Two new synthesis working groups, awarded in 2021, capitalize on the intensive and extended record of observation at LTER sites to shed light on thorny ecological questions.
2021 LTER Synthesis Awards: Reproduction and Resilience
Fire Brings New Perspectives on Disturbance at H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest
By Natasha Griffin, PhD candidate at Oregon State University The staff of the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest LTER site had almost no time to prepare when a massive wildfire swept through the region in early September. Stoked by dry late-summer conditions and extreme high winds, Oregon’s Holiday Farm fire began spreading rapidly as soon as… Read more »
Seeing the forest for the shrubs in Southern Appalachia
As ecosystems respond to human activity, what organisms will emerge as new trailblazers, shaping the diversity and resilience of these changing environments? And how can land managers identify these species early on to better prepare for the future? Forests of southern Appalachia have a history fraught with human activity. Hardy and towering, American chestnut and… Read more »
LTER Road Trip: Boreal Forest Research Legacies
By Haley Dunleavy, PhD Candidate at Northern Arizona University Leaving my house, I feel like a runaway. I am packed inside an economy-sized rental car with my field clothes, camping gear, and of course, face masks, heading 300 miles north to meet my advisor Michelle Mack and fellow lab members for a couple days of… Read more »
Stop giving early and late Arctic seasons the ‘cold shoulder’, say LTER scientists
Climate change is hitting Arctic ecosystems hard – permafrost is rapidly thawing, releasing previously-frozen organic matter into the surrounding environment. Knowing not only how, but when, dissolved organic matter (DOM) and other nutrient concentrations are changing is important for predicting effects of climate change, but the picture is currently incomplete. A new paper from Arctic… Read more »
Recent boreal wildfires are changing forest communities in Interior Alaska
As boreal forest wildfires increase in severity and frequency, new patterns of post-fire recovery are emerging. Research led by Jill Johnstone at Bonanza Creek LTER has found that recent wildfires led to changes in tree species dominance that are persisting through post-fire succession in Alaskan boreal forests, indicating the potential for a widespread shift in… Read more »
The Ups and Downs of Coastal Marsh Elevation Modeling
The frequency of large coastal storms and hurricanes is on the rise, impacting the biological services that wetlands and marshes provide. Modeling makes it possible to predict how future storms may affect these ecosystems, but accurately modeling widespread impacts of large storms like Hurricane Sandy, which bombarded much of the U.S. eastern shoreline, requires significant… Read more »
Small Water Bodies with Big CO2 Effects
Credit: Via @ArcticLagoons on Twitter Arctic coastal watershed systems are some of the most threatened regions on Earth and have undergone substantial climatic, physical, and biological change with the warming of our Earth. Now, researchers at the Beaufort Lagoon Ecosystems LTER site have discovered that small coastal water bodies, especially ponds, are releasing carbon to… Read more »
Sea level rise impacting nitrogen cycle in tidal freshwater marshes
GCE LTER researchers simulated the effects of long term (press) and short term (pulse) salt water intrusions in tidal freshwater marshes. Press conditions were more disastrous for the ecosystem, altering the N cycle, while the landscape was able to recover from pulse conditions.
Bolstering climate change resilience through modeling
Using models to flesh out alternative futures for the Everglades under different rainfall scenarios, researchers provide much-needed detail for water and environment managers.
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2021 LTER Synthesis Awards: Reproduction and Resilience
LTER Diversity Committee Announces Community Building Working Group Seminars
The IMCR: A Catalog of Information Management Software
2020 LTER Research Roundup
LTER Grad Student Spotlight: Emilia Grzesik
Fire Brings New Perspectives on Disturbance at H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest
LTER Grad Students: Apply Now for Science Writing Opportunity
LTER Network Orientation
The Edge of Agriculture: Pests and Crop Configuration
Seeing the forest for the shrubs in Southern Appalachia