Russell M, Teague A, Alvarez F, Dantin D, Osland M, Harvey J, Nestlerode J, Rogers J, Jackson L, Pilant D, Genthner F, Lewis M, Spivak A, Harwell M, Neale A. 2013. Neighborhood scale quantification of ecosystem goods and services. pp 50, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Gulf Ecology Division, Gulf Breeze, Florida, EPA/600/R-13/295, November 2013.
Michael Johannes Osland, Ph.D.
Biography
Michael Osland is a Research Ecologist at the USGS Wetland and Aquatic Research Center in Lafayette, Louisiana. In broad terms, his research examines the effects of global change on ecosystems and the implications for ecological conservation and restoration. Much of his research focuses on wetland ecosystems at the dynamic interface between land and ocean (mangrove forests, salt marshes). For links to his research, please go to his google scholar profile.
RESEARCH AREAS: ecology, global change, climate change, plant ecology, wetlands, restoration ecology, ecosystem ecology, biogeography, mangrove forests, salt marshes, sea-level rise
EDUCATION
Ph.D., Ecology, Duke University, 2009
B.A., Biology, Willamette University, 2000
PROFESSIONAL POSITIONS
2011-Present Research Ecologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Louisiana, USA
2009-2011 Postdoctoral Research Scientist, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Gulf Ecology Division, Florida, USA
2006-2007 Fulbright Fellow; via the Organization for Tropical Studies, Costa Rica
2003-2009 Graduate Student, Duke University, North Carolina, USA
2000-2003 U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer, Agroforestry, El Salvador
PUBLICATIONS
For a full publication list, please go to Michael's google scholar profile.
Science and Products
Date published: April 17, 2020
Status: Active The Response of Coastal Wetlands to Sea-level Rise: Understanding how Macroscale Drivers Influence Local Processes and Feedbacks
The purpose of this work is to advance our understanding of how coastal wetland responses to sea-level rise (SLR) within the conterminous United States are likely to vary as a function of local, regional, and macroscale drivers, including climate. Based on our interactions with managers and decision makers, as well as our knowledge of the current state of the science, we propose to: (a)...
Attribution: Land Change Science Program
Date published: April 10, 2020
Status: Active The response of coastal wetlands to sea-level rise: Understanding how macroscale drivers influence local processes and feedbacks
The purpose of this work is to advance our understanding of how coastal wetland responses to SLR within the conterminous United States are likely to vary as a function of local, regional, and macroscale drivers, including climate. Based on our interactions with managers and decision makers, as well as our knowledge of the current state of the science, we propose to (a) conduct a national...
Attribution: Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
Date published: March 26, 2019
Status: Active Identification of Hydrologic Controls on Coastal Spartina patens Marshes and Optimal Hydrological Conditions for Sustainable Mottled Duck Habitat
Mottled ducks rely on the coastal marshes of the Texas Chenier Plain, which are considered among the most critically endangered habitats in the United States. USGS scientists are evaluating what might be contributing to the degradation of high-quality mottled duck habitat to better understand the causes of habitat loss and subsequently mitigate those losses.
Date published: May 19, 2016
Status: Active Ecology and Management of “Tropical Dry Wetlands” (Palo Verde National Park, Costa Rica)
In Central America, “tropical dry wetlands” provide numerous ecosystem goods and services. The mosaic of wetlands within and around Palo Verde National Park (a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance) is one of the largest complexes in the region.
Contacts: Michael Johannes Osland, Ph.D.
Attribution: Ecosystems, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center
Date published: April 18, 2016
Mangroves vs. Salt Marshes: Mangrove Forest Range Expansion at the Expense of Salt Marshes
Winter climate change has the potential to have a large impact on coastal wetlands in the southeastern United States.
Contacts: Michael Johannes Osland, Ph.D.
Date published: April 17, 2016
Mangrove Migration Network
At the poleward marsh-mangrove ecotone, mangrove abundance and coverage is winter temperature-sensitive in that it oscillates in response to the frequency, duration, and/or intensity of extreme winter temperatures. Future winter climate change is expected to facilitate poleward mangrove range expansion at the expense of salt marshes in Texas, Louisiana, and parts of Florida.
Contacts: Michael Johannes Osland, Ph.D.
Date published: April 17, 2016
Status: Active Watershed Controls of Freshwater Wetland Nutrient Stoichiometry and Sensitivity to Eutrophication
When it comes to freshwater wetlands, hydrology plays a large role in nutrient stoichiometry and sensitivity to nutrient inputs. Although wetland biogeochemists intuitively understand these important relationships between landscape position, hydrology, and sensitivity to nutrient inputs, these relationships have never been quantified using geospatial data. The objective of this project will be...
Contacts: Michael Johannes Osland, Ph.D.
Date published: April 17, 2016
Status: Active Incorporating Future Change into Current Conservation Planning: Evaluating Wetland Migration along the Gulf of Mexico under Alternative Sea-Level Rise and Urbanization Scenarios
More than half of contiguous U.S. coastal wetlands are located along the Gulf of Mexico coast. These highly-productive wetlands support many ecosystem goods and services and fish and wildlife habitat. Historically, coastal wetlands have adapted to sea-level changes via lateral and vertical movement on the landscape. As sea levels rise in the future, coastal wetlands will adapt and migrate...
Contacts: Michael Johannes Osland, Ph.D.
Date published: April 17, 2016
Status: Active Macroclimatic Controls of Coastal Wetland Ecosystem Structure and Function
At the global-scale, macroclimatic drivers govern ecosystem structure and function in tidal saline wetlands (e.g., salt marshes, mangrove forests, salt flats). However, global reviews and models for these ecosystems typically do not directly include climatic drivers. The objective of this research is to examine and forecast the effects of macroclimatic drivers on wetland ecosystem structure...
Contacts: Michael Johannes Osland, Ph.D.
Date published: April 17, 2016
Status: Active Alabama Barrier Island Restoration Assessment at Dauphin Island
Dauphin Island, Alabama, is the only barrier island providing protection to much of Alabama's coastal natural resources. Severely impacted by repeated extreme events, like Hurricane Katrina and Deepwater Horizon oil spill, USGS and partners are conducting a joint study to evaluate the feasibility of certain alternatives to increase resiliency and sustainability of the island.
Date published: April 15, 2016
Status: Active Ecosystem Development After Wetland Restoration and Creation
Wetland restoration and creation efforts are increasingly proposed as means to compensate for wetland losses. To address the need for evaluating the development of ecosystem structure and function in restored and created wetlands, USGS compared created tidal wetlands sites to natural mangrove wetlands in Tampa Bay, Florida.
Contacts: Michael Johannes Osland, Ph.D.
Date published: January 1, 2016
Status: Active Enhancing the Capacity of Coastal Wetlands to Adapt to Sea-Level Rise and Coastal Development
Coastal wetlands provide a suite of valuable benefits to people and wildlife, including important habitat, improved water quality, reduced flooding impacts, and protected coastlines. However, in the 21st century accelerated sea-level rise and coastal development are expected to greatly alter coastal landscapes across the globe. The future of coastal wetlands is uncertain, challenging coastal...
Contacts: Michael Johannes Osland, Ph.D.
Attribution: Climate Adaptation Science Centers
Year Published: 2020
Frequency of extreme freeze events controls the distribution and structure of black mangroves (Avicennia germinans) near their northern range limit in coastal Louisiana
AimClimate change is expected to result in the tropicalization of coastal wetlands in the northern Gulf of Mexico, as warming winters allow tropical mangrove forests to expand their distribution poleward at the expense of temperate salt marshes. Data limitations near mangrove range limits have hindered understanding of the effects of winter...
Osland, Michael; Day, Richard; Michot, Thomas C.Attribution: Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Ecosystems, Region 1: North Atlantic-Appalachian, California Water Science Center, Water Resources, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, Region 7: Upper Colorado Basin, South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC), Water Resources, Region 2: South Atlantic-Gulf (Includes Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), Earthquake Science Center, Natural Hazards, Earthquake Hazards Program, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Ecosystems, Region 1: North Atlantic-Appalachian, Western Fisheries Research Center, Ecosystems, Fisheries Program, Caribbean-Florida Water Science Center, Region 2: South Atlantic-Gulf (Includes Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Ecosystems, Central Energy Resources Science Center, Energy Resources Program, Region 7: Upper Colorado Basin, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Ecosystems, Region 1: North Atlantic-Appalachian, Fort Collins Science Center, Ecosystems, Fort Collins Science Center, Ecosystems, United States of America, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, National Wildlife Health Center, Ecosystems, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Ecosystems, Region 4: Mississippi Basin, Water Resources, Columbia Environmental Research Center, Ecosystems, Region 4: Mississippi Basin, Climate Adaptation Science Centers, Land Resources, Climate Adaptation Science Centers, California Water Science Center, Water Resources, Core Science Systems, National Geospatial Program, National Geospatial Technical Operations Center, Core Science Systems, National Geospatial Program, National Geospatial Technical Operations Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Ecosystems, Region 4: Mississippi Basin, Community for Data Integration (CDI), Science Analytics and Synthesis (SAS), United States of America, Utah Water Science Center, Water Resources, Region 7: Upper Colorado Basin, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Ecosystems, Region 4: Mississippi Basin
Year Published: 2020
A tropical cyclone-induced ecological regime shift: Mangrove forest conversion to mudflat in Everglades National Park (Florida, USA)
The ecological effects of tropical cyclones on mangrove forests are diverse and highly location- and cyclone-dependent. Ecological resistance, resilience, and enhancement are terms that describe most mangrove forest responses to tropical cyclones. However, in the most extreme cases, tropical cyclones can trigger abrupt and irreversible ecological...
Osland, Michael; Feher, Laura; Anderson, Gordon; Vervaeke, William; Krauss, Ken; Whelan, Kevin R.T.; Balentine, Karen S.; Tiling-Range, G.; Smith, Thomas J.; Cahoon, Donald
Year Published: 2020
Final project memorandum: Southeast Climate Adaptation Science Center Project
Low-lying public lands along the northern Gulf of Mexico coast are vulnerable to sea-level rise. Coastal planners and resource managers in the region have requested customized information that can be used to concisely communicate local sea-level rise scenarios and identify potential impacts to the missions of management agencies. In this project,...
Osland, Michael; Collini, Renee C.
Year Published: 2020
Local sea level rise information sheets for Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida
Two Pagers for Federally Managed Lands The Northern Gulf of Mexico Sentinel Site Cooperative partnered with individuals at the U.S. Geological Survey’s Wetland and Aquatic Research Center and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to produce customized two-pager information sheets for federal coastal refuges, parks, and reserves across the northern...
Chivoiu, Bogdan; Osland, Michael J.; Collini, Renee C.; Sara Martin; Tirpak, John M.; Wilson, BenjaminAttribution: Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Ecosystems, Region 2: South Atlantic-Gulf (Includes Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), Region 4: Mississippi Basin
View Citation
Chivoiu, B., Osland, M.J., Collini, R., Martin, S., Tirpak, J., and Wilson, B., 2020, Local sea level rise information sheets for Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida: Northern Gulf of Mexico Sentinel Site Cooperative, U.S. Geological Survey and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium, http://masgc.org/northern-gulf-of-mexico-sentinel-site-co/two-pager.
Year Published: 2020
Increasing rates of carbon burial in southwest Florida coastal wetlands
Rates of organic carbon (OC) burial in some coastal wetlands appear to be greater in recent years than they were in the past. Possible explanations include ongoing mineralization of older OC or the influence of an unaccounted‐for artefact of the methods used to measure burial rates. Alternatively, the trend may represent real acceleration in OC...
Breithaupt, Joshua L.; Smoak, Joseph M.; Bianchi, Thomas S.; Vaughn, Derrick; Sanders, Christian; Radabaugh, Kara; Osland, Michael J.; Feher, Laura C.; Lynch, James C.; Cahoon, Donald R.; Anderson, Gordon H.; Whelan, Kevin R. T.; Rosenheim, Brad E.; Moyer, Ryan P.; Chambers, Lisa
Year Published: 2020
Rapid peat development beneath created, maturing mangrove forests: Ecosystem changes across a 25-year chronosequence
Mangrove forests are among the world’s most productive and carbon‐rich ecosystems. Despite growing understanding of factors controlling mangrove forest soil carbon stocks, there is a need to advance understanding of the speed of peat development beneath maturing mangrove forests— especially in created and restored mangrove forests that are...
Osland, Michael J.; Feher, Laura C.; Spivak, Amanda C.; Nestlerode, Janet A.; Almario, Alejandro E.; Cormier, Nicole; From, Andrew; Krauss, Ken W.; Russell, Marc J.; Alvarez, Federico; Dantin, Darrin D.; Harvey, James E.; Stagg, Camille L.
Year Published: 2020
Quantifying hydrologic controls on local- and landscape-scale indicators of coastal wetland loss
Background and AimsCoastal wetlands have evolved to withstand stressful abiotic conditions through the maintenance of hydrologic feedbacks among vegetation production and flooding. However, disruption of these feedbacks can lead to ecosystem collapse, or a regime shift from vegetated wetland to open water. To prevent the loss of critical coastal...
Stagg, Camille; Osland, Michael; Moon, Jena A.; Hall, Courtney; Feher, Laura; Jones, William R.; Couvillion, Brady; Hartley, Stephen B.; Vervaeke, William
Year Published: 2020
Winter climate change and the poleward range expansion of a tropical invasive tree (Brazilian pepper ‐ Shinus terebinthifolius)
Winter climate change is expected to lead to the tropicalization of temperate ecosystems, where tropical species expand poleward in response to a decrease in the intensity and duration of winter temperature extremes (i.e., freeze events). In the southeastern United States, freezing temperatures control the northern range limits of many invasive...
Osland, Michael; Feher, Laura
Year Published: 2019
Climatic controls on the distribution of foundation plant species in coastal wetlands of the conterminous United States: Knowledge gaps and emerging research needs
Foundation plant species play a critical role in coastal wetlands, often modifying abiotic conditions that are too stressful for most organisms and providing the primary habitat features that support entire ecological communities. Here, we consider the influence of climatic drivers on the distribution of foundation plant species within coastal...
Osland, Michael; Grace, James; Guntenspergen, Glenn; Thorne, Karen; Carr, Joel; Feher, LauraAttribution: Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Ecosystems, Climate Research and Development Program, Land Change Science Program, Region 1: North Atlantic-Appalachian, Region 2: South Atlantic-Gulf (Includes Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), Region 4: Mississippi Basin, United States of America
Year Published: 2019
Tropical cyclones and the organization of mangrove forests: A review
Background Many mangrove ecosystems are periodically exposed to high velocity winds and surge from tropical cyclones and often recover with time and continue to provide numerous societal benefits in the wake of storm events. Scope This review focuses on the drivers and disturbance mechanisms (visible and functional) that tropical cyclones of...
Krauss, Ken; Osland, Michael
Year Published: 2019
The long-term effects of Hurricanes Wilma and Irma on soil elevation change in Everglades mangrove forests
Mangrove forests in the Florida Everglades (USA) are frequently affected by hurricanes that produce high-velocity winds, storm surge, and extreme rainfall, but also provide sediment subsidies that help mangroves adjust to sea-level rise. The long-term influence of hurricane sediment inputs on soil elevation dynamics in mangrove forests are not...
Feher, Laura; Osland, Michael; Anderson, Gordon; Vervaeke, William; Krauss, Ken; Whelan, Kevin R. T.; Balentine, Karen M.; Tiling-Range, Ginger; 3663; Cahoon, DonaldAttribution: Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Ecosystems, Climate Research and Development Program, Land Change Science Program, Region 1: North Atlantic-Appalachian, Region 2: South Atlantic-Gulf (Includes Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), Region 4: Mississippi Basin, United States of America
Year Published: 2019
Temperature thresholds for black mangrove (Avicennia germinans) freeze damage, mortality, and recovery in North America: Refining tipping points for range expansion in a warming climate
Near the tropical‐temperate transition zone, warming winter temperatures are expected to facilitate the poleward range expansion of freeze‐sensitive tropical organisms. In coastal wetlands of eastern and central North America, freeze‐sensitive woody plants (mangroves) are expected to expand northward into regions currently dominated by freeze‐...
Osland, Michael; Day, Richard; Hall, Courtney T.; Feher, Laura; Armitage, Anna R.; Cebrian, Just; Dunton, Kenneth H.; Hughes, Randall; Kaplan, David; Langston, Amy K.; Macy, Aaron; Weaver, Carolyn A.; Anderson, Gordon H.; Cummins, Karen; Feller, Ilka C.; Snyder, Caitlin M.Pre-USGS Publications
Osland MJ, González E, Richardson CJ. 2011. Restoring diversity after cattail expansion: disturbance, resilience, and seasonality in a tropical dry wetland. Ecological Applications, 21, 715-728.
Osland MJ, González E, Richardson CJ. 2011. Coastal freshwater wetland plant community response to seasonal drought and flooding in northwestern Costa Rica Wetlands, 31, 641-652. DOI:10.1007/s13157-011-0180-9
Osland MJ, Pahl JW, Richardson CJ. 2009. Native bamboo (Arundinaria gigantea (Walter) Muhl., Poaceae) establishment and growth after the removal of an invasive non-native shrub (Ligustrum sinense Lour., Oleaceae): implications for restoration. Castanea, 74, 247-258.
Osland MJ (2009). Managing invasive plants during wetland restoration: the role of disturbance, plant strategies, and environmental filters. Ph.D. Dissertation. Duke University, Durham, NC.
Date published: November 30, 2019
USGS and Stakeholder Engagement in the Gulf of Mexico
This article is part of the Fall 2019 issue of the Earth Science Matters Newsletter.
Attribution: Land Change Science Program
Date published: November 30, 2019
Implications for mangrove range expansion with changing climate
This article is a part of the Fall 2019 issue of the Earth Science Matters Newsletter.
Attribution: Land Change Science Program
Date published: January 25, 2017
Changes in Rainfall, Temperature Expected to Transform Coastal Wetlands This Century
Changes in rainfall and temperature are predicted to transform wetlands in the Gulf of Mexico and around the world within the century, a new study from the USGS and the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley concludes.
Attribution: Land Resources, Ecosystems, Climate Adaptation Science Centers, Region 6: Arkansas-Rio Grande-Texas-Gulf, Region 2: South Atlantic-Gulf (Includes Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), Region 4: Mississippi Basin, South Central Climate Adaptation Science Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center
Date published: October 3, 2016
Rising Sea Levels, Coastal Development’s Effect on Gulf Coast Wetlands
As coastal development along the Gulf Coast continues to expand, tidal saline wetlands could have difficulty adjusting to rising sea levels.
Date published: May 30, 2016
Climate change and coastal wetlands: the importance of temperature and rainfall regimes
This article is part of the Spring 2016 issue of the Earth Science Matters Newsletter.
Attribution: Land Change Science Program