Ken Krauss, Ph.D.
Ken Krauss is a Research Ecologist at the USGS Wetland and Aquatic Research Center.
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
Assessing coastal wetland vulnerability to sea-level rise along the northern Gulf of Mexico coast: gaps and opportunities for developing a coordinated regional sampling network
Linear and nonlinear effects of temperature and precipitation on ecosystem properties in tidal saline wetlands
Organic matter decomposition along coastal wetland landscape gradient from tidal freshwater forested wetland to oligohaline marsh in Southeastern U.S.A. (2010-2011)
Predicting landscape effects of Mississippi River diversions on soil organic carbon sequestration
Plant biomass, carbon content, decomposition, and soil greenhouse gas fluxes to support carbon budget development for a created salt marsh in eastern North Carolina, USA
Surface elevation change (VLMw) and vertical accretion data from created mangroves in Tampa Bay, Florida, USA (2011-2016)
Coupling near-surface geomorphology with mangrove community diversity at the estuarine scale: A case study at Dongzhaigang Bay, China
A comprehensive assessment of mangrove species and carbon stock on Pohnpei, Micronesia
Constraints on the adjustment of tidal marshes to accelerating sea level rise
Modeling impacts of drought-induced salinity intrusion on carbon dynamics in tidal freshwater forested wetlands
Processes and mechanisms of coastal woody-plant mortality
Presence of the herbaceous marsh species Schoenoplectus americanus enhances surface elevation gain in transitional coastal wetland communities exposed to elevated CO2 and sediment deposition events
Preface to book: Wetland carbon and environmental management
Potential for carbon and nitrogen sequestration by restoring tidal connectivity and enhancing soil surface elevations in denuded and degraded south Florida mangrove ecosystems
Carbon fluxes and potential soil accumulation within Greater Everglades cypress and pine forested wetlands
Summary of wetland carbon and environmental management: Path forward
Modeling the impacts of hydrology and management on carbon balance at the Great Dismal Swamp, Virginia and North Carolina, USA
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Science and Products
- Science
Filter Total Items: 19
- Data
Filter Total Items: 30
Assessing coastal wetland vulnerability to sea-level rise along the northern Gulf of Mexico coast: gaps and opportunities for developing a coordinated regional sampling network
The study area included the coasts of all five U.S. states along the northern Gulf of Mexico (i.e., Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas). We contacted federal, state, and university-affiliated scientists working with SET-MH data within this area to obtain the geographic coordinates and the installation year for each SET-MH station. Please note that while our inventory is extensiveLinear and nonlinear effects of temperature and precipitation on ecosystem properties in tidal saline wetlands
Macroclimatic drivers, such as temperature and rainfall regimes, greatly influence ecosystem structure and function in tidal saline wetlands. Understanding the ecological influence of macroclimatic drivers is important because it provides a foundation for anticipating the effects of climate change. Tidal saline wetlands include mangrove forests, salt marshes, and salt flats, which occupy similar gOrganic 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.Predicting landscape effects of Mississippi River diversions on soil organic carbon sequestration
It contains supporting data from the wetland morphology modeling to support the analysis on the landscape effects of Mississippi River diversions in the context of sea-level rise on soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration along coastal Louisiana wetlands.Plant biomass, carbon content, decomposition, and soil greenhouse gas fluxes to support carbon budget development for a created salt marsh in eastern North Carolina, USA
These data were collected from a small (14 ha), created salt marsh in Carteret County, North Carolina (34.82 deg. N; 76.61 deg. W). This site was created in 2007 following an engineering plan developed by Dr. Michael Burchell (NC-State University). This data collection was to support the development of a site-specific carbon budget. Data were collected from 2011 to 2013, or approximately 4-6 yearsSurface elevation change (VLMw) and vertical accretion data from created mangroves in Tampa Bay, Florida, USA (2011-2016)
These data represent surface elevation change (or "Vertical Land Motion of the Wetland": VLMw) and vertical accretion time series collected from a series of created tidal wetland sites in the Tampa Bay watershed, Florida, USA. VLMw was measured using a combination of rod Surface Elevation Tables (RSETs), shallow root-zone SETs, and feldspar marker horizons. Sites were created and planted with salt - Multimedia
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 181
Coupling near-surface geomorphology with mangrove community diversity at the estuarine scale: A case study at Dongzhaigang Bay, China
Coastal wetlands are key features of the Earth’s surface and are characterized by a diverse array of coupled geomorphological and biological processes. However, the links between the distribution of biodiversity (e.g., species and structural diversity) and the formation of coastal geomorphology are not well understood on a landscape scale most useful to coastal zone managers. This study describesAuthorsGuogui Chen, Wei Hong, Xuan Gu, Ken Krauss, Kaiyuan Zhao, Haifeng Fu, Luzhen Chen, Mao Wang, Wenqing WangA comprehensive assessment of mangrove species and carbon stock on Pohnpei, Micronesia
Mangrove forests are the most important ecosystems on Pohnpei Island, Federated States of Micronesia, as the island communities of the central Pacific rely on the forests for many essential services including protection from sea-level rise that is occurring at a greater pace than the global average. As part of a multi-component assessment to evaluate vulnerabilities of mangrove forests on Pohnpei,AuthorsVictoria Woltz, Elitsa I. Peneva-Reed, Zhiliang Zhu, Eric L. Bullock, Richard A. MacKenzie, Maybeleen Apwong, Ken Krauss, Dean B. GeschConstraints on the adjustment of tidal marshes to accelerating sea level rise
Much uncertainty exists about the vulnerability of valuable tidal marsh ecosystems to relative sea level rise. Previous assessments of resilience to sea level rise, to which marshes can adjust by sediment accretion and elevation gain, revealed contrasting results, depending on contemporary or Holocene geological data. By analyzing globally distributed contemporary data, we found that marsh sedimenAuthorsNeil Saintilan, Katya E. Kovalenko, Glenn R. Guntenspergen, Kerrylee Rogers, James C. Lynch, Donald Cahoon, Catherine E. Lovelock, Daniel A. Friess, Erica Ashe, Ken Krauss, Nicole Cormier, Tom Spencer, Janine Adams, Jacqueline Raw, Carles Ibanez, Francesco Scarton, Stijn Temmerman, Patrick Meire, Tom Maris, Karen M. Thorne, John Brazner, Gail L. Chmura, Tony Bowron, Vishmie Palepitiya Gamage, Kimberly Cressman, Charlie Endris, Christina Marconi, Pamela Marcum, Kari St. Laurent, William G. Reay, Kenneth B. Raposa, Jason A. Garwood, Nicole KahnModeling impacts of drought-induced salinity intrusion on carbon dynamics in tidal freshwater forested wetlands
Tidal freshwater forested wetlands (TFFW) provide critical ecosystem services including essential habitat for a variety of wildlife species and significant carbon sinks for atmospheric carbon dioxide. However, large uncertainties remain concerning the impacts of climate change on the magnitude and variability of carbon fluxes and storage across a range of TFFW. In this study, we developed a procesAuthorsHongqing Wang, Zhaohua Dai, Carl C. Trettin, Ken Krauss, Gregory B. Noe, Andrew J. Burton, Camille Stagg, Eric WardProcesses and mechanisms of coastal woody-plant mortality
Observations of woody plant mortality in coastal ecosystems are globally widespread, but the overarching processes and underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. This knowledge deficiency, combined with rapidly changing water levels, storm surges, atmospheric CO2, and vapor pressure deficit, creates large predictive uncertainty regarding how coastal ecosystems will respond to global change. HereAuthorsNate G. McDowell, Marilyn Ball, Ben Bond-Lamberty, Matthew L. Kirwan, Ken Krauss, J. Patrick Megonigal, Maurizio Mencuccini, Nicholas D. Ward, Michael N. Weintraub, Vanessa BaileyPresence of the herbaceous marsh species Schoenoplectus americanus enhances surface elevation gain in transitional coastal wetland communities exposed to elevated CO2 and sediment deposition events
Coastal wetlands are dynamic ecosystems that exist along a landscape continuum that can range from freshwater forested wetlands to tidal marsh to mudflat communities. Climate-driven stressors, such as sea-level rise, can cause shifts among these communities, resulting in changes to ecological functions and services. While a growing body of research has characterized the landscape-scale impacts ofAuthorsCamille Stagg, Claudia Laurenzano, William C. Vervaeke, Ken Krauss, Karen L. McKeePreface to book: Wetland carbon and environmental management
The idea for this book, including its organization and contents, has its origin in the latest environmental and climate policy requirements in the United States, as well as science advances. In 2007, the U.S. Congress passed the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA), from which Section 712 required U.S. Federal agencies to provide a better understanding of carbon and greenhouse gas fluxes acAuthorsKen Krauss, Zhiliang Zhu, Camille StaggPotential for carbon and nitrogen sequestration by restoring tidal connectivity and enhancing soil surface elevations in denuded and degraded south Florida mangrove ecosystems
Mangroves are tidally dependent wetlands that are influenced often by alterations in hydrology associated with coastal developments that impact their distribution, health, and function. Alteration in frequency, depth, duration, and seasonality of tidal inundation can lead to changes in forest condition, although these stress-adapted ecosystems may persist for many years before succumbing to mortalAuthorsN. Cormier, Ken Krauss, Amanda Demopoulos, Brita J. Jessen, Jennifer McClain Counts, Andrew From, Laura L. FlynnCarbon fluxes and potential soil accumulation within Greater Everglades cypress and pine forested wetlands
In forested wetlands, accumulation of organic matter in soil is partly governed by carbon fluxes where photosynthesis, respiration, lateral advection of waterborne carbon, fire-derived carbon emissions, and methanogenesis are balanced by changes in stored carbon. Stored carbon can eventually accumulate as soil over time if net primary productivity exceeds biomass decomposition. For this study, potAuthorsW. Barclay Shoemaker, Frank E. Anderson, Andre Daniels, Matt SirianniSummary of wetland carbon and environmental management: Path forward
Wetlands around the world are under pressure from both anthropogenic sources such as land-use change and accelerating climate change (Erwin, 2009; Moomaw et al., 2018). Storage of carbon resources is a key ecosystem service of wetlands and offer natural solutions to climate change mitigation; policies and management actions could determine the fate of these resources and their contributions to cliAuthorsZhiliang Zhu, Ken Krauss, Camille Stagg, Eric Ward, Victoria WoltzModeling the impacts of hydrology and management on carbon balance at the Great Dismal Swamp, Virginia and North Carolina, USA
The impact of drainage on the stability of peatland carbon sinks is well known; however, much less is understood regarding the way active management of the water-table affects carbon balance. In this study, we determined the carbon balance in the Great Dismal Swamp, a large, forested peatland in the southeastern USA, which has been drained for over two hundred years and is now being restored throuAuthorsRachel SleeterNon-USGS Publications**
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.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.**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
- News