Progress 10/01/16 to 09/30/17
Outputs
Target Audience: Hoh River Trust City of Seattle, Department of Parks and Recreation Washington State Department of Natural Resources Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Professional development opportunities for graduate student included working to develop research partnerships with city and state urban forest health professionals. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?City of Seattle, Green Seattle Partnership Blog (Sept. 21, 2017); http://www.greenseattle.org/pollution-moss-reveal-seattles-traffic-impacts/ What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
In the reporting period, the N2 fixation rates and metal concentrations in bryophytes across Acer macrophyllum stands in western Washington was accomplished. An extensive, ground-based sampling approach across an urban-to-wildland gradient from moss samples was used to assess the effect of pollution associated with urbanization on canopy and forest floor bryophyte communities. In addition, intensive sampling was conducted in January 2017 to assess seasonal differences in N2 fixation rates and metal concentrations across sampling locations. Nitrogen fixation rates in canopy moss samples was found to be dependent on sampling season and location. Average N2 fixation rates reached peak levels in spring for both peninsula and urban samples (588.34 and 179.02 μmol per squared meter per day, respectively) and were lowest in fall (18.47 and 5.29 μmol per squared meter per day). In total, moss in canopies of Acer macrophyllum was found to yield 1.13 kg N per hectare per year in the Hoh Rainforest and only 0.009 kg N per hectare per year in the Seattle urban area. For the heavy metal analysis, elevated concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sr, Ti, and Zn were found in both intensive and extensive bryophyte samples collected in Seattle across all collection seasons. The elevated concentrations of heavy metals observed in moss samples collected from Seattle may be related to the low the N2 fixation rates observed in the same samples. The results from this study highlight that canopy and ground floor bryophytes have the potential to be used as a low-cost screening tool to evaluate N and heavy metal pollution in urban and rural areas.
Publications
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Bidwell, AL (2017) Urbanization impacts on epiphytic nitrogen and metal cycling in Acer macrophyllum stands in Western Washington, USA. M.S. Thesis, University of Washington.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Bidwell AL, Callahan ST, Tobin PC, DeLuca TH (2017) Urbanization impacts on epiphytic nitrogen cycling in Acer macrophyllum stands in the Pacific Northwest. Presentation to the 2017 Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America, Aug. 6-11, 2017, Portland, OR.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Callahan ST, Bidwell AL, DeLuca TH, Tobin PC (2017) Silent springtails: Effects of vehicular pollution on arboreal Collembola. Presentation to the 2017 Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America, Aug. 6-11, 2017, Portland, OR.
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Progress 09/16/15 to 09/30/17
Outputs
Target Audience: Hoh River Trust City of Seattle, Department of Parks and Recreation Washington State Department of Natural Resources Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Professional development opportunities for graduate student included working to develop research partnerships with city and state urban forest health professionals. Wilderness First Aid safety training and Single-Rope tree climbing techniques training were offered to the graduate student affiliated with this project. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?City of Seattle, Green Seattle Partnership Blog (Sept. 21, 2017); http://www.greenseattle.org/pollution-moss-reveal-seattles-traffic-impacts/ What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
During Year 1, researchers spent the fall months scouting field sites and securing necessary sampling permits from a variety of entities (U.S. Forest Service Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie, WA Dept. of Natural Resources Olympic Region and Snoqualmie Region, and City of Seattle Parks and Recreation). Starting in January 2016, sample trees were rigged for seasonal sampling collections, and temperature monitors and metal/nitrogen deposition collectors were placed installed. Pilot samples were also collected from several trees during January to solidify sampling methods and laboratory procedures. The first actual round of sample collection was conducted during April 2016, at which point collected canopy samples from both peninsula ("pristine") and urban ("polluted") sites for laboratory analysis. The second round of fieldwork was conducted at the end of June/ beginning of July, which means half of the field collection data happened during the first year of the project. Researchers began preliminary data analysis on the results for nitrogen fixation and moss tissue metal analysis from the spring and summer sampling rounds. During Year 2, the N2 fixation rates and metal concentrations in bryophytes across Acer macrophyllum stands in western Washington was accomplished. An extensive, ground-based sampling approach across an urban-to-wildland gradient from moss samples was used to assess the effect of pollution associated with urbanization on canopy and forest floor bryophyte communities. In addition, intensive sampling was conducted in January 2017 to assess seasonal differences in N2 fixation rates and metal concentrations across sampling locations. Nitrogen fixation rates in canopy moss samples was found to be dependent on sampling season and location. Average N2 fixation rates reached peak levels in spring for both peninsula and urban samples (588.34 and 179.02 μmol per squared meter per day, respectively) and were lowest in fall (18.47 and 5.29 μmol per squared meter per day). In total, moss in canopies of Acer macrophyllum was found to yield 1.13 kg N per hectare per year in the Hoh Rainforest and only 0.009 kg N per hectare per year in the Seattle urban area. For the heavy metal analysis, elevated concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sr, Ti, and Zn were found in both intensive and extensive bryophyte samples collected in Seattle across all collection seasons. The elevated concentrations of heavy metals observed in moss samples collected from Seattle may be related to the low the N2 fixation rates observed in the same samples. The results from this study highlight that canopy and ground floor bryophytes have the potential to be used as a low-cost screening tool to evaluate N and heavy metal pollution in urban and rural areas.
Publications
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Progress 10/01/15 to 09/30/16
Outputs
Target Audience:Target audiences included: Hoh River Trust, Seattle City Parks & Recreation, and Washington State Department of Natural Resources (Olympic & Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie Regional Offices). Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Wilderness First Aid safety training and Single-Rope tree climbing techniques training were offered to the graduate student affiliated with this project during the reporting period. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?During this reporting period the project was just getting started so outreach was not the main focus. In Year 2, researchers will focus more on disseminating results of the project with community members and affiliated agencies. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next reporting period, researchers will finish the last 2 rounds of seasonal fieldwork and analysis laboratory samples. The graduate student affiliated with this project will begin writing her thesis as well as putting together manuscripts for publication in scientific journals. Findings from the study will be shared with the target audiences (listed above).
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
During Year 1, researchers spent the fall months scouting fieldsites andsecuring necessarysampling permits from a variety of entities (U.S. Forest Service Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie, WA Dept. of Natural Resources Olympic Region and Snoqualmie Region, andCity of Seattle Parks and Recreation). Starting in January 2016, sample trees were rigged for seasonalsampling collections, and temperature monitors and metal/nitrogen deposition collectors were placed installed. Pilot samples were also collected from several trees during January to solidifysampling methods and laboratory procedures. The first actual round of sample collection was conducted during April 2016, at which point collected canopy samples from both peninsula ("pristine") and urban ("polluted") sites for laboratoryanalysis. The second round of fieldwork was conducted at the end of June/ beginning of July, which means half of the field collection data happened during the first year of the project. Researchers began preliminary data analysis on the results for nitrogen fixation and moss tissue metal analysis from the spring and summer sampling rounds.
Publications
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