The study includes lower elevation sites outside the park. Wood-feeding insects were chosen because of the importance of their roll in the forest ecosystem, their relative abundance, and their relative ease to work with. While the original study included carpenter bees, crickets, millipedes and beetles, not all of the target species could be located so the study focuses on wood roaches, a single genus of centipede, and a single genus of termite.

This model product contains the source codes for version 1 of the individual-based forest ecosystem biogeochemistry model LINKAGES and two subsequent versions as well as example input and output data. LINKAGES predicts long-term structure and dynamics of forest ecosystems as constrained by nitrogen availability, climate, and soil moisture. Model simulations compare favorably to field data from different geographic areas worldwide. LINKAGES, written in FORTRAN and provided in ASCII format, simulates birth, growth, and death of all trees greater than 1.43-cm dbh. Litter fall and decomposition are also simulated. Sunlight is the driving variable. Growing season degree days, soil water availability, and AET are calculated from precipitation, temperature, soil field moisture capacity, and wilting point. Decomposition and soil N availability are calculated from organic matter quantity and carbon chemistry, evapotranspiration, and degree of canopy closure. Light availability to each tree is a function of leaf biomass of taller trees. Degree days and availabilities of light and water constrain species reproduction. These variables plus soil N constrain tree growth and carbon accumulation in biomass. Tree death probability increases with age and slow growth. Leaf, root, and woody litter are returned to the soil at the end of each year to decay the following year. Climatic and forest data for eastern North America and New South Wales are provided as example model inputs. Modelers may use their own site data within any version of LINKAGES. Example model output is also provided.

This project focuses on red spruce (Picea rubens). How does forest fragmentation influence nutrient cycling? How do red spruce trees respond to phosphorous (P) limitation in these systems? If there is evidence for genetic variability in response to P limitation in these systems, it could provide clues to where refuges have evolutionary been found for this declining species. Red Spruce has historically been pushed up in elevation with its range becoming fragmented and limited to mountain tops at the southern range edge. This is of interest to scientists interested in effects of climate warming, i.e. expected pole-ward range shifts. Genetic diversity of populations at the southern end of this species’ range is consequently of importance to the persistence of this species. It was hypothesized in this study that habitat fragment size would influence growth traits. It was found that Red Spruce growth traits were not influenced by habitat fragment patch size (P > 0.05).

This project focuses on red spruce (Picea rubens). How does forest fragmentation influence nutrient cycling? How do red spruce trees respond to phosphorous (P) limitation in these systems? If there is evidence for genetic variability in response to P limitation in these systems, it could provide clues to where refuges have evolutionary been found for this declining species. Red Spruce has historically been pushed up in elevation with its range becoming fragmented and limited to mountain tops at the southern range edge. This is of interest to scientists interested in effects of climate warming, i.e. expected pole-ward range shifts. Genetic diversity of populations at the southern end of this species’ range is consequently of importance to the persistence of this species. It was hypothesized in this study that habitat fragment size would influence growth traits. It was found that Red Spruce growth traits were not influenced by habitat fragment patch size (P > 0.05).

In this study, the U.S. Geological Survey investigated the use of insects as bioindicators of climate change in sagebrush steppe shrublands and grasslands in the Upper Columbia Basin. The research was conducted in the Stinkingwater and Pueblo mountain ranges in eastern Oregon on lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management. We used a “space-for-time” sampling design that related insect communities to climate and weather along elevation gradients. We analyzed our insect dataset at three levels of organization: (1) whole-community, (2) feeding guilds (detritivores, herbivores, nectarivores, parasites, and predators) and (3) orders within nectarivores (i.e., pollinators). This dataset contains information about insects, vegetation, and weather in 2012 and 2013 at four sites that span elevation gradients in sagebrush steppe habitats in eastern Oregon. Each site contained nine sampling plots, arranged in groups of three at low, mid, and high elevations. Insects were collected using blue and yellow Japanese beetle flight traps and pitfall traps several times throughout the active season in 2012 and 2013. All insects were identified to the level of family and abundance. Abundances of families collected in pitfall traps, blue Japanese beetle flight traps, and yellow Japanese beetle flight traps are reported separately. Weather data was collected using iButton data loggers and weather stations. Hourly data was summarized into daily values which are reported here. When weather stations were not available, weather variables were estimated using data from nearby NOAA weather stations (see methods section of associated publication for details). Vegetation density data were collected using photo-grid analysis and point-quarter analysis. Vegetation data were collected at every sampling plot once per year.

In this study, the U.S. Geological Survey investigated the use of insects as bioindicators of climate change in sagebrush steppe shrublands and grasslands in the Upper Columbia Basin. The research was conducted in the Stinkingwater and Pueblo mountain ranges in eastern Oregon on lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management. We used a “space-for-time” sampling design that related insect communities to climate and weather along elevation gradients. We analyzed our insect dataset at three levels of organization: (1) whole-community, (2) feeding guilds (detritivores, herbivores, nectarivores, parasites, and predators) and (3) orders within nectarivores (i.e., pollinators). This dataset contains information about insects, vegetation, and weather in 2012 and 2013 at four sites that span elevation gradients in sagebrush steppe habitats in eastern Oregon. Each site contained nine sampling plots, arranged in groups of three at low, mid, and high elevations. Insects were collected using blue and yellow Japanese beetle flight traps and pitfall traps several times throughout the active season in 2012 and 2013. All insects were identified to the level of family and abundance. Abundances of families collected in pitfall traps, blue Japanese beetle flight traps, and yellow Japanese beetle flight traps are reported separately. Weather data was collected using iButton data loggers and weather stations. Hourly data was summarized into daily values which are reported here. When weather stations were not available, weather variables were estimated using data from nearby NOAA weather stations (see methods section of associated publication for details). Vegetation density data were collected using photo-grid analysis and point-quarter analysis. Vegetation data were collected at every sampling plot once per year.

This data release supports the referenced publication 'Climate futures for lizards and snakes in western North America may result in new species management issues' in this metadata record. Data included in this release includes raster data outputs and resulting summaries from the analyses, described in the processing steps of this metadata record. In summary this release includes information for 129 species and 1 genera of snakes and lizards in western North America. There are 7 rasters for each species and 6 summary rasters for the entire dataset, to total 916 rasters. For each species, rasters display a projected climate-niche at 6 time scenarios and 1 comparison between two scenarios. The summary rasters display calculated richness generated from the individual species rasters for a given time scenario. In addition to the raster data, each species includes an illustration of the comparison raster. The summary data files for this dataset include .csv files that describe the extent and changes of the projected climate-niche space.

This data release supports the referenced publication 'Climate futures for lizards and snakes in western North America may result in new species management issues' in this metadata record. Data included in this release includes raster data outputs and resulting summaries from the analyses, described in the processing steps of this metadata record. In summary this release includes information for 129 species and 1 genera of snakes and lizards in western North America. There are 7 rasters for each species and 6 summary rasters for the entire dataset, to total 916 rasters. For each species, rasters display a projected climate-niche at 6 time scenarios and 1 comparison between two scenarios. The summary rasters display calculated richness generated from the individual species rasters for a given time scenario. In addition to the raster data, each species includes an illustration of the comparison raster. The summary data files for this dataset include .csv files that describe the extent and changes of the projected climate-niche space.