Soil-climate for Managing Sagebrush Ecosystems
Soil-climate describes the temperature and moisture conditions important for plant growth and function. Soil condition patterns determine which vegetation is most abundant, thus controlling which habitats, invasive species, fuels, and economic activities are present in a region. Here, we use a model to simulate the vertical movement of water in a soil profile to provide insights into landscape patterns and habitat dynamics. This work improves our understanding of habitat conditions, restoration potential, conservation, and management outcomes by identifying opportunities and limitations inherent in the environment.
Background
The water cycle describes the movement of water among the atmosphere, soil, and plants. We investigate soil-climate (temperature and moisture), with an emphasis on interactions between the atmosphere (precipitation, temperature, radiation), soil (infiltration and evaporation), and vegetation (transpiration). Soil-climate is an often-underappreciated aspect of ecosystems as it directly affects a host of services we expect from functioning ecosystems, such as vegetation patterns, recovery and restoration potential, fuel conditions affecting fire risk, risk of exotic species invasion, carbon storage, health and diversity of animals and microbes, and primary production of vegetation. Until recently, a lack of spatial data limited our ability to make clear connections between soil-climate and important environmental patterns. Soil-climate is highly variable through space and time, and our models combine data from soil maps, climate, and solar radiation to provide high-resolution soil-climate estimates.
Our studies focus on semi-arid ecosystems, where water limitations created by global circulation patterns, geographic patterns (spatial variation) and episodic droughts (temporal variation) make management challenging. Regional climate patterns are refined by local spatial patterns, for example, consider the effects mountains have on temperature, precipitation, and radiation. Coupled with geology, topography, vegetation and disturbance, climate determines soil properties. With many factors affecting the spatial patterns of soil-climate come complexity, and an increased understanding of spatial and temporal patterns of abiotic and biotic processes will play important roles in managing ecosystems.
Research implications
Many important activities are affected by ecosystem patterns and dynamics. For example, consider how recreation and economic decisions are determined by available resources. For management planning, restoration targets and habitat project outcomes are heavily influenced by site potential (vegetation productivity), which is determined mainly by soil-climate factors. With the ability to use soil-climate data to investigate biological patterns, we can improve management related to the distribution and abundance of important plant species, differences in growth and recovery rates, sustained vegetative production for livestock and wildlife, erosion risk, and restoration potential.
Associated Projects
1) Climate Averages of Soil-climate for Sagebrush Ecosystems | U.S. Geological Survey (usgs.gov).
2) Future Scenarios of Soil-climate for Sagebrush Ecosystems | U.S. Geological Survey (usgs.gov).
Funders
U.S. Geological Survey, Ecosystem Mission Area, Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative, and North Central Climate Adaptation Science Center.
Climate Averages of Soil-climate for Sagebrush Ecosystems
Future Scenarios of Soil-climate for Sagebrush Ecosystems
Soil-climate describes the temperature and moisture conditions important for plant growth and function. Soil condition patterns determine which vegetation is most abundant, thus controlling which habitats, invasive species, fuels, and economic activities are present in a region. Here, we use a model to simulate the vertical movement of water in a soil profile to provide insights into landscape patterns and habitat dynamics. This work improves our understanding of habitat conditions, restoration potential, conservation, and management outcomes by identifying opportunities and limitations inherent in the environment.
Background
The water cycle describes the movement of water among the atmosphere, soil, and plants. We investigate soil-climate (temperature and moisture), with an emphasis on interactions between the atmosphere (precipitation, temperature, radiation), soil (infiltration and evaporation), and vegetation (transpiration). Soil-climate is an often-underappreciated aspect of ecosystems as it directly affects a host of services we expect from functioning ecosystems, such as vegetation patterns, recovery and restoration potential, fuel conditions affecting fire risk, risk of exotic species invasion, carbon storage, health and diversity of animals and microbes, and primary production of vegetation. Until recently, a lack of spatial data limited our ability to make clear connections between soil-climate and important environmental patterns. Soil-climate is highly variable through space and time, and our models combine data from soil maps, climate, and solar radiation to provide high-resolution soil-climate estimates.
Our studies focus on semi-arid ecosystems, where water limitations created by global circulation patterns, geographic patterns (spatial variation) and episodic droughts (temporal variation) make management challenging. Regional climate patterns are refined by local spatial patterns, for example, consider the effects mountains have on temperature, precipitation, and radiation. Coupled with geology, topography, vegetation and disturbance, climate determines soil properties. With many factors affecting the spatial patterns of soil-climate come complexity, and an increased understanding of spatial and temporal patterns of abiotic and biotic processes will play important roles in managing ecosystems.
Research implications
Many important activities are affected by ecosystem patterns and dynamics. For example, consider how recreation and economic decisions are determined by available resources. For management planning, restoration targets and habitat project outcomes are heavily influenced by site potential (vegetation productivity), which is determined mainly by soil-climate factors. With the ability to use soil-climate data to investigate biological patterns, we can improve management related to the distribution and abundance of important plant species, differences in growth and recovery rates, sustained vegetative production for livestock and wildlife, erosion risk, and restoration potential.
Associated Projects
1) Climate Averages of Soil-climate for Sagebrush Ecosystems | U.S. Geological Survey (usgs.gov).
2) Future Scenarios of Soil-climate for Sagebrush Ecosystems | U.S. Geological Survey (usgs.gov).
Funders
U.S. Geological Survey, Ecosystem Mission Area, Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative, and North Central Climate Adaptation Science Center.