Climate Change and Forests with Dr. Donahue

Departure

2008-12-13T07:18:00.002-07:00

Here we are as a team at the "north pole," which marks the completion of our hectare. What a busy week it was.

Goodbye SERC. Farewell, team members.

Wow. What a day.

2008-12-12T17:01:00.007-07:00

So the rain gauges were an interesting twist--not exactly related to our stated goals, but interesting. There are hundreds of gauges in the forest and outside the forest, and we had to go collect data before evaporation started to mess things up. In the photo at left, you can see that I've taken the wedge-shaped gauge out of its cradle in order to read the level on the millimeter side. Below the rain gauge (on the pole) is a pagoda-like structure. It is protecting a small instrument that measures temperature and humidity. Amazingly most of the gauges in the forest received about 33 mm of rain, while those outside the forest received 64 mm! And there aren't even any leaves to speak of--just the branches of the canopy. This ecological service provided by the forest is of great value to us in protecting soil fertility and water quality.

On the way out of the forest, we saw some commotion over by the guard stand, so we went to investigate. Maybe a deer was "taken," or something. (The other group smugly went back toward the trailer.) There was no deer, although over 120 had been taken from SERC alone on highly restricted hunts these last ten days. The natural predators have been all but eliminated, and SERC is overrun with deer. Twenty-two of the hundredish people working here got deer-tick-borne lyme disease last summer, and people were constantly shooing deer away from their cars. The population must be brought down. They are serious, so the only way hunters will be allowed to shoot a buck is if they have already shot a doe. The ticket is good for one doe, two does, or one doe and one buck. Anyway, I digress. At the guard stand, Lieutenant Dorsey was barbecuing chicken. He is famous for his chicken... and his Harley... and his ranch... and his sniper-like precision and accuracy. He graciously offered us some BBQ chicken that was without question the best I have had anywhere. Anyway, how could we refuse? So there we were: hunters, security, scientists, and teachers having a serendipitous lunch under a no trespassing sign.

As for quality control, it is amazing how many ways people can make mistakes in recording data. Common ones include mixing X and Y coordinates, transposing numbers, incorrectly identifying the species, and putting zeros in the wrong place. E.g., 0.08 m instead of 0.80 m. It's particularly difficult to interpret some of these numbers without leading zeros because the decimal points are not very visible. Argh. Still, we trudged out to the field and were able to resolve all but two questionable data situations. We'll leave those last two for the experts.

Finishing the hectare plot mapping was a reason to celebrate and make some noise. (Another reason might have been to avoid being mistaken for deer.) We posed at the "north pole," which, to my surprise, was pink. I won't get the photo until tomorrow, so I can't post it here. We went inside and finished the data entry, too, at which point we celebrated by putting check marks in various boxes on the overall progress board. Nancy did the honors.

Because we finished early, a few of us went on a hike. The moisture brought out some really cool decomposers--the likes of which I have never seen. Here are a few good ones I saw on my hike.Please click on them, and get a good look. The jelly fungus is particularly bizarre. Also on our hike, we visited the estuary to look at spartina and other marsh grasses. Below you can see Kate walking on an elevated boardwalk, so you can get a sense for how tall the grasses are. Just like in the film "The Salt Marsh," these wetlands are very productive. Slimy, perhaps, but productive. Anyway, we also saw holly as big as a tree and got some interesting views of the sunset.

Then it was back to the dorm for pasta and salad. After packing, I'll settle in for a much-needed rest. Tomorrow, it's back to the airport and then home at last. Earthwatch was a great experience that I know will make me a more useful teacher. Jess, Dan, Nancy, Rebecca, Jeff, Dawn, and Darren made it all worthwhile. I asked them many of your questions, and I look forward to sharing their answers with you. I'll leave you (for now) with a picture of Nancy and Jeff, humble scientists who strive to make a difference. Perhaps they will welcome one of you to SERC someday.

Friday morning--UPDATED

2008-12-12T06:33:00.006-07:00

It's the last morning at SERC. It's wet but not raining. Last night in Annapolis, it was so wet that it was madness for us to be there. Still, while everyone was shopping, I went on a nice self-guided tour of the architecture. Very charming. I didn't buy anything, of course, but I did enjoy all of the fresh, home-made treats offered by the various "Midnight Madness" merchants. Overall, I must admit that Annapolis looks like a place to visit again.

After breakfast, we went to the trailer to get our assignments. It turns out that we have some quality-control issues that came up during data entry. We need to go back out to the field to check on them. We also have a couple of subplots to measure and map, plus we have rain gauges to examine. Finally we have some data entry to complete. If we get done early, we'll have the chance to hike around the property--at least where the hunters are forbidden.

Good thing we went out yesterday...

2008-12-11T14:25:00.005-07:00

Non-stop rain at SERC,
Soggy researchers complain,
Must collect data.

So today was a soggy day with more field work and loads of data entry. There is an enormous spreadsheet containing all of the plants of adequate size in a 16-hectare plot (400 m x 400 m). It turns out that I was pretty good with a spreadsheet, so after an initial foray into the wetness, I was instead shielded from the rain and given pages and pages of numbers and comments to enter. Other people went out to collect more data. From time to time, I'd try to have a videoconference with you guys, but I guess no one ever set up the room for Skype. Amazingly, everything over here seems to be working. Anyway, I'm almost caught up with the rest of the team. Tomorrow I'll try to get completely caught up so I can be sitting around waiting when my team brings in the last few sets of data.

Anyway, because of the copious precipitation here, we will shift gears tomorrow. One group will finish the tree mapping while the other collects data from hundreds of rain gauges all over the forest. I hope I'm in the first group (or assigned to data entry) since there is a controlled deer hunt on the property tomorrow. I know that my orange vest makes me look not so much like a deer, but why take chances?

On a different note, SERC had its annual Christmas party today at lunch, so we got to enjoy some typical Christmas fare, such as turmeric-curried chicken, latkes, and fish chowder. Earthwatch folks cooked and brought an organic pasta salad. About the only thing Christmassy about the event was a game to fill in the blanks on Clement C. Moore's "A Visit from St. Nicholas." I didn't win because I was obnoxiously trying to put the funniest possible substitutions in the blanks. I think I was moderately successful, but not in winning the prize.

After the yuletide festivities we went back to the trailer to hear about our study from the scientific leader of the group, Jess Parker. It was fascinating. He's such a laid-back kind of guy, but his mind is always working on forest science, ecosystem services, and carbon balances. I think that if you guys were here, you'd be impressed by how much more you already know about many of these topics than researchers in some of the other project areas here.

We've been planning tomorrow's work and tonight's events. Tonight will be the only time we leave SERC during this week. We'll head to Annapolis for a dinner of sustainably harvested seafood. It's also a special night in Annapolis during which there are carolers, etc., and the shops and restaurants are open until midnight. I detest shopping, of course, but the rest of my group is excited to have this chance. Bah. Humbug.

Well, I'll report more tomorrow. Sorry I couldn't have a video conference with you today.

Wednesday, part 3,slightly updated

2008-12-10T19:49:00.006-07:00

I'm having trouble with some films that I'm trying to post, so I decided to break the blog entry in two for today. Here is the second part, complete with video, I hope.

Kate and I were filmed today, performing and explaining one measurement in the forest. The 3-minute clip very effectively describes the technique better than I could by typing, but so far I can't get the blog to accept the file. I'll show it when I get back to Colorado. The film that can be loaded shows the technique for tagging plants with DBH >= 8 cm. (Smaller plants with DBH >= 1 cm get their tags tied on rather loosely. Those with DBH < 1 cm are not tagged or mapped for now, but they may be in a follow-up study in a few years.) Again I must warn you about the low quality of the sound. Sorry. I've been asked what I mean in the video when I mention the tree "eating the tag." It turns out that the trees grow quickly enough to envelop something leaning against the bark. The experience of the forest scientists tells them that they have to plan for this potential problem.

You can tell Kate lives in Massachusetts; it reminds me of the olde days back in Cambridge...

After a wet day in the field, we returned to the dorm with our clothes--but not our spirits--dampened. Apparently everyone's wits were dry, too. It was time for a lecture and dinner. The presentation was on the economic impact of climate change, and it is based on the famous Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change, a 3-in-thick report released on October 30, 2006 by economist Lord Stern of Brentford for the British government. Although it is not the first economic report on global warming, it is the best known and respected. I'll be getting that presentation to share with you, too. It's not an economically pretty picture, but there is hope. On that note, I was on cleanup duty.

Thursday, we're off to the field and then the education center. I'll be attempting "to Skype" with you for fifteen minutes or so during periods 2, 3, 6, and 8, so my value to the team tomorrow is dubious at best. Still, working with you is part of the value of the program to the sponsors as well as to me, so everyone is okay with it.

What's a little drizzle?

2008-12-10T14:52:00.015-07:00

So we didn't have much rain. We managed to get out into the field to take data, with only a few unpleasant showers and a few opportunities to gripe and moan. After just two days, we are 78% of the way through our task. ...But there's always more to do.

Today we had a bunch of interesting discoveries. One was a dead gray squirrel--I'll spare you the photographs, which of course I took. This squirrel apparently lost its footing--common on rainy days out here--and fell to the pavement and died. It was a new kind of roadkill. Next we followed a bald eagle to its nesting area. We tried to have it take the squirrel while it was still fresh, but to no avail. At right you can see the nest. Not really too interesting for Coloradans, but people out here were quite excited about it.

Next to a water flow-rate testing station on Muddy Creek, I saw this log that had been cut down. I was interested to see the pattern of its increasing "hollowness." Evidently something had been eating away at it inside for years, but we couldn't tell so well from the outside. Perhaps there is a lesson in there somewhere.

In the field we found more interesting things. One of the smallish trees in our area had grown through a fence and exhibited a fascinating Frankensteinesque pattern. Still it continues to grow, and the fence doesn't seem to be slowing it down at all. The lichens and mosses are far more impressive here than ours in Colorado. Here, on the base of a small tree, both are clearly visible. Also visible is an impressive amount of leaf litter from a wide variety of trees.

Among the many trees that I've had to learn to identify are tulip poplar (which is a magnolia, really), sweet gum, sycamore, cedar, dogwood, ironwood, hickory (mackernut and pig nut), oak (white, red, and black), various maples, and various ashes. It gets tough when there are no leaves or when the tree is dead. Still, for the carbon-sequestration study to be valid, dead plants must also be taken into account.

This survey is not a biodiversity survey, which is too bad since we're finding all kinds of insects. The treehopper and the cicada are two nifty examples. If you like bugs, click on the images and enlarge them. The treehopper (at left) is particularly photogenic. Today was warm, though, and one price of warmth is the presence of small ticks. My colleague Lindsay found one, and that poor little diseased insect is sorry now.

As you are WELL aware, we've just finished studying population dynamics and we're heading into soil. I have a short video, featuring Jeff, that links my experiences here to our studies. Can you spare 2 minutes?
If so, watch this clip. The sound is amateur, to say the least, so turn it up and get ready to tolerate some wild swings in volume.

Rain, rain, go away

2008-12-10T06:40:00.001-07:00

Well, it appears that rain is going to put a major crimp in our day, so we'll probably be in the lab analyzing leaf litter. Anything that falls off the tree is not considered to be sequestering carbon since it is just a matter of time before it decomposes into greenhouse gases. Therefore, when attempting to determine how much carbon is sequestered in a forest, the amount of leaf litter must be measured. There are two major ways of measuring leaf litter here: large litter traps and litter buckets. In the left photo, you can see a trap for large litter--including branches, etc. It looks like a cross between a hammock and a trampoline. On the right you can see ordinary 5-gallon buckets which can capture small leaf litter and resist effects from wind. Buckets are placed in a systematic manner throughout the forest, and contents are emptied and examined regularly.

Leaf litter is also the topic of a classic AP Enviro essay question related to invasive worm species. It turns out that studies of that very same problem are being conducted here. The worm pits pictured at left are independent from the surrounding forest. The worms cannot move from one side to the other. The effect of the leaf species on decomposition rates is being examined with various worms as the major detritus feeders. To count the worms, researchers apply a voltage through the soil (using the electrodes pictured); annoyed worms come out from underground and are easily counted, weighed, etc.

I wonder what we'll be studying today...

A Day in the Field

2008-12-09T19:45:00.001-07:00

Today was a day of data collection--a long day of data collection in a 16-hectare plot. Basically, it's easy to do, but time consuming. First you go to the designated place in the grid of markers. In the first photo, you see a line of PVC pipes staking the forest. These mark the SW corner of each 10m x 10m sub-plot. The second photo shows how the PVC stakes are tagged with coordinates of the X-Y coordinates of the sub-plot. They were set using precise GPS technology, so the positions are correct. We just set the measuring tapes and estimate the positions of the centers of plants within 5 cm. On a slope, though, it is possible to measure more than 10 m and still be within the sub-plot. Fortunately, the spreadsheet contains informations on the contour of the earth so that corrections can be made during data analysis, and we just write down what is on the measuring tape.

The next step is to measure the diameter of the plant at breast height (DBH). A special walking stick with a mark at 1.30 m is used to determine the location for the DBH measurement. Calipers would not do the trick since most tree trunks are not perfectly round in cross-section. In the field of forestry, the standard way to account for these irregularities is to measure the circumference and convert to diameter. There are special tapes used for this purpose with different scales on the two sides, as shown in the photo. You should be able to confirm that the upper tape is the photo takes pi into account.

The next step is to mark the plant. If the DBH is less than 8.0 cm, the tag is tied on, which allows for rapid growth. If the plant is bigger, though, the tag is nailed on, with the nail sloping a bit so that gravity keeps the tag from touching the tree, as shown at right. (Click on the image to see it more clearly.) From time to time in the future, it will be necessary to loosen the tied tags and pull the nails out a bit to accommodate growth. If this maintenance is forgotten, the tree can envelop the tag, as the tree at left is threatening to do. Finally, we had to identify the plant species, describe its health, and note the degree to which it is able to obtain direct light.

As a bonus today, we got to climb a tower that is measuring solar radiation above the canopy to compare with similar measurements on the forest floor. (I suggested that they call this research group the "Soleil du SERC" which seemed to be a welcome suggestion, probably since this place is filled with wonderful, driven, somewhat-dorky academics--like a graduate school.) The views were great, and the climb was worth it, even though the tower swayed quite a bit.

On the way back from tree mapping, we noticed a strange pattern on a tree. It turns out that this pattern is evidence of the presence of a particular bird--the yellow-bellied sap sucker. This bird obviously displays that obsessive, compulsive behaviors are not limited to human beings. Later, in the dorm, we were treated to a talk on the science of climate change, presented by Dr. Dan Stover, who is the Earthwatch director at SERC. I'll be receiving his presentation file to share with you later.

After cooking and eating, it was time for sleep. The Blogger servers were uncooperative last night, so I had to wait until this morning to post.

Yes, indeed. It was cold today.

2008-12-08T19:34:00.004-07:00

Nothing like a little hot chocolate from Lynne to warm a fella up.

UPDATED - Scientific Orientation

2008-12-08T10:53:00.010-07:00

After breakfast, we had the great opportunity to hear about climate change, evidence, and possible responses and actions from Bert Drake, a well respected climate scientist whose training in in plant physiology. His curriculum vitae (fancy academic language for resume) can be found at http://www.serc.si.edu/people/resumes/drake_cv.htm. Note that he got his MS at CSU, which also happens to be a major center for climate modeling. He thinks that he'd like to come to our school to make his presentation to you if we can come up with airfare and a lift ticket.

We then heard from Jeff Lombardo, who was standing in for the senior scientist for out study. The senior scientist is named Jess Parker. His web site can be found at http://www.serc.si.edu/labs/forest_ecology/index.jsp. We have already met many of the permanent staff, who are listed on the "People and Contacts" page, which is accessible in the left column of that page. Jeff told us a lot more about what we'll be doing, which is pretty cool--actually pretty darned cold today.

On this chilly morning, we went out into the field with Nancy Kahn for orientation. The forest is full of poison ivy and nasty, invasive rose bushes, I already lost one battle against a rose bush, but I hope to do better. In the picture, the hairy-rooted vine is poison ivy. We went to see one of the studied plots so that we could understand what we are going to be doing. Mostly, we'll be identifying trees, vines, and shrubs, measuring them, describing the amount of sunlight available to them, and mapping them. Then we'll tag them with unique number plates so that in future years researchers will be able to examine what has happened. Click on the photo of the tree with ivy; in it, you can see that the tree and the ivy have had identifying tags nailed onto them. Because the poison ivy is over 1 cm DBH (diameter at breast height), even it must be tagged and mapped. Dangerous business, since the oils can get on the skin and cause a reaction, even in the winter. On the positive side, at least the ticks seem to be dead or inactive...

Analysis of the data should yield a plot like the one shown here. It will contain loads of information. We hope to provide baseline data for about 1/3 of a hectare to complete the current plot. In a way, each plotted area is a quadrat study--like an advanced version of our square meter of turf. They tell us that this study has been funded by HSBC to the tune of 100 million dollars. I'll try to confirm that number soon. Meanwhile, I'll leave you with this map of the plots being examined at SERC. Tomorrow the weather will be better, so we'll try to work like crazy to get done before the rain on Wednesday. We also hope to climb above the canopy on a research platform to get a good view of the property. The tower is shown on the map. Also shown are stumps from logged areas. One of the concepts under consideration is the effect of logging on biodiversity, population dynamics, and efficacy of carbon sequestration (as evidenced by accumulated biomass). I'll provide more details as I receive them!

Arrival

2008-12-07T19:12:00.002-07:00

Today I met the rest of the team at our rendezvous point, which was BWI Airport. We loaded up the bags, jumped into the van and headed out to the research station, which is pretty remote, but not nearly so primitive as I expected. The map shows the location of the research station, which is called the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, or SERC: http://www.serc.si.edu/ Navigate over to the site, and while you're there, have a look at the announcement of a new exhibit on soil--the topic that follows Monday's test. The challenge is the same for all soil scientists--how do you get people to care about soil?

There are about 80 people working on a wide variety of research projects on this "campus," which is basically a forest nestled between two waterways. In the zoomed image, most of the structures at SERC are visible. We are staying in the dormitory for visiting scientists, which is the large building to the northeast in the photo. The largest building (shaped like an L) is the Mathias Lab, which is well equipped and shared by all of the researchers.

Some researchers here collaborate with others at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), where tropical forest research is being conducted in the middle of the Canal Zone at Barro Colorado: http://www.stri.org/english/visit_us/barro_colorado/

So far, we've just toured the facilities, met some of the full-time staff, and settled in. Tomorrow, we have our scientific orientation and then we begin our work. I still don't completely understand what we'll be doing, but we are already talking about population distributions, age diversity, and invasive species. Part of our work will involve tagging, identifying, and measuring trees. The rest is unclear.

During this expedition, we will also get to hear presentations by three renowned climate scientists. I'll ask them for their presentations so that I can share them with you in the spring.

I hope that you enjoyed the forest DVD. When I get back, I hope to have some new insight into temperate deciduous forest for contrast.

Preparations

2008-12-04T10:16:00.002-07:00

I am busily preparing for my trip to Baltimore for my Earthwatch expedition. I'll be studying the implications of climate change in the Forest at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, near Edgewater, Maryland. It has been a while since I've been in a deciduous forest in the winter, so I hope I'm packing the right things!

My first post from the field should occur on the evening of the 7th.