This page has only limited features, please log in for full access.
Solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) has been widely cited as a proxy for photosynthesis and is being incorporated as a common input in terrestrial primary productivity models. Though satellite-based SIF products show close relationships with terrestrial gross primary productivity (GPP), there is wide variability in the magnitude of published SIF retrievals made at intermediate scales. In a meta-analysis of the tower-based and airborne SIF literature, we found that mean SIF retrievals from unstressed vegetation spanned a wide range, from 0.041 mW m−2 nm−1 sr−1 to 14.8 mW m−2 nm−1 sr−1, with a majority of values falling below 4 mW m−2 nm−1 sr−1. We compiled information on reported spectrometer calibration procedures, hardware characterizations, and associated corrections from these same papers, and found inconsistent reporting on if and how key calibration methodology was performed. In order to quantify the importance of such methodological differences on final SIF retrievals made at a proximal scale, we performed radiometric calibrations and corrections for electronic dark current, detector noise, atmospheric O2 absorbance, and cosine corrector effects on three field-deployed spectrometers. We found dramatic changes in SIF retrieval magnitude before and after applying calibrations and corrections, as well as significant differences between instrument performance in the field and expected performance based on laboratory characterizations. Based on these tests, and on a Monte Carlo simulation of uncertainty estimates associated with each of these corrections, it is likely that calibration methodologies and hardware characterizations explain some of the observed variability in published SIF retrievals. This wide range in baseline SIF retrieval methodologies and resultant magnitudes severely limit researchers' ability to synthesize and advance the utility of SIF in modeling GPP across scales. Further, variability in calibration and correction methodology may explain the weak SIF-GPP relationship across studies at tower scales.
Julia K. Marrs; Taylor S. Jones; David W. Allen; Lucy R. Hutyra. Instrumentation sensitivities for tower-based solar-induced fluorescence measurements. Remote Sensing of Environment 2021, 259, 112413 .
AMA StyleJulia K. Marrs, Taylor S. Jones, David W. Allen, Lucy R. Hutyra. Instrumentation sensitivities for tower-based solar-induced fluorescence measurements. Remote Sensing of Environment. 2021; 259 ():112413.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJulia K. Marrs; Taylor S. Jones; David W. Allen; Lucy R. Hutyra. 2021. "Instrumentation sensitivities for tower-based solar-induced fluorescence measurements." Remote Sensing of Environment 259, no. : 112413.
Land use and land cover (LULC) change caused by human activities is a major source of anthropogenic carbon emissions and a driver of climate change. The Mekong Region is highly dynamic, experiencing extensive LULC change in recent decades. This study provides a spatially and temporally continuous estimate of LULC change for the Mekong River Basin for 2001–2019 using time series analysis of MODIS data coupled with a spatiotemporal carbon bookkeeping model to track carbon losses and recovery. The LULC change product has an overall accuracy of 74.4 ± 1.9% (82.1 ± 1.7% after consolidating tree-dominated classes), including an increase of 5.6% after combining with existing MODIS products (referred to as the M-CCDC process). Two of the largest components of LULC change in the region are the establishment of plantations and agricultural expansion, which were estimated to be 33,617 ± 7342 km2 and 14,915 ± 4682 km2 between 2003 and 2014. We found that 82% of the deforested area was converted to tree plantations. Among all the newly added plantations, 86% replaced natural forests and 12% replaced agricultural land. In addition, existing maps of annual tree canopy cover (TCC) were used to assess forest disturbances that do not result in LULC conversions. The M-CCDC results combined with the forest disturbances derived from TCC maps were coupled to a spatiotemporal carbon bookkeeping model to estimate carbon emissions and uptake. Carbon emissions were 72.9 ± 6.2 Tg C yr−1 during 2001–2017; emissions increase to 102.8 ± 8.6 Tg C yr−1 if including carbon not yet released to the atmosphere in the form of decomposing slash and wood products. Carbon uptake for the same period was −35.5 ± 4.9 Tg C yr−1, with carbon uptake from new plantations offsetting almost half of the emissions from deforestation in this area. Assessment of post-deforestation land use is crucial for quantifying the short- and longer- term carbon consequences of LULC change.
Xiaojing Tang; Curtis E. Woodcock; Pontus Olofsson; Lucy R. Hutyra. Spatiotemporal assessment of land use/land cover change and associated carbon emissions and uptake in the Mekong River Basin. Remote Sensing of Environment 2021, 256, 112336 .
AMA StyleXiaojing Tang, Curtis E. Woodcock, Pontus Olofsson, Lucy R. Hutyra. Spatiotemporal assessment of land use/land cover change and associated carbon emissions and uptake in the Mekong River Basin. Remote Sensing of Environment. 2021; 256 ():112336.
Chicago/Turabian StyleXiaojing Tang; Curtis E. Woodcock; Pontus Olofsson; Lucy R. Hutyra. 2021. "Spatiotemporal assessment of land use/land cover change and associated carbon emissions and uptake in the Mekong River Basin." Remote Sensing of Environment 256, no. : 112336.
Reducing terrestrial carbon emissions to the atmosphere requires accurate measuring, reporting and verification of land surface activities that emit or sequester carbon. Many carbon accounting practices in use today provide only regionally aggregated estimates and neglect the spatial variation of pre-disturbance forest conditions and post-disturbance land cover dynamics. Here, we present a spatially explicit carbon bookkeeping model that utilizes a high-resolution map of aboveground biomass and land cover dynamics derived from time series analysis of Landsat data. The model produces estimates of carbon emissions/uptake with model uncertainty at Landsat resolution. In a case study of the Colombian Amazon, an area of 47 million ha, the model estimated total emissions of 3.97 ± 0.71 Tg C yr−1 and uptake by regenerating forests of 1.11 ± 0.23 Tg C yr−1 2001–2015, with an additional 45.1 ± 7.99 Tg of carbon remaining in the form of woody products, decomposing slash and charcoal at the end of 2015 (estimates provided with ±95% confidence intervals). Total emissions attributed to the study period (including carbon not yet released) is 6.97 ± 1.24 Tg C yr−1. The presented model is based on recent technological advancements in the field of remote sensing to achieve spatially explicit modeling of carbon emissions and uptake associated with land surface changes and post-disturbance landscapes that is compliant with international reporting criteria.
Xiaojing Tang; Lucy R. Hutyra; Paulo Arévalo; Alessandro Baccini; Curtis E. Woodcock; Pontus Olofsson. Spatiotemporal tracking of carbon emissions and uptake using time series analysis of Landsat data: A spatially explicit carbon bookkeeping model. Science of The Total Environment 2020, 720, 137409 .
AMA StyleXiaojing Tang, Lucy R. Hutyra, Paulo Arévalo, Alessandro Baccini, Curtis E. Woodcock, Pontus Olofsson. Spatiotemporal tracking of carbon emissions and uptake using time series analysis of Landsat data: A spatially explicit carbon bookkeeping model. Science of The Total Environment. 2020; 720 ():137409.
Chicago/Turabian StyleXiaojing Tang; Lucy R. Hutyra; Paulo Arévalo; Alessandro Baccini; Curtis E. Woodcock; Pontus Olofsson. 2020. "Spatiotemporal tracking of carbon emissions and uptake using time series analysis of Landsat data: A spatially explicit carbon bookkeeping model." Science of The Total Environment 720, no. : 137409.
Ecosystem services provided by urban forests are increasingly included in municipal-level responses to climate change. However, the ecosystem functions that generate these services, such as biomass carbon (C) uptake, can differ substantially from nearby rural forest. In particular, the scaled effect of canopy spatial configuration on tree growth in cities is uncertain, as is the scope for medium-term policy intervention. This study integrates high spatial resolution data on tree canopy and biomass in the city of Boston, Massachusetts, with local measurements of tree growth rates to estimate the magnitude and distribution of annual biomass C uptake. We further project C uptake, biomass, and canopy cover change to 2040 under alternative policy scenarios affecting the planting and preservation of urban trees. Our analysis shows that 85% of tree canopy area was within 10 m of an edge, indicating essentially open growing conditions. Using growth models accounting for canopy edge effects and growth context, Boston's current biomass C uptake may be approximately double (median 10.9 GgC yr−1, 0.5 MgC ha−1 yr−1) the estimates based on rural forest growth, much of it occurring in high-density residential areas. Total annual C uptake to long-term biomass storage was equivalent to <1% of estimated annual fossil CO2 emissions for the city. In built-up areas, reducing mortality in larger trees resulted in the highest predicted increase in canopy cover (+25%) and biomass C stocks (236 GgC) by 2040, while planting trees in available road margins resulted in the greatest predicted annual C uptake (7.1 GgC yr−1). This study highlights the importance of accounting for the altered ecosystem structure and function in urban areas in evaluating ecosystem services. Effective municipal climate responses should consider the substantial fraction of total services performed by trees in developed areas, which may produce strong but localized atmospheric C sinks.
Andrew Trlica; Lucy R. Hutyra; Luca L. Morreale; Ian A. Smith; Andrew B. Reinmann. Current and future biomass carbon uptake in Boston's urban forest. Science of The Total Environment 2019, 709, 136196 .
AMA StyleAndrew Trlica, Lucy R. Hutyra, Luca L. Morreale, Ian A. Smith, Andrew B. Reinmann. Current and future biomass carbon uptake in Boston's urban forest. Science of The Total Environment. 2019; 709 ():136196.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAndrew Trlica; Lucy R. Hutyra; Luca L. Morreale; Ian A. Smith; Andrew B. Reinmann. 2019. "Current and future biomass carbon uptake in Boston's urban forest." Science of The Total Environment 709, no. : 136196.
Ian A Smith; Lucy R Hutyra; Andrew B Reinmann; Julia K Marrs; Jonathan R Thompson. Piecing together the fragments: elucidating edge effects on forest carbon dynamics. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 2018, 16, 213 -221.
AMA StyleIan A Smith, Lucy R Hutyra, Andrew B Reinmann, Julia K Marrs, Jonathan R Thompson. Piecing together the fragments: elucidating edge effects on forest carbon dynamics. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. 2018; 16 (4):213-221.
Chicago/Turabian StyleIan A Smith; Lucy R Hutyra; Andrew B Reinmann; Julia K Marrs; Jonathan R Thompson. 2018. "Piecing together the fragments: elucidating edge effects on forest carbon dynamics." Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 16, no. 4: 213-221.
Atmospheric deposition of nitrogen (N) is a major input of N to the biosphere and is elevated beyond preindustrial levels throughout many ecosystems. Deposition monitoring networks in the United States generally avoid urban areas in order to capture regional patterns of N deposition, and studies measuring N deposition in cities usually include only one or two urban sites in an urban-rural comparison or as an anchor along an urban-to-rural gradient. Describing patterns and drivers of atmospheric N inputs is crucial for understanding the effects of N deposition; however, little is known about the variability and drivers of atmospheric N inputs or their effects on soil biogeochemistry within urban ecosystems. We measured rates of canopy throughfall N as a measure of atmospheric N inputs, as well as soil net N mineralization and nitrification, soil solution N, and soil respiration at 15 sites across the greater Boston, Massachusetts area. Rates of throughfall N are 8.70±0.68kgNha(-1)yr(-1), vary 3.5-fold across sites, and are positively correlated with rates of local vehicle N emissions. Ammonium (NH4(+)) composes 69.9±2.2% of inorganic throughfall N inputs and is highest in late spring, suggesting a contribution from local fertilizer inputs. Soil solution NO3(-) is positively correlated with throughfall NO3(-) inputs. In contrast, soil solution NH4(+), net N mineralization, nitrification, and soil respiration are not correlated with rates of throughfall N inputs. Rather, these processes are correlated with soil properties such as soil organic matter. Our results demonstrate high variability in rates of urban throughfall N inputs, correlation of throughfall N inputs with local vehicle N emissions, and a decoupling of urban soil biogeochemistry and throughfall N inputs.
Stephen M. Decina; Pamela H. Templer; Lucy R. Hutyra; Conor K. Gately; Preeti Rao. Variability, drivers, and effects of atmospheric nitrogen inputs across an urban area: Emerging patterns among human activities, the atmosphere, and soils. Science of The Total Environment 2017, 609, 1524 -1534.
AMA StyleStephen M. Decina, Pamela H. Templer, Lucy R. Hutyra, Conor K. Gately, Preeti Rao. Variability, drivers, and effects of atmospheric nitrogen inputs across an urban area: Emerging patterns among human activities, the atmosphere, and soils. Science of The Total Environment. 2017; 609 ():1524-1534.
Chicago/Turabian StyleStephen M. Decina; Pamela H. Templer; Lucy R. Hutyra; Conor K. Gately; Preeti Rao. 2017. "Variability, drivers, and effects of atmospheric nitrogen inputs across an urban area: Emerging patterns among human activities, the atmosphere, and soils." Science of The Total Environment 609, no. : 1524-1534.
On-road emissions vary widely on time scales as short as minutes and length scales as short as tens of meters. Detailed data on emissions at these scales are a prerequisite to accurately quantifying ambient pollution concentrations and identifying hotspots of human exposure within urban areas. We construct a highly resolved inventory of hourly fluxes of CO, NO, NO, PM and CO from road vehicles on 280,000 road segments in eastern Massachusetts for the year 2012. Our inventory integrates a large database of hourly vehicle speeds derived from mobile phone and vehicle GPS data with multiple regional datasets of vehicle flows, fleet characteristics, and local meteorology. We quantify the 'excess' emissions from traffic congestion, finding modest congestion enhancement (3-6%) at regional scales, but hundreds of local hotspots with highly elevated annual emissions (up to 75% for individual roadways in key corridors). Congestion-driven reductions in vehicle fuel economy necessitated 'excess' consumption of 113 million gallons of motor fuel, worth ∼ $415M, but this accounted for only 3.5% of the total fuel consumed in Massachusetts, as over 80% of vehicle travel occurs in uncongested conditions. Across our study domain, emissions are highly spatially concentrated, with 70% of pollution originating from only 10% of the roads. The 2011 EPA National Emissions Inventory (NEI) understates our aggregate emissions of NO, PM, and CO by 46%, 38%, and 18%, respectively. However, CO emissions agree within 5% for the two inventories, suggesting that the large biases in NO and PM emissions arise from differences in estimates of diesel vehicle activity. By providing fine-scale information on local emission hotspots and regional emissions patterns, our inventory framework supports targeted traffic interventions, transparent benchmarking, and improvements in overall urban air quality.
Conor K. Gately; Lucy R. Hutyra; Scott Peterson; Ian Sue Wing. Urban emissions hotspots: Quantifying vehicle congestion and air pollution using mobile phone GPS data. Environmental Pollution 2017, 229, 496 -504.
AMA StyleConor K. Gately, Lucy R. Hutyra, Scott Peterson, Ian Sue Wing. Urban emissions hotspots: Quantifying vehicle congestion and air pollution using mobile phone GPS data. Environmental Pollution. 2017; 229 ():496-504.
Chicago/Turabian StyleConor K. Gately; Lucy R. Hutyra; Scott Peterson; Ian Sue Wing. 2017. "Urban emissions hotspots: Quantifying vehicle congestion and air pollution using mobile phone GPS data." Environmental Pollution 229, no. : 496-504.
Urban areas are the dominant source of U.S. fossil fuel carbon dioxide (FFCO2) emissions. In the absence of binding international treaties or decisive U.S. federal policy for greenhouse gas regulation, cities have also become leaders in greenhouse gas reduction efforts through climate action plans. These plans focus on anthropogenic carbon flows only, however, ignoring a potentially substantial contribution to atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations from biological respiration. Our aim was to measure the contribution of CO2 efflux from soil respiration to atmospheric CO2 fluxes using an automated CO2 efflux system and to use these measurements to model urban soil CO2 efflux across an urban area. We find that growing season soil respiration is dramatically enhanced in urban areas and represents levels of CO2 efflux of up to 72% of FFCO2 within greater Boston's residential areas, and that soils in urban forests, lawns, and landscaped cover types emit 2.62 ± 0.15, 4.49 ± 0.14, and 6.73 ± 0.26 μmolCO2 m(-2) s(-1), respectively, during the growing season. These rates represent up to 2.2 times greater soil respiration than rates found in nearby rural ecosystems in central Massachusetts (MA), a potential consequence of imported carbon amendments, such as mulch, within a general regime of landowner management. As the scientific community moves rapidly towards monitoring, reporting, and verification of CO2 emissions using ground based approaches and remotely-sensed observations to measure CO2 concentrations, our results show that measurement and modeling of biogenic urban CO2 fluxes will be a critical component for verification of urban climate action plans.
Stephen M. Decina; Lucy R. Hutyra; Conor K. Gately; Jackie M. Getson; Andrew B. Reinmann; Anne G. Short Gianotti; Pamela H. Templer. Soil respiration contributes substantially to urban carbon fluxes in the greater Boston area. Environmental Pollution 2016, 212, 433 -439.
AMA StyleStephen M. Decina, Lucy R. Hutyra, Conor K. Gately, Jackie M. Getson, Andrew B. Reinmann, Anne G. Short Gianotti, Pamela H. Templer. Soil respiration contributes substantially to urban carbon fluxes in the greater Boston area. Environmental Pollution. 2016; 212 ():433-439.
Chicago/Turabian StyleStephen M. Decina; Lucy R. Hutyra; Conor K. Gately; Jackie M. Getson; Andrew B. Reinmann; Anne G. Short Gianotti; Pamela H. Templer. 2016. "Soil respiration contributes substantially to urban carbon fluxes in the greater Boston area." Environmental Pollution 212, no. : 433-439.
Expansion of human settlements is an important driver of global environmental change that causes land use and land cover change (LULCC) and alters the biophysical nature of the landscape and climate. We use the state of Massachusetts, United States (U.S.) to present a novel approach to quantifying the effects of projected expansion of human settlements on the biophysical nature of the landscape. We integrate nationally available datasets with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Integrated Climate and Land Use Scenarios model to model albedo and C storage and uptake by forests and vegetation within human settlements. Our results indicate a 4.4 to 14% decline in forest cover and a 35 to 40% increase in developed land between 2005 and 2050, with large spatial variability. LULCC is projected to reduce rates of forest C sequestration, but our results suggest that vegetation within human settlements has the potential to offset a substantial proportion of the decline in the forest C sink and may comprise up to 35% of the terrestrial C sink by 2050. Changes in albedo and terrestrial C fluxes are expected to result in a global warming potential (GWP) of +0.13 Mg CO2-C-equivalence ha(-1)year(-1) under the baseline trajectory, which is equivalent to 17% of the projected increase in fossil fuel emissions. Changes in terrestrial C fluxes are generally the most important driver of the increase in GWP, but albedo change becomes an increasingly important component where housing densities are higher. Expansion of human settlements is the new face of LULCC and our results indicate that when quantifying the biophysical response it is essential to consider C uptake by vegetation within human settlements and the spatial variability in the influence of C fluxes and albedo on changes in GWP.
Andrew B. Reinmann; Lucy R. Hutyra; Andrew Trlica; Pontus Olofsson. Assessing the global warming potential of human settlement expansion in a mesic temperate landscape from 2005 to 2050. Science of The Total Environment 2016, 545-546, 512 -524.
AMA StyleAndrew B. Reinmann, Lucy R. Hutyra, Andrew Trlica, Pontus Olofsson. Assessing the global warming potential of human settlement expansion in a mesic temperate landscape from 2005 to 2050. Science of The Total Environment. 2016; 545-546 ():512-524.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAndrew B. Reinmann; Lucy R. Hutyra; Andrew Trlica; Pontus Olofsson. 2016. "Assessing the global warming potential of human settlement expansion in a mesic temperate landscape from 2005 to 2050." Science of The Total Environment 545-546, no. : 512-524.
Urban areas are expanding, changing the structure and productivity of landscapes. While some urban areas have been shown to hold substantial biomass, the productivity of these systems is largely unknown. We assessed how conversion from forest to urban land uses affected both biomass structure and productivity across eastern Massachusetts. We found that urban land uses held less than half the biomass of adjacent forest expanses with a plot level mean biomass density of 33.5 ± 8.0 Mg C ha-1. As the intensity of urban development increased, the canopy cover, stem density, and biomass decreased. Analysis of Quercus rubra tree cores showed that tree-level basal area increment nearly doubled following development, increasing from 17.1 ± 3.0 to 35.8 ± 4.7 cm2 yr-1. Scaling the observed stem densities and growth rates within developed areas suggests an aboveground biomass growth rate of 1.8 ± 0.4 Mg C ha-1 yr-1, a growth rate comparable to nearby, intact forests. The contrasting high growth rates and lower biomass pools within urban areas suggest a highly dynamic ecosystem with rapid turnover. As global urban extent continues to grow, cities consider climate mitigation options, and as the verification of net greenhouse gas emissions emerges as critical for policy, quantifying the role of urban vegetation in regional-to-global carbon budgets will become ever more important.
Brittain M. Briber; Lucy R. Hutyra; Andrew B. Reinmann; Steve M. Raciti; Victoria K. Dearborn; Christopher E. Holden; Allison L. Dunn. Tree Productivity Enhanced with Conversion from Forest to Urban Land Covers. PLOS ONE 2015, 10, e0136237 .
AMA StyleBrittain M. Briber, Lucy R. Hutyra, Andrew B. Reinmann, Steve M. Raciti, Victoria K. Dearborn, Christopher E. Holden, Allison L. Dunn. Tree Productivity Enhanced with Conversion from Forest to Urban Land Covers. PLOS ONE. 2015; 10 (8):e0136237.
Chicago/Turabian StyleBrittain M. Briber; Lucy R. Hutyra; Andrew B. Reinmann; Steve M. Raciti; Victoria K. Dearborn; Christopher E. Holden; Allison L. Dunn. 2015. "Tree Productivity Enhanced with Conversion from Forest to Urban Land Covers." PLOS ONE 10, no. 8: e0136237.
Turfgrass covers a large fraction of the urbanized landscape, but the carbon exchange of urban lawns is poorly understood. We used eddy covariance and flux chambers in a grassland field manipulative experiment to quantify the carbon mass balance in a Singapore tropical turfgrass. We also assessed how management and variations in environmental factors influenced CO2 respiration. Standing aboveground turfgrass biomass was 80 gC m(-2), with a mean ecosystem respiration of 7.9 ± 1.1 μmol m(-2) s(-1). The contribution of autotrophic respiration was 49-76% of total ecosystem respiration. Both chamber and eddy covariance measurements suggest the system was in approximate carbon balance. While we did not observe a significant relationship between the respiration rates and soil temperature or moisture, daytime fluxes increased during the rainy interval, indicating strong overall moisture sensitivity. Turfgrass biomass is small, but given its abundance across the urban landscape, it significantly influences diurnal CO2 concentrations.
B.J.L. Ng; L.R. Hutyra; H. Nguyen; A.R. Cobb; F.M. Kai; Charles Harvey; Laure Gandois. Carbon fluxes from an urban tropical grassland. Environmental Pollution 2015, 203, 227 -234.
AMA StyleB.J.L. Ng, L.R. Hutyra, H. Nguyen, A.R. Cobb, F.M. Kai, Charles Harvey, Laure Gandois. Carbon fluxes from an urban tropical grassland. Environmental Pollution. 2015; 203 ():227-234.
Chicago/Turabian StyleB.J.L. Ng; L.R. Hutyra; H. Nguyen; A.R. Cobb; F.M. Kai; Charles Harvey; Laure Gandois. 2015. "Carbon fluxes from an urban tropical grassland." Environmental Pollution 203, no. : 227-234.
Tropical peat swamp forests (PSF) are one of the most carbon dense ecosystems on the globe and are experiencing substantial natural and anthropogenic disturbances. In this study we combined direct field sampling and airborne LiDAR to empirically quantify forest structure and aboveground live biomass (AGB) across a large, intact tropical peat dome in Northwestern Borneo. Moving up a 4m elevational gradient, we observed increasing stem density but decreasing canopy height, crown area and crown roughness. These findings were consistent with hypotheses that nutrient and hydrological dynamics co-influence forest structure and stature of the canopy individuals, leading to reduced productivity towards the dome interior. Gap frequency as a function of gap size followed a power law distribution with a shape factor (λ) of 1.76 ± 0.06. Ground-based and dome-wide estimates of AGB were 217.7 ± 28.3 Mg C ha-1, and 222.4 ± 24.4 Mg C ha-1, respectively, which were higher than previously reported AGB for PSF and tropical forests in general. However, dome-wide AGB estimates were based on height statistics and we found the coefficient of variation on canopy height was only 0.08, three times less than stem diameter measurements, suggesting LiDAR height metrics may not be a robust predictor of AGB in tall tropical forests with dense canopies. Our structural characterization of this ecosystem advances the understanding of the ecology of intact tropical peat domes and factors that influence biomass density and landscape-scale spatial variation. This ecological understanding is essential to improve estimates of forest carbon density and its spatial distribution in PSF and to effectively model the effects of disturbance and deforestation in these carbon dense ecosystems.
Ha T. Nguyen; Lucy R. Hutyra; Brady S. Hardiman; Steve M. Raciti. CHARACTERIZING FOREST STRUCTURE VARIATIONS ACROSS AN INTACT TROPICAL PEAT DOME USING FIELD SAMPLINGS AND AIRBORNE LIDAR. Ecological Applications 2015, 1 .
AMA StyleHa T. Nguyen, Lucy R. Hutyra, Brady S. Hardiman, Steve M. Raciti. CHARACTERIZING FOREST STRUCTURE VARIATIONS ACROSS AN INTACT TROPICAL PEAT DOME USING FIELD SAMPLINGS AND AIRBORNE LIDAR. Ecological Applications. 2015; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleHa T. Nguyen; Lucy R. Hutyra; Brady S. Hardiman; Steve M. Raciti. 2015. "CHARACTERIZING FOREST STRUCTURE VARIATIONS ACROSS AN INTACT TROPICAL PEAT DOME USING FIELD SAMPLINGS AND AIRBORNE LIDAR." Ecological Applications , no. : 1.
We found that up to 52 ± 17% of residential litterfall carbon (C) and nitrogen (N; 390.6 kg C and 6.5 kg N ha(-1) yr(-1)) is exported through yard waste removed from the City of Boston, which is equivalent to more than half of annual N outputs as gas loss (i.e. denitrification) or leaching. Our results show that removing yard waste results in a substantial decrease in N inputs to urban areas, which may offset excess N inputs from atmospheric deposition, fertilizer application and pet waste. However, export of C and N via yard waste removal may create nutrient limitation for some vegetation due to diminished recycling of nutrients. Removal of leaf litter from residential areas disrupts nutrient cycling and residential yard management practices are an important modification to urban biogeochemical cycling, which could contribute to spatial heterogeneity of ecosystems that are either N limited or saturated within urban ecosystems.
Pamela H. Templer; Jonathan W. Toll; Lucy R. Hutyra; Steve M. Raciti. Nitrogen and carbon export from urban areas through removal and export of litterfall. Environmental Pollution 2015, 197, 256 -261.
AMA StylePamela H. Templer, Jonathan W. Toll, Lucy R. Hutyra, Steve M. Raciti. Nitrogen and carbon export from urban areas through removal and export of litterfall. Environmental Pollution. 2015; 197 ():256-261.
Chicago/Turabian StylePamela H. Templer; Jonathan W. Toll; Lucy R. Hutyra; Steve M. Raciti. 2015. "Nitrogen and carbon export from urban areas through removal and export of litterfall." Environmental Pollution 197, no. : 256-261.
High resolution maps of urban vegetation and biomass are powerful tools for policy-makers and community groups seeking to reduce rates of urban runoff, moderate urban heat island effects, and mitigate the effects of greenhouse gas emissions. We developed a very high resolution map of urban tree biomass, assessed the scale sensitivities in biomass estimation, compared our results with lower resolution estimates, and explored the demographic relationships in biomass distribution across the City of Boston. We integrated remote sensing data (including LiDAR-based tree height estimates) and field-based observations to map canopy cover and aboveground tree carbon storage at ~1m spatial scale. Mean tree canopy cover was estimated to be 25.5±1.5% and carbon storage was 355Gg (28.8MgCha(-1)) for the City of Boston. Tree biomass was highest in forest patches (110.7MgCha(-1)), but residential (32.8MgCha(-1)) and developed open (23.5MgCha(-1)) land uses also contained relatively high carbon stocks. In contrast with previous studies, we did not find significant correlations between tree biomass and the demographic characteristics of Boston neighborhoods, including income, education, race, or population density. The proportion of households that rent was negatively correlated with urban tree biomass (R(2)=0.26, p=0.04) and correlated with Priority Planting Index values (R(2)=0.55, p=0.001), potentially reflecting differences in land management among rented and owner-occupied residential properties. We compared our very high resolution biomass map to lower resolution biomass products from other sources and found that those products consistently underestimated biomass within urban areas. This underestimation became more severe as spatial resolution decreased. This research demonstrates that 1) urban areas contain considerable tree carbon stocks; 2) canopy cover and biomass may not be related to the demographic characteristics of Boston neighborhoods; and 3) that recent advances in high resolution remote sensing have the potential to improve the characterization and management of urban vegetation.
Steve M. Raciti; Lucy R. Hutyra; Jared D. Newell. Mapping carbon storage in urban trees with multi-source remote sensing data: Relationships between biomass, land use, and demographics in Boston neighborhoods. Science of The Total Environment 2014, 500-501, 72 -83.
AMA StyleSteve M. Raciti, Lucy R. Hutyra, Jared D. Newell. Mapping carbon storage in urban trees with multi-source remote sensing data: Relationships between biomass, land use, and demographics in Boston neighborhoods. Science of The Total Environment. 2014; 500-501 ():72-83.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSteve M. Raciti; Lucy R. Hutyra; Jared D. Newell. 2014. "Mapping carbon storage in urban trees with multi-source remote sensing data: Relationships between biomass, land use, and demographics in Boston neighborhoods." Science of The Total Environment 500-501, no. : 72-83.
Lucy R. Hutyra; Riley Duren; Kevin Robert Gurney; Nancy Grimm; Eric Kort; Elisabeth Larson; Gyami Shrestha. Urbanization and the carbon cycle: Current capabilities and research outlook from the natural sciences perspective. Earth's Future 2014, 2, 473 -495.
AMA StyleLucy R. Hutyra, Riley Duren, Kevin Robert Gurney, Nancy Grimm, Eric Kort, Elisabeth Larson, Gyami Shrestha. Urbanization and the carbon cycle: Current capabilities and research outlook from the natural sciences perspective. Earth's Future. 2014; 2 (10):473-495.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLucy R. Hutyra; Riley Duren; Kevin Robert Gurney; Nancy Grimm; Eric Kort; Elisabeth Larson; Gyami Shrestha. 2014. "Urbanization and the carbon cycle: Current capabilities and research outlook from the natural sciences perspective." Earth's Future 2, no. 10: 473-495.
Urban areas are directly or indirectly responsible for the majority of anthropogenic CO2 emissions. In this study, we characterize observed atmospheric CO2 mixing ratios and estimated CO2 fluxes at three sites across an urban-to-rural gradient in Boston, MA, USA. CO2 is a well-mixed greenhouse gas, but we found significant differences across this gradient in how, where, and when it was exchanged. Total anthropogenic emissions were estimated from an emissions inventory and ranged from 1.5 to 37.3 mg·C·ha−1·yr−1 between rural Harvard Forest and urban Boston. Despite this large increase in anthropogenic emissions, the mean annual difference in atmospheric CO2 between sites was approximately 5% (20.6 ± 0.4 ppm). The influence of vegetation was also visible across the gradient. Green-up occurred near day of year 126, 136, and 141 in Boston, Worcester and Harvard Forest, respectively, highlighting differences in growing season length. In Boston, gross primary production—estimated by scaling productivity by canopy cover—was ~75% lower than at Harvard Forest, yet still constituted a significant local flux of 3.8 mg·C·ha−1·yr−1. In order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, we must improve our understanding of the space-time variations and underlying drivers of urban carbon fluxes.
Brittain M. Briber; Lucy R. Hutyra; Allison L. Dunn; Steve M. Raciti; J. William Munger. Variations in Atmospheric CO2 Mixing Ratios across a Boston, MA Urban to Rural Gradient. Land 2013, 2, 304 -327.
AMA StyleBrittain M. Briber, Lucy R. Hutyra, Allison L. Dunn, Steve M. Raciti, J. William Munger. Variations in Atmospheric CO2 Mixing Ratios across a Boston, MA Urban to Rural Gradient. Land. 2013; 2 (3):304-327.
Chicago/Turabian StyleBrittain M. Briber; Lucy R. Hutyra; Allison L. Dunn; Steve M. Raciti; J. William Munger. 2013. "Variations in Atmospheric CO2 Mixing Ratios across a Boston, MA Urban to Rural Gradient." Land 2, no. 3: 304-327.
Marina Alberti; Lucy R. Hutyra. Carbon Signatures of Development Patterns along a Gradient of Urbanization. Land Use and the Carbon Cycle 2013, 305 -328.
AMA StyleMarina Alberti, Lucy R. Hutyra. Carbon Signatures of Development Patterns along a Gradient of Urbanization. Land Use and the Carbon Cycle. 2013; ():305-328.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMarina Alberti; Lucy R. Hutyra. 2013. "Carbon Signatures of Development Patterns along a Gradient of Urbanization." Land Use and the Carbon Cycle , no. : 305-328.
Understanding the impact of urbanization on terrestrial biogeochemistry is critical for addressing society’s grand challenge of global environmental change. We used field observations and remotely sensed data to quantify the effects of urbanization on vegetation and soils across a 100-km urbanization gradient extending from Boston to Harvard Forest and Worcester, MA. At the field-plot scale, the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) was positively correlated with aboveground biomass (AGB) and foliar nitrogen (N) content and negatively correlated with impervious surface fraction. Unlike previous studies, we found no significant relationship between NDVI or impervious surface area (ISA) fraction and foliar N concentration. Patterns in foliar N appeared to be driven more strongly by changes in species composition rather than phenotypic plasticity across the urbanization gradient. For forest and non-residential development, soil nitrogen content increased with urban intensity. In contrast, residential land had consistently high soil N content across the gradient of urbanization. When field observations were scaled-up to the Boston Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), we found that soil and vegetation N content were negatively correlated with ISA fraction, an indicator of urban intensity. Our results demonstrated the importance of accounting for the influence of impervious surfaces when scaling field data across urban ecosystems. The combination of field data with remote sensing holds promise for disentangling the complex interactions that drive biogeochemical cycling in urbanizing landscapes. Empirical data that accurately characterize variations in urban biogeochemistry are critical to gain a mechanistic understanding of urban ecosystem function and to guide policy makers and planners in developing ecologically sensitive development strategies.
Preeti Rao; Lucy R. Hutyra; Steve Raciti; Adrien Finzi. Field and remotely sensed measures of soil and vegetation carbon and nitrogen across an urbanization gradient in the Boston metropolitan area. Urban Ecosystems 2013, 16, 593 -616.
AMA StylePreeti Rao, Lucy R. Hutyra, Steve Raciti, Adrien Finzi. Field and remotely sensed measures of soil and vegetation carbon and nitrogen across an urbanization gradient in the Boston metropolitan area. Urban Ecosystems. 2013; 16 (3):593-616.
Chicago/Turabian StylePreeti Rao; Lucy R. Hutyra; Steve Raciti; Adrien Finzi. 2013. "Field and remotely sensed measures of soil and vegetation carbon and nitrogen across an urbanization gradient in the Boston metropolitan area." Urban Ecosystems 16, no. 3: 593-616.
Cambridge Core - Ecology and Conservation - Land Use and the Carbon Cycle - edited by Daniel G. Brown
Galina Churkina; R. A. Houghton; Robert Mendelsohn; Laura L. Bourgeau-Chavez; Michael J. Falkowski; Scott J. Goetz; Liza K. Jenkins; Philip Camill Iii; Collin S. Roesler; Anna M. Michalak; Tom P. Evans; Mikaela Schmitt-Harsh; Virginia H. Dale; Keith L. Kline; Atul K. Jain; Prasanth Meiyappan; Tosha Richardson; Jordan Golinkoff; Steven Running; William J. Parton; Myron P. Gutmann; Melannie D. Hartman; Emily R. Merchant; Susan M. Lutz; Stephen J. Del Grosso; Marina Alberti; Lucy R. Hutyra; R. César Izaurralde; Wilfred M. Post; Tristram O. West; Matthew D. Hurteau; Cynthia A. Cambardella; Jerry L. Hatfield; Carol Adaire Jones; Cynthia J. Nickerson; Nancy Cavallaro; Timothy Pearson; Sandra Brown; Lisa Dilling; Richard Birdsey; Yude Pan; Lauren Lesch Marshall; Joan Iverson Nassauer; David L. Skole; Jay H. Samek; Walter Chomentowski; Michael Smalligan. Land Use and the Carbon Cycle. Land Use and the Carbon Cycle 2013, 1 .
AMA StyleGalina Churkina, R. A. Houghton, Robert Mendelsohn, Laura L. Bourgeau-Chavez, Michael J. Falkowski, Scott J. Goetz, Liza K. Jenkins, Philip Camill Iii, Collin S. Roesler, Anna M. Michalak, Tom P. Evans, Mikaela Schmitt-Harsh, Virginia H. Dale, Keith L. Kline, Atul K. Jain, Prasanth Meiyappan, Tosha Richardson, Jordan Golinkoff, Steven Running, William J. Parton, Myron P. Gutmann, Melannie D. Hartman, Emily R. Merchant, Susan M. Lutz, Stephen J. Del Grosso, Marina Alberti, Lucy R. Hutyra, R. César Izaurralde, Wilfred M. Post, Tristram O. West, Matthew D. Hurteau, Cynthia A. Cambardella, Jerry L. Hatfield, Carol Adaire Jones, Cynthia J. Nickerson, Nancy Cavallaro, Timothy Pearson, Sandra Brown, Lisa Dilling, Richard Birdsey, Yude Pan, Lauren Lesch Marshall, Joan Iverson Nassauer, David L. Skole, Jay H. Samek, Walter Chomentowski, Michael Smalligan. Land Use and the Carbon Cycle. Land Use and the Carbon Cycle. 2013; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGalina Churkina; R. A. Houghton; Robert Mendelsohn; Laura L. Bourgeau-Chavez; Michael J. Falkowski; Scott J. Goetz; Liza K. Jenkins; Philip Camill Iii; Collin S. Roesler; Anna M. Michalak; Tom P. Evans; Mikaela Schmitt-Harsh; Virginia H. Dale; Keith L. Kline; Atul K. Jain; Prasanth Meiyappan; Tosha Richardson; Jordan Golinkoff; Steven Running; William J. Parton; Myron P. Gutmann; Melannie D. Hartman; Emily R. Merchant; Susan M. Lutz; Stephen J. Del Grosso; Marina Alberti; Lucy R. Hutyra; R. César Izaurralde; Wilfred M. Post; Tristram O. West; Matthew D. Hurteau; Cynthia A. Cambardella; Jerry L. Hatfield; Carol Adaire Jones; Cynthia J. Nickerson; Nancy Cavallaro; Timothy Pearson; Sandra Brown; Lisa Dilling; Richard Birdsey; Yude Pan; Lauren Lesch Marshall; Joan Iverson Nassauer; David L. Skole; Jay H. Samek; Walter Chomentowski; Michael Smalligan. 2013. "Land Use and the Carbon Cycle." Land Use and the Carbon Cycle , no. : 1.
[1] Large areas of Amazonian evergreen forest experience seasonal droughts extending for three or more months, yet show maximum rates of photosynthesis and evapotranspiration during dry intervals. This apparent resilience is belied by disproportionate mortality of the large trees in manipulations that reduce wet season rainfall, occurring after 2–3 years of treatment. The goal of this study is to characterize the mechanisms that produce these contrasting ecosystem responses. A mechanistic model is developed based on the ecohydrological framework of TIN (Triangulated Irregular Network)‐based Real Time Integrated Basin Simulator + Vegetation Generator for Interactive Evolution (tRIBS+VEGGIE). The model is used to test the roles of deep roots and soil capillary flux to provide water to the forest during the dry season. Also examined is the importance of “root niche separation,” in which roots of overstory trees extend to depth, where during the dry season they use water stored from wet season precipitation, while roots of understory trees are concentrated in shallow layers that access dry season precipitation directly. Observational data from the Tapajós National Forest, Brazil, were used as meteorological forcing and provided comprehensive observational constraints on the model. Results strongly suggest that deep roots with root niche separation adaptations explain both the observed resilience during seasonal drought and the vulnerability of canopy‐dominant trees to extended deficits of wet season rainfall. These mechanisms appear to provide an adaptive strategy that enhances productivity of the largest trees in the face of their disproportionate heat loads and water demand in the dry season. A sensitivity analysis exploring how wet season rainfall affects the stability of the rainforest system is presented.
Valeriy Y. Ivanov; Lucy R. Hutyra; Steven C. Wofsy; J William Munger; Scott R. Saleska; Raimundo C. De Oliveira; Plinio Barbosa de Camargo. Root niche separation can explain avoidance of seasonal drought stress and vulnerability of overstory trees to extended drought in a mature Amazonian forest. Water Resources Research 2012, 48, 1 .
AMA StyleValeriy Y. Ivanov, Lucy R. Hutyra, Steven C. Wofsy, J William Munger, Scott R. Saleska, Raimundo C. De Oliveira, Plinio Barbosa de Camargo. Root niche separation can explain avoidance of seasonal drought stress and vulnerability of overstory trees to extended drought in a mature Amazonian forest. Water Resources Research. 2012; 48 (12):1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleValeriy Y. Ivanov; Lucy R. Hutyra; Steven C. Wofsy; J William Munger; Scott R. Saleska; Raimundo C. De Oliveira; Plinio Barbosa de Camargo. 2012. "Root niche separation can explain avoidance of seasonal drought stress and vulnerability of overstory trees to extended drought in a mature Amazonian forest." Water Resources Research 48, no. 12: 1.