Article
Environmental Sciences
T. C. McDonnell, C. T. Driscoll, T. J. Sullivan, D. A. Burns, B. P. Baldigo, S. Shao, G. B. Lawrence
Summary: Acidic deposition has various environmental impacts on forested landscapes, including soil acidification, toxic aluminum mobilization, nutrient cation depletion, and effects on forest and aquatic species. Research in the Adirondack region of New York State suggests potential for ecosystem recovery of soils and streams, but many low-order streams and associated soils are currently experiencing adverse effects from nitrogen and sulfur deposition.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Michelle E. Baldwin, Jonathan M. Stober, Andrew J. Edelman
Summary: Snags, or standing dead trees, are important for forest ecosystems, as many animals, including endangered species, rely on them for various purposes. Changes in climate, habitat loss, and disturbance regimes affect the availability and characteristics of snags in forests. Therefore, understanding the processes that promote snags suitable for wildlife is crucial for conservation.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Shawn P. Brown, Stacy L. Clark, Emerald Ford, Nahreen Mirza, Amerah Odeh, Scott E. Schlarbaum, Ari Jumpponen, Richard Baird
Summary: Forests in the Southern Appalachian Mountains were historically dominated by hardwood species, but due to stressors like pathogens, populations of Fagaceae species have greatly declined, leading to reforestation efforts. This study found that the soil fungal communities associated with different Fagaceae species changed similarly after three years of growth, suggesting that these species may have similar impacts on soils and share similar communities. The findings suggest that planting disease-resistant American chestnut alongside white oak trees could enhance the survival and growth of both species.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Matthew C. Vaughan, Donald L. Hagan, William C. Bridges, Kyle Barrett, Steve Norman, T. Adam Coates, Rob Klein
Summary: The study found that extending the use of prescribed fire into the early growing season in southern Appalachian forests can effectively reduce shrub density in the midstory and decrease red maple tree density, thereby promoting forest restoration objectives.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jordan R. Stark, Jason D. Fridley
Summary: This study demonstrates the use of low-cost custom sensors to create a large monitoring network of soil moisture content across Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The study found that elevation was the strongest factor associated with soil moisture, and slope angle played a significant mediating role. The results indicate that establishing extensive soil moisture monitoring networks is practical and important.
WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Shawn P. Brown, Maryam Shahrtash, Avery E. Tucker, Jennifer Knoepp, C. Elizabeth Stokes, Richard Baird
Summary: This study conducted multi-year interseasonal investigations on fungal sporocarps in the southern Appalachian Mountains of the United States, revealing a temporal disconnect between saprobic and ectomycorrhizal taxa, as well as increased community variability across the growing season. Additionally, the occurrences of individual taxa in different seasons were examined, along with co-occurrence patterns between taxa and guilds.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Wenxin Zhao, Yu Zhao, Mingrui Ma, Ming Chang, Lei Duan
Summary: The rapid development of China's industrial economy and the implementation of air pollution controls have greatly changed the sulfur, nitrogen, and base cation deposition in the past three decades. The study found that the deposition of sulfur, nitrogen, and base cation in China has fluctuated over the years, indicating the need for a comprehensive multi-pollutant control strategy to combat soil acidification.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Matthew J. Reilly, Steven P. Norman, Joseph J. O'Brien, E. Louise Loudermilk
Summary: In 2016, there was a regional outbreak of large wildfires in the southern Appalachian Mountains. These fires were larger and more widespread than previous wildfires in the past three decades. The increase in fire activity can be attributed to land-use changes, loss of native species, and fire exclusion. These wildfires have significant ecological and management implications for the region.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
John S. Schwartz, Andrew Veeneman, Matt A. Kulp, James R. Renfro
Summary: Throughfall deposition of sulfur and inorganic nitrogen is a significant factor in stream acidification in base-poor regions of eastern US. This study updates deposition data in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, showing declines since 2000. Elevation and forest canopy exchange play important roles in deposition patterns. These findings are important for predicting water quality recovery and understanding the environmental effects of climate change.
WATER AIR AND SOIL POLLUTION
(2022)
Article
Water Resources
Ami L. Riscassi, Todd M. Scanlon, Suzanne W. Maben, James N. Galloway
Summary: The Shenandoah Watershed Study and Virginia Trout Stream Sensitivity Study aim to increase understanding of hydrological and biogeochemical changes in western Virginia mountain streams in response to acidic deposition and other stressors. The program includes a robust monitoring framework with regular water quality sampling at multiple sites and a focus on watershed disturbances.
HYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES
(2021)
Article
Fisheries
Kelly N. Petersen, Mary C. Freeman, Joseph E. Kirsch, William O. McLarney, Mark C. Scott, Seth J. Wenger
Summary: This study found that environmental factors have different effects on highland endemic and cosmopolitan species, with forest cover in a watershed being the strongest predictor for highland endemic species. The evidence for taxonomic homogenization in terms of beta diversity change is mixed, posing challenges to biodiversity conservation planning.
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF FISHERIES AND AQUATIC SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Carl Swindle, Parker Shankin-Clarke, Matthew Meyerhof, Jean Carlson, John Melack
Summary: Wildfires can change ecosystems by altering solutes in streams, as shown in a study following a wildfire in California. The study found that major cation concentrations in stream water near the fire perimeter increased significantly after the wildfire, with K+ showing the highest increase, likely leached from ash. The low nitrogen content in the ash samples suggested high volatilization of nitrogen relative to carbon or a lower nitrogen content in burned material.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Quang Khai Ha, Tien Dung Tran Ngoc, Phu Le Vo, Hong Quan Nguyen, Duc Huy Dang
Summary: This study conducted a comprehensive assessment of hydrogeochemical characteristics of groundwater in sedimentary aquifers in southern Vietnam, revealing variations in water quality across different regions and providing recommendations for groundwater management.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Albert E. Mayfield III, Robert M. Jetton, Bryan T. Mudder, William A. Whittier, Tara L. Keyser, James R. Rhea
Summary: This study found differences in HWA densities on hemlocks between winter and summer, likely due to HWA hibernation and activity. The study also found that factors such as tree competition index, HWA density, and tree characteristics were related to changes in hemlock crown transparency.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Zoology
Roberto Carrera-Martinez, Daniel Jones, Sean D. Schoville, Bruce A. Snyder, Mac A. Callaham
Summary: Two new species of Bimastos Moore are described in this study, adding to the total number of Bimastos species to 14. These new species, Bimastos nanae n. sp. and Bimastos magnum n. sp., exhibit differences in morphological and molecular characteristics compared to other known species in the same genus.
Article
Forestry
Alina Cansler, Van R. Kane, Paul F. Hessburg, Jonathan T. Kane, Sean M. A. Jeronimo, James A. Lutz, Nicholas A. Povak, Derek J. Churchill, Andrew J. Larson
Summary: This study in northeastern Washington State, USA, analyzed 150 fires occurring from 2001 to 2019 in conifer forests, and found that daily fire weather, annual precipitation anomalies, and species' fire resistance traits were important predictors of wildfire burn severity. Previous fires within the past two to three decades reduced the severity of subsequent burns, while prescribed burning was the most effective treatment at lowering subsequent burn severity. Overall, postfire management actions had a weak influence on the severity of subsequent fires, highlighting the importance of stabilizing feedbacks in active fire regimes.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Review
Forestry
Andrew J. Larson, Sean M. A. Jeronimo, Paul F. Hessburg, James A. Lutz, Nicholas A. Povak, C. Alina Cansler, Van R. Kane, Derek J. Churchill
Summary: The article introduces ecologically-based post-fire management principles, including protecting large-diameter trees and fire refugia, anticipating future fuel accumulation, maintaining stabilizing fire-vegetation feedbacks, adjusting species composition and structure for future fire regimes and climate. In large burned landscapes, these principles can be implemented through post-fire landscape evaluations and prescriptions, helping to adapt landscapes to future conditions.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Alina Cansler, Van R. Kane, Bryce N. Bartl-Geller, Derek J. Churchill, Paul F. Hessburg, Nicholas A. Povak, James A. Lutz, Jonathan Kane, Andrew J. Larson
Summary: This study evaluated the effects of postfire management on forest structure in mixed-conifer forests of northeastern Washington, USA. The results showed that harvest alone decreased forest structure, while harvest combined with planting increased tree height and cover. Planting and prescribed fires had little effect on forest structure.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Derek J. Churchill, Sean M. A. Jeronimo, Paul F. Hessburg, C. Alina Cansler, Nicholas A. Povak, Van R. Kane, James A. Lutz, Andrew J. Larson
Summary: Research suggests that large wildfires in the western US are altering forested landscapes, potentially restoring some climate-adaptive conditions while also causing setbacks in certain aspects. Fires reduce canopy cover and overall tree size, moving some attributes towards more climate-adapted conditions and setting others back.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Adrian Pascual, Christian P. Giardina, Nicholas A. Povak, Paul F. Hessburg, Chris Heider, Ed Salminen, Gregory P. Asner
Summary: The study integrated various data and methods to reduce the impacts of invasive species on ecosystems and biodiversity, proposing an optimized management plan. Focusing on the removal of the invasive strawberry guava, the study balanced economic benefits and ecological benefits through financial quantification and optimization methods.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Bojan Srdjevic, Zorica Srdjevic, Keith M. Reynolds, Milena Lakicevic, Senka Zdero
Summary: This paper compares two multi-criteria methods, the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and the best-worst method (BWM), in assessing criteria related to the quality of urban parks. The study found that there were similarities in the evaluation results after applying the two different decision support methods, indicating a high consistency between experts during the cognitive evaluation processes. All applied aggregation schemes performed well and may be considered trustworthy in identifying the group solution.
Article
Ecology
Adrian Pascual, Christian P. Giardina, Nicholas A. Povak, Paul F. Hessburg, Gregory P. Asner
Summary: Decision-making resource stewardship models rely on statistical relationships between management actions and ecosystem services provisioning. The operationalization of management actions benefits from models capable to isolate synergic statistical relationships from trade-offs. We showcase two existing watershed planning studies requiring spatiotemporal operationalization to better schedule management actions. The study in Hawai'i Island (USA) focused on invasive species while another in Babeldaob Island (Republic of Palau) tackled wildfire management. Both planning exercises relied on Ecosystem Management Decision Support to populate hydrologically defined management units for supporting water resource decision-making. In this viewpoint we identify shortcomings and potential future directions aligned with shaping stewardship responses to the interactive constraints of climate mitigation and management costs within a very needed optimization framework capable to operationally support landscape managers and drive solutions on ES management and valuation.
ECOLOGICAL MODELLING
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Keith M. Reynolds, Paul F. Hessburg, Milena Lakicevic, Nicholas A. Povak, R. Brion Salter, Timothy J. Sullivan, Todd C. McDonnell, Bernard J. Cosby, William Jackson
Summary: US federal land management agencies have developed a spatial decision support application to assess the impacts of atmospheric S and N deposition on aquatic ecosystems in the Southern Appalachian Mountain (SAM) Region. They predicted continuous maps of surface water acid neutralizing capacity (ANC) and soil base cation weathering (BCw) to estimate steady-state critical loads (CLs) of atmospheric deposition. They also created a logic-based decision support model to assess the effects of S and N deposition based on stream ANC and CL exceedance.
Article
Environmental Studies
Goran Krsnik, Sonia Reyes-Paecke, Keith M. Reynolds, Jordi Garcia-Gonzalo, Jose Ramon Gonzalez Olabarria
Summary: This study evaluated alternative methods for comparing the provision of ecosystem services in urban areas, highlighting the impact of the chosen method on the ability to compare outcomes. The aim is to improve management actions in urban green areas, reduce environmental inequality, and ensure satisfactory human well-being.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Katherine A. Zeller, Nicholas A. Povak, Patricia Manley, Samuel W. Flake, Kira L. Hefty
Summary: This study investigates the effects of climate, disturbance, and management on future species richness in the Central Sierra Nevada Mountains, USA. The results show that climate and forest management scenarios have significant effects on species richness, with different impacts at different elevations. Mechanical thinning, prescribed fire, and low to medium severity fire and beetle outbreaks have positive effects on species richness, while high severity fire has a consistently negative impact. Protected areas contribute to higher species richness compared to unprotected lands, especially under climate futures that deviate from historical conditions.
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Susan J. Prichard, R. Brion Salter, Paul F. Hessburg, Nicholas A. Povak, Robert W. Gray
Summary: Using the geospatial modeling framework REBURN, this study analyzed the dynamics of fire and vegetation in a large testbed landscape in eastern Washington State, USA. It found that historical fire effects were important in limiting future fire growth and severity, but these dynamics have been significantly altered by climate change and human activities.
Article
Ecology
Nicholas A. Povak, Paul F. Hessburg, R. Brion Salter, Robert W. Gray, Susan J. Prichard
Summary: This study used the REBURN model to directly examine the relative strengths of top-down and bottom-up drivers of fire. The results showed that fire weather was a main driver of large fire occurrence, but ignition frequencies and fuel contagion also played important roles. The interactions between fire weather, fuel contagion, topography, and ignitions were found to influence fire size and severity.
Article
Forestry
Milena Lakicevic, Keith M. Reynolds, Sasa Orlovic, Radenka Kolarov
Summary: Urban parks provide important ecosystem services, and conserving biodiversity is crucial. This study used the R programming language and vegan package to calculate alpha and beta diversity indices for dendroflora in five major parks in Novi Sad, Serbia. The results showed distinct differences in plant composition among the parks, demonstrating the utility of R program in measuring dendrofloristic diversity and creating comprehensive databases of floristic elements in urban parks.
TREES FORESTS AND PEOPLE
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Nicholas A. Povak, Tucker J. Furniss, Paul F. Hessburg, R. Brion Salter, Mark Wigmosta, Zhuoran Duan, Miles LeFevre
Summary: Active forest management is important in western United States to mitigate the impacts of wildfire, drought, and climate change. This study simulated four treatment scenarios in the Wenatchee River basin and found that water yield and wildfire risk reduction were the most effective outcomes of the treatments.
FRONTIERS IN FORESTS AND GLOBAL CHANGE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
C. J. Feeney, B. J. Cosby, D. A. Robinson, A. Thomas, B. A. Emmett, P. Henrys
Summary: Soil organic carbon concentration is an important indicator of soil health and has significant impacts on food production and climate change mitigation. Digital soil mapping can reveal hotspots of SOC storage and areas of potential loss, but there are often disagreements between different mapping results. The disparities are particularly significant in carbon-rich soils. Reducing mapping uncertainties requires addressing statistical limitations and capturing the convergence of physical factors.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Elizabeth Alvarez-Chavez, Stephane Godbout, Mylene Genereux, Caroline Cote, Alain N. Rousseau, Sebastien Fournel
Summary: This study evaluated the effect of alternative filtering materials and bed aeration on the retention of nutrients and fecal bacteria in woodchip bedded stand-off pads for cows. The results showed that the alternative biofilters were more efficient in removing COD, SS, TN, and NO3-N, while conventional biofilters were more efficient for PO4-P removal. Aeration did not have a significant effect under the tested temperature conditions.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yike Zhang, Zengyi Ma, Zhuoting Fang, Yuandong Qian, Zhiping Huang, Yilong Ye, Jianhua Yan
Summary: This study investigates the application of oxygen enrichment melting technology in the melting of municipal solid waste incineration fly ash. The results demonstrate that oxygen enrichment technology can reduce energy consumption and operating costs, as well as decrease pollution emissions.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Liangang Xiao, Mingkai Leng, Philip Greenwood, Rongqin Zhao, Zhixiang Xie, Zengtao You, Junguo Liu
Summary: This study investigates the effects of grazing exclusion on soil organic carbon (SOC) accumulation and vegetation recovery. It finds that grazing exclusion can increase the potential for SOC accumulation, and higher annual precipitation is positively correlated with SOC accumulation.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Beatrice Cantoni, Jessica Ianes, Beatrice Bertolo, Selena Ziccardi, Francesco Maffini, Manuela Antonelli
Summary: This study evaluates the performance of ozonation and adsorption as in-series processes compared to standalone processes for the removal of Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs) in drinking water. The combination of both processes proves to be more effective than adsorption and ozonation alone. Ozonation improves the adsorption performance of poorly-oxidizable CECs but worsens that of well-oxidizable compounds. This research highlights the importance of considering both processes in the removal of CECs in drinking water treatment plants.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Dan Li, Bingjun Liu, Yang Lu, Jianyu Fu
Summary: A new Standardized compound Drought and Saltwater intrusion Index (SDSI) was developed to detect changes in the severity of CDSEs in six estuaries. The study found that saltwater intrusion plays a dominant role in influencing SDSI severity, and CDSEs vary in frequency, duration and severity among different estuaries.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yong-Qiang Li, Rui Sun, Chong-Miao Zhang, Zi-Xuan Liu, Rui-tao Chen, Jian Zhao, Hua-dong Gu, Huan-Cai Yin
Summary: In this study, an electron beam excitation multi-wavelength ultraviolet (EBE-MW-UV) system was established and found to have significantly higher microbial inactivation effects compared to single-wavelength UV-LEDs in water. Mechanism analysis revealed that EBE-MW-UV damaged microbial DNA and proteins, and generated additional reactive oxygen species, leading to microbial inactivation.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kaili Ma, Xinxin Han, Qiujuan Li, Yu Kong, Qiaoli Liu, Xu Yan, Yahong Luo, Xiaopin Li, Huiyang Wen, Zhiguo Cao
Summary: This study reveals that the use of a tryptophan-degrading microbial consortium (TDC) can enhance the hydrolysis efficiency of waste activated sludge (WAS), increasing the yield and quality of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and improving the solubilization and release of organic substances from WAS.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ling Xiong, Rui Li
Summary: Incorporating Ecosystem Service Value (ESV) into land use planning can provide informed land management decisions. This study evaluates the ESV of Guizhou Province in China's karst region. The results show an increase in total ESV over the past two decades due to ecological restoration projects.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
M. Geetha Jenifel
Summary: This article discusses the importance of water and the pollution of freshwater resources, and introduces the use of machine learning models and blockchain technology to predict and protect water quality.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Stanslaus Terengia Materu, Taotao Chen, Chang Liu, Daocai Chi, Meng Jun
Summary: The study showed that H2SO4-modified biochar can reduce P leaching, increase soil available P, and enhance plant P uptake in alternate wetting and drying irrigation systems. Biochar additions B20A and IAWDB20A-M were effective in improving yield, reducing P leaching, and increasing APB.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Amir Nouri, Ali Akbar Zinatizadeh, Sirus Zinadini, Mark Van Loosdrecht
Summary: This study focuses on the development of an air-lift bio-electrochemical reactor (ALBER) with a continuous feeding regime to enhance nitrogen removal from synthetic wastewater. The effect of temperature, hydraulic retention time (HRT), N -NH+4 /TN ratio, and current density on the reactor performance was investigated, and the ALBER achieved a maximum TN removal of 73%. The results suggest that the ALBER has potential for treating industrial wastewater at low temperatures.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Peifang Wang, Guoxiang You, Yang Gao, Juan Chen, Xun Wang, Chao Wang
Summary: This study investigated the ecological processes of microbial communities and N- and P-transformation processes in multistage agricultural drainage ditches. The results showed that the microbial communities were co-shaped by agricultural practices and ditch size, which further governed the N and P removal performance.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xiaofeng Niu, Huan Wang, Tao Wang, Peiyu Zhang, Huan Zhang, Hongxia Wang, Xianghong Kong, Songguang Xie, Jun Xu
Summary: Microorganisms play a critical role in maintaining ecosystem balance, and environmental stressors can affect the assembly processes of microbial communities. The study found that different stressors have opposite effects on microbial community assembly in water and sediment, and warming has different influences compared to herbicides and nutrients.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yuqing Tan, Qiming Cheng, Fengwei Lyu, Fei Liu, Linhao Liu, Yihong Su, Shaochun Yuan, Wenyu Xiao, Zhen Liu, Yao Chen
Summary: The exacerbation of global warming, extreme weather events, and rapid urbanization have led to increased flooding in urban areas. China has adopted sponge city as an efficient means of preventing and controlling urban floods. Using a SWMM-FVCOM model, the hydrological reduction and control effect of sponge city construction (SPCC) within a university campus were evaluated. The study found that implementing SPCC effectively mitigates surface runoff and reduces the severity of urban flooding. However, the efficacy of runoff control decreases with longer rainfall return periods.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Zhonghan Chen, Qiuyan Li, Shibo Yan, Juan Xu, Qiaoyun Lin, Zhuangming Zhao, Ziying He
Summary: Tidal rivers are important biochemical reaction channels, receiving carbon from wastewater and agricultural drains, affecting CO2 emissions. Through modeling and data analysis, researchers explored carbon distribution, emissions, and greenhouse effects, emphasizing the potential of river management to change global CO2 emissions under climate change.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2024)