Much of the research in the department on ecosystems
concerns analysis of interactions of processes among multiple trophic
levels, at vary degrees of complexity, and makes use of approaches ranging
from chemical analysis of ecosystem modeling.
The following highlights just a
few of the
several
research projects currently active in the Department (for a more complete
listing, click here. Alternatively, consult web
pages of the people
associated with research in this
area):
Microbial Observatory | Microbial Observatory - Although microorganisms are ubiquitous in soil and sediments, we suspect that less than 5% have been isolated and described. Much work remains to cultivate, as yet, undescribed microorganisms, understand ecological relationships in microbial communities, and assess how microorganisms process water, nutrients, and energy that sustains life on Earth. Towards this goal, we recently established a Microbial Observatory, which is part of a National Science Foundation initiative to close the gap in our understanding of microorganisms in natural and managed ecosystems. Our observatory focuses on methanogenic microorganisms, which produce methane - an atmospheric greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming - inhabiting acidic peat-forming wetland ecosystems. Students involved in this project are using the latest molecular and biochemical techniques to cultivate and study microorganisms and are working in the field to describe the natural habitat of these amazing 'bugs'. | | | 
Disturbance and
forest dynamics | Disturbance and tropical forest dynamics - Extensive virgin forests in the central mountain range of the Dominican Republic have been named a top priority worldwide for conservation and preservation by the Nature Conservancy because of their biodiversity and hydrologic value. The Dominican Forest Program in the Department of Natural Resources seeks a better understanding of the ecological factors that shape these complex ecosystems. The key to the forest seems to reside in the interactions between natural disturbances like fire and hurricanes and the ecology of the native endemic pine species, Pinus occidentalis, that dominates much of the region. Students involved in the Program learn how forest ecologists untangle the complex ecological web of tree reproduction, growth and mortality in relation to environment, disturbance and the other members of the biotic community like palms, tree ferns, birds and mushrooms. | | | 
Ecosystem impact
of large ice-storm | Ecosystem Impacts of a Large Ice-Storm - The 1998 ice storm was a large-extent ecological disturbance that severely affected eastern Adirondack forests. Ice damage produced widespread breakage of limbs and trunks in susceptible trees. Although ice storms are regularly occurring disturbances within northeastern North American forests, the magnitude and extent of the 1998 storm exceeded "typical" ice storms observed within the past 100 years. While plot and stand-scale ecological impacts of ice storms have received attention insofar as tree species vulnerability, stand age susceptibility, and microhabitat alterations, larger-extent damage patterns have not been previously evaluated. To do this, we employed the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) to assess forest vigor and canopy density in atmospherically corrected Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) satellite images collected prior to and following the 1998 ice storm. Digital change analysis of the baseline forest condition (1990 NDVI data), and the condition encountered in the post-storm image (1998 NDVI data) was conducted. Forest damage was separated from natural variations in canopy reflectance by employing a generalized linear model that incorporated in situ measurements. A robust empirical variogram analysis revealed that locations of tree damage were significantly correlated for distances up to 300 meters, with heavily damaged forest occurred in smaller patches. Measurements of canopy damage proximate to ecological edges did not follow our hypothesis of decreasing damage with distance from the boundary. Instead, we show that local topography (elevation and aspect) contributed more significantly to observed damage patterns. | | |
|