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openCC0Nov 2023View details →

Landscape and Regional Impacts of Hurricanes in New England 1620-1997

This project used a combination of historical research and computer modeling to study the impacts of hurricanes in New England since 1620. For details on methods and results, please see the published paper (Boose, E. R., K. E. Chamberlin and D. R. Foster. 2001. Landscape and regional impacts of hurricanes in New England. Ecological Monographs 71: 27-48). The Abstract from the paper is reproduced below. "Hurricanes are a major factor controlling ecosystem structure, function and dynamics in many coastal forests and yet their ecological role can be understood only by assessing impacts in space and time over a period of centuries. We present a new method for reconstructing hurricane disturbance regimes using a combination of historical research and computer modeling. Historical data on wind damage for each hurricane in the selected region are quantified using the Fujita scale to produce regional maps of actual damage. A simple meteorological model (HURRECON), parameterized and tested for selected recent hurricanes, provides regional estimates of wind speed, direction, and damage for each storm. Individual reconstructions are compiled to analyze spatial and temporal patterns of hurricane impacts. Long-term effects of topography on a landscape scale are then examined with a simple topographic exposure model (EXPOS). "We applied this method to New England, USA, examining hurricanes since European settlement in 1620. Results showed strong regional gradients in hurricane frequency and intensity from southeast to northwest: average return intervals for F0 damage on the Fujita scale (loss of leaves and branches) ranged from 5 to 85 years, average return intervals for F1 damage (scattered blowdowns, small gaps) ranged from 10 to more than 200 years, and average return intervals for F2 damage (extensive blowdowns, large gaps) ranged from 85 to more than 380 years. On a landscape scale, average return intervals for F2 damage in the town of Petersham MA ranged from 125 years acro

openCC0Nov 2023View details →

Landscape and Regional Impacts of Hurricanes in Puerto Rico 1508-1997

This project used a combination of historical research and computer modeling to study the impacts of hurricanes in Puerto Rico since 1508. For details on methods and results, please see the published paper (Boose, E. R., M. I. Serrano and D. R. Foster. 2004. Landscape and regional impacts of hurricanes in Puerto Rico. Ecological Monographs 74: 335-352). The Abstract from the paper is reproduced below. "Puerto Rico is subject to frequent and severe impacts from hurricanes, whose long-term ecological role must be assessed on a scale of centuries. In this study we applied a method for reconstructing hurricane disturbance regimes developed in an earlier study of hurricanes in New England. Patterns of actual wind damage from historical records were analyzed for 85 hurricanes since European settlement in 1508. A simple meteorological model (HURRECON) was used to reconstruct the impacts of 43 hurricanes since 1851. Long-term effects of topography on a landscape scale in the Luquillo Experimental Forest (LEF) were simulated with a simple topographic exposure model (EXPOS). "Average return intervals across Puerto Rico for F0 damage (loss of leaves and branches) and F1 damage (scattered blowdowns, small gaps) on the Fujita scale were 4 and 6 years, respectively. At higher damage levels a gradient was created by the direction of the storm tracks and the weakening of hurricanes over the interior mountains. Average return intervals for F2 damage (extensive blowdowns) and F3 damage (forests leveled) ranged from 15 to 33 years and 50 to 150 years, respectively, from east to west. In the LEF, the combination of steep topography and constrained peak wind directions created a complex mosaic of topographic exposure and protection, with average return intervals for F3 damage ranging from 50 years to more than 150 years. Actual forest damage was strongly dependent on land-use history and the effects of recent hurricanes. Annual and decadal timing of hurricanes varied widely. There was n

Regional and Historical Variation in Garlic Mustard Distribution in Western Massachusetts 2006-2007

The susceptibility of a site to invasion by nonnative species depends on its current ecological features and its historical land use. Certain environments might be more conducive to an invasive plant’s success, and several recent studies have shown that former agricultural sites are more susceptible to invasion than sites that have been continuously wooded. We studied the invasive herb garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata), at roadside forested edges. Site selection was stratified by two regions with distinct ecological characteristics (the Connecticut River Valley and the Berkshire Valley in Massachusetts), and two historical land uses (wooded versus cleared in 1830).

Regional Distribution and Abundance of Eastern Hemlock in Eastern North America 2010

We developed comprehensive maps on the distribution and abundance of hemlock for the purposes of mapping the host distribution, and modeling the spread, of the hemlock woolly adelgid. Multiple statistical models were used to map the distribution of hemlock. Hemlock occurrence data were taken from the FIA database and multiple environmental predictors were gathered from various databases as described in methods. The raster map depicts the predicted abundance of hemlock m2 basal area per hectare) across its range in eastern North America.

Regional Conservation Partnerships in New England 2009-2012

Across New England, a new model of regional collaboration is increasingly being used by land conservation trusts, watershed associations, state agencies and others. Regional conservation partnerships (RCPs) serve multiple purposes, such as coordinating among the various active groups in the region and allowing them to leverage funding and staff capacity. However, their essential missions are the same--protect more land from development. We use interviews, geographic information systems (GIS), and statistical analysis on 20 case studies to document RCP growth and characteristics and to analyze which attributes most contribute to their ability to conserve land. Along with well-known factors of organizational development, we find that the RCPs that match the size of the partnership region with the territory and capacity of the host partner organization are better able to achieve measurable conservation gains.

Conservation Study in North Quabbin Region of Central Massachusetts 1900-1993

This study investigated the history of land protection in north central Massachusetts. For details on methods and results, please see the published paper (Golodetz, A.D. and D.R. Foster. 1997. History and importance of land use and protection in the North Quabbin region of Massachusetts (USA). Conservation Biology 11:227-235). The Abstract from the paper is reproduced below: "Evaluating the consequences and future of land protection requires broad temporal and spatial perspectives of ecological and cultural factors. We assessed the development of a system of protected areas comprising 37% of central Massachusetts in terms of changing rates and means of land protection. We compared protected areas to the surrounding matrix in terms of physical, biological, and historical features and used these results to raise issues concerning future planning. The rate, purpose, and means of land protection in the North Quabbin Region (168,312 ha) have been dynamic as a result of changes in cultural values and transformation of the landscape from predominantly agriculture to forest. Protected lands are managed by 25 federal and state agencies, private groups, and municipal departments and commissions and are physically and biologically typical of the regional landscape which results from (1) participation of diverse organizations with varied agendas; (2) predominance of large government acquisitions driven by landscape-scale criteria; and (3) absence of coordination among groups. The large area, relative homogeneity and largely undeveloped status of the North Quabbin Region suggest conservation goals distinct from those in the fragmented and extensively developed neighboring areas of the Connecticut River Valley and Cape Cod and Islands Region. Large tracts of forests, wetlands, and lakes in the North Quabbin Region provide (1) habitat for species requiring extensive, intact areas; (2) the opportunity to maintain broad-scale ecological processes; (3) connections to the regional con

Timber Harvesting Study in North Quabbin Region of Central Massachusetts 1984-2001

Although the northeastern U.S. includes extensive areas of aggrading forest, uncertainty regarding the intensity and pattern of forest harvesting hampers an understanding of important ecological processes and characteristics such as carbon and nitrogen storage, habitat quality, and forest dynamics, and impedes regional conservation and management planning. Due to the complex ownership pattern dominated by thousands of non-industrial private forest (NIPF) owners and the difficulty of detecting selective logging using remote sensing, details of the harvesting regime remain largely unknown to the scientific and policy communities. To examine the value of statewide regulatory data for Massachusetts as a unique source of this critical information, we analyzed 17 years of timber harvest data gathered for regulatory purposes for a 168,000-ha forested landscape in Massachusetts that is the focus of concerted conservation planning and intensive study of landscape and ecosystem pattern and process. The North Quabbin Region is heavily wooded with a complicated ownership pattern dominated by over 2,500 NIPF owners, three state agencies, and diverse conservation and municipal holdings. The extent and intensity of harvesting were surprising, with an annual disturbance rate of 1.5% and a mean intensity of 44.7 m3 ha-1 (approximately one-fourth of average stand volume). The predominant form of harvesting was selective removal of commercially valuable tree sizes, grades and species (e.g., Quercus rubra and Pinus strobus). The spatial pattern of logging was random with regards to major physical, biological, or cultural factors. However, logging was strongly related to landowner class. NIPF owners control 60% of the forest area and were responsible for 64.1% of harvest area, but the highest logging intensity (volume per area harvested; 69.3 m3 ha-1) among major landowners was conducted by the state agency responsible for managing southern New England's largest conservation property, t

Creating multi-themed ecological regions for macroscale ecology: Testing a flexible, repeatable, and accessible clustering method

This dataset was created for the following publication: Cheruvelil, K.S., S. Yuan, K.E. Webster, P.-N. Tan, J.-F. Lapierre, S.M. Collins, C.E. Fergus, C.E. Scott, E.N. Henry, P.A. Soranno, C.T. Filstrup, T. Wagner. Under review. Creating multi-themed ecological regions for macrosystems ecology: Testing a flexible, repeatable, and accessible clustering method. Submitted to Ecology and Evolution July 2016. This dataset includes lake total phosphorus (TP) and Secchi data from summer, epilimnetic water samples, as well as 52 geographic variables at the HU-12 scale; it is a subset of the larger LAGOS-NE database (Lake multi-scaled geospatial and temporal database, described in Soranno et al. 2015). LAGOS-NE compiles multiple, individual lake water chemistry datasets into an integrated database. We accessed LAGOSLIMNO version 1.054.1 for lake water chemistry data and LAGOSGEO version 1.03 for geographic data. In the LAGOSLIMNO database, lake water chemistry data were collected from individual state agency sampling and volunteer programs designed to monitor lake water quality. Water chemistry analyses follow standard lab methods. In the LAGOSGEO database geographic data were collected from national scale geographic information systems (GIS) data layers. The dataset is a subset of the following integrated databases: LAGOSLIMNO v.1.054.1 and LAGOSGEO v.1.03. For full documentation of these databases, please see the publication below: Soranno, P.A., E.G. Bissell, K.S. Cheruvelil, S.T. Christel, S.M. Collins, C.E. Fergus, C.T. Filstrup, J.F. Lapierre, N.R. Lottig, S.K. Oliver, C.E. Scott, N.J. Smith, S. Stopyak, S. Yuan, M.T. Bremigan, J.A. Downing, C. Gries, E.N. Henry, N.K. Skaff, E.H. Stanley, C.A. Stow, P.-N. Tan, T. Wagner, K.E. Webster. 2015. Building a multi-scaled geospatial temporal ecology database from disparate data sources: Fostering open science and data reuse. GigaScience 4:28 doi:10.1186/s13742-015-0067-4 .

openCC (other)Mar 2022View details →

Fish captures in lakes of the Arctic LTER region Toolik Field Station Alaska from 1986 to 2021.

This file contains the fish number, recap number, species, lengths, weights, sex and a list of tissues sampled of fish captured in lakes near the Toolik Lake Arctic LTER site during summers from 1986 to 2021. The file also contains information from gill-netted fish (if any), sacrificed fish, and accidentally killed fish. All dead fish are included, and if their stomachs and otoliths were taken, that is noted also.

openCC0May 2023View details →

Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) derived from 2019 National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) data for the central Arizona region

This project calculates two vegetation indices—Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI) from the National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) remotely sensed imagery. The intent is to make remotely sensed variables and visualizations accessible to stakeholders and researchers studying the Phoenix metropolitan area. NDVI and SAVI are calculated from the 2019 NAIP imagery (1m resolution). This dataset extends the 2010, 2013, 2015, and 2017 NDVI and SAVI products derived from NAIP imagery (also 1m resolution). All images are cropped to the CAP study area boundary.

openCC0May 2023View details →

Soil-Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI) derived from 2019 National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) data for the central Arizona region

Upper Midwest Great Lakes Region Citizen Secchi Data 1938 - 2012

Upper MidwestorGreat Lakes Region Citiizen Secchi Data includes 239,741 citizen Secchi monitoring records (1938 – 2012) from Illinois Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program, Indiana Clean Lakes Program, Iowa Secchi Dip-In Project, Michigan Clean Water Corps, Lakes of Missouri Volunteer Program, Minnesota Citizen Lake Monitoring Program, Ohio Citizen Lake Awareness Program, and Wisconsin Citizen Lake Monitoring Records. Data were obtained from above monitoring groups and merged with the high resolution National Hydrography Dataset (www.nhd.usgs.gov) based on citizen proved latitudeorlongitude coordinates to verify the location of individual lakes and size of lake (hectare). Code used to estimate annual average Secchi depth (m) provided in metadata. These citizen-collected, publically available Secchi depth measurements were collected to answer two questions: (1) what are the long-term trends in lake water quality across a broad geographic region?; (2) how do trends differ as a function of spatial location, size of lake monitored, and when Secchi records were collected. Data collection and analysis were funded by the National Science Foundation (MSB- 1065786, EF-1065818, EF-1065649), NTL-LTER (DEB-0822700), STRIVE grant 2011-W-FS-7 from the Environmental Protection Agency. GLERL contribution number (1703).

LAGOS - Predicted and observed maximum depth values for lakes in a 17-state region of the U.S.

This dataset includes predicted and observed values of maximum depth for lakes in the upper Midwest and northeast United States. All observed values came from LAGOS ver 1.040.0 (LAke multi-scaled GeOSpatial and temporal database), an integrated database of lake ecosystems (Soranno et al. 2015). LAGOS contains a complete census of lakes great than or equal to 4 ha with corresponding geospatial information for a 17-state region of the U.S., and a subset of the lakes has observational data on morphometry and chemistry. Approximately 40 different sources of data were compiled for this dataset and were mostly generated by government agencies (state, federal, tribal) and universities. Here, observed maximum depth values (n = 8164) were used to train and validate a predictive mixed effects model for lake depth using terrestrial and lake morphology as predictors (Oliver et al., submitted). Predicted values (n = 50 607) generated by the model had a root mean squared error of 7.1 m. This research was supported by the NSF Macrosystem Biology awards 1065786, 1065818, and 1065649.

LAGOS - Lake nitrogen, phosphorus, stoichiometry, and geospatial data for a 17-state region of the U.S.

This dataset includes information about total nitrogen (TN) concentrations, total phosphorus (TP) concentrations, TN:TP stoichiometry, and 12 driver variables that might predict nutrient concentrations and ratios. All observed values came from LAGOSLIMNO v. 1.054.1 and LAGOSGEO v. 1.03 (LAke multi-scaled GeOSpatial and temporal database), an integrated database of lake ecosystems (Soranno et al. 2015). LAGOS contains a complete census of lakes greater than or equal to 4 ha with corresponding geospatial information for a 17-state region of the U.S., and a subset of the lakes has observational data on morphometry and chemistry. Approximately 54 different sources of data were compiled for this dataset and were mostly generated by government agencies (state, federal, tribal) and universities. Here, we compiled chemistry data from lakes with concurrent observations of TN and TP from the summer stratified season (June 15-September 15) in the most recent 10 years of data included in LAGOSLIMNO v. 1.054.1 (2002-2011). We report the median TN, TP and molar TN:TP values for each lake, which was calculated as the grand median of each yearly median value. We also include data for lake and landscape characteristics that might be important controls on lake nutrients, including: land use (agricultural, pasture, row crop, urban, forest), nitrogen deposition, temperature, precipitation, hydrology (baseflow), maximum depth, and the ratio of lake area to watershed area, which is used to approximate residence time. These data were used to identify drivers of lake nutrient stoichiometry at sub-continental and regional scales (Collins et al, submitted). This research was supported by the NSF Macrosystems Biology program (awards EF-1065786 and EF-1065818) and by the NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology (DBI-1401954).

LAGOS-NE v.1.054.1 - Lake water quality time series and geophysical data from a 17-state region of the United States

Time series of mean summer total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), stoichiometry (TN:TP) and chlorophyll values from 2913 unique lakes in the Midwest and Northeast United States. Epilimnetic nutrient and chlorophyll observations were derived from the Lake Multi-Scaled Geospatial and Temporal Database LAGOS-NELIMNO version 1.054.1, and come from 54 disparate data sources. These data were used to assess long-term monotonic changes in water quality from 1990-2013, and the potential drivers of those trends (Oliver et al., submitted). Summer was used to approximate the stratified period, which was defined as June 15 to September 15. The median number of observations per summer for a given lake was 2, but ranged from 1 to 83. The rules for inclusion in the database were that, for a given water quality parameter, a lake must have an observation in each period of 1990-2000 and 2001-2011. Additionally, observations must span at least 5 years. Each unique lake with nutrient or chlorophyll data also has supporting geophysical data, including climate, atmospheric deposition, land use, hydrology, and topography derived at the lake watershed (variable prefix “iws”) and HUC 4 (variable prefix “hu4”) scale. Lake-specific characteristics, such as depth and area, are also reported. The geospatial data came from LAGOS-NEGEO version 1.03. For more specific information on how LAGOS-NE was created, see Soranno et al. 2015. Soranno P.A., Bissell E.G., Cheruvelil K.S., Christel S.T., Collins S.M., Fergus C.E., Filstrup C.T., Lapierre J.-F., Lottig N.R., Oliver S.K., Scott C.E., Smith N.J., Stopyak S., Yuan S., Bremigan M.T., Downing J.A., Gries C., Henry E.N., Skaff N.K., Stanley E.H., Stow C.A., Tan P.-N., Wagner T., and Webster K.E. 2015. Building a multi-scaled geospatial temporal ecology database from disparate data sources: fostering open science and data reuse. Gigascience 4: 28. doi: 10.1186/s13742-015-0067-4.

North Temperate Lakes LTER Regional Survey Macrophytes Plant Index 2015 - current

The Northern Highlands Lake District (NHLD) is one of the few regions in the world with periodic comprehensive water chemistry data from hundreds of lakes spanning almost a century. Birge and Juday directed the first comprehensive assessment of water chemistry in the NHLD, sampling more than 600 lakes in the 1920s and 30s. These surveys have been repeated by various agencies and we now have data from the 1920s (UW), 1960s (WDNR), 1970s (EPA), 1980s (EPA), 1990s (EPA), and 2000s (NTL). The 28 lakes sampled as part of the Regional Lake Survey have been sampled by at least four of these regional surveys including the 1920s Birge and Juday sampling efforts. These 28 lakes were selected to represent a gradient of landscape position and shoreline development, both of which are important factors influencing social and ecological dynamics of lakes in the NHLD. This long-term regional dataset will lead to a greater understanding of whether and how large-scale drivers such as climate change and variability, lakeshore residential development, introductions of invasive species, or forest management have altered regional water chemistry. The purpose of the macrophyte survey is to identify, and quantify the types of aquatic plants within the various 28 regional survey lakes. The macrophyte survey consists of sampling macrophyte plants using a metal rake attached to a 15ft pole at approximately 140 spatially resolved points on a lake that are spread out in a grid like fashion, equally spaced from each other. Sampling locations were chosen such that the maximum depth at which macrophytes were surveyed was equal to or less than 15ft of water. Macrophyte sampling occurs in the latter part of the summer (after July 10) to ensure that macrophytes have had adequate time to grow and our sampling efforts capture the typical summer macrophyte community in each lake. Macrophyte sampling in these 28 lakes is ongoing and will be repeated approximately once every six years.

North Temperate Lakes LTER Regional Survey Water Color Scans 2015 - current

The Northern Highlands Lake District (NHLD) is one of the few regions in the world with periodic comprehensive water chemistry data from hundreds of lakes spanning almost a century. Birge and Juday directed the first comprehensive assessment of water chemistry in the NHLD, sampling more than 600 lakes in the 1920s and 30s. These surveys have been repeated by various agencies and we now have data from the 1920s (UW), 1960s (WDNR), 1970s (EPA), 1980s (EPA), 1990s (EPA), and 2000s (NTL). The 28 lakes sampled as part of the Regional Lake Survey have been sampled by at least four of these regional surveys including the 1920s Birge and Juday sampling efforts. These 28 lakes were selected to represent a gradient of landscape position and shoreline development, both of which are important factors influencing social and ecological dynamics of lakes in the NHLD. This long-term regional dataset will lead to a greater understanding of whether and how large-scale drivers such as climate change and variability, lakeshore residential development, introductions of invasive species, or forest management have altered regional water chemistry. Color is measured in water samples that are filtered in the field through 0.45 um nucleopore membrane filters. A spectrophotometer is used to quantify color in the lab as absorbance (unitless) at 1 nm intervals between the wavelengths of 200 and 800 nm. Absorbance data are considered suspect for values greater than 2.