and wetland forests
In this chapter we will examine the hydrology of forested areas that are subject to soil saturation by rain, groundwater, or surface flooding. They include mangroves and other tidal forests, the forested portions of peatlands, and tree dominated wetlands defined by the Ramsar Convention (Mathews 1993). They also include estuarine tidal...
Amatya, D.; Williams, T.M.; Bren, L.; de Jong, C.; Williams, T.M.; Krauss, Ken W.; Okruszko, T.Attribution: Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Ecosystems
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Williams, T.M., Krauss, K.W., and Okruszko, T., 2016, Hydrology of flooded and wetland forests, in Amatya, D.M., Williams, T.M., Bren, L., and de Jong, C., eds., Forest Hydrology: Processes, Management and Assessment: CAB International and U.S. Department of Agriculture, Boston, Mass., Chapter 7, p. 103-123, http://www.cabi.org/bookshop/book/9781780646602.
Year Published: 2016
Inter-annual variability of area-scaled gaseous carbon emissions from wetland soils in the Liaohe Delta, China
Global management of wetlands to suppress greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, facilitate carbon (C) sequestration, and reduce atmospheric CO2 concentrations while simultaneously promoting agricultural gains is paramount. However, studies that relate variability in CO2 and CH4 emissions at large spatial scales are limited. We...
Ye, Siyuan; Krauss, Ken W.; Brix, Hans; Wei, Mengjie; Olsson, Linda; Yu, Xueyang; Ma, Yueying; Wang, Jin; Yuan, Hongming; Zhao, Guangming; Ding, Xigui; Moss, RebeccaAttribution: Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Ecosystems
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Ye, S., Krauss, K.W., Brix, H., Wei, M., Olsson, L., Yu, X., Ma, X., Wang, J., Yuan, H., Zhao, G., Ding, X., and Moss, R.F., 2016, Inter-annual variability of area-scaled gaseous carbon emissions from wetland soils in the Liaohe Delta, China: PLosONE, v. 11, no. 8, art. e0160612, http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0160612.
Year Published: 2016
Processes contributing to resilience of coastal wetlands to sea-level rise
The objectives of this study were to identify processes that contribute to resilience of coastal wetlands subject to rising sea levels and to determine whether the relative contribution of these processes varies across different wetland community types. We assessed the resilience of wetlands to sea-level rise along a transitional gradient from...
Stagg, Camille L.; Krauss, Ken W.; Cahoon, Donald R.; Cormier, Nicole; Conner, William H.; Swarzenski, Christopher M.Attribution: Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Ecosystems, Climate Research and Development Program, Land Change Science Program, United States of America
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Stagg, C.L., Krauss, K.W., Cahoon, D.R., Cormier, N., Conner, W.H., and Swarzenski, C.M., 2016, Processes contributing to resilience of coastal wetlands to sea-level rise: Ecosystems, First Online, 15 p., http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10021-016-0015-x.
Year Published: 2016
Component greenhouse gas fluxes and radiative balance from two deltaic marshes in Louisiana: Pairing chamber techniques and eddy covariance
Coastal marshes take up atmospheric CO2 while emitting CO2, CH4, and N2O. This ability to sequester carbon (C) is much greater for wetlands on a per-area basis than from most ecosystems, facilitating scientific, political, and economic interest in their value as greenhouse gas sinks. However, the greenhouse gas balance of Gulf of Mexico...
Krauss, Ken W.; Holm, Guerry O.; Perez, Brian C.; McWhorter, David E.; Cormier, Nicole; Moss, Rebecca; Johnson, Darren; Neubauer, Scott C; Raynie, Richard CAttribution: Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Ecosystems, Climate Research and Development Program, Land Change Science Program, United States of America
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Krauss, K.W., Holm, G.O., Jr., Perez, B.C., McWhorter, D.E., Cormier, N., Moss, R.F., Johnson, D.J., Neubauer, S.C., and Raynie, R.C., 2016, Component greenhouse gas fluxes and radiative balance from two deltaic marshes in Louisiana: pairing chamber techniques and eddy covariance: Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, Accepted Online Early, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/2015JG003224.
Year Published: 2016
Salt marsh-mangrove ecotones: using structural gradients to investigate the effects of woody plant encroachment on plant-soil interactions and ecosystem carbon pools
Changing winter climate extremes are expected to result in the poleward migration of mangrove forests at the expense of salt marshes. Although mangroves and marshes are both highly valued ecosystems, the ecological implications of mangrove expansion have not been fully investigated. Here, we examined the effects of mangrove expansion on below-...
Yando, Erik S.; Osland, Michael J.; Willis, Jonathan M; Day, Richard H.; Krauss, Ken W.; Hester, Mark W.Attribution: Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Ecosystems, Climate Adaptation Science Centers, Southeast
View Citation
Yando, E.S., Osland, M.J., Willis, J.M., Day, R.H., Krauss, K.W., and Hester, M.W., 2016, Salt marsh-mangrove ecotones: using structural gradients to investigate the effects of woody plant encroachment on plant-soil interactions and ecosystem carbon pools: Journal of Ecology, v. 104, no. 4, p. 1020-1031, http://dx.doi.org/10.111/1365-2745.12571.
Pre-USGS Publications
Huxham, M., M. Kumara, L. Jayatissa, K.W. Krauss, J. Kairo, J. Langat, M. Mencuccini, M. Skov & B. Kirui. 2010. Intra and inter-specific facilitation in mangroves may increase resilience to climate change threats. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London B 365: 2127-2135.
Krauss, K.W. 2009. Mangrove energetics. Ecology 90: 3588-3589. [book review]
Krauss, K.W., C.E. Lovelock, K.L. McKee, L. López-Hoffman, S.M.L. Ewe & W.P. Sousa. 2008. Environmental drivers in mangrove establishment and early development: a review. Aquatic Botany 89: 105-127.
Conner, W.H., T.W. Doyle & K.W. Krauss, Eds., 2007. Ecology of Tidal Freshwater Forested Wetlands of the Southeastern United States. Springer. 505 p.
Krauss, K.W., J.L. Chambers & D. Creech. 2007. Selection for salt tolerance in tidal freshwater swamp species: advances using baldcypress as a model for restoration. Pages 385-410 in W.H. Conner, T.W. Doyle, K.W. Krauss (eds.), Ecology of Tidal Freshwater Forested Wetlands of the Southeastern United States. Springer. 505 p.
Conner W.H., K.W. Krauss & T.W. Doyle. 2007. Ecology of tidal freshwater forests in coastal deltaic Louisiana and northeastern South Carolina. Pages 223-253 in W.H. Conner, T.W. Doyle, K.W. Krauss (eds.), Ecology of Tidal Freshwater Forested Wetlands of the Southeastern United States. Springer. 505 p.
Conner, W.H., C.T. Hackney, K.W. Krauss & J.W. Day, Jr. 2007. Tidal freshwater forested wetlands: future research needs and an overview of restoration. Pages 461-485 in W.H. Conner, T.W. Doyle, K.W. Krauss (eds.), Ecology of Tidal Freshwater Forested Wetlands of the Southeastern United States. Springer. 505 p.
Gardiner, E.S. & K.W. Krauss. 2001. Photosynthetic light response of flooded cherrybark oak (Quercus pagoda) seedlings grown in two light regimes. Tree Physiology 21: 1103-1111.
Krauss, K.W., R.A. Goyer, J.A. Allen & J.L. Chambers. 2000. Tree shelters effective in coastal swamp restoration (Louisiana). Ecological Restoration18: 200-201.
Allen, J.A., K.W. Krauss, N.C. Duke, O. Björkman, D.R. Herbst & C. Shih. 2000. Bruguiera species in Hawai’i: systematic considerations and ecological implications. Pacific Science 54: 331-343.
Doyle, T.W. & K.W. Krauss. 1999. The sands and sambars of St. Vincent Island. Florida Wildlife 53: 22-25.
Krauss, K.W., J.L. Chambers & J.A. Allen. 1998. Salinity effects and differential germination of several half-sib families of baldcypress from different seed sources. New Forests 15: 53-68.
Allen, J.A., W.H. Conner, R.A. Goyer, J.L. Chambers & K.W. Krauss. 1998. Chapter 4: Freshwater forested wetlands and global climate change. Pages 33-44 in G.R. Guntenspergen and B.A Vairin (eds.), Vulnerability of coastal wetlands in the Southeastern United States: climate change research results, 1992-97. U.S. Geological Survey, Biological Resources Division Biological Science Report USGS/BRD/BSR-1998-0002. 101 p.