Source: UNIVERSITY OF MAINE submitted to
FOREST SOILS OF MAINE--RESPONSES TO ENVIRONMENTAL ALTERATIONS
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
TERMINATED
Funding Source
MCINTIRE-STENNIS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
0218263
Grant No.
(N/A)
Project No.
ME09803-10
Proposal No.
(N/A)
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Program Code
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Oct 1, 2009
Project End Date
Sep 30, 2014
Grant Year
(N/A)
Project Director
Fernandez, I.
Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF MAINE
(N/A)
ORONO,ME 04469
Performing Department
School of Forest Resources
Non Technical Summary
This project studies the way nutrients, carbon, water and energy flows through forested ecosystems in order to understand the underlying mechanisms that control the form and function of these ecosystems. This understanding is essential for us to be able to determine the effects of environmental perturbations at the global (e.g., climate change), continental (e.g., acid deposition, regional (e.g., biomass harvesting), and local (e.g., biosolids land spreading) scales. The ecosystem process research helps us to design better environmental monitoring systems, as well as better predictive models to all us to determine the future effects of the present and emerging environemntal stressors of today.
Animal Health Component
0%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
1010110107025%
1020120200025%
1120199203025%
1230320206125%
Knowledge Area
112 - Watershed Protection and Management; 123 - Management and Sustainability of Forest Resources; 102 - Soil, Plant, Water, Nutrient Relationships; 101 - Appraisal of Soil Resources;

Subject Of Investigation
0120 - Land; 0199 - Soil and land, general; 0320 - Watersheds; 0110 - Soil;

Field Of Science
1070 - Ecology; 2030 - Geology; 2000 - Chemistry; 2061 - Pedology;
Goals / Objectives
The overarching goals of the project are to study biogeochemical cycling in forested ecosystems, with emphasis on soil processes. The specific objectives of the project are to (1) quantify and characterize carbon, nutrient, metal, and hydrologic cycling dynamics in forest ecosystems of Maine, and (2) evaluate the influence of perturbations to the ecosystem due to climate change, intensification of forest biomass removals, atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and sulfur, and residuals utilization. Short-term Outcomes Measures: Percentage of Maine managers and policy-makers who understand the complex interactions among a changing climate and forest ecosystem condition. 2010 Target: 20 2011 Target: 30 2012 Target: 30 2013 Target: 40 2014 Target: 50 Percentage of forest managers who know what range of removal intensities in forests are allowable to assure sustainability. 2010 Target: 20 2011 Target: 30 2012 Target: 30 2013 Target: 40 2014 Target: 40 Medium-term Outcomes Measures: Percentage of Maine managers and policy-makers who are incorporating the expected 21st century chemical and physical climate conditions in their decision-making. 2010 Target: 20 2011 Target: 30 2012 Target: 40 2013 Target: 60 2014 Target: 80 Percentage of forest managers who modify their silvicultural prescriptions based on soil properties and site conditions to assure sustainability. 2010 Target: 20 2011 Target: 30 2012 Target: 30 2013 Target: 40 2014 Target: 40 Long-term Outcomes Measures: Percentage increase in the profitability of Maine's forest sector of the economy. 2010 Target: 0 2011 Target: 0 2012 Target: 5 2013 Target: 5 2014 Target: 10 Outcomes evaluation will be carried out in this project in ways that have served this project well over the past 25 years. These include the publication of scientific papers, presentations at regional and national meetings, and engagement with stakeholders and policy-makers. The PI has been, and will continue to be, directly involved with managers and policy-makers at the state and national level on issues of air pollution, forest sustainability, and climate change. Further efforts will be made to engage stakeholders through the Cooperative Forestry Research Unit. The knowledge base from this project has contributed directly to the development of state policy on residuals and long-range transported air pollution. Current activities include the direct involvement of the PI in a state-level climate change assessment, and the utilization of knowledge gained through this work as part of that process.
Project Methods
The focus of this research will be intensive studies of biogeochemical processes at the plot and small watershed level in forested watersheds of Maine and elsewhere. Specific emphasis is on long-term whole-watershed research at the Bear Brook Watershed in Maine that is the site of over 20 years of study. Extramural grants from federal agencies and the National Science Foundation are expected to provide significant support to meet the objectives of this research. Most of the research involves graduate and undergraduate students, with presentations a public meetings, professional conferences, and other venues offering opportunities to share findings with the public and various stakeholder groups. In addition, peer reviewed publications, theses, and other forms of communication are the core deliverables of the project. The project PI has a significant involvement with state and federal policy-makers and managers on issues of climate change, renewable energy, forest management and the environment and findings from this project have been regularly incorporated into the knowledge base of these various stakeholder groups. We will monitor the evolution of new knowledge from the experiment and student thesis to publications and policy by our direct involvement in most phases of that process.

Progress 10/01/09 to 09/30/14

Outputs
Target Audience: Target audiences for this research included the scientific community, plus community stakeholders to include federal and state agency personnel, private industry, and the public. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? The project has included or provided experiences for three undergraduate students, three graduate students, and one postdoctoral fellow. The PI works closely with these young professionals in mentoring their studies, work, and professional development. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Yes, presentations to scientific forums in the US and Europe have disseminated the findings, and reference to these studies in community talks and discussions expose the public to our science. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Work continues on the long-term, whole watershed studies at the Bear Brook Watershed in Maine characterizing the long-term response to ambient and experimental treatments on these watersheds. This past year was focused on sampling and analyses for a whole watershed 15N stable isotope pulse chase experiment, along with ongoing monitoring. Student projects focuses on the interactions between phosphorus and nitrogen which culminated in an MS thesis.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Ohno, Tsutomu, Thomas B. Parr, Marie-C�cile Gruselle, Ivan J. Fernandez, Tachel L. Sleighter, and Patrick G. Hatcher. 2014. Molecular composition and biodegradability of soil organic matter: A case study comparing two New England forest types. Environ. Sci. Tech. 2014: 7229-7236.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Mineau M. M., F. R. Fatemi, I. J. Fernandez and K. S. Simon. 2014. Microbial enzyme activity at the watershed scale: Response to chronic nitrogen deposition and acute phosphorous enrichment. Biogeochemistry 117:131-142.


Progress 10/01/12 to 09/30/13

Outputs
Target Audience: Target audiences include scientists, K-12 science teachers and students, policy-makers, natural resource managers, and the public, Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? This project directly involved 12 undergraduate student researchers, five graduate students, one postdoctoral fellow, four technicians and at least six senior scientists including the project PI. In addition, 6 high school science teachers and 200 K-12 students were involved in the 2012-2013 school year, and a similar number are involved in a new project on snowmelt and watersheds in 2013-2014. All of these people were involved in the research, many were involved in developing class projects or presenting papers at scientific meetings, and many are developing papers for publication in peer reviewed scientific journals. In addition, numerous collaborators from other institutions have been involved with the project as our watershed work is incorporated into regional science efforts. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Results and the implications of these results have been disseminated through informal meetings and discussions, public talks, scientific conference presentations, scientific publications, curricula, workshops with teachers, and in the classrooms of the faculty researchers involved in the project. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? There is not new initiative emerging in the next year, but the next phase of the current body of active research largely focused on watershed biogeochemical response to environmental change.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Over the past year the science of watershed biogeochemistry has progressed with the involvement of a wide group of participants. The science has been distributed to local, national and international community through presentations at meetings and through scientific publications. The development of curricula materials resulted in teachers and K-12 science students in three states becoming aware of the influence of management, air pollutants, and climate change on the health of our forested landscape. Some of the science in this project supports outreach efforts by the lead PI that includes the development of climate adaptation initiatives in Maine, testimony to the Maine Legislature in the spring of 2013, and involvement in regional science synthesis efforts.

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Gruselle, Marie-Cecile, Cayce Salvino, Ivan J. Fernandez, Kevin Simon and Corianne Tartariw. 2013. Does Chronic N Fertilization Increase P Limitation in Northeastern U.S. Forest Soils? (Paper 383-4). Presented at the ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Meetings. Tampa, Florida. November 3-6. ASA, CSSA, SSSA, Madison, WI.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Fatemi, Farrah, Michael D. SanClements, and Ivan J. Fernandez. 2013. Microbial Carbon Cycling Along a Drainage Sequence in a New England Forested Watershed. (Paper 252-2). Presented at the ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Meetings. Tampa, Florida. November 3-6. ASA, CSSA, SSSA, Madison, WI.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Morse, Jennifer L., Jorge Duran, Fred Beall, Irena Creed, Eric Enanga, Ivan Fernandez, and Peter M. Groffman. 2013. Soil denitrification fluxes and oxygen dynamics in three contrasting northeastern North American forests. Ecological Society of America. Minneapolis, Minnesota 8/4-8/9.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: SanClements, Michael, Ivan Fernandez, Mary Beth Adams, and Jenny Erwin. 2013. Linking Stream DOM Quality and Source to Watershed Acidification and Recovery in Temperate Forests of the Northeastern United States. 12th North American Forest Soils Conference, Whitefish, Montana. p. 112.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Gruselle, Marie-Cecile, Ivan Fernandez, and Corianne Tatariw. 2013. Manganese Dynamics in the Third Decade of Forest Ecosyswtem Experimental Acidification and Nitrogen Enrichment. 12th North American Forest Soils Conference, Whitefish, Montana. p. 35
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: MacRae, J.D., C. Tatariw, D. Rothenheber, S. Nelson, I.J. Fernandez. The effects of nitrogen enrichment on forest soil microbial communities and their activities, 2013 AEESP 50th Anniversary Conference, July 14-16, Golden, CO.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Boca, Antra, Mercedes Roman Dobarco, Helga Van Miegroet, Marie-Cecile Gruselle, Beate Michalzik, and Ivan Fernandez. 2013. Linding Overstory, Soil and Climate Characteristics to Explain C Storage in Forest Soils. 12th North American Forest Soils Conference, Whitefish, Montana. p. 29.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Minocha, Rakesh, Swathi A. Turlapati, Stephanie Long, Mohammad M. Bataineh, Aaron Weiskittel, Ivan Fernandez, and Lindsey Rustad. 2013. Chronic N and S additions impact foliar physiology of forest trees at the Bear Brook Watershed in Maine, USA. Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest Annual Meeting, Thornton, NH.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Ohno, Tsutomu, Ivan J. Fernandez, Rachel L. Sleighter, and Patrick G. Hatcher. Influence of depth on soil organic matter characteristics: An ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry study.Advanced Analytical Characterization of Natural Organic Matter, Goldscmidt 2013, Florence, Italy, August 25-30, 2013.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Puhlick, J.J., A.R. Weiskittel, I.J. Fernandez, R.S. Seymour, S. Fraver, and L. S. Kenefic. 2013. How silvicultural treatments and site quality affect carbon storage on the Penobscot Experimental Forest. North American Forest Ecology Workshop (oral presentation), Bloomington, IN, June 16-20, 2013.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Puhlick, J.J., A.R. Weiskittel, L. S. Kenefic, I.J. Fernandez, S. Fraver, L.E. Rustad, R.K. Kolka, and J.C. Brissette. 2012. How silvicultural treatments affect carbon storage on the Penobscot Experimental Forest: A 60-year perspective. Eastern CANUSA Forest Science Conference (oral presentation), Durham, NH, November 1-3, 2012.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Raymond, Jay E., Ivan J. Fernandez, Tsutomu Ohno, and Kevin Simon. 2013. Soil drainage class influences on soil carbon in a New England Forested Watershed. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 77:307317.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Lawrence, Gregory B., Ivan J. Fernandez, Daniel D. Richter, Donald S. Ross, Paul W. Hazlett, Scott W. Bailey, Rock Ouimet, Richard A. F. Warby, Arthur H. Johnson, Henry Lin, James M. Kaste, Andrew G. Lapenis, and Timothy J. Sullivan. 2013. Measuring environmental change in forest ecosystems by repeated soil sampling: A North American Perspective. J. Environ. Qual.42:623-639.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Mineau M. M., F. R. Fatemi, I. J. Fernandez and K. S. Simon. 2013. Microbial enzyme activity at the watershed scale: Response to chronic nitrogen deposition and acute phosphorous enrichment. Biogeochemistry DOI 10.1007/s10533-013-9869-6.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Fatemi, Farrah R., Ivan J. Fernandez, Stephen A. Norton and Lindsey E. Rustad. 2013. Soil solution response to two decades of experimental acidification at the Bear Brook Watershed in Maine. Water Air Soil Pollut. 223:61716186.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Mineau, Madeleine M., Chad M. Grigsby, Damon T. Ely, Ivan J. Fernandez, Stephen A. Norton, Tsutomu Ohno, H. Maurice Valett, and Kevin S. Simon. 2013. Chronic catchment nitrogen enrichment and stoichiometric constraints on the bioavailability of dissolved organic matter from leaf leachate. Freshwater Biology 58:248-260.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2011 Citation: Stone, Madeleine M., Marissa S. Weiss, Christine L. Goodale, Mary Beth Adams, Ivan J. Fernandez, Donovan P. German, and Steven D. Allison. 2011. Temperature sensitivity of soil enzyme kinetics under N-fertilization in two temperate forests. Global Change Biology 18:1173-1184.
  • Type: Book Chapters Status: Awaiting Publication Year Published: 2013 Citation: Norton, S. A., Kop�?ek, J., and Fernandez, I. J., 2013, in press, Acidification and Acid Rain: in Holland, H. D. and Turekian K. K. (eds.), Treatise on Geochemistry, 9, 2nd Edition, Chapter, Pergamon Press.
  • Type: Book Chapters Status: Published Year Published: 2012 Citation: Amirbahman, Aria and Ivan J. Fernandez. 2012. Mercury in Soils. In: Mercury in the Environment: Pattern and Process. Michael S. Bank (ed.). University of California Press, Berkeley, CA. pp. 99-118.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2012 Citation: Fernandez, Ivan J., Stephen A. Norton, and Tiffany Wilson (eds.). 2012. BIOGEOMON 2012, The 7th International Symposium on Ecosystem Behavior. Northport, Maine. ISBN 978-0-87723-108-0. 261 pp.


Progress 10/01/11 to 09/30/12

Outputs
OUTPUTS: During the past year the project continues to focus on issues of forest ecosystem sustainability and biogeochemical cycling, emphasizing responses to a changing chemical and physical climate. Much of the research has been at the long-term Bear Brook Watershed in Maine, which reached its 25th year of research in 2012. This internationally recognized program was highlighted during an international conference that the project PI co-hosted, BIOGEOMON 2012, involving over 200 scientists from 20 countries. The project was the key field excursion during the conference week as well. This year the project involved eight graduate students (four directly supported through this project), two postdoctoral research fellows, fourteen undergraduate student employees, and hosted collaborations with scientists from numerous institutions. The PI for the project and his collaborators and students have been involved in a number of efforts to provide information to various constituencies, from scientific conferences to public speaking to professional continuing education training as noted below in the following list of entries: Fernandez, I.J., S.A. Norton, S.J. Nelson, and C. Salvino. 2012. Evidence of transient alteration of N dynamics from an ice storm at the Bear Brook Watershed in Maine, USA. p. 93.; Raymond, J., I.J. Fernandez, T. Ohno, and K.S. Simon. 2012. Evidence of transient alteration of N dynamics from an ice storm at the Bear Brook Watershed in Maine, USA. p. 94.; Mineau, M.M., K.S. Simon, I.J. Fernandez, S.A. Norton, and H.M. Valett. The effect of chronic watershed nitrogen deposition and acidification on the interaction among phosphorus, carbon, and nitrogen uptake in streams. p. 167.; Nortron, S.A., I.J. Fernandez, T. Navratil, K.S. Simon, and S. Jain. 2012. The Bear Brook Watershed in Maine (BBWM) at 25: manipulation, monitoring, mechanisms, and modeling. p. 177.; Rancatti, R., K. Simon, M. Mineau, D. Anderson, I.J. Fernandez, S.A. Norton, and M.B. Adams. 2012. Effects of watershed acidification on abiotic and biotic phosphorus uptake in streams draining two whole-watershed experimental forests. p. 204.; SanClements, M.D., G.P. Oelsner, D.M. McKnight, I.J. Fernandez, S.J. Nelson, M.B. Adams, M. Mineau, and K. Simon. 2012. The effects of acidification and recovery on DOM quality and source in temperate forested watersheds. p. 218.; All prior from BIOGEOMON 2012, The 7th International Symposium on Ecosystem Behavior. Northport, Maine. ISBN 978-0-87723-108-0. Nelson, S.J., I.J. Fernandez, S.A. Norton. BIOGEOMON 2012 Teachers' Workshop exhibit. 2012 Maine EPSCoR State Conference, "Building Partnerships for Sustainability Solutions". September 24, 2012, University of Maine, Orono. ME.; Invited Speaker: Nitrogen Effects on Maine Forests. Schoodic Education and Research Center. August 15, 2012.; Invited speaker, Maine Agricultural Trade Show, Climate Change in Maine and Adaptation Considerations. Augusta, Maine January 11, 2012; Raymond, Jay, Ivan Fernandez, Tsutomu Ohno, and Kevin Simon. 2011. PARTICIPANTS: This project has included postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, undergraduate students and technicians in soils and ecology. Students typically are majors in the undergraduate and graduate program in Ecology and Environmental Science at the University of Maine. Partner organizations that work with us on the project include the following: U.S. Geological Survey USDA Forest Service Czech Geological Survey (Czech Republic) University of Strasbourg (France) American Forest Management LLC Nacional de Ciencias Forestales Honduras (Honduras) University of New Hampshire. TARGET AUDIENCES: Beyond the scientific community served by this project, efforts are made to communicate the science and utilize the research program to connect with various constituencies. This ranges from single speaking events (e.g., Invited Speaker: Nitrogen Effects on Maine Forests. Schoodic Education and Research Center. August 15, 2012.) to programs supported through complementary extramural funding to develop curriculum programs for K-12 public schools dealing with the biogeochemistry of watersheds. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
The project focuses on a long-term whole forested watershed study and therefore provides insights unique to understanding the long-term response of forests and streams to a changing chemical and physical climate. In the past year the long-term record of measurements has continued, and with it comes our improved understanding of the mechanisms driving environmental change. Over the past year studies have shown that base cation depletion continues on both watersheds due to the treatment (on the treated watershed) as well as due to continuing declines in atmospheric deposition of sulfur and nitrogen as a result of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments. This past year has seen findings on the use of soil extracellular enzymes in determine nutrient limitations, particularly for phosphorus. We have completed a series of studies on in-stream nutrient stoichiometry, particularly for carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus interactions. Results show clear and important contributions from in-stream processes for whole watershed nutrient export, and particularly for the importance of phosphorus in nitrogen dynamics. We have also begun a major nitrogen study at the watersheds focusing on nitrogen dynamics after 23 years of whole watershed nitrogen enrichment. This includes the use of stable isotopes of nitrogen with this past year focusing on insights from delta15N natural abundances.

Publications

  • Kerr, J.G., M. C. Eimers, I. F. Creed, M. B. Adams, F. Beall, D. Burns, J. L. Campbell, S. F. Christopher, T. A. Clair, F. Courchesne, L. Duchesne. I. Fernandez, D. Houle, D. S. Jeffries, G. E. Likens, M. J. Mitchell, J. Shanley, H. Yao. 2011. The effects of seasonal drying on sulphate dynamics in streams across southeastern Canada and the northeastern USA. Biogeochemistry DOI 10.1007/s10533-011-9664-1.


Progress 10/01/10 to 09/30/11

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Over the past year the project has focused on research at the Bear Brook Watershed in Maine, and these activities have broadly been applied to concerns for climate change and forest sustainability. The project has encompassed postdoctoral researchers, at least seven graduate students, and seven undergraduate students in the research. The PI for the project and his collaborators and students have been involved in a number of efforts to provide information to various constituencies, from scientific conferences to public speaking to professional continuing education training as noted below in the following list of entries: Raymond, Jay, Ivan Fernandez, Tsutomu Ohno, and Kevin Simon. 2011. Soil drainage and forest type influences on soil organic carbon fractions in a New England forested watershed. (Paper 142-15). Presented at the ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Meetings. San Antonio, Texas. October 16-20. ASA, CSSA, SSSA, Madison, WI.; Raymond, Jay, Ivan Fernandez, Tsutomu Ohno, and Kevin Simon. 2011. Drainage class influences on soil respiration in a New England forested watershed. Gordon Conference on Catchment Science: Interactions of Hydrology, Biology and Chemistry. Bates College, Lewiston, Maine. July 10-15.; Redding, EJ, IJ Fernandez, ME Day, GB Wiersma. 2011. Phenology at the Bear Brook Watershed in Maine: foliar chemistry and morphology. Gordon Conference on Catchment Science: Interactions of Hydrology, Biology and Chemistry. Bates College, Lewiston, Maine. July 10-15. Schneider, S.B., I.J. Fernandez, S.A. Norton, K.S. Simon. 2011. Soil base cation response to two decades of change at the Bear Brook Watershed in Maine. Gordon Conference on Catchment Science: Interactions of Hydrology, Biology and Chemistry. Bates College, Lewiston, Maine. July 10-15.; Mineau, M. M., K. S. Simon, D. T. Ely; R. L. Rancatti, I. J. Fernandez, S. A. Norton, and H. M. Valett. 2011. Effects of chronic nitrogen enrichment and acidification on coupled nitrogen and phosphorus cycling in streams: Insights from multiple spiraling techniques. Annual meeting, North American Benthological Society, Providence, RI.; Fernandez, Ivan J. Invited presentation on "Biomass Harvesting and Forest Soils", New England Regional Council on Forest Engineering Meeting, Orono, Maine. March 8, 2011. PARTICIPANTS: This project has included postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, undergraduate students and technicians in soils and ecology. Students typically are majors in the undergraduate and graduate program in Ecology and Environmental Science at the University of Maine. Partner organizations that work with us on the project include the following: U.S. Geological Survey USDA Forest Service Czech Geological Survey (Czech Republic)University of Strasbourg (France) American Forest Management LLC Nacional de Ciencias Forestales Honduras (Honduras) University of New Hampshire. TARGET AUDIENCES: Not relevant to this project. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.

Impacts
The project focuses on a long-term whole forested watershed study and therefore provides insights unique to understanding the long-term response of forests and streams to a changing chemical and physical climate. In the past year the long-term record of measurements has continued, and with it comes our improved understanding of the mechanisms driving environmental change. Over the past year studies have shown that base cation depletion continues on both watersheds due to the treatment (on the treated watershed) as well as due to continuing declines in atmospheric deposition of sulfur and nitrogen as a result of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments. This past year marked the development of a long-term soil solution chemical data series that reinforces our understanding of the linkages between the upland soils and the streams in these watersheds. We have made significant progress in defining the degree of phosphorus limitation on nitrogen cycling in these watersheds in both soils and streams, and have defined some of the characteristics of carbon sequestration and cycling across a range of landscape drainage conditions. Our most recent findings suggest that common assumptions about the role of soil drainage in soil carbon accumulation are not always valid, and that other factors can strongly influence traditional concepts of this relationship. We also completed a study on chemical and morphological phenology demonstrating some initial strengths and weaknesses of this tool in climate change research.

Publications

  • Stone, Madeleine M., Marissa S. Weiss, Christine L. Goodale, Mary Beth Adams, Ivan J. Fernandez, Donovan P. German, and Steven D. Allison. 2011. Temperature sensitivity of soil enzyme kinetics under N-fertilization in two temperate forests. Global Change Biology (in press).
  • Norton, Stephen A., Randall H. Perry, Jasmine Saros, George J. Jacobson, Ivan J. Fernandez, Jiri Kopacek, Michael D. SanClements, and Tiffany A. Wilson. 2011. The controls on phosphorus availability in a boreal lake ecosystem since deglaciation. J. Paleolimnol. 46:107-122.


Progress 10/01/09 to 09/30/10

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Over the past year the project has focused on research at the Bear Brook Watershed in Maine, and these activities have broadly been applied to concerns for climate change and forest sustainability. The project has encompassed postdoctoral researchers, at least five graduate students, and seven undergraduate students in the research. The PI for the project and his collaborators and students have been involved in a number of efforts to provide information to various constituencies, from scientific conferences to public speaking to professional continuing education training as noted below in the list of entries. Invited Speaker, Climate Change: Effects on Habitat, Fish, Wildlife, and Sportsmen Panel. The 72nd Annual Eastern Maine Sportsmen's Show. Orono, Maine. March 13, 2010. Invited Speaker, "An Ecological Observatory in a Climate of Change: Bear Brook at 20 Years". Annual meeting of the Maine Association of Wetland Scientists, Hallowell, Maine 3/26/2010 Participant in Climate Change and Public Health - Understanding the Role for Public Health Care Practitioners. Hallowell, ME 4/7/2010. Invited Speaker - "Impact of Biomass Harvesting on Forest Soils" at the Forester's Institutes: Somerset County Soil and Water Conservation District "Woody Biomass Retention Guidelines", June 2, 2010. Skowhegan, Maine. Biomass Retention Guidelines; Considerations and Recommendations for Retaining Woody Biomass on Timber Harvest Sites in Maine. August 17, 2010. Augusta, Maine. School of Forestry invited noontime seminar, 9/24/2010 Cooperative Forestry Research Unit (CFRU) Fall Field Tour, entitled "Maine's Bioenergy Marketplace: What You Need To Know". 10/7/2010. Fernandez, Ivan J. 2010. The Sergei A. Wilde Distinguished Lectureship on Forest Soils - "Forest soils through time: Change you can believe in!". (Paper 329). Invited presentation at the ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Meetings. Long Beach, CA. October 31- November 4. ASA, CSSA, SSSA, Madison, WI. Fatemi, Farrah, Ivan Fernandez, Kevin S. Simon, David Dail, Lindsey Rustad and Stephen A. Norton. 2010. The effects of long-term forest N enrichment and acidification on soil CNP dynamics. (Paper 239-4). Presented at the ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Meetings. Long Beach, CA. October 31- November 4. ASA, CSSA, SSSA, Madison, WI. Simon, K S ; Anderson, D S; Fernandez, I J; Norton, S A; Valett, H M; Ely, D T; Chronic watershed nitrogen enrichment enhances phosphorus limitation of stream microbes and changes the stoichiometry of microbial ecoenzymes. Joint meeting of the American Society for Limnology and Oceanography and the North American Benthological Society. Santa Fe, New Mexico, June 2010. PARTICIPANTS: This project has included postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, undergraduate students and technicians in soils and ecology. Students typically are majors in the undergraduate and graduate program in Ecology and Environmental Science at the University of Maine. Partner organizations that work with us on the project include the following: U.S. Geological Survey USDA Forest Service Czech Geological Survey (Czech Republic) University of Strasbourg (France) American Forest Management LLC Nacional de Ciencias Forestales Honduras (Honduras) University of New Hampshire TARGET AUDIENCES: Target audiences for this research are state and federal environmental policy makers (e.g., US Environmental Protection Agency, Maine Department of Environmental Protection), forest and natural resource managers, and the public. This is one of the longest running, whole watershed acid deposition studies in the world, providing unique data for federal and state air quality policy. In addition, the long-term studies at the Bear Brook watershed provide information on climatic effects on ecosystem function, of direct interest to climate change and carbon efforts relative to mitigation and adaptation. The intensive nature of the research at the study site also allows us to provide unique data to understand nutrient cycling in forests that is increasingly important for those involved with bioenergy opportunities in Maine and the region. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.

Impacts
The project focuses on a long-term whole forested watershed study and therefore provides insights unique to understanding the long-term response of forests and streams to a changing chemical and physical climate. In the past year the long-term record of measurements has continued, and with it comes our improved understanding of the mechanisms driving environmental change. Over the past year studies have shown that base cation depletion continues on both watersheds due to the treatment (on the treated watershed) as well as due to continuing declines in atmospheric deposition of sulfur and nitrogen as a result of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments. This past year marked the recognition that a short term effect from the ice storm of 1998 is past, and that base cation declines have once again commenced. In addition, the research has defined new mechanisms of the effects of nitrogen enrichment on phosphorus dynamics in the watershed, the influence of the watershed treatments on tree foliage chemical phenology, and related work studying the effects of biomass harvesting on forest nutrition. These findings directly inform policy on air pollution and forest management.

Publications

  • SanClements, Michael D., Ivan J. Fernandez, and Stephen A. Norton. 2010. Controls on phosphorus fractions in acidic soils of humid temperate forests. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 74: 2175-2186.
  • Fernandez, Ivan J. and Stephen A. Norton. 2010. The Bear Brook Watershed in Maine - The Second Decade. Preface. Environ. Monitor. Assess. 171: 1-2.
  • Norton, Stephen A., Ivan J. Fernandez, J. Stephen Kahl, Lindsey E. Rustad, Tomas Navratil, and Heather Almquist. 2010. The evolution of the science of the Bear Brook Watershed in Maine, USA. Environ. Monitor. Assess. 171: 3-21.
  • Navratil, Tomas, Stephen A. Norton, Ivan J. Fernandez, and Sarah J. Nelson. 2010. Twenty-year inter-annual trends and seasonal variations in precipitation and stream water chemistry at the Bear Brook Watershed in Maine, USA. Environ. Monitor. Assess. 171: 23-45.
  • Amirbahman, Aria, Brett C. Holmes, Ivan J. Fernandez, Stephen A. Norton. 2010. Mobilization of metals and phosphorus from intact forest soil cores by dissolved inorganic carbon. Environ. Monitor. Assess. 171: 93-110.
  • SanClements, Michael D., Ivan J. Fernandez, and Stephen A. Norton. 2010. Soil chemical and physical properties at the Bear Brook Watershed in Maine, USA. Environ. Monitor. Assess. 171: 111-128.
  • Fernandez, Ivan J., Mary Beth Adams, Michael D. SanClements, and Stephen A. Norton. 2010. Comparing decadal responses of whole-watershed manipulations at the Bear Brook and Fernow experiments. Environ. Monitor. Assess. 171: 149-161.
  • Mitchell, Myron J., Gary Lovett, Scott Bailey, Fred Beall, Doug Burns, Don Buso, Thomas A. Clair, Francois Courchesne, Louis Duchesne, Cathy Eimers, Ivan Fernandez, Daniel Houle, Dean S. Jeffries, Gene E. Likens, Micheal D. Moran, Christopher Rogers, Donna Schwede, Jamie Shanley, Kathleen C. Weathers, and Robert Vet. 2010. Comparisons of watershed sulfur budgets in southeast Canada and northeast US: new approaches and implications. Biogeochemistry DOI 10.1007/s10533-010-9455-0.
  • Nelson, S.J., I.J. Fernandez, and J.S. Kahl. 2010. A review of mercury concentration and deposition in snow in eastern temperate North America. Hydrolog. Proc. 24:1971-1980.
  • Bethers, Suzanne, Michael E. Day, G. Bruce Wiersma, Ivan J. Fernandez and J. Alexander Elvir. 2009. Effects of chronically elevated nitrogen and sulfur deposition on sugar maple saplings: nutrition, growth and physiology. For. Ecol. Manag. 258:895-902.
  • SanClements, Michael D., Ivan J. Fernandez, and Stephen A. Norton. 2009. Mechanisms defining spatial patterns in P fractions in a forest lake watershed at Acadia National Park, Maine, USA. For. Ecol. Manag. 258:2318-2325.
  • Banaitis, Michael R., Ivan J. Fernandez, Cullen Wilson, Stephen A. Norton, and D. Bryan Dail. 2009. Biogeochemical response of a northern forest ecosystem to biosolids amendments. J. Environ. Qual. 38:792-803.
  • Dail, David Bryan, David Y. Hollinger, Eric A. Davidson, Ivan J. Fernandez, Herman C. Sievering, Neal A. Scott, and Elizabeth Gaige. 2009. Distribution of nitrogen-15 tracers applied to the canopy of a mature spruce-hemlock stand, Howland, Maine, USA. Oecologia 160:589-599.
  • Evans, Chris D., Christine L. Goodale, Simon J.M. Caporn, Nancy B. Dise, Bridget A. Emmett, Ivan J. Fernandez, Chris D. Field, Stuart E.G. Findlay, Gary M. Lovett, Henning Meesenburg, Filip Moldan, and Lucy J. Sheppard. 2009. Does elevated nitrogen deposition or ecosystem recovery from acidification drive increased dissolved organic carbon loss from upland soil A review of evidence from field nitrogen addition experiments. Biogeochem. 91:13-35.
  • Navratil, Tomas, Jan Rohovec, Aria Amirbahman, Stephen A. Norton, and Ivan J. Fernandez. 2009. Amorphous aluminum hydroxide control on sulfate and phosphate in sediment-solution systems. Water Air Soil Pollut 210:87-98.