Richard Day
Science and Products
Environmental Flows and Bottomland Hardwood Habitat in the Southeastern U.S.
Environmental flows describes the quantity, quality, and timing of water flows required to sustain freshwater and estuarine ecosystems and the human livelihoods and well-being that depend on these ecosystems.
RESTORE Science: Inventory of Gulf of Mexico Ecosystem Indicators Using an Ecological Resilience Framework
To effectively manage an ecosystem, resource managers need a way to evaluate its health and ability to function. Metrics that indicate ecosystem condition - or indicators - can be used to help determine how well management strategies work.
Green-Tree Reservoir management practices within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Wildlife Refuge System
Green-Tree Reservoirs are used as a management tool by National Wildlife Refuges throughout the Southeast United States, but data suggests that forest productivity has declined in these areas. USGS investigates the effects of climate and flooding on tree growth and mortality to assist refuge managers adapt management strategies.
Ecological Implications of Mangrove Forest Migration in the Southeastern U.S.
Coastal wetlands purify water, protect coastal communities from storms, sequester (store) carbon, and provide habitat for fish and wildlife. They are also vulnerable to climate change. In particular, changes in winter climate (warmer temperatures and fewer freeze events) may transform coastal wetlands in the northern Gulf of Mexico, as mangrove forests are expected to expand their range and...
Influence of soil microbiota on Taxodium distichum seedling performance during extreme flooding events
Plant associations with soil microbiota can modulate tree seedling growth and survival via mutualistic or antagonistic interactions. It is uncertain, however, whether soil microbiota influence seedling growth of coastal trees when exposed to extreme flooding regimes. We evaluated the role of soil microbes in promoting baldcypress (Taxodium...
Torres-Martínez, Lorena; Sánchez-Julia, Mareli; Kimbrough, Elizabeth; Hendrix, Trey; Hendrix, Miranda; Day, Richard H.; Krauss, Ken W.; Van Bael, Sunshine A Salinity, water level, and forest structure contribute to baldcypress (Taxodium distichum) rhizosphere and endosphere community structure
As rising sea levels alter coastal ecosystems, there is a pressing need to examine the effects of saltwater intrusion on coastal communities. Using 16S Illumina profiling, we characterized the communities of baldcypress tree (Taxodium distichum) root endosphere and rhizosphere soil bacteria. Our study utilized established sites along salinity and...
Lumibao, Candice Y; Kimbrough, Elizabeth; Formel, Steven; Day, Richard; From, Andrew; Conner, William H.; Krauss, Ken; Van Bael, Sunshine A 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. Divergent biotic and abiotic filtering of root endosphere and rhizosphere soil fungal communities along ecological gradients
Plant roots assemble two distinct microbial compartments: the rhizosphere (microbes in soil surrounding roots) and the endosphere (microbes within roots). Our knowledge of fungal community assembly in these compartments is limited, especially in wetlands. We tested the hypothesis that biotic factors would have direct effects on rhizosphere and...
Lumibao, Candice Y; Kimbrough, Elizabeth; Day, Richard; Conner, William H.; Krauss, Ken; Van Bael, Sunshine A 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. Channel modification and evolution alter hydraulic connectivity in the Atchafalaya River basin increasing vulnerability to sea-level rise
Channel dredging and erosion in the Atchafalaya River basin have resulted in changes to the hydraulic connectivity of this floodplain swamp that have not been previously quantified. In this study, analyses were conducted to determine hydraulic and geomorphic factors that have changed since channel closure in 1962. Results indicated changes...
Kroes, Daniel; Day, Richard H.; Demas, Charles R.; Allen, Yvonne C.; Roberts, Steve Modeling barrier island habitats using landscape position information
Barrier islands are dynamic environments because of their position along the marine–estuarine interface. Geomorphology influences habitat distribution on barrier islands by regulating exposure to harsh abiotic conditions. Researchers have identified linkages between habitat and landscape position, such as elevation and distance from shore, yet...
Enwright, Nicholas; Lei Wang; Wang, Hongqing; Osland, Michael; Feher, Laura; Borchert, Sinéad M.; Day, Richard Advancing barrier island habitat mapping using landscape position information
Barrier islands are dynamic ecosystems that change gradually from coastal processes, including currents and tides, and rapidly from episodic events, such as storms. These islands provide many important ecosystem services, including storm protection and erosion control to the mainland, habitat for fish and wildlife, and tourism. Habitat maps,...
Enwright, Nicholas; Wang, Lei; Borchert, Sinéad M.; Day, Richard; Feher, Laura; Osland, Michael Microclimate influences mangrove freeze damage: Implications for range expansion in response to changing macroclimate
In response to warming winter air temperatures, freeze-sensitive mangrove forests are expected to expand at the expense of freeze-tolerant salt marshes. To better anticipate and prepare for mangrove range expansion, there is a need to advance understanding of the modulating role of microclimate. Here, we synthesized hypotheses regarding the...
Osland, Michael J.; Hartmann, Arik M.; Day, Richard H.; Ross, Michael S.; Hall, Courtney T.; Feher, Laura C.; Vervaeke, William Sediment trapping and carbon sequestration in floodplains of the lower Atchafalaya Basin, LA: Allochthonous vs. autochthonous carbon sources
Recent studies suggest that about 2 Pg of organic C is stored on floodplains worldwide. The present study indicates the Atchafalaya River, fifth largest river in the United States in terms of discharge, traps 30 mm/y of sediment on average within its floodplain, which is the highest average non‐episodic rate of fluvial deposition on the U.S....
Hupp, Cliff R.; Kroes, Daniel E.; Noe, Gregory B.; Schenk, Edward R.; Day, Richard H. Mangrove forests in a rapidly changing world: Global change impacts and conservation opportunities along the Gulf of Mexico coast
Mangrove forests are highly-productive intertidal wetlands that support many ecosystem goods and services. In addition to providing fish and wildlife habitat, mangrove forests improve water quality, provide seafood, reduce coastal erosion, supply forest products, support coastal food webs, minimize flooding...
Osland, Michael J.; Feher, Laura C.; López-Portillo, Jorge; Day, Richard H.; Suman, Daniel O.; Guzmán Menéndez, Jose Manuel; Rivera-Monroy, Victor H. Climate and plant controls on soil organic matter in coastal wetlands
Coastal wetlands are among the most productive and carbon‐rich ecosystems on Earth. Long‐term carbon storage in coastal wetlands occurs primarily belowground as soil organic matter (SOM). In addition to serving as a carbon sink, SOM influences wetland ecosystem structure, function, and stability. To anticipate and mitigate the effects of climate...
Osland, Michael J.; Gabler, Christopher A.; Grace, James B.; Day, Richard H.; McCoy, Meagan L.; McLeod, Jennie L.; From, Andrew S.; Enwright, Nicholas M.; Feher, Laura C.; Stagg, Camille L.; Hartley, Stephen B.