Drought impacts on ecosystem functions of the U.S. National Forests and Grasslands: Part I evaluation of a water and carbon balance model

Understanding and quantitatively evaluating the regional impacts of climate change and variability (e.g., droughts) on forest ecosystem functions (i.e., water yield, evapotranspiration, and productivity) and services (e.g., fresh water supply and carbon sequestration) is of great importance for developing climate change adaptation strategies for National Forests and Grasslands (NFs) in the United States. However, few reliable continental-scale modeling tools are available to account for both water and carbon dynamics. The objective of this study was to test a monthly water and carbon balance model, the Water Supply Stress Index (WaSSI) model, for potential application in addressing the influences of drought on NFs ecosystem services across the conterminous United States (CONUS). The performance of the WaSSI model was comprehensively assessed with measured streamflow (Q) at 72 U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) gauging stations, and satellite-based estimates of watershed evapotranspiration (ET) and gross primary productivity (GPP) for 170 National Forest and Grassland (NFs). Across the 72 USGS watersheds, the WaSSI model generally captured the spatial variability of multi-year mean annual and monthly Q and annual ET as evaluated by Correlation Coefficient (R = 0.71–1.0), Nash–Sutcliffe Efficiency (NS = 0.31–1.00), and normalized Root Mean Squared Error (0.06–0.48). The modeled ET and GPP by WaSSI agreed well with the remote sensing-based estimates for multi-year annual and monthly means for all the NFs. However, there were systemic discrepancies in GPP between our simulations and the satellite-based estimates on a yearly and monthly scale, suggesting uncertainties in GPP estimates in all methods (i.e., remote sensing and modeling). Overall, our assessments suggested that the WaSSI model had the capability to reconstruct the long-term forest watershed water and carbon balances at a broad scale. This model evaluation study provides a foundation for model applications in understanding the impacts of climate change and variability (e.g., droughts) on NFs ecosystem service functions

Potential Impacts of Climate Change on Water Resources in South Carolina and Across the United States

2008 S.C. Water Resources Conference - Addressing Water Challenges Facing the State and Regio

Changes in temperature-moisture covariance could increase soil carbon loss

Soils store about 1.5x10^16 g of carbon (C), about as much as terrestrial vegetation and atmosphere combined 1. The complex interplay between factors that regulate C release from soil through respiration is not completely understood, but could potentially exert strong influence on global radiation balance and climate change2. Respiration exerts strong effect on the spatial heterogeneity of terrestrial C cycle 3 and its temporal variation remains more poorly understood compared to gross ecosystem production (GEP) 4. This variation can analytically be attributed to changes in environmental factors, but forecasting individual deviations remains a challenge 4. Here we propose that deviations of the typical covariance pattern of primary environmental drivers (temperature, T, and moisture, presented in this study as volumetric water content, VWC) may affect the deviations of respiratory C loss. Typically, T and VWC are inversely related, with warm periods being generally drier and vice versa, and therefore the stimulating effect of one factor is counterbalanced by unfavorable levels of the other 5. However, should the driving variables be positively related, respiratory carbon release can increase significantly (Supplementary Fig. 1a). This hypothesis is supported by two consecutive years of ecosystem-level and soil carbon exchange data that differed in rain fall periodicity and T-VWC-covariance. With changing climate patterns, including the intensity and frequency of rainfall events, there is the possibility that the covariance patterns of T and VWC may change, and more frequent periods of positive T-VWC covariance may lead to greater loss of soil carbon, and contribute to greater radiative forcing on Earth’s energy budget

The Recovery Process Utilizing Erikson’s Stages of Human Development

Of current interest to the field are clinical frameworks that foster recovery. The authors offer a psycho-developmental model that parallels Erik Erikson’s theory of human development, and theorize that the process of psychiatric recovery involves a psychic reworking of these fundamental steps. Understanding recovery in this context allows the client and the practitioner of psychiatric rehabilitation to design and implement a coherent treatment strategy

Polar ferromagnet induced by fluorine positioning in isomeric layered copper halide perovskites

We acknowledge the University of St Andrews and the China Scholarship Council (studentship to CH) and the University of St Andrews (studentship to AJB).We present the influence of positional isomerism on the crystal structure of fluorobenzylammonium copper (II) chloride perovskites A2CuCl4, by incorporating ortho, meta and para- fluorine substitution in the benzylamine structure. Two-dimensional (2D) polar ferromagnet (3-FbaH)2CuCl4 (3-FbaH+ = 3-fluorobenzylammonium) is successfully obtained, which crystallizes in a polar orthorhombic space group Pca21 at room temperature. In contrast, both (2-FbaH)2CuCl4 (2-FbaH+ = 2-fluorobenzylammonium) and (4-FbaH)2CuCl4 (4-FbaH+ = 4-fluorobenzylammonium) crystallize in centrosymmetric space groups P21/c and Pnma at room temperature, respectively, displaying significant differences in crystal structures. These differences indicate that the position of the fluorine atom is a driver for the polar behaviour in (3-FbaH)2CuCl4. Preliminary magnetic measurements confirm that these three perovskites possess dominant ferromagnetic interactions within the inorganic [CuCl4]∞ layers. Therefore, (3-FbaH)2CuCl4 is a polar ferromagnet, with potential as a type I multiferroic. This work is expected to promote further development of high performance 2D copper (II) halide perovskite multiferroic materials.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

A model to predict stream water temperature across the conterminous USA

Stream water temperature (tₛ) is a critical water quality parameter for aquatic ecosystems. However, tₛ records are sparse or nonexistent in many river systems. In this work, we present an empirical model to predict tₛ at the site scale across the USA. The model, derived using data from 171 reference sites selected from the Geospatial Attributes of Gages for Evaluating Streamflow database, describes the linear relationship between monthly mean air temperature (tₐ) and tₛ. Multiple linear regression models are used to predict the slope (m) and intercept (b) of the tₐ–tₛ linear relation as a function of climatic, hydrologic and land cover characteristics. Model performance to predict ts resulted in a mean Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient of 0.78 across all sites. Application of the model to predict tₛ at additional 89 nonreference sites with a higher human alteration yielded a mean Nash– Sutcliffe value of 0.45. We also analysed seasonal thermal sensitivity (m) and found strong hysteresis in the tₐ–tₛ relation. Drainage area exerts a strong control on m in all seasons, whereas the cooling effect of groundwater was only evident for the spring and fall seasons. However, groundwater contributions are negatively related to mean tₛ in all seasons. Finally, we found that elevation and mean basin slope are negatively related to mean tₛ in all seasons, indicating that steep basins tend to stay cooler because of shorter residence times to gain heat from their surroundings. This model can potentially be used to predict climate change impacts on ts across the USA

Polarity and ferromagnetism in two-dimensional hybrid copper perovskites with chlorinated aromatic spacers

We would like to thank the China Scholarships Council for a studentship to CH. PSH and WZ thank the Welch Foundation (Grant E-1457) and the National Science Foundation (DMR-2002319) for support.Two-dimensional (2D) organic−inorganichybrid copper perovskites have drawn tremendous attention as promisingmultifunctional materials. Herein, by incorporating ortho, metaand para-chlorine substitution in the benzylamine structure, we firstlyreport theinfluence of positional isomerism on the crystal structures of chlorobenzylammonium copper (II) chloride perovskites A2CuCl4. 2Dpolar ferromagnets (3-ClbaH)2CuCl4 and (4-ClbaH)2CuCl4(ClbaH+ = chlorobenzylammonium) are successfully obtained. They bothadopt a polar monoclinic space group Cc at room temperature, displayingsignificant differences in crystal structures. In contrast, (2-ClbaH)2CuCl4adopts a centrosymmetric space group P21/c at roomtemperature. This associated structural evolution successfullyenhances the physical properties of the two polar compounds with high thermalstability, discernible second harmonic generation (SHG) signals, ferromagnetism,and narrowoptical band gaps.These findings demonstrate that theintroduction of chlorine atoms into the inter-layer organicspecies is a powerful tool to tune crystalsymmetries and physical properties, and this inspires further exploration of designinghigh-performance multifunctional copper-based materials.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Attitudes and Beliefs Regarding Pain in Interprofessional Education: A Multifaceted Dilemma

Purpose: To evaluate entry-level physical and occupational therapy student attitudes and beliefs toward treating a person with pain, at various levels of their didactic learning. Description: Across health professions, pain education varies considerably with its curricula of pain definitions, management principles, and interprofessional collaboration. The result of this discord has led to a broad range of behaviors and attitudes among health professions and their students, which can ultimately affect a person’s participation in society. Literature supports the importance of a curriculum that addresses students’ attitudes and beliefs toward treating people in pain in an attempt to preclude the formation of negative attitudes during clinical practice. Summary of Use: A modified open-ended sentence stem format was used to gather the qualitative data of 241 graduate students enrolled in occupational and physical therapy entry-level programs to assess their knowledge and attitudes toward pain. Students completed a questionnaire including two open-ended sentence stems. Verbatim transcripts of the students’ responses were thematically analyzed by five-blinded faculty, who constructed nine themes that reflected students’ responses. Interrater reliability was strong with an average of 89.4% agreement rating (range 68.1-97.6%). Analysis of the responses to the first stem, “People in pain are…” yielded four themes: 1) negative mood sate (suffering/unhappy); 2) negative trait or characteristic (wimpy/uncooperative); 3) needy; and 4) having real problems. The percentages of the students’ attitudes reflected in each theme were 28.8%, 5.1%, 42.7%, 23.4% respectively. Responses were dominated by themes related to a negative mood state and being needy. Negative attitudes toward treatment of persons in pain have been shown to contribute to disparities in pain care. Analysis of responses to the second stem question, “Working with patients in pain will be …” yielded five themes: 1) intellectually stimulating; 2) worthwhile/rewarding; 3) unpleasant/difficult; 4) challenging/complex; and 5) routine in practice. The frequency of responses were 8.3%, 33%, 19.8%, 38.9%, and 12.6% respectively and were dominated by themes suggesting that working with people in pain will be challenging yet rewarding. Importance to Member: Despite the frequency of pain problems in society, pain and the treatment of people in pain have not been major components of healthcare education. The International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) provides a guideline for knowledge of pain management for entry-level physical and occupational therapists. Knowing what preconceived attitudes and beliefs students have in treating persons with pain can help drive the development of a pain curriculum that is both academically inclusive and behaviorally influential. As educators, we have the opportunity to address this multifaceted dilemma to meet the IASP guidelines and bridge the gap between interprofessional pain education and the optimal treatment of those in pain

Greening China naturally

Author Posting. © The Author(s), 2011. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of Springer for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in AMBIO: A Journal of the Human Environment 40 (2011): 828-831, doi:10.1007/s13280-011-0150-8.China leads the world in afforestation, and is one of the few countries whose forested area is increasing. However, this massive ‘‘greening’’ effort has been less effective than expected; afforestation has sometimes produced unintended environmental, ecological, and socioeconomic consequences, and has failed to achieve the desired ecological benefits. Where afforestation has succeeded, the approach was tailored to local environmental conditions. Using the right plant species or species composition for the site and considering alternatives such as grassland restoration have been important success factors. To expand this success, government policy should shift from a forest-based approach to a results-based approach. In addition, long-term monitoring must be implemented to provide the data needed to develop a cost-effective, scientifically informed restoration policy.This work was supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (HJ2010-3) and the CAS/ SAFEA International Partnership Program for Creative Research Teams of ‘‘Ecosystem Processes and Services’’

Climate change and forest disturbances

Studies of the effects of climate change on forests have focused on the ability of species to tolerate temperature and moisture changes and to disperse, but they have ignored the effects of disturbances caused by climate change (e.g., Ojima et al. 1991). Yet modeling studies indicate the importance of climate effects on disturbance regimes (He et al. 1999). Local, regional, and global changes in temperature and precipitation can influence the occurrence, timing, frequency, duration, extent, and intensity of disturbances (Baker 1995, Turner et al. 1998). Because trees can survive from decades to centuries and take years to become established, climate-change impacts are expressed in forests, in part, through alterations in disturbance regimes (Franklin et al. 1992, Dale et al. 2000). Disturbances, both human-induced and natural, shape forest systems by influencing their composition, structure, and functional processes. Indeed, the forests of the United States are molded by their land-use and disturbance history. Within the United States, natural disturbances having the greatest effects on forests include fire, drought, introduced species, insect and pathogen outbreaks, hurricanes, windstorms, ice storms, and landslides (Figure 1). Each disturbance affects forests differently. Some cause large-scale tree mortality, whereas others affect community structure and organization without causing massive mortality (e.g., ground fires). Forest disturbances influence how much carbon is stored in trees or dead wood. All these natural disturbances interact with human-induced effects on the environment, such as air pollution and land-use change resulting from resource extraction, agriculture, urban and suburban expansion, and recreation. Some disturbances can be functions of both natural and human conditions (e.g., forest fire ignition and spread) (Figure 2). This article examines how eight disturbances influence forest structure, composition, and function and how climate change may influence the severity, frequency, and magnitude of disturbances to forests. We focus on examples from the United States, although these influences occur worldwide. We also consider options for coping with disturbance under changing climate. This analysis points to specific research needs that should improve the understanding of how climate change affects forest disturbances. This paper is one in a series developed by the forest sector of the US National Assessment of the Potential Consequences of Climate Variability and Change. In examining how forests may be affected by climate change, the Forest Sector Committee divided the topic into four areas (processes, diversity, disturbances, and socioeconomics), each of which is the focus of an article in this issue of BioScience. Impacts of climate changes on aquatic disturbances are critical, but this paper focuses on direct terrestrial impacts. The effects of a rise in sea level, coastal processes, and salinity on terrestrial systems are examined in the coastal sector of the national assessment (NAST 2000)