Upland Deciduous Forest Research Articles

Evergreen ivy vines as a key element maintaining the high diversity of birds wintering in Central European forests

Animals face numerous difficulties during winter due to food deficiencies and adverse weather conditions. They are likely especially important in landscapes affected by humans like managed forests, which often have simplified structures that result in a deficiency of arboreal microhabitats crucial for many species. We examined the effects of ivy vines’ presence in Central European upland deciduous forests on bird diversity during winter. We found that forest patches with dense ivy vines on trees strongly attracted wintering birds, which increased the species richness, abundance, and phylogenetic diversity of bird communities. This was true for all plots, regardless if they were located in forest interiors or on the edges. Ivy was the crucial element for bird diversity in forest interiors, whereas in forest edges, veteran trees, dead trees, and bushes also played a substantial role in bird wintering activity. This study demonstrated that lianas (i.e., ivy vines), generally rare elements of temperate forests, are important for the maintenance of forest biodiversity, particularly during the winter periods. Therefore, forest patches with ivy vines should be protected in European forests to enhance overall forest biodiversity.

Single Night Surveys of Moth Communities Can Serve as Ultra-Rapid Biodiversity Assessments.

Biodiversity conservation decisions are typically based on limited data and resources. For this reason, there is great interest in surveying taxa that may allow for a rapid assessment of the biodiversity at a site. Numerous taxa have been proposed and utilized for rapid assessments that allow for such a survey in a matter of weeks or less. Herein, we test the idea that nocturnal moths have many of the characteristics that make them ideal for such surveys, such as relative ease of identification, strong ecological association with specific plant species and habitats, high alpha diversity, extended seasonal activity, and ease of trapping. We demonstrate that even in a few hours of sampling during single night surveys, moth communities are predictive of regional forest types at sampling sites in New Jersey. We sampled moths in five different forest habitats in New Jersey, USA: Pine Barrens, Upland Deciduous Forest, Palustrine Deciduous Forest, Maritime Forest, and Ruderal/Disturbed Forests, at four sites per forest type. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) analyses revealed that moth communities differ significantly across these four forest types (p < 0.01). We used Analysis of Similarity (ANOSIM) R tests to quantify the degree of differentiation among moth communities, and found that Tortricidae (R = 0.657) and Geometridae (R = 0.637) predict forest communities nearly as well as the total moth diversity (R = 0.668). Uncommon species (R = 0.665) were better predictors than common species (R = 0.500). Host plant generalists (R = 0.654) were better predictors than specialists (0.538), which was a surprising find.

Ecohydrological modelling in a deciduous boreal forest: Model evaluation for application in non‐stationary climates

AbstractSoil moisture is an important driver of growth in boreal Alaska, but estimating soil hydraulic parameters can be challenging in this data‐sparse region. Parameter estimation is further complicated in regions with rapidly warming climate, where there is a need to minimize model error dependence on interannual climate variations. To better identify soil hydraulic parameters and quantify energy and water balance and soil moisture dynamics, we applied the physically based, one‐dimensional ecohydrological Simultaneous Heat and Water (SHAW) model, loosely coupled with the Geophysical Institute of Permafrost Laboratory (GIPL) model, to an upland deciduous forest stand in interior Alaska over a 13‐year period. Using a Generalized Likelihood Uncertainty Estimation parameterisation, SHAW reproduced interannual and vertical spatial variability of soil moisture during a five‐year validation period quite well, with root mean squared error (RMSE) of volumetric water content at 0.5 m as low as 0.020 cm3/cm3. Many parameter sets reproduced reasonable soil moisture dynamics, suggesting considerable equifinality. Model performance generally declined in the eight‐year validation period, indicating some overfitting and demonstrating the importance of interannual variability in model evaluation. We compared the performance of parameter sets selected based on traditional performance measures such as the RMSE that minimize error in soil moisture simulation, with one that is designed to minimize the dependence of model error on interannual climate variability using a new diagnostic approach we call CSMP, which stands for Climate Sensitivity of Model Performance. Use of the CSMP approach moderately decreases traditional model performance but may be more suitable for climate change applications, for which it is important that model error is independent from climate variability. These findings illustrate (1) that the SHAW model, coupled with GIPL, can adequately simulate soil moisture dynamics in this boreal deciduous region, (2) the importance of interannual variability in model parameterisation, and (3) a novel objective function for parameter selection to improve applicability in non‐stationary climates.

Spatial Ecology of Re- introduced American Martens in the Northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan

American martens (Martes americana) in the northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan (NLP) represent a re-introduced and isolated population that is the southern-most distributed marten population in eastern North America. During 2005–2006 we conducted a radiotelemetry and track-survey study of martens in the NLP. We estimated home-range size and patterns of habitat use in order to develop a spatial model to predict distribution of marten habitat. Marten home ranges were comprised of more (>75%) upland deciduous and upland mixed forest compared to the landscape, which included ≤60% of these cover types. Within core areas, martens selected upland conifer stands. Our Penrose habitat model identified <25% of the NLP as primary marten habitat. Further, 70% of marten habitat patches were <1000 ha in size and were isolated by an average of 5.3 km (SE = 2.0). Our marten habitat model identifies focal areas for surveying and monitoring populations and sites for supplementation or re-introduction. Our model also highlights the need for managers to better coordinate active landscape-scale management of wildlife and forests to reduce fragmentation impacts on extant and reintroduced marten populations.

Effects of highways on bird distribution and soundscape diversity around Aldo Leopold’s shack in Baraboo, Wisconsin, USA

In the 1940s, Aldo Leopold took extensive notes on birds and their sounds near his iconic shack in Baraboo, Wisconsin, USA. His observations, along with his land management techniques, helped frame his seminal book, A Sand County Almanac. After his death, two interstate highways were built near his property and subjected this historically significant area to traffic noise. While highways currently represent vital transportation corridors, their observed and potential impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services are cause for concern. As the area including Leopold’s shack is now an Important Bird Area, we sought to evaluate the impact of these highways on the bird community and its related acoustic diversity. In 2011, 150 avian point counts were conducted in the three main habitats composing the landscape—upland deciduous forest, floodplain forest, and herbaceous wetland. In 2012, soundscape recordings were collected in seven floodplain forest sites using automated passive acoustic recorders. We described the local bird communities and measured their acoustic diversity. Linear models accounting for additional factors including land cover and vegetation structure characteristics showed that as the distance from highways increased, bird community descriptors (overall abundance and species richness) and acoustic diversity increased (when relationships were significant). On the species level, forest interior specialists were negatively affected by the presence of the highways, contrary to edge specialists. In addition to the direct effects of the edges produced by the highway structure, this difference might be due to the masking effect of traffic noise on interior specialists’ low-frequency vocalizations and their reliance on acoustic, as opposed to visual, communication. We conclude that while habitat structure is a principle driver of bird diversity on a broader scale, highway-induced changes in both habitat structure and soundscapes may affect bird communities.

Landscape-scale distribution of tree roosts of the northern long-eared bat in Mammoth Cave National Park, USA

ContextThe roosting habits of many temperate zone bats are well documented at microhabitat scales, but fewer studies have included multi-scale assessments of landscape patterns in bat roost site selection.ObjectivesTo identify and assess at the landscape-scale the location of spring and early season maternity roosts of female northern long-eared bats (Myotis septentrionalis) from 2015 to 2016 at Mammoth Cave National Park (MACA), Kentucky, USA.MethodsWe used mist-nets and radiotelemetry to catch and track bats to roost trees across the landscape of MACA. Data on roosting sites were evaluated using spatial point pattern analysis to examine distributional trends of roosts. A variety of spatial covariates were used to model the effect of landscape pattern, including: forest type, elevation, and proximity to hibernacula, water, and road corridors.ResultsData indicate that roost locations of female northern long-eared bats in MACA were typically situated within 2000 m of known winter hibernacula, occurring more often at higher elevations in mesic upland deciduous forests, and in close proximity to water sources and roads. We present hypotheses to account for the patterns observed in relation to landscape features and habitat resources in the Park.ConclusionsOur data indicate that a more comprehensive understanding of habitat requirements which includes empirically-based, landscape-scale patterns, and not solely considerations at stand or local levels, could lead to better informed management policies targeting conservation of maternity habitat of forest-dwelling bats, including the northern long-eared bat, a species in decline throughout much of its distribution in North America.

Landscape influence on spatial patterns of meningeal worm and liver fluke infection in white-tailed deer.

Parasites that primarily infect white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), such as liver flukes (Fascioloides magna) and meningeal worm (Parelaphostrongylus tenuis), can cause morbidity and mortality when incidentally infecting moose (Alces alces). Ecological factors are expected to influence spatial variation in infection risk by affecting the survival of free-living life stages outside the host and the abundance of intermediate gastropod hosts. Here, we investigate how ecology influenced the fine-scale distribution of these parasites in deer in Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota. Deer pellet groups (N = 295) were sampled for the presence of P. tenuis larvae and F. magna eggs. We found that deer were significantly more likely to be infected with P. tenuis in habitats with less upland deciduous forest and more upland mixed conifer forest and shrub, a pattern that mirrored microhabitat differences in gastropod abundances. Deer were also more likely to be infected with F. magna in areas with more marshland, specifically rooted-floating aquatic marshes (RFAMs). The environment played a larger role than deer density in determining spatial patterns of infection for both parasites, highlighting the importance of considering ecological factors on all stages of a parasite's life cycle in order to understand its occurrence within the definitive host.

A metagenomics-based approach to the top-down effect on the detritivore food web: a salamanders influence on fungal communities within a deciduous forest.

The flow of energy within an ecosystem can be considered either top-down, where predators influence consumers, or bottom-up, where producers influence consumers. Plethodon cinereus (Red-backed Salamander) is a terrestrial keystone predator who feeds on invertebrates within the ecosystem. We investigated the impact of the removal of P. cinereus on the detritivore food web in an upland deciduous forest in northwest Ohio, U.S.A. A total of eight aluminum enclosures, each containing a single P. cinereus under a small log, were constructed in the deciduous forest. On Day 1 of the experiment, four salamanders were evicted from four of the eight enclosures. Organic matter and soil were collected from the center of each enclosure at Day 1 and Day 21. From each sample, DNA was extracted, fungal-specific amplification performed, and 454 pyrosequencing was used to sequence the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS2) region and partial ribosomal large subunit (LSU). Changes in overall fungal community composition or species diversity were not statistically significant between treatments. Statistically significant shifts in the most abundant taxonomic groups of fungi were documented in presence but not absence enclosures. We concluded that P. cinereus does not affect the overall composition or diversity of fungal communities, but does have an impact on specific groups of fungi. This study used a metagenomics-based approach to investigate a missing link among a keystone predator, P. cinereus, invertebrates, and fungal communities, all of which are critical in the detritivore food web.

Population Survey of the Streamside Salamander in the Nashville Basin of Tennessee

Ambystoma barbouri (Streamside Salamander) inhabits upland deciduous forests associated with ephemeral first- and second-order streams throughout middle Tennessee. The distribution of Streamside Salamanders is centered in north-central Kentucky and extends into adjacent southeastern Indiana and southwestern Ohio. Disjunct populations are known from West Virginia, southern Kentucky, and middle Tennessee. Extant populations for middle Tennessee occur only within the southern Inner Nashville Basin (INB) ecological subregion of the Interior Plateau. Populations were found in Davidson and Jackson counties within the Outer Nashville Basin (ONB) during the 1960s and early 1970s, respectively; however, the status of these populations is unknown. To better determine the distribution of this species in the northern INB and the eastern ONB, we surveyed first- and second-order streams for eggs and larvae. We found Streamside Salamanders at only 2 of 78 localities. One of these breeding sites was adjacent to a previously known breeding stream in Wilson County, and the second site was in Trousdale County in the ONB, approximately 35 km north of the Wilson County sites and 49 km west of the historic Jackson County site. The distribution of Streamside Salamanders is still insufficiently known in middle Tennessee.

Monsoonal-type climate or land-use management: Understanding their role in the mobilization of nitrate and DOC in a mountainous catchment

Summary The linkage between hydrologic dynamics and the delivery of nitrate and DOC (dissolved organic carbon) to streams was studied in the Haean catchment, a mixed land-use mountainous catchment in South Korea. Three monsoonal precipitation events were analyzed, which varied in total rainfall amount (39–70 mm) and intensities (mean: 1.6–5.6 mm h −1 ), by high-resolution (2–4 h interval) stream water-quality sampling along the topographic elevation gradient of the catchment, from an upland deciduous forest stream, over areas intensively used for agriculture (dryland farming and rice paddies) down to the catchment outlet. The dynamics of river-aquifer exchange were investigated at two piezometer transects at mid and lower elevations. DOC and nitrate sources and their transport pathways to the receiving surface waters differed between the forested and the agricultural stream site. In the forest stream, elevated DOC concentrations (max: 3.5 mgC l −1 ) during precipitation events were due to hydrologic flushing of soluble organic matter in upper soil horizons, with a strong dependency on pre-storm wetness conditions. Nitrate contributions to the forested stream occurred along shallow subsurface transport pathways. At the agricultural sites stream DOC concentrations were considerably higher (max: 23.5 mgC l −1 ) supplied from adjacent rice paddies. The highest in-stream nitrate concentrations (max: 4.1 mgN l −1 ) occurred at river reaches located in the lower agricultural part of the catchment, affected by groundwater inputs. Groundwater nitrate concentrations were high (max: 7.4 mgN l −1 ) owing to chemical fertilizer leaching from dryland fields forced by monsoonal rainfalls. Overall, this study demonstrates that the hydrologic dynamics resulting from the monsoonal climate drive the in-stream DOC dynamics in the forested 1st-order catchment whereas sources and mobilization of DOC in downstream agricultural areas are mainly controlled by the prevailing land-use type and irrigation management. Nitrate dynamics in higher order agricultural streams and their connected aquifers reflect combined effects of land-use type and monsoonal hydrology.

Exotic Earthworm Communities Within Upland Deciduous Forests of National Wildlife Refuges in the Upper Midwest

Abstract The invasion of exotic earthworms into forests of the Upper Midwest region of the United States is a considerable management issue due to the ability of earthworms to act as ecosystem engineers and modify existing ecosystems. Earthworm taxa differ in their biology and behavior, such that earthworm abundance and community composition can be related to the type and degree of alteration expected to occur. Many National Wildlife Refuges of the Upper Midwest have enabling legislation that identifies migratory birds as a specific management priority, and past studies have indicated that earthworm-modified forests provide lower quality habitat for migratory, ground-nesting birds. We quantified exotic earthworm community composition, abundance, and variability within and among upland deciduous forest stands at six of these refuges (Horicon, Ottawa, Rice Lake, Seney, Shiawassee, and Tamarac), providing a baseline for estimating the status of earthworm invasion. Analyses revealed a significant difference in mean earthworm biomass among upland deciduous forest stands sampled (ANOVA, F5,52 = 2.81, P = 0.03) and indicated significant differences in earthworm community composition (multiresponse permutation procedure, T = −12.57, A = 0.24, P &amp;lt; 0.001) at each refuge. Based upon existing theories regarding earthworm invasion, we suggest that the stage, and impact, of earthworm invasion is varied across the region. Continued research and monitoring of earthworm communities should test this theory and seek to elucidate drivers of earthworm invasion patterns and impacts to forest ecosystems.

Forest phenology and a warmer climate – growing season extension in relation to climatic provenance

AbstractPredicting forest responses to warming climates relies on assumptions about niche and temperature sensitivity that remain largely untested. Observational studies have related current and historical temperatures to phenological shifts, but experimental evidence is sparse, particularly for autumn responses. A 4 year field experiment exposed four deciduous forest species from contrasting climates (Liquidambar styraciflua, Quercus rubra, Populus grandidentata, and Betula alleghaniensis) to air temperatures 2 and 4 °C above ambient controls, using temperature‐controlled open top chambers. Impacts of year‐round warming on bud burst (BB), senescence, and abscission were evaluated in relation to thermal provenance. Leaves emerged earlier in all species by an average of 4–9 days at +2 °C and 6–14 days at +4 °C. Magnitude of advance varied with species and year, but was larger for the first 2 °C increment than for the second. Effect of warming increased with early BB, favoring Liquidambar, but even BB of northern species advanced, despite temperatures exceeding those of the realized niche. Treatment differences in BB were inadequately explained by temperature sums alone. In autumn, chlorophyll was retained an average of 4 and 7 days longer in +2 and +4 °C treatments, respectively, and abscission delayed by 8 and 13 days. Growing seasons in the warmer atmospheres averaged 5–18 days (E2) and 6–28 days (E4) longer, according to species, with the least impact in Quercus. Results are compared with a 16 years record of canopy onset and offset in a nearby upland deciduous forest, where BB showed similar responsiveness to spring temperatures (2–4 days °C−1). Offset dates in the stand tracked August–September temperatures, except when late summer drought caused premature senescence. The common garden‐like experiment provides evidence that warming alone extends the growing season, at both ends, even if stand‐level impacts may be complicated by variation in other environmental factors.

Ohio USA stoneflies (Insecta, Plecoptera): species richness estimation, distribution of functional niche traits, drainage affiliations, and relationships to other states

Ohio is an eastern USA state that historically was >70% covered in upland and mixed coniferous forest; about 60% of it glaciated by the Wisconsinan glacial episode. Its stonefly fauna has been studied in piecemeal fashion until now. The assemblage of Ohio stoneflies was assessed from over 4,000 records accumulated from 18 institutions, new collections, and trusted literature sources. Species richness totaled 102 with estimators Chao2 and ICE Mean predicting 105.6 and 106.4, respectively. Singletons and doubletons totaled 18 species. All North American families were represented with Perlidae accounted for the highest number of species at 34. The family Peltoperlidae contributed a single species. Most species had univoltine–fast life cycles with the vast majority emerging in summer, although there was a significant component of winter stoneflies. Nine United States Geological Survey hierarchical drainage units level 6 (HUC6) were used to stratify specimen data. Species richness was significantly related to the number of unique HUC6 locations, but there was no relationship with HUC6 drainage area. A nonparametric multidimensional scaling analysis found that larger HUC6s in the western part of the state had similar assemblages with lower species richness that were found to align with more savanna and wetland habitat. Other drainages having richer assemblages were aligned with upland deciduous and mixed coniferous forests of the east and south where slopes were higher. The Ohio assemblage was most similar to the well–studied fauna of Indiana (88 spp.) and Kentucky (108 spp.), two neighboring states. Many rare species and several high quality stream reaches should be considered for greater protection.

A step-wise land-cover classification of the tropical forests of the Southern Yucatán, Mexico

Analysis of land-cover change in the seasonal tropical forests of the Southern Yucatán, Mexico presents a number of significant challenges for the fine-scale land-cover information required of land-change science. Subtle variation in mature forest types across the regional ecocline is compounded by vegetation transitions following agricultural land uses. Such complex mapping environments require innovation in multispectral classification methodologies. This research presents an application of a step-wise maximum likelihood/In-Process Classification Assessment (IPCA) procedure. This hybrid supervised and unsupervised classification methodology allows for exploration of underlying characteristics of Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) imagery in tropical environments. Once spectrally separable classes have been identified, field data then determine the ecological definition of vegetation types with special attention paid to areas of unknown or mixed classes. A post-field assessment re-classification using the Dempster–Shafer method reduced the original 25 spectral classes to 14 ecologically distinctive classes, providing the fine-tuned land-cover distinctions that are required for both environmental and socioeconomic research questions. The overall map accuracy was 87% with an average per-class accuracy of 86%. Per-class accuracy ranged from as low as 45% for pasture grass to a high of 100% for tall-stature evergreen upland forest, low and medium-stature semi-deciduous upland forest and deciduous forest.

Not all forests are expanding over central Brazilian savannas

Recently we reported on the expansion of riparian forests into savannas in central Brazil. To enlarge the scope of the earlier study we investigated whether upland deciduous and xeromorphic forests behaved similarly. We investigated past vegetation changes that occurred in forest/savanna transitions using carbon isotope ratios (δ13C) measured in the soil organic matter as a tracer. We analyzed the 14C activity where δ13C showed major shifts in vegetation. The role of soil chemical and physical attributes in defining vegetation distribution is discussed. Structural changes in vegetation were found to be associated with shifts in the isotope composition (δ13C) of soil organic matter. This was attributed to intrinsic differences in the biomass of trees and grasses and allowed for the determination of past shifts in vegetation by evaluating δ13C at different depths. The deciduous forest decreased in area approximately 980 years ago. Tree cover increased in the xeromorphic forest, but the border stayed stable through time. The deciduous forest and adjacent savanna have eutrophic soils while the xeromorphic forest and adjacent savanna have dystrophic soils. However, greater organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations are observed in the forests. We provide concrete evidence of deciduous forest retreat unlike the stability observed in the xeromorphic forest/savanna boundary. These results contrast with the expansion of riparian forests recently reported in the same region.

Phase of Target Scattering for Wetland Characterization Using Polarimetric C-Band SAR

Wetlands continue to be under threat, and there is a major need for mapping and monitoring wetlands for better management and protection of these sensitive areas. Only a few studies have been published on wetland characterization using polarimetric synthetic aperture radars (SARs). The most successful results have been obtained using the phase difference between HH and VV polarizations, phiHH - phiVV, which has shown promise for separating flooded wetland classes. Recently, we have introduced a new decomposition, the Touzi decomposition, which describes target scattering type in terms of a complex entity, the symmetric scattering type. Huynen's target helicity is used to assess the symmetric nature of target scattering. In this paper, the new complex-scattering-type parameters, the magnitude alphas and phase Phialpha s, are investigated for wetland characterization. The use of the dominant-scattering-type phase Phialpha s makes it possible to discriminate shrub bogs from poor (sedge or shrub) fens. These two classes cannot be separated using phiHH - phiVV, or the radiometric scattering information provided by alphas, the Cloude alpha, the entropy H, and the multipolarization HH-HV-VV channels. phialpha s , which cannot detect deep (45 cm below the peat surface) water flow in a bog, is more sensitive to the shallower (10-20-cm) fen beneath water, and this makes possible the separation of poor fens from shrub bogs. Phialpha s also permits the discrimination of conifer-dominated treed bog from upland deciduous forest under leafy conditions. Target helicity information is exploited to introduce a new parameter, the target asymmetry. The latter is shown very promising for detection of forest changes between leafy and no-leaf conditions. The analysis of low-entropy marsh scattering showed that both the scattering-type magnitude and phase alphas and Phialpha s, respectively, as well as the maximum polarization intensity of the dominant scattering m, are needed for a better understanding of marsh complex scattering mechanisms. The unique information provided by the new roll-invariant decomposition parameters are demonstrated using repeat-pass Convair-580 polarimetric C-band SAR data collected in June and October 1995 over the RAMSAR Mer Bleue wetland site near Ottawa (Canada).

Estimation and Implications of Space Use for White‐Tailed Deer Management in Southern Michigan

ABSTRACT Studies assessing space use are often descriptive but sometimes lack guidance for managers whose objectives include altering wildlife abundance through habitat management programs. The concept of usable space (i.e., species‐specific permanent cover situations that maximize fitness) collapses commonly used home‐range estimates (e.g., kernel estimators) by excluding cover types contained within individual home ranges that lack direct evidence of use and by reducing cover types containing large areas but small proportions of location estimates. In theory, estimates of usable space provide a potentially more accurate biological representation of space use compared to kernel estimators and provide guidance for managing avoided cover types (i.e., used in a proportion less than available). Our objectives were to compare white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) space use under the kernel and usable‐space methods and to discuss the implications of cover conversions under the usable‐space concept. Using radio‐marked adult female deer (n = 20) in south central Michigan, USA, during 2004–2006, we found that fixed‐kernel home‐range estimates (x̄= 77.5 ha ± 9.6 SE for the agricultural growing season, x̄= 140.4 ha ± 23.4 SE for the nongrowing season) included cover types with no evidence of use (e.g., no telemetry locations). Usable‐space estimates (ha) were approximately 75% that of kernel home ranges and were dominated (approx. 87%) by upland deciduous forest, lowland shrub, agriculture, and coniferous cover types. Under the assumption that deer densities are positively correlated with the amount of usable space, we provided several cover‐conversion scenarios (i.e., habitat manipulation) that would theoretically change deer densities on our study area by increasing or decreasing the amount of usable space. Effects of land‐use changes (e.g., increasing urbanization, such as on our study area and throughout much of the midwestern United States) on usable space and inferences on deer population responses may also be assessed using our approach. Regardless of the wildlife species being managed, decisions regarding habitat manipulation are often constrained by several factors (e.g., social, edaphic) and managers should consider ecological processes (e.g., vegetation succession) and implications on broader objectives (e.g., biodiversity conservation).

Multi-scale Cover Selection by White-tailed Deer, &lt;em&gt;Odocoileus virginianus&lt;/em&gt;, in an Agro-forested Landscape

Resource selection studies are commonly conducted at a single spatial scale, but this likely does not fully or accurately assess the hierarchical selection process used by animals. We used a multi-spatial scale approach to quantify White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) cover selection in south-central Michigan during 2004–2006 by varying definitions of use and availability and ranking the relative importance of cover types under each study design. The number of cover types assigned as selected (proportional use &gt; proportional availability) decreased from coarse (landscape level) to fine (within home range) scales, although at finer scales, selection seemed to be more consistent. Although the relative importance changed substantially across spatial scales, two cover types (conifers, upland deciduous forests) were consistently ranked as the two most important, providing strong evidence of their value to deer in the study area. Testing for resource selection patterns using a multi-spatial scale approach would provide additional insight into the ecology and behavior of a particular species.

Wetland characterization using polarimetric RADARSAT-2 capability

The use of single-polarization (HH) RADARSAT-1 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data has been shown to be important for wetland water extent characterization. However, the limited capability of the RADARSAT-1 single-polarization C-band SAR in vegetation type discrimination makes the use of clear-sky-dependent visible near-infrared (VNIR) satellite data necessary for wetland mapping. In this paper, the potential of polarimetric RADARSAT-2 data for wetland characterization is investigated. The Touzi incoherent decomposition is applied for the roll-invariant decomposition of wetland scattering. In contrast with the Cloude-Pottier decomposition that characterizes target scattering type with a real entity, α, the Touzi decomposition uses a complex entity, the symmetric scattering type, for unambiguous characterization of wetland target scattering. It is shown that, like the Cloude α scattering type, the magnitude αs of the symmetric scattering is not effective for vegetation type discrimination. The phase ϕαs of the symmetric scattering type has to be used for better characterization of wetland vegetation species. The unique information provided by ϕαs for an improved wetland class discrimination is demonstrated using Convair-580 polarimetric C-band SAR data collected over the Mer Bleue wetland in the east of Ottawa, Canada. The use of ϕαs makes possible the discrimination of shrub bog from sedge fen and even permits the discrimination between conifer-dominated treed bog and upland deciduous forest under leafy conditions.

Comparing current and desired ecological conditions at a landscape scale in the Cumberland Plateau and Mountains, USA

We applied a landscape conservation approach that quantifies current and desired ecological conditions for 10680 km2 of diverse forests in the Cumberland Plateau and Mountains of Tennessee and Kentucky. In this case study, forest cover was classified using Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM) imagery and evaluated with forest inventory data. Landform forest associations were characterized by combining forest cover, physiographic descriptions of remnant and historical forests, and forest structure and composition from the inventory data. These landform forest associations estimate current forest conditions and, in comparison with a projection of potential natural forest conditions, indicated that upland deciduous forests in the Plateau have the greatest reduction in cover, particularly in small private ownerships. Although of similar species composition, upland deciduous forests in the Plateau also possessed younger stands with smaller trees than observed from potential old-growth conditions. These results provide scientific guidance for transitioning these forests toward desired ecological conditions through regional conservation initiatives.