Kevin Buffington
Kevin Buffington is an ecologist at the Western Ecological Research Center.
EDUCATION
B.S. Biology, 2007, University of Wisconsin- Eau Claire,, Eau Claire, WI.
M.S. Biology, 2010, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID.
Ph.D. Fisheries and Wildlife, anticipated Mar 2017, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
RESEARCH INTERESTS
- Climate change ecology
- Remote Sensing
- Sea-level rise and salt marsh habitats
- Spatial modeling
- Species Distribution Modeling
- Physiological tolerances
- Wildlife biology
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 28
LEAN-corrected San Francisco Bay digital elevation model, 2018 LEAN-corrected San Francisco Bay digital elevation model, 2018
Lidar-derived digital elevation models often contain a vertical bias due to vegetation. In areas with tidal influence the amount of bias can be ecologically significant, for example, by decreasing the expected inundation frequency. We generated a corrected digital elevation mode (DEM) for tidal marsh areas around San Francisco Bay using the Lidar Elevation Adjustment with NDVI (LEAN)...
Digital elevation model outputs from wetland accreting rate model of ecosystem resilience (WARMER) at ten year intervals from 2010-2110 Digital elevation model outputs from wetland accreting rate model of ecosystem resilience (WARMER) at ten year intervals from 2010-2110
Digital elevation model outputs from wetland accreting rate model of ecosystem resilience (WARMER) at ten year intervals from 2010-2110. Baseline elevations were collected with RTK GPS units and LiDAR elevations in non-surveyed areas were also corrected using LEAN method. Historical accretion rates were collected at each salt marsh and used to parameterize WARMER, predicting future...
Data for climate-related variation in plant peak biomass and growth phenology across Pacific Northwest tidal marshes Data for climate-related variation in plant peak biomass and growth phenology across Pacific Northwest tidal marshes
This data release is comprised of tidal marsh biomass data and spatial predictions of peak biomass and Julian day of peak biomass using data from the Landsat archive. Aboveground biomass dry weight of mixed-species plots (25x50 cm) at a tidal marsh in Willapa Bay, Washington were used to establish a relationship between biomass and tasseled cap greeness (TCG). The julian day of annual...
Decomposition of plant litter in Pacific coast tidal marshes, 2014-2015 Decomposition of plant litter in Pacific coast tidal marshes, 2014-2015
Decomposition of plant matter is one of the key processes affecting carbon cycling and storage in tidal wetlands. In this study, we evaluated the effects of factors related to climate change (temperature, inundation) and vegetation composition on rates of litter decay in seven tidal marsh sites along the Pacific coast. In 2014 we conducted manipulative experiments to test inundation...
Filter Total Items: 45
Scalability and performance tradeoffs in quantifying relationships between elevation and tidal wetland plant communities Scalability and performance tradeoffs in quantifying relationships between elevation and tidal wetland plant communities
Elevation is a major driver of plant ecology and sediment dynamics in tidal wetlands, so accurate and precise spatial data are essential for assessing wetland vulnerability to sea-level rise and making forecasts. We performed survey-grade elevation and vegetation surveys of the Global Change Research Wetland, a brackish microtidal wetland in the Chesapeake Bay estuary, Maryland (USA), to...
Authors
James R. Holmquist, Lisa Schile-Beers, Kevin J. Buffington, Meng Lu, Thomas J Mozdzer, Jefferson Riera, Donald E. Weller, Meghan Williams, J Patrick Megonigal
Mangrove species’ response to sea-level rise across Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia Mangrove species’ response to sea-level rise across Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia
Mangrove forests are likely vulnerable to accelerating sea-level rise; however, we lack the tools necessary to understand their future resilience. On the Pacific island of Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia, mangroves are habitat to endangered species and provide critical ecosystem services that support local communities. We developed a generalizable modeling framework for mangroves...
Authors
Kevin J. Buffington, Richard A. MacKenzie, Joel A. Carr, Maybeleen Apwong, Ken W. Krauss, Karen M. Thorne
Stress gradients interact with disturbance to reveal alternative states in salt marsh: Multivariate resilience at the landscape scale Stress gradients interact with disturbance to reveal alternative states in salt marsh: Multivariate resilience at the landscape scale
Stress gradients influence many ecosystem processes and properties, including ecosystem recovery from and resistance to disturbance. While recent analytical approaches have advanced multivariate metrics of ecosystem resilience that allow quantification of conceptual resilience models and identification of thresholds of state change, these approaches are not often translated to landscape...
Authors
Scott Jones, Camille Stagg, Erik S. Yando, W. Ryan James, Kevin J. Buffington, Mark W. Hester
Testing the interactive effects of flooding and salinity on tidal marsh plant productivity Testing the interactive effects of flooding and salinity on tidal marsh plant productivity
Tidal wetlands support plant communities that facilitate carbon storage, accrete soil, and provide habitat for terrestrial and aquatic species. Climate change is likely to alter estuaries through sea-level rise and changing precipitation patterns, although the ecological responses are uncertain. We were interested in plant responses to physiological stress induced by elevated water...
Authors
Kevin J. Buffington, Arianna C Goodman, Chase M. Freeman, Karen M. Thorne
Spatiotemporal patterns of mineral and organic matter deposition across two San Francisco Bay-Delta tidal marshes Spatiotemporal patterns of mineral and organic matter deposition across two San Francisco Bay-Delta tidal marshes
Sediment deposition in tidal wetlands is a critical process that determines whether vertical growth will keep pace with sea-level rise. However, more information is needed on how sediment deposition varies spatially and temporally across wetlands, including the effects of elevation, tidal inundation, vegetation, and weather. We investigated variation in sediment deposition due to season...
Authors
Kevin J. Buffington, Christopher N. Janousek, Karen M. Thorne, Bruce D. Dugger
Flooding regimes increase avian predation on wildlife prey in tidal marsh ecosystems Flooding regimes increase avian predation on wildlife prey in tidal marsh ecosystems
Within isolated and fragmented populations, species interactions such as predation can cause shifts in community structure and demographics in tidal marsh ecosystems. It is critical to incorporate species interactions into our understanding when evaluating the effects of sea‐level rise and storm surges on tidal marshes. In this study, we hypothesize that avian predators will increase...
Authors
Karen M. Thorne, Kyle A. Spragens, Kevin J. Buffington, Jordan A. Rosencranz, John Takekawa
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 28
LEAN-corrected San Francisco Bay digital elevation model, 2018 LEAN-corrected San Francisco Bay digital elevation model, 2018
Lidar-derived digital elevation models often contain a vertical bias due to vegetation. In areas with tidal influence the amount of bias can be ecologically significant, for example, by decreasing the expected inundation frequency. We generated a corrected digital elevation mode (DEM) for tidal marsh areas around San Francisco Bay using the Lidar Elevation Adjustment with NDVI (LEAN)...
Digital elevation model outputs from wetland accreting rate model of ecosystem resilience (WARMER) at ten year intervals from 2010-2110 Digital elevation model outputs from wetland accreting rate model of ecosystem resilience (WARMER) at ten year intervals from 2010-2110
Digital elevation model outputs from wetland accreting rate model of ecosystem resilience (WARMER) at ten year intervals from 2010-2110. Baseline elevations were collected with RTK GPS units and LiDAR elevations in non-surveyed areas were also corrected using LEAN method. Historical accretion rates were collected at each salt marsh and used to parameterize WARMER, predicting future...
Data for climate-related variation in plant peak biomass and growth phenology across Pacific Northwest tidal marshes Data for climate-related variation in plant peak biomass and growth phenology across Pacific Northwest tidal marshes
This data release is comprised of tidal marsh biomass data and spatial predictions of peak biomass and Julian day of peak biomass using data from the Landsat archive. Aboveground biomass dry weight of mixed-species plots (25x50 cm) at a tidal marsh in Willapa Bay, Washington were used to establish a relationship between biomass and tasseled cap greeness (TCG). The julian day of annual...
Decomposition of plant litter in Pacific coast tidal marshes, 2014-2015 Decomposition of plant litter in Pacific coast tidal marshes, 2014-2015
Decomposition of plant matter is one of the key processes affecting carbon cycling and storage in tidal wetlands. In this study, we evaluated the effects of factors related to climate change (temperature, inundation) and vegetation composition on rates of litter decay in seven tidal marsh sites along the Pacific coast. In 2014 we conducted manipulative experiments to test inundation...
Filter Total Items: 45
Scalability and performance tradeoffs in quantifying relationships between elevation and tidal wetland plant communities Scalability and performance tradeoffs in quantifying relationships between elevation and tidal wetland plant communities
Elevation is a major driver of plant ecology and sediment dynamics in tidal wetlands, so accurate and precise spatial data are essential for assessing wetland vulnerability to sea-level rise and making forecasts. We performed survey-grade elevation and vegetation surveys of the Global Change Research Wetland, a brackish microtidal wetland in the Chesapeake Bay estuary, Maryland (USA), to...
Authors
James R. Holmquist, Lisa Schile-Beers, Kevin J. Buffington, Meng Lu, Thomas J Mozdzer, Jefferson Riera, Donald E. Weller, Meghan Williams, J Patrick Megonigal
Mangrove species’ response to sea-level rise across Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia Mangrove species’ response to sea-level rise across Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia
Mangrove forests are likely vulnerable to accelerating sea-level rise; however, we lack the tools necessary to understand their future resilience. On the Pacific island of Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia, mangroves are habitat to endangered species and provide critical ecosystem services that support local communities. We developed a generalizable modeling framework for mangroves...
Authors
Kevin J. Buffington, Richard A. MacKenzie, Joel A. Carr, Maybeleen Apwong, Ken W. Krauss, Karen M. Thorne
Stress gradients interact with disturbance to reveal alternative states in salt marsh: Multivariate resilience at the landscape scale Stress gradients interact with disturbance to reveal alternative states in salt marsh: Multivariate resilience at the landscape scale
Stress gradients influence many ecosystem processes and properties, including ecosystem recovery from and resistance to disturbance. While recent analytical approaches have advanced multivariate metrics of ecosystem resilience that allow quantification of conceptual resilience models and identification of thresholds of state change, these approaches are not often translated to landscape...
Authors
Scott Jones, Camille Stagg, Erik S. Yando, W. Ryan James, Kevin J. Buffington, Mark W. Hester
Testing the interactive effects of flooding and salinity on tidal marsh plant productivity Testing the interactive effects of flooding and salinity on tidal marsh plant productivity
Tidal wetlands support plant communities that facilitate carbon storage, accrete soil, and provide habitat for terrestrial and aquatic species. Climate change is likely to alter estuaries through sea-level rise and changing precipitation patterns, although the ecological responses are uncertain. We were interested in plant responses to physiological stress induced by elevated water...
Authors
Kevin J. Buffington, Arianna C Goodman, Chase M. Freeman, Karen M. Thorne
Spatiotemporal patterns of mineral and organic matter deposition across two San Francisco Bay-Delta tidal marshes Spatiotemporal patterns of mineral and organic matter deposition across two San Francisco Bay-Delta tidal marshes
Sediment deposition in tidal wetlands is a critical process that determines whether vertical growth will keep pace with sea-level rise. However, more information is needed on how sediment deposition varies spatially and temporally across wetlands, including the effects of elevation, tidal inundation, vegetation, and weather. We investigated variation in sediment deposition due to season...
Authors
Kevin J. Buffington, Christopher N. Janousek, Karen M. Thorne, Bruce D. Dugger
Flooding regimes increase avian predation on wildlife prey in tidal marsh ecosystems Flooding regimes increase avian predation on wildlife prey in tidal marsh ecosystems
Within isolated and fragmented populations, species interactions such as predation can cause shifts in community structure and demographics in tidal marsh ecosystems. It is critical to incorporate species interactions into our understanding when evaluating the effects of sea‐level rise and storm surges on tidal marshes. In this study, we hypothesize that avian predators will increase...
Authors
Karen M. Thorne, Kyle A. Spragens, Kevin J. Buffington, Jordan A. Rosencranz, John Takekawa