Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jen Hoesen, Darin Bagshaw, Jessica Elliott, Claudia A. Haas, Jason Kelly, Heather Lazaruk, David MacKinnon, Christopher J. Lemieux
Summary: The impacts of resource extraction activities on protected areas and conservation measures are a significant challenge for organizations. To address this, a decision-support tool has been developed to help evaluate the effectiveness of conservation mechanisms and management tools in dealing with subsurface resource extraction. The tool provides a comprehensive method to assess the impact of such activities on biodiversity and can be applied globally. Consideration of resource extraction rights and impacts is crucial for achieving the goals of the Global Biodiversity Framework.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Shuyuan Wang, Dennis C. Flanagan, Bernard A. Engel, Madeline M. McIntosh
Summary: The study investigated the characteristics of sediment selectivity and transport rates under different subsurface hydrologic conditions in small laboratory flume channels. Results showed that the fraction of coarse-sized particles increased with increasing seepage head conditions. The determination of sediment transport capacity should consider both dynamic and spatial equilibrium conditions, with differences observed between free drainage and saturation conditions for the sediment transport capacity values.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
S. O. Brugger, M. Schwikowski, E. Gobet, C. Schwoerer, C. Rohr, M. Sigl, S. Henne, C. Pfister, T. M. Jenk, P. D. Henne, W. Tinner
Summary: Information about past ecosystem dynamics and human activities is stored in the ice of Colle Gnifetti glacier in the Swiss Alps. Before 1750 CE, forests and fallow land rapidly replaced crop cultivation during historically documented societal crises caused by climate shifts and epidemics. Subsequently, with technology and the introduction of more resilient crops, European societies adapted to the Little Ice Age cold period, but resource overexploitation and industrialization led to new regional to global-scale environmental challenges.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Lin Chen, Jiri Simunck, Scott A. Bradford, Hoori Ajami, Menberu B. Meles
Summary: Considering the interaction between surface and subsurface is crucial for predicting water movement and quality in the environment. In this study, a new efficient coupling routine for 1D surface-subsurface modeling was developed by combining KINEROS2 (K2) and HYDRUS-1D (H1D) open-source codes. The approach successfully accounted for surface ponding and water exchange between the two model domains, allowing for accurate representation of subsurface behavior below each overland flow plane.
JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sujan Pal, Francina Dominguez, Pablo Bollatti, Steven P. Oncley, Yi Yang, Javier Alvarez, Carlos M. Garcia
Summary: This study investigates the impact of land cover changes from perennial crops to annual soy in central Argentina on water and energy fluxes. Results show differences in evapotranspiration, sensible heat, and soil temperature between soy and alfalfa, with long-term simulations indicating distinct hydrological processes at the two sites. Shifts in land cover are likely linked to observed changes in streamflow and water table depth over time, with a notable increase in the Bowen ratio due to a shift from latent heat to sensible heat partitioning.
WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Vigdis Vandvik, Inge H. J. Althuizen, Francesca Jaroszynska, Linn C. Kruger, Hanna Lee, Deborah E. Goldberg, Kari Klanderud, Siri L. Olsen, Richard J. Telford, Silje A. H. ostman, Sara Busca, Ingrid J. Dahle, Dagmar D. Egelkraut, Sonya R. Geange, Ragnhild Gya, Josh S. Lynn, Eric Meineri, Sherry Young, Aud H. Halbritter
Summary: Plant removal experiments can assess the role of biotic interactions in community assembly and ecosystem functioning, and when replicated across different climate gradients, they can also evaluate changes in interactions with climate.
Article
Ecology
Arthur A. D. Broadbent, Michael Bahn, William J. Pritchard, Lindsay K. Newbold, Tim Goodall, Andrew Guinta, Helen S. K. Snell, Irene Cordero, Antonios Michas, Helen K. Grant, David X. Soto, Rudiger Kaufmann, Michael Schloter, Robert Griffiths, Richard D. Bardgett
Summary: Climate change disproportionately affects mountain ecosystems, leading to reductions in winter snow cover and earlier snowmelt, with shrub expansion exacerbating these impacts on soil properties. Despite seasonal changes, shifts in vegetation can modulate belowground effects of future alpine climate change.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jingyun Guan, Junqiang Yao, Moyan Li, Jianghua Zheng
Summary: Human activities have significant impacts on vegetation dynamics in the ecologically fragile region of Xinjiang, China. Improved NDVI prediction models and residual analysis methods were used to quantitatively assess these impacts, revealing that human activities mainly contribute to the improvement of vegetation, particularly for crops. Factors such as cultivated area, primary industry GDP, and population promote NDVI increase, while factors like animal husbandry population, agricultural population, and livestock number lead to NDVI decrease. The evolutionary trend of anthropogenic impacts on vegetation dynamics in Xinjiang shows a dominance of anti-persistence, with positive impacts continuing to increase, especially for crops, shrubs, grasslands, and alpine vegetation.
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Maaike Y. Bader, Luis D. Llambi, Bradley S. Case, Hannah L. Buckley, Johanna M. Toivonen, J. Julio Camarero, David M. Cairns, Carissa D. Brown, Thorsten Wiegand, Lynn M. Resler
Summary: Globally, treeline ecotones exhibit diverse spatial patterns, providing valuable information about the processes influencing treeline dynamics. A new framework focuses on hillside-scale patterns and dimensional changes in tree cover, clustering, height, and shape, to better understand demographic processes and growth patterns affecting treelines. Improved recognition of treeline patterns and collaborative research efforts are necessary to advance our understanding of treeline-forming processes and vegetation dynamics in response to climate warming.
Article
Environmental Studies
Rebecca Achina-Obeng, Simon Appah Aram
Summary: The informal artisanal and small-scale mining sector in Ghana faces serious environmental challenges and harmful practices. This study emphasizes the detrimental impacts on water and soil resources, the lack of sustainable alternative livelihoods, economic hardships and high unemployment rates, the quick and easy way of making money through informal mining, and political influences as major driving forces for illegal mining. The study calls for broader stakeholder engagement to develop policies that improve informal mining rather than criminalize it.
Article
Engineering, Civil
Fadji Z. Maina, Erica R. Siirila-Woodburn, Peter-James Dennedy-Frank
Summary: Accurate quantification of water resource evolution requires a better understanding of the movement of water and energy. The uncertainty of hydrodynamic parameters has a significant impact on ET, especially in areas with a disconnection between groundwater and land surface processes.
JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Pablo Timoner, Marc Fasel, Seyed Saeid Ashraf Vaghefi, Pierre Marle, Emmanuel Castella, Frederic Moser, Anthony Lehmann
Summary: This study predicted the distribution and richness of aquatic insect species in Swiss running waters under climate change using different modeling approaches, showing a potential decrease in EPT richness of around 10% in the least conservative scenario. Global warming poses a threat to high-elevation species, while lowland and medium-elevation running waters are more vulnerable in terms of species richness. The results also suggest that anthropogenic activities may override natural factors in shaping the future of river biodiversity.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Liqun Jin, Xilai Li, Huafang Sun, Junteng Wang, Jing Zhang, Yufang Zhang
Summary: This study investigated the effects of different artificial restoration measures on vegetation and soil properties in alpine mining areas. The results showed that different grass species and sowing quantities significantly influenced the vegetation characteristics and soil nutrient content. In the early stage of restoration, soil surface covering had a positive effect on vegetation growth, but after five years, both vegetation and soil began to degrade. Therefore, future vegetation restoration in alpine mining areas should consider substrate nutrients.
Article
Agronomy
Krischan Petersen, David Kraus, Pierluigi Calanca, Mikhail A. Semenov, Klaus Butterbach-Bahl, Ralf Kiese
Summary: The productivity of permanent temperate cut grasslands is influenced by various factors, and a dynamic management module has been developed to adapt to climate change, leading to increased yields and reduced management costs.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF AGRONOMY
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Nicolaj Hansen, Peter L. Langen, Fredrik Boberg, Rene Forsberg, Sebastian B. Simonsen, Peter Thejll, Baptiste Vandecrux, Ruth Mottram
Summary: The Antarctic surface mass balance (SMB) is mainly affected by precipitation and regional climate variability related to the Southern Annular Mode (SAM). Firn and snowpack processes are crucial in determining SMB and total mass balance. The study reconciles factors influencing Antarctic SMB and compares modelled SMB to GRACE data, finding robust relationships between SMB and SAM, as well as large disagreements in the Antarctic Peninsula.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Erin J. Hanan, Jianning Ren, Christina L. Tague, Crystal A. Kolden, John T. Abatzoglou, Ryan R. Bart, Maureen C. Kennedy, Mingliang Liu, Jennifer C. Adam
Summary: Extreme wildfires are increasing globally, prompting new efforts to mitigate risk. The ecological appropriateness of risk mitigation strategies depends on the factors driving these increases. Recent advances in fire regime modeling can help understand which drivers dominate at management-relevant scales.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Water Resources
Christina Tague, James Frew
Summary: Earth system models synthesize the science of interactions amongst biophysical and human processes, with ecohydrologic models focusing on the complex interactions between ecosystem processes and water. These models complement field-based science by creating virtual laboratories that combine theory, empirical relationships, and new data. To improve ecohydrologic models' usefulness, better visualization is needed, ranging from existing technologies to novel software engineering and human-computer interface design.
HYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Erin B. Wetherley, Dar A. Roberts, Christina L. Tague, Charles Jones, Dale A. Quattrochi, Joseph P. McFadden
Summary: This study investigates the variability of urban energy flux across different landcover and climate gradients in urbanized Los Angeles County, USA. The research shows that urban climates are significantly impacted by localized parameters, irrigation, and regional climate. Furthermore, schedule-based water conservation policies may reduce the cooling capacity of urban vegetation in the late afternoon, and there is a stronger negative effect of distance from the coast on latent heat flux in interior areas compared to coastal areas.
Article
Water Resources
Ryan R. Bart, Ram L. Ray, Martha H. Conklin, Mohammad Safeeq, Philip C. Saksa, Christina L. Tague, Roger C. Bales
Summary: Reducing forest biomass in overgrown forests can lead to hydrologic benefits, with water being redistributed to transpiration of remaining trees and streamflow during dry periods, while being mainly allocated to streamflow during wet periods. This study in the Sierra Nevada of California highlights the importance of forest biomass reductions in improving forest health and water resource management.
HYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES
(2021)
Article
Water Resources
Makki Khorchani, Estela Nadal-Romero, Teodoro Lasanta, Christina Tague
Summary: This study used the regional hydro-ecological simulation system to analyze the long-term changes and annual and seasonal trends in streamflow and transpiration following management of abandoned cropland areas. The research found significant differences in streamflow and transpiration under different management scenarios, while climate scenarios did not show significant differences. Afforestation could significantly decrease annual streamflow and increase annual transpiration, especially in the first 30 years after management, with trends stabilizing or decreasing in the fourth and fifth decades. These results are crucial for optimizing land management plans to ensure sustainable hydrological and ecological ecosystem services.
HYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ido Rog, Christina Tague, Gilad Jakoby, Shacham Megidish, Assaf Yaakobi, Yael Wagner, Tamir Klein
Summary: The study investigates the water use dynamics of five tree species in a mixed evergreen Mediterranean forest, revealing higher biomass and productivity in mixed stands compared to monoculture scenarios. The research shows evidence of niche partitioning of soil water resources among co-habiting tree species, leading to increased forest productivity, especially in semi-arid regions. The results provide insights into the benefits of species diversity in enhancing forest carbon sinks in water-limited environments.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-BIOGEOSCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
David L. Miller, Michael Alonzo, Susan K. Meerdink, Michael A. Allen, Christina L. Tague, Dar A. Roberts, Joseph P. McFadden
Summary: This study evaluates the responses of urban trees and grasses in Santa Barbara, California to seasonal and interannual drought using Landsat and AVIRIS imagery. The findings demonstrate the importance of using remote sensing variables such as NDVI, ALST, and EWT together to quantify changes in vegetation canopy condition during droughts, showing how drought response expression in vegetation can vary by season, drought duration, and urban vegetation type.
ISPRS JOURNAL OF PHOTOGRAMMETRY AND REMOTE SENSING
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
M. Khorchani, E. Nadal-Romero, T. Lasanta, C. Tague
Summary: Abandoned cropland areas have the potential to mitigate climate change through natural revegetation and afforestation programs, but there are tradeoffs between carbon sequestration and water availability. This study used an ecohydrologic model to quantify these tradeoffs in Mediterranean mountains and provide insights for restoration plans that address both carbon sequestration and water management objectives.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
David L. Miller, Erin B. Wetherley, Dar A. Roberts, Christina L. Tague, Joseph P. McFadden
Summary: This study tracked vegetation cover changes in Los Angeles during a severe drought and found that overall turfgrass cover decreased, non-photosynthetic vegetation cover increased, and tree cover remained stable but decreased. Turfgrass loss was greater in inland valleys, and higher income and water use areas experienced larger vegetation cover changes.
News Item
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Christina Tague
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Jianning Ren, Erin J. Hanan, Jeffrey A. Hicke, Crystal A. Kolden, John T. Abatzoglou, Christina (Naomi) L. Tague, Ryan R. Bart, Maureen C. Kennedy, Mingliang Liu, Jennifer C. Adam
Summary: Although natural disturbances play a key role in structuring ecosystems and watersheds worldwide, climate change has intensified many disturbance regimes, which can have negative effects on ecosystem processes and services. This study used a modelling framework to investigate the effects of beetle outbreaks on wildfire dynamics in a semiarid watershed. The results showed that wildfire extent and severity varied across different phases of beetle outbreaks and were influenced by fire regime and fuel availability. This framework can aid in predicting fire hazards and improving our understanding of wildfire responses.
JOURNAL OF ADVANCES IN MODELING EARTH SYSTEMS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
L. J. Graup, C. L. Tague, A. A. Harpold, S. A. Krogh
Summary: This research examines the impact of snow drought on vegetation in the Sierra Nevada, CA, and finds that subsurface lateral inputs can buffer riparian areas against water stress, but riparian forests can still experience water stress, especially during wet and warm snow droughts.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-BIOGEOSCIENCES
(2022)
Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Nate G. McDowell, Kristina Anderson-Teixeira, Joel A. Biederman, David D. Breshears, Yilin Fang, Laura Fernandez-de-Una, Emily B. Graham, D. Scott Mackay, Jeffrey J. McDonnell, Georgianne W. Moore, Magali F. Nehemy, Camille S. Stevens Rumann, James Stegen, Naomi Tague, Monica G. Turner, Xingyuan Chen
Summary: Terrestrial disturbances are causing disruptions to the hydrologic cycle through changes in vegetation-mediated water use and microclimate. This review synthesizes the literature on post-disturbance ecohydrological coupling, examining the relationship between vegetation and streamflow under changing disturbance regimes, atmospheric CO2, and climate. Disturbance can lead to decoupling between transpiration and streamflow by altering the connectivity, size, availability, and spatial distribution of their source pools. Successional trajectories and changing climate can further impact decoupling. A framework of testable hypotheses is proposed to better understand the processes regulating ecohydrological coupling and guide future research.
Article
Ecology
Kyle Hardage, Shawn J. Wheelock, Rowan Gaffney, Theresa O'Halloran, Benjamin Serpa, Gordon Grant, Michelle Coppoletta, Adam Csank, Christina Tague, Matthew Staudacher, Scott Tyler
Summary: Modern forest management relies on thinning treatments to reduce fuels and mitigate wildfire threats. This study compares the hydrologic impacts of two thinning prescriptions and an unaltered control group during extreme drought and high precipitation periods. The results show that thinning treatments have an impact on meteorological conditions and soil moisture storage. Thinning can help maintain soil moisture levels and promote tree growth in both wet and dry years.
FRONTIERS IN FORESTS AND GLOBAL CHANGE
(2022)
Article
Ecology
William D. Burke, Christina Tague, Maureen C. Kennedy, Max A. Moritz
Summary: Fuel treatments are crucial for forest management, especially in the face of climate change. However, the effects of fuel treatments can be inconsistent and uncertain due to various influencing factors. It is important to thoroughly assess potential treatment outcomes and the interacting biophysical and climatic parameters to achieve specific forest health goals.
FRONTIERS IN FORESTS AND GLOBAL CHANGE
(2021)
