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A mismatch between theory and data has led HBR LTER researchers to re-examine the role of denitrification, the role of mineral soil in nitrogen dynamics during succession, and the role of climate change in “tightening” the nitrogen cycle.  

Songbird declines are primarily due to the loss of neotropical migrant species, particularly species that nest and forage in mid-successional habitats. These species have become less common as the forest has matured.  

De-acidification of an entire watershed through calcium silicate application led to improved tree growth, health, and reproduction; increased decomposition and loss of soil organic matter; decreased root growth; and increased loss of nitrogen in stream water starting ~10 years after application. Lack of calcium may be inhibiting the regeneration of sugar maple in harvested watersheds…. Read more »

Climate change has extended the growing season and altered conditions during seasonal transitions. It has also had significant effects on the fluxes of whole-system carbon and nitrogen.  

The shift from grassland to shrubland is not the only alternative state for desert vegetation. Jornada Basin LTER research has documented: (a) shifts from desertified shrublands back towards native grassland, (b) shifts between different shrubland types, and (c) shifts from grasslands or shrublands to novel ecosystems dominated by non-native annual or perennial grasses. State changes… Read more »

Locations that are functionally connected in the landscape experience greater materials and energy transfer, which ultimately influences spatial and temporal vegetation dynamics in desert landscapes. In pilot studies, small connectivity modifying structures (ConMods) increased grasses and forbs relative to areas without ConMods.  

Using long term observations and a water balance approach, JRN LTER researchers determined that small watersheds on piedmont slopes are large contributors to groundwater recharge on the Jornada Basin. This was one of the first studies to quantify groundwater recharge in arid region first-order watersheds.  

Research from KBS LTER reveals not only how changes in cropping practices improve ecosystem service flows, but also the economic value of those flows. Paired studies of farmers and consumers track farmer willingness to provide changed practices along with consumer willingness to pay for ecosystem services that come from those changed practices, such as climate… Read more »

Desert rodent biomass depends on an interaction between shrub cover and precipitation – more rodent biomass is associated with grasslands following droughts and with shrublands following wet years. This pattern can be largely explained by the irruption of folivores (which prefer shrubbier vegetation) during wet years and suggests that rodent population dynamics are likely to… Read more »