ABSTRACT

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

2.  Affiliation:

    Funding Agency:

3.  PRISM was used to

> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:

Google 1

Pingping Xie and Phillip A. Arkin

Global Precipitation: A 17-Year Monthly Analysis Based on Gauge
Observations, Satellite Estimates, and Numerical Model Outputs

Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society Vol. 78, No. 11,
November 1997

Pages 2539-2558

ABSTRACT

Gridded fields (analyses) of global monthly precipitation have been
constructed on a 2.5° latitude--longitude grid for the 17-yr period from
1979 to 1995 by merging several kinds of information sources with
different characteristics, including gauge observations, estimates
inferred from a variety of satellite observations, and the NCEP--NCAR
reanalysis. This new dataset, which the authors have named the CPC
Merged Analysis of Precipitation (CMAP), contains precipitation
distributions with full global coverage and improved quality compared to
the individual data sources. Examinations showed no discontinuity during
the 17-yr period, despite the different data sources used for the
different subperiods. Comparisons of the CMAP with the merged analysis
of Huffman et al. revealed remarkable agreements over the global land
areas and over tropical and subtropical oceanic areas, with differences
observed over extra tropical oceanic areas.

The 17-yr CMAP dataset is used to investigate the annual and interannual
variability in large-scale precipitation. The mean distribution and the
annual cycle in the 17-yr dataset exhibit reasonable agreement with
existing long-term means except over the eastern tropical Pacific. The
interannual variability associated with the El Niño--Southern
Oscillation phenomenon resembles that found in previous studies, but
with substantial additional details, particularly over the oceans. With
complete global coverage, extended period and improved quality, the
17-yr dataset of the CMAP provides very useful information for climate
analysis, numerical model validation, hydrological research, and many
other applications. Further work is under way to improve the quality,
extend the temporal coverage, and to refine the resolution of the merged
analysis.

NOTE

The accurate definition of the bias and error structures for the
individual data sources is the key to the success of the merged
analysis. At present, this is based largely on subjective assumptions,
particularly over the oceans. Further work is necessary to improve our
quantitative understanding of the individual error structures.
Particularly, the relationship among the error for various individual
data sources must be investigated and included in the definition of the
linear combination coefficients used in the maximum likelihood
estimation. The observations to be made available from the TRMM project
(Simpson et al. 1988) will certainly be crucial in solving this problem,
at least for the Tropics and subtropics. Finally, since some
applications in meteorology and hydrology require higher resolution in
space and time, development of a global precipitation dataset with finer
resolution is under consideration. Page 2556

1.  PRISM Data:

> The aerial mean precipitation for each grid area is calculated by an
> algorithm called PRISM, which is based on linear regression of gauge
> precipitation and terrain (Daly et al. 1994).

2.  Affiliation:

> National Centers for Environmental Prediction, National Oceanic and
> Atmospheric Administration, Washington, D.C.

Funding Agency: (None listed)

3.  PRISM was used to determine aerial mean precipitation in gridded
    fields (analyses) of global monthly precipitation were constructed
    on a 2.5° latitude--longitude grid for the 17-yr period from 1979
    to 1995. The new dataset, which the authors named the CPC Merged
    Analysis of Precipitation (CMAP), contains precipitation
    distributions with full global coverage and improved quality
    compared to the individual data sources.

> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "... the CPC Merged Analysis of Precipitation (CMAP), the 17-yr
> dataset provides global monthly precipitation distributions with full
> coverage and improved quality compared to the individual data
> sources."

Google 4

The Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP) Combined
Precipitation Dataset

George J. Huffman, Robert F. Adler, Philip Arkin, Alfred Chang, Ralph
Ferraro, &

Arnold Gruber, & John Janowiak, Alan McNab,Bruno Rudolf, and Udo
Schneider

*Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society Vol. 78, No. 1, January
1997*

Pages 5-20

ABSTRACT

The Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP) has released the
GPCP Version 1 Combined Precipitation Data Set, a global, monthly
precipitation dataset covering the period July 1987 through December
1995. The primary product in the dataset is a merged analysis
incorporating precipitation estimates from low-orbit-satellite microwave
data, geosynchronous-orbit-satellite infrared data, and rain gauge
observations. The dataset also contains the individual input fields, a
combination of the microwave and infrared satellite estimates, and error
estimates for each field. The data are provided on 2.5° 2.5°
latitude--longitude global grids. Preliminary analyses show general
agreement with prior studies of global precipitation and extend prior
studies of El Niño--Southern Oscillation precipitation patterns. At the
regional scale there are systematic differences with standard
climatologies.

NOTE

The SRDC estimate is calculated from quality checked daily gauge data
using the PRISM analysis program (Daly et al. 1994). PRISM is based on
linear regressions of gauge precipitation and terrain (slope and
elevation). The regression equations are used with a very fine grid of
elevations and slopes (obtained from a digital elevation model) to infer
precipitation over the entire grid. Page 17

1.  PRISM Data:

> The SRDC estimate is calculated from quality checked daily gauge data
> using the PRISM analysis program (Daly et al. 1994).

2.  Affiliation:

> NASA/GSFC Laboratory for Atmospheres, and Science Systems and
> Applications, Inc., Greenbelt, Maryland.

Funding Agency:

> The GPCP Version 1 Combined Precipitation Data Set is produced under
> the auspices of the GPCP Working Group on Data Management.
>
> Acknowledged the ongoing support for the activities described in this
> paper by Deutscher Wetterdienst, National Aeronautics and Space
> Administration, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

3.  PRISM was used to complete a Combined Precipitation Data Set (GPCP
    Version 1), a global, monthly precipitation dataset covering the
    period July 1987 through December 1995. The primary product in the
    dataset is a merged analysis incorporating precipitation estimates
    from low-orbit-satellite microwave data,
    geosynchronous-orbit-satellite infrared data, and rain gauge
    observations.

4.  Impact or Conclusion:

> "Four major themes are likely for future releases of the GPCP
> combination. Extension to earlier periods that lack SSM/I data is
> needed to fulfill the mandate to start in 1986. Error estimation needs
> to be improved and refined. A whole class of users would benefit from
> globally complete fields. A research version of globally complete
> fields is already in development, based on the use of estimates of
> precipitation from four-dimensional data assimilation models. Finally,
> upcoming satellites such as Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission hold
> great promise for refining the calibrations of the SSM/I and GPCP
> estimates." Page 18

Google 6

E. P. Maurer, A. W. Wood, J. C. Adam, and D. P. Lettenmaier, B. Nijssen

A Long-Term Hydrologically Based Dataset of Land Surface Fluxes and
States for the Conterminous United States

***Journal of Climate:* Vol. 15, No. 22, pp. 3237--3251.**

**doi: 10.1175/1520-0442(2002)015\<3237:ALTHBD\>2.0.CO;2\
**

ABSTRACT

A frequently encountered difficulty in assessing model-predicted
land--atmosphere exchanges of moisture and energy is the absence of
comprehensive observations to which model predictions can be compared at
the spatial and temporal resolutions at which the models operate.
Various methods have been used to evaluate the land surface schemes in
coupled models, including comparisons of model-predicted
evapotranspiration with values derived from atmospheric water balances,
comparison of model-predicted energy and radiative fluxes with tower
measurements during periods of intensive observations, comparison of
model-predicted runoff with observed stream flow, and comparison of
model predictions of soil moisture with spatial averages of point
observations. While these approaches have provided useful model
diagnostic information, the observation-based products used in the
comparisons typically are inconsistent with the model variables with
which they are compared---for example, observations are for points or
areas much smaller than the model spatial resolution, comparisons are
restricted to temporal averages, or the spatial scale is large compared
to that resolved by the model. Furthermore, none of the datasets
available at present allow an evaluation of the interaction of the water
balance components over large regions for long periods. In this study, a
model-derived dataset of land surface states and fluxes is presented for
the conterminous United States and portions of Canada and Mexico. The
dataset spans the period 1950--2000, and is at a 3-h time step with a
spatial resolution of
![](media/image1.png){width="0.12569444444444444in"
height="0.1763888888888889in"} degree. The data are distinct from
reanalysis products in that precipitation is a gridded product derived
directly from observations, and both the land surface water and energy
budgets balance at every time step. The surface forcings include
precipitation and air temperature (both gridded from observations), and
derived downward solar and long wave radiation, vapor pressure deficit,
and wind. Simulated runoff is shown to match observations quite well
over large river basins. On this basis, and given the physically based
model parameterizations, it is argued that other terms in the surface
water balance (e.g., soil moisture and evapotranspiration) are well
represented, at least for the purposes of diagnostic studies such as
those in which atmospheric model reanalysis products have been widely
used. These characteristics make this dataset useful for a variety of
studies, especially where ground observations are lacking.

NOTE

Although the PRISM data do account for the lower station density in more
complex terrain, they do not include an adjustment for precipitation
gauge under catch, which can be significant especially for snowfall
measurements (Goodison et al. 1998). For this reason, some underestimate
of precipitation may still be present in snow-dominated areas. Page 3241

1.  PRISM Data:

> The gridded daily precipitation data were then scaled to match the
> long term average of the parameter-elevation regressions on
> independent slopes model (PRISM) precipitation climatology (Daly et
> al. 1994, 1997), which is a comprehensive dataset of 12 monthly means
> for 1961--90 that is statistically adjusted to capture local
> variations due to complex terrain. This was done by generating 12
> scale factors for each grid cell, one for each month, where each scale
> factor was the ratio of the PRISM mean monthly precipitation for
> 1961--90 to the mean monthly gridded, unscaled Co-op station
> precipitation for 1961--90.

2.  Affiliation:

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of
Washington, Seattle, Washington

Funding Agency:

> This publication supported in part by the Joint Institute for the
> Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean (JISAO) at the University of
> Washington, funded under NOAA Cooperative Agreement NA17RJ1232,
> Contribution 886, as part of the GEWEX
>
> Continental-Scale International Project (GCIP), and by a NASA Earth
> System Science Fellowship to the first author.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used in "...a model-derived dataset of land surface
> states and fluxes (for) the conterminous United States and portions of
> Canada and Mexico. The data are distinct from reanalysis products in
> that precipitation is a gridded product derived directly from
> observations, and both the land surface water and energy budgets
> balance at every time step. The surface forcings include precipitation
> and air temperature (both gridded from observations), and derived
> downward solar and long wave radiation, vapor pressure deficit, and
> wind. Simulated runoff is shown to match observations quite well over
> large river basins. These characteristics make this dataset useful for
> a variety of studies, especially where ground observations are
> lacking."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> We have described a derived dataset of land surface states and fluxes
> for the LDAS domain, which comprises the conterminous United States,
> and portions of Canada and is at a resolution of ⅛, or roughly 140
> square kilometers per grid cell on average. The data are distinct from
> reanalysis products in that both the water and energy budgets at the
> land surface balance at every time step. Furthermore, the surface
> forcings include observed precipitation, and the simulated runoff is
> shown to match observations quite well over large river basins,
> indicating that, over the long term, in order to balance precipitation
> and runoff, evapotransporation must also be realistic. Given the
> physically based parameterizations in the model, we argue that over
> shorter timescales other terms in the surface water balance (e.g.,
> soil moisture) are probably well represented, at least for the
> purposes of diagnostic studies such as those in which reanalysis
> products have been widely used. These characteristics give this
> dataset promise for proving useful for a variety of studies,
> especially where ground observations are lacking. As the data are
> extended through 2000 and 2001, the overlap of the dataset with
> archived model results including assimilation of remotely sensed
> observations will provide more opportunities for study.

Google 8

Carlos Carroll, Reed F. Noss, and Paul C. Paque

CARNIVORES AS FOCAL SPECIES FOR CONSERVATION PLANNING

IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION

World Wildlife Fund Canada: 245 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 410,
Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4P 3J1

**EXECUTIVE SUMMARY**

We developed empirical habitat models for fisher, lynx, and wolverine
based on a geographically-extensive data set of trapping and sighting
records. Predictor variables derived directly from satellite imagery
were significantly correlated with carnivore distribution and allowed us
to predict distribution in areas for which detailed vegetation data are
lacking. Predicted habitat values for lynx and wolverine are
significantly correlated with trapping data from an area outside the
extent of the original data set. We predicted grizzly bear, cougar, and
gray wolf habitat by adapting previously-published habitat models.
Conceptual models for black bear, bobcat, coyote, and marten were
developed from a review of published information on species habitat
associations.

Our results suggest that when designing a comprehensive conservation
strategy for carnivores in the region, the needs of several species
rather than a single presumed umbrella species must be considered. For
example, predicted habitat for grizzly bear has high overlap with that
for wolverine, intermediate overlap with that for fisher, and low
overlap with that for lynx. Whereas fisher and lynx habitat, unlike that
of wolverine and grizzly bear, is not strongly associated with low
levels of human population and low incidence of roads, it is naturally
fragmented by topography and vegetation gradients and is poorly
represented in existing protected areas. Principal components analysis
revealed commonalities among all carnivores except the bobcat in what
constitutes high-quality habitat. The two major contrasts within the
carnivore guild were: (1) between species that avoid rugged terrain
(e.g., lynx and wolf) and those that use such areas (e.g., wolverine and
marten) and (2) between species that are sensitive to direct human
impacts but are able to use open habitats (e.g., wolf and wolverine) and
those strongly associated with forested areas (e.g., lynx and marten).
Some species, such as the fisher, appear to be intermediate between
these extremes.

NOTE

Empirical distribution models such as those developed here are an
important initial stage in a regional-scale monitoring program or
reserve design, but must be rigorously validated and refined with new
field data. Coordinated planning across multiple ownerships is necessary
to prevent further fragmentation of carnivore habitat, especially in the
United States-Canada border We acquired data on mean annual
precipitation throughout the study area at approximately 2-km resolution
(Daly et al. 1994). Mean annual snowfall data were also available for
the U.S. portion of the study area. These climatic data were derived
from meteorological records and elevation data by means of the PRISM
model (Daly et al. 1994). Page 8

1.  PRISM Data:

> We acquired data on mean annual precipitation throughout the study
> area at approximately 2-km resolution (Daly et al. 1994). Mean annual
> snowfall data were also available for the U.S. portion of the study
> area. These climatic data were derived from meteorological records and
> elevation data by means of the PRISM model (Daly et al. 1994).

2.  Affiliation:

World Wildlife Fund Canada, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Funding Agency:

> BP Amoco Canada, The Calgary Foundation, Canadian 88 Energy Corp.,
> ESRI Inc. (Redlands, CA), The Lodge at Waterton Lakes, The Nature
> Conservancy, N. M. Davis Corporation Ltd., Parks Canada, Art Price,
> TransAlta Corporation, TransCanada Pipelines Ltd., The Wilburforce
> Foundation

3.  PRISM was used to create an empirical distribution model for
    designing a comprehensive conservation strategy for carnivores in
    the Rocky Mountain region.

4.  Impact or Conclusion:

> Our results suggest that when designing a comprehensive conservation
> strategy for carnivores in the region, the needs of several species
> rather than a single presumed umbrella species must be considered.

Google 11

A high-resolution data set of surface climate over

global land areas

Mark New1, David Lister, Mike Hulme, Ian Makin

Clim Res 21: 1--25, 2002

ABSTRACT

ABSTRACT: We describe the construction of a 10' latitude/longitude data
set of mean monthly surface climate over global land areas, excluding
Antarctica. The climatology includes 8 climate elements---
precipitation, wet-day frequency, temperature, diurnal temperature
range, relative humidity, sunshine duration, ground frost frequency and
wind speed---and was interpolated from a data set of station means for
the period centered on 1961 to 1990. Precipitation was first defined in
terms of the parameters of the Gamma distribution, enabling the
calculation of monthly precipitation at any given return period. The
data are compared to an earlier data set at 0.5º latitude/longitude
resolution and show added value over most regions. The data will have
many applications in applied climatology, biogeochemical modeling,
hydrology and agricultural meteorology and are available through the
International Water Management Institute World Water and Climate Atlas
([http://www.iwmi.org](http://www.iwmi.org/)) and the Climatic Research
Unit ([http://www.cru.uea.ac.uk](http://www.cru.uea.ac.uk/)).

KEY WORDS: High resolution data set · Surface climate · Applied
climatology · Precipitation

probability · IWMI Climate Atlas · CRU

NOTE

We have documented the construction of a high resolution mean monthly
climatology of global land areas excluding Antarctica.

1.  PRISM Data:

> Over the western USA, we adopt a similar comparison to that employed
> over the Indian sub-continent, but we are also able to compare NEW01
> to a 'state of the art' regional climatology, the 10' version of the
> PRISM data set (Daly et al. 1994), downloaded from the **USDA**
> Natural Resources Conservation Services
> ([http://www.ftw.nrcs.usda.gov](http://www.ftw.nrcs.usda.gov/)).

2.  Affiliation:

School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Mansfield
Road, Oxford OX1 3TB, United Kingdom

Funding Agency:

> The development of the data sets was commissioned by IWMI with
> financial support provided through the United States Assistance
> International Development (USAID) and the Official Development
> Assistance of the Government of Japan.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to construct a 10' lat/lon mean monthly climatology
> of surface climate over global land areas, excluding Antarctica
> (henceforth NEW01). The data set represents an improvement on an
> earlier gridded climatology at 30' lat/lon resolution (henceforth
> NEW99, New et al. 1999) through an increased spatial resolution, the
> incorporation of additional station data and the inclusion of a
> description of precipitation variability, enabling the calculation of
> probability distributions of monthly precipitation.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> This research builds on earlier work which resulted in a 30' lat/lon
> data set over the same domain (New et al. 1999) by including
> additional
>
> station data in some data-sparse areas, making use of an improved
> topographic data set and expressing precipitation in terms of the
> parameters of the Gamma distribution. The latter enables the
> calculation of precipitation at any exceedence probability (i.e. the
> monthly precipitation exceeded a given percentage of the time), which
> has a number of potential applications in applied hydro climatology
> and agricultural meteorology. The data set comprises 8 surface climate
> variables---precipitation, wet-day frequency, mean temperature,
> diurnal temperature range, relative humidity, sunshine duration,
> ground frost frequency and wind speed.

[Google 12]{.mark}

Ecosystem responses to elevated nitrogen deposition in the Colorado
Front Range

Baron, J. S. ,Wolfe, A. P., Nydick, K. R., Moraska, B. M., Johnson, B.
R. ,Minear, J. T.

*Ecosystems, New York*: 2000 3: 4; pages 352-368

ABSTRACT

We asked whether 3-5 kg N ym1 atmospheric N deposition was sufficient to
have influenced natural, otherwise undisturbed, terrestrial and aquatic
ecosystems of the Colorado Front Range by comparing ecosystem processes
and properties east and west of the Continental Divide. The eastern side
receives elevated N deposition from urban, agricultural, and industrial
sources, compared with 1-2 kg N ym1 on the western side. Foliage of east
side old-growth Englemann spruce forests have significantly lower C:N
and lignin:N ratios and greater N:Mg and N:P ratios. Soil % N is higher,
and C:N ratios lower in the east side stands, and potential net N
mineralization rates are greater. Lake NO3 concentrations are
significantly higher in eastern lakes than western lakes. Two east side
lakes studied paleolimnologically revealed rapid changes in diatom
community composition and increased biovolumes and cell concentrations.
The diatom flora is now representative of increased disturbance or
eutrophication. Sediment nitrogen isotopic ratios have become
progressively lighter over the past 50 years, coincident with the change
in algal flora, possibly from an influx of isotopically light N
volatilized from agricultural fields and feedlots. Seventy-five percent
of the increased east side soil N pool can be accounted for by increased
N deposition commensurate with human settlement. Nitrogen emissions from
fixed, mobile, and agricultural sources have increased dramatically
since approximately 1950 to the east of the Colorado Front Range, as
they have in many parts of the world. Our findings indicate even slight
increases in atmospheric deposition lead to measurable changes in
ecosystem properties.

Key words: nitrogen; Rocky Mountains; Colorado; subalpine forests;
alpine and subalpine lakes; paleolimnology; diatoms; N isotopes.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data: (Mention of specific ppt value at Fraser Experimental
    Forest, see number 3, below.)

2.  Affiliation:USGS

    Funding Agency:

3\. PRISM was used mentioned:

> "Mean annual precipitation is 1100 mm at Loch Vale (Baron 1992), 1200
> mm at Niwot Ridge
>
> (Williams and others 1996b), and approximately 900 mm at Fraser
> Experimental Forest (Daly and others 1994). Most precipitation is
> deposited as snow between November and May."

3.  Impact or Conclusion:

> "Our findings indicate even slight increases in atmospheric deposition
> lead
>
> to measurable changes in ecosystem properties."

Google 13

REGIONAL GRADIENT ANALYSIS AND SPATIAL PATTERN OF WOODY PLANT
COMMUNITIES OF OREGON FORESTS

Janet L. Ohmann,0 and Thomas A. Spies0

*Ecological Monographs*: Vol. 68, No. 2, pp. 151--182**.**

ABSTRACT

Knowledge of regional-scale patterns of ecological community structure,
and of factors that control them, is largely conceptual. Regional- and
local-scale factors associated with regional variation in community
composition have not been quantified. We analyzed data on woody plant
species abundance from 2443 field plots across natural and semi natural
forests and woodlands of Oregon to identify and quantify environmental,
biotic, and disturbance factors associated with regional gradients of
woody species composition; to examine how these factors change with
scale (geographic extent) and location; and to characterize and map
geographic patterns of species and environmental gradients.

Environmental correlates of species gradients, species diversity
patterns, and the spatial patterning of woody plant communities varied
with geographic extent and location. Total variation explained (TVE) by
canonical correspondence analyses (CCAs) was 9--15% at three
hierarchical geographic extents: the entire state, two half-states, and
five sub regions. Our high level of unexplained species variation is
typical of vegetation gradient analyses, which has been attributed to
landscape effects, stochastic processes, and unpredictable historical
events. In addition, we found that TVE in canonical correspondence
analysis is confounded by sample size. Large numbers of plots and
species, as in our study, are associated with lower TVEs, and we propose
a mechanism for this phenomenon.

Climate contributed most to TVE (46--60%) at all locations and extents,
followed by geology (11--19%), disturbance (6--12%), and topography
(4--8%). Seasonal variability and extremes in climate were more
important in explaining species gradients than were mean annual climatic
conditions. In addition, species gradients were more strongly associated
with climatic conditions during the growing season than in winter. The
dominant gradient at the state scale was from the lower elevation,
moderate, maritime climate along the coast to the higher elevation,
drier, continental climate of eastern Oregon. The second canonical axis
followed a gradient from the warm, dry, growing seasons of the western
interior valleys and eastern Cascade Range to the cooler, wetter
mountainous areas. Geologic variables were most strongly correlated with
axis 3, and measures of local site and disturbance with axis 4. For most
of the state, our findings on the associations of disturbance factors
with species gradients were inconclusive due to confounding of land
ownership patterns, disturbance histories, and elevation in our sample.
Near the coast, where gradients were not confounded, clear-cutting and
stand age accounted for only 2 and 1% of TVE, respectively, in partial
CCA. Ordinations of our long, regional gradients were influenced more by
species presence than by abundance, and few woody species have been
totally eliminated from sites by clear-cutting.

Within Oregon and for the range of geographic extents we examined,
variation in the environmental correlates of species gradients was more
strongly associated with geographic location than with geographic
extent, although topographic factors explained slightly more variation
at smaller geographic extents. The greatest sub regional contrast in
vegetation character was between eastern and northwestern Oregon, and
the Klamath sub region was intermediate. In the drier climate of eastern
Oregon, community structure varied at a finer spatial scale, and
climatic and topographic moisture were more strongly associated with
species gradients than in the moister areas of western Oregon.
Topographic effects were weakest and climatic effects strongest near the
coast, where climate is moderate. Alpha and gamma diversity were greater
in western Oregon, but beta diversity was greater in eastern Oregon and
greater for shrubs than for trees.

Our findings supported a conceptual model of multiscaled controls on
vegetation distribution, and the related notion that local community
structure is the result of both regional- and local-scale processes.
Despite strong ecological contrasts within the region, we were able to
synthesize species--environment relations at the regional level. This
suggests that apparent conflicts among local vegetation studies can be
explained by real ecological differences among places.

*Key words:* canonical correspondence analysis; forest ecology; gradient
analysis; Oregon; plant communities; regional vegetation analysis;
species diversity; variance partitioning; woody plants.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> We derived climate data from precipitation map surfaces generated by
> the Precipitation-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model
> (PRISM) ([Daly et al.
> 1994](http://www.esajournals.org/esaonline/?request=get-document&issn=0012-9615&volume=068&issue=02&page=0151#i0012-9615-068-02-0151-daly1%23i0012-9615-068-02-0151-daly1))

2.  Affiliation:Pacific Northwest Research Station, Corvallis, Oregon

    Funding Agency:

    Pacific Northwest Research Station, **USDA** Forest Service

3.  PRISM was used to provide precipitation data in an analysis of "data
    on woody plant species abundance from 2443 field plots across
    natural and semi-natural forests and woodlands of Oregon to identify
    and quantify environmental, biotic, and disturbance factors
    associated with regional gradients of woody species composition; to
    examine how these factors change with scale (geographic extent) and
    location; and to characterize and map geographic patterns of species
    and environmental gradients."

> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> Our findings supported a conceptual model of multiscaled controls on
> vegetation distribution, and the related notion that local community
> structure is the result of both regional- and local-scale processes.
> Despite strong ecological contrasts within the region, we were able to
> synthesize species--environment relations at the regional level. This
> suggests that apparent conflicts among local vegetation studies can be
> explained by real ecological differences among places.

Google 15

ANALYZING EXTREME DISTURBANCE EVENTS: FIRE IN LOS PADRES NATIONAL FOREST

Max A. Moritza

*Ecological Applications*: Vol. 7, No. 4, pp. 1252--1262.

ABSTRACT

Extreme disturbance events may strongly influence the structure and
functioning of many ecosystems, particularly those in which large,
infrequent events are the defining forces within the region. This paper
introduces the *extremal fire regime* (i.e., the time series of the
largest fire per year) and the assumptions implicit in its analysis. I
describe the statistics of extremes and demonstrate their application to
the fire regime of Los Padres National Forest, California, to compare
two regions (i.e., Main and Monterey divisions), to test for a shift in
fire regime due to fire suppression, and to examine climatic events as a
forcing mechanism for large fires. Despite their similarity and
proximity, the Main Division exhibited a much higher frequency of large
fires (and shorter return time) compared to the Monterey Division.
Comparison of time periods 1911--1950 and 1951--1991 indicated that fire
suppression had no effect on the distribution of very large fires in the
Main Division, although the frequency of fires smaller than
![](media/image2.png){width="0.13541666666666666in"
height="9.375e-2in"}4000 ha declined. Comparing distributions of an
index for severity of Santa Ana conditions (i.e., characterized by hot,
dry winds) and extreme fire events in the Main Division indicated a
convergence of distributions with increasing event size. The
distribution of fire events larger than
![](media/image2.png){width="0.13472222222222222in"
height="9.236111111111112e-2in"}4000 ha appears to be coupled with that
of severe Santa Ana conditions, suggesting a strong climatic forcing for
extreme fires and a threshold for the transition from small- to
large-fire dynamics. Results indicate the usefulness of *extremal fire
regime* analysis for comparisons over space and time and for examining a
potential forcing mechanism. This approach can be applied to any
disturbance regime in which large events play an important role,
providing ecologists and land managers with a useful tool for
understanding and predicting dynamics of extreme disturbance events.

*Key words:* climate; disturbance; extremal fire regime; fire size;
landscape ecology; Los Padres National Forest; statistics of extremes.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Used PRISM precipitation map to show location of Los Padres National
> Forest in relation to modeled annual average precipitation ([Daly et
> al.
> 1994](http://www.esajournals.org/esaonline/?request=get-document&issn=1051-0761&volume=007&issue=04&page=1252#i1051-0761-007-04-1252-daly1%23i1051-0761-007-04-1252-daly1)).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:
>
> Biogeography Lab, Department of Geography, University of California,
> Santa Barbara, California

Funding Agency:

> Supported in part by LPNF and by NSF under Grants BIR9413141 and
> GER9354870 through the University of California at Santa Barbara's
> Graduate Training Program in Dynamics of Spatially Structured
> Ecological Systems
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to provide a graphic showing location of Los Padres
> National Forest in relation to modeled average PRISM precipitation.

4.  Impact or Conclusion:

> "Results indicate the usefulness of EFR analysis for comparisons over
> space and time and for examining a potential forcing mechanism."
>
> "Although findings of this study have practical implications for fire
> planning and management, there is more general significance. Because
> of the proximity and similarity of the two areas compared, one might
> expect environmental gradients over a few hundred kilometers to result
> in similar EFRs; however, this application shows substantial
> differences. This reflects the potential of EFR analysis for examining
> disturbance regime sensitivities to possible changes in climate (e.g.,
> [Knox
> 1993](http://www.esajournals.org/esaonline/?request=get-document&issn=1051-0761&volume=007&issue=04&page=1252#i1051-0761-007-04-1252-knox1%23i1051-0761-007-04-1252-knox1))."

Google 16

Using Presence-Absence Data to Build and Test Spatial Habitat Models for
the Fisher in the Klamath Region, U.S.A.

Carlos Carroll, William J. Zielinski, Reed F. Noss

*The Journal of the Society for Conservation Biology* : Volume 13,
Number 6 December 1999

ABSTRACT

Forest carnivores such as the fisher (*Martes pennanti*) have frequently
been the target of conservation concern because of their association in
some regions with older forests and sensitivity to landscape-level
habitat alteration. Although the fisher has been extirpated from most of
its former range in the western United States, it is still found in
northwestern California. Fisher distribution, however, is still poorly
known in most of this region where surveys have not been conducted. To
predict fisher distribution across the region, we created a multiple
logistic regression model using data from 682 previously surveyed
locations and a vegetation layer created from satellite imagery. A
moving-window function in a geographic information system was used to
derive landscape-level indices of canopy closure, tree size class, and
percent conifer. The model was validated with new data from 468 survey
locations. The correct classification rate of 78.6% with the new data
was similar to that achieved with the original data set (80.4%). Whereas
several fine-scale habitat attributes were significantly correlated with
fisher presence, the multivariate model containing only landscape- and
regional-scale variables performed as well as one incorporating
fine-scale data, suggesting that habitat selection by fishers may be
dominated by factors operating at the home-range scale and above. Fisher
distribution was strongly associated with landscapes with high levels of
tree canopy closure. Regional gradients such as annual precipitation
were also significant. At the plot level, the diameter of hardwoods was
greater at sites with fisher detections. A comparison of regional fisher
distribution with land-management categories suggests that increased
emphasis on the protection of biologically productive, low- to
mid-elevation forests is important to ensuring the long-term viability
of fisher populations.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Apparently used Daly et al. 1994 precipitation data. At least, they
> mention it as available GIS data (see page 1346 of article.) A
> multiple logistic regression model was created "using data from 682
> previously surveyed locations and a vegetation layer created from
> satellite imagery." Regional gradients of precipitation were included
> in the study.

2.  Affiliation:

> Pacific Southwest Research Station, **USDA** Forest Service, Arcata,
> CA

Funding Agency:

> US Forest Service Region 5, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, US Forest
> Service Pacific Southwest Research Station, and the Foundation For
> Deep Ecology
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to (uncertain as there is only one reference to
> Daly et al. See text, above, under PRISM data.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> Fisher distribution was strongly associated with landscapes with high
> levels of tree canopy closure. Regional gradients *such as annual
> precipitation* were also significant. At the plot level, the diameter
> of hardwoods was greater at sites with fisher detections. A comparison
> of regional fisher distribution with land-management categories
> suggests that increased emphasis on the protection of biologically
> productive, low- to mid-elevation forests is important to ensuring the
> long-term viability of fisher populations.

Google 17

Nijssen, B., G. M. O\'Donnell, D. P. Lettenmaier, D. Lohmann, and E. F.
Wood, 2001: Predicting the discharge of global rivers.

*J. Climate:* 14, 3307-3323.

ABSTRACT

The ability to simulate coupled energy and water fluxes over large
continental river basins, in particular stream flow, was largely
nonexistent a decade ago. Since then, macro scale hydrological models
(MHMs) have been developed, which predict such fluxes at continental and
sub-continental scales. Because the runoff formulation in MHMs must be
parameterized because of the large spatial scale at which they are
implemented, some calibration of model parameters is inevitably
necessary. However, calibration is a time-consuming process and quickly
becomes infeasible when the modeled area or the number of basins
increases. A methodology for model parameter transfer is described that
limits the number of basins requiring direct calibration. Parameters
initially were estimated for nine large river basins. As a first attempt
to transfer parameters, the global land area was grouped by climate
zone, and model parameters were transferred within zones. The
transferred parameters were then used to simulate the water balance in
17 other continental river basins. Although the parameter transfer
approach did not reduce the bias and root-mean-square error (rmse) for
each individual basin, in aggregate the transferred parameters reduced
the relative (monthly) rmse from 121% to 96% and the mean bias from 41%
to 36%. Subsequent direct calibration of all basins further reduced the
relative rmse to an average of 70% and the bias to 12%. After
transferring the parameters globally, the mean annual global runoff
increased 9.4% and evapotranspiration decreased by 5.0% in comparison
with an earlier global simulation using uncalibrated parameters. On a
continental basis, the changes in runoff and evapotranspiration were
much larger. A diagnosis of simulation errors for four basins with
particularly poor results showed that most of the error was attributable
to bias in the Global Precipitation Climatology Project precipitation
products used to drive the MHM.

NOTE

Whereas the GPCP-based precipitation generally decreases from west to
east over the Columbia River basin, the PRISM-based precipitation shows
a much more complex spatial pattern with the highest precipitation along
the northwestern (Cascade

Mountains), and the northern and eastern (Rocky Mountains) perimeters of
the basin.

1.  PRISM Data:

regional climatology produced by Daly et al. (1994)

2.  Affiliation:

University of Washington, Seattle, Washington

Funding Agency:

> This work was supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
> under STAR Grant R 824802-01-0 to the University of Washington.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to create/validate *(not sure which)* a methodology
> for model parameter transfer that limits the number of basins
> requiring direct calibration. They determined if under simulation of
> stream flow in the Columbia River was due to the precipitation or to a
> poor combination of parameters.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> A diagnosis of simulation errors for four basins with particularly
> poor results showed that most of the error was attributable to bias in
> the Global Precipitation Climatology Project precipitation products
> used to drive the MHM.
>
> Difficulties with the precipitation forcing eliminated an additional
> four river basins. Some of the precipitation problems were due to the
> coarse resolution of the GPCP-based dataset (28 328), which failed to
> resolve strong spatial gradients in the precipitation. However, a more
> persistent problem was the underestimation of the precipitation in
> areas with complex terrain. Because most precipitation stations in
> those areas tend to be located in areas with low elevation, the
> effects of orographic enhancement are not adequately represented.
> Comparison of the mean annual precipitation field over the Columbia
> River basin with a PRISM-based precipitation field showed that the
> annual biases could be as large as 1000 mm.

Google 19

A Multicriteria Assessment of the Irreplaceability and Vulnerability of
Sites in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

Reed F. Noss, Carlos Carroll, Ken Vance-Borland, George Wuerthner

*Conservation Biology* 16:4  Pages 895-908  - August 2002\
doi:10.1046/j.1523-1739.2002.01405.x

ABSTRACT

We conducted a systematic conservation assessment of the 10.8-million-ha
Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), integrating three basic approaches
to conservation planning: protecting special elements, representing
environmental variation, and securing habitat for focal species (grizzly
bear \[*Ursus arctos*\], wolf \[*Canis lupus*\], and wolverine \[*Gulo
gulo*\]). Existing protected areas encompass 27% of the GYE but fail to
capture many biological hotspots of the region or to represent all
natural communities. Using a simulated annealing site-selection
algorithm, combined with biological and environmental data based on a
geographic information system and static ( habitat suitability) and
dynamic ( population viability) modeling of focal species, we identified
unprotected sites within the GYE that are biologically irreplaceable and
vulnerable to degradation. Irreplaceability scores were assigned to 43
mega sites (aggregations of planning units) on the basis of nine
criteria corresponding to quantitative conservation goals. Expert
opinion supplemented quantitative data in determining vulnerability
scores. If all mega sites were protected, the reserved area of the GYE
would expand by 43% (to 70%) and increase protection of known
occurrences of highly imperiled species by 71% (to 100%) and of all
special elements by 62% (to 92%). These new reserves would also
significantly increase representation of environmental variation and
capture critical areas for focal species. The greatest gains would be
achieved by protecting mega sites scoring highest in irreplaceability
and vulnerability. Protection of 15 high-priority mega sites would
expand reserved area by 22% and increase the overall achievement of
goals by 30%. Protection of highly imperiled species and representation
of geoclimatic classes would increase by 46% and 49%, respectively.
Although conservation action must be somewhat opportunistic, our method
aids decision-making by identifying areas that will contribute the most
to explicit conservation goals.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

the difference between winter mean low temperature and summer mean high
temperature (Daly et al. 1994),

2.  Affiliation:

Conservation Science, Inc., 7310 NW Acorn Ridge, Corvallis, OR

Funding Agency:

> This work was funded by the Greater Yellowstone Coalition with
> assistance from The Nature Conservancy, the Doris Duke Foundation, and
> others.

3\. PRISM was used as one of many major components of climate variation
to classify geoclimatic types: (1) mean

> annual precipitation, (2) spring precipitation, (3) mean annual low
> temperature, (4) mean annual high temperature, and (5) the difference
> between winter mean low temperature and summer mean high temperature
> (Daly et al. 1994), in addition to mean annual growing degree days.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> Our simulations of the effects of alternative future scenarios on the
> viability of focal species showed that the straightforward action of
> avoiding new road building in existing roadless areas on public lands
> would have highly positive results (Noss et al. 2001).

Google 20

**Validation of Mesoscale Precipitation in the NCEP Reanalysis Using a
New Gridcell**

**Dataset for the Northwestern United States**

MARTIN WIDMANN\* AND CHRISTOPHER S. BRETHERTON

*Journal of Climate* 2000: 13; pages 1936-1950

ABSTRACT

Precipitation fields from the National Centers for Environmental
Prediction (NCEP) reanalysis are validated with high-resolution, gridded
precipitation observations over Oregon and Washington. The NCEP
reanalysis is thought of as a proxy for an ideal GCM that nearly
perfectly represents the synoptic-scale pressure, temperature, and
humidity but does not resolve the complex topography of this region. The
authors' main goal is to understand how useful precipitation fields from
such a model are for estimating temporal variability in local
precipitation.

The gridded observations represent area-averaged precipitation on a
50-km grid and have daily temporal resolution. They are calculated with
a newly developed scheme, which explicitly takes into account the effect
of the topography on precipitation. This gridding method profits from
the already existing, high-resolution climatologies for the monthly mean
precipitation in the United States, obtained from the
Precipitation--Elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model
(PRISM), by using these climatologies for calibration. The estimation of
daily precipitation on scales as small as 4 km is also discussed.

The reanalysis captures well precipitation amounts and month-to-month
variability on spatial scales of about 500 km or three grid cells, which
indicates a good performance of the precipitation parameterization
scheme. On smaller spatial scales the NCEP reanalysis has systematic
biases, which can be mainly attributed to the poor representation of the
topography but nevertheless can be used to reconstruct the temporal
variability of local precipitation on daily to yearly timescales. This
suggests that GCM precipitation might be a good predictor for
statistical downscaling techniques.

NOTE

"...our findings are still relevant in these cases, because they suggest
that the simulated precipitation, although not realistic, would be
consistent with the simulated synoptic-scale states (to the extent given
by our analysis). Note in this context that alternative methods of
estimating precipitation from synoptic-scale variables, namely
statistical downscaling or the use of regional numerical models, also
rely on realistic input fields. Errors in GCM-simulated synoptic scale
fields are propagated by any method."

1.  PRISM Data:

> The data is also adjusted to so that the 1961-90 climatology is the
> same as that of the Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent
> Slopes Model (PRISM) data set for the same period.

2.  Affiliation:

> Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle,
> Washington

Funding Agency:

> This research was supported by the National Science Foundation under
> Grant DMS- 9524770. The first author was also supported by a grant
> from the Swiss National Science Foundation.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to address the problem encountered in the direct
> gridding approach, which "presumably leads to large errors and should
> be replaced by a method that includes some representation of the
> topography and its effect on precipitation." PRISM data was used to
> calibrate gridded daily data with the long-term (1961--90), very
> high-resolution, monthly precipitation climatologies for the United
> States.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> The reanalysis captures well precipitation amounts and month-to-month
> variability on spatial scales of about 500 km or three grid cells,
> which indicates a good performance of the precipitation
> parameterization scheme. On smaller spatial scales the NCEP reanalysis
> has systematic biases, which can be mainly attributed to the poor
> representation of the topography but nevertheless can be used to
> reconstruct the temporal variability of local precipitation on daily
> to yearly timescales. This suggests that GCM (general circulation
> model) precipitation might be a good predictor for statistical
> downscaling techniques.

[Google 21 Couldn't find article]{.mark}

[**Predictive Mapping of Alpine Grasslands in Switzerland: Species
versus Community Approach**\
Niklaus E. Zimmermann, Felix Kienast\
*Journal of Vegetation Science*, Vol. 10, No. 4 (Aug., 1999) , pp.
469-482]{.mark}

ABSTRACT

Separate logistic regression models were developed to predict the
distribution and large-scale spatial patterns of dominant graminoid
species and communities in alpine grasslands. The models are driven by
four bioclimatic parameters: degree-days of growing season (basis 0
degrees C), a moisture index for July, potential direct solar radiation
for March, and a continentality index. Geology and slope angle were used
as a surrogate for nutrient availability and soil water capacity. The
bioclimatic parameters were derived from monthly mean temperature,
precipitation, cloudiness and potential direct solar radiation. The
environmental parameters were interpolated using a digital elevation
model with a resolution of 50 m. The vegetation data for model
calibration originate from field surveys and literature. An independent
test data set with samples from three different climatic zones was used
to test the model. The degree of coincidence between simulated and
observed patterns was similar for species and communities, but the
k-values for communities were generally higher (k = 0.539) than for
species (mean individual k = 0.201). Information on land use was
detected as a major factor that could significantly improve both the
species and the community model. Nevertheless, the climatic factors used
to drive the model explained a major part of the observed patterns.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

2.  Affiliation:

    Funding Agency:

3.  PRISM was used to

> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:

Google 22

**Modeling and Predicting Species Occurrence Using Broad-Scale
Environmental Variables: an Example with Butterflies of the Great
Basin**

Erica Fleishman,Ralph Mac Nally, John P. Fay, and Dennis D. Murphy

*Conservation Biology* December 2001 Volume 15 (6) Page 1674 \
doi:10.1046/j.1523-1739.2001.00053.x

ABSTRACT

If occurrence of individual species can be modeled as a function of
easily quantified environmental variables (e.g., derived from a
geographic information system \[GIS\]) and the predictions of these
models are demonstrably successful, then the scientific foundation for
management planning will be strengthened. We used Bayesian logistic
regression to develop predictive models for resident butterflies in the
central Great Basin of western North America. Species inventory data and
values for 14 environmental variables from 49 locations (segments of
canyons) in the Toquima Range (Nevada, U.S.A.) were used to build the
models. Squares of the environmental variables were also used to
accommodate possibly nonmonotonic responses. We obtained statistically
significant models for 36 of 56 (64%) resident species of butterflies.
The models explained 8--72% of the deviance in occurrence of those
species. Each of the independent variables was significant in at least
one model, and squared versions of five variables contributed to models.
Elevation was included in more than half of the models. Models included
one to four variables; only one variable was significant in about half
the models. We conducted preliminary tests of two of our models by using
an existing set of data on the occurrence of butterflies in the
neighboring Toiyabe Range. We compared conventional logistic
classification with posterior probability distributions derived from
Bayesian modeling. For the latter, we restricted our predictions to
locations with a high ( 70%) probability of predicted presence or
absence. We will perform further tests after conducting inventories at
new locations in the Toquima Range and nearby Shoshone Mountains, for
which we have computed environmental variables by using remotely
acquired topographic data, digital-terrain and microclimatic models, and
GIS computation.

NOTE

> "Topographic and climatic data, for example, are becoming increasingly
> more accessible from existing electronic sources of data such as
> digital elevation models, orographic models of temperature and
> precipitation (e.g., PRISM: Daly et al. 1994), and geographic
> information systems (GIS).
>
> 1\. PRISM Data: (See number 3, below.)
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Center for Conservation Biology, Department of Biological Sciences
Stanford University

Funding Agency:

> Nevada Biodiversity Research and Conservation Initiative; Challenge
> Cost-Share Agreement 17-CCs-97-016 between the University of Nevada ,
> Reno, and the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest; the Australian
> Research Council; the Faculty of Science, Monash University; and a
> Land and Water Resources Research and Development Corporation Visiting
> Fellowship to R. M.

3.  PRISM was used to (I think it was only mentioned.)

> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> Results indicated that a Bayesian-logistic model of species occurrence
> may more often be useful than conventional logistic models. "From an
> ecological perspective, habitat quality is a continuous rather than a
> categorical variable (Harrison & Taylor 1997: Thomas & Hanski 1997),
> so a statistically valid method that produces a range of occurrence
> probabilities is likely to be more effective than a binomial
> classification scheme."

Google 23

Shrubsteepe bird response to habitat and Landscape variables in Eastern
Washington, USA

W Matthew Vander Haegen, Frederick C Dobler, and D John Pierce

*Conservation Biology*: 14 (4): pages 1145-1160

Abstract (Could not copy/paste see attached.)

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Estimated average annual rainfall for each study site from PRISM model
> (Daly et al. 1994)

2.  Affiliation:

> Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Olympia, WA

Funding Agency:

Wildlife Diversity Program of the Washington Department of Fish and
Wildlife

> 3\. PRISM was used in a comparison of species abundance among soil
> types and range conditions and in the consequential development of
> models for species occurrence using site-specific vegetation and
> landscape variables.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "Conservation practices that emphasize retention of shrubsteppe
> communities on deep soils and that reduce further fragmentation will
> be critical to the maintenance of avian biological diversity in this
> system."

Google 24

Distribution of epiphytic macrolichens in relation to remnant trees in a
multiple-age Douglas-fir forest

Stephen C. Sillett and Matthew N. Goslin

Can. J. For. Res. 1999; Vol 29: pages 1204--1215

ABSTRACT

Alternatives to clear-cutting are being implemented to increase
biodiversity of managed forests in the Pacific Northwest. Lichens are an
integral component of old growth, but lichen biomass develops slowly in
forests. We evaluated the long-term potential of live tree retention for
lichen conservation in Douglas-fir (*Pseudotsuga menziesii* (Mirb.)
Franco) forests. We sampled lichen litterfall in a 2-ha stand that
contained 200- to 600-year-old remnant trees scattered in a forest
composed mostly of 100-year-old trees that established following fire.
We used association, principal components, and regression analyses to
relate lichen litterfall biomass to the proximity of remnant trees. Two
epiphytic lichens were strongly associated with remnant trees: the
foliose cyanolichen *Lobaria oregana* (Tuck.) Müll. Arg. And the
fruticose green algal lichen *Sphaerophorus globosus* (Hudson) Vainio.
Biomass of both species was highest near remnant trees, and biomass was
slightly higher within groves of remnant trees than it was at the edges
of these groves or near isolated trees. Lichens appear to have persisted
on remnant trees through the last fire and are slowly recolonizing
younger trees from this source of propagules. Retention of live trees,
maintenance of hardwoods, and longer rotation periods have great
potential to maintain old-growth-associated lichens in at least some
managed forests.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Average annual rainfall is 1.9 m with over 90% of the precipitation
> occurring from
>
> October through June (Daly et al. 1994).

2.  Affiliation:

    Funding Agency:

    National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship and the Pacific
    Northwest Research Station of the U.S. Forest Service.

3.  PRISM precipitation data was used in a study that evaluated the
    long-term potential of live tree retention for lichen conservation
    in Douglas-fir (*Pseudotsuga menziesii* (Mirb.) Franco) forests.

> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> Retention of live trees, maintenance of hardwoods, and longer rotation
> periods have great potential to maintain old-growth-associated lichens
> in at least some managed forests.

Google 25

The Limitations of the WSR-88D Radar Network for Quantitative
Precipitation Measurement over the Coastal Western United States

Kenneth J. Westrick, Clifford F. Mass, and Brian A. Colle

*Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society* Vol. 80, No. 11,
November 1999; pages 2289-2298.

ABSTRACT

An objective assessment of the WSR-88D radar coverage for detection and
quantitative measurement of precipitation

over the U.S. west coast is presented. As a result of significant
terrain blockage, shallow precipitation, and low freezing

levels, only one-fourth to one-third of the land surface in the region
has sufficient radar coverage for precipitation estimation.

Furthermore, it was found that the radar coverage is not representative
of the precipitation distribution, with

poor radar coverage in the regions where the most rainfall occurs.

Radar-derived storm-total precipitation estimates from the Portland,
Oregon, radar for the catastrophic flood of February

1996 illustrate the limitations of the network, showing that the radar
estimates in the heaviest precipitation regions

to be less than 50% of the rain gauge values. A comparison of the
WSR-88D coverage with the regional rain gauge

network reveals that rain gauges will continue to be the major source of
precipitation data over most of the region.

NOTE

"A major failing of the present radar coverage is that it does not
provide a spatially representative sampling of the regional
precipitation distribution. "... reveals that there is little radar
coverage over the regions of heaviest climatological

precipitation, with the coastal lowlands being the only regions fairly
well covered by radar."

1\. PRISM Data:

Comparing the 1960--91 precipitation climatology derived by the
Parameter elevation Regressions on Independent

> Slopes Model (PRISM) program (Daly et al. 1994) with the radar
> coverage.
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle,
Washington.

Funding Agency:

> This research was supported by a COMET fellowship grant (UCAR
> 597-86990) as well as support from the ONR Coastal Meteorology
> Accelerated Research Initiative (Grant NH45543-4454-44) and the
> National Science Foundation (ATM-9634191).

3\. PRISM was used in a comparison of the WSR-88D radar coverage with
the regional rain gauge network..

> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> But even if all the above improvements and additions to the western
> radar network are realized, the regional rain gauge network will
> continue to be the principal instrument for determining the extent and
> quantity of precipitation throughout a significant portion of the
> western United States, particularly over mountainous regions. With
> that reality in mind, continued emphasis on the precipitation gauge
> network is required. Increasing the density of *reliable* rain gauges
> in the radar-coverage-void regions would certainly be a major
> contribution toward the effort, although a sound plan needs to be
> developed for locating the sites. An effort to telemeter the existing
> gauges, especially in radar-coverage-void regions, is required so that
> precipitation data are available for forecasters in real time. In
> addition, research aimed at integrating the existing radar data with
> that available from the rain gauge network, especially at the
> "overlap" region where radar coverage diminishes, is needed. Only by
> adopting such a two-pronged approach, using both remote sensing and in
> situ measurements, will significant progress toward defining the
> actual distribution of precipitation over the coastal western United
> States be made. (Comparison of WSR-88D radar and PRISM data revealed "
> that rain gauges will continue to be the major source of precipitation
> data over most of the region.")

Google 26

Interrelationships among Snow Distribution, Snowmelt, and Snow Cover
Depletion: Implications for Atmospheric, Hydrologic, and Ecologic
Modeling

**Glen E. Liston**

***Journal of Applied Meteorology:* Vol. 38, No. 10, pp.
1474--1487.**ABSTRACT

ABSTRACT

Local, regional, and global atmospheric, hydrologic, and ecologic models
used to simulate weather, climate, land surface moisture, and vegetation
processes all commonly represent their computational domains by a
collection of finite areas or grid cells. Within each of these cells
three fundamental features are required to describe the evolution of
seasonal snow cover from the end of winter through spring melt. These
three features are 1) the within-grid snow water equivalent (SWE)
distribution, 2) the grid cell melt rate, and 3) the within-grid
depletion of snow-covered area. This paper defines the exact
mathematical interrelationships among these three features and
demonstrates how knowledge of any two of them allows generation of the
third. During snowmelt, the spatially variable sub grid SWE depth
distribution is largely responsible for the patchy mosaic of snow and
vegetation that develops as the snow melts. Applying the melt rate to
the within-grid snow distribution leads to the exposure of vegetation,
and the sub grid-scale vegetation exposure influences the snowmelt rate
and the grid-averaged surface fluxes. By using the developed
interrelationships, the fundamental sub grid-scale features of the
seasonal snow cover evolution and the associated energy and moisture
fluxes can be simulated using a combination of remote sensing products
that define the snow-covered area evolution and a sub model that
appropriately handles the snowmelt computation. Alternatively, knowledge
of the sub grid SWE distribution can be used as a substitute for the
snow-covered area information.

NOTE

Such a scheme likely would include such factors as snow redistribution
by wind transport processes (e.g., [Liston and Sturm
1998](http://ams.allenpress.com/amsonline/?request=get-document&doi=10.1175%2F1520-0450(1999)038<1474:IASDSA>2.0.CO%3B2#i1520-0450-38-10-1474-liston4%23i1520-0450-38-10-1474-liston4)
), and the sub grid precipitation distribution \[using statistical
approaches (e.g., [Hevesi et al.
1992a](http://ams.allenpress.com/amsonline/?request=get-document&doi=10.1175%2F1520-0450(1999)038<1474:IASDSA>2.0.CO%3B2#i1520-0450-38-10-1474-hevesi1%23i1520-0450-38-10-1474-hevesi1)
,[b](http://ams.allenpress.com/amsonline/?request=get-document&doi=10.1175%2F1520-0450(1999)038<1474:IASDSA>2.0.CO%3B2#i1520-0450-38-10-1474-hevesi2%23i1520-0450-38-10-1474-hevesi2)
; [Daly et al.
1994](http://ams.allenpress.com/amsonline/?request=get-document&doi=10.1175%2F1520-0450(1999)038<1474:IASDSA>2.0.CO%3B2#i1520-0450-38-10-1474-daly2%23i1520-0450-38-10-1474-daly2)
; [Thornton et al.
1997](http://ams.allenpress.com/amsonline/?request=get-document&doi=10.1175%2F1520-0450(1999)038<1474:IASDSA>2.0.CO%3B2#i1520-0450-38-10-1474-thornton1%23i1520-0450-38-10-1474-thornton1)
) or physically based approaches (e.g., [Choularton and Perry
1986](http://ams.allenpress.com/amsonline/?request=get-document&doi=10.1175%2F1520-0450(1999)038<1474:IASDSA>2.0.CO%3B2#i1520-0450-38-10-1474-choularton1%23i1520-0450-38-10-1474-choularton1)
; [Barros and Lettenmaier
1993a](http://ams.allenpress.com/amsonline/?request=get-document&doi=10.1175%2F1520-0450(1999)038<1474:IASDSA>2.0.CO%3B2#i1520-0450-38-10-1474-barros1%23i1520-0450-38-10-1474-barros1)
,[b](http://ams.allenpress.com/amsonline/?request=get-document&doi=10.1175%2F1520-0450(1999)038<1474:IASDSA>2.0.CO%3B2#i1520-0450-38-10-1474-barros2%23i1520-0450-38-10-1474-barros2)
; [Leung and Ghan
1995](http://ams.allenpress.com/amsonline/?request=get-document&doi=10.1175%2F1520-0450(1999)038<1474:IASDSA>2.0.CO%3B2#i1520-0450-38-10-1474-leung1%23i1520-0450-38-10-1474-leung1)
)

1.  PRISM Data:

    See note, above.

2.  Affiliation:

> Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, Fort
> Collins, Colorado

Funding Agency:

> NOAA Grant NA67RJ0152, NASA Grant NAG5-4760 and P.O. S-10100-G, CRREL
> Agreement DACA89-97-2-0001, and NSF Grant OPP-9415386

3.  PRISM was used to

> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> The availability of remote sensing products that define the
> snow-covered area, in conjunction with an atmospheric or hydrologic
> model appropriately handling the snowmelt computation, compose the
> tools required to simulate the fundamental sub grid-scale features of
> the seasonal snow cover evolution while appropriately simulating the
> associated energy and moisture fluxes. The development of a
> methodology that directly accounts for the influence of sub grid-scale
> snow cover variability within the context of regional and global
> weather, climate, hydrologic, and ecologic models is expected to
> improve key features of the model-simulated interactions between the
> land and atmosphere during the winter and spring months.

Google 27

**Estimates of Freshwater Discharge from Continents: Latitudinal and**

**Seasonal Variations**

AIGUO DAI AND KEVIN E. TRENBERTH

*Journal of Hydrometeorology**:*** Vol. 3, No. 6, pp. 660--687.

ABSTRACT

Annual and monthly mean values of continental freshwater discharge into
the oceans are estimated at 18 resolutions using several methods. The
most accurate estimate is based on streamflow data from the world's
largest 921 rivers, supplemented with estimates of discharge from
unmonitored areas based on the ratios of runoff and drainage area
between the unmonitored and monitored regions. Simulations using a river
transport model (RTM) forced by a runoff field were used to derive the
river mouth outflow from the farthest downstream gauge records. Separate
estimates are also made using RTM simulations forced by three different
runoff fields: 1) based on observed streamflow and a water balance
model, and from estimates of precipitation P minus evaporation E
computed as residuals from the atmospheric moisture budget using
atmospheric reanalysis from 2) the National Centers for Environmental
Prediction--National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP--NCAR) and 3)
the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). Compared
with previous estimates, improvements are made in extending observed
discharge downstream to the river mouth, in accounting for the
unmonitored streamflow, in discharging runoff at correct locations, and
in providing an annual cycle of continental discharge. The use of river
mouth outflow increases the global continental discharge by ;19%
compared with unadjusted streamflow from the farthest downstream
stations. The river-based estimate of global continental discharge
presented here is 37 288 6 662 km3 yr21, which is ;7.6% of global P or
35% of terrestrial P. While this number is comparable to earlier
estimates, its partitioning into individual oceans and its latitudinal
distribution differ from earlier studies. The peak discharges into the
Arctic, the Pacific, and global oceans occur in June, versus May for the
Atlantic and August for the Indian Oceans. Snow accumulation and melt
are shown to have large effects on the annual cycle of discharge into
all ocean basins except for the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean and
Black Seas. The discharge and its latitudinal distribution implied by
the observation-based runoff and the ECMWF reanalysis-based P--E agree
well with the river-based estimates, whereas the discharge implied by
the NCEP--NCAR reanalysis-based P--E has a negative bias.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Mention of comparison: "Much more detailed estimates of precipitation
> by the Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model
> (PRISM) at resolution of 2.59 for the United States by Daly et al.
> (1994) have been compared with GPCP results by Nijssen et al.
> (2001),..."

Used data: **Flow Rates and Drainage Areas of World's Largest Rivers
(**Mount Nancar, Australia**.)**

2.  Affiliation:

> National Center for Atmospheric Research,\* Boulder, Colorado

Funding Agency:

Grants from NOAA's Office of Global Programs and jointly by NOAA--NASA
under NOAA Grant NA17GP137

> 3\. PRISM was mentioned.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:

Google 28

Predictive mapping of forest composition and structure with direct
gradient analysis and nearest neighbor

imputation in coastal Oregon, U.S.A.

Janet L. Ohmann and Matthew J. Gregory

Can. J. For. Res. **32**: 725--741 (2002)

ABSTRACT

Spatially explicit information on the species composition and structure
of forest vegetation is needed at broad spatial scales for natural
resource policy analysis and ecological research. We present a method
for predictive vegetation mapping that applies direct gradient analysis
and nearest-neighbor imputation to ascribe detailed ground attributes of
vegetation to each pixel in a digital landscape map. The gradient
nearest neighbor method integrates vegetation measurements from regional
grids of field plots, mapped environmental data, and Landsat Thematic
Mapper (TM) imagery. In the Oregon coastal province, species gradients
were most strongly associated with regional climate and geographic
location, whereas variation in forest structure was best explained by
Landsat TM variables. At the regional level, mapped predictions
represented the range of variability in the sample data, and predicted
area by vegetation type closely matched sample-based estimates. At the
site level, mapped predictions maintained the covariance structure among
multiple response variables. Prediction accuracy for tree species
occurrence and several measures of vegetation structure and composition
was good to moderate. Vegetation maps produced with the gradient nearest
neighbor method are appropriately used for regional-level planning,
policy analysis, and research, not to guide local management decisions.

NOTE

> 1\. PRISM Data:
>
> We derived climate data from mean annual and mean monthly
> precipitation and temperature surfaces generated by the
> precipitation--elevation regressions on independent slopes model
> (PRISM) (Daly et al. 1994).
>
> We also acquired a map of July frequency of low stratus clouds (C.
> Daly, Spatial Climate Analysis Service, Oregon State University,
> Corvallis, OR 97331, unpublished data) (Table 3).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:
>
> **USDA** Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, 3200 SW
> Jefferson Way, Corvallis, OR

Funding Agency:

> 3\. PRISM was used to "present a method for predictive vegetation
> mapping that applies direct gradient analysis and nearest-neighbor
> imputation to ascribe detailed ground attributes of vegetation to each
> pixel in a digital landscape map."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:

Prediction accuracy for tree species occurrence and several measures of
vegetation

> structure and composition was good to moderate. Vegetation maps
> produced with the gradient nearest neighbor method
>
> are appropriately used for regional-level planning, policy analysis,
> and research, not to guide local management decisions.

Google 29

CONTINENTAL SCALE VARIABILITY IN ECOSYSTEM PROCESSES: MODELS, DATA, AND
THE ROLE OF DISTURBANCE

David S. Schimel, VEMAP Participants, and B. H. Braswellc

***Ecological Monographs:* Vol. 67, No. 2, pp. 251--271.**

ABSTRACT

Management of ecosystems at large regional or continental scales and
determination of the vulnerability of ecosystems to large-scale changes
in climate or atmospheric chemistry require understanding how ecosystem
processes are governed at large spatial scales. A collaborative project,
the Vegetation and Ecosystem Modeling and Analysis Project (VEMAP),
addressed modeling of multiple resource limitation at the scale of the
conterminous United States, and the responses of ecosystems to
environmental change. In this paper, we evaluate the model-generated
patterns of spatial variability within and between ecosystems using
Century, TEM, and Biome-BGC, and the relationships between modeled water
balance, nutrients, and carbon dynamics. We present evaluations of
models against mapped and site-specific data. In this analysis, we
compare model-generated patterns of variability in net primary
productivity (NPP) and soil organic carbon (SOC) to, respectively, a
satellite proxy and mapped SOC from the VEMAP soils database (derived
from **USDA**-NRCS \[Natural Resources Conservation Service\]
information) and also compare modeled results to site-specific data from
forests and grasslands. The VEMAP models simulated spatial variability
in ecosystem processes in substantially different ways, reflecting the
models' differing implementations of multiple resource limitation of
NPP. The models had substantially higher correlations across vegetation
types compared to within vegetation types. All three models showed
correlation among water use, nitrogen availability, and primary
production, indicating that water and nutrient limitations of NPP were
equilibrated with each other at steady state. This model result may
explain a number of seemingly contradictory observations and provides a
series of testable predictions. The VEMAP ecosystem models were
implicitly or explicitly sensitive to disturbance in their simulation of
NPP and carbon storage. Knowledge of the effects of disturbance (human
and natural) and spatial data describing disturbance regimes are needed
for spatial modeling of ecosystems. Improved consideration of
disturbance is a key "next step" for spatial ecosystem models.

*Key words:* disturbance; evapotranspiration; model comparison and
validation; nitrogen mineralization; NPP; remote sensing; soil carbon.

NOTE

Although traditional model evaluation against site-specific measurements
is crucial, successful site-specific validation does not guarantee
faithful simulation of spatial variability. The use of comprehensive
spatial data sets is a crucial component of assessing simulated spatial
variability, even when the use of comprehensive information requires the
use of extrapolated or proxy data. Note that agreement at specific sites
in the maritime coniferous and C~4~ grassland types was better than
would be predicted from the distributions of mean deviates for those
types.

1.  PRISM Data:

> The temperature data were adjusted for elevation using adiabatic lapse
> rates. The precipitation data were adjusted for elevation and
> topography using the PRISM model ([Daly et al.
> 1994](http://www.esajournals.org/esaonline/?request=get-document&issn=0012-9615&volume=067&issue=02&page=0251#i0012-9615-067-02-05-daly1%23i0012-9615-067-02-05-daly1)),
> a routine that divides the terrain into facets with similar aspect,
> and develops precipitation--elevation regressions for each facet by
> region from stratified station data.
>
> 2\. Affiliation:
>
> National Center for Atmospheric Research, P.O. Box 3000, Boulder,
> Colorado 80307-3000 USA and Natural Resources Ecology Laboratory,
> Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523 USA

Funding Agency:

> NASA EOS program, through an Interdisciplinary Award to David S.
> Schimel. Access to Pathfinder AVHRR was likewise provided through
> NASA. VEMAP is supported by EPRI, NASA's Mission to Planet Earth
> Program, and by the U.S. Forest Service. Additional support for VEMAP
> came from the Climate System Modeling Program of UCAR, supported by
> the National Science Foundation.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to in the evaluation of "models against mapped and
> site-specific data. In this analysis, we compare model-generated
> patterns of variability in net primary productivity (NPP) and soil
> organic carbon (SOC) to, respectively, a satellite proxy and mapped
> SOC from the VEMAP soils database (derived from **USDA**-NRCS
> \[Natural Resources Conservation Service\] information) and also
> compare modeled results to site-specific data from forests and
> grasslands."

4.  Impact or Conclusion:

> "All three models showed correlation among water use, nitrogen
> availability, and primary production, indicating that water and
> nutrient limitations of NPP were equilibrated with each other at
> steady state. This model result may explain a number of seemingly
> contradictory observations and provides a series of testable
> predictions.... Knowledge of the effects of disturbance (human and
> natural) and spatial data describing disturbance regimes are needed
> for spatial modeling of ecosystems. Improved consideration of
> disturbance is a key "next step" for spatial ecosystem models."

Google 30

MAPPING EXTREME RAINFALL IN A MOUNTAINOUS REGION USING GEOSTATISTICAL
TECHNIQUES: A CASE STUDY IN SCOTLAND

CHRISTEL PRUDHOMME and DUNCAN W. REED

*Int*. *J*. *Climatol*. **19**: 1337--1356 (1999)

ABSTRACT

The spatial pattern of precipitation is known to be highly dependent on
meteorological conditions and relief. However, the relationships between
precipitation and topography in mountainous areas are not very well
known, partly because of the complex topography in these regions, and
partly because of the sparsity of information available to study such
relationships in high elevation areas. The purpose of the investigation
was to find a method of mapping extreme rainfall in the mountainous
region of Scotland, which was easy to use and to understand, and which
gave satisfactory results both in terms of statistical performance and
consistency with meteorological mechanisms. Among the interpolation
methods described in the literature, ordinary kriging and modified
residual kriging have been found attractive by reason of their
simplicity and ease of use. Both methods have been applied to map an
index of extreme rainfall, the median of the annual maximum daily
rainfall (RMED), in the mountainous region of Scotland. Rainfall records
from a network of 1003 rain gauges are used, covering Scotland with
uneven density. A 4-parameter regression equation developed in a
previous study, relating a transformed variable of RMED to topographical
variables, is used in the modified residual kriging method. Comparing
the relative performances of ordinary kriging and modified residual
kriging shows that the use of topographical information helps to
compensate for the lack of local data from which any interpolation
method, such as ordinary kriging, might suffer, thus improving the final
mapping. Copyright © 1999 Royal Meteorological Society.

KEY WORDS: Scotland; mountainous area; orographic effect; extreme
rainfall; annual maximum daily rainfall; ordinary kriging;

modified residual kriging

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> However, because of its physical understanding, numerous authors use
> multiple regression analysis to map precipitation in mountainous
> areas, despite their evident lack of accuracy (Barros and Lettenmaier,
> 1993; Basist *et al*., 1994; Daly *et al*., 1994; Johnson and Hanson,
> 1995; Michaud *et al*., 1995; Konrad, 1996; Hay *et al*., 1998).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:
>
> Institute of Hydrology, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, UK

Funding Agency:

> 3\. PRISM was mentioned. (See number 1, above.)
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:

Google 31

A spatially distributed energy balance snowmelt model for application in
mountain basins

Danny Marks, James Domingo, Dave Susong, Tim Link, and David Garen

Hydrol. Process. 13, 1935±1959 (1999)

ABSTRACT

Snowmelt is the principal source for soil moisture, ground-water
re-charge, and stream-flow in mountainous regions of the western US,
Canada, and other similar regions of the world. Information on the
timing, magnitude, and contributing area of melt under variable or
changing climate conditions is required for successful water and
resource management. A coupled energy and mass-balance model ISNOBAL is
used to simulate the development and melting of the seasonal snow cover
in several mountain basins in California, Idaho, and Utah. Simulations
are done over basins varying from 1 to 2500 km2, with simulation periods
varying from a few days for the smallest basin, Emerald Lake watershed
in California, to multiple snow seasons for the Park City area in Utah.
The model is driven by topographically corrected estimates of radiation,
temperature, humidity, wind, and precipitation. Simulation results in
all basins closely match independently measured snow water equivalent,
snow depth, or runoff during both the development and depletion of the
snow cover. Spatially distributed estimates of snow deposition and melt
allow us to better understand the interaction between topographic
structure, climate, and moisture availability in mountain basins of the
western US. Application of topographically distributed models such as
this will lead to improved water resource and watershed management.

KEY WORDS spatially distributed modeling; snowmelt; runoff; water
resources

NOTE

The SNOTEL sites provided multiple sites across the test areas where a
parameter (SWE) that was not used to drive the model was measured
continuously. Though precipitation and air temperature were also
measured at the SNOTEL sites, most of the information used to develop
the forcing data for the model tests were based on a combination of
terrain models and climate data from non-SNOTEL sites located in or near
the test areas. A more robust test might eliminate the use of
precipitation and air temperature data from a few SNOTEL sites, using
these sites only for model validation. However, with only a few sites
available (six for the Boise River basin, and three for the Park City
area) this was not feasible.

1.  PRISM Data:

> This is probably due to a funneling effect which draws and
> concentrates storms at the site, similar to that reported by Daly et
> al. (1994) regarding precipitation abundance in the Columbia River
> Gorge which separates Washington and Oregon.

2.  Affiliation:

> **USDA** Agricultural Research Service, Northwest Watershed Research
> Center, Boise, ID

Funding Agency:

> 3\. PRISM was used to
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:

Google 33

Parameterizing Sub grid Orographic Precipitation and Surface Cover in
Climate Models

L. R. Leung and S. J. Ghan

***Monthly Weather Review:* Vol. 126, No. 12, pp. 3271--3291.**

ABSTRACT

Previous development of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's
regional climate model has focused on representing orographic
precipitation using a sub grid parameterization where sub grid
variations of surface elevation are aggregated to a limited number of
elevation classes. An airflow model and a thermodynamic model are used
to parameterize the orographic uplift/descent as air parcels cross over
mountain barriers or valleys. This paper describes further testing and
evaluation of this sub grid parameterization. Building upon this
modeling framework, a sub grid vegetation scheme has been developed
based on statistical relationships between surface elevation and
vegetation. By analyzing high-resolution elevation and vegetation data,
a dominant land cover is defined for each elevation band of each model
grid cell to account for the sub grid heterogeneity in vegetation. When
larger lakes are present, they are distinguished from land within
elevation bands and a lake model is used to simulate the thermodynamic
properties. The use of the high-resolution vegetation data and the sub
grid vegetation scheme has resulted in an improvement in the model's
representation of surface cover over the western United States.
Simulation using the new vegetation scheme yields a 1°C cooling when
compared with a simulation where vegetation was derived from a 30-min
global vegetation dataset without sub grid vegetation treatment; this
cooling helps to reduce the warm bias previously found in the regional
climate model. A 3-yr simulation with the sub grid parameterization in
the climate model is compared with observations.

NOTE

This analysis shows that the orographic precipitation signature may be
manifested more at coarser resolution such as 6 km; precipitation
variations at the higher resolution (such as 1.5 km) do not necessarily
relate to topographic features. Daly et al. (1994) also discussed the
difficulty of defining an ''optimal'' spatial resolution for applying a
statistical-topographic model (PRISM) to estimate the climatological
precipitation patterns in mountainous areas. They found that the PRISM
model performs better at 6-km resolution or coarser. This is partly
related to the spatial scale of the data used, and the fact that some
variability of precipitation is not related to topography or
slope/aspect. Our analysis presented here is also limited by the spatial
density of observations used.

1.  PRISM Data: Mentioned (See note, above.)

2\. Affiliation:

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington

Funding Agency:

> 3\. PRISM was used to
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:

Google 34

Effects of land cover change on stream flow in the interior Columbia
River Basin (USA and Canada)

Bernt Matheussen, Robin L. Kirschbaum, Iris A. Goodman, Greg M.
O\'Donnell1

and Dennis P. Lettenmaier

Hydrol. Process. 14, 867±885 (2000)

ABSTRACT

An analysis of the hydrological effects of vegetation changes in the
Columbia River basin over the last century was performed using two land
cover scenarios. The ®rst was a reconstruction of historical land cover
vegetation, c. 1900, as estimated by the federal Interior Columbia Basin
Ecosystem Management Project (ICBEMP). The second was current land cover
as estimated from remote sensing data for 1990. Simulations were
performed using the variable infiltration capacity (VIC) hydrological
model, applied at one-quarter degree spatial resolution (approximately
500 km2 grid cell areas) using hydro meteorological data for a 10 year
period starting in 1979, and the 1900 and current vegetation scenarios.
The model represents surface hydrological fluxes and state variables,
including snow accumulation and ablation, evapotranspiration, soil
moisture and runoff production. Simulated daily hydrographs of
naturalized stream flow (reservoir effects removed) were aggregated to
monthly totals and compared for nine selected sub-basins. The results
show that, hydrologically, the most important vegetation-related change
has been a general tendency towards decreased vegetation maturity in the
forested areas of the basin. This general trend represents a balance
between the effects of logging and fire suppression. In those areas
where forest maturity has been reduced as a result of logging,
wintertime maximum snow accumulations, and hence snow available for
runoff during the spring melt season, have tended to increase, and
evapotranspiration has decreased. The reverse has occurred in areas
where fire suppression has tended to increase vegetation maturity,
although the logging effect appears to dominate for most of the
sub-basins evaluated. Predicted stream flow changes were largest in the
Mica and Corralin sub-basins in the northern and eastern headwaters
region; in the Priest Rapids sub-basin, which drains the east slopes of
the Cascade Mountains; and in the Ice Harbor sub-basin, which receives
flows primarily from the Salmon and Clearwater Rivers of Idaho and
western Montana. For these sub-basins, annual average increases in
runoff ranged from 4.2 to 10.7% and decreases in evapotranspiration
ranged from 3.1 to 12.1%. In comparison with previous studies of
individual, smaller sized watersheds, the modeling approach used in this
study provides predictions of hydrological fluxes that are spatially
continuous throughout the interior Columbia River basin. It thus
provides a broad-scale framework for assessing the vulnerability of
watersheds to altered stream flow regimes attributable to changes in
land cover that occur over large geographical areas and long
time-frames.

KEY WORDS vegetation change; stream flow; evapotranspiration; snow
processes

NOTE

"Nonetheless, the results reported here suggest that, under the
historical vegetation regime, flows would have been even lower than
those that have been experienced, especially during the spring snowmelt
season. In general if forest is removed the stream flow increases."

1.  PRISM Data:

> The data were then rescaled with monthly PRISM fields, in which
> orographic effects are incorporated (Daly et al., 1984). Hourly air
> temperatures were estimated from daily maximum and minimum values
> using the method of Anderson (1973). To capture the dynamics of snow
> accumulation and ablation for mountainous areas within the basin, each
> cell was subdivided into two equal-area elevation bands. The
> temperature was lapsed to the mean elevation of each band, and the
> precipitation was allowed to vary with elevation using an adjustment
> process based on the method of Daly et al. (1984).

2.  Affiliation:

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Box 352700,
University of Washington, Seattle, WA

Funding Agency:

> The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), through its Office of
> Research and Development (ORD),
>
> partially funded and collaborated in the research described herein
> under assistance agreement number
>
> DW12937588-01-0 to the US Forest Service and its collaborators at the
> University of Washington.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used in "an analysis of the hydrological effects of
> vegetation changes in the Columbia River basin over the last century
> was performed using two land cover scenarios... The model represents
> surface hydrological fluxes and state variables, including snow
> accumulation and ablation, evapotranspiration, soil moisture and
> runoff production."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "The results show that, hydrologically, the most important
> vegetation-related change has been a general tendency towards
> decreased vegetation maturity in the forested areas of the basin. This
> general trend represents a balance between the effects of logging and
> fire suppression."
>
> "In comparison with previous studies of individual, smaller sized
> watersheds, the modeling approach used in this study provides
> predictions of hydrological fluxes that are spatially continuous
> throughout the interior Columbia River basin. It thus provides a
> broad-scale framework for assessing the vulnerability of watersheds to
> altered stream flow regimes attributable to changes in land cover that
> occur over large geographical areas and long time-frames."

Google 35

The Urban Funnel Model and the Spatially Heterogeneous Ecological
Footprint

Matthew A. Luck, G. Darrel Jenerette, Jianguo Wu, Nancy B. Grimm

ABSTRACT

Urban ecological systems are characterized by complex interactions
between the natural environment and humans at multiple scales; for an
individual urban ecosystem, the strongest interactions may occur at the
local or regional spatial scale. At the regional scale, external
ecosystems produce resources that are acquired and transported by humans
to urban areas, where they are processed and consumed. The assimilation
of diffuse human wastes and pollutants also occurs at the regional
scale, with much of this process occurring external to the urban system.
We developed the urban funnel model to conceptualize the integration of
humans into their ecological context. The model captures this pattern
and process of resource appropriation and waste generation by urban
ecosystems at various spatial scales. This model is applied to
individual cities using a modification of traditional ecological
footprint (EF) analysis that is spatially explicit; the incorporation of
spatial heterogeneity in calculating the EF greatly improves its
accuracy. The method for EF analysis can be further modified to ensure
that a certain proportion of potential ecosystem services are left for
in situ processes. Combining EF models of human appropriation with
ecosystem process models would help us to learn more about the effects
of ecosystem service appropriation. By comparing the results for food
and water, we were able to identify some of the potentially limiting
ecological factors for cities. A comparison of the EFs for the 20
largest US cities showed the importance of urban location and interurban
competition for ecosystem services. This study underscores the need to
take multiple scales and spatial heterogeneity into consideration to
expand our current understanding of human-ecosystem interactions. The
urban funnel model and the spatially heterogeneous EF provide an
effective means of achieving this goal.

Key words: urban funnel model; human-ecosystem interaction; spatially
heterogeneous ecological footprint; scale of resource appropriation;
water; food; carbon assimilation.

NOTE

This analysis shows that the orographic precipitation signature may be
manifested more at coarser resolution such as 6 km; precipitation
variations at the higher resolution (such as 1.5 km) do not necessarily
relate to topographic features. Daly et al. (1994) also discussed the
difficulty of defining an ''optimal'' spatial resolution for applying a
statistical-topographic model (PRISM) to estimate the climatological
precipitation patterns in mountainous areas.

1.  PRISM Data: (See note, above.)

> 2\. Affiliation:
>
> Department of Life Sciences, Arizona State University

Funding Agency:

> 3\. PRISM was used to

3.  Impact or Conclusion:

    Google 36

    Dependence of Large-Scale Precipitation Climatologies on Temporal
    and Spatial Sampling

    Mike Hulme and Mark New

    ***Journal of Climate:* Vol. 10, No. 5, pp. 1099--1113.**

    ABSTRACT

Large-scale observed precipitation climatologies are needed for a
variety of purposes in the fields of climate and environmental modeling.
Although new satellite-derived precipitation estimates offer the
prospect of near-global climatologies covering the last one or two
decades, historical assessments of precipitation and its variability in
time remain dependent on conventional gauge observations. A number of
questions need to be asked of the existing precipitation climatologies
that use such gauge observations. What time period do they sample? What
is the spatial density of gauge coverage? What adjustments are made for
measurement bias? And what interpolation method is used to convert them
to regular grids? Different precipitation climatologies, nominally
describing the same variable, can yield very different answers when used
as inputs in either the fields of climate model validation or
environmental modeling.

![](media/image3.png){width="0.15555555555555556in"
height="0.10486111111111111in"}This paper explores some of the reasons
for these differences by examining the importance of the first two
questions listed above---the temporal and spatial sampling of the
precipitation normals that form the basis of these types of
climatologies. The authors draw upon subcontinental examples from
tropical North Africa and Europe and show that, in the presence of
significant decadal-scale precipitation variability, climatologies
constructed from the same station network, but sampling different 30-yr
time periods (i.e., 1931--60 and 1961--90), can vary by 25% or more.
Using the same two regions, the authors also examine the influence of
different spatiotemporal gauge sampling strategies on the construction
of a long-term, "twentieth-century," precipitation climatology. They
show that, in the presence of multidecadal variability in precipitation,
a strategy that favors more complete spatial coverage at the expense of
temporal fidelity can induce biases of 5%--10% in the resulting
climatology. They compare their 30-yr precipitation climatologies with
those of [Legates and
Willmott](http://ams.allenpress.com/amsonline/?request=get-abstract&issn=1520-0442&volume=010&issue=05&page=1099#i1520-0442-10-5-1099-legates2%23i1520-0442-10-5-1099-legates2)
and [Leemans and
Cramer](http://ams.allenpress.com/amsonline/?request=get-abstract&issn=1520-0442&volume=010&issue=05&page=1099#i1520-0442-10-5-1099-leemans1%23i1520-0442-10-5-1099-leemans1)
. In Europe, where twentieth-century precipitation exhibits little
interdecadal variability at the regional scale, different interpolation
methods and station networks are the major cause of variations between
these climatologies. Conversely, in tropical North Africa, where
historical precipitation shows decadal-scale departures from the
long-term mean, differences between climatologies due to temporal
sampling strategies are at least as great as those arising from
alternative interpolation techniques and station distributions.

![](media/image3.png){width="0.15555555555555556in"
height="0.10486111111111111in"}The authors argue for careful
consideration of the appropriateness of a given climatology for any
application, in particular the time period it represents, or at least an
awareness of potential pitfalls in its use.

NOTE

"A prime example of this is the use of a 2.5 minute CONUS-wide
precipitation climatology (Figure 8), known as the Parameter-elevation
Regressions on Independent Slopes Model (PRISM) data set \[Daly et al.,
1994\], in the derivation of the real-time NLDAS precipitation forcing
fields. Since February 1st, 2002, the PRISM climatology has been applied
to daily precipitation gauge data to account for topographical
influences on precipitation. It raises or lowers grid point daily
precipitation values based on the ratio of the PRISM climatology at the
given grid point versus that at the location of the input precipitation
gauge observation. The primary net effect is to notably increase the
analyzed precipitation amounts at high 16 elevations. This addresses the
concerns raised by Pan et al. \[2003, this issue\], who show that the
retrospective NLDAS precipitation forcing has a 50 percent low bias over
the high elevations of the predominant mountain ranges of the western
CONUS."

1.  PRISM Data: Mention PRISM (See note, above.)

2.  Affiliation:

> Climatic Research Unit, School of Environmental Studies, University of
> East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom

Funding Agency:

> 3\. PRISM was used to

4.  Impact or Conclusion:

> Land surface models depend heavily upon accurate forcing data in order
> to produce realistic simulations of land surface processes. With this
> in mind, the NLDAS project has produced real-time and retrospective
> 1/8th degree, hourly forcing data sets.

Google 38

Modeling spatially explicit forest structural attributes using
generalized additive models.

Frescino, T. S., T. C. Edwards, Jr., and G. G. Moisen.

*Journal of Vegetation Science* (2001) 12:15-26.

ABSTRACT

We modeled forest composition and structural diversity in the Uinta
Mountains, Utah, as functions of satellite spectral data and
spatially-explicit environmental variables through generalized additive
models. Measures of vegetation composition and structural diversity were
available from existing forest inventory data. Satellite data included
raw spectral data from the Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM), a GAP Analysis
classified TM, and a vegetation index based on raw spectral data from an
advanced very high resolution radiometer (AVHRR). Environmental
predictor variables included maps of temperature, precipitation,
elevation, aspect, slope, and geology. Spatially-explicit predictions
were generated for the presence of forest and lodgepole cover types,
basal area of forest trees, percent cover of shrubs, and density of
snags. The maps were validated using an independent set of field data
collected from the Evanston ranger district within the Uinta Mountains.
Within the Evanston ranger district, model predictions were 88% and 80%
accurate for forest presence and lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta),
respectively. An average 62% of the predictions of basal area, shrub
cover, and snag density fell within a 15% deviation from the field
validation values. The addition of TM spectral data and the GAP Analysis
TM-classified data contributed significantly to the models' predictions,
while AVHRR had less significance.

**Key words**: AVHRR; forest attribute models; generalized additive
models; Geographical

Information Systems; Landsat Thematic Mapper; vegetation modeling;
accuracy assessment

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Precipitation data came from a downscaling of coarse-scale Prism (Daly
> et al. 1994) climate
>
> maps (N. Zimmermann, unpubl. data).

2.  Affiliation:

**USDA** Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Ogden, Utah

Funding Agency:

Funding for this research was provided by the **USDA** Forest Service,
Rocky Mountain Research

> Station, Ogden, Utah, in cooperation with the USGS Biological
> Resources Division, Utah
>
> Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Utah State University,
> and the USGS Biological
>
> Resources Division Gap Analysis Program.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used in a model of " forest composition and structural
> diversity in the Uinta Mountains, Utah. The model incorporated
> functions of satellite spectral data and spatially-explicit
> environmental variables through generalized additive
> models...Environmental predictor variables included maps of
> temperature, precipitation, elevation, aspect, slope, and geology."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> We found GAMs to be powerful exploratory tools for detecting simple
> linear relationships as well as complex patterns in forest attribute
> distribution, and tools flexible enough for integrating both
> parametric and non-parametric functions in the models. For example,
> most of our models included at least one smoothed function as a
> predictor variable, indicating a better model fit was achieved using a
> nonlinear distribution. This supports findings of other studies
> (Austin & Cunningham 1981; Austin 1987; Margules & Stein 1989;
> Leathwick & Mitchell 1992), where relationships of environmental
> variables to plant species' responses were not always best described
> by Gaussian distributions. Elevation was a significant predictor in
> all models. This is not surprising in a mountainous environment like
> Utah, where elevation, a surrogate for moisture and temperature
> gradients (Barbour et al. 1987), is a driving mechanism for vegetation
> distributions. The limitation of using an indirect variable, such as
> elevation, as a predictor variable is that the vegetation response is
> limited to the characteristics of the species' local environment
> (Austin et al. 1984, Austin & Smith 1989). Model effectiveness may
> therefore be limited when applied to environments outside the range
> where the model was developed.

Google 39

**Survival and Growth of Cyanolichen Transplants in Douglas-Fir Forest
Canopies**\
Stephen C. Sillett, Bruce McCune\
*Bryologist*, Vol. 101, No. 1 (Spring, 1998) , pp. 20-31

ABSTRACT

In the Oregon Cascades, epiphytic cyanolichens are abundant in
old-growth forest canopies, but they accumulate very slowly in young
forests. We evaluated whether epiphytic cyanolichens require old growth
and/or thick, underlying moss mats to achieve normal rates of growth and
mortality. We transplanted over one thousand mature thalli of two
old-growth associated species (Lobaria oregana and Pseudocyphellaria
rainierensis) into the crowns of Douglasfir trees in thirteen forest
stands representing four age classes: old-growth (400-700 yr), mature
(140-150 yr), young (35-40 yr), and recent clearcut. Wooden racks were
used instead of trees in the clearcuts. Half of the cyanolichen thalli
were transplanted onto thick moss mats and half were transplanted onto
bare bark. After one year, both species grew at least as well in younger
forests as they did in old growth (20 to 30% increase in mass), but
growth rates were significantly lower in clearcuts. Mortality rates were
very low (\<10%) in young, mature, and old-growth forests, but high (50
to 90%) in clearcuts. Pseudocyphellaria rainierensis grew significantly
better on moss than on bare bark (30 vs. 23% increase in mass). Since
epiphytic cyanolichens can survive and grow in a broad range of forest
age classes, silvicultural treatments that facilitate their colonization
of young forests have great conservation potential.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

Average annual rainfall contours are based on Daly et al. (1994).

2.  Affiliation:

Department of Biological Sciences, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA

Funding Agency:

Financial support was provided by a National Science Foundation Graduate
Fellowship.

3\. PRISM was used to create average annual rainfall contours

> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> Since epiphytic cyanolichens can survive and grow in a broad range of
> forest age classes, silvicultural treatments that facilitate their
> colonization of young forests have great conservation potential.

Google 40

Estimates of Root-Mean-Square Random Error for Finite Samples of
Estimated Precipitation

[Huffman, George J.](http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/author_form?author=Huffman,+G&fullauthor=Huffman, George J.&charset=ISO-8859-1&db_key=PHY)

*Journal of Applied Meteorology*, vol. 36, Issue 9, pp.1191-1201

ABSTRACT

The random errors contained in a finite set E of precipitation estimates
result from both finite sampling and measurement-algorithm effects. The
expected root-mean-square random error associated with the estimated
average precipitation in E is shown to be ~r~ = \[(H p)/pN~I~\]^1/2^,
where is the space-time-average precipitation estimate over E, H is a
function of the shape of the probability distribution of precipitation
(the nondimensional second moment), p is the frequency of nonzero
precipitation in E, and N~I~ is the number of independent samples in E.
All of these quantities are variables of the space-time-average dataset.
In practice H is nearly constant and close to the value 1.5 over most of
the globe. An approximate form of ~r~ is derived that accommodates the
limitations of typical monthly datasets, then it is applied to the
microwave, infrared, and gauge precipitation monthly datasets from the
Global Precipitation Climatology Project. As an aid to visualizing
differences in ~r~ for various datasets, a \`quality index\' is
introduced. Calibration in a few locations with dense gauge networks
reveals that the approximate form is a reasonable first step in
estimating ~r~.

NOTE

A simple exact expression has been developed for estimating the rms
error in space--time-average precipitation estimates using quantities
that are variables of the averaged dataset. This approach accounts for
rms errors in the sampling of both the true precipitation field and of
the measurement--algorithm-induced errors. These errors may have a
correlation structure that is not accessible in monthly averages, but
can complicate the analysis and should be addressed in the future. The
nondimensional second moment of the precipitation distribution was shown
to be a key variable, and analytic and data work showed that it is
relatively constant over a wide range of precipitation rates...

A great deal of work remains to be done to adequately characterize
error. The greatest need is to set the constants on a regional basis,
instead of having a single global value. A somewhat related issue is
that the model or the number of independent samples should be refined.
As well, it would clearly be advantageous to have
calibration--validation datasets representative of all the various
climate regimes around the globe. Finally, error estimation would be
facilitated if groups producing precipitation estimates computed
estimates of higher-order statistics. In particular, estimates of the
variance of instantaneous precipitation values and the fractional
coverage by precipitation would allow the use of the exact expression in
(11) rather than the parameterized expression in (13).

1.  PRISM Data:

> The primary source for calibration in this study is the rain gauge
> analysis produced by the GPCP's SRDC, located at the National Climatic
> Data Center (NCDC). The SRDC uses the PRISM technique (Daly et al.
> 1994) to analyze 2.58 3 2.58 grid cells that have reasonably dense
> rain gauge coverage (around 50 per 2.58 box).

2.  Affiliation:

NASA/GSFC Laboratory for Atmospheres and Science Systems and
Applications, Inc., Greenbelt, Maryland

Funding Agency:

NASA under Dr. R. Kakar.

> 3\. PRISM was used to provide the primary source of calibration as
> part of the rain gauge analysis produced by the Global Precipitation
> Climatology Project (GPCP) Version 1 Combined Precipitation Data Set
> (Huffman et al. 1997) Surface Reference Data Center (SRDC).
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> An approximate form of sr is derived that accommodates the limitations
> of typical monthly datasets, then it is applied to the microwave,
> infrared, and gauge precipitation monthly datasets from the Global
> Precipitation Climatology Project.

Google 41

The Holdridge life zones of the conterminous United States in relation
to ecosystem mapping.

Lugo, A. E., Brown, S. L., Dodson, R., Smith, T. S. & Shugart, H. H.
(1999)\
*Journal of Biogeography* **26** (5), 1025-1038.\
doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2699.1999.00329.x

ABSTRACT

Our main goals were to develop a map of the life zones for the
conterminous United States, based on the Holdridge Life Zone system, as
a tool for ecosystem mapping, and to compare the map of Holdridge life
zones with other global vegetation classification and mapping efforts.
Locations: The area of interest is the forty-eight contiguous states of
the United States.

Methods: We wrote a PERL program for determining life zones from
climatic data and linked it to the image processing workbench (IPW). The
inputs were annual precipitation (Pann), biotemperature (T bio),
sea-level biotemperature (T0bio), and the frost line. The spatial
resolution chosen for this study (2.5 arc-minute for classification,
4-km for mapping) was driven by the availability of current
state-of-the-art, accurate and reliable precipitation data. We used the
Precipitation-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model, or
PRISM, output for the contiguous United States downloaded from the
Internet. The accepted standard data for air temperature surfaces were
obtained from the Vegetation/Ecosystem Modeling and Analysis Project
(VEMAP). This data set along with station data obtained from the
National Climatic Data Center for the US, were used to develop all
temperature surfaces at the same resolution as the Pann.

Keywords: Ecosystem management, frost line, Holdridge, life zones,
United States, vegetation mapping

NOTE

"The US contains thirty-eight life zones (34% of the world\'s life zones
and 85% of the temperate ones) including one boreal, twelve cool
temperate, twenty warm temperatures, four subtropical, and one tropical.
Seventy-four percent of the US falls in the \'basal belt\', 18% is
montane, 8% is subalpine, 1% is alpine, and \<0.1% is nival. The US
ranges from super arid to super humid, and the humid province is the
largest (45% of the US). The most extensive life zone is the warm
temperate moist forest, which covers 23% of the country. We compared the
Holdridge life zone map with output from the BIOME model, Bailey\'s
ecoregions, Kûchler potential vegetation, and land cover, all aggregated
to four cover classes. Despite differences in the goals and methods for
all these classification systems, there was a very good to excellent
agreement among them for forests but poor for grasslands, shrub lands,
and non-vegetated lands."

1.  PRISM Data:

> "We used the Precipitation-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes
> Model, or PRISM, output for the contiguous United States downloaded
> from the Internet."
>
> 2\. Affiliation: not available

Funding Agency:

> 3\. PRISM was used to develop "a map of the life zones for the
> conterminous United States, based on the Holdridge Life Zone system."
> Comparisons were made between the map of Holdgridge life zones and
> other global vegetation classification and mapping efforts.

4\. Impact or Conclusion:

> "We consider the life zone approach to have many strengths for
> ecosystem mapping because it is based on climatic driving factors of
> ecosystem processes and recognizes ecophysiological responses of
> plants; it is hierarchal and allows for the use of other mapping
> criteria at the association and successional levels of analysis; it
> can be expanded or contracted without losing functional continuity
> among levels of ecological complexity; it is a relatively simple
> system based on few empirical data; and it uses objective mapping
> criteria."

Google 43

Effects of forest roads on flood flows in the Deschutes River,
Washington

Jonathan L. La Marche, Dennis P. Lettenmaier

*Earth Surf. Process. Landforms* **26**, 115--134 (2001)

ABSTRACT

The effects of forest roads on peak flows were examined through a
combination of field data collection and modeling in the extensively
logged 149 km2 catchment of the Deschutes River, Washington, USA. Based
on a field survey, the connectivity of culverts to the channel network
was related primarily to hill slope curvature and distance to the
natural stream channel. Culvert crest stage recorders operated during
winters 1996/97 and 1997/98 demonstrated that higher flows occurred in
ditches draining clearcuts compared to forested areas. Contrary to
expectation, road cutslope height did not seem to affect culvert peak
runoff. Adistributed hydrologic model was used to evaluate road effects
on peak flows in nine sub catchments (2_2 to 21 km2) of the Deschutes
River as well as the Deschutes main stem. The model-predicted increases
in the mean annual flood due to forest roads alone ranged from 2_2 to
9_5 per cent, and from 2_9 to 12_2 per cent for the 10 year event. These
increases are roughly equivalent to slightly smaller than those
predicted for harvest effects alone. Simulated road effects on peak
flows were independent of forest harvest state. However, at the hill
slope scale, modeled as well as field monitored road ditch response was
dependent on harvest state. Modeled road effects generally increased
with flood return period, while vegetation effects decreased.

Keywords: forest road drainage; hydrologic modeling; hydrologic effects
of logging; peak streamflow

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> "Annual precipitation maps for the area produced by the Precipitation
> Regressions on Independent Slopes Method (PRISM) of Daly et al. (1994)
> were used to scale precipitation observations from the Ware Creek
> gauge to the rest of the Deschutes catchment."
>
> 2\. Affiliation:
>
> Oregon Water Resource Department, Bend, OR
>
> Funding Agency: (not listed)

3\. PRISM was used "to scale precipitation observations from the Ware
Creek gauge to the rest of the Deschutes catchment."

> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "A distributed hydrologic model was used to evaluate the effects of
> roads on peak flows in nine sub catchments (2_2 to 21 km2) of the
> Deschutes River. The model was shown, through testing on independent
> calibration and verification periods, to be capable of representing
> runoff reasonably well during, and between, storms. Application of the
> model for the nine year period 1986--1994 to the Deschutes River, as
> well as the nine sub catchments, indicated the following. . Forest
> roads alone were predicted to have increased the mean annual flood in
> the sub catchments from 2_2 to 9_5 per cent, and from 2_9 to 12_2 for
> the ten year event. The largest increases associated with forest roads
> (without harvest) were roughly equivalent to those predicted for
> harvest, without roads. The predicted increases in floods due to roads
> generally increase with flood return period, while vegetation effects
> decrease. The effects of roads and harvest on peak flows at the
> subcatchment and catchment levels are essentially independent, and the
> combined effects on peak flows are therefore roughly additive. At the
> hill slope scale, modeled as well as field-observed road ditch
> response was dependent on vegetation state, with higher road effects
> occurring below harvested hill slopes. The absence of such a synergy
> at the subcatchment and catchment levels may well be due to scaling
> issues (most likely due to desynchronization in the channel system) of
> peak flows from the collective hill slopes."

Google 44

Variation in nuclear DNA content across environmental gradients: a
quantile regression analysis Charles A. Knight & David D. Ackerly

*Ecology Letters* Volume 5, Issue 1: Page 66  - January 2002\
doi:10.1046/j.1461-0248.2002.00283.x

ABSTRACT

The nuclear DNA content of angiosperms varies by several orders of
magnitude. Previous studies suggest that variation in 2C DNA content
(i.e. the amount of DNA in G1 phase nuclei, also referred to as the
2C-value) is correlated with environmental factors, but there are
conflicting reports in the literature concerning the nature of these
relationships. We examined variation in 2C DNA content for 401 species
in the ecologically diverse California flora in relation to the mean
July maximum temperature, January minimum temperature, and annual
precipitation within the geographical ranges of these species. Species
with small 2C-values predominate in all environments. Species with large
2C-values occur at intermediate July maximum temperatures, and decline
in frequency at both extremes of the July temperature gradient, and with
decreasing annual precipitation. Our analysis demonstrates the utility
of quantile regression for statistical inference of complex
distributions such as these. The method supports our observation that
relationships between nuclear DNA content and environmental factors are
stronger for species with large 2C-values.

Keywords: Genome size, evolution, macroecology, quantile regression,
seed size, randomization tests.

NOTE

"Climate maps were obtained from the Oregon State University PRISM
project (Daly et al. 1994, 1997). The climate maps were created using
local interpolation of mean climatic parameters between National
Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather stations.
Mean July maximum temperature, mean January minimum temperature and the
mean annual precipitation inside the range of each species was
calculated by intersecting the species range maps with the climate maps
(Knight & Ackerly 2001). We used these estimates to quantify differences
between species for realized climatic niche parameters (sensu Austin et
al. 1990; Westman 1991; Franklin 1998).

The method was particularly useful in our analysis for providing
quantitative evidence that trends towards reduced nuclear DNA content
with increasing July maximum and January minimum temperature, and with
decreasing annual precipitation, were stronger for species with larger
2C-values....

There should be a continued effort to obtain estimates of nuclear DNA
contents for the native flora of North America in addition to exotics.
As information on the climate and geographical distribution of plant
species becomes more refined, analyses such as the ones presented here
should be revisited. Environmental correlations with nuclear DNA content
may represent functional relationships between cellular and whole plant
physiology and environmental factors. However, these relationships may
also arise from correlated selection pressures acting directly on
nuclear DNA content. Regardless of their causal nature, variation in
nuclear DNA content appears to be an important heritable trait that
contributes to physiological, life history and climatic differentiation
between species. In an age of functional genomics it deserves further
attention."

1.  PRISM Data:

Climate maps were obtained from the Oregon State University PRISM
project (Daly et al. 1994, 1997).

> 2\. Affiliation:

Department of Biological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA

Funding Agency:

"This study was funded in part from a Tri-Agency (DOE, NSF, **USDA**)
Training Grant in Plant Biology, an NSF Dissertation Improvement Grant
(IBN-9902295; CAK) and fellowship support from the Center for
Evolutionary Studies at Stanford University (CAK)."

> 3\. PRISM climate maps were used as follows: "Mean July maximum
> temperature, mean January minimum temperature and the mean annual
> precipitation inside the range of each species was calculated by
> intersecting the species range maps with the climate maps (Knight &
> Ackerly 2001). We used these estimates to quantify differences between
> species for realized climatic niche parameters (sensu Austin et al.
> 1990; Westman 1991; Franklin 1998)."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "Our analysis demonstrates the utility of quantile regression for
> statistical inference of complex distributions such as these. The
> method supports our observation that relationships between nuclear DNA
> content and environmental factors are stronger for species with large
> 2C-values."

Google 45

Modeling relationships between landscape-level attributes and snorkel
counts of Chinook salmon and steelhead parr in Idaho

William L. Thompson and Danny C. Lee

Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. Vol. 57, 2000; pages 1834-1842

ABSTRACT

Knowledge of environmental factors impacting anadromous salmonids in
their freshwater habitats, particularly at large spatial scales, may be
important for restoring them to previously recorded levels in the
northwestern United States. Consequently, we used existing data sets and
an information-theoretic approach to model landscape-level attributes
and snorkel count categories of spring--summer Chinook salmon
(Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) parr
within index areas in Idaho. Count categories of Chinook salmon parr
were negatively related to geometric mean road density and positively
related to mean annual precipitation, whereas those for steelhead parr
were negatively related to percent unconsolidated lithology. Our models
predicted that Chinook salmon parr would be in low count categories
within sub watersheds with \>1 km^2^ geometric mean road densities and
(or) \<700 mm mean annual precipitation. Similarly, steelhead parr were
predicted to be in low count categories in sub watersheds with \>30%
unconsolidated lithology. These results provide a starting point for
fish biologists and managers attempting to map approximate status and
quality of rearing habitats for Chinook salmon and steelhead at large
spatial scales.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

Precip Mean annual precipitation (mm) based on the PRISM model (Daly et
al. 1994)

> 2\. Affiliation:

**USDA** Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Boise, ID

Funding Agency:

This work was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, Bonneville Power
Administration, under Project 92-32

> and the **USDA** Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station.

3\. PRISM was used to as a covariate in modeling landscape (sub
watershed scale) habitat and land management attributes

(Lee et al. 1997) with count categories of Chinook salmon and steelhead
parr.

> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> These results provide a starting point for fish biologists and
> managers attempting to map approximate status and quality of rearing
> habitats for Chinook salmon and steelhead at large spatial scales.

Google 46

EXPLAINING FOREST COMPOSITION AND BIOMASS ACROSS MULTIPLE
BIOGEOGRAPHICAL REGIONS

Harald K. M. Bugmann,a and Allen M. Solomonb

***Ecological Applications:* Vol. 10, No. 1, pp. 95--114.**

ABSTRACT

Current scientific concerns regarding the impacts of global change
include the responses of forest composition and biomass to rapid changes
in climate, and forest gap models have often been used to address this
issue. These models reflect the concept that forest composition and
biomass in the absence of large-scale disturbance are explained by
competition among species for light and other resources in canopy gaps
formed when dominant trees die. Since their initiation 25 yr ago, a wide
variety of gap models have been developed that are applicable to
different forest ecosystems all over the world. Few gap models, however,
have proved to be equally valid over a wide range of environmental
conditions, a problem on which our work is focused.

We previously developed a gap model that is capable of simulating forest
composition and biomass in temperate forests of Europe and eastern North
America based on a single model structure. In the present study, we
extend the model to simulate individual tree species response to strong
moisture seasonality and low temperature seasonality, and we modify the
widespread parabolic temperature response function to mimic nonlinear
increases in growth with increased temperature up to species-specific
optimal values.

The resulting gap model, FORCLIM V2.9, generates realistic projections
of tree species composition and biomass across a complex gradient of
temperature and moisture in the Pacific Northwest of the United States.
The model is evaluated against measured basal area

and stand structure data at three elevations of the H. J. Andrews LTER
site, yielding satisfactory results. The very same model also provides
improved estimates of species composition and stand biomass in eastern
North America and central Europe, where it originated. This suggests
that the model modifications we introduced are indeed generic.

Temperate forests other than those we studied here are characterized by
climates that are quite similar to the ones in the three study regions.
Therefore we are confident that it is possible to explain forest
composition and biomass of all major temperate forests by means of a
single hypothesis as embodied in a forest gap model.

NOTE

Finally, the results of this study have implications for our ability to
simulate the response of temperate forests to climate change. While we
can never prove that a model will be capable of simulating the
ecological impacts of novel climatic conditions, we have shown that
FORCLIM realistically depicts forest biomass and species composition
along complex gradients of temperature and moisture extending from the
cold to the dry treeline in three biogeographic areas that are
characterized by different seasonality and interannual variability of
temperature and precipitation. These simulation exercises and model
tests significantly increase the robustness of simulation results
obtained under scenarios of anthropogenic climatic change, as compared
to the results from models that have been demonstrated to function
within a considerably smaller area or at a few sites only. Our study
thus is a step towards providing land managers and policymakers with
robust tools for assessing the impacts of anthropogenic climate changes
on forest resources.

1.  PRISM Data:

> Precipitation data were obtained from [Daly et al.
> (1994)](http://www.esajournals.org/esaonline/?request=get-document&issn=1051-0761&volume=010&issue=01&page=0095#i1051-0761-010-01-0095-daley1%23i1051-0761-010-01-0095-daley1).

2.  Affiliation:

> Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Potsdam, Germany

Funding Agency:

This study was partly funded by the German Ministry for Education,
Research and Technology (BMBF), grant number 01 LK 9408/2.

> 3\. PRISM was used to generate "realistic projections of tree species
> composition and biomass across a complex gradient of temperature and
> moisture in the Pacific Northwest of the United States."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "Finally, the results of this study have implications for our ability
> to simulate the response of temperate forests to climate change... Our
> study thus is a step towards providing land managers and policymakers
> with robust tools for assessing the impacts of anthropogenic climate
> changes on forest resources."

Google 47

Impacts of Landscape Change on Wolf Restoration Success: Planning a
Reintroduction Program Based on Static and Dynamic Spatial Models

Carlos Carroll, Michael K. Phillips, Nathan H. Schumake, and Douglas W.
Smith

*The Journal of the Society for Conservation Biology* Volume 17 Page
536  - April 2003\
doi:10.1046/j.1523-1739.2003.01552.x

ABSTRACT

Mammalian carnivores are increasingly the focus of reintroduction
attempts in areas from which they have been extirpated by historic
persecution. We used static and dynamic spatial models to evaluate
whether a proposed wolf reintroduction to the southern Rocky Mountain
region (USA ) would advance recovery by increasing species distribution
beyond what might be expected through natural range expansion. We used
multiple logistic regression to develop a resource-selection function
relating wolf distribution in the Greater Yellowstone region with
regional-scale habitat variables. We also used a spatially explicit
population model to predict wolf distribution and viability at several
potential reintroduction sites within the region under current
conditions and under two contrasting predictions of future landscape
change. Areas of the southern Rocky Mountains with
resource-selection-function values similar to those of currently
inhabited areas in Yellowstone could potentially support\>1000 wolves,
40% within protected areas and 47% on unprotected public lands. The
dynamic model predicted similar distribution under current conditions
but suggested that development trends over 25 years may result in the
loss of one of four potential regional subpopulations and increased
isolation of the remaining areas. The reduction in carrying capacity due
to landscape change ranged from 49% to 66%, depending on assumptions
about road development on public lands. Although much of the wolf
population occurs outside core protected areas, these areas remain the
key to the persistence of subpopulations. Although the dynamic model\'s
sensitivity to dispersal parameters made it difficult to predict the
probability of natural recolonization from distant sources, it suggested
that an active reintroduction to two sites within the region may be
necessary to ensure low extinction probability. Social carnivores such
as the wolf, which often require larger territories than solitary
species of similar size, may be more vulnerable to environmental
stochasticity and landscape fragmentation than their vagility and
fecundity would suggest.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

Mean annual precipitation is 1500 mm and mean annual snowfall is 2700 mm
(Daly et al. 1994).

2.  Affiliation:

Klamath Center for Conservation Research, PO Box 104, Orleans, CA

Funding Agency:

This study was funded by the Turner Endangered Species Fund.

> 3\. PRISM was used to provide mean annual precipitation data.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> Although the dynamic model\'s sensitivity to dispersal parameters made
> it difficult to predict the probability of natural recolonization from
> distant sources, it suggested that an active reintroduction to two
> sites within the region may be necessary to ensure low extinction
> probability. Social carnivores such as the wolf, which often require
> larger territories than solitary species of similar size, may be more
> vulnerable to environmental stochasticity and landscape fragmentation
> than their vagility and fecundity would suggest.

Google 48

Simulating the impact of road construction and forest harvesting on
hydrologic response

Christina Tague, Larry Band

[*Earth Surface Processes and
Landforms*](http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/jhome/2388).
[Volume 26, Issue
2](http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/jissue/76501518) , Pages
135 - 151

ABSTRACT

This paper incorporates a conceptual model of the effect of roads and
forest harvesting on hill slope soil moisture and runoff production into
a hydroecological modeling system and discusses model results for a
range of scenarios for a small catchment in the Western Oregon Cascades,
USA. The model is used to explore the implications of road cut depth and
road drainage patterns on seasonal hydrologic responses including runoff
production, soil moisture and ecological processes such as
evapotranspiration. By examining hydrologic response within a seasonal
and hill slope context, we illustrate the complex role played by roads
in terms of both the spatial and temporal persistence of the effects of
an increase in local drainage efficiency associated with particular road
segments. Model results are compared with observed outflow responses for
a paired catchment study using the test case watershed. (catchment area
in UK terminology). Results show the potential for an ecologically
significant change in soil moisture in the area downslope from the road.
These changes are mediated by the drainage patterns associated with
roads, specifically whether road culverts serve to concentrate or to
diffuse flow. Field verification of these findings presents an avenue
for further research. The modeled effects on seasonal outflow response
are less significant but do show clear temporal patterns associated with
climate pattern, hill slope drainage organization and road construction.
Comparison between modeled and observed outflow response suggests that
the model does not yet capture all of the processes involved in
assessing the effects of forest road construction.

Keywords: road construction; drainage organization; seasonal hydrologic
response; hydroecological modeling; streamflow; soil moisture
distribution; forest harvesting

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data: [Had trouble downloading pdf...kept hanging up on
    computer]{.mark}

> []{.mark}
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Funding Agency:

> 3\. PRISM was used to
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:

Google 50

DECLINING MOUNTAIN SNOWPACK

IN WESTERN NORTH AMERICA

PHILIP W. MOTE, ALAN F. HAMLET, MARTYN P. CLARK, AND DENNIS P.
LETTENMAIER

AMERICAN METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY BAMS JANUARY 2005; pages 39-49

ABSTRACT

Mountain snowpack in western North America is a key component of the
hydrologic cycle, storing water from the winter (when most precipitation
falls) and releasing it in spring and early summer, when economic,
environmental, and recreational demands for water throughout the West
are frequently greatest. In most river basins of the West, especially in
Washington, Oregon, and California, snow (rather than man-made
reservoirs) is the largest component of water storage; hence, the West
is (to varying degrees) vulnerable to climatic variations and changes
that influence spring snowpack..

Winter and spring temperatures have increased in western North America
during the twentieth century (e.g., Folland et al. 2001), and there is
ample evidence that this widespread warming has produced changes in
hydrology and plants. Phenological studies indicate that in much of the
West, lilacs and honeysuckles are responding to the warming trend by
blooming and leafing out earlier (Cayan et al. 2001). The timing of
spring snowmelt-driven streamflow has shifted earlier in the year (Cayan
et al. 2001; Regonda et al. 2004; Stewart et al. 2005), as is expected
in a warming climate (Hamlet and Lettenmaier 1999a). Snow extent
(Robinson 1999) and depth (Groisman et al. 1994, 2003; Scott and Kaiser
2004) have generally decreased in the West, but these observations
reflect valleys and plains, where snow resources melt much earlier than
in the mountains and hence play a much smaller role in hydrology,
especially in late spring and summer. Observations of winter and spring
snowpack are frequently used to predict summer streamflow in the West
but had not been used in published studies of longer-term trends until
Mote (2003a) analyzed snow data for the Pacific Northwest and showed
substantial declines in 1 April snowpack at most locations. Relative
losses depended on elevation in a manner consistent with warming-driven
trends, and statistical regression on climate data also suggested an
important role of temperature both in year-to-year fluctuations and in
longer-term trends at most locations. Similar results have been found in
the Swiss Alps(Laternser and Schneebeli 2003; Scherrer et al. 2004).

The present paper extends the earlier study in many important ways.
First, we expand the spatial extent of analysis to incorporate the
entire West from the Continental Divide to the Pacific, and from central
British Columbia, Canada, south to southern Arizona and New Mexico.
Second, we augment the long term monthly manual observations of snow
with a more recent (measurements dating back typically \~20 yr) dataset
of daily telemetered snow observations. Finally, and most significantly,
we corroborate the analysis of snow data using a hydrological model

driven with observed daily temperature and precipitation data. Trends in
observed snow data may reflect climatic trends or site changes (e.g.,
growth of the forest canopy around a snow course) over time; using the
model, we attempt to distinguish the causes of observed trends.
Documenting the extent to which observed warming has influenced the
West's snow resources takes on growing importance in the context of
assessing the present and future impacts of global climate change. Here
we describe the observed variability and trends in snowpack, relate them
to climatic variables, compare with the model simulation, and point out
which areas of the mountain West are most sensitive to further warming.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Winter (December--January--February) mean site temperature for each
> snow course location was determined from the nearest grid point in the
> 4-kminterpolated Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes
> Model (PRISM) dataset (Daly et al. 1994).

2.  Affiliation:

Climate Impacts Group, Center for Science in the Earth System,
University of Washington, Seattle, Washington

Funding Agency:

This publication is funded in part by the Joint Institute for the Study
of the Atmosphere and Ocean under NOAA Cooperative

> Agreement NA17RJ1232.

3\. PRISM was used to extend a study that "analyzed snow data for the
Pacific Northwest and showed substantial

> declines in 1 April snowpack at most locations. Relative losses
> depended on elevation in a manner consistent with warming-driven
> trends, and statistical regression on climate data also suggested an
> important role of temperature both in year-to-year fluctuations and in
> longer-term trends at most locations."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> Widespread declines in springtime SWE have occurred in much of the
> North American West over the period 1925--2000, especially since
> mid-century. While nonclimatic factors like growth of forest canopy
> might be partly responsible, several factors argue for a predominantly
> climatic role: the consistency of spatial patterns with climatic
> trends, the elevational dependence of trends, and, most important, the
> broad agreement with the VIC simulation.

It is becoming ever clearer that these projected declines in SWE, which
are already well underway, will have profound consequences for water use
in a region already contending with the clash between rising demands and
increasing allocations of water for endangered fish and wildlife.

Google 51

Simulations of the ENSO Hydroclimate Signals in the Pacific Northwest
Columbia River Basin

L. Ruby Leung, Alan F. Hamlet, Dennis P. Lettenmaier, and Arun Kumar

*Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society:* Vol. 80, No. 11,
November 1999; pages 2313-2329

ABSTRACT

Natural fluctuations in the atmosphere--ocean system related to the El
Niño--Southern Oscillation (ENSO) induce climate variability over many
parts of the world that is potentially predictable with lead times from
seasons to decades. This study examines the potential of using a model
nesting approach to provide seasonal climate and stream flow forecasts
suitable for water resources management. Two ensembles of perpetual
January simulations were performed with a regional climate model driven
by a general circulation model (GCM), using observed climatological sea
surface temperature (SST) and the mean SST of the warm ENSO years
between 1950 and 1994. The climate simulations were then used to drive a
macro scale hydrology odel to simulate stream flow. The differences
between the two ensembles of simulations are defined as the warm ENSO
signals.

The simulated hydroclimate signals were compared with observations. The
analyses focus on the Columbia Rivermasin in the Pacific Northwest.
Results show that the global and regional models simulated a warming
over the Pacific Northwest that is quite close to the observations. The
models also correctly captured the strong wet signal over California and
the weak dry signal over the Pacific Northwest during warm ENSO years.
The regional climate model consistently performed better than the GCM in
simulating the spatial distribution of regional climate and climate
signals. When the climate simulations were used to drive a macro scale
hydrology model at the Columbia River basin, the simulated stream flow
signal resembles that derived from hydrological simulations driven by
observed climate. The stream flow simulations were considerably improved
when a simple bias correction scheme was applied to the climate
simulations. The coupled regional climate and macro scale hydrologic
simulations demonstrate the prospect for generating and utilizing
seasonal climate forecasts for managing reservoirs.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> The station data were objectively analyzed onto the 1° VIC grid cells,
> and grid cell means were then adjusted to reproduce the means over the
> same (1°) spatial grid cells generated by the statistical--topographic
> model of Daly et al. (1994) based on observations. This dataset was
> also used to evaluate the surface temperature and precipitation
> simulated by the MRF and RCM over the Columbia River basin.

2.  Affiliation:

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington.

Funding Agency:

> The regional climate modeling work was supported by the Office of
> Biological and Environmental Research, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
> grant to LRL as part of the U.S. DOE--China Meteorological
> Administration bilateral agreement on the study of regional climate.
> The hydrological modeling has been funded by the Joint Institute for
> the Study of Atmosphere and Oceans Climate Impacts Group at the
> University of Washington (UW), for which DPL is the principal
> hydrologist.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used in a "regional climate model driven by a general
> circulation model (GCM), using observed climatological sea surface
> temperature (SST) and the mean SST of the warm ENSO years between 1950
> and 1994. The climate simulations were then used to drive a macro
> scale hydrology model to simulate stream flow. The differences between
> the two ensembles of simulations are defined as the warm ENSO
> signals."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> At this stage, it is not clear how the dynamical approach compares
> with the much more efficient statistical approach in producing
> seasonal climate forecasts that are useful for water resources
> management. Both approaches should be further explored to answer this
> question.

Google 52

Partitioning sources of variation in vertebrate species richness

Boone R.B.; Krohn W.B.

*Journal of Biogeography* (March 2000): **27 (2)**, 457--470

ABSTRACT

To explore biogeographic patterns of terrestrial vertebrates in Maine,
USA using

techniques that would describe local and spatial correlations with the
environment.

**Location**

Maine, USA.

NOTE

> 1\. PRISM Data: Mentioned findings: Mountains can increase
> precipitation by slowing the movement of storms, and by causing
> uplifts of air masses, which increases humidity and precipitation
> (reviewed in Daly *et al*, 1994).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Funding Agency:

> 3\. PRISM was used to
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:

Google 55

POTENTIAL UPPER BOUNDS OF CARBON STORES IN FORESTS

OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST

ERICA A. H. SMITHWICK, MARK E. HARMON, SUZANNE M. REMILLARD, STEVEN A.
ACKER, AND JERRY F. FRANKLIN

*Ecological Applications*, 12(5), 2002, pp. 1303--1317

ABSTRACT

Placing an upper bound to carbon (C) storage in forest ecosystems helps
to constrain predictions on the amount of C that forest management
strategies could sequester and the degree to which natural and
anthropogenic disturbances change C storage. The potential, upper bound
to C storage is difficult to approximate in the field because it
requires studying old-growth forests, of which few remain. In this
paper, we put an upper bound (or limit) on C storage in the Pacific
Northwest (PNW) of the United States using field data from old-growth
forests, which are near steady-state conditions. Specifically, the goals
of this study were: (1) to approximate the upper bounds of C storage in
the PNW by estimating total ecosystem carbon (TEC) stores of 43
old-growth forest stands in five distinct biogeoclimatic provinces and
(2) to compare these TEC storage estimates with those from other biomes,
globally. Finally, we suggest that the upper bounds of C storage in
forests of the PNW are higher than current estimates of C stores,
presumably due to a combination of natural and anthropogenic
disturbances, which indicates a potentially substantial and economically
significant role of C sequestration in the region. Results showed that
coastal Oregon stands stored, on average, 1127 Mg C/ha, which was the
highest for the study area, while stands in eastern Oregon stored the
least, 195 Mg C/ha. In general, coastal Oregon stands stored 307 Mg C/ha
more than coastal Washington stands. Similarly, the Oregon Cascades
stands stored 75 Mg C/ha more, on average, than the Washington Cascades
stands. A simple, area-weighted average TEC storage to 1 m soil depth
(TEC100) for the PNW was 671 Mg C/ha. When soil was included only to 50
cm (TEC50), the area-weighted average was 640 Mg C/ha. Subtracting
estimates of current forest C storage from the potential, upper bound of
C storage in this study, a maximum of 338 Mg C/ha (TEC100) could be
stored in PNW forests in addition to current stores.

Key words: biomass; carbon offsets; carbon storage; disturbance;
old-growth forests; Pacific Northwest, USA; sequestration.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

Precipitation data were from PRISM (precipitation--elevation regressions
on independent slopes model; Daly et al. 1994)

> 2\. Affiliation:
>
> Department of Forest Science, Oregon State University

Funding Agency:

> This research was made possible by funding from the Pacific Northwest
> Research Station Long-Term Ecosystem Productivity Program and
> Interagency Agreement DW 12936179 between USEPA and the Pacific
> Northwest Research Station. All stands are associated with the H. J.
> Andrews Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) program, grant number
> DEB-9632921.
>
> 3\. PRISM precipitation data was used in the approximation of " ...the
> upper bounds of C storage in the PNW by estimating total ecosystem
> carbon (TEC) stores of 43 old-growth forest stands in five distinct
> biogeoclimatic provinces and (2) to compare these TEC storage
> estimates with those from other biomes, globally.

3.  Impact or Conclusion:

> "Old-growth forest ecosystems can be used as an upper bound (or upper
> limit) on additional C sequestration potential...The upper bound (or
> limit) of the global, terrestrial biosphere to sequester additional
> carbon could be improved with similar studies in other regions. If
>
> management strategies were such to allow forests to return closer to
> the C stores found in old-growth forests, the PNW would have
> considerable ability to sequester additional C. This could have
> significant economic implications."

Google 56

Assessing forest growth across southwestern Oregon under a range of
current and future global change

scenarios using a process model, 3-PG

N . C . C O O P S and R . H . W A R I N G

*Global Change Biology* (2001) 7, 15-29

ABSTRACT

With improvements in mapping regional distributions of vegetation using
satellite derived information, there is an increasing interest in the
assessment of current limitations on forest growth and in making
projections of how productivity may be altered in response to changing
climatic conditions and management policies. We utilized a simplified
physiologically based process model (3-PG) across a 54 000km2
mountainous region of southwestern Oregon, USA, to evaluate the degree
to which maximum periodic mean annual increment (PAI) of forests could
be predicted at a set of 448 forest inventory plots. The survey data
were pooled into six broad forest types (coastal rain forest, interior
coast range forest, mixed conifer, dry-site Douglas-fir,subalpine
forest, and pine forest) and compared to the 3-PG predictions at a
spatial resolution of 1 km2. We found good agreement (r2 = 0.84) between
mean PAI values of forest productivity for the six forest types with
those obtained from field surveys. With confidence at this broader level
of integration, we then ran model simulations to evaluate the
constraints imposed by (i) soil fertility under current climatic
conditions, (ii) the effect of doubling monthly precipitation across the
region, and (iii) a widely used climatic change scenario that involves
modifications in monthly mean temperatures and precipitation, as well as
a doubling in atmospheric CO2 concentrations. These analyses showed that
optimum soil fertility would more than double growth, with the greatest
response in the subalpine type and the least increase in the coastal
rain forests. Doubling the precipitation increased productivity in the
pine type (\> 50%) with reduced responses elsewhere. The climate change
scenario with doubled atmospheric CO2 increased growth by 50% on average
across all forest types, primarily as a result of a projected 33%
increase in photosynthetic capacity. This modeling exercise indicates
that, at a regional scale, a general relationship exists between
simulated maximum leaf area index and maximum aboveground growth,
supporting the contention that satellite-derived estimates of leaf area
index may be good measures of the potential productivity of temperate
evergreen forests.

Keywords: climate change, photosynthetic radiation, physiological
modeling, regional analysis

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> The datasets were provided at a resolution of 10km2 pixels and were
> terrain-adjusted using interpolation based on the PRISM system (Daly
> et al. 1994).

2.  Affiliation:

> CSIRO Forestry and Forest Products, Private Bag 10, Clayton South
> 3169, Melbourne Australia

Funding Agency:

Supported by funds from the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) Grant Number NAG5-7506.

3.  PRISM was used in "... a simplified physiologically based process
    model (3-PG) across a 54 000km2 mountainous region of southwestern
    Oregon, USA, to evaluate the degree to which maximum periodic mean
    annual increment (PAI) of forests could be predicted at a set of 448
    forest inventory plots." ( In order to assess the implications of
    changing climate and elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide
    concentrations, ...")

> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> This modeling exercise indicates that, at a regional scale, a general
> relationship exists between simulated maximum leaf area index and
> maximum aboveground growth, supporting the contention that
> satellite-derived estimates of leaf area index may be good measures of
> the potential productivity of temperate evergreen forests.

Google 57

Hydroclimate of the Western United States Based on Observations and
Regional Climate Simulation of 1981--2000. Part I: Seasonal Statistics

L. Ruby Leung, Yun Qian, and Xindi Bian

***Journal of Climate:* Vol. 16, No. 12, pp. 1892--1911.**

ABSTRACT

The regional climate of the western United States shows clear footprints
of interaction between atmospheric circulation and orography. The unique
features of this diverse climate regime challenges climate modeling.
This paper provides detailed analyses of observations and regional
climate simulations to improve our understanding and modeling of the
climate of this region. The primary data used in this study are the 1/8°
gridded temperature and precipitation based on station observations and
the NCEP--NCAR global reanalyses. These data were used to evaluate a
20-yr regional climate simulation performed using the fifth-generation
Pennsylvania State University--National Center for Atmospheric Research
(Penn State--NCAR) Mesoscale Model (MM5) driven by large-scale
conditions of the NCEP--NCAR reanalyses. Regional climate features
examined include seasonal mean and extreme precipitation; distribution
of precipitation rates; and precipitation intensity, frequency, and
seasonality. The relationships between precipitation and surface
temperature are also analyzed as a means to evaluate how well regional
climate simulations can be used to simulate surface hydrology, and
relationships between precipitation and elevation are analyzed as
diagnostics of the impacts of surface topography and spatial resolution.
The latter was performed at five east--west transects that cut across
various topographic features in the western United States.

![](media/image3.png){width="0.15555555555555556in"
height="0.10486111111111111in"}These analyses suggest that the regional
simulation realistically captures many regional climate features. The
simulated seasonal mean and extreme precipitation are comparable to
observations. The regional simulation produces precipitation over a wide
range of precipitation rates comparable to observations. Obvious biases
in the simulation include the over simulation of precipitation in the
basins and intermountain West during the cold season, and the under
simulation in the Southwest in the warm season. There is a tendency of
reduced precipitation frequency rather than intensity in the simulation
during the summer in the Northwest and Southwest, which leads to the
insufficient summer mean precipitation in those areas. Because of the
general warm biases in the simulation, there is also a tendency for more
precipitation events to be associated with warmer temperatures, which
can affect the simulation of snow pack and runoff.

NOTE

The importance of topographic control on regional climate conditions in
the western United States is further illustrated through the examination
of precipitation--topography relationships and mesoscale features in
precipitation seasonality. Analyses of precipitation and topography
along five east--west transects show significant impacts of surface
terrain on the spatial distribution of precipitation. Rain shadow
effects are strong along the Cascades and Sierra Range. The regional
simulation was able to reproduce the rain shadow effects rather well.
However, at 40-km resolution, major differences exist between the model
topography and the actual topography at the same resolution along the
coast. As a result, the model failed to generate sufficient
precipitation along the coastal hills. Plotting the time evolution of
precipitation along the transects shows that local transitions from cold
to warm season precipitation regimes mainly occur on the lee side of
ridges where cold season orographic precipitation is suppressed due to
rain shadow effects. Again this indicates the importance of topographic
control on the regional climate features of the western United States.

1.  PRISM Data:

> "The data were gridded and spatially interpolated to 1/8° resolution
> using the statistical topographic--precipitation relationship
> developed by [Daly et al.
> (1994)](http://ams.allenpress.com/amsonline/?request=get-document&doi=10.1175%2F1520-0442(2003)016<1892:HOTWUS>2.0.CO%3B2#i1520-0442-16-12-1892-daly1%23i1520-0442-16-12-1892-daly1)
> , which is important for capturing the mesoscale orographic
> precipitation pattern that is a prominent feature of the western
> United States."

2.  Affiliation:

> Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington

Funding Agency:

> "Funding for this study was provided by the Department of Energy (DOE)
> Accelerated Climate Prediction Initiative (ACPI). The ACPI pilot
> effort was supported largely by the DOE Office of Biological and
> Environmental Research through numerous contracts and subcontracts to
> the participants."
>
> 3\. PRISM was used in a "detailed analyses of observations and
> regional climate simulations in the western United States, ... where
> regional climate shows clear footprints of interaction between
> atmospheric circulation and orography, to improve our understanding
> and modeling of the climate of this region."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:

"These analyses suggest that the regional simulation realistically
captures many regional climate features...

> There is a tendency of reduced precipitation frequency rather than
> intensity in the simulation during the summer in the Northwest and
> Southwest, which leads to the insufficient summer mean precipitation
> in those areas. Because of the general warm biases in the simulation,
> there is also a tendency for more precipitation events to be
> associated with warmer temperatures, which can affect the simulation
> of snow pack and runoff."

Google 58

WINDTHROW DISTURBANCE, FOREST COMPOSITION, AND STRUCTURE IN THE BULL RUN
BASIN, OREGON

Diana S. Sinton, Julia A. Jones, Janet L. Ohmann, and Frederick J.
Swansonb

*Ecology:* Vol. 81, No. 9, pp. 2539--2556.

ABSTRACT

This study examined relationships among forest landscape dynamics,
environmental factors (climate and landforms), and disturbance history
in forests dominated by Douglas-fir (*Pseudotsuga menziesii*), western
hemlock (*Tsuga heterophylla*), and Pacific silver fir (*Abies
amabilis*) in the Bull Run basin in northwestern Oregon and evaluated
the findings in a broader geographic context. Three sets of analyses
were conducted: mapping of historical windthrow disturbance patches in
the 265-km^2^ Bull Run basin over the past century and analysis of their
relationships with meteorological conditions, landforms, and vegetation;
comparison of forest structure and species composition as a function of
mapped windthrow and wildfire disturbance history in 34 1-ha vegetation
survey plots in Bull Run; and canonical correspondence analysis of
environmental factors and forest overstory species composition in 1637
vegetation plots in the Mount Hood and Willamette National Forests.
Nearly 10% of the Bull Run basin has been affected by windthrow since
1890, but only 2% was affected prior to the onset of forest harvest in
1958. Most of the mapped windthrow occurred in areas with 500- to
700-yr-old canopy dominants and no mapped disturbance by fire in the
past 500 yr. Most mapped windthrow occurred during three events in 1931,
1973, and 1983 that were characterized by extreme high speed east winds
from the Columbia River Gorge. Forest harvest modified the effects of
climate, landforms, and vegetation on windthrow disturbance, reducing
the importance of topographic exposure to east and northeast winds, and
creating a strong influence of recent clearcut edges, which accounted
for 80% of windthrow in the 1983 event. Shade-tolerant overstory species
(western hemlock and Pacific silver fir) are abundant in present-day
forest stands affected by windthrow as well as by fire in the past
century. In the western Cascade Range, Douglas-fir and western hemlock
decline and Pacific silver fir increases with elevation (summer moisture
stress declines but temperature variability increases), but this
transition occurs at lower elevations in the Bull Run, perhaps because
of the interaction between regional climate processes and disturbance
along the Columbia Gorge. Complex landscape dynamics result from these
contingent interactions among climate, landform and stand conditions,
and disturbance.

*Key words:*![](media/image3.png){width="0.15555555555555556in"
height="0.10486111111111111in"}canonical correspondence analysis;
clearcut edges; disturbance history; Douglas-fir; forest structure;
landscape dynamics; logistic regression; Oregon, northwest; Pacific
silver fir; *Pseudotsuga menziesii;*; *Tsuga heterophylla;*; western
hemlock; windthrow disturbance.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Climate data were derived from map surfaces generated by precipitation
> ([Daly et al.
> 1994](http://www.esajournals.org/esaonline/?request=get-document&issn=0012-9658&volume=081&issue=09&page=2539#i0012-9658-081-09-2539-daly1%23i0012-9658-081-09-2539-daly1))
> and temperature ([Dodson and Marks
> 1997](http://www.esajournals.org/esaonline/?request=get-document&issn=0012-9658&volume=081&issue=09&page=2539#i0012-9658-081-09-2539-dodson1%23i0012-9658-081-09-2539-dodson1))
> models using methods described in [Ohmann and Spies
> (1998)](http://www.esajournals.org/esaonline/?request=get-document&issn=0012-9658&volume=081&issue=09&page=2539#i0012-9658-081-09-2539-ohmann1%23i0012-9658-081-09-2539-ohmann1).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:
>
> Department of Geosciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon

Funding Agency:

> This research was supported by a cooperative agreement between the
> Mount Hood National Forest, the City of Portland Bureau of Water
> Works, the Pacific Northwest Research Station of the U.S. Forest
> Service, and Oregon State University (No. PNW 92--0220) and by NSF
> grant DEB-96--32921 (H. J. Andrews Long-term Ecological Research
> \[LTER\])
>
> 3\. PRISM precipitation data was used in an examination of
> "relationships among forest landscape dynamics, environmental factors
> (climate and landforms), and disturbance history in forests dominated
> by Douglas-fir (*Pseudotsuga menziesii*), western hemlock (*Tsuga
> heterophylla*), and Pacific silver fir (*Abies amabilis*) in the Bull
> Run basin in northwestern Oregon and evaluated the findings in a
> broader geographic context."

4.  Impact or Conclusion:

> Disturbance history in the Bull Run is consistent with a regional
> synthesis of fire history ([Weisberg
> 1998](http://www.esajournals.org/esaonline/?request=get-document&issn=0012-9658&volume=081&issue=09&page=2539#i0012-9658-081-09-2539-weisberg1%23i0012-9658-081-09-2539-weisberg1))
> and paleoecological studies of fire history ([Long et al.
> 1998](http://www.esajournals.org/esaonline/?request=get-document&issn=0012-9658&volume=081&issue=09&page=2539#i0012-9658-081-09-2539-long1%23i0012-9658-081-09-2539-long1))
> that suggest no tendency toward disturbance "equilibrium" in these
> forested landscapes.
>
> Simplifying assumptions about landscape dynamics do not hold in the
> Bull Run; as a result, the causes and consequences of disturbance have
> varied greatly in time and space. Both wildfire and windthrow have
> affected forests over the past few centuries, but fire suppression and
> clear cutting in the 20th century augmented the expression of
> windthrow. Also, both wildfire and windthrow have been tied to climate
> variation, but to different aspects of climate, over the historical
> record.

Google 59

Estimation models for precipitation in mountainous regions: the use of
GIS and multivariate analysis

Marqunez J; Lastra J.; Garca P.

[*Journal of
Hydrology*](http://orst.library.ingentaconnect.com/content/els/00221694;jsessionid=3beabgg7ui9qu.henrietta),
Volume 270, Number 1, 10 January 2003, pp. 1-11(11)

ABSTRACT

Using multiple linear regression and Geographic Information System
techniques, we modeled the spatial distribution of mean monthly
precipitation for the seasonal and annual periods in a mountainous
region of 10,590km^2^, located in the central area of the Cantabrian
Coast, Spain. We used precipitation data measured at 117 stations for
the period 1966-1990, using 84 stations for function development and
reserving 33 for validation tests. The best model developed used five
topographic descriptors as independent variables: elevation, distance
from the coastline, distance from the west, and a measurement of
elevation and slope means into homogeneous areas. These topographic
variables were calculated as raster models with 200m resolution. The
model accounted for most of the spatial variability in mean
precipitation, with an adjusted R^2^ between 0.58 and 0.67. The standard
error was approximately 10% and the mean absolute error ranged from 8.1
to 26.1mm, which represented 13-19% of observed precipitation.
Regression enabled us to estimate precipitation in areas where there are
no nearby stations and where topography has a major influence on the
precipitation.

Keywords: [Regression
analysis](http://orst.library.ingentaconnect.com/search;jsessionid=3beabgg7ui9qu.henrietta?database=1&title=Regression analysis);
[GIS](http://orst.library.ingentaconnect.com/search;jsessionid=3beabgg7ui9qu.henrietta?database=1&title=GIS);
[Precipitation](http://orst.library.ingentaconnect.com/search;jsessionid=3beabgg7ui9qu.henrietta?database=1&title=Precipitation);
[Digital terrain
model](http://orst.library.ingentaconnect.com/search;jsessionid=3beabgg7ui9qu.henrietta?database=1&title=Digital terrain model);
[Topographic
variables](http://orst.library.ingentaconnect.com/search;jsessionid=3beabgg7ui9qu.henrietta?database=1&title=Topographic variables);
[Multivariate
analysis](http://orst.library.ingentaconnect.com/search;jsessionid=3beabgg7ui9qu.henrietta?database=1&title=Multivariate analysis)

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data: Comparison of their modeled values to Daly et al., to
    Basist et al., and to Martinez-Cob.

> 2\. Affiliation:

Funding Agency:

> 3\. PRISM was used to
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:

Google 60

The use of multiscale remote sensing imagery to derive regional
estimates of forest growth capacity using 3-PGS

N.C. Coopsa, R.H. Waring

*Remote Sensing of Environment* 75 (2001) 324± 334

ABSTRACT

A number of process models now exist that estimate carbon and water
vapor exchange across a broad array of vegetation. Many of these models
can be driven with information derived from satellite sensors. In
particular, a large number use the normalized difference vegetation
index to infer spatial and temporal shifts in the fraction of visible
light intercepted ( ffp.a,) by vegetation. We utilized a simplified
process model (Physiological Principles Predicting Growth from
Satellites), initialized with Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer
normalized difference vegetation index-derived estimates of ffp.a, to
estimate at monthly time steps photosynthesis, respiration, and
aboveground growth of forest vegetation within a 54,000 km2 region in
southwestern Oregon. We had data available from 755 permanent survey
plots to provide an independent estimate of forest growth capacity. In
addition, we took advantage of a satellite-derived classification of 14
major forest types to investigate the extent that generalizations might
be made about their respective productive capacities. From weather
stations and statewide soil surveys, we extrapolated and transformed
these sources of data into those required to drive the model (solar
radiation, temperature extremes, vapor pressure deficit, and
precipitation) and initialize conditions (soil water holding capacity
and soil fertility). Within the mountainous region we found considerable
variation existed within each 1-km2 pixel centered on each of the survey
plots. Even by excluding comparisons where local variation was high,
model predictions of forest growth compared poorly with those estimated
from ground survey (r2=0.4). This variation was only partly attributed
to variation in canopy ffp.a. Local variation in climate and soils
played an equal if not greater role. When the sample plots were
stratified into 14 broad forest types, within which growth potential
varied similarly (coefficient of variation for each of the 14 types
averaged 6%), a good relation between predicted and measured forest
growth capacity across all types resulted (r2=0.82, P\\0.01, SE=1.2 m3
ha ÿ 1yr ÿ 1). The implications of these analyses suggest that: (1)
models should be rigorously tested before applying across landscapes;
(2) accuracy in locating plots and in extrapolating data limits spatial
resolution; (3) soil surveys in mountainous regions are inaccurate and
difficult to interpret; (4) mapped vegetation classifications provide a
useful level of stratification; and (5) remotely sensed estimates of
canopy nitrogen status and biomass increment and canopy nitrogen status
are needed to improve and validate regional assessment of growth.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> "Mean monthly minimum and maximum temperature and precipitation
> surfaces of the region were obtained from the Parameter-Elevation
> Regressions on Independent Slopes Model (PRISM) (Daly, Neilson, &
> Phillips, 1994) to generate 200-m resolution grid estimates of the
> basic climate parameters (Coops et al., 2000b)."
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

CSIRO Forestry and Forest Products, Melbourne, Australia

Funding Agency:

Support was provided from the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA), Grant NAG5-7506.

> 3\. PRISM was used in the creation of "a simplified process model
> (Physiological Principles Predicting Growth from Satellites),
> initialized with Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer normalized
> difference vegetation index-derived estimates of ffp.a, to estimate at
> monthly time steps photosynthesis, respiration, and aboveground growth
> of forest vegetation within a 54,000 km2 region in southwestern
> Oregon."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:

"The implications of these analyses suggest that: (1) models should be
rigorously tested before applying across landscapes; (2) accuracy in
locating plots and in extrapolating data limits spatial resolution; (3)
soil surveys in mountainous regions are inaccurate and difficult to
interpret; (4) mapped vegetation classifications provide a useful level
of stratification; and (5) remotely sensed estimates of canopy nitrogen
status and biomass increment and canopy nitrogen status are needed to
improve and validate regional assessment of growth."

Google 63

MID-CENTURY ENSEMBLE REGIONAL CLIMATE CHANGE

SCENARIOS FOR THE WESTERN UNITED STATES

L. RUBY LEUNG, YUN QIAN, XINDI BIAN, WARREN M. WASHINGTON, JONGIL HAN
and JOHN O. ROADS

ABSTRACT

To study the impacts of climate change on water resources in the western
U.S., global climate simulations were produced using the National Center
for Atmospheric Research/Department of Energy (NCAR/DOE) Parallel
Climate Model (PCM). The Penn State/NCAR Mesoscale Model (MM5) was used
to downscale the PCM control (20 years) and three future (2040--2060)
climate simulations to yield ensemble regional climate simulations at 40
km spatial resolution for the western U.S. This paper describes the
regional simulations and focuses on the hydro climate conditions in the
Columbia River Basin (CRB) and Sacramento-San Joaquin River (SSJ) Basin.
Results based on global and regional simulations show that by
mid-century, the average regional warming of 1 to 2.5◦C strongly affects
snowpack in the western U.S. Along coastal mountains, reduction in
annual snowpack was about 70% as indicated by the regional simulations.
Besides changes in mean temperature, precipitation, and snowpack, cold
season extreme daily precipitation increased by 5 to 15 mm/day (15--20%)
along the Cascades and the Sierra. The warming resulted in increased
rainfall at the expense of reduced snowfall, and reduced snow
accumulation (or earlier snowmelt) during the cold season. In the CRB,
these changes were accompanied by more frequent rain-on-snow events.
Overall, they induced higher likelihood of wintertime flooding and
reduced runoff and soil moisture in the summer. Changes in surface water
and energy budgets in the CRB and SSJ basin were affected mainly by
changes in surface temperature, which were statistically significant at
the 0.95 confidence level. Changes in precipitation, while spatially
incoherent, were not statistically significant except for the drying
trend during summer. Because snow and runoff are highly sensitive to
spatial distributions of temperature and precipitation, this study shows
that (1) downscaling provides more realistic estimates of hydrologic
impacts in mountainous regions such as the western U.S., and (2) despite
relatively small changes in temperature and precipitation, changes in
snowpack and runoff can be much larger on monthly to seasonal time
scales because the effects of temperature and precipitation are
integrated over time and space through various surface hydrological and
land atmosphere feedback processes. Although the results reported in
this study were derived from an ensemble of regional climate simulations
driven by a global climate model that displays low climate sensitivity
compared with most other models, climate change was found to
significantly affect water resources in the western U.S. by the mid
twenty-first century.

NOTE

"...our study, which is based on ensembles of 20-year global and
regional simulations, suggests that there is little difference between
the signal-to-noise ratios at the regional and global scales (Figure
16). Although climate change signals were generally amplified at the
regional scales mainly because of orographic effects, increases in
climate variability (or noise) also displayed similar spatial
characteristics. This suggests that it may not be necessary to increase
the ensemble size to increase the signal-to-noise ratio for climate
detection at the regional scales. Similarly, the elevated warming
signals in mountainous regions do not necessarily imply an increased
signal-to-noise ratio (hence earlier detection) because of enhanced
variability. Clearly, more work is required on regional climate
predictability to establish the validity of these conclusions."

1.  PRISM Data:

> Spatial interpolation was performed based on the statistical
> topography-precipitation relationships developed by Daly et al. (1994)
> to account for orographic precipitation in the western U.S.
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA

Funding Agency:

> Funding for this study was provided by the U.S. Department of Energy
> (DOE) Accelerated Climate Prediction Initiative (ACPI). The ACPI Pilot
> effort was supported largely by the DOE Office of Biological and
> Environmental Research through numerous contracts and subcontracts to
> the participants.
>
> 3\. PRISM was employed in a study that used global climate simulations
> produced using the National Center for Atmospheric Research/Department
> of Energy (NCAR/DOE) Parallel Climate Model (PCM). The work, whose
> purpose was to study the impacts of climate change on water resources
> in the western U.S., describes the regional simulations and focuses on
> the hydro climate conditions in the Columbia River Basin (CRB) and
> Sacramento-San Joaquin River (SSJ) Basin.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "... this study shows that (1) downscaling provides more realistic
> estimates of hydrologic impacts in mountainous regions such as the
> western U.S., and (2) despite relatively small changes in temperature
> and precipitation, changes in snowpack and runoff can be much larger
> on monthly to seasonal time scales because the effects of temperature
> and precipitation are integrated over time and space through various
> surface hydrological and land atmosphere feedback processes."

Google 67

Modeling butterfly species richness using mesoscale environmental
variables: model construction and validation for mountain ranges in the
Great Basin of western North America

Ralph Mac Nally, Erica Fleishman, John P. Fay, Dennis D. Murphy

*Biological Conservation* 110 (2003) 21--31

ABSTRACT

If species richness can be modeled as a function of easily quantified
environmental variables, the scientific foundation for land use planning
will be strengthened. We used Poisson regression to develop a predictive
model of species richness of resident butterflies in the central Great
Basin of western North America. Species inventory data and values for 14
environmental variables from 49 locations (canyon segments) in the
Toquima Range (Nevada, USA) were used to build the model. We also
included squares of the environmental variables to accommodate potential
non-linear relationships. Species richness of butterflies was a
significant function of elevation and local topographic heterogeneity,
with the selected model explaining 57% of the total deviance of species
richness. Predictive variables can be derived efficiently from GIS-based
data for areas in which species inventories have not yet been conducted.
Therefore, in addition to evaluating the ability of the model to explain
observed variation in species richness, we generated and tested
predictions of species richness for 'new' locations that had not been
used to build the model. Predictions were effective for five new
segments also located in the Toquima Range, but not for 22 new segments
in the nearby Shoshone Range. We discuss issues related to
generalizability and data quality in model development.

Keywords: Bayesian modeling; Conservation; Geographic information
systems (GIS); Great Basin; Poisson regression

NOTE

"No single tool or method is appropriate for all management challenges
(Andelman and Fagan, 2000). The objectives of biodiversity management at
the regional level may include maintenance of native species diversity,
preservation of rare species, eradication of exotic species, and
tracking effects of ecological changes on biological communities...

Species richness of different taxonomic groups often is driven by
different environmental factors and may not be correlated at spatial and
temporal scales relevant to managers (Erhardt, 1985; Thomas and
Mallorie, 1985; Dobkin and Wilcox, 1986; Murphy and Wilcox, 1986; Wilcox
et al., 1986; Hafernik, 1992; Kremen, 1992; Prendergast et al., 1993;
Launer and Murphy, 1994; Holl, 1995). Nonetheless, a model that is
successful for even a single taxonomic group can benefit land-use
planning."

1.  PRISM Data:

> They derived "mean annual precipitation in mm for the 4_4 km cell in
> which the canyon segment falls, or weighted mean of the cells in which
> the canyon segment falls (derived from PRISM, Daly et al., 1994)

2.  Affiliation:

Australian Centre for Biodiversity: Analysis, Policy and Management,
School of Biological Sciences, Monash University 3800, Australia

Funding Agency:

> Support was provided by the Land and Water Resources Research and
> Development Corporation (Australia); the Australian Research Council;
> Faculty of Science, Monash University; the Nevada Biodiversity
> Research and Conservation Initiative; and Challenge Cost-Share
> Agreement 17-CCS-97--016 between the University of Nevada, Reno and
> the Humboldt- Toiyabe National Forest.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used in the development of a predictive model (Poisson
> regression) of species richness of resident butterflies in the central
> Great Basin of western North America
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> Species richness of butterflies was a significant function of
> elevation and local topographic heterogeneity, with the selected model
> explaining 57% of the total deviance of species richness.

Google 68

Evaluating explicit and implicit routing for watershed hydro-ecological
models of forest hydrology at the

small catchment scale

C. L. Tague and L. E. Band

*Hydrol. Process*. 15, 1415--1439 (2001)

ABSTRACT

This paper explores the behavior and sensitivity of a watershed model
used for simulating lateral soil water redistribution and runoff
production. In applications such as modeling the effects of land-use
change in small headwater catchments, interactions between soil
moisture, runoff and ecological processes are important. Because
climate, soil and canopy characteristics are spatially variable, both
the pattern of soil moisture and the associated outflow must be
represented in modeling these processes. This study compares implicit
and explicit routing approaches to modeling the evolution of soil
moisture pattern and spatially variable runoff production. It also
addresses the implications of using different landscape partitioning
strategies. This study presents the results of calibration and
application of these different routing and landscape partitioning
approaches on a 60 ha forested watershed in Western Oregon. For
comparison, the different approaches are incorporated into a physically
based hydro-ecological model, RHESSys, and the resulting simulated soil
moisture, runoff production and sensitivity to unbiased error are
examined. Results illustrate that both routing approaches can be
calibrated to achieve a reasonable fit between observed and modeled
outflow. Calibrated values for effective watershed hydraulic
conductivity are higher for the explicit routing approach, which
illustrates differences between the two routing approaches in their
representation of internal watershed dynamics. The explicit approach
illustrates a seasonal shift in drainage organization from watershed to
more local control as climate goes from a winter wet to a summer dry
period. Assumptions used in the implicit approach maintain the same
pattern of drainage organization throughout the season. The implicit
approach is also more sensitive to random error in soil and topographic
input information, particularly during wetter periods. Comparison
between the two routing approaches illustrates the advantage of the
explicit routing approach, although the loss of computational efficiency
associated with the explicit routing approach is noted. To compare
different strategies for partitioning the landscape, the use of a
non-grid-based method of partitioning is introduced and shown to be
comparable to grid-based partitioning in terms of simulated soil
moisture and runoff production.

KEY WORDS flow routing; modeling lateral soil moisture flux; landscape
representation; hydro-ecological modeling;

TOPMODEL

NOTE

The purpose of this study is to examine the behavior and sensitivity of
a watershed model that is used for simulating lateral soil water
redistribution and runoff production. "This study compares implicit and
explicit routing approaches to modeling the evolution of soil moisture
pattern and spatially variable runoff production. It also addresses the
implications of using different landscape partitioning strategies. This
study presents the results of calibration and application of these
different routing and landscape partitioning approaches on a 60 ha
forested watershed in Western Oregon."

1.  PRISM Data:

> Precipitation lapse rates with elevation are derived from PRISM (Daly
> et al., 1994). Use of PRISM and the density of climate stations (i.e.
> there are more than six climate stations within the H. J. Andrews
> Basin, including one within Watershed 2) allows the complex patterns
> of local precipitation to be accounted for.
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Department of Geography, San Diego State University San Diego, CA

Funding Agency: none mentioned

> 3\. PRISM was used to "explore the behavior and sensitivity of
> watershed hydrological and ecological processes to different lateral
> subsurface water flux models and to different landscape
> representations within these models."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> Comparison between the two routing approaches illustrates the
> advantage of the explicit routing approach, although the loss of
> computational efficiency associated with the explicit routing approach
> is noted...
>
> The sensitivity of both distributed hydrological models to input noise
> also illustrates the inadequacies of using typically available input
> information without calibration...
>
> Finally, this study found that altering the partitioning strategy used
> in the explicit routing approach produced relatively smaller changes
> to the resulting distributed soil moisture and runoff production...

Google 69

Bowling, D. R., N. G. McDowell, J. M. Welker, B. J. Bond, B. E. Law, and
J. R. Ehleringer, Oxygen isotope content of CO~2~ in nocturnal ecosystem
respiration: 1. Observations in forests along a precipitation transect
in Oregon, USA,

*Global Biogeochem. Cycles*, *17*(4), 1120

ABSTRACT

The oxygen isotope content of nocturnal ecosystem respiration
(δ^18^O~R~) was examined in forests along a precipitation gradient in
Oregon, USA, to determine whether site-to-site variation in δ^18^O~R~
was more strongly related to variation in δ^18^O of precipitation or to
evaporative processes that isotopically modify water pools within
ecosystems. Measurements were made over 4 years at sites ranging in mean
annual precipitation from 227 to 2760 mm. There was a gradient in the
isotopic content (δ^18^O) of precipitation, with inland sites receiving
isotopically depleted precipitation (more negative δ^18^O) relative to
coastal sites. The δ^18^O of water in plant xylem generally followed the
isotopic pattern of precipitation. Inland forests were drier than
coastal forests, leading to a gradient in the vapor pressure deficit of
air that caused isotopic enrichment of soil and leaf water. The enriched
soil and leaf water pools influenced the isotopic composition of
respired CO~2~, leading to variation in observed δ^18^O~R~ (Keeling-plot
intercepts). Keeling plots with non-significant (p \> 0.01) regression
slopes and those sampled over a time period (t) greater than 5 hours
yielded unacceptably high uncertainty in δ^18^O~R~. The range of
observed δ^18^O~R~ was 21.7 to 35.3‰ (VSMOW), with variation within a
single site as large as 10.7‰ (range 24.2 to 34.9‰ at different sites).
The results suggested a trend of more positive δ^18^O~R~ at inland sites
relative to those nearer the coast, indicating that fractionation due to
evaporative enrichment overshadowed the original isotopic composition of
precipitation as a first order control on δ^18^O~R~.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Precipitation data were generated for each site using the PRISM model
> \[[*Daly et al.*, 1994](javascript:openreferences('daly94')),
> [1997](javascript:openreferences('daly97'))\] as described by
> [*Bowling et al.* \[2002\]](javascript:openreferences('bowl02')).

2.  Affiliation:

> Stable Isotope Ratio Facility for Environmental Research, Department
> of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

Funding Agency:

> This work was supported by grants from the United States Department of
> Agriculture (for B. J. Bond, D. R. Bowling, J. R. Ehleringer, and N.
> G. McDowell, 99-35101-7772), the Department of Energy (for B. E. Law
> and the Metolius flux site, FG0300ER63014), and from the National
> Science Foundation Earth System History program (for J. M. Welker,
> 0196475).
>
> 3\. PRISM was used in the examination of the isotopic composition of
> ecosystem respiration and a variety of related ecosystem components
> across a strong precipitation gradient in Oregon, USA.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> Data which met these quality criteria suggest that δ^18^O of ecosystem
> respiration was more enriched at inland sites than at sites nearer the
> coast. This pattern contrasts directly with the isotopic pattern of
> precipitation across the transect which was most enriched at the
> coast.

[]{.mark}

Google 70

Pages 127-153 in *Landscape Ecological Analysis: Issues and
Applications*, Jeffrey M. Klopatek and Robert H. Gardner, editors,
Springer-Verlag, New York, 1999. ISBN 0-387-98325-2

ABSTRACT (none)

NOTE

"This chapter presents a hierarchical framework for assessment and
management of biodiversity. The framework advocates (1) understanding
associations of biodiversity with environmental factors over large
regions, (2) identifying those areas within large regions having species
assemblages which contribute the greatest diversity to the biota, and
(3) evaluating alternative approaches for managing those important areas
in order to explicitly include conservation of biodiversity in land use
decisions."

1.  PRISM Data:

Annual precipitation data were compiled from the 10-km resolution
dataset prepared by Daly et al. (1994).

> 2\. Affiliation:

Funding Agency:

> Specific work reported in the chapter was funded, in part, through
> cooperative agreement CR821795 between US EPA and Environment Canada
> (KEF), cooperative agreement PNW 92-0283 between US Forest Service and
> OSU (DW), interagency agreement DW12935631 between US EPA and USFS
> (ARK, DW), and DOD SERDP Project #241-EPA (EMP, ARK, DW).
>
> 3\. PRISM was used an analysis that "investigated the relationship
> between bird species richness in Oregon and climatic, topographic,
> hydrographic, land cover, and anthropogenic variables."

4\. Impact or Conclusion:

> "Finally, these ideas provide a conceptual and spatial framework for
> decentralizing resource management decision-making to more local
> levels, while maintaining the larger spatial perspectives necessary
> for sustainable resource use. This hierarchical perspective and
> framework for science, policy, and management responds, we believe, to
> the challenge of developing more comprehensive strategies for
> conservation of biodiversity."

Google 71

On the timescales characterizing groundwater discharge at springs

Michael Manga

*Journal of Hydrology* 219 (1999) 56--69

ABSTRACT

In some regions, measurements made at springs can be used to study
regional hydrogeologic processes, and determine hydraulic and transport
properties of aquifers. Here, input--output models, spectral analysis,
and time series analysis are used to identify three different timescales
characterizing discharge at springs. First, the "hydraulic time scale"
depends on the transmissivity of the aquifer and relates long term
changes in discharge to long term changes in recharge. The hydraulic
time scale will describe, for example, the secular decrease in discharge
during a period of drought. A second hydraulic time scale, referred to
as the "time lag", measures the time lag between groundwater recharge
(in the studied examples, recharge is snowmelt during the springtime)
and the time of peak discharge at the spring. Finally, the "age" or mean
residence time of groundwater represents the transport time of tracers
and the volume of water in the aquifers. As examples, large discharge
springs (typically several m3/s) in the Oregon and California Cascades
are studied. These springs are associated with volcanic-hosted fracture-
flow systems.

*Keywords:* Springs; Tracers; Correlation; Spectral analysis; Time
series analysis; Transmissivity; Unconfined aquifer

NOTE

All three timescales describe features of the discharged spring water,
either the mean residence time of the water or temporal variations of
discharge, and are thus useful from a management point-of-view. For the
springs studied here, the time lag is a few months and is thus a useful
timescale for issues related to the timing and volume of water use and
reservoir regulation over similarly short periods of time. The hydraulic
time scale describes long term discharge variations and thus describes
the effect of, and the recovery from, droughts. The groundwater age, on
the other hand, characterizes mass transport and is thus relevant for
assessing the impact of potential subsurface contamination associated
with development (in an active volcanic arc such as the Cascades, this
might be geothermal development).

Finally, Manga (1998) observed that the temperature of discharged
groundwater at the springs in Oregon, measured at approximately monthly
intervals, varied by less than 0.1--0.28C over a 2 year period. By
contrast, some springs show seasonal temperature variations of several
degrees Celsius (Bundschuh, 1993). The nearly constant temperature
reflects the large volume of the aquifers and residence time of
groundwater (i.e. *T*age on the order of a decade) which effectively
averages annual temperature variations, and will even damp climatic
temperature variations

on the time scale of decades.

1.  PRISM Data:

> For the aquifers and springs studied here, the only data available are
> interpolated climate data (Daly et al., 1994), temperature
> measurements (Manga, 1998), gauging measurements of spring discharge,
> and, in a few cases, concentrations of nonpoint source environmental
> tracers.

2.  Affiliation:

Department of Geological Sciences, University of Oregon

Funding Agency:

This work was supported by the National Science Foundation, grant
EAR9701768.

> 3\. PRISM was used to compare/evaluate models characterizing discharge
> at springs.

3.  Impact or Conclusion:

    Google 72

    Ecology and Conservation of a Rare, Old-Growth-Associated Canopy
    Lichen in a Silvicultural Landscape

    ABBEY L. ROSSO, BRUCE MCCUNE, AND THOMAS R. RAMBO

    *The Bryologist* 103(1), pp. 117--127

    ABSTRACT

Nephroma occultum Wetm. is a rare, epiphytic lichen associated with
old-growth forests of northwestern North America. We describe its
distribution, abundance, and habitat within the managed landscape of a
southwestern Oregon watershed. Because this species is found mainly

in the canopy, we used direct canopy access (tree climbing) in
combination with ground (litter) searches for our surveys. We recommend
this dual approach when confident determination of presence or absence
of a canopy species is needed. Our surveys confirm that N. occultum is a
rare old-growth associate within the area of this study, the
southernmost extension of its known range. It was both rare across the
landscape and uncommon in our primary study site, a 500 yr old stand. It
was most often found growing close to the trunk on branches of large
Pseudotsuga menziesii, but its distribution was sporadic even within an
old-growth stand. The scarcity of very old stands, in combination with
the limited ability of this species to disperse within and between
stands, has likely contributed to its rarity within the watershed.
Management for N. occultum should focus on populations and habitat needs
rather than on individuals. Our calculations show that cutting with
retention of individual trees surrounded by small buffers could result
in the eventual loss of N. occultum from the study area.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

The area receives approximately 150 cm of rain annually (Daly et al.
1994).

2.  Affiliation:

Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University,
Corvallis,

Funding Agency:

Funding was provided by the Roseburg District of the Bureau of Land
Management and the Forest and Range

> Ecosystem Science Center, U.S. Department of the Interior, Corvallis.

3.  PRISM was used to determine precipitation in study area.

> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "Our calculations show that cutting with retention of individual trees
> surrounded by small buffers could result in the eventual loss of N.
> occultum from the study area."

Google EXTRA

Geostatistical Mapping of Mountain Precipitation Incorporating
Autosearched Effects

of Terrain and Climatic Characteristics

HUADE GUAN AND JOHN L. WILSON

*JOURNAL OF HYDROMETEOROLOGY* :VOLUME 6 (2005) Pages: 1018-1031.

ABSTRACT

Hydrologic and ecologic studies in mountainous terrain are sensitive to
the temporal and spatial distribution of precipitation. In this study a
geostatistical model, Auto-Searched Orographic and Atmospheric Effects
Detrended Kriging (ASOADeK), is introduced to map mountain precipitation
using only precipitation gauge data. The ASOADeK model considers both
precipitation spatial covariance and orographic and atmospheric effects
in estimating precipitation distribution. The model employs gauge data
and a multivariate linear regression approach to autosearch regional and
local climatic settings (i.e., infer the spatial gradient in atmospheric
moisture distribution and the effective moisture flux direction), and
local orographic effects (the effective terrain elevation and aspect).
The observed gauge precipitation data are then spatially detrended by
the autosearched regression surface. The spatially detrended gauge data
are further interpolated by ordinary kriging to generate a residual
precipitation surface. The precipitation map is then constructed by
adding the regression surface to the kriged residual surface. The
ASOADeK model was applied to map monthly precipitation for a mountainous
area in semiarid northern New Mexico. The effective moisture flux
directions and spatial moisture trends identified by the optimal
multiple linear regressions, using only gauge data, agree with the
regional climate setting. When compared to a common precipitation
mapping product \[Precipitation-elevation Regression on Independent
Slopes Model (PRISM)\], the ASOADeK summer precipitation maps of the
study area agree well with the PRISM estimates, and with higher spatial
resolution. The ASOADeK winter maps improve upon PRISM estimates.
ASOADeK gives better estimates than precipitation kriging and
precipitation-elevation cokriging because it considers orographic and
atmospheric effects more completely.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data: Discussion of multiple points of PRISM

2\. Affiliation:

Department of Earth and Environmental Science, New Mexico Institute of
Mining and Technology, Socorro, New Mexico

Funding Agency:

> This work was supported by the Sustainability of Semi-Arid Hydrology
> and Riparian Areas (SAHRA) under the STC Program of the National
> Science Foundation, Agreement EAR-9876800.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used in a discussion of the geostatistical model,
> Auto-Searched Orographic and Atmospheric Effects Detrended Kriging
> (ASOADeK), is introduced to map mountain precipitation using only
> precipitation gauge data. research.

4.  Impact or Conclusion:

> "The purpose of this study is to introduce a geostatistical method
> (ASOADeK) to map mountain precipitation using only gauge data, while
> considering both precipitation spatial covariance structure and
> orographic and atmospheric effects. Application of ASOADeK to monthly
> precipitation in a mountainous area of northern New Mexico appears to
> outperform traditional kriging and cokriging approaches and produce a
> precipitation map comparable to the PRISM product, but with a higher
> spatial resolution. In contrast to PRISM, a knowledge-based approach,
> ASOADeK does not require detailed understanding of the regional
> climatic setting."

Google 74

**DROUGHT AND PACIFIC DECADAL OSCILLATION LINKED TO FIRE OCCURRENCE IN
THE INLAND PACIFIC NORTHWEST.**

Hessl, Amy E., McKenzie, Don, Schellhaas, Richard

*Ecological Applications*: 2004 Vol. 14, No. 2, pp. 425--442.

ABSTRACT

Historical variability of fire regimes must be understood within the
context of climatic and human drivers of disturbance occurring at
multiple temporal scales. We describe the relationship between fire
occurrence and interannual to decadal climatic variability (Palmer
Drought Severity Index \[PDSI\], El Niño/Southern Oscillation \[ENSO\],
and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation \[PDO\]) and explain how land use
changes in the 20th century affected these relationships. We used 1701
fire-scarred trees collected in five study sites in central and eastern
Washington State (USA) to investigate current year, lagged, and low
frequency relationships between composite fire histories and PDSI, PDO,
and ENSO (using the Southern Oscillation Index \[SOI\] as a measure of
ENSO variability) using superposed epoch analysis and cross-spectral
analysis. Fires tended to occur during dry summers and during the
positive phase of the PDO. Cross-spectral analysis indicates that
percentage of trees scarred by fire and the PDO are spectrally coherent
at 47 years, the approximate cycle of the PDO. Similarly, percentage
scarred and ENSO are spectrally coherent at six years, the approximate
cycle of ENSO. However, other results suggest that ENSO was only a weak
driver of fire occurrence in the past three centuries. While drought and
fire appear to be tightly linked between 1700 and 1900, the relationship
between drought and fire occurrence was disrupted during the 20th
century as a result of land use changes. We suggest that long-term fire
planning using the PDO may be possible in the Pacific Northwest,
potentially allowing decadal-scale management of fire regimes,
prescribed fire, and vegetation dynamics.

![](media/image3.png){width="0.15555555555555556in"
height="0.10486111111111111in"}

Key words: climate; cross-spectral; drought; ENSO (El Niño/Southern
Oscillation); fire history; Pacific Decadal Oscillation; Pacific
Northwest; [Pinus
ponderosa](http://www.itis.usda.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=all&search_value=Pinus+ponderosa&search_kingdom=every&search_span=exactly_for&categories=All&source=html&search_credRating=All);
SEA (superposed epoch analysis).

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> "Precipitation peaks in December, although the north central region of
> Washington State experiences a secondary peak in precipitation
> associated with convective activity during late summer ([Daly et al.
> 1994](http://0-www.esajournals.org.oasis.oregonstate.edu/esaonline/?request=get-document&issn=1051-0761&volume=014&issue=02&page=0425#i1051-0761-014-02-0425-daly1%23i1051-0761-014-02-0425-daly1))."

2.  Affiliation:

> Department of Geology and Geography, West Virginia University,
> Morgantown, West Virginia

Funding Agency:

> Research was supported by a grant from the Joint Fire Sciences
> Program, **USDA** Forest Service, (no. 01-1-6-01) under a cooperative
> agreement between the **USDA** Forest Service, Pacific Northwest
> Research Station, and the University of Washington (PNW
> 02-CA-11261987-071) and West Virginia University (PNW
> 02-JV-11261987-064).

3.  PRISM was used to provide precipitation data (December peaks in
    north central region of Washington State)

> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "While drought and fire appear to be tightly linked between 1700 and
> 1900, the relationship between drought and fire occurrence was
> disrupted during the 20th century as a result of land use changes. We
> suggest that long-term fire planning using the PDO may be possible in
> the Pacific Northwest, potentially allowing decadal-scale management
> of fire regimes, prescribed fire, and vegetation dynamics."

Google 75

National-scale estimation of changes in soil carbon stocks on
agricultural lands.\
[Eve
MD](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&itool=PubMed_Abstract&term="Eve+MD"%5BAuthor%5D),
[Sperow
M](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&itool=PubMed_Abstract&term="Sperow+M"%5BAuthor%5D),
[Paustian
K](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&itool=PubMed_Abstract&term="Paustian+K"%5BAuthor%5D),
[Follett
RF](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&itool=PubMed_Abstract&term="Follett+RF"%5BAuthor%5D).

*Environ Pollut.* 2002; 116(3):431-8.

ABSTRACT

Average annual net change in soil carbon stocks under past and current
management is needed as part of national reporting of greenhouse gas
emissions and to evaluate the potential for soils as sinks to mitigate
increasing atmospheric CO2. We estimated net soil C stock changes for US
agricultural soils during the period from 1982 to 1997 using the IPCC
(Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) method for greenhouse gas
inventories. Land use data from the NRI (National Resources Inventory;
**USDA**-NRCS) were used as input along with ancillary data sets on
climate, soils, and agricultural management. Our results show that,
overall, changes in land use and agricultural management have resulted
in a net gain of 21.2 MMT C year(-1) in US agricultural soils during
this period. Cropped lands account for 15.1 MMT C year(-1), while
grazing land soil C increased 6.1 MMT C year(-1). The land use and
management changes that have contributed the most to increasing soil C
during this period are (1) adoption of conservation tillage practices on
cropland, (2) enrollment of cropland in the Conservation Reserve
Program, and (3) cropping intensification that has resulted in reduced
use of bare fallow.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> The PRISM (Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes
> Model) climate mapping program has combined the 1961--1990 averages
> from each of these sources with topographic information derived from
> digital elevation models (DEM) to generate gridded (4_4 km grid cells)
> estimates of temperature and precipitation for the USA (Daly et al.,
> 1994; Daly et al., 1998). Average annual
>
> precipitation and average annual temperature were derived for each
> MLRA from PRISM model outputs.

2.  Affiliation:

> US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service Soil Plant
> Nutrient Research Unit, Fort Collins, CO

Funding Agency:

> This work was conducted through a cooperative effort between the
> **USDA**---Agricultural Research Service Soil Plant Nutrient Research
> Unit and the Colorado State University, Natural Resource Ecology
> Laboratory (CSU-NREL). Additional support was provided by several
> branches of the US Department of Agriculture, the Environmental
> Protection Agency, and the Fund for Rural America.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to derive average annual precipitation and average
> annual temperature for each MLRA. These averages were used to
> aggregate the nearly 180 MLRAs that make up the conterminous USA into
> the six prescribed IPCC climatic zones represented within the USA
> (Fig. 1).
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "Our results show that the net effect of land use and management
> changes on agricultural soils have led to an increase in soil C
> storage."

Google 76

Statistical Precipitation Downscaling over the Northwestern United
States Using Numerically Simulated Precipitation as a Predictor

Martin Widmann and Christopher S. Bretherton

*Journal of Climate:* Vol. 16, No. 5, pp. 799--816.

ABSTRACT

This study investigates whether GCM-simulated precipitation is a good
predictor for regional precipitation over Washington and Oregon. In
order to allow for a detailed comparison of the estimated precipitation
with observations, the simulated precipitation is taken from the
NCEP--NCAR reanalysis, which nearly perfectly represents the historic
pressure, temperature, and humidity, but calculates precipitation
according to the model physics and parameterizations.

![](media/image3.png){width="0.15555555555555556in"
height="0.10486111111111111in"}Three statistical downscaling methods are
investigated: (i) local rescaling of the simulated precipitation, and
two newly developed methods, namely, (ii) downscaling using singular
value decomposition (SVD) with simulated precipitation as the predictor,
and (iii) local rescaling with a dynamical correction. Both local
scaling methods are straightforward to apply to GCMs that are used for
climate change experiments and seasonal forecasts, since they only need
control runs for model fitting. The SVD method requires for model
fitting special reanalysis-type GCM runs nudged toward observations from
a historical period (selection of analogs from the GCM chosen to
optimally match the historical weather states might achieve similar
results). The precipitation-based methods are compared with conventional
statistical downscaling using SVD with various large-scale predictors
such as geopotential height, temperature, and humidity.

![](media/image3.png){width="0.15555555555555556in"
height="0.10486111111111111in"}The skill of the different methods for
reconstructing historical wintertime precipitation (1958--94) over
Oregon and Washington is tested on various spatial scales as small as 50
km and on temporal scales from months to decades. All methods using
precipitation as a predictor perform considerably better than the
conventional downscaling. The best results using conventional methods
are obtained with geopotential height at 1000 hPa or humidity at 850 hPa
as predictors. In these cases correlations of monthly observed and
reconstructed precipitation on the 50-km scale range from 0.43 to 0.65.
The inclusion of several predictor fields does not improve the
reconstructions, since they are all highly correlated. Local rescaling
of simulated precipitation yields much higher correlations between 0.7
and 0.9, with the exception of the rain shadow of the Cascade Mountains
in the Columbia Basin (eastern Washington). When the simulated
precipitation is used as a predictor in SVD-based downscaling
correlations also reach 0.7 in eastern Washington. Dynamical correction
improves the local scaling considerably in the rain shadow and yields
correlations almost as high as with the SVD method. Its combination of
high skill and ease to use make it particularly attractive for GCM
precipitation downscaling.

NOTE

> 1\. PRISM Data:
>
> The grid-cell estimates are derived from 522 station records and
> account for biases due to the sub grid topography so as to be
> consistent with the Parameter-Elevation Regressions on Independent
> Slopes Model precipitation climatologies (PRISM; [Daly et al.
> 1994](http://ams.allenpress.com/amsonline/?request=get-document&doi=10.1175%2F1520-0442(2003)016<0799:SPDOTN>2.0.CO%3B2#i1520-0442-16-5-799-daly1%23i1520-0442-16-5-799-daly1)
> ,
> [1997](http://ams.allenpress.com/amsonline/?request=get-document&doi=10.1175%2F1520-0442(2003)016<0799:SPDOTN>2.0.CO%3B2#i1520-0442-16-5-799-daly2%23i1520-0442-16-5-799-daly2)
> ).

2.  Affiliation:

> Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle,
> Washington

Funding Agency:

> This research was supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF)
> under Grant DMS-9524770. This publication was also partially funded by
> the Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean (JISAO)
> under NOAA Cooperative Agreement NA17RJ1232. NCEP--NCAR Reanalysis
> data were provided through the NOAA Climate Diagnostics Center
> ([www.cdc.noaa.gov/](http://www.cdc.noaa.gov/)).

3.  PRISM was used in a study that investigated whether GCM-simulated
    precipitation is a good predictor for regional precipitation over
    Washington and Oregon. Three statistical downscaling methods (were)
    investigated: (i) local rescaling of the simulated precipitation,
    and two newly developed methods, namely, (ii) downscaling using
    singular value decomposition (SVD) with simulated precipitation as
    the predictor, and (iii) local rescaling with a dynamical
    correction.

> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:

"All methods that we presented can be easily adapted from the 50-km
resolution used in this paper to the station level."

> "All methods using precipitation as a predictor perform considerably
> better than the conventional downscaling. The best results using
> conventional methods are obtained with geopotential height at 1000 hPa
> or humidity at 850 hPa as predictors."
>
> "When the simulated precipitation is used as a predictor in SVD-based
> downscaling correlations also reach 0.7 in eastern Washington.
> Dynamical correction improves the local scaling considerably in the
> rain shadow and yields correlations almost as high as with the SVD
> method. Its combination of high skill and ease to use make it
> particularly attractive for GCM precipitation downscaling."

Google 79

Citation

ABSTRACT

Interspecific variation in chloroplast low molecular weight (cLMW) HSP
(heat shock protein) expression was examined with respect to phylogeny,
species specific leaf area, chlorophyll fluorescence, and mean
environmental conditions within species ranges. Eight species of
Ceanothus (Rhamnaceae) were heat shocked for 4 h at several different
temperatures. Leaf samples were collected immediately after the heat
shock, and cLMW HSP expression was quantified using Western blots. At
458C species from the subgenus Cerastes had significantly greater cLMW
HSP expression than species from the subgenus Ceanothus. Specific leaf
area was negatively correlated with cLMW HSP expression after the 458C
heat treatment. In addition, chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm) 1 h after
the heat shocks was positively correlated with cLMW HSP expression.
Contrary to our prediction, there was no correlation between July
maximum temperature within species ranges and cLMW HSP expression. These
results suggest that evolutionary differentiation in cLMW HSP expression
is associated with leaf physiological parameters and related aspects of
life history, yet associations between climatic conditions within
species ranges and cLMW HSP expression require further study.

Key words: Ceanothus; chlorophyll fluorescence; chloroplast low
molecular weight heat shock protein; Rhamnaceae; specific

leaf area.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Climate maps of July maximum temperature and annual precipitation
> (obtained from the Oregon State University PRISM project; Daly,
> Neilson, and Phillips, 1994; Daly, Taylor, and Gibson, 1997)

2.  Affiliation:

Department of Biological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford,
California

> Funding Agency: (none listed)
>
> 3\. PRISM data was " intersected with the species range maps,
> resulting in a histogram of the percentage of each species range
> falling into several different temperature or precipitation classes.
> From this histogram, the mean July maximum temperature and mean annual
> precipitation inside each species distribution were calculated as an
> estimate of species differences in realized climatic niche
> distributions."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> Contrary to our prediction, there was no correlation between July
> maximum temperature within species ranges and cLMW HSP expression.
> These results suggest that evolutionary differentiation in cLMW HSP
> expression is associated with leaf physiological parameters and
> related aspects of life history, yet associations between climatic
> conditions within species ranges and cLMW HSP expression require
> further study.

Google 81

CLIMATE CHANGE EFFECTS ON VEGETATION DISTRIBUTION, CARBON, AND FIRE IN
CALIFORNIA

JAMES M. LENIHAN, RAYMOND DRAPEK, DOMINIQUE BACHELET, AND RONALD P.
NEILSON

*Ecological Applications*, 13(6), 2003, pp. 1667--1681

ABSTRACT

The objective of this study was to dynamically simulate the response of
vegetation distribution, carbon, and fire to the historical climate and
to two contrasting scenarios of climate change in California. The
results of the simulations for the historical climate compared favorably
to independent estimates and observations, but validation of the results
was complicated by the lack of land use effects in the model. The
response to increasing temperatures under both scenarios was
characterized by a shift in dominance from needle-leaved to broad-leaved
life-forms and by increases in vegetation productivity, especially in
the relatively cool and mesic regions of the state. The simulated
response to changes in precipitation were complex, involving not only
the effect of changes in soil moisture on vegetation productivity, but
also changes in tree--grass competition mediated by fire. Summer months
were warmer and persistently dry under both scenarios, so the trends in
simulated fire area under both scenarios were primarily a response to
changes in vegetation biomass. Total ecosystem carbon increased under
both climate scenarios, but the proportions allocated to the wood and
grass carbon pools differed. The results of the simulations underscore
the potentially large impact of climate change on California ecosystems,
and the need for further use and development of dynamic vegetation
models using various ensembles of climate change scenarios.

Key words: California, USA; carbon; climate change; dynamic vegetation
model; fire; vegetation distribution

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> The climate data used as input to the model in this study consisted of
> monthly time series for all the necessary variables (i.e.,
> precipitation, minimum and maximum temperature, and vapor pressure)
> distributed on a 100-km2 resolution data grid for the state of
> California. Spatially distributed monthly time series data for
> historical (1895--1993) precipitation, temperature, and vapor pressure
> already existed at a 100-km2 resolution. This data set was developed
> from a subset of climate data generated by VEMAP (Kittel et al. 1997)
> and from observed California station data interpolated to the data
> grid by the PRISM model (Daly et al. 1994).

2.  Affiliation:

**USDA** Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station, Corvallis,
Oregon

> Funding Agency: (none listed)

3.  PRISM was used in a simulation of "the response of vegetation
    distribution, carbon, and fire to the historical climate and to two
    contrasting scenarios of climate change in California."

> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "The results of the simulations for the historical climate compared
> favorably to independent estimates and observations, but validation of
> the results was complicated by the lack of land use effects in the
> model. The response to increasing temperatures under both scenarios
> was characterized by a shift in dominance from needle-leaved to
> broad-leaved life-forms and by increases in vegetation productivity,
> especially in the relatively cool and mesic regions of the state. The
> simulated response to changes in precipitation were complex, involving
> not only the effect of changes in soil moisture on vegetation
> productivity, but also changes in tree--grass competition mediated by
> fire."

Google 82

Using Linked Micromap Plots to Characterize

Omernik Ecoregions

DANIEL B. CARR, ANTHONY R. OLSEN, SUZANNE M. PIERSON, JEAN-YVES P.
COURBOIS

*Data Mining and Knowledge Discovery*, 4, 43--67 (2000)

ABSTRACT

The paper introduces linked micromap (LM) plots for presenting
environmental summaries. The LM template includes parallel sequences of
micromap, label, and statistical summary graphics panels with attention
paid to perceptual grouping, sorting and linking of the summary
components. The applications show LMplots for Omernik Level II
Ecoregions. The summarized United States continental data includes USGS
digital elevation, 30-year normal precipitation and temperature, and 8
million AVHRR pixels classified into 159 types of land cover. One LM
plot uses a line-height glyph to represent all 159 land cover
percentages per ecoregion. LM plots represent new visualization
methodology that is useful in the data and knowledge based pattern
representation and knowledge discovery process. The LM plots focus on
providing an orienting overview. The overview provides a starting place
for subsequent drilling down to what could otherwise be viewed as an
overwhelming mass of data. The overview also provides a starting place
to learn about the intellectual structure that lies behind the notion of
ecoregions and begins to connect this abstract structure to quantitative
methods.

**Keywords:** statistical graphics, LM plots, multivariate, spatial
data, Omernik ecoregions, row plots, box plots, line-height plots

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> "Nationally consistent climate data sets were obtained from PRISM
> (Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model). PRISM,
> described by Daly et al. (1994), is ..."

2.  Affiliation:

Center for Computational Statistics, George Mason University, Fairfax,VA

Funding Agency:

> EPA funded the majority of the work behind this paper under
> cooperative agreements No. CR8280820-01-0 and No. CR825564-01-0.
> Additional federal agencies, BLS and NCHS, supported some facets of
> this work.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to provide 30-year normal climate as required to
> create linked micromap plots for presenting environmental summaries;
> "nationally consistent climate data sets were obtained from PRISM..."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> The LM plots focus on providing an orienting overview. The overview
> provides a starting place for subsequent drilling down to what could
> otherwise be viewed as an overwhelming mass of data. The overview also
> provides a starting place to learn about the intellectual structure
> that lies behind the notion of ecoregions and begins to connect this
> abstract structure to quantitative methods.

Google 83

The endemic headwater stream amphibians of the American Northwest:
associations with environmental gradients in a large forested preserve

Adams M.J.; Bury R.B.

[*Global Ecology &
Biogeography*](http://orst.library.ingentaconnect.com/content/bsc/geb),
Volume 11, Number 2, March 2002, pp. 169-178

ABSTRACT

We used a large forested preserve (Olympic National Park, USA) to
examine the habitat associations of a unique and environmentally
sensitive stream amphibian fauna: Ascaphus truei Stegneger, Rhyacotriton
olympicus (Gaige) and Dicamptodon copei Nussbaum. We quantified the
relative abundance of stream amphibians and compared them to physical,
topographic, climatic and landscape variables. All three species were
associated with the south-west to north-east climate gradient, tending
to be most abundant in the south-west. Although a habitat generalist
relative to the other two species, Dicamptodon copei was absent from the
north-eastern portion of the park. Ascaphus truei and Rhyacotriton
olympicus were both associated with coarse substrates and steep
gradients. Unlike studies in harvested forests, all stream amphibians
were common in waters with unconsolidated surface geology (e.g. marine
sediments that erode easily). Studies of ecological preserves can
provide an important baseline for evaluating species associations with
environmental gradients and can reveal patterns not evident in more
disturbed landscapes.

Keywords: [Ascaphus
truei](http://orst.library.ingentaconnect.com/search?database=1&title=Ascaphus truei);
[Dicamptodon
copei](http://orst.library.ingentaconnect.com/search?database=1&title=Dicamptodon copei);
[environmental
gradients](http://orst.library.ingentaconnect.com/search?database=1&title=environmental gradients);
[geology](http://orst.library.ingentaconnect.com/search?database=1&title=geology);
[headwater
streams](http://orst.library.ingentaconnect.com/search?database=1&title=headwater streams);
[North
America](http://orst.library.ingentaconnect.com/search?database=1&title=North America);
[Olympic National
Park](http://orst.library.ingentaconnect.com/search?database=1&title=Olympic National Park);
[preserves](http://orst.library.ingentaconnect.com/search?database=1&title=preserves);
[Rhyacotriton
olympicus](http://orst.library.ingentaconnect.com/search?database=1&title=Rhyacotriton olympicus);
[substrate](http://orst.library.ingentaconnect.com/search?database=1&title=substrate)

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> " ...we used climate predictions from PRISM climate models. PRISM
> generates gridded estimates of climate parameters based on point data
> and a digital elevation model (Daly et al. 1994)."

2.  Affiliation:

USGS Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, 3200 SW Jefferson
Way, Corvallis, OR

Funding Agency:

This study was funded by the National Park Service's Natural Resources
Preservation Program.

3\. PRISM was used to "determine the association between stream
amphibian distributions and climate gradients."

> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "The stream amphibian fauna in ONP is abundant and widespread, but the
> distribution of *D. copei* needs further study. The general
> association of stream amphibians with some of the pronounced climatic
> gradients in ONP coupled with the sensitivity of amphibians to
> environmental change (Welsh & Ollivier, 1998) suggests that they may
> be useful species in monitoring global climate change impacts.
> Moreover, the marked contrast of our findings in ONP with those in
> harvested forests highlight the importance of maintaining and studying
> ecological preserves. Patterns in preserves can provide a baseline for
> evaluating patterns in more impacted areas."

Google 84

The complementary relationship in estimation of regional
evapotranspiration: The Complementary Relationship

Aerial Evapotranspiration and Advection-Aridity models

Michael T. Hobbins and Jorge A*. Ramı´rez, Thomas C. Brown, Lodevicus H.
J. M. Claessens*

*WATER RESOURCES* *RESEARCH*, VOL. 37, NO. 5, PAGES 1367--1387, MAY 2001

ABSTRACT

Two implementations of the complementary relationship hypothesis for
regional evapotranspiration, the Complementary Relationship Aerial
Evapotranspiration (CRAE) model and the Advection-Aridity (AA) model,
are evaluated against independent estimates of regional
evapotranspiration derived from long-term, large-scale water balances
(1962--1988) for 120 minimally impacted basins in the conterminous
United States. The CRAE model overestimates annual evapotranspiration by
2.5% of mean annual precipitation, and the AA model underestimates
annual evapotranspiration by 10.6% of precipitation. Generally,
increasing humidity leads to decreasing absolute errors for both models,
and increasing aridity leads to increasing overestimation by the CRAE
model and underestimation by the AA model, with the exception of high,
arid basins, where the AA model overestimates evapotranspiration.
Overall, the results indicate that the advective portion of the AA model
must be recalibrated before it may be used successfully on a regional
basis and that the CRAE model accurately predicts monthly regional
evapotranspiration.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

Precipitation estimates were taken from the Parameter elevation
Regressions on Independent Slopes Model (PRISM) \[Daly et al., 1994\].

2.  Affiliation:

Department of Civil Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort
Collins, Colorado

Funding Agency:

> This work was partially supported by the U.S. Forest Service and the
> National Institute for Global Environmental Change through the U.S.
> Department of Energy (Cooperative Agreement DE-FC03-90ER61010).
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to provide precipitation estimates for the
> evaluation of "two implementations of the complementary relationship
> hypothesis for regional evapotranspiration, the Complementary
> Relationship Aerial Evapotranspiration (CRAE) model and the
> Advection-Aridity (AA) model, (which)are evaluated against independent
> estimates of regional evapotranspiration derived from long-term,
> large-scale water balances (1962--1988) for 120 minimally impacted
> basins in the conterminous United States."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "Overall, the results indicate that the advective portion of the AA
> model must be recalibrated before it may be used successfully on a
> regional basis and that the CRAE model accurately predicts monthly
> regional evapotranspiration."

Google 85

Effects of land-cover changes on the hydrological response of interior
Columbia River basin forested catchments

James R. VanShaar, Ingjerd Haddeland and Dennis P. Lettenmaier

*Hydrol. Process.* **16**, 2499--2520 (2002)

ABSTRACT

The topographically explicit distributed hydrology--soil--vegetation
model (DHSVM) is used to simulate hydrological effects of changes in
land cover for four catchments, ranging from 27 to 1033 km2, within the
Columbia River basin. Surface fluxes (stream flow and
evapotranspiration) and state variables (soil moisture and snow water
equivalent) corresponding to historical (1900) and current (1990)
vegetation are compared. In addition a sensitivity analysis, where the
catchments are covered entirely by conifers at different maturity
stages, was conducted. In general, lower leaf-area index (LAI) resulted
in higher snow water equivalent, more stream flow and less
evapotranspiration. Comparisons with the macroscale variable
infiltration capacity (VIC) model, which parameterizes, rather than
explicitly represents, topographic effects, show that runoff predicted
by DHSVM is more sensitive to land-cover changes than is runoff
predicted by VIC. This is explained by model differences in soil
parameters and evapotranspiration calculations, and by the more explicit
representation of saturation excess in DHSVM and its higher sensitivity
to LAI changes in the calculation of evapotranspiration. Copyright 2002
John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

KEY WORDS vegetation change; hydrological response; model comparison

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> "Two implementations of the complementary relationship hypothesis for
> regional evapotranspiration, the Complementary Relationship Aerial
> Evapotranspiration (CRAE) model and the Advection-Aridity (AA) model,
> are evaluated against independent estimates of regional
> evapotranspiration derived from long-term, large-scale water balances
> (1962--1988) for 120 minimally impacted basins in the conterminous
> United States." For "Mores Creek, Entiat River and Mica Creek monthly
> precipitation climatologies produced using the precipitation
> regression on independent slopes method (PRISM) of Daly *et al*.
> (1994) were used to distribute the precipitation spatially. The
> simulated annual precipitation does not match PRISM values at all
> catchments, as a result of differences in measured precipitation
> values and the corresponding PRISM value. In the Swan River basin, use
> of PRISM precipitation fields resulted in unrealistically large snow
> packs in the upper parts of the catchment, which generally melted
> rapidly late in the season causing substantial overestimates of stream
> flow."

2.  Affiliation:

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Box 352700,
University of Washington, Seattle, WA

Funding Agency:

This research was funded by cooperative agreement number PNW
98-0514-1-CA between the U.S. Forest

> Service and the University of Washington.

3.  PRISM was used at "Mores Creek, Entiat River and Mica Creek monthly
    precipitation climatologies produced using the precipitation
    regression on independent slopes method (PRISM) of Daly *et
    al*. (1994) were used to distribute the precipitation spatially\>"

4.  Impact or Conclusion:

"Model-predicted effects of historical land-cover changes in four
catchments within the Columbia River basin, using the distributed
hydrological model DHSVM, indicate that lower leaf area has led to
increased snow accumulation, increased stream flow and reduced
evapotranspiration. Seasonal changes differ somewhat from the annual
averages, because of changes in turbulent and radiative fluxes and soil
moisture over the year. Stream-flow changes are greatest during spring
snowmelt runoff, and evapotranspiration changes are greatest when soils
are moister (spring/early summer). A uniform vegetation cover
sensitivity study in the same four catchments predicts the same general
trend in the hydrological responses to leaf area as mentioned above, and
hence supports the results from the historical land-cover change study.

Comparisons between the topographically explicit DHSVM and the
macroscale VIC model show that the trend in snow water equivalent,
stream flow and evapotranspiration changes is similar for both models.
However, DHSVM is more sensitive to land-cover changes than is VIC,
attributable to longer periods of soil moisture stress in VIC than in
DHSVM, and to differences in the parameters used in the
evapotranspiration formulations. The more explicit representation of
saturation excess in DHSVM, differences in the calculation of net
radiation, and VIC's use of architectural resistance in the
evapotranspiration calculations lead to the higher DHSVM sensitivity of
runoff to LAI changes."

Google 86

Multi-scale landscape and seascape patterns associated with marbled
murrelet nesting areas on the U.S. west coast

Carolyn B. Meyer, Sherri L. Miller, and C. John Ralph

*Landscape Ecology* **17:** 95--115, 2002.

ABSTRACT

Habitat for wide-ranging species should be addressed at multiple scales
to fully understand factors that limit populations. The marbled murrelet
(*Brachyramphus marmoratus*), a threatened seabird, forages on the ocean
and nests inland in large trees. We developed statistical relationships
between murrelet use (occupancy and abundance) and habitat variables
quantified across many spatial scales (statewide to local) and two time
periods in California and southern Oregon, USA. We also addressed (1) if
old-growth forest fragmentation was negatively associated with murrelet
use, and (2) if some nesting areas are more important than others due to
their proximity to high quality marine habitat. Most landscapes used for
nesting were restricted to low elevation areas with frequent fog. Birds
were most abundant in unfragmented old-growth forests located within a
matrix of mature second- growth forest. Murrelets were less likely to
occupy old-growth habitat if it was isolated (\> 5 km) from other
nesting murrelets. We found a time lag in response to fragmentation,
where at least a few years were required before birds abandoned
fragmented forests. Compared to landscapes with little to no murrelet
use, landscapes with many murrelets were closer to the ocean's bays,
river mouths, sandy shores, submarine canyons, and marine waters with
consistently high primary productivity. Within local landscapes (\_ 800
ha), inland factors limited bird abundance, but at the broadest
landscape scale studied (3200 ha), proximity to marine habitat was most
limiting. Management should focus on protecting or creating large,
contiguous old-growth forest stands, especially in low-elevation areas
near productive marine habitat.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

Precipitation and Oregon temperatures were from Daly et al. (1994).

2.  Affiliation:

> Department of Botany, University of Wyoming, Laramie

Funding Agency:

3.  PRISM was used to provide precipitation and temperature data in the
    development of "statistical relationships between murrelet use
    (occupancy and abundance) and habitat variables quantified across
    many spatial scales (statewide to local) and two time periods in
    California and southern Oregon, USA." It was also used to examine
    " (1) if old-growth forest fragmentation was negatively associated
    with murrelet use, and (2) if some nesting areas are more important
    than others due to their proximity to high quality marine habitat."

> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "Birds were most abundant in unfragmented old-growth forests located
> within a matrix of mature second- growth forest. Murrelets were less
> likely to occupy old-growth habitat if it was isolated (\> 5 km) from
> other nesting murrelets...Compared to landscapes with little to no
> murrelet use, landscapes with many murrelets were closer to the
> ocean's bays, river mouths, sandy shores, submarine canyons, and
> marine waters with consistently high primary productivity...
> Management should focus on protecting or creating large, contiguous
> old-growth forest stands, especially in low-elevation areas near
> productive marine habitat."

Google 87

INFLUENCE OF LANDSCAPE STRUCTURE AND CLIMATE VARIABILITY ON A LATE
HOLOCENE PLANT MIGRATION

Mark E. Lyford, Stephen T. Jackson, Julio L. Betancourt, and Stephen T.
Gray

*Ecological Monographs:* Vol. 73, No. 4, pp. 567--583.

ABSTRACT

We analyzed and radiocarbon-dated 205 fossil woodrat middens from 14
sites in central and northern Wyoming and adjacent Utah and Montana to
document spatiotemporal patterns of Holocene invasion by Utah juniper
([*Juniperus
osteosperma*](http://www.itis.usda.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=all&search_value=Juniperus+osteosperma&search_kingdom=every&search_span=exactly_for&categories=All&source=html&search_credRating=All)).
Holocene migration into central and northern Wyoming and southern
Montana from the south proceeded by a series of long-distance dispersal
events, which were paced by climate variability and structured by the
geographic distribution and connectivity of suitable habitats on the
landscape. The migration of Utah juniper into the region involved
multiple long-distance dispersal events, ranging from 30 to 135 km. One
of the earliest established populations, on East Pryor Mountain in south
central Montana, is currently the northernmost population of the
species. Establishment by long-distance dispersal of that population and
another in the Bighorn Basin occurred during a period of relatively dry
climate between 7500 and 5400 years ago. Further expansion of these
initial colonizing populations and backfilling to occupy suitable sites
to the south was delayed during a wet period from 5400 to 2800 years
ago. Development of dry conditions 2800 years ago led to a rapid
expansion in which Utah juniper colonized sites throughout its current
range. Landscape structure and climate variability play important roles
in governing the pattern and pace of natural invasions and deserve close
attention in studying and modeling plant invasions, whether exotic or
natural.

*Key words:* climate variability; [*Juniperus
osteosperma*](http://www.itis.usda.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=all&search_value=Juniperus+osteosperma&search_kingdom=every&search_span=exactly_for&categories=All&source=html&search_credRating=All);
landscape structure; long-distance dispersal; Utah juniper; woodrat
middens.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> "We used output from the PRISM
> model[^7^](http://www.esajournals.org/esaonline/?request=get-document&issn=0012-9615&volume=073&issue=04&page=0567#n7%23n7)
> ([Daly et al.
> 1994](http://www.esajournals.org/esaonline/?request=get-document&issn=0012-9615&volume=073&issue=04&page=0567#i0012-9615-073-04-0567-daly1%23i0012-9615-073-04-0567-daly1))
> to estimate monthly and annual temperature and precipitation for our
> study region as well as an index of moisture stress (defined as the
> ratio of growing-season precipitation to growing-season temperature)
> as our climatic themes."

2.  Affiliation:

> Department of Botany, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming

Funding Agency:

Our work was supported by an NSF grant (Ecology Program) to S. T.
Jackson and J. L. Betancourt, and by the U. S. Geological Survey.

3.  PRISM was used to provide monthly and annual temperature and
    precipitation in a study involving radiocarbon dating of 205 fossil
    woodrat middens from 14 sites in central and northern Wyoming and
    adjacent Utah and Montana to document spatiotemporal patterns of
    Holocene invasion by Utah juniper ([Juniperus
    osteosperma](http://www.itis.usda.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=all&search_value=Juniperus+osteosperma&search_kingdom=every&search_span=exactly_for&categories=All&source=html&search_credRating=All))

> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "Our study demonstrates the key roles of long-distance dispersal,
> landscape structure, and climatic variability in governing the pattern
> and pace of natural invasion in response to climatic change...
> Landscape structure and climate variability play important roles in
> governing the pattern and pace of natural invasions and deserve close
> attention in studying and modeling plant invasions, whether exotic or
> natural."

Google 88 [COULDN'T FIND TEXT]{.mark}

Valley formation by fluvial and glacial erosion

David R. Montgomery1

*Geology*; November 2002; v. 30; no. 11; p. 1047-1050;

DOI: 10.1130/0091-7613(2002)

ABSTRACT

Cross-valley profiles from the west slope of the Olympic Peninsula,
Washington, are used to investigate the relative effects of fluvial and
glacial erosion on valley formation. Unlike most ranges where glaciers
and rivers sequentially occupied the same valleys, neighboring valleys
in the Olympic Mountains developed in similar lithologies but were
subject to different degrees of glaciation, allowing comparison of the
net effect of glacial and fluvial processes integrated over many glacial
cycles. Upslope drainage area was used to normalize comparisons of
valley width, ridge-crest-to-valley-bottom relief, and valley
cross-sectional area as measures of net differences in the mass of rock
excavated from below ridgelines for 131 valley-spanning transects.
Valley width, relief, and cross-sectional areas are similar for
glaciated, partly glaciated, and unglaciated (fluvial) valleys with
drainage areas of \<10 km^2^, but diverge downslope. Glaciated valleys
draining \>50 km^2^ reach two to four times the cross-sectional area and
have to 500 m greater relief than comparable fluvial valleys; partly
glaciated valleys have intermediate dimensions. At distances of \>5 km
from valley heads, the cumulative upstream volume of rock removed to
form valleys is two to four times greater in glacially incised valleys
than in fluvial valleys. The finding of strong differences in the net
result of valley excavation by fluvial and glacial erosion supports the
interpretation that alpine glaciers are more effective erosional agents
than are rivers and implies that large alpine valleys deepened and
enlarged in response to Pleistocene glaciation.

**Key Words:** glacial • fluvial • erosion • valley formation

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

2.  Affiliation:

> Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington,
> Seattle, Washington

Funding Agency:

3.  PRISM was used to

> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:

Google 90

LIFE-HISTORY VARIATION IN THE SAGEBRUSH LIZARD: PHENOTYPIC PLASTICITY OR
LOCAL ADAPTATION?

Michael W. Sears, and Michael J. Angilletta, Jr

*Ecology*: Vol. 84, No. 6, pp. 1624--1634.

ABSTRACT

We performed a laboratory common-environment study to determine the
genetic and environmental sources of variation in growth rates of the
sagebrush lizard ([*Sceloporus
graciosus*](http://www.itis.usda.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=all&search_value=Sceloporus+graciosus&search_kingdom=every&search_span=exactly_for&categories=All&source=html&search_credRating=All)).
Hatchling lizards were reared from gravid females collected from three
study populations along an elevational gradient in southern Utah, USA.
Hatchlings were fed ad libidum and were maintained on a 14:10 light:dark
cycle, with temperatures at 33°C and 21°C during photophase and
scotophase, respectively. Each hatchling was randomly assigned to either
a water-supplementation treatment or a control group receiving no
supplemental water. Once every five days, the water-supplemented lizards
were administered orally a quantity of water equal to 5% of their body
mass. Growth was quantified as the total change in body size (length and
mass) for 30 d after hatching. Resting metabolic rates of a subset of
lizards were measured at hatching and at the end of the study. After
adjusting growth for food intake, change in length did not differ
between water-supplemented and control lizards, and did not differ among
the three populations. Metabolic rates were similar across the study for
all treatment groups. Water-supplemented lizards did gain wet mass more
rapidly than control lizards; however, the difference in growth between
groups was attributed to hydration state, because growth in dry mass did
not differ between groups. The effects of water supplementation on
growth that were observed by other investigators were likely manifested
through changes in thermoregulatory behavior or increased activity.

*Key words:*![](media/image3.png){width="0.15555555555555556in"
height="0.10486111111111111in"}altitudinal effect on life history;
common-environment study; counter gradient variation; geographic
variation; growth rates; intraspecific variation; life history;
phenotypic plasticity; sagebrush lizard; [*Sceloporus
graciosus*](http://www.itis.usda.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=all&search_value=Sceloporus+graciosus&search_kingdom=every&search_span=exactly_for&categories=All&source=html&search_credRating=All);
water availability.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Although the thermal environment tends to retard growth at high
> elevations, the increased availability of water at high elevations
> could speed growth. In southwestern Utah, yearly rainfall increases
> with elevation within local mountain ranges ([Daly et al.
> 1994](http://www.esajournals.org/esaonline/?request=get-document&issn=0012-9658&volume=084&issue=06&page=1624#i0012-9658-084-06-1624-daly1%23i0012-9658-084-06-1624-daly1),
> [Fig.
> 2](http://www.esajournals.org/esaonline/?request=get-document&issn=0012-9658&volume=084&issue=06&page=1624#i0012-9658-084-06-1624-f02%23i0012-9658-084-06-1624-f02))

2.  Affiliation:

> Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia,
> Pennsylvania

Funding Agency:

None listed

3.  PRISM was used to plot yearly rainfall increases with elevation
    within local mountain ranges in the laboratory common-environment
    study that sought to determine the genetic and environmental sources
    of variation in growth rates of the sagebrush lizard ([*Sceloporus
    graciosus*](http://www.itis.usda.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=all&search_value=Sceloporus+graciosus&search_kingdom=every&search_span=exactly_for&categories=All&source=html&search_credRating=All)).

> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> Our study indicates that environmental variation caused by elevational
> changes may not be similar, in many aspects, to larger-scale
> geographic variation. At high elevations, though there is less time
> available for activity, the thermal availability of microhabitats may
> allow an animal to use their habitat more effectively than animals at
> lower elevation. Furthermore, low thermal opportunity at high
> elevation is not necessarily the same as an equal amount of thermal
> opportunity found at higher latitudes at lower elevation because day
> length (in terms of light) and pO~2~ will be different between these
> areas of comparable thermal opportunity.

[Kelsey]{.mark}

Google 91

Climate change and the outbreak ranges of two North American bark
beetles

David W. Williams and Andrew M. Liebhold

*Agricultural and Forest Entomology*; Volume 4 Issue 2; Page 87  - May
2002\
doi:10.1046/j.1461-9563.2002.00124.x

ABSTRACT

One expected effect of global climate change on insect populations is a
shift in geographical distributions toward higher latitudes and higher
elevations. Southern pine beetle *Dendroctonus frontalis* and mountain
pine beetle *Dendroctonus ponderosae* undergo regional outbreaks that
result in large-scale disturbances to pine forests in the south-eastern
and western United States, respectively.

Our objective was to investigate potential range shifts under climate
change of outbreak areas for both bark beetle species and the areas of
occurrence of the forest types susceptible to them.

To project range changes, we used discriminant function models that
incorporated climatic variables. Models to project bark beetle ranges
employed changed forest distributions as well as changes in climatic
variables.

Projected outbreak areas for southern pine beetle increased with higher
temperatures and generally shifted northward, as did the distributions
of the southern pine forests.

Projected outbreak areas for mountain pine beetle decreased with
increasing temperature and shifted toward higher elevation. That trend
was mirrored in the projected distributions of pine forests in the
region of the western U.S. encompassed by the study.

Projected outbreak areas for the two bark beetle species and the area of
occurrence of western pine forests increased with more precipitation and
decreased with less precipitation, whereas the area of occurrence of
southern pine forests decreased slightly with increasing precipitation.

Predicted shifts of outbreak ranges for both bark beetle species
followed general expectations for the effects of global climate change
and reflected the underlying long-term distributional shifts of their
host forests

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> "Finally, the interpolated temperature maps were used along with a
> 10 km × 10 km digital elevation model map to create a map of gridded
> temperature estimates corrected for the effects of elevation. Maps of
> historical total monthly precipitation over the same grid were
> developed using the PRISM model ([Daly *et al*.,
> 1994](javascript:popRef('b36')))."

2.  Affiliation:

> Could not find

Funding Agency:

> Finally, we thank Richard Birdsey, programme manager of the Northern
> Stations Global Change Program of the **USDA** Forest Service, for his
> financial support of this research.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to provide climatic variables in the projection of
> range changes in a study of bark beetle potential range shift under
> climate change .

4.  Impact or Conclusion:

> In conclusion, our results demonstrate two patterns of geographical
> range shifts predicted in the climate change literature for two
> congeneric and ecologically similar bark beetle species. Relatively
> small changes in climate may shift the ranges of these species and the
> forests that they inhabit to higher latitudes and elevations over
> time. If they occur, such shifts may alter forested landscapes in the
> U.S. profoundly in the coming centuries.

Google 92

INTERPRETING WOODY PLANT RICHNESS FROM SEASONAL RATIOS OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS

Richard H. Waring, Nicholas C. Coops, Janet L. Ohmann, and Daniel A.
Sarr

*Ecology*: Vol. 83, No. 11, pp. 2964--2970.

ABSTRACT

In forested portions of Oregon, species richness of woody plants on
plots 400--500 m^2^ ranged from 1 to \>20. We investigated what might
account for this variation using a satellite-driven process model that
predicts gross photosynthesis and establishes, on a monthly time step,
the most constraining environmental variable. Independent satellite and
ground-based data confirmed that the highest species richness occurs on
sites of intermediate productivity, where 60--70% of the light is
intercepted by vegetation. We demonstrated that most photosynthesis
takes place during the spring and summer months for both evergreen and
deciduous species. We estimated that the spring to summer ratio of gross
photosynthesis (Δ*P*~G~) varies from \<1 to \>5 across the state. Both
the most productive coastal rainforests and least productive arid
woodlands exhibited the lowest values of Δ*P*~G~ near 1, and had lowest
species richness. Plots with highest species richness were located in
areas with mild, moist, spring weather conditions, followed by a summer
drought, with Δ*P*~G~ averaging above 3. Satellite-derived estimates of
gross photosynthesis are available for more extensive analysis.

![](media/image3.png){width="0.15625in" height="0.10416666666666667in"}

*Key words:*![](media/image3.png){width="0.15625in"
height="0.10416666666666667in"}biodiversity; environmental analyses;
Oregon (USA) forests; photosynthesis; process modeling; site index,
species richness.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> In the study by [Coops and Waring
> (2001](http://www.esajournals.org/esaonline/?request=get-document&issn=0012-9658&volume=083&issue=11&page=2964#i0012-9658-083-11-2964-coops1)*a*),
> where the exact location of plots was known, terrain-adjusted
> extrapolation of 30-yr monthly mean precipitation and temperatures
> extremes derived by [Daly et al.
> (1994)](http://www.esajournals.org/esaonline/?request=get-document&issn=0012-9658&volume=083&issue=11&page=2964#i0012-9658-083-11-2964-daly1)
> were made to a resolution of 200 × 200 m (0.04 km^2^). In this study,
> however, the exact locations where species richness was recorded were
> not available on private land, forcing us to model at minimum
> resolution of 1 km^2^. The mean temperature extremes were converted,
> based on meteorological principles ([Running et al.
> 1987](http://www.esajournals.org/esaonline/?request=get-document&issn=0012-9658&volume=083&issue=11&page=2964#i0012-9658-083-11-2964-running4),
> [Thornton et al.
> 1997](http://www.esajournals.org/esaonline/?request=get-document&issn=0012-9658&volume=083&issue=11&page=2964#i0012-9658-083-11-2964-thornton1)),
> to provide the specific climatic data required to drive the model at
> monthly time steps: actual shortwave incident solar radiation (i.e.,
> adjusted for clouds), daytime vapor pressure deficits, mean
> temperature, and frequency of frost (monthly summaries across Oregon
> are available
> online).[^6^](http://www.esajournals.org/esaonline/?request=get-document&issn=0012-9658&volume=083&issue=11&page=2964#n6)
> Values for Δ*P*~G~ were generated and mapped at a spatial resolution
> of 1 km^2^ across the state.
>
> 2\. Affiliation:
>
> College of Forestry, Oregon State University, Corvallis

Funding Agency:

> This research was sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space
> Administration (Grant Number NAG5-7506 to R. H. Waring and N. C.
> Coops), with additional support provided by our respective
> institutions.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to (not certain, see abstract, above)

5.  Impact or Conclusion:

> "Environmental analysis with the process model indicated that for all
> woody vegetation the most important seasons for photosynthesis are
> concentrated within six months: spring (March--May) and summer
> (June--August). The seasonal photosynthetic index (ΔPG) proved useful
> in predicting general patterns in species richness across the state
> (Fig. 2F). For any one square kilometer, however, the predictive power
> of the model was poor (r2 = 0.11, P \< 0.001). This indicates that to
> predict species richness accurately at a finer scale will require
> information on local climate, soils, disturbance history, and a
> three-dimensional description of the canopy. With such information,
> gross photosynthesis and forest productivity could be predicted with
> acceptable accuracy ([Landsberg et al.
> 2002](http://www.esajournals.org/esaonline/?request=get-document&issn=0012-9658&volume=083&issue=11&page=2964#i0012-9658-083-11-2964-landsberg2)).
>
> ![](media/image3.png){width="0.15625in"
> height="0.10416666666666667in"}At larger spatial scales, we advocate
> expanding the type of analysis presented in this paper to other
> ecological regions, recognizing that the pool size of species
> available may change. In expanding the approach it will be important
> to define changes in the beginning and end of the growing season using
> satellite-derived data. For the contiguous United States, climatic
> data and satellite-derived estimates of Normalized Difference
> Vegetation Index (NDVI) are available and being used to estimate PG at
> 8-d intervals (NASA/MODIS product, see [Running et al.
> 1994](http://www.esajournals.org/esaonline/?request=get-document&issn=0012-9658&volume=083&issue=11&page=2964#i0012-9658-083-11-2964-running3);
> data available
> online).[7](http://www.esajournals.org/esaonline/?request=get-document&issn=0012-9658&volume=083&issue=11&page=2964#n7)
> In other regions, different seasonal analyses of photosynthetic
> patterns than those introduced in this paper may be appropriate. With
> improved accuracy in geographic registration of information on soils,
> climate, and surveys of species richness, it should be possible to
> expand the use of process models to predict forest productivity and
> the degree of canopy closure, variables that can be independently
> assessed from aircraft if not yet from space ([Means et al.
> 1999](http://www.esajournals.org/esaonline/?request=get-document&issn=0012-9658&volume=083&issue=11&page=2964#i0012-9658-083-11-2964-means1),
> [Lefsky et al.
> 2002](http://www.esajournals.org/esaonline/?request=get-document&issn=0012-9658&volume=083&issue=11&page=2964#i0012-9658-083-11-2964-lefsky1))."

Google 95

Regional Climate Model Simulation of U.S. Precipitation during
1982--2002. Part I: Annual Cycle

Xin-Zhong Liang, Li Li, Kenneth E. Kunkel, Mingfang Ting, and Julian X.
L. Wang

*Journal* *of Climate*: Vol. 17, No. 18, pp. 3510--3529.

ABSTRACT

The fifth-generation PSU--NCAR Mesoscale Model (MM5)-based regional
climate model (CMM5) capability in simulating the U.S. precipitation
annual cycle is evaluated with a 1982--2002 continuous baseline
integration driven by the NCEP--DOE second Atmospheric Model
Intercomparison Project (AMIP II) reanalysis. The causes for major model
biases (differences from observations) are studied through supplementary
seasonal sensitivity experiments with various driving lateral boundary
conditions (LBCs) and physics representations. It is demonstrated that
the CMM5 has a pronounced rainfall downscaling skill, producing more
realistic regional details and overall smaller biases than the driving
global reanalysis. The precipitation simulation is most skillful in the
Northwest, where orographic forcing dominates throughout the year; in
the Midwest, where mesoscale convective complexes prevail in summer; and
in the central Great Plains, where nocturnal low-level jet and rainfall
peaks occur in summer. The actual model skill, however, is masked by
existing large LBC uncertainties over data-poor areas, especially over
oceans. For example, winter dry biases in the Gulf States likely result
from LBC errors in the south and east buffer zones. On the other hand,
several important regional biases are identified with model physics
deficiencies. In particular, summer dry biases in the North American
monsoon region and along the east coast of the United States can be
largely rectified by replacing the Grell with the Kain--Fritsch cumulus
scheme. The latter scheme, however, yields excessive rainfall in the
Atlantic Ocean but large deficits over the Midwest. The fall dry biases
over the lower Mississippi River basin, common to all existing global
and regional models, remain unexplained and the search for their
responsible physical mechanisms will be challenging. In addition, the
representation of cloud--radiation interaction is essential in
determining the precipitation distribution and regional water recycling,
for which the new scheme implemented in the CMM5 yields significant
improvement.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> It was produced from the daily observations of the National Weather
> Service Cooperative Observer Network using first the synergraphic
> mapping system algorithm ([Shepard
> 1984](http://ams.allenpress.com/amsonline/?request=get-document&doi=10.1175%2F1520-0442(2004)017<3510:RCMSOU>2.0.CO%3B2#i1520-0442-17-18-3510-shepard1%23i1520-0442-17-18-3510-shepard1)
> ) for geographic interpolation and then adjusted to match the 1961--90
> monthly climatology of the Parameter-Elevation Regression on
> Independent Slopes Model (PRISM) developed by [Daly et al.
> (1994](http://ams.allenpress.com/amsonline/?request=get-document&doi=10.1175%2F1520-0442(2004)017<3510:RCMSOU>2.0.CO%3B2#i1520-0442-17-18-3510-daly1%23i1520-0442-17-18-3510-daly1)
> ,
> [1997](http://ams.allenpress.com/amsonline/?request=get-document&doi=10.1175%2F1520-0442(2004)017<3510:RCMSOU>2.0.CO%3B2#i1520-0442-17-18-3510-daly2%23i1520-0442-17-18-3510-daly2)
> ).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:
>
> Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois, Urbana--Champaign

Funding Agency:

The research was partially supported by NOAA/GAPP Grant NA06GP0393.

> 3\. PRISM was used to in an evaluation of "The fifth-generation
> PSU--NCAR Mesoscale Model (MM5)-based regional climate model('s)
> (CMM5) capability in simulating the U.S. precipitation annual cycle
> (as) evaluated with a 1982--2002 continuous baseline integration
> driven by the NCEP--DOE second Atmospheric Model Intercomparison
> Project (AMIP II) reanalysis."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "It is demonstrated that the CMM5 has a pronounced rainfall
> downscaling skill, producing more realistic regional details and
> overall smaller biases than the driving global reanalysis... The
> actual model skill, however, is masked by existing large LBC
> uncertainties over data-poor areas, especially over oceans."

Google 96

Observations and Regional Climate Model Simulations of Heavy
Precipitation Events

and Seasonal Anomalies: A Comparison

KENNETH E. KUNKEL, KAREN ANDSAGER, AND XIN-ZHONG LIANG, RAYMOND W.
ARRITT, EUGENE S. TAKLE, WILLIAM J. GUTOWSKI JR., AND ZAITAO PAN

Journal of Hydrometeorology, Jun2002, Vol. 3 Issue 3, p322-334

ABSTRACT

A regional climate model simulation of the period of 1979--88 over the
contiguous United States, driven by lateral boundary conditions from the
National Centers for Environmental Prediction--National Center for
Atmospheric Research reanalysis, was analyzed to assess the ability of
the model to simulate heavy precipitation events and seasonal
precipitation anomalies. Heavy events were defined by precipitation
totals that exceed the threshold value for a specified return period and
duration. The model magnitudes of the thresholds for 1-day heavy
precipitation events were in good agreement with observed thresholds for
much of the central United States. Model thresholds were greater than
observed for the eastern and intermountain western portions of the
region and were smaller than observed for the lower Mississippi River
basin. For 7-day events, model thresholds were in good agreement with
observed thresholds for the eastern United States and Great Plains, were
less than observed for the most of the Mississippi River valley, and
were greater than observed for the intermountain western region. The
interannual variability in frequency of heavy events in the model
simulation exhibited similar behavior to that of the observed
variability in the South, Southwest, West, and North-Central study
regions. The agreement was poorer for the Midwest and Northeast,
although the magnitude of variability was similar for both model and
observations. There was good agreement between the model and
observational data in the seasonal distribution of extreme events for
the West and North-Central study regions; in the Southwest, Midwest, and
Northeast, there were general similarities but some differences in the
details of the distributions. The most notable differences occurred for
the southern Gulf Coast region, for which the model produced a summer
peak that is not present in the observational data. There was not a very
high correlation in the timing of individual heavy events between the
model and observations, reflecting differences between model and
observations in the speed and path of many of the synoptic-scale events
triggering the precipitation.

NOTE

"The implications of this analysis for climate change studies are that
studies of heavy precipitation using the RegCM2 can be conducted with
the most confidence in the regions for which both the magnitude and the
annual cycle in heavy precipitation events are reproduced well in the
model. The thresholds for the heavy precipitation events examined here,
1-day 1-yr events, 1-day 5-yr events, and 7-day 5-yr events, were
generally simulated with some accuracy in some regions, although this
varied by return period; the dependence of accuracy on return period
complicates the application of model simulations. The annual cycle in
heavy events was reasonably reproduced for the West Coast and
North-Central regions, but sizeable differences were observed elsewhere.
The model performed poorly in the South along the Gulf Coast, where the
model thresholds for the heavy events are low and the heavy events occur
during the wrong part of the year. The interannual variability was
simulated accurately along theWest Coast, although thresholds were too
low along the coast and too high in the interior, probably resulting
from the fact that RegCM2 resolution is not sufficient to resolve the
highly detailed orography along the coast. Low correlations in the
timing of events between model and observations may, on the surface,
reduce confidence in the model results. This finding certainly suggests
the need for further model improvements. Possible model deficiencies
include the convective parameterization scheme and the inability to
resolve well the circulation of mesoscale convective systems. However,
systems producing heavy precipitation are likely to be affected both by
forcing at the lateral boundaries and by processes completely internal
to the RegCM2 domain, such as variable surface forcing from
time-dependent soil moisture, snowpack, and vegetation conditions. The
atmospheric response to these internal processes may be highly sensitive
to initial conditions. Thus, individual events may not be simulated
accurately, but the climatological frequency of heavy events may be
accurate. To the extent that this is true, there is no expectation of an
exact match between model and observations, and the usefulness of these
results may be higher than is suggested by the low correlations."

1.  PRISM Data:

> After interpolation, the precipitation data were adjusted to match
> monthly values from the Parameter-Elevation Regression
>
> on Independent Slopes Model (PRISM; Daly et al.1994, 1997).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Illinois State Water Survey, Champaign, Illinois

Funding Agency:

> This work was supported in part by the Electric Power Research
> Institute and by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
>
> (NOAA) under Grant NA86GP0572 and Cooperative Agreement NA67RJ0146.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to adjust precipitation data in " A regional
> climate model simulation of the period of 1979--88 over the contiguous
> United States, driven by lateral boundary conditions from the National
> Centers for Environmental Prediction--National Center for Atmospheric
> Research reanalysis, was analyzed to assess the ability of the model
> to simulate heavy precipitation events and seasonal precipitation
> anomalies."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "This analysis of a 10-yr simulation using RegCM2, with lateral
> boundary conditions obtained from the NCEP--NCAR reanalysis, found the
> following key similarities and differences between the model heavy
> precipitation and observations: 1) Model thresholds for heavy
> precipitation events are generally somewhat greater than the observed
> thresholds in the mountainous regions of the western United States and
> less than observed along the West Coast. East of the Rockies,
> differences vary with event duration. For 1-day events, model
> thresholds are similar to observed over much of the central United
> States, except for the lower Mississippi River valley, and greater
> than observed for the eastern United States. For 7-day durations,
> model thresholds are similar to observed for the eastern United States
> and less than observed over the central United States. 2) The
> interannual variability of the frequency of model heavy events shows
> general similarity to the observed. However, although the correlation
> coefficients between modeled and observed frequencies of extreme
> events were positive for every region studied, they were statistically
> significant only for the West Coast. 3) The annual cycle in extreme
> precipitation events is best reproduced in the North-Central and West
> Coast regions. For the Midwest, Southwest, and Northeast regions, the
> results are mixed with some, but not all, features reproduced. The
> model simulation is poor for the South region. 4) The timing of
> specific events at individual grid points is generally not highly
> coincident between model and observations."
>
> ...Low correlations in the timing of events between model and
> observations may, on the surface, reduce confidence in the model
> results. This finding certainly suggests the need for further model
> improvements."

Google 97

PROJECTING THE BIOLOGICAL CONDITION OF STREAMS UNDER ALTERNATIVE
SCENARIOS OF HUMAN LAND USE

John Van Sickle, Joan Baker, Alan Herlihy, Peter Bayley, Stanley
Gregory, Patti Haggerty, Linda Ashkenas, and Judith Li

*Ecological Applications*: Vol. 14, No. 2, pp. 368--380.

ABSTRACT

We present regression models for estimating the status of fish and
aquatic invertebrate communities in all second to fourth--order streams
(1:100![](media/image4.png){width="4.1666666666666664e-2in"
height="0.14583333333333334in"}000 scale; total stream length = 6476 km)
throughout the Willamette River Basin, Oregon (USA). The models project
fish and invertebrate status as a function of physiographic,
land-use/land-cover, and stream flow variables, with the latter two sets
of variables subject to change under historical and alternative future
scenarios of human development. Models are developed using sample data
collected between 1993 and 1997 from 149 wadeable streams in the basin.
Model uncertainties are propagated through model projections and into
aggregated estimates of regional status. The projections show no
significant change in basin-wide status in year 2050, relative to Circa
1990, for scenarios either of increased human development or
continuation of current development trends, because landscape change
under these scenarios is dominated by conversion of agricultural land to
rural residential and urban uses, and because these changes affect only
a small percentage of the basin. However, under a scenario of increased
conservation, regional medians of biotic status indicators are projected
to improve by 9--24% by year 2050. None of the changes projected between
Circa 1990 and year 2050 is as large in magnitude as the decline in
status projected to have occurred between the time of pre-European
settlement and Circa 1990.

*Key words:* land use; model projection; riparian; scenario; stream
condition; watershed; Willamette Basin.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Long-term mean annual precipitation for each watershed was estimated
> by spatially averaging PRISM model estimates (4-km grid resolution)
> within the watershed boundary ([Taylor et al.
> 1993](http://www.esajournals.org/esaonline/?request=get-document&issn=1051-0761&volume=014&issue=02&page=0368#i1051-0761-014-02-0368-taylor1),
> [Daly et al.
> 1994](http://www.esajournals.org/esaonline/?request=get-document&issn=1051-0761&volume=014&issue=02&page=0368#i1051-0761-014-02-0368-daly1)).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:
>
> Western Ecology Division, National Health and Environmental Effects
> Research

Funding Agency:

> This research was funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
> in part through cooperative agreement CR 924682 with Oregon State
> University and the University of Oregon
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to provide long-term mean annual precipitation for
> watersheds in " regression models for estimating the status of fish
> and aquatic invertebrate communities in all second to fourth--order
> streams (1:100![](media/image4.png){width="4.1666666666666664e-2in"
> height="0.14583333333333334in"}000 scale; total stream length = 6476
> km) throughout the Willamette River Basin, Oregon (USA)."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "Our results suggest possible shifts in emphasis for future research
> and management activities in the basin\'s streams. In the past,
> researchers in the basin, and throughout the Pacific Northwest, have
> focused on streams in forest-dominated landscapes and their responses
> to forest management practices. But on a landscape scale, our data and
> models suggest that current riparian land uses in Lowland agricultural
> and developed watersheds of the basin have had a more discernible
> impact on stream biota than they have in upland forested watersheds.
> Moreover, our models could not detect a clear difference between the
> effects of agriculture and development on stream biota, at the same
> time as future scenarios project that exchanges between these two land
> uses may dominate landscape dynamics in the basin over the next 50
> years. These conclusions all point to a need for a better
> understanding of stream ecology in agricultural and urban watersheds
> of the Willamette River Basin."

Google

Estimating forest productivity in the eastern Siskiyou Mountains of
southwestern Oregon using a satellite driven process model, 3-PGS

**N.C. Coops and R.H. Waring**

*Can. J. For. Res*. **31**: 143--154 (2001)

DOI:10.1139/cjfr-31-1-143

ABSTRACT

The 3-PGS (physiological principles for predicting growth using
satellite data) model generates monthly estimates of transpiration,
photosynthesis, and net primary production (NPP), the latter derived as
a fixed proportion (0.47) of gross photosynthesis. To assess the
reliability of a simplified process model (3-PGS) to predict the
productive capacity of coniferous forest across diverse landscapes in
southwestern Oregon, we first used a geographic information system to
display and manipulate basic data. This involved the following steps:
(*i*) extrapolate monthly mean weather data to reflect topographic
variation; (*ii*) transform monthly temperature extremes to spatial
resolution of 4 ha and estimate incoming solar radiation, subfreezing
days per month, daytime vapor pressure deficits, and mean temperatures;
(*iii*) convert statewide soil survey maps into topographically adjusted
estimates of soil fertility and water storage capacity (); and (*iv*)
acquire satellite-derived estimates of the faction of light intercepted
by vegetation during midsummer. Model predictions of soil water
availability during summer months compared well with those reported from
published measurements of predawn water potentials at three contrasting
sites and with measurements acquired at the end of seasonal drought at
18 sites (*r*2 = 0.78 with mean monthly modeled drought index; *r*2 =
0.57 with seasonal modeled drought index). Similarly, seasonal shifts in
the relative importance of various climatic and edaphic variables
closely matched those defined in previously published studies. Finally,
model predictions of maximum annual aboveground growth were compared
with those derived from forestry yield tables based on height--age
relationships with a resulting *r*2 of 0.76, and a standard error of 1.2
m3·ha--1·year--1 (*P* \< 0.01).

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Mean monthly minimum and maximum temperature and precipitation
> surfaces of the region were acquired with the PRISM
> (parameter-elevation regressions on independent slopes model)
> software, which is an expert system that uses 30 years of
> meteorological station data and a digital elevation model (DEM) to
> generate gridded estimates of mean climate parameters (Daly et al.
> 1994).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

CSIRO Forestry and Forest Products, Private Bag 10, Clayton South 3169,
Melbourne, Australia.

Funding Agency:

> The research reported in this article was supported by funds from the
> National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Grant NAG5-7506.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to provide mean monthly minimum and maximum
> temperature and precipitation in the assessment of the "reliability of
> a simplified process model (3-PGS) to predict the productive capacity
> of coniferous forest across diverse landscapes in southwestern
> Oregon". The study involved the 3-PGS (physiological principles for
> predicting growth using satellite data) model, which "generates
> monthly estimates of transpiration, photosynthesis, and net primary
> production (NPP), the latter derived as a fixed proportion (0.47) of
> gross photosynthesis."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "In this paper, we utilized a model that combines general
> physiological principles into a model that can be driven, almost
> entirely, from readily available monthly weather records and satellite
> images of changing greenness across landscapes. Minimal information is
> required on soils and vegetation. If detailed field-based data are
> available on soil drought and fertility, the model's reliability is
> greatly increased. Using one year's satellite data (1995) and
> long-term climatic means, we obtained good agreement with previously
> published field measurements of forest growth capacity and predawn
> plant water stress collected at 18 sites distributed across over the
> eastern Siskiyous in southwestern Oregon. This comparison indicates
> the potential of models, such as 3-PGS, to provide reasonable
> estimates of forest productive capacity across the Pacific Northwest,
> U.S.A."

[]{.mark}

Google 99

Geostatistical Analysis of Orographic Rainbands

FABIEN MINISCLOUX, JEAN DOMINIQUE CREUTIN, AND SANDRINE ANQUETIN,

*Journal of Applied Meteorology*, Nov 2001, Vol. 40 Issue 11, p1835-1854

ABSTRACT

Based on weather radar detection, orographic rainbands parallel to wind
direction may persist for several hours over a Mediterranean mountainous
region prone to stable wind and humidity conditions. A statistical
analysis shows that orographic rainbands are more active and more stable
over the mountains than over the lower hills. By the mean of the
range--time indicator technique, the northward advection velocity of the
rain cells is deduced (60 km h21) and is slightly lower than the wind
velocity (85 km h21) measured at the high altitude weather station (Mont
Aigoual, 1565 m above mean sea level). The detailed analysis highlights
that the positioning of individual orographic cells in relation to the
relief is not random: they are triggered by relief shoulders on their
southeast flank. Their regular spacing (typically 15 km) is responsible
for the general organization of the rainbands. Rain accumulations vary
from 20 to over 100 mm day21 from the outside to the center of the
rainbands.

NOTE

This paper illustrates experimental and statistical evidence under
stationary meteorological conditions (wind and humidity) that orographic
rainbands, parallel to low-level wind direction and assumed to be the
same between 39 m (Nıˆmes weather station) and 1565 m (Mont Aigoual
weather station), can persist during several hours over the relief of a
Mediterranean region. Orographic rainbands are more active and more
stable over the mountains than over the hilly area. They contain
northward-moving rain cells whose velocity is consistent with the wind
measured in lower layers. Relief shoulders trigger the rain cells on
their southeast flank. Their regular spacing of typically 15 km is
responsible for the general organization of the rainbands. The
relationship between rain fields and topography is not straightforward
on the time- and space scales considered. The simple correlation
coefficient between the mean rain intensity over the selected dataset
and topography is only 0.5, which means that only 25% of the variance of
rain is explained by the relief. The application of statistical tools to
digital pictures (radar and topography) is probably the only way to
point out this relationship.

1.  PRISM Data:

> "The rainfall patterns resulting from these processes exhibit some
> regularities in their structure and in their positioning, reflecting
> the topography below. Climatological studies using rain gauge networks
> confirm that long-term rainfall accumulations (one month or more)
> linearly depend on the altitude (Hevesi et al. 1992a,b; Michaud et al.
> 1995), on the distance to topographic barriers (Schermerhorn 1967), or
> on the slope orientation (Daly et al. 1994)."

2.  Affiliation:

> Laboratoire d'e´tudes des Transferts en Hydrologie et Environnement,
> Observatoire des Sciences de I'Univers de Grenoble

Funding Agency:

The current study was performed under the PATOM and PNRH research
programs of the CNRS-INSU, the French Institute

> for the Universe Sciences.

3.  PRISM was used to verify data.

> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> A statistical analysis shows that orographic rainbands are more active
> and more stable over the mountains than over the lower hills. By the
> mean of the range--time indicator technique, the northward advection
> velocity of the rain cells is deduced (60 km h21) and is slightly
> lower than the wind velocity (85 km h21) measured at the high altitude
> weather station (Mont Aigoual, 1565 m above mean sea level). The
> detailed analysis highlights that the positioning of individual
> orographic cells in relation to the relief is not random: they are
> triggered by relief shoulders on their southeast flank. Their regular
> spacing (typically 15 km) is responsible for the general organization
> of the rainbands.

Google 100

Climatic and spatial patterns of diversity in the serpentine plants of
California

SUSAN HARRISON, JOSHUA H. VIERS and JAMES F. QUINN

*Diversity and Distributions* (2000) 6, 153--161

ABSTRACT

The insular distribution of distinctive substrates, such as outcrops of
serpentine rock, may either promote plant diversity by enhancing
opportunities for speciation or reduce diversity by increasing rates of
extinction. To examine the relationship between diversity and the
spatial structure of habitats, we studied large-scale patterns of
diversity in the flora of serpentine in California. We used multiple
linear regressions on geographical information system (GIS)-derived data
for 85 subregions of the state to analyze the climatic and spatial
correlates of plant species richness. The diversity of plants endemic to
serpentine declined from north to south and from the coast inland, in
association with decreasing rainfall; the same trends were seen in the
total flora, but the trends were stronger in serpentine endemics.
Diversity of serpentine endemics increased with the area of serpentine
and decreased with the mean isolation of serpentine patches in a
subregion. The diversity of endemics was not correlated with the number
of serpentine patches or their mean perimeter-to area ratio. We conclude
that patchiness in this terrestrial habitat does not appear to promote
diversity, even at the large spatial scale associated with speciation
and endemism.

Key words: Endemism, patches, plants, serpentine, spatial.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> We used the state climate model by Daly *et al.* (1994) to calculate,
> for each subregion, its 30- year mean annual rainfall (1961--90),
> averaged spatially and temporally; this was calculated both for the
> entire subregion and for just the serpentine areas it contained.

2.  Affiliation:

    Department of Environmental Science and Policy, U. C. Davis,

    Funding Agency: (none listed)

3.  PRISM was used to calculate 30- year mean annual rainfall
    (1961--90), averaged spatially and temporally for an entire
    subregion and for serpentine areas.

> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "We conclude that patchiness in this terrestrial habitat does not
> appear to promote diversity, even at the large spatial scale
> associated with speciation and endemism."

Google 102

A New High-Resolution National Map of Vegetation Ecoregions Produced
Empirically Using Multivariate Spatial Clustering

[William W. Hargrove](http://www.esd.ornl.gov/~hnw) and [Robert J.
Luxmoore](http://www.esd.ornl.gov/~rjl)

[URL:http://www.esd.ornl.gov/hnw/esri98/1998-esd.ornl.gov](url:http://www.esd.ornl.gov/hnw/esri98/1998-esd.ornl.gov)

ABSTRACT

*A parallel supercomputer was used to divide the conterminous 48 states
of the United States into* 1000, 2000, 3000, 5000, and 7000 ecoregions
with relatively homogeneous values of elevation, edaphic, and climatic
variables using an iterative multivariate clustering technique.
Resolution of the clustered maps is 1 square kilometer; each national
map has over 7.7 million cells. Each cell has nine variables from maps
with values for elevation, soil nitrogen, soil organic matter, soil
water capacity, depth to water table, mean precipitation, solar
irradiance, degree-day heat sum, and degree-day cold sum.

The resultant national maps objectively capture the ecological patterns
of spatial variance in physical, edaphic, and climatic factors relevant
for the distribution and growth of plants and animals. Assignment of
red, green, and blue colors according to the principal component scores
associated with the ranges of the nine variables defining each cluster
results in a map where the ecological similarity of adjacent cluster
regions is readily apparent. Maps with this gradually-changing color
spectrum illustrate ecological relationships for plant growth derived
from soil factors, physiognomy, and climate across the 48 states at
user-defined resolutions. The clustering technique is being used as a
way to spatially extend the results of simulation models by reducing the
number of runs needed to obtain output over a larger area.

NOTE

"Our objective is to create custom geographic ecoregions which are
homogeneous with regard to the growth of woody vegetation. Our
ecoregions are based on multivariate geographic clustering of [**[9
variables important to tree
growth]{.underline}**](http://research.esd.ornl.gov/~hnw/esri98/P33304.GIF)
in 3 groups - elevation, soil or edaphic factors, and climatic factors.
Within soil factors, we have maps of plant-available water capacity,
soil organic matter, total Kjeldahl soil nitrogen, and depth to
seasonally-high water table. The climatic maps include mean
precipitation during the growing season, mean solar insolation during
the growing season, degree-day heat sum during the growing season, and
degree-day cold sum during the non-growing season. The growing season is
defined by the frost-free period between mean day of first and last
frost each year."

1.  PRISM Data:

> **"[[Orographically-corrected monthly mean
> precipitation]{.underline}](http://www.ocs.orst.edu/pub_ftp/climate_data/prism/precip/)**
> from [**[Chris Daly\'s PRISM
> model]{.underline}**](http://www.ocs.orst.edu/prism/prism_new.html)
> gives monthly rainfall equivalent at 4x4 km resolution which has been
> corrected for elevation effects."

2.  Affiliation: not listed

    Funding Agency:

    The US Forest Service, Southern Global Change Program supported this
    work through the [Integrated Modeling
    Project](http://www.cs.utk.edu/~imp/).

3.  PRISM was used to provide precipitation data

4.  Impact or Conclusion:

> Interestingly, when the RGB color scheme is applied to any of the
> cluster maps (i.e., the 7000, the 5000, the 3000 cluster results,
> etc.), [the resultant maps are visually
> indistinguishable](http://research.esd.ornl.gov/~hnw/esri98/P33336.GIF).
> The national color pattern is the same, even though the underlying
> ecoregion polygons are completely different. All maps converge on a
> single picture of the ecological relationships among the variables.
> This suggests that, after the United States is divided into more than
> 1000 ecoregions, we have captured most of the national-scale spatial
> variance in vegetation patterns.
>
> Multivariate geographic clustering can be used as a way to spatially
> extend the results of simulation models by reducing the number of runs
> needed to obtain output over a larger area. Simulation models can be
> run on each relatively homogeneous cluster rather than on each
> individual cell. The clustered map can be populated with simulated
> results cluster by cluster, like a paint-by-number picture. This
> cluster fill-in simulation technique will be used by the [Integrated
> Modeling Project](http://www.cs.utk.edu/~imp/) to assess the health
> and productivity of southeastern forests. This multivariate geographic
> clustering technique has several
> [advantages](http://research.esd.ornl.gov/~hnw/esri98/P33337.GIF).
> Clustering is data-driven and empirical. One obtains the same result
> every time, given the same data and a request for the same number of
> clusters, in contrast to regions drawn by expert opinion. Users
> control what data are included for consideration in the clustering
> process based on what is appropriate for their purposes. Users are
> also able to select how many homogeneous regions are produced in the
> final clustered map. Finally, any eclectic combination of continuous
> variables can be combined to form homogeneous areas on a map.

Google 103

PATTERNS OF APPARENT EXTIRPATION AMONG ISOLATED POPULATIONS OF PIKAS
(OCHOTONA PRINCEPS) IN THE GREAT BASIN

ERIK A. BEEVER,\* PETER F. BRUSSARD, AND JOEL BERGER

*Journal of Mammalogy*, 84(1):37--54, 2003

ABSTRACT

"We conducted exploratory analyses to examine the relative roles played
by natural and anthropogenic influences on persistence of a montane
mammal. We revisited historical locations of pikas (Ochotona princeps)
within the hydrographic Great Basin during summers of 1994--1999. Seven
of 25 populations (28%) reported earlier in the 20th century appeared to
have experienced recent extirpations. We assessed causative agents of
faunal change using several alternative, but not mutually exclusive,
hypotheses. Higher probability of persistence was correlated with
greater area of talus habitat at local and mountain-range scales, higher
elevation, more easterly longitude, more southern latitude, lack of
livestock grazing, greater distance to primary roads, and wilderness
management. However, only area of habitat in the mountain range, maximum
elevation of talus habitat, and distance to primary roads appeared in
the most parsimonious model of persistence when we used Akaike's
information criterion model-selection technique. These results suggest
that relaxation of montane faunas may occur more rapidly than previously
expected; that biogeographic models of species occurrence can be refined
by including more proximate factors (e.g., grazing status, proximity to
roads); and that habitat-based approaches to modeling vertebrate trends
should be accompanied by field data because population loss can occur
with no apparent change in habitat."

Key words: American pika, biogeography, climatic effects, extinction,
grazing, hydrographic Great Basin, land management, montane alpine
habitat, Ochotona princeps

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> To more directly assess climatic influence, for each site we obtained
> parameter-elevation regressions on independent slopes model
> (PRISM)-modeled values of annual precipitation and means of daily
> maximum temperature for June, July, and August, averaged across
> 1961--1990 at a 4-km resolution (PRISM---Daly et al. 1994). Here we
> report only the best univariate predictor of persistence
>
> from among these PRISM variables.

2.  Affiliation:

Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology/314, University
of Nevada,

Funding Agency:

> This work was supported by grants to E. A. Beever from the Nevada
> Biodiversity Research and Conservation Initiative, Nevada Agricultural
> Experiment Station, American Museum of Natural History, and the
> Kosciusczko Foundation.

3.  PRISM was used to provide annual precipitation and means of daily
    maximum temperature for June, July, and August, averaged across
    1961--1990 at a 4-km resolution during an exploratory analyses done
    to examine the relative roles played by natural and anthropogenic
    influences on persistence of a montane mammal.

> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:

"These results suggest that relaxation of montane faunas may occur more
rapidly than previously expected; that biogeographic models of species
occurrence can be refined by including more proximate factors (e.g.,
grazing status, proximity to roads); and that habitat-based approaches
to modeling vertebrate trends should be accompanied by field data
because population loss can occur with no apparent change in habitat."

Google 104

A 6000-year soil pollen record of subalpine meadow vegetation in the
Olympic Mountains, Washington, USA

Daniel G. Gavin, and Linda B. Brubaker

*Journal of Ecology*, Feb99, Vol. 87 Issue 1, p106-122

Keywords: Little Ice Age, Medieval Warm Period, pollen source area,
vegetation-climate equilibrium

ABSTRACT

None provided (program would not allow copying lengthy text in
introduction)

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> "Annual precipitation ...averages 230 cm, and mean January and July
> temperatures are approximately..."

2.  Affiliation:

> College of Forest Resources, University of Washington, Seattle

Funding Agency:

> "This research was funded by the National Biological Service Global
> Change Research Program."

3.  PRISM was used to provide precipitation and mean January and July
    temperatures for a study that investigates "the pollen degradation
    of one subalpine meadow vegetation in the northeastern Olympic
    Mountains, Washington..."

> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "In general, tree populations at Meadow Ridge appear to have been les
> sensitive to climate change than meadow species...Understanding the
> degree to which plant populations at sites such as Meadow Ridge are in
> equilibrium with climate is important for assessing the effect of
> potential future climate warming on high elevation meadow
> communities... In these cases, dispersal to remote sites must keep
> pace with rates of climate change to prevent local extinction."

Google 107

Use of Medium-Range Numerical Weather Prediction Model Output to Produce
Forecasts of Streamflow

Martyn P. Clark and Laqurene E. Hay

*J O U R N A L O F H Y D R O M E T E O R O L O G Y* (2004) 5: 15-32

ABSTRACT

This paper examines an archive containing over 40 years of 8-day
atmospheric forecasts over the contiguous United States from the NCEP
reanalysis project to assess the possibilities for using medium-range
numerical weather prediction model output for predictions of streamflow.
This analysis shows the biases in the NCEP forecasts to be quite
extreme. In many regions, systematic precipitation biases exceed 100% of
the mean, with temperature biases exceeding 38C. In some locations,
biases are even higher. The accuracy of NCEP precipitation and 2-m
maximum temperature forecasts is computed by interpolating the NCEP
model output for each forecast day to the location of each station in
the NWS cooperative network and computing the correlation with station
observations. Results show that the accuracy of the NCEP forecasts is
rather low in many areas of the country. Most apparent is the generally
low skill in precipitation forecasts (particularly in July) and low
skill in temperature forecasts in the western United States, the eastern
seaboard, and the southern tier of states. These results outline a clear
need for additional processing of the NCEP Medium-Range Forecast Model
(MRF) output before it is used for hydrologic predictions.

Techniques of model output statistics (MOS) are used in this paper to
downscale the NCEP forecasts to station locations. Forecasted
atmospheric variables (e.g., total column precipitable water, 2-m air
temperature) are used as predictors in a forward screening multiple
linear regression model to improve forecasts of precipitation and
temperature for stations in the National Weather Service cooperative
network. This procedure effectively removes all systematic biases in the
raw NCEP precipitation and temperature forecasts. MOS guidance also
results in substantial improvements in the accuracy of maximum and
minimum temperature forecasts throughout the country. For precipitation,
forecast improvements were less impressive. MOS guidance increases the
accuracy of precipitation forecasts over the northeastern United States,
but overall, the accuracy of MOS-based precipitation forecasts is
slightly lower than the raw NCEP forecasts.

Four basins in the United States were chosen as case studies to evaluate
the value of MRF output for predictions of streamflow. Streamflow
forecasts using MRF output were generated for one rainfall-dominated
basin (Alapaha River at Statenville, Georgia) and three
snowmelt-dominated basins (Animas River at Durango, Colorado; East Fork
of the Carson River near Gardnerville, Nevada; and Cle Elum River near
Roslyn, Washington). Hydrologic model output forced with
measured-station data were used as ''truth'' to focus attention on the
hydrologic effects of errors in the MRF forecasts. Eight-day streamflow
forecasts produced using the MOS-corrected MRF output as input (MOS)
were compared with those produced using the climatic Ensemble Streamflow
Prediction (ESP) technique. MOS-based streamflow forecasts showed
increased skill in the snowmelt-dominated river basins, where daily
variations in streamflow are strongly forced by temperature. In
contrast, the skill of MOS forecasts in the rainfall-dominated basin
(the Alapaha River) were equivalent to the skill of the ESP forecasts.
Further improvements in streamflow forecasts require more accurate
local-scale forecasts of precipitation and temperature, more accurate
specification of basin initial conditions, and more accurate model
simulations of streamflow.

NOTE

> 1\. PRISM Data:
>
> As a first step in evaluating the accuracy of the NCEP model, the
> systematic biases in NCEP temperature and precipitation forecasts are
> examined. Mean biases are evaluated using monthly climatologies of
> precipitation and temperature derived from the Parameter-elevation
> Regressions on Independent Slopes Model (PRISM) system (Daly et al.
> 1994).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:
>
> Center for Science and Technology Policy Research, Cooperative
> Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of
> Colorado, Boulder, Colorado

Funding Agency:

This work was supported by both the NOAA GAPP Program (Award NA16GP2806)
and the NOAA RISA Program (Award NA17RJ1229)

3.  PRISM was used to evaluate mean biases in the evaluation of the
    accuracy of the NCEP model. "This paper examines an archive
    containing over 40 years of 8-day atmospheric forecasts over the
    contiguous United States from the NCEP reanalysis project to assess
    the possibilities for using medium-range numerical weather
    prediction model output for predictions of streamflow."

> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "This analysis shows the biases in the NCEP forecasts to be quite
> extreme. In many regions, systematic precipitation biases exceed 100%
> of the mean, with temperature biases exceeding 38C. In some locations,
> biases are even higher. The accuracy of NCEP precipitation and 2-m
> maximum temperature forecasts is computed by interpolating the NCEP
> model output for each forecast day to the location of each station in
> the NWS cooperative network and computing the correlation with station
> observations. Results show that the accuracy of the NCEP forecasts is
> rather low in many areas of the country. Most apparent is the
> generally low skill in precipitation forecasts (particularly in July)
> and low skill in temperature forecasts in the western United States,
> the eastern seaboard, and the southern tier of states. These results
> outline a clear need for additional processing of the NCEP
> Medium-Range Forecast Model (MRF) output before it is used for
> hydrologic predictions.
>
> ...MOS guidance also results in substantial improvements in the
> accuracy of maximum and minimum temperature forecasts throughout the
> country. For precipitation, forecast improvements were less
> impressive. MOS guidance increases the accuracy of precipitation
> forecasts over the northeastern United States, but overall, the
> accuracy of MOS-based precipitation forecasts is slightly lower than
> the raw NCEP forecasts.
>
> ...Further improvements in streamflow forecasts require more accurate
> local-scale forecasts of precipitation and temperature, more accurate
> specification of basin initial conditions, and more accurate model
> simulations of streamflow."

Google 108

Trends in pan evaporation and actual evapotranspiration across the
conterminous U.S.: Paradoxical or complementary?

Michael T. Hobbins and Jorge A. Ramı´rez, and Thomas C. Brown

*GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS*, VOL. 31, L13503,

doi:10.1029/2004GL019846, 2004

ABSTRACT

Pan evaporation (ETpan) has decreased at 64% of pans in the conterminous
U.S. over the past half-century. Comparing trends in ETpan and water
budget-derived actual evapotranspiration (ET\*a ), we observe the
so-called ''Pan Evaporation Paradox,'' which we confirm is no more than
a manifestation of the complementarity between actual evapotranspiration
(ETa) and potential evapotranspiration (ETp). Examining trends in the
components of ETa---the radiative energy and regional advective
budgets---we show that both components must be considered together to
explain the relationship between ETpan and ET\*a .

INDEX TERMS: Hydrology: Evapotranspiration; Hydrology: Hydroclimatology;
Global Change: Water cycles; Meteorology and Atmospheric Dynamics:
Climatology; Meteorology and Atmospheric Dynamics: Land/atmosphere
Interactions

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> "ET\*a is calculated for each basin as the difference between
> precipitation and runoff, the former data being predicted by the
> Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model (PRISM)
> \[Daly et al., 1994\]..."

2.  Affiliation:

Civil Engineering Department, Colorado State University, Fort Collins,
Colorado, USA

Funding Agency:

This work was supported by the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. National
Science Foundation.

3.  PRISM was used to predict precipitation so that the difference
    between precipitation and runoff could be calculated in a study that
    examined pan evaporation and evapotranspiration.

> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "...However, accounting spatially for changes in Vdif (Figure 4b),
> combining Vdif with the wind function in a formulation of EA, and
> using EA with Qn in a common model for ETa \[Hobbins et al., 2001\],
> we find that the portion of the conterminous U.S.-wide trend in ETa
> attributable to trends in EA amounts to an increase of 3.0 mm/yr2,
> whereas that attributable to the trend in Qn amounts to a decrease of
> 1.8 mm/yr2.) An estimation procedure that ignores the complementary
> effects of regional advection would fail to represent the physical
> processes involved in a trend in ETa, and may misdiagnose the cause of
> the trend. Although ETpan is a very useful concept, it can be
> misleading if used by itself to indicate climatic trends."

Google 110

A probabilistic approach to estimating species pools from large
compositional matrices

Ewald, Jörg

*Journal of Vegetation Science 13: 191-198, 2002*

ABSTRACT

"Species pools are increasingly recognized as important controls of
local plant community structure and diversity. While existing approaches
to estimate their content and size either rely on phytosociological
expert knowledge or on simple response models across environmental
gradients, the proposed application of phytosociological smoothing
according to Beals exploits the full information of plant co-occurrence
patterns statistically. Where numerous representative compositional data
are available, the new method yields robust estimates of the potential
of sites to harbor plant species. To test the new method, a large
phytosociological databank covering the forested regions of Oregon (US)
was subsampled randomly and evenly across strata defined by geographic
regions and elevation belts. The resulting matrix of species
presence/absence in 874 plots was smoothed by calculating Beals' index
of sociological favorability, which estimates the probability of
encountering each species at each site from the actual plot composition
and the pattern of species co-occurrence in the matrix. In a second
step, the resulting lists of sociologically probable species were
intersected with complete species lists for each of 14 geographical
subregions. Species pools were compared to observed species composition
and richness. Species pool size exhibited much clearer spatial trends
than plot richness and could be modeled much better as a function of
climatic factors. In this framework the goal of modeling species pools
is not to test a hypothesis, but to bridge the gap between manageable
scales of empirical observation and the spatio-temporal hierarchy of
diversity patterns."

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Correspondingly, predictions of richness from annual precipitation
> (based on the model by Daly et al. 1994) and annual temperature (model
> by Dodson & Marks 1997) were assessed by regressing observed and
> modeled richness against significant 1^st^ to 3^rd^ order polynomial
> terms of the standardized climatic variables -- a procedure allowing
> non-linear response surfaces to be fitted.

2.  Affiliation:

Fachhochschule Weihenstephan, Fachbereich Wald und Forstwirtschaft,
D-85350 Freising, Germany

Funding Agency:

This research was funded by the Max Kade Foundation, New York.

> 3\. PRISM generated annual precipitation and annual temperature was
> used in the application of phytosociological smoothing that according
> to Beals exploits the full information of plant co-occurrence patterns
> statistically.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> Looking at species pools as conceptual links in a hierarchy of complex
> systems transcends the issue of the circularity in their definition
> and of their testability (e.g. Herben 2000; Lepš 2001). In the
> framework proposed here, species pools are not neat independent
> predictors resolving the complexity of community patterns, but a
> useful tool in studying the nested hierarchy of spatial and temporal
> scales.

Google 112

Comparisons of predictions of net primary production and seasonal
patterns in water use derived with two forest growth models in
Southwestern Oregon

N.C. Coops, R.H. Waring, S.R. Brown, S.W. Running

*Ecological Modeling* 142 (2001) 61--81

ABSTRACT

In this paper, we compare predictions made with two forest growth models
of maximum annual net primary production and seasonal trends in the
constraints imposed by different climatic variables at 18 sites in the
Siskiyou Mountains of southwestern Oregon. One model, 3-PGS, is a
production model driven by remote sensing data, running at monthly time
steps, while the other, BIOME-BGC, is a complex eco-physiological model
run at daily time steps. Both models include subroutines for predicting
the interception of radiation and its dissipation as energy for
evaporating water and the absorbed fraction that is photosynthetically
active (400--700 nm). The models differ in a number of ways, including
the estimation of canopy dynamics, calculation of respiration, use of
growth modifiers and below ground mechanisms. In 3-PGS, canopy dynamics
are derived from remote sensing inputs, and autotrophic respiration is
assumed a constant fraction of gross photosynthesis=0.53; in BIOME-BGC,
the canopy biomass is accumulated through allocation, with respiration a
function of live biomass, temperature, and nitrogen content. BIOME-BGC
includes decomposition and nitrogen mineralization subroutines, while
3-PGS incorporates these processes through an index of soil fertility.
Plot-based information was available at each site on species
composition, site productivity, phenology, and seasonal trends in plant
water relations. Long-term averages of minimum/maximum temperature and
precipitation were extrapolated from local meteorological stations and
converted into estimates of solar radiation, daytime vapor pressure
deficits, and frequency of subfreezing temperatures for the sites, which
ranged in elevation from 550 to 2135 m and had varying slopes and
aspects. State-wide soil survey data were interpreted to estimate soil
water holding capacity and fertility. Satellite-derived data were used
to drive 3-PGS and to validate predictions of leaf area by BIOME-BCG.
The two models gave similar annual estimates of total net primary
production (*r* 2=0.85, slope=0.64, intercept: 2.26 Mg ha−1 year−1) but
differed in their presentation of photosynthetic activity seasonally.
3-PGS has a suboptimal temperature function that provides more
realistically limits on photosynthesis during the dormant season than
assumed by BIOME-BGC. BIOME-BGC predicted seasonal variation in the
ratio of autotrophic respiration to gross photosynthesis from 0.4 to
0.7, but over the year, the average was similar to that assumed by 3-PGS
(0.58_0.05). We discovered that Landsat imagery with 30 m spatial
resolution was reasonably correlated with leaf area indices as predicted
by the BIOME-BGC model, but a variation still occurred associated with
small areas where outcrops of serpentine restricted canopy development.

*Keywords* : Climate variation; Daily and monthly models; Forest growth;
Net primary productivity; Remote sensing

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> For 3-PGS, mean monthly minimum and maximum temperature and
> precipitation data for the sites were derived using the PRISM
> (Parameter elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model)
> software, which takes meteorological station data together with a
> digital elevation model (DEM) data to generate a grid of estimates of
> climate parameters at a resolution of 4 km2 (Daly et al., 1994).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

CSIRO Forestry and Forest Products, Private Bag 10, Clayton South 3169,
Melbourne, Australia

Funding Agency:

The research reported in this article was supported by funds from the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration

> (NASA) Grant Number NAG5- 7506.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to provide "mean monthly minimum and maximum
> temperature and precipitation data necessary for testing two forest
> growth models of maximum annual net primary production and seasonal
> trends in the constraints imposed by different climatic variables at
> 18 sites in the Siskiyou Mountains of southwestern Oregon."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "The two models gave similar annual estimates of total net primary
> production (*r* 2=0.85, slope=0.64, intercept: 2.26 Mg ha−1 year−1)
> but differed in their presentation of photosynthetic activity
> seasonally. 3-PGS has a suboptimal temperature function that provides
> more realistically limits on photosynthesis during the dormant season
> than assumed by BIOME-BGC. BIOME-BGC predicted seasonal variation in
> the ratio of autotrophic respiration to gross photosynthesis from 0.4
> to 0.7, but over the year, the average was similar to that assumed by
> 3-PGS (0.58_0.05). We discovered that Landsat imagery with 30 m
> spatial resolution was reasonably correlated with leaf area indices as
> predicted by the BIOME-BGC model, but a variation still occurred
> associated with small areas where outcrops of serpentine restricted
> canopy development.'

Google 113

Functional traits of graminoids in semi-arid steppes: a test of grazing
histories

PETER B. ADLER, DANIEL G. MILCHUNAS, WILLIAM K. LAUENROTH, OSVALDO E.
SALA and INGRID C. BURKE

*Journal of Applied Ecology* (2004) 41(4), 653 -- 663\
doi:10.1111/j.0021-8901.2004.00934.x

ABSTRACT

Understanding variability in ecosystem response to grazing is essential
for improving management. Recent efforts have focused on the role of
plant functional traits but do not identify factors influencing trait
development. As traits are legacies of historical selective pressures,
they may indicate the importance of a plant community\'s evolutionary
history of grazing.

We compared grazing-resistance traits of graminoids collected in the
Patagonian steppe of Argentina, presumed to have a long evolutionary
history of grazing, and the sagebrush steppe of the north-western USA,
known to have a short grazing history. The purpose of this comparison
was to test the influence of grazing history and aridity on resistance
traits, and to generate predictions about the vulnerability of these
ecosystems to grazing impacts. We measured both morphology and leaf
chemical composition on common species from an arid and a semi-arid site
in each region, then performed a principal components analysis on the
species-by-traits matrix.

The first axis of the ordination was correlated with measures of forage
quality such as leaf tensile strength, fiber and nitrogen content, while
the second axis was correlated with plant stature. The dominant species
from the drier Patagonia site scored significantly lower on the first
axis (lower forage quality) than dominants from the sagebrush steppe.
Plants from the wetter Patagonia site were intermediate in forage
quality. Sagebrush steppe species scored significantly higher on the
second axis (taller) but this difference was not significant when we
considered only dominant species.

The intercontinental differences in plant traits are consistent with
evidence indicating a longer evolutionary history of grazing in
Patagonia. Differences in traits between the dry and wet sites in
Patagonia are consistent with the hypothesis that aridity promotes
grazing resistance, although trait contrasts between the drier and
wetter sagebrush sites were not significant.

Differences in soil texture, which may influence nitrogen availability,
offer an alternative explanation for differences in forage quality
between Patagonia and sagebrush steppe, and between the drier and wetter
sites within Patagonia.

*Synthesis and applications*. Our comparison of plant traits suggests
that interactions between evolutionary history of grazing and abiotic
covariates, especially soil texture, have selected for low forage
quality in Patagonia relative to sagebrush steppe. This contrast in
grazing-resistance traits leads to the prediction that livestock grazing
will have less impact on upland plant communities in Patagonian steppe
compared with the sagebrush steppe of the USA, particularly if low
nitrogen content limits offtake. Plant functional traits represent an
easily quantified link between evolutionary grazing history and
ecosystem responses to contemporary management.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Mean annual precipitation is at least 300mm ([Daly, Neilson & Phillips
> 1994](javascript:popRef('b42')); data from local ranchers) and mean
> annual temperature 7·5 C (based on data from nearby Waterville, WA).

2.  Affiliation:

> Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO.

Funding Agency:

> Adler was supported by a NSF Graduate Fellowship, a NSF Dissertation
> Improvement Award and an Organization of American States training
> fellowship. This work is a contribution of the Shortgrass Steppe--LTER
> program.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to provide mean annual precipitation ([Daly,
> Neilson & Phillips 1994](javascript:popRef('b42')); data from local
> ranchers) in a study that "compared grazing-resistance traits of
> graminoids collected in the Patagonian steppe of Argentina, presumed
> to have a long evolutionary history of grazing, and the sagebrush
> steppe of the north-western USA."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "Our comparison of sagebrush and Patagonian steppe suggests that
> abiotic factors influencing N availability, such as soil texture,
> deserve special attention."

Google 114

An ecological and evolutionary analysis of photosynthetic
thermotolerance using the temperature-dependent increase in fluorescence

Charles A. Knight and David D. Ackerly

*Oecologia:* (February 2002) Volume 130, Number 4 Pages: 505 - 514

DOI: 10.1007/s00442-001-0841-0

ABSTRACT

The hypothesis that species inhabiting warmer regions have greater
photosynthetic tolerance of high temperatures was tested using the
temperature-dependent increase in fluorescence (*T*-*F*~o~). Congeneric
species pairs of *Atriplex, Salvia, Encelia*, and *Eriogonum* with
desert versus coastal distributions were studied in a common environment
and in the field. In addition, 21 species with contrasting microclimate
distributions were studied at a field site in a northern California
chaparral community. The average July maximum temperature within the
current distributions of species was quantified using a geographic
information system. Four parameters (*T*~crit~, *T*~S20~, *T*~50~, and
*T*~max~) of the *T*-*F*~o~ response were used to quantify
photosynthetic thermotolerance. In the common environment, only the
desert *Atriplex* species was significantly greater for all *T*-*F*~o~
parameters when compared to its coastal congener. In the field, desert
species had significantly greater *T*~crit~, *T*~S20~, *T*~50~, and
*T*~max~ when compared to coastal species. The magnitude of variation
between species and between genera was similar in the common environment
and the field. However, *T*~crit~, *T*~S20~, *T*~50~ and *T*~max~ were
all significantly greater when measured in the field. There was no
relationship between *T*-*F*~o~ parameters and the microclimate
distribution of the 21 species at the chaparral field site. In addition,
*T*-*F*~o~ parameters for all 35 species were not correlated with the
average July maximum temperature within the species ranges. However,
there was a significant negative correlation between the average annual
amount of precipitation inside species\' ranges and *T*~S20~. Our
results show that photosynthetic thermotolerance is (1) significantly
different between genera and species, (2) highly plastic, (3) not
necessarily greater for species with warm climate distributions when
measured in a common environment, but (4) significantly greater overall
for desert species compared to coastal species when measured in the
field.

**Keywords.** Acclimation - Fluorescence - Photosystem II - Phylogenetic
contrasts - Plasticity

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Climate maps of (AP) were intersected with species range maps
> resulting in a histogram of the percentage of each species range
> falling into several different temperature or precipitation classes
> (climate maps were obtained from the Oregon State University PRISM
> project; Daly et al.
> [*1994*](http://www.springerlink.com/media/49te8d5wxjcrnmbnfv5q/contributions/9/v/d/m/9vdme6p1qntj8jgl_html/fulltext.html#N1594),
> [*1997*](http://www.springerlink.com/media/49te8d5wxjcrnmbnfv5q/contributions/9/v/d/m/9vdme6p1qntj8jgl_html/fulltext.html#N1596))
>
> 2\. Affiliation:
>
> Department of Biological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford

Funding Agency:

> This study was funded in part from a Tri-Agency (DOE, NSF, **USDA**)
> Training Grant in Plant Biology an NSF Dissertation Improvement Grant
> (CAK, IBN-9902295), a research grant from Jasper Ridge Biological
> Preserve (CAK) and a Terman Fellowship from Stanford University (DDA).
>
> 3\. PRISM was used in an analysis, which involved photosynthetic
> thermotolerance using the temperature-dependent increase in
> fluorescence, to generate maps from which mean July maximum
> temperature (July~max~) and annual precipitation data were intersected
> with species range maps resulting in a histogram of the percentage of
> each species range that fell into different temperature or
> precipitation classes.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "Our results show that photosynthetic thermotolerance is (1)
> significantly different between genera and species, (2) highly
> plastic, (3) not necessarily greater for species with warm climate
> distributions when measured in a common environment, but (4)
> significantly greater overall for desert species compared to coastal
> species when measured in the field."
>
> "Our common garden study indicates that variation in intrinsic
> photosynthetic thermotolerance may not be a consistent physiological
> difference between relatively closely related species with contrasting
> climate distributions."

Google 116

Trends in Intense Precipitation in the Climate Record

PAVEL YA. GROISMAN, RICHARD W. KNIGHT, DAVID R. EASTERLING, THOMAS R.
KARL, GABRIELE C. HEGER, and VYACHESLAV N. RAZUVAEV

*JOURNAL OF CLIMATE* VOLUME (2005)18: 1326-1350

ABSTRACT

Observed changes in intense precipitation (e.g., the frequency of very
heavy precipitation or the upper 0.3% of daily precipitation events)
have been analyzed for over half of the land area of the globe. These
changes have been linked to changes in intense precipitation for three
transient climate model simulations, call with greenhouse gas
concentrations increasing during the twentieth and twenty-first
centuries and doubling in the later part of the twenty-first century. It
was found that both the empirical evidence from the period of
instrumental observations and model projections of a greenhouse-enriched
atmosphere indicate can increasing probability of intense precipitation
events for many extratropical regions including the United States.
Although there can be ambiguity as to the impact of more frequent heavy
precipitation events, the thresholds of the definitions of these events
were raised here, such that they are likely to be disruptive.
Unfortunately, reliable assertions of very heavy and extreme
precipitation changes are possible only for regions with dense networks
due to the small radius of correlation for many intense precipitation
events.

NOTE

An empirical assessment of observed changes of the characteristics of
intense precipitation (mostly, the frequency of very heavy precipitation
defined as the upper 0.3% of daily precipitation events), and analysis
of the output of three GCM simulations with transiently increasing
greenhouse gases during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries have
been conducted for over half of the land area of the globe (Fig. 11).

1.  PRISM Data:

> Scattered thunderstorms in the area, or strong gradients in
> precipitation totals and/or variances (e.g., due to elevation changes)
> may cause a fraction of the rain vents to remain unnoticed and/or the
> estimates of the area total to be biased. For example, in the
> contiguous U.S. west of 105°W, the mean average elevation of the
> synoptic station network is about 500 m below the mean elevation of
> the surface and most of the cold season precipitation is
> orographically defined (Daly et al. 1994).

2.  Affiliation:

> University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado,
> and NOAA/National Climate Data Center,
>
> Asheville, North Carolina

Funding Agency:

NASA Grant GWEC-0000-0052 and the NOAA Climate and Global Change Program
(Climate Change and Detection Element) provided

> support for this study. GCH was supported by NSF Grant ATM-0002206 and
> ATM-0296007, and by NOAA Grant NA16GP2683. DRE and TRK were partially
> supported by the Office of Biological and Environmental Research, U.S.
> Department of Energy.
>
> 3\. PRISM was referenced as given in "PRISM Data", number 1(above)
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "In summary, these are the major findings:
>
> • Reliable assertions of very heavy and extreme precipitation changes
> are possible only for regions with dense networks due to a small
> radius of correlation for most of intense precipitation events.
>
> • In the midlatitudes, there is a widespread increase in the frequency
> of very heavy precipitation during the past 50 to 100 yr.
>
> • By raising the thresholds for the definition of very heavy
> precipitation and providing empirical evidence of changes in the
> frequency of these events, we can better provide a basis for impact
> assessments of the consequences of these changes, including
> landslides, floods, and soil erosion.
>
> • Three model projections of a greenhouse-enriched atmosphere and the
> empirical evidence from the period of instrumental observations
> indicate an increasing probability of heavy precipitation events for
> many extratropical regions including the United States."

Google 117

Mapping the risk of establishment and spread of sudden oak death in
California

Ross Meentemeyera, David Rizzo, Walter Mark, and Elizabeth Lotz

*Forest Ecology and Management* 200 (2004) 195--214

ABSTRACT

Sudden oak death, caused by the recently described pathogen Phytophthora
ramorum, is an emerging forest disease that has reached epidemic levels
in coastal forests of central California. We present a rule-based model
of P. ramorum establishment and spread risk in California plant
communities. The model, which is being used as a management tool to
target threatened forests for early-detection monitoring and protection,
incorporates the effects of spatial and temporal variability of multiple
variables on pathogen persistence. Model predictions are based on
current knowledge of host susceptibility, pathogen reproduction, and
pathogen transmission with particular regard to host species
distribution and climate suitability. Maps of host species distributions
and monthly weather conditions were spatially analyzed in a GIS and
parameterized to encode the magnitude and direction of each variable's
effect on disease establishment and spread. Spread risk predictions were
computed for each month of the pathogen's general reproductive season
and averaged to generate a cumulative risk map (Fig. 6a and b). The
model identifies an alarming number of uninfected forest ecosystems in
California at considerable risk of infection by Phytophthora ramorum.
This includes, in particular, a broad band of high risk north of Sonoma
County to the Oregon border, a narrow band of high risk south of central
Monterey County south to central San Luis Obispo County, and scattered
areas of moderate and high risk in the Sierra Nevada foothills in Butte
and Yuba counties. Model performance was evaluated by comparing spread
risk predictions to field observations of disease presence and absence.
Model predictions of spread risk were consistent with disease severity
observed in the field, with modeled risk significantly higher at
currently infested locations than at uninfested locations (P \< 0.01, n
= 323). Based on what is known about the ecology and epidemiology of
sudden oak death, this model provides a simple and effective management
tool for identifying emergent infections before they become established.

Keywords: Phytophthora ramorum; Oak mortality; Disease spread; Risk
modeling; Early-detection monitoring

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> The climate data used in our model include 30-year monthly averages
> (1961--1990) of precipitation, minimum and maximum temperature, and
> relative humidity (Fig. 3) produced from the model parameter elevation
> regression on independent slopes model (PRISM; Daly et al., 1994,
> 2001).

2.  Affiliation:

Department of Geography, Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, CA

Funding Agency:

> This research has been supported by grants from the California
> Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the **USDA** Forest
> Service,
>
> and the CSU Agricultural Research Initiative.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to provide climate data for a model that examines
> the risk of establishment and spread of sudden oak death in
> California. The model "is being used as a management tool to target
> threatened forests for early-detection monitoring and protection ,
> incorporates the effects of spatial and temporal variability of
> multiple variables on pathogen persistence."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> Model predictions of spread risk were consistent with disease severity
> observed in the field, with modeled risk significantly higher at
> currently infested locations than at uninfested locations (P \< 0.01,
> n = 323). Based on what is known about the ecology and epidemiology of
> sudden oak death, this model provides a simple and effective
> management tool for identifying emergent infections before they become
> established.

Google 118

A regional phenology model for detecting onset of greenness in temperate
mixed forests, Korea: an application of MODIS leaf area index

Sinkyu Kanga, Steven W. Running, Jong-Hwan Lim, Maosheng Zhao, Chan-Ryul
Park, Rachel Loehman

*Remote Sensing of Environment* (2003): 86 (2003) 232--242

ABSTRACT

A regional phenology model for detecting onset of vegetation greenness
was developed using year 2001MODIS land products in temperate mixed
forests in Korea. The model incorporates a digital elevation model
(DEM), moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) land cover
and leaf area index (LAI) products, and climate data from
weather-monitoring stations. MODIS-based onset of greenness varied
spatially and showed significant correlation with air temperature (r
=\_0.70, p \< 0.001). Our modeling methodology is to relate thermal
summation calculated using the MODIS-based timing of onset with 30-year
mean air temperature. Onset of greenness is expected to occur at values
above the critical thermal summation threshold and is predicted to vary
spatially. An algorithm for downscaling 8- day composite MODIS LAI
product to a daily unit was introduced, and its predictability was
validated using ground-measured onset of greenness. Two unknown
parameters and the best regression were determined by iterative
cross-validation. Minimal cross-validation errors between the predicted
and MODIS-based timings of onset were found at a mean absolute error
(MAE = 3.0 days) and bias (+ 1.6 days). The predicted onsets show good
agreement with ground-measured onset of greenness (MAE = 2.5 days and
bias= + 2.5 days). This study demonstrates the utility of MODIS land
products as tools for detecting spatial variability in phenology across
climate gradients.

Keywords: Onset of greenness; Phenology; MODIS; Mixed forest; Climate;
Cross-validation

NOTE

This study was an initial step in constructing and validating a regional
phenology model for Korean mixed forests, which will be used as a
phenology module in a satellite-based model of forest carbon cycling
(Kang, 2001). Together with the estimated surface meteorological and
climatological data (Daly, Neilson, & Phillips, 1994; Kang et al., 2002;
Thornton, Running, & White, 1997), this phenology model will be used to
predict retrospective temporal and spatial variability of the onset of
greenness in Korean temperate forests for better understanding of the
interactions between climatic variability and the terrestrial carbon
cycle (White et al.,1999).

1.  PRISM Data:

> Together with the estimated surface meteorological and climatological
> data (Daly, Neilson, & Phillips, 1994; Kang et al., 2002; Thornton,
> Running, & White, 1997), this phenology model will be used to predict
> retrospective temporal and spatial variability of the onset of
> greenness in Korean temperate forests for better understanding of the
> interactions between climatic variability and the terrestrial
>
> carbon cycle (White et al., 1999).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:
>
> Numerical Terradynamic Simulation Group, School of Forestry,
> University of Montana

Funding Agency:

> 3\. PRISM was used in a phenology model (that was used to) predict
> retrospective temporal and spatial variability of the onset of
> greenness in Korean temperate forests for better understanding of the
> interactions between climatic variability and the terrestrial
>
> carbon cycle (White et al., 1999).
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:

The predicted onsets show good agreement with ground-measured onset of
greenness (MAE = 2.5 days and bias= + 2.5 days). This study

demonstrates the utility of MODIS land products as tools for detecting
spatial variability in phenology across climate gradients.

Google 119

Development and validation of a high-resolution monthly gridded
temperature and precipitation data set for Switzerland (1951--2000)

Dimitrios Gyalistras

*Clim Res* 25: 55--83, 2003

ABSTRACT

A 5 km gridded temperature and precipitation data set was constructed
for the topographically complex region of Switzerland in the European
Alps. The data set consists of 1961--1990 mean fields for monthly mean
temperature (T----) and monthly total precipitation (P----), plus
monthly anomaly fields ∆T and ∆P for 1951--2000. All data are point
estimates and come with extensive statistics on interpolation errors as
a function of geographical location, elevation and time of the year. A
novel interpolation method was employed that accounted for possible
orographic effects at different spatial scales and allowed for
regionally and seasonally varying relief-climate relationships. The
accuracy of the interpolations was quantified by means of
cross-validation. The proposed method was found to be superior to linear
regression employing elevation as the only predictor for P ----, and
better than inverse distance weighting (IDW) interpolation for September
to February ∆T. It was worse than IDW interpolation for springtime ∆T
and for March to September ∆P. The aerial mean cross-validation errors
obtained for the new method were generally close to zero. The annually
averaged mean absolute error for T ---- was 0.6°C and for P ---- it was
10.5 mm mo--1 (or 11%). The average proportion of temporal variance
explained by the cross-validated monthly 1951--2000 station time series
was 89% for ∆T and 81% for ∆P. The average proportion of spatial
variance of the monthly anomaly fields explained was 13% for ∆T and 40%
for ∆P. The largest cross-validation errors were generally found at
regions of lower station density in south-southeast Switzerland and at
elevations above \~2000 m above sea level. All error variances showed
distinct annual cycles. The ∆T and ∆P fields and the derived trend
fields showed substantial small-scale variability, which was not well
reproduced and deserves further study. The individual gridpoint
estimates should therefore be interpreted with care.

KEY WORDS: Interpolation · Complex terrain · Alps · Gridded data set ·
Temperature · Precipitation

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> European Alps, 1.25'' (1.6 km 2.3 km) annual and monthly means
> 1971--1990, long-term 6090 stations, PRISM (Daly et al. 1994) Schwarb
> (2001), Schwarb et al. (2001)
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Climatology and Meteorology, Institute of Geography, University of Bern,
Hallerstr.

Funding Agency:

> Research by D.G. was supported by the Swiss Federal Research Station
> for Agroecology and Agriculture (FAL, project CS-MAPS), and the Swiss
> Agency for the Environment, Forests and Landscape (BUWAL, project No.
> 2001.L.03/TREWALP).
>
> 3\. PRISM was used in comparison of results following the development
> of "a 5 km gridded temperature and precipitation data set (that) was
> constructed for the topographically complex region of Switzerland in
> the European Alps."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "The comparison with the results of Schwarb (2001) (Fig. 11a,b)
> suggests that with regard to P ---- and up to an elevation of 2000
> masl the method used here is as good as PRISM (Daly et al. 1994). The
> better performance of PRISM reported by Schwarb (2001) for the
> high-altitude zones is probably because he used a much denser station
> network."

Google 120

Comparison of alternative spatial resolutions in the application of a
spatially distributed biogeochemical model over complex terrain

David P. Turner, Rusty Dodson, Danny Marks

*Ecological Modeling* 90 (1996) 53-67

ABSTRACT

Spatially distributed biogeochemical models may be applied over grids at
a range of spatial resolutions, however, evaluation of potential errors
and loss of information at relatively coarse resolutions is rare. In
this study, a georeferenced database at the 1-km spatial resolution was
developed to initialize and drive a process-based model (Forest-BGC) of
water and carbon balance over a gridded 54976 km 2 area covering two
river basins in mountainous western Oregon. Corresponding data sets were
also prepared at 10-km and 50-km spatial resolutions using commonly
employed aggregation schemes. Estimates were made at each grid cell for
climate variables including daily solar radiation, air temperature,
humidity, and precipitation. The topographic structure, water holding
capacity, vegetation type and leaf area index were likewise estimated
for initial conditions. The daily time series for the climatic drivers
was developed from interpolations of meteorological station data for the
water year 1990 (1 October 1989-30 September 1990). Model outputs at the
1-km resolution showed good agreement with observed patterns in runoff
and productivity. The ranges for model inputs at the 10-km and 50-kin
resolutions tended to contract because of the smoothed topography.
Estimates for mean evapotranspiration and runoff were relatively
insensitive to changing the spatial resolution of the grid whereas
estimates of mean annual net primary production varied by 11%. The
designation of a vegetation type and leaf area at the 50-km resolution
often subsumed significant heterogeneity in vegetation, and this factor
accounted for much of the difference in the mean values for the carbon
flux variables. Although area-wide means for model outputs were
generally similar across resolutions, difference maps often revealed
large areas of disagreement. Relatively high spatial resolution analyses
of biogeochemical cycling are desirable from several perspectives and
may be particularly important in the study of the potential impacts of
climate change.

Keywords: Biogeochemistry; Climate; Production, primary; Scale; Spatial
patterns; Water dynamics

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> The precipitation surfaces were prepared initially at the 10-km
> resolution from monthly outputs of the PRISM model (Daly et al.,
> 1994).
>
> Long-term average monthly precipitation surfaces were derived from
> meteorological station data interpolated using the PRISM model (C.
> Daly, Oregon State University, pers. commun.)
>
> Precipitation was originally generated at the 10-km resolution (Daly
> et al., 1994) and for the 50-km simulation, the center-point sampling
> algorithm was again used.
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

ManTech Environmental Research Services Corporation, U.S. EPA
Environmental Research Laboratory, Corvallis, OR

Funding Agency:

> Funding for these data was provided by the Long-Term Ecological
> Research program and other National Science Foundation programs,
> Oregon State University, and the U.S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest
> Research Station.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used in the development of "a georeferenced database at
> the 1-km spatial resolution (that) was developed to initialize and
> drive a process-based model (Forest-BGC) of water and carbon balance
> over a gridded 54976 km 2 area covering two river basins in
> mountainous western Oregon."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "With precipitation, the reduction of the elevation range at the
> coarsest resolution more than halved the maximum precipitation
> estimate. The effect on mean runoff, however, amounted to only a 4%
> difference. The small difference was, in part, because of the small
> proportion (2%) of the area in the 1-km DEM which was above the
> maximum elevation in the 50-kin DEM. The actual scale of orographic
> precipitation, i.e. the distance over which differences in
> precipitation as a function of elevation or aspect have been observed,
> is certainly much less than 50-km (Daly et al., 1994).
>
> Conclusions about the sensitivity of model outputs to the spatial
> resolution of the inputs are specific to the spatial domain, the
> terrain structure, and the particular model in the study. In a region
> such as the Great Plains of the United States, with relatively shallow
> environmental gradients and a more homogeneous plant physiognomy, the
> 50-km simulation may have yielded results more similar to the 1-km
> simulation than was the case here. If the spatial resolution of the
> analysis was expanded beyond 50-km towards that of a general
> circulation model (GCM) grid cell, the opportunity for sampling error
> would obviously increase."

Google 121

COMPARISON OF VARIOUS PRECIPITATION DOWNSCALING METHODS FOR THE
SIMULATION OF STREAMFLOW IN A RAINSHADOW RIVER BASIN

ERIC P. SALATH´E JR

*Int. J. Climatol*. 23: 887--901 (2003)

ABSTRACT

Global simulations of precipitation from climate models lack sufficient
resolution and contain large biases that make them unsuitable for
regional studies, such as forcing hydrologic simulations. In this study,
the effectiveness of several methods to downscale large-scale
precipitation is examined. To facilitate comparisons with observations
and to remove uncertainties in other fields, large-scale predictor
fields to be downscaled are taken from the National Centers for
Environmental Prediction--National Center for Atmospheric Research
reanalyses. Three downscaling methods are used: (1): a local scaling of
the simulated large-scale precipitation; (2) a modified scaling of
simulated precipitation that takes into account the large-scale wind
field; and (3) an analogue method with 1000 hPa heights as predictor.

A hydrologic model of the Yakima River in central Washington state, USA,
is then forced by the three downscaled precipitation datasets.
Simulations with the raw large-scale precipitation and gridded
observations are also made. Comparisons among these simulated flows
reveal the effectiveness of the downscaling methods. The local scaling
of the simulated large-scale precipitation is shown to be quite
successful and simple to implement. Furthermore, the tuning of the
downscaling methods is valid across phases of the Pacific decadal
oscillation, suggesting that the methods are applicable to
climate-change studies.

KEY WORDS: precipitation; downscaling; streamflow; Pacific decadal
oscillation; hydrologic model

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> The observed mesoscale precipitation, used to fit the empirical
> methods, is from a 50 km gridded dataset of daily precipitation over
> Washington and Oregon for 1949--94 (Widmann and Bretherton, 2000).
> This dataset was produced from 522 daily station records adjusted for
> sub-grid-scale topography to yield the long-term means from the
> parameter-elevation regressions on independent slopes model (PRISM;
> Daly *et al*., 1994).

2.  Affiliation:

Climate Impacts Group, Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere
and Oceans/School of Marine Affairs, University of Washington

Funding Agency:

> This publication is funded by the Joint Institute for the Study of the
> Atmosphere and Ocean (JISAO) under NOAA Cooperative Agreement no.
> NA17RJ1232.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to adjust data to yield long-term means of
> precipitation over Washington and Oregon during the period 1949-94 for
> use in an examination of the effectiveness of several methods of
> downscaling large-scale precipitation.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "These simulations illustrate how local scaling, a very simple and
> efficient statistical downscaling method, is able to capture the
> essential precipitation features required for accurate simulation of
> flow in the Yakima River."

Google 122

Annual hydroclimatology of the United States

A. Sankarasubramanian and Richard M. Vogel

WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH (2002) VOL. 38, NO. 6, 1083 - 1094

ABSTRACT

An overview of the annual hydroclimatology of the United States is
provided. Time series of monthly streamflow, temperature, and
precipitation are developed for 1337 watersheds in the United States.
This unique data set is then used to evaluate several approaches for
estimating the long-term water balance and the interannual variability
of streamflow. Traditional relationships which predict either actual
evapotranspiration or the interannual variability of streamflow from an
aridity index f ¼ PE=P are shown to perform poorly for basins with low
soil moisture storage capacity. A water balance model is used to
formulate new relationships for predicting actual evapotranspiration and
the interannual variability of streamflow. These relationships depend on
both the aridity index f ¼ PE=P and a new soil moisture storage index. A
physically based approach for estimating the soil moisture storage index
is introduced which requires monthly time series of precipitation,
potential evapotranspiration, and an estimate of maximum soil moisture
holding capacity. The net results are improved expressions for the
long-term water balance and the interannual variability of streamflow
which do not require either calibration or streamflow data.

KEYWORDS: hydroclimatology, water balance, aridity, soil moisture,
humidity, evapotranspiration

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Thirty-seven year time series of monthly precipitation and average
> minimum and average maximum daily temperature for the continental
> United States were obtained for the 1337 HCDN watersheds using 0.5\_
> time series grids based on the precipitation-elevation regressions on
> independent slopes model (PRISM) climate analysis system \[Daly et
> al., 1994\].
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

International Research Institute for Climate Prediction, Lamont-Doherty
Earth Observatory, Columbia University

Funding Agency:

> "...the research described in this article has been funded in part by
> the United States Environmental Protection Agency through STAR grant R
> 824992-01-0 to Tufts University,..."
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to obtain "thirty-seven year time series of monthly
> precipitation and average minimum and average maximum daily
> temperature for the continental United States (for use in) a water
> balance model used to formulate new relationships for predicting
> actual evapotranspiration and the interannual variability of
> streamflow."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> A water balance model is used to formulate new relationships for
> predicting actual evapotranspiration and the interannual variability
> of streamflow. These relationships depend on both the aridity index f
> ¼ PE=P and a new soil moisture storage index. A physically based
> approach for estimating the soil moisture storage index is introduced
> which requires monthly time series of precipitation, potential
> evapotranspiration, and an estimate of maximum soil moisture holding
> capacity. The net results are improved expressions for the long-term
> water balance and the interannual variability of streamflow which do
> not require either calibration or streamflow data.

Google 123

Climate elasticity of streamflow in the United States

A. Sankarasubramanian, Richard M. Vogel, and James F. Limbrunner

*WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH*, VOL. 37, NO. 6, PAGES 1771--1781, JUNE 2001

ABSTRACT

Precipitation elasticity of streamflow, «P, provides a measure of the
sensitivity of streamflow to changes in rainfall. Watershed model--based
estimates of «P are shown to be highly sensitive to model structure and
calibration error. A Monte Carlo experiment compares a nonparametric
estimator of «P with various watershed model--based approaches. The
nonparametric estimator is found to have low bias and is as robust as or
more robust than alternate model-based approaches. The nonparametric
estimator is used to construct a map of «P for the United States.
Comparisons with 10 detailed climate change studies reveal that the
contour map of «P introduced here provides a validation metric for past
and future climate change investigations in the United States. Further
investigations reveal that «P tends to be low for basins with
significant snow accumulation and for basins whose moisture and energy
inputs are seasonally in phase with one another. The Budyko hypothesis
can only explain variations in «P for very humid basins.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Monthly time series of precipitation and average maximum and minimum
> daily temperatures were obtained for the 1291 sites from 0.58 time
> series grids based on the Precipitation- Elevation Regressions on
> Independent Slopes Model (PRISM) climate interpolation modeling system
> \[*Daly et al*., 1994\].
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tufts University,
Medford, Massachusetts

Funding Agency:

> "...the research described in this article has been funded in part by
> the United States Environmental Protection Agency through STAR grant R
> 824992-01-0 to Tufts University,..."
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to prepare "monthly time series of precipitation
> and average maximum and minimum daily temperatures were obtained for
> the 1291 sites in a study that "... sought to develop a generalized
> understanding of the sensitivity of streamflow to changes in
> precipitation in the United States."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:

"The following conclusions were reached:

> 1\. Both model form and model calibration play an important role in
> determining the sensitivity of model streamflow to climate. Estimates
> of «*P* were shown to depend on both model choice and model
> calibration. Therefore it is difficult, if not impossible, to estimate
> the sensitivity of streamflow to climate using a single watershed
> model.
>
> 2\. Experiments reveal that the nonparametric estimator *eP* 1 in (7)
> is useful, has low bias, and is as robust as or more robust than
> watershed model--based approaches for evaluating the sensitivity of
> streamflow to climate. The nonparametric approach does not require a
> model assumption or a calibration strategy.
>
> 3\. The contour map in Figure 4 illustrates the spatial variability of
> «*P*( m*P*, m*Q*). Values of «*P*( m*P*, m*Q*) generally range from
> 1.0 to 2.5. The highest values of «*P*( m*P*, m*Q*) \$ 2 occur
> primarily in the arid and semiarid regions of the Midwest and
> Southwest.
>
> 4\. Variations in «*P*( m*P*, m*Q*) were shown to depend on snow
> storage, the timing of the balance between moisture and energy, and
> the humidity index f 5 *P*\# /PE. Basins with a very high humidity
> index such as in the Northwest were shown to have relatively constant
> and low values of «*P*( m*P*, m*Q*). Similarly, basins with large snow
> storage had the lowest values of «*P*( m*P*, m*Q*). The greatest
> spatial variation in «*P*( m*P*, m*Q*) seemed to occur in regions
> where moisture and energy are out of phase with each other.
>
> 5\. Comparisons of values of «*P*( m*P*, m*Q*) across studies
> indicated that variations can be quite significant and are due to
> differences in model form, model calibration, and input data. The
> nonparametric estimator of «*P*( m*P*, m*Q*) introduced here is shown
> to be a useful validation statistic. Hopefully, future climate change
> investigations will compare their results with our results,
> illustrated in Figure 4.
>
> 6\. The Budyko hypothesis given in (12) provides only a very rough
> approximation of the sensitivity of streamflow to climate change. The
> Budyko hypothesis is most useful for basins with humidity ratios .1
> and for basins in which the moisture and energy balance are in phase
> with one another.

Google 124

POTENTIAL SOIL C SEQUESTRATION ON U.S. AGRICULTURAL SOILS

M. SPEROW, M. EVE and K. PAUSTIAN

*Climatic Change* **57:** 319--339, 2003.

ABSTRACT

Soil carbon sequestration has been suggested as a means to help mitigate
atmospheric CO2 increases, however there is limited knowledge about the
magnitude of the mitigation potential. Field studies across the U.S.
provide information on soil C stock changes that result from changes in
agricultural management. However, data from such studies are not readily
extrapolated to changes at a national scale because soils, climate, and
management regimes vary locally and regionally. We used a modified
version of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) soil
organic C inventory method, together with the National Resources
Inventory (NRI) and other data, to estimate agricultural soil C
sequestration potential in the conterminous U.S. The IPCC method
estimates soil C stock changes associated with changes in land use
and/or land management practices. In the U.S., the NRI provides a
detailed record of land use and management activities on agricultural
land that can be used to implement the IPCC method. We analyzed
potential soil C storage from increased adoption of no-till, decreased
fallow operations, conversion of highly erodible land to grassland, and
increased use of cover crops in annual cropping systems. The results
represent potentials that do not explicitly consider the economic
feasibility of proposed agricultural production changes, but provide an
indication of the biophysical potential of soil C sequestration as a
guide to policy makers.

Our analysis suggests that U.S. cropland soils have the potential to
increase sequestered soil C by an additional 60--70 Tg (1012 g) C yr−1,
over present rates of 17 Tg C yr−1 (estimated using the IPCC method),
with widespread adoption of soil C sequestering management practices.
Adoption of no-till on all currently annually cropped area (129 Mha)
would increase soil C sequestration by 47 Tg C yr−1. Alternatively, use
of no-till on 50% of annual cropland, with reduced tillage practices on
the other 50%, would sequester less -- about 37 Tg C yr−1. Elimination
of summer fallow practices and conversion of highly erodible cropland to
perennial grass cover could sequester around 20 and 28 Tg C yr−1,
respectively. The soil C sequestration potential from including a winter
cover crop on annual cropping systems was estimated at 40 Tg C yr−1. All
rates were estimated for a fifteen year projection period, and annual
rates of soil C accumulations would be expected to decrease
substantially over longer time periods.

The total sequestration potential we have estimated for the projection
period (83 Tg C yr−1) represents about 5% of 1999 total U.S. CO2
emissions or nearly double estimated CO2 emissions from agricultural
production (43 Tg C yr−1). For purposes of stabilizing or reducing CO2
emissions, e.g., by 7% of 1990 levels as originally called for in the
Kyoto Protocol, total potential soil C sequestration would represent 15%
of that reduction level from projected 2008 emissions (2008 total
greenhouse gas emissions less 93% of 1990 greenhouse gas emissions).
Thus, our analysis suggests that agricultural soil C sequestration could
play a meaningful, but not predominant, role in helping mitigate
greenhouse gas increases.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Average daily temperature and precipitation were computed for each
> MLRA using the PRISM (Parameter elevation Regressions on Independent
> Slopes) climate mapping system (Daly et al., 1994; Daly et al., 1998)
> and then used to assign each of the 193 MLRA's to one of the six IPCC
> climate regions.
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

*Division of Resource Management, West Virginia University, Morgantown,
West Virginia*

Funding Agency:

> This research was funded through grants from the United States
> Department of Agriculture (**USDA**) for the Fund for Rural America
> and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) for the
> Consortium for Agricultural Soils Mitigation of Greenhouse Gases
> (CASMGS).

3\. PRISM was used to calculate average daily temperature and
precipitation for each basic spatial unit known as the "Major Land
Resource Areas (MLRA), which represent broad 'ecoregions' defined by
similar soils, climate, water resources, and land uses (NRCS, 1981)."

> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:

"...our analysis suggests that agricultural soil C sequestration could
play a meaningful, but not predominant, role in helping mitigate
greenhouse gas increases."

Google 125

Modeling large-scale fluvial erosion in geographic information systems

David P. Finlayson, and David R. Montgomery

*Geomorphology* 53 (2003) 147--164

ABSTRACT

Variants of the stream power model have become standard for large-scale
erosion modeling in geographic information systems (GIS) because they
can be applied over broad areas without the need for detailed knowledge
of stream characteristics. GIS-based implementations of the shear
stress, stream power per unit length and stream power per unit area
models are closely related to one another and related also to empirical
sediment yield models derived from continental-scale factor analyses.
Based on a detailed examination of the implementation of stream power
analyses at the scale of continental mountain ranges, we demonstrate
that: (1) the careful selection of a digital elevation model (DEM)
projection can minimize length and area distortion when analyzing large
portions of the earth (such as the Himalaya or Andes) in the
two-dimensional plane of a DEM. (2) The area-discharge proxy frequently
employed in GIS-based stream power studies may not be appropriate for
rivers that flow through significant rain shadows or climatic zones. (3)
Decreasing the resolution of a DEM from 30- to the 900-m typical for
studies of large extent decreased the mean slopes of 15 rivers in the
Olympic mountains by 65%, increased the mean drainage basin size by 14%,
and caused a 17% reduction in median main-stem channel length. (4) The
coefficients k, m and n common to different versions of the Stream Power
Law are themselves sensitive to grid resolution when determined from an
analysis of area--slope plots. (5) Stream power per unit area decreased
in the Olympics mountains as grid resolution decreased.

Keywords: Landscape evolution; GIS; Stream power; Erosion modeling

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

Precipitation data generalized from Daly et al. (1994).

For each grid resolution, we calculated a precipitation-weighted
cumulative area calculation according to Eq. (28) using annual
precipitation data from Daly et al. (1994)

> 2\. Affiliation:

Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington,
Seattle, WA

Funding Agency:

Funding was provided by NSF (EAR-0003561) and NASA (NAG 5-10342).

> 3\. PRISM was used to generalize precipitation data for the
> precipitation field of the Olympic Mountains, Washington State. ("The
> 15 major watersheds of the Olympics encompass a total surface area of
> just over 10,300 km2.")
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "We demonstrate that: (1) the careful selection of a digital elevation
> model (DEM) projection can minimize length and area distortion when
> analyzing large portions of the earth (such as the Himalaya or Andes)
> in the two-dimensional plane of a DEM. (2) The area-discharge proxy
> frequently employed in GIS-based stream power studies may not be
> appropriate for rivers that flow through significant rain shadows or
> climatic zones. (3) Decreasing the resolution of a DEM from 30- to the
> 900-m typical for studies of large extent decreased the mean slopes of
> 15 rivers in the Olympic mountains by 65%, increased the mean drainage
> basin size by 14%, and caused a 17% reduction in median main-stem
> channel length. (4) The coefficients k, m and n common to different
> versions of the Stream Power Law are themselves sensitive to grid
> resolution when determined from an analysis of area--slope plots. (5)
> Stream power per unit area decreased in the Olympics mountains as grid
> resolution decreased."

Google 128

EVALUATING THE IMPACT OF POLICY OPTIONS ON AGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPES: AN
ALTERNATIVE-FUTURES APPROACH

Patricia A. Berger, and John P. Bolte

*Ecological Applications*: Vol. 14, No. 2, pp. 342--354.

ABSTRACT

Alternative-futures analysis was used to analyze different scenarios of
future growth patterns and attendant resource allocations on the
agricultural system of Oregon\'s Willamette River Basin. A stakeholder
group formulated three policy alternatives: a continuation of current
trends, an increased reliance on market forces to determine land use,
and an increased emphasis on environmental restoration programs. To
model the alternative scenarios first required the development of a
spatial representation of the current agricultural system. Next, rules
and constraints based on the three policy scenarios were formulated.
Then a spatially explicit, multi-attribute, decision-making model was
used to model changes in agricultural land cover and land use. This
procedure generated three future landscapes, each depicting an
alternative state of the agricultural system in the year 2050. Finally,
the agronomic and environmental condition of each agricultural system
was evaluated by using landscape metrics and screening models. The
results show that the type and amount of farmland conversion were the
scenario elements that most distinguished the future agricultural
landscapes. By continuing current land use policies, nearly all of the
existing farmland was conserved for future agricultural use, while both
the market-driven and environmental restoration scenarios converted 15%
or more of the agricultural land to other uses. The use of farmland for
vegetation restoration activities was particularly successful in
improving riparian habitat, while habitat quality over the region showed
widespread improvement. The patterns of crop selection in each future
followed general trends, but with variations among scenarios as crop
selection decisions adapted to changing field and basin conditions.

Key words: agriculture; futures studies; landscape generation;
multi-attribute decision-making; regional modeling; Willamette River
Basin.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> "For each field, a GIS computed an area-weighted average of the mean
> monthly precipitation ([Daly et al.
> 1994](http://www.esajournals.org/esaonline/?request=get-document&issn=1051-0761&volume=014&issue=02&page=0342#i1051-0761-014-02-0342-daly1))..."
>
> 2\. Affiliation:
>
> Department of Bioengineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis,
> Oregon

Funding Agency:

> This research was supported by the United States Environmental
> Protection Agency through Cooperative Agreement CR 824682 with Oregon
> State University.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to provide an area-weighted average of the mean
> monthly precipitation for an "alternative-futures analysis (that
> analyzed) different scenarios of future growth patterns and attendant
> resource allocations on the agricultural system of Oregon\'s
> Willamette River Basin."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> Several methods were used to create the alternative future
> agricultural landscapes. First, a rule- and probability-based approach
> was successful in integrating diverse data sets into consistent
> spatial and thematic databases suitable for characterizing the current
> agricultural system. Next, the multiple-attribute CropDM model
> provided a way to include knowledge of growers\' general
> decision-making processes while making full use of a limited data set.
> Finally, by linking the CropDM model with data from other resource
> models, system changes occurring over the course of the simulation
> could be incorporated into both the crop selection decisions and land
> conversion rules. This approach seems particularly suitable for the
> exploration of alternative futures, as scenarios can be defined and
> quickly refined by altering the selection of alternatives, their
> attributes or weights, and decision constraints. It does not require
> extensive historical data other than reported agricultural statistics
> for the area, and the modeling of processes such as irrigation or
> climate change can be done in a way suitable for the particular
> location and study requirements.

Google 129

TRENDS AND PALAEOECOLOGICAL PROBLEMS IN THE VEGETATION AND CLIMATE
HISTORY OF THE NORTHERN GREAT PLAINS, U.S.A.

Eric C. Grimm

*BIOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT: PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL IRISH ACADEMY*, VOL.
101B, NO. 1--2, 47--64 (2001).

ABSTRACT

W.A. Watts pioneered palaeoecological investigations in the grasslands
of the northern Great Plains in central North America. He showed from
fossil data that Picea forest covered the plains during the late
Pleistocene, as biogeographical evidence suggests. This forest gave way
to prairie with some deciduous woodland in the eastern part of the
region at the beginning of the Holocene. Greatly fluctuating but on
average high amounts of Ambrosia-type and Chenopodiaceae/Amaranthaceae
pollen are found throughout the middle Holocene. These high values of
Ambrosia-type pollen are puzzling because today Ambrosia is more common
in wetter climates to the east of the Great Plains; however, lake levels
indicate that the middle Holocene was drier than today. Differences in
the seasonality of precipitation may provide the explanation---lake
levels respond to precipitation in the period from autumn through to
spring, whereas *Ambrosia* responds to growing-season moisture. High
interannual variability in growing-season precipitation may explain the
greatly fluctuating values of Ambrosia during the middle Holocene.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

Climate data are from the PRISM Climate Mapping Program (Daly and
Neilson 1992; Daly *et al*. 1994; 1997; Daly 2000).

2.  Affiliation:

Illinois State Museum, Research and Collections Center, Springfield, IL

Funding Agency:

> Funding for the studies reported in this paper was from U.S. National
> Science Foundation grants ATM-9632040, DEB-9419678 and BSR-8614916.

3\. PRISM was used to provide mean annual precipitation in centimeters
in the northern Great Plains.

> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> Differences in the seasonality of precipitation may provide the
> explanation---lake levels respond to precipitation in the period from
> autumn through to spring, whereas Ambrosia responds to growing-season
> moisture. High interannual variability in growing-season precipitation
> may explain the greatly fluctuating values of Ambrosia during the
> middle Holocene.

Google 131

A model for seasonality and distribution of leaf area index of forests
and its application to China

Luo, Tianxiang; Neilson, Ronald P.; Tian, Hanqin; Vörösmarty, Charles
J.; Zhu, Huazhong & Liu, Shirong

*Journal of Vegetation Science* 13: 817-830, 2002

ABSTRACT

We have constructed a phenological model of leaf area index (*LAI*) of
forests based on biological principles of leaf growth. Field data of
maximum *LAI* from 794 plots with mature or nearly mature stand ages
over China were used to parameterize and calibrate the model. New
measurements of maximum *LAI* from 16 natural forest sites were used to
validate the simulated maximum *LAI*. The predictions of seasonal *LAI*
patterns were compared with seasonal changes derived from the 1-km
satellite AVHRR-*NDVI* data for nine undisturbed forest sites in eastern
China. Then, we used the model to map maximum *LAI* values for forests
in China.

Model results indicated that the PhenLAI model generally predicted
maximum *LAI* well for most forest types, even when maximum *LAI* is \>
6. This suggests an ecological approach to the saturation problem in
satellite detection of high forest *LAI* where the relationship between
*NDVI* and *LAI* reaches an asymptote near a projected *LAI* value of 5
or 6. Furthermore, the predictions of seasonal *LAI* patterns in timing
and dynamics were generally consistent with the satellite *NDVI*
changes, except for monsoon forest and rain forest in south China where
satellite detection of seasonal variation in leaf area is hardly
possible. Compared with average projected *LAI* measurements of global
forests from 809 field plots in literature data, our maximum *LAI*
values were close to the global literature data for most of Chinese
forests, but the average area-weighted maximum *LAI* for all forests of
China (6.68 3.85) was higher than the global mean *LAI* of the 809 field
plots (5.55 4.14). We believe that forest *LAI* in China is commonly \>
6, especially in tropical rainforest, subtropical evergreen broad-leaved
forest, temperate mixed forest, and boreal/alpine spruce-fir forest
where satellite detection of high *LAI* is hardly possible.

**Keywords:** *LAI*; Leaf growth; Leaf mass; Modeling; *NDVI*;
Phenology.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> The data sets for monthly mean temperature and precipitation with
> elevation data were obtained from a Chinese 2.5′ × 2.5′ temperature
> and precipitation database (1960--1990) simulated by PRISM
> (Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model; [Daly et
> al.
> 1994](../../../../../../../../F:%5Cgoogle%20page%2014%5C131%20a%20model%20for%20seasonality.htm#I1100-9233-13-6-817-DALY1%23I1100-9233-13-6-817-DALY1),
> [2000](../../../../../../../../F:%5Cgoogle%20page%2014%5C131%20a%20model%20for%20seasonality.htm#I1100-9233-13-6-817-DALY2%23I1100-9233-13-6-817-DALY2)).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research,
Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

Funding Agency:

> This study is funded by the National Key Projects for Basic Research
> of China (G1998040813, G2000046807), the Knowledge Innovation Project
> of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CX10G-C00-02, CX10G-E01-02-03), the
> International Cooperation Project of the **USDA** Forest Service
> Northern Global Change Program (Award No.: 00- CA-11242343-017), and
> the Outstanding Young Scientist Program of the National Natural
> Science Foundation of China (30125036).
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to simulate data sets for monthly mean temperature
> and precipitation with elevation data for use in a phenological model
> of leaf area index (*LAI*) of forests based on biological principles
> of leaf growth.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> Model results indicated that the PhenLAI model generally predicted
> maximum *LAI* well for most forest types, even when maximum *LAI* is
> \> 6. This suggests an ecological approach to the saturation problem
> in satellite detection of high forest *LAI* where the relationship
> between *NDVI* and *LAI* reaches an asymptote near a projected *LAI*
> value of 5 or 6.

We believe that forest *LAI* in China is commonly \> 6, especially in
tropical rainforest, subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest,
temperate mixed forest, and boreal/alpine spruce-fir forest where
satellite detection of high *LAI* is hardly possible.

Google 132

NORTH AMERICAN REGIONAL REANALYSIS

Fedor Mesinger, Geoff DiMego, Eugenia Kalnay, Perry Shafran, Wesley
Ebisuzaki, Dusan Jovic, Jack Woollen, Kenneth Mitchell, Eric Rogers,
Michael Ek, Yun Fan, Robert Grumbine, Wayne Higgins, Hong Li, Ying Lin,
Geoff Manikin, David Parrish, and Wei Shi

*Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society*, Mar2006, Vol. 87
Issue 3, p343-361

ABSTRACT

A long-term, consistent, high-resolution climate dataset for the North
American domain, as a major improvement upon the earlier global
reanalysis datasets in both resolution and accuracy, is presented.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Over CONUS, the 24-h analysis is a 1/8° analysis obtained using the
> analysis method of J. Schaake (2001, personal communication), which
> applies an inverse-square distance weighting scheme and an orographic
> enhancement technique known as PRISM (Daly et al. 1994).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:
>
> NCEP/Environmental Modeling Center, Camp Springs, Maryland

Funding Agency:

No lesser credit should go to NOAA/OGP who funded the project,

> 3\. PRISM was used to create a 24-h 1/8 degree analysis used in the
> development of "a long-term, -term, consistent, high-resolution
> climate dataset for the North American domain..."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> We believe the results summarized here confirm that the objectives set
> out at the beginning of the Regional Reanalysis project, to create a
> long-term, consistent, high-resolution climate dataset for the North
> American domain, as a major improvement upon the earlier global
> reanalysis datasets in both resolution and accuracy, have been fully
> met. Regarding accuracy, not only have the near-surface temperatures
> and winds been shown to be closer to the observations than those of
> the GR, as could probably be expected, but clear and quite significant
> improvements in winds and temperatures throughout the troposphere have
> been demonstrated as well.

Google 133

**Description and Evaluation of a Hydrometeorological Forecast System
for Mountainous Watersheds**

KENNETH J. WESTRICK,\* PASCAL STORCK, AND CLIFFORD F. MASS

*Weather and Forecasting (2001):* Volume17; pages 250-262

ABSTRACT

This paper describes and evaluates an automated river flow forecasting
system for the prediction of peak flows during the cool season of
1998--99 over six watersheds in western Washington. The forecast system
is based on the Pennsylvania State University--National Center for
Atmospheric Research (Penn State--NCAR) fifth generation Mesoscale Model
(MM5) and the University of Washington
Distributed-Hydrology-Soil-Vegetation Model (DHSVM). The control
simulation used the forecasts produced by the University of Washington's
real time MM5 forecasts system as input to the hydrologic model. A
second set of simulations applied a correction scheme that reduced the
long-term precipitation bias identified in the MM5 precipitation field.
A third set of simulations used only those observations that are
available in real time for forcing the hydrologic model. The various
MM5--DHSVM forecasts are also compared with those issued by the National
Weather Service Northwest River Forecast Center. Results showed that the
observations-based simulation produced the most accurate peak flow
forecasts, although it was susceptible to inadequate input data and the
overdependence on the few available observations. The control simulation
performed remarkably well, although several poor synoptic (MM5)
forecasts, in addition to a model wet bias, produced a significant over
prediction of peak flows over one watershed. The bias correction scheme
did not prove worthwhile for peak flow forecasting, but may be useful
for longer-term modeling studies where the emphasis is on long-term
discharge rather than peak flow forecasting. A real-time updating
procedure that incorporated meteorological observations in the creation
of initial hydrologic states showed considerable promise for forecast
peak stream flow error reduction.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> The six watersheds configured in this study are located on the western
> (windward) flanks of the Cascade Mountain range (Figs. 1a, b) and
> consequently receive copious amounts of precipitation, ranging between
> 2 and 3 m of precipitation annually (Daly et al. 1994).
>
> The Parameter-Elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model
> (PRISM) climatologic precipitation fields (Daly et al. 1994) were used
> for spatially scaling the point precipitation data between observation
> points. Under catchment of precipitation due to wind speed and
> precipitate type was corrected for using formulas from Yang et al.
> (1998).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Department of Atmospheric Science, University of Washington, Seattle,
Washington

Funding Agency: (none listed)

> 3\. PRISM was used to provide precipitation data for six watersheds
> located on the western (windward) flanks of the Cascade Mountain
> range. PRISM climatologic precipitation fields were "used for
> spatially scaling the point precipitation data between observation
> points." The data was used to create an "automated river flow
> forecasting system for the prediction of peak flows during the cool
> season of 1998--99 over six watersheds in western Washington."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "River Forecast Center. Results showed that the observations-based
> simulation produced the most accurate peak flow forecasts, although it
> was susceptible to inadequate input data and the overdependence on the
> few available observations. The control simulation performed
> remarkably well, although several poor synoptic (MM5) forecasts, in
> addition to a model wet bias, produced a significant over prediction
> of peak flows over one watershed. The bias correction scheme did not
> prove worthwhile for peak flow forecasting, but may be useful for
> longer-term modeling studies where the emphasis is on long-term
> discharge rather than peak flow forecasting. A real-time updating
> procedure that incorporated meteorological observations in the
> creation of initial hydrologic states showed considerable promise for
> forecast peak streamflow error reduction."

Google 134

High b diversity in the flora of Californian serpentine 'islands'

SUSAN HARRISON and BRIAN D. INOUYE

*Biodiversity and Conservation* 11: 1869--1876, 2002.

ABSTRACT

Identification of global biodiversity hotspots is a leading conservation
priority (Mittermayer et al. (1999) Hotspots. Conservation
International, Washington, DC; Stein et al. (2000) Precious Heritage:
The Status of Biodiversity in the United States. Oxford University
Press, Oxford, UK), but we know little about the nature and structure of
such hotspots. Botanical richness in one recently identified hotspot,
the California Floristic Province, has long been attributed by
evolutionists to edaphic and climatic heterogeneity. Here we demonstrate
that the flora restricted (endemic) to serpentine soil, the state's most
botanically distinctive substrate, shows unusually high 'b diversity' --
i.e., spatial variation in species composition -- among regions,
although 'a' diversity within any given region is low. Conservation of
an endemic-rich flora requires a network of sites to capture this
among-region or spatial component of diversity.

Key words: b Diversity, Biodiversity hotspots, Serpentine flora, Spatial
diversity

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Precipitation data from the California climate model (Daly et al.
> 1994) were used to calculate for each region its 30-year spatial and
> temporal average annual precipitation (1961--1990), both for the
> entire region and for the serpentine areas it contained.
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California
at Davis, CA

Funding Agency:

> 3\. PRISM was used to provide "precipitation data from the California
> climate model (Daly et al. 1994) ... to calculate for each region its
> 30-year spatial and temporal average annual precipitation
> (1961--1990), both for the entire region and for the serpentine areas
> is contained. The data were used in a study of the "high b diversity
> in the flora of Californian serpentine 'islands'.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> In the present study, our hypothesis that b or among-region diversity
> would be higher in the serpentine flora was clearly borne out by the
> results. The difference in species composition between pairs of
> regions was higher in serpentine endemics than for plants as a whole,
> and showed a much stronger increase with the geographic and
> environmental distances between the pairs of regions. In other words,
> the serpentine flora showed greater variation across geographic and
> environmental distance than did the non-serpentine flora, in
> proportion to its size.
>
> These results illustrate the consequences of insular endemism at the
> level of the diversity of an entire floristic region. The species that
> have arisen on the state's many 'islands' of serpentine may add only
> modestly to the plant diversity of any one region, but these narrowly
> distributed species add disproportionately to the among region
> component of diversity that is of such significance in producing
> California's botanical richness. Our results have important
> implications for conservation in a floristic province whose diversity
> arises in large part from its wealth of edaphic endemics. To conserve
> this flora, it is clearly futile to search for a few small 'hotspots'
> of high diversity. Rather, it will be necessary to protect a network
> of sites that represent a broad range of geographic, geologic and
> climatic variation.

Google 135

Macroscale water fluxes: 1. Quantifying errors in the estimation of
basin mean precipitation

Milly, P. C. D., and K. A. Dunne,

Water Resour. Res., 38(10), 1205-1218

doi:10.1029/2001WR000759, 2002.

ABSTRACT

Developments in analysis and modeling of continental water and energy
balances are hindered by the limited availability and quality of
observational data. The lack of information on error characteristics of
basin water supply is an especially serious limitation. Here we describe
the development and testing of methods for quantifying several errors in
basin mean precipitation, both in the long-term mean and in the monthly
and annual anomalies. To quantify errors in the long-term mean, two
error indices are developed and tested with positive results. The first
provides an estimate of the variance of the spatial sampling error of
long-term basin mean precipitation obtained from a gauge network, in the
absence of orographic effects; this estimate is obtained by use only of
the gauge records. The second gives a simple estimate of the basin mean
orographic bias as a function of the topographic structure of the basin
and the locations of gauges therein. Neither index requires restrictive
statistical assumptions (such as spatial homogeneity) about the
precipitation process. Adjustments of precipitation for gauge bias and
estimates of the adjustment errors are made by applying results of a
previous study. Additionally, standard correlation-based methods are
applied for the quantification of spatial sampling errors in the
estimation of monthly and annual values of basin mean precipitation.
These methods also perform well, as indicated by network subsampling
tests in densely gauged basins. The methods are developed and applied
with data for 175 large (median area of 51,000 km2) river basins of the
world for which contemporaneous, continuous (missing fewer than 2% of
data values), long-term (median record length of 54 years) river
discharge records are also available. Spatial coverage of the resulting
river basin data set is greatest in the middle latitudes, though many
basins are located in the tropics and the high latitudes, and the data
set spans the major climatic and vegetation zones of the world. This new
data set can be applied in diagnostic and theoretical studies of water
balance of large basins and in the evaluation of performance of global
models of land water

balance.

KEYWORDS: error, sampling, topography, interpolation

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> For this purpose, we obtained a high-resolution analysis of
> precipitation during 1961--90 over part of the United States from the
> Oregon Climate Service; the analysis was conducted by use of the
> expert system of Daly et al. \[1994\] for estimation of climate
> variables in mountainous terrain.
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

U. S. Geological Survey and Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, NOAA,
Princeton, New Jersey,

Funding Agency: (none listed)

> 3\. PRISM was used to provide a high-resolution analysis of
> precipitation during 1961--90 over part of the United States for use "
> in the development and testing of methods for quantifying several
> errors in basin mean precipitation, both in the long-term mean and in
> the monthly and annual anomalies modeling of continental water and
> energy balances."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "This new data set can be applied in diagnostic and theoretical
> studies of water balance of large basins and in the evaluation of
> performance of global models of land water balance. "

Google 136

Signal-transfer modeling for regional assessment of forest responses to
environmental changes in the southeastern United States

Robert J. Luxmoore, William W. Hargrove, M. Lynn Tharp, Wilfred M. Post,
Michael W. Berry, Karen S. Minser, Wendell P. Cropper, Jr., Dale W.
Johnson, Boris Zeide, Ralph L. Amateis, Harold E. Burkhart, V. Clark
Baldwin, Jr. and Kelly D. Peterson

*Environmental Modeling and Assessment* 5 (2000) 125--137 125

ABSTRACT

Stochastic transfer of information in a hierarchy of simulators is
offered as a conceptual approach for assessing forest responses to
changing climate and air quality across 13 southeastern states of the
USA. This assessment approach combines geographic information system and
Monte Carlo capabilities with several scales of computer modeling for
southern pine species and eastern deciduous forests. Outputs, such as
forest production, evapotranspiration and carbon pools, may be compared
statistically for alternative equilibrium or transient scenarios
providing a statistical basis for decision making in regional
assessments.

**Keywords:** cluster analysis, eastern deciduous forest, geographic
information system, global change, Monte Carlo simulation, nitrogen

deposition, ozone, scaling up, site index, southern pine forest

NOTE

"A signal-transfer technique for scaling-up results through a hierarchy
of simulators is proposed for the assessment of forest responses to
changing climate and air quality across 13 southeastern states of the
United States. Computer simulations are combined with geographic
information system

(GIS) capability."

1.  PRISM Data:

> Mean minimum and maximum temperatures from monthly station normals for
> the period 1961--1990 \[28\] and mean monthly precipitation data from
> \[29\] are used to define contemporary climate.
> <http://cdiac.esd.ornl.gov/ftp/ndp019r3/> (HCN)
> <http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/ol/climate/research/ushcn/> ushcn.html (HCN)
> ftp://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/normals/ (NCDC normals)
> [http://www.ocs.orst.edu/prism/prism
> new.html](http://www.ocs.orst.edu/prism/prism new.html)
> (orographically adjusted precipitation)
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Oak Ridge National Laboratory, PO Box 2008, Oak Ridge, TN

Funding Agency:

> This research is sponsored by the **USDA** Forest Service, Southern
> Global Change Program through contracts with the contributing
> institutions. Research at Oak Ridge National Laboratory is conducted
> through Interagency Agreement No. 1774-I010-A1 between the US
> Department of Energy and the **USDA** Forest Service. Oak Ridge
> National Laboratory is managed by Lockheed Martin Research Corporation
> under contract No. DEAC05- 96OR22464 with the US Department of Energy.
> Publication No. 4968, Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge
> National Laboratory.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to provide "mean minimum and maximum temperatures
> from monthly station normals for the period 1961--1990 and mean
> monthly precipitation data" in study of "signal-transfer modeling for
> regional assessment of forest responses to environmental changes in
> the southeastern United States."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "Regional assessments may be developed for southern pine species and
> eastern deciduous forests. The use of Monte Carlo simulation
> throughout the modeling propagates frequency distributions of outputs
> through the modeling scales, providing a statistical basis for
> decision making in regional assessments. Forest production,
> evapotranspiration, carbon storage, and other outputs may be compared
> statistically for alternative scenarios. Additionally, the consequence
> of various mitigation and management strategies may be statistically
> evaluated."

Google 137

Climatic and biophysical controls on conifer species distributions in
mountain forests of Washington State, USA

Donald McKenzie, David W. Peterson, David L. Peterson and Peter E.
Thornton

*Journal of Biogeography* July 2003 Volume 30(7): Page 1093 -\
doi:10.1046/j.1365-2699.2003.00921.x

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to quantify relationships between conifer
species distributions and climatic and biophysical variables, in order
to provide better insight into the potential for redistribution of
species on the landscape in response to climatic change

NOTE (Could not access entire article for details on how PRISM was
used.)

Methods\
Tree data were drawn from the **USDA** Forest Service Area Ecology
Program database, collected in mature, undisturbed stands. We compared
simple climatic variables (annual temperature, growing-degree days,
annual and seasonal precipitation) to biophysical variables (soil,
hydrologic, and solar radiation) derived from climatic variables.
Climatic and biophysical variables were taken from the output of
climatological and hydrological simulation models (DAYMET and VIC) and
estimated for each plot in the tree database. Generalized linear models
were used, for each of 14 tree species, at multiple spatial extents, to
estimate the probability of occurrence of that species as a function of
climatic and biophysical predictors. Models were validated by a
combination of bootstrapping and estimating receiver operating
characteristic (ROC) curves.\
\
Results\
For the majority of species, we were able to fit variables representing
both moisture and temperature gradients, and in all but a few cases
these models identified a unimodal response of species occurrence to
these gradients. In some cases the ecological/environmental niche of a
species had been clearly captured by the model, whereas in others a
longer gradient in the predictor variable(s) would be needed. Responses
of most species were consistent across three spatial scales.

1.  PRISM Data:

> Could not access entire article for details on how PRISM was used
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Funding Agency:

> 3\. PRISM was used to
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> By identifying the ecological niches of multiple species, we can
> forecast their redistribution on the landscape in response to climatic
> change, evaluate the predictions of simulation models, and alert
> managers to particularly sensitive or vulnerable ecosystems and
> landscapes.

Google 139

Intercomparison of Global Reanalyses and Regional Simulations of Cold
Season Water Budgets in the Western United States

L. RUBY LEUNG, YUN QIAN, JONGIL HAN, AND JOHN O. ROADS

*Journal of Hydrometeorology* ( 2003 ) Volume 4; pages 1063-1087

ABSTRACT

Estimating water budgets of river basins in the western United States is
a challenge because of the effects of complex terrain and lack of
comprehensive observational datasets. This study aims at comparing
different estimates of cold season water budgets of the Columbia River
(CRB) and Sacramento--San Joaquin River (SSJ) basins. An intercomparison
was performed based on the NCEP--NCAR reanalysis I (NRA1), NCEP--
Department of Energy (DOE) reanalysis II (NRA2), ECMWF reanalyses (ERA),
regional climate simulations produced by the fifth-generation
Pennsylvania State University--NCAR Mesoscale Model (MM5) and NCEP
Regional Spectral Model (RSM) driven by the reanalyses, and two
precipitation datasets gridded at 2.58 and À8 for 7 yr between 1986 and
1993. The purpose of the intercomparison was to understand the effects
of spatial resolution, model configuration and associated
parameterizations, and large-scale conditions on basin-scale water
budgets.

Overall, the regional simulations were superior to the global reanalyses
in terms of the spatial distribution of mean precipitation and
precipitation anomalies. However, cold season precipitation was
generally amplified in the regional models. Basin mean precipitation was
typically higher than observed in the regional models and less than
observed in the reanalyses. The amplification was the largest in the RSM
simulation driven by NRA2, which had the biggest difference between the
reanalyzed and regional simulation of basin mean precipitation. ERA and
the MM5 simulations driven by ERA provided the best basin mean
precipitation estimates when compared to the 1/88 observational dataset.

Large differences remain in estimating the water budgets of western
river basins, such as CRB and SSJ. In terms of atmospheric moisture
flux, there was a 15%--20% difference between the global reanalyses. In
terms of basin mean precipitation, differences among the reanalyses,
regional simulations, and observations were as large as 100% of the
overall mean. There were large differences in spatial distribution of
precipitation between the RSM and MM5 simulations because of terrain
representations and other factors. Runoff and snowpack showed the most
sensitivity to model differences in spatial resolution, physics
parameterizations, and model representations. Better simulations of
basin mean precipitation did not necessarily imply superior simulations
of runoff or snowpack.

NOTE

'Lastly, to more fully understand the effects of model parameterization
and resolution, boundary forcing, and how they contribute to
uncertainties in estimating water budgets of river basins, we stress the
importance of using experimental design, such as that employed by Pan et
al. (2001), to include a matrix of numerical simulations based on
different regional climate models, each driven by the same set of
boundary conditions. A coordinated effort on model intercomparison and
diagnosis can provide the information needed to quantitatively evaluate
different models or modeling approaches and define research needs for
the future."

1.  PRISM Data:

> Daily precipitation data were scaled to match the long-term average of
> the Parameter elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model
> (PRISM) precipitation climatology (Daly et al. 1994), which was
> developed based on data from COOP and snow telemetry stations and
> accounts for orographic effects based on statistical relationships
> between elevation and precipitation.
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington

Funding Agency:

> Funding for this study was provided by the Department of Energy (DOE)
> Accelerated Climate Prediction Initiative (ACPI), the National Oceanic
> and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Global Energy and Water Cycle
> Experiment (GEWEX) Americas Prediction Program (GAPP), and the Joint
> Institute for the Study of Atmosphere and Oceans (JISAO) Climate
> Impacts Group (CIG) at the University of Washington. The ACPI pilot
> effort was supported largely by the DOE Office of Biological and
> Environmental Research. The CIG is supported by the NOAA Office of
> Global Programs. All MM5 regional climate simulations reported in this
> study were performed on 64 processors of an IBM-SP3 at the Center for
> Computational Sciences (CCS), which is supported by the DOE Office of
> Science,
>
> at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The RSM simulation was
> supported by a grant from NOAA, under Grant NA17R1231 and by a grant
> from the DOE ACPI project DOE DE-FG03-98ER62605. Pacific Northwest
> National Laboratory is operated for the
>
> U.S. Department of Energy by Battelle Memorial Institute under
> Contract DE-AC06-76RLO 1830.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to match daily precipitation data to the long-term
> average for use in a study that "aims at comparing different estimates
> of cold season water budgets of the Columbia River (CRB) and
> Sacramento--San Joaquin River (SSJ) basins."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:

"Overall, the regional simulations were superior to the global
reanalyses in terms of the spatial distribution of mean precipitation
and precipitation anomalies. However, cold season precipitation was
generally amplified in the regional models. Basin mean precipitation was
typically higher than observed in the regional models and less than
observed in the reanalyses. The amplification was the largest in the RSM
simulation driven by NRA2, which had the biggest difference between the
reanalyzed and regional simulation of basin mean precipitation. ERA and
the MM5 simulations driven by ERA provided the best basin mean
precipitation estimates when compared to the 1/88 observational dataset.

Large differences remain in estimating the water budgets of western
river basins, such as CRB and SSJ. In terms of atmospheric moisture
flux, there was a 15%--20% difference between the global reanalyses. In
terms of basin mean precipitation, differences among the reanalyses,
regional simulations, and observations were as large as 100% of the
overall mean. There were large differences in spatial distribution of
precipitation between the RSM and MM5 simulations because of terrain
representations and other factors. Runoff and snowpack showed the most
sensitivity to model differences in spatial resolution, physics
parameterizations, and model representations. Better simulations of
basin mean precipitation did not necessarily imply superior simulations
of runoff or snowpack."

Google 141

Habitat Use by Fishes and Pacific Giant Salamanders in Small Western
Oregon and Washington Streams

PHILIP RONI

*Transactions of the American Fisheries Society* 131:743--761, 2002

ABSTRACT

The habitat use patterns of juvenile salmonid fishes Oncorhynchus spp.,
Pacific giant salamanders Dicamptodon spp., torrent sculpins Cottus
rhotheus, reticulate sculpins C. perplexus, and larval lampreys
Entosphenus tridentatus and Lampetra spp. were examined in 30 small
streams in western Oregon and Washington. Fish and salamander densities
and sizes were compared between different habitat types (pools and
riffles) in summer and winter. Species density, length, and diversity
(richness and dominance) were also correlated with physical variables
measured at the reach and watershed scales. In the summer, densities of
Coho salmon O. kisutch, cutthroat trout O. clarki, and larval lampreys
were significantly higher in pools than in riffles (P , 0.01), whereas
densities of age-0 torrent sculpins were higher in riffles than in pools
(P , 0.01). In winter, densities of Coho salmon, cutthroat trout,
steelhead O. mykiss, and young-of-the-year trout fry were higher in
pools than in riffles (P , 0.01). Cutthroat trout, steelhead, Pacific
giant salamanders, and torrent sculpins found in pools were larger than
those found in riffles during summer (P , 0.01). Steelhead and
young-of-the-year trout fry were heavier for a given length in pools
than in riffles, whereas both reticulate and torrent sculpins were
lighter (P , 0.01). These morphological differences within species are
likely the result of differences in food availability between habitats
or differences in morphology between conspecifics inhabiting riffles and
pools. Reach- and watershed- scale physical variables (e.g., stream
gradient, percent pool area elevation, drainage area, and precipitation)
explained from 22% to 63% of the variation in species density among
streams. This, combined with the results of previous studies, suggests
that large-scale habitat variables may be better predictors of fish
densities among streams and pools than variables measured within
individual habitat units.

NOTE

The information on habitat preferences provided in this study indicates
how habitat alterations might affect various species found in small,
Pacific

Northwest streams.

1.  PRISM Data:

precipitation data are from Daly et al. (1994).

> 2\. Affiliation:

Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service,

Funding Agency:

Funding for this study was provided by the National Marine Fisheries
Service and the Bureau of Land Management.

> 3\. PRISM was used to provide precipitation data for a study that
> examined habitat use patterns of fish and Pacific Giant Salamanders in
> Western Oregon and Washington.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:

These morphological differences within species are likely the result of
differences in food availability between habitats or differences in
morphology between conspecifics inhabiting riffles and pools. Reach- and
watershed- scale physical variables (e.g., stream gradient, percent pool
area elevation, drainage area, and precipitation) explained from 22% to
63% of the variation in species density among streams. This, combined
with the results of previous studies, suggests that large-scale habitat
variables may be better predictors of fish densities among streams and
pools than variables measured within individual habitat units.

Google 144

Quantitative testing of bedrock incision models for the Clearwater
River, NW Washington State,

Tomkin, J. H., M. T. Brandon, F. J. Pazzaglia, J. R. Barbour, and S. D.
Willett

*J. Geophys. Res.,* 108(B6), 2308

doi:10.1029/2001JB000862, 2003.

ABSTRACT

The incision of rivers in bedrock is thought to be an important factor
that influences the evolution of relief in tectonically active orogens.
At present, there are at least six competing models for incision of
bedrock rivers, but these models have received little quantitative
testing. We statistically evaluate these models using observations from
the Clearwater River in northwestern Washington State, which crosses the
actively rising forearc high of the Cascadia margin. A previous study
has used fluvial terraces along the Clearwater to estimate bedrock
incision rates over the last \_150 kyr. They show that incision rates
have been steady over the long-term (\>50 kyr), consistent with other
evidence based on isotopic cooling ages, for steady long-term (\>1 Myr)
erosion rates. The steady state character of the river allows us to use
the relatively simple time-invariant solutions for the various incision
models and also to estimate long-term sediment discharge along the
river, which is a critical variable for some incision models. An
interesting feature of the Clearwater River is that it has a downstream
decrease in the rate of incision, from \_0.9 mm/yr in the headwater to
\<0.1 mm/yr at the coast. None of the incision models, including the
shear stress model, successfully accounts for this relationship. This
result may be due to the simple way in which these models are used,
commonly without consideration for the distribution of discharge with
time, and the variable capacity of the river channel to contain peak
flows along its course. We suggest some general improvements for the
incision models, and also guidelines for selecting those rivers that
will allow good discrimination between competing models.

KEYWORDS: landscape evolution, topography, geomorphology, erosion,
incision, rivers

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Discharge was determined using a gridded data set based on a 30-year
> precipitation record (1961--1990) (PRISM method \[see Daly et al.,
> 1994, 2001\]).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:
>
> Department of Geology and Geophysics, Yale University, New Haven,
>
> Connecticut, USA. Now at Department of Geology and Geophysics,
> Louisiana State
>
> University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA.

Funding Agency: (none listed)

> 3\. PRISM was used to determine discharge of the Clearwater River in
> northwestern Washington State as required for a statistical evaluation
> of competing models for incision bedrock rivers.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> An interesting feature of the Clearwater River is that it has a
> downstream decrease in the rate of incision, from \_0.9 mm/yr in the
> headwater to \<0.1 mm/yr at the coast. None of the incision models,
> including the shear stress model, successfully accounts for this
> relationship. This result may be due to the simple way in which these
> models are used, commonly without consideration for the distribution
> of discharge with time, and the variable capacity of the river channel
> to contain peak flows along its course. We suggest some general
> improvements for the incision models, and also guidelines for
> selecting those rivers that will allow good discrimination between
> competing models.

Google 147

CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS UNCERTAINTY FOR WATER RESOURCES

IN THE SAN JOAQUIN RIVER BASIN, CALIFORNIA

Levi D. Brekke, Norman L. Miller, Kathy E. Bashford, Nigel W.T. Quinn,
and John A. Dracup

*California. Journal of the American Water Resources Association*
(JAWRA) 40(1):149-164.

Brekke, Levi D., Norman L. Miller, Kathy E. Bashford, Nigel W.T. Quinn,
and

John A. Dracup, 2004. Climate Change Impacts Uncertainty for Water

Resources in the San Joaquin River Basin, California. Journal of the
American

Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 40(1):149-164.

ABSTRACT

A climate change impacts assessment for water resources in the San
Joaquin River region of California is presented. Regional climate
projections are based on a 1 percent per year CO2 increase relative to
late 20th Century CO2 conditions. Two global projections of this CO2
increase scenario are considered (HadCM2 and PCM) during two future
periods (2010 to 2039 and 2050 to 2079). HadCM2 projects faster warming
than PCM. HadCM2 and PCM project wetter and drier conditions,
respectively, relative to present climate. In the HadCM2 case, there
would be increased reservoir inflows, increased storage limited by
existing capacity, and increased releases for deliveries and river
flows. In the PCM case, there would be decreased reservoir inflows,
decreased storage and releases, and decreased deliveries. Impacts under
either projection case cannot be regarded as more likely than the other.
Most of the impacts uncertainty is attributable to the divergence in the
precipitation projections. The range of assessed impacts is too broad to
guide selection of mitigation projects. Regional planning agencies can
respond by developing contingency strategies for these cases and
applying the methodology herein to evaluate a broader set of CO2
scenarios, land use projections, and operational assumptions. Improved
agency access to climate projection information is necessary to support
this effort.

KEY TERMS: climate change; snowpack; California; reservoir operations.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> The Parameter Elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model
> developed by Daly et al. (1994) was used to complete the downscaling
> process.
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Water Resources Modeler, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, MP-710, 2800
Cottage Way, Sacramento, California

Funding Agency:

> The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-STAR program supported this
> research under grant R827448-01-0. Contributions by Miller were
> supported by NASA RESAC Grant NS-2791.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to complete a downscaling process necessary to
> conduct a climate change impacts assessment for water resources in the
> San Joaquin River region of California.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "...Most of the impacts uncertainty is attributable to the divergence
> in the precipitation projections ... The primary findings of this
> study are that the impacts suggested by the HadCM2 and PCM projections
> are divergent and equiprobable. The range of possibilities suggested
> by these impacts is too vast to support selection of mitigation
> projects in current planning cycles."

Google 148

RHESSys: Regional Hydro-Ecologic Simulation System---An Object-Oriented
Approach to Spatially Distributed Modeling of Carbon, Water, and
Nutrient Cycling

C.L. Tague and L.E. Band

*Earth Interactions*: Vol. 8, Paper 19.

ABSTRACT

Process-based models that can represent multiple and interacting
processes provide a framework for combining field-based measurements
with evolving science-based models of specific hydroecological
processes. Use of these models, however, requires that the
representation of processes and key assumptions involved be understood
by the user community. This paper provides a full description of process
implementation in the most recent version of the Regional
Hydro-Ecological Simulation System (RHESSys), a model that has been
applied in a wide variety of research settings. An overview of the
underlying (Geographic Information System) GIS-based model framework is
given followed by a description of the mathematical models used to
represent various biogeochemical cycling and hydrologic processes
including vertical and lateral hydrologic fluxes, microclimate
variability, canopy radiation transfer, vegetation and soil microbial
carbon and nitrogen cycling. An example application of RHESSys for a
small forested watershed as part of the Baltimore Long-Term Ecological
Research site is included to illustrate use of the model in exploring
spatial-temporal dynamics and the coupling between hydrology and
biogeochemical cycling.

KEYWORDS:  Hydrology; Modeling; Ecosystems.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Daily minimum and maximum temperature time series must be included in
> the base station assigned to each zone object. Note that these time
> series may be derived from field observations or from an external
> mesoscale atmospheric model such as the Regional Atmospheric Modeling
> System (RAMS; Walko et al. 2000) or external climate interpolation
> schemes such as the Parameter-Elevation Regressions on Independent
> Slopes Model (PRISM; Daly et al. 1994) or Daymet (Thornton et al.
> 1997).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Department of Geography, San Diego State University, San Diego,
California

Funding Agency:

> The Baltimore Ecosystem Study project is supported by the NSF Grant
> GRS 0095796 to L. Band and C. Tague, and National Science Foundation
> Long-Term Ecological Research program Grant DEB 9714835.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to interpolate a time series of max/min
> temperatures necessary for "a full description of process
> implementation in the most recent version of the Regional
> Hydro-Ecological Simulation System (RHESSys)."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "Correspondence between modeled and observed streamflow as well as
> modeled and observed stream nitrate concentration illustrate both he
> strengths and weakness of RHESSys application in this particular
> watershed (see Figures 3 and 4). As discussed in an earlier paper
> (Band et al. 2001), RHESSys tends to over predict nitrate
> concentration in this watershed, although it captures the temporal
> pattern of nitrate export. RHESSys does not model in-stream processes,
> thus over prediction of the nitrate export may suggest that in this
> watershed in-stream losses are significant. Field data collected as
> part of this project support this conclusion. One of the surprising
> patterns in both field and modeled nitrate export is the increase in N
> concentration during the summer when biologic activity and hence
> biologic uptake of nitrogen is typically high. RHESSys output was used
> to help explain this pattern. Examining spatial outputs show that this
> increase in nitrification occurs primarily in the riparian region as
> it dries out during the summer period. The location of these processes
> within the riparian zones, which maintain connectivity to the stream
> throughout the summer, is important. Examining RHESSys spatial
> patterns of soil moisture illustrates temporal and spatial variation
> in surface saturated areas in which riparian zone processes occur
> (Figure 5). Modeled spatial patterns of soil moisture suggest that in
> addition to the classically defined riparian zone, topographic
> hollows, which drain into the riparian area, are also areas of
> significant saturation during parts of the year. These spatial
> patterns suggest that these topographic hollows may play a role
> similar to the riparian area in terms of both overall control on
> hydrology and nitrogen cycling, at least during the wetter periods.
> These results further suggest areas where additional field study may
> be needed to collect data in these areas, which potentially act as
> controls on water quality and quantity in this watershed."

Google 152

Effects of spatial aggregation on predictions of forest climate change
response

Martha K. Nungesser, Linda A. Joyce, A. David McGuire

*Clim Res* 11: 109--124, 1999

ABSTRACT

We investigated the influence of spatial aggregation on modeled forest
responses to climate change by applying the process-based Terrestrial
Ecosystem Model (TEM) to a fine resolution spatial grid (100 km2) and to
a coarse resolution spatial grid (2500 km2). Three climate scenarios
were simulated: baseline (present) climate with ambient CO2 and 2 future
climates derived from the general circulation models OSU and GFDL-Q with
elevated atmospheric CO2. For baseline climate, the aggregation error of
the national (U.S.) study area was very small, --0.4%. Forest-level
aggregation error ranged from --1.6 to 11.8%, with the largest
aggregation error occurring in boreal forest types. Coarse grid
resolution inputs underestimated production for boreal and forested
boreal wetland forests and overestimated net primary production (NPP)
for temperate conifer, temperate deciduous, and temperate forested
wetland forests. Aggregation error for coarse grid cells ranged between
--25.6 and 27.3%. Aggregation errors were especially large in transition
regions between temperate and boreal forest types. An analysis that
homogenized inputs for the 10 km grid cells within a 50 km grid
indicated that aggregation of forest types and air temperature from fine
to coarse grid cells contributed most to the spatial aggregation error.
The aggregation error for the OSU climate was similar to the GFDL-Q
climate and both results were similar to the aggregation error of the
baseline climate in magnitude, sign, and spatial pattern. While
aggregation error was similar across the baseline, GFDL-Q and OSU
scenarios, NPP response to the GFDL-Q and OSU climates increased 13 to
30% above the baseline NPP. Within each climate scenario, the estimated
NPP response to climate change differed by less than 1% between the
coarse and fine resolutions. Except for transition regions and regions
with substantial variability in air temperature, our simulations
indicate that the use of 0.5° resolution provides an acceptable level of
aggregation error at the 3 scales of analysis in this study.
Improvements could be made by focusing computational intensity in
heterogeneous regions and avoid computational intensity in regions that
are relatively homogeneous with respect to vegetation and air
temperature.

KEY WORDS: Terrestrial Ecosystem Model · Integrated assessments · Net
primary production ·Scaling · Vegetation · Temperature

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> The 10 km ´ 10 km baseline input data for climate (monthly
> precipitation, monthly mean air temperature), soil texture (percent
> sand, silt, and clay), and elevation were obtained from Neilson (pers.
> comm.) as described for climate in Marks (1990), Neilson (1995), Daly
> et al.
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

MACA, Fort Collins, Colorado 80526, USA

Funding Agency:

Our work was funded by the **USDA** Forest Service Resources Program and
Assessment staff and the Northern Global Change Program.

> 3\. PRISM was used to provide 10 km ´ 10 km baseline input data for
> climate (monthly precipitation, monthly mean air temperature) in an
> investigation of the influence of spatial aggregation on modeled
> forest responses to climate change by applying the process-based
> Terrestrial Ecosystem Model (TEM) to a fine resolution spatial grid
> (100 km2) and to a coarse resolution spatial grid (2500 km2).
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "Our results indicate that NPP responses of TEM to projected climate
> change are insensitive to the resolution of inputs in this study, but
> that aggregation error of absolute NPP estimates is sensitive to the
> resolution of inputs for some situations. Except for transition
> regions and regions with substantial variability in temperature, our
> simulations indicate that the use of 0.5° resolution provides an
> acceptable level of aggregation error at the 3 scales of analysis in
> this study. Although aggregation error is a concern for grid cells and
> forest types in these regions, NPP estimates at the national scale
> were not influenced by the different resolutions of inputs. Because
> aggregation error is generally less than measurement error, it is
> important to consider the computational costs associated with finer
> resolution estimates. In terms of computational cost, improving the
> homogeneity of grid cells may be preferable to simulations at a finer
> resolution..."

"It is important to recognize that our conclusions in this study are
based on 2 resolutions and 1 biogeochemical model..."

Google 153

Leaf area index and net primary productivity along subtropical to alpine
gradients in the Tibetan Plateau

Tianxiang Luo, Yude Pan, Hua Ouyang, Peili Shi, Ji Luo, Zhenliang Yu and
Qi Lu[¶](javascript:popRef('a4'))

*Global Ecology and Biogeography, (Global Ecol. Biogeogr*.)(2004) 13,
345--358

doi:10.1111/j.1466-822X.2004.00094.xABSTRACT

ABSTRACT

"Our aims were to quantify climatic and soil controls on net primary
productivity (NPP) and leaf area index (LAI) along subtropical to alpine
gradients where the vegetation remains relatively undisturbed, and
investigate whether NPP and LAI converge towards threshold-like logistic
patterns associated with climatic and soil variables that would help us
to verify and parameterize process models for predicting future
ecosystem behavior under global environmental change."

Keywords: Alpine plants, climate, leaf area index, logistic function,
net primary productivity, soil nutrients, Tibetan Plateau, transect.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> "Because few meteorological stations exist in the Central Tibetan
> Plateau (approximately 50 stations), the climatic data of the sites
> along the longitudinal-latitudinal transect were obtained from Chinese
> temperature and precipitation databases at a resolution of 2.5 ′×
> 2.5′(c. 4--5 km), simulated by PRISM (Parameter-elevation Regressions
> on Independent Slopes Model, Daly et al., 1994, 2000a) according to
> GPS locations (latitude, longitude and altitude)."
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research,
Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

Funding Agency:

> This study was funded by the Key Technologies R & D Program of China
> (2002BA517A-09-03-03), the National Natural Science Foundation of
> China (30370290), the Special President Foundation of Chinese Academy
> of Sciences (2002), the Knowledge Innovation Project of Chinese
> Academy of Sciences (CX10GE01- 02--03, CX10G-C00-02), the National Key
> Projects for Basic Research of China (G1998040813) and the
> International Cooperation Project of the **USDA** Forest Service
> Northern Global Change Program (03-IC-11242343--069).
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to provide climatic data for the Central Tibetan
> Plateau for a study that was designed "to quantify climatic and soil
> controls on net primary productivity (NPP) and leaf area index (LAI)
> along subtropical to alpine gradients where the vegetation remains
> relatively undisturbed, and (to) investigate whether NPP and LAI
> converge towards threshold-like logistic patterns associated with
> climatic and soil variables ... would help ... to verify and
> parameterize process models for predicting future ecosystem behavior
> under global environmental change."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "In response to climatic gradients along the TAVT, LAI and NPP across
> diverse vegetation types converged towards threshold-like logistic
> patterns consistent with the general distribution patterns of live
> biomass both above-ground and below-ground found in our earlier
> studies. Our analysis further revealed that climatic factors strongly
> limited the NPP variations along the TAVT because the precipitation
> gradient characterized not only the vegetation distribution but also
> the soil N conditions of the natural ecosystems. LAI generally
> increased with increasing precipitation and was well correlated with
> soil organic C and total N variables. The interaction between LAI
> growth and soil N availability would appear to have important
> implications for ecosystem structure and function of alpine spruce-fir
> forests. Convergence towards logistic patterns in dry matter
> production of plants in the TAVT suggests that alpine plant growth
> would increase in a nonlinear response to global warming."

Google 155

Space--time modeling of lightning-caused ignitions in the Blue
Mountains, Oregon

Carlos Díaz-Avalos, David L. Peterson, Ernesto Alvarado, Sue A.
Ferguson, and Julian E. Besag

*Can. J. For. Res*. Vol. 31, 2001: pages 1579-1593

ABSTRACT

Generalized linear mixed models (GLMM) were used to study the effect of
vegetation cover, elevation, slope, and precipitation on the probability
of ignition in the Blue Mountains, Oregon, and to estimate the
probability of ignition occurrence at different locations in space and
in time. Data on starting location of lightning-caused ignitions in the
Blue Mountains between April 1986 and September 1993 constituted the
base for the analysis. The study area was divided into a pixel--time
array. For each pixel--time location we associated a value of 1 if at
least one ignition occurred and 0 otherwise. Covariate information for
each pixel was obtained using a geographic information system. The GLMMs
were fitted in a Bayesian framework. Higher ignition probabilities were
associated with the following cover types: subalpine herbaceous, alpine
tundra, lodgepole pine (*Pinus contorta* Dougl. ex Loud.), whitebark
pine (*Pinus albicaulis* Engelm.), Engelmann spruce (*Picea engelmannii*
Parry ex Engelm.), subalpine fir (*Abies lasiocarpa* (Hook.) Nutt.), and
grand fir (*Abies grandis* (Dougl.) Lindl.). Within each vegetation
type, higher ignition probabilities occurred at lower elevations.
Additionally, ignition probabilities are lower in the northern and
southern extremes of the Blue Mountains. The GLMM procedure used here is
suitable for analyzing ignition occurrence in other forested regions
where probabilities of ignition are highly variable because of a
spatially complex biophysical environment.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Using digital elevation and vegetation maps available for the area, we
> used a geographic information system (GIS) to attach data about
> vegetation type, elevation, and slope at each pixel center.
> Precipitation was incorporated from a data base of mean monthly
> precipitation for the area, estimated with the PRISM model (Daly et
> al. 1994), which uses regression and digital elevation maps to
> interpolate data from existing weather stations over complex terrain.
>
> 2\. Affiliation:
>
> Instituto de Investigaciones en Matemáticas Aplicadas y en Sistemas,
> Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

Funding Agency:

> The first author was supported in part by the **USDA** Forest Service,
> Pacific Northwest Research Station, and by the Dirección General de
> Asuntos del Personal Académico of the National University of México.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to provide precipitation data for a study using
> generalized linear mixed models (GLMM) "to study the effect of
> vegetation cover, elevation, slope, and precipitation on the
> probability of ignition in the Blue Mountains, Oregon, and to estimate
> the probability of ignition occurrence at different locations in space
> and in time."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "The predictive potential of the space--time model presented here has
> applications for forest managers who need information on the
> distribution of ignition occurrence and associated fire effects
> (Boychuk et al. 1997; Lertzman et al. 1998). The resulting ignition
> probabilities can be linked with other models that require such
> probabilities as an input (Mills and Bratten 1982; Keane et al.
> 1996*a*; Lenihan et al. 1998). A potential drawback of the model is
> the amount of computational time using the MCMC method to estimate
> parameters. However, a one-time analysis of a large data set can
> provide the basis for incorporating fire disturbance in long-term
> management for large geographic areas, thereby making it a good
> investment of time and effort."

Google 156

Structure and dynamics of an ancient montane forest in coastal British
Columbia

Roberta Parish and Joseph A. Antos

*Oecologia* (2004) 141: 562--576

DOI 10.1007/s00442-004-1690-4

ABSTRACT

Old-growth forests are common in the snowy, montane environments of
coastal western North America. To examine dynamics of a stand containing
four canopy tree species (Abies amabilis, Chamaecyparis nootkatensis,
Tsuga mertensiana and T. heterophylla), we used four stem-mapped, 50 m
×50 m plots. From measurements of annual rings, we obtained ages from
basal discs of 1,336 live trees, developed master chronologies for each
species, reconstructed early growth rates, and delineated periods of
release. The stand was ancient; individuals of all four species exceeded
900 years in age, and the oldest tree exceeded 1,400 years. The four
plots differed in the timing of events, and we found no evidence of
major, stand-level disturbance. Instead the stand was structured by
small-scale patch dynamics, resulting from events that affected one to
several trees and initiated episodes of release and relatively rapid
early growth. The species differed in age structure and dynamics. A.
amabilis and T. heterophylla had a classical reverse-J age structure
indicative of stable populations, whereas C. nootkatensis and T.
mertensiana appeared to rely on local episodes of increased recruitment,
which were often separated by centuries, and were probably related to
multiple-tree gaps that occurred infrequently. However, such gaps could
be considered normal in the long-term history of the stand, and thus
these species with their long life spans can persist. Most individuals
of all four species grew extremely slowly, with trees typically spending
centuries in the understory before reaching the canopy, where they were
able to persist for additional centuries. Thus, the key features of this
forest are the very slow dynamics dominated by small-scale

events, and the slow growth of stress-tolerant trees.

Keywords Abies amabilis . Age structure, Chamaecyparis nootkatensis .
Patch dynamics . Tsuga mertensiana

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> There are two climate stations within 115 km of Mt. Cain, and both are
> at low elevation. Thus, we used a method (PRISM, Daly et al. 1994,
> 1997) that interpolates climate data from spatially distributed point
> data and a digital elevation model.
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Research Branch, BC Ministry of Forests, Victoria, BC, V8 W 9C2, Canada

Funding Agency:

Forestry Innovation Investment and Forest Renewal BC funded this
project.

> 3\. PRISM was used to interpolate climate data for an examination of
> the dynamics of an old-growth stand composed of four canopy tree
> species ([Abies]{.underline}, [Chamaecyparis]{.underline}, and two
> [Tsuga]{.underline} sp.)
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> We can summarize the dynamics of this ancient forest as follows. It is
> structured by a combination of small gap dynamics and processes that
> occur beneath the canopy. Large disturbances or widespread local
> disturbances appear to have had little or no influence; however, the
> mix of small and moderate gaps appears to be responsible for
> maintaining the abundance of moderately shade tolerant species. Thus
> the effects of long-past small disturbance events may still be seen in
> the forest composition. Major natural disturbance is always possible,
> but apparently very unlikely in this cool, wet, snowy montane
> environment. Thus this stand formed a stable ecosystem.

Google 157

THE COMPLEMENTARY RELATIONSHIP IN REGIONAL EVAPOTRANSPIRATION: THE CRAE
MODEL AND THE ADVECTION-ARIDITY APPROACH

Michael T. Hobbins, Jorge A. Ramírez, and Thomas C. Brown

*Hydrology Days* (1999):pages 1-16

ABSTRACT

"Two implementations of Bouchet.s \[1963\] hypothesis.Morton.s
Complementary Relationship Aerial Evapotranspiration (CRAE) model and
Brutsaert and Stricker.s Advection-Aridity (AA) model. For regional
evapotranspiration are evaluated against independent estimates derived
from long-term (1962-1988), large-scale water balances for minimally
impacted river basins in the conterminous US. The CRAE model \[Morton,
1983\] is shown to be a powerful tool in estimating regional
evapotranspiration at a monthly time-scale, yielding unbiased estimates
with a mean annual water balance closure error of .1.32%. The AA model
in the formulation proposed by Brutsaert and Stricker \[1979\] using the
Penman wind function \[Penman, 1948\] yields evapotranspiration
estimates that are biased towards underestimation: the mean error is
8.95%. Both models over-estimate evapotranspiration in arid basins. In
general, increasing humidity leads to decreasing absolute closure errors
for both models, while increasing aridity leads to increasingly negative
CRAE closure errors and independently high positive AA closure errors.
The significant differences in the models. performances are due
primarily to the use of the concept of equilibrium temperature in the
CRAE model and its effects on the surface radiation budget, and to the
choice of wind function in the AA model, which is highly dependent on
the advective portion of its formulation. An attempt to improve the AA
model by seasonally recalibrating the wind function led to significant
differences from the original Penman wind function for the growing
season, but did not yield improvements in the performance of the model
as regards long-term, large-scale water balances."

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Corresponding precipitation and streamflow data are obtained from the
> spatially distributed data sets .Parameter-elevation Regressions on
> Independent Slopes Model (PRISM). \[Daly et al., 1994\], and the U.S.
> Geological Survey (USGS) .Hydro-Climatic Data Network
>
> (HCDN). \[Slack and Landwehr, 1992\], respectively.
>
> 2\. Affiliation:
>
> Ph.D. Student, Water Resources, Hydrologic and Environmental Sciences
> Division, Civil Engineering Department, Colorado State University,
> Fort Collins

Funding Agency:

> This work was partially supported by the US Forest Service and the
> National Institute for Global Environmental Change through the U.S.
> Department of Energy (Cooperative Agreement No. DE-FC03-90ER61010).
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to provide precipitation data for use in evaluating
> "Two implementations of Bouchet.s \[1963\] hypothesis.Morton.s
> Complementary Relationship Aerial Evapotranspiration (CRAE) model and
> Brutsaert and Stricker.s Advection-Aridity (AA) model. For regional
> evapotranspiration ... against independent estimates derived from
> long-term (1962-1988), large-scale water balances for minimally
> impacted river basins in the conterminous US."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:

"The CRAE model provides estimates of ETa that yield unbiased water
balance closure errors, with a variance significantly less than that of
the AA model. However, both models. performances are affected by basin
climatology (see Figure 7). The CRAE model underestimates ETa slightly
in humid climates, and overestimates slightly in arid climates, whereas
the AA model underestimates ETa in all but the most arid climates.
Before the AA model can be successfully applied in regional water
balances, f(U2) must be re-parameterized for accurate ETp estimates, and
unbiased water balance estimates on a monthly basis. An f(U2)-improved
AA model is preferred over the CRAE model, as the former uses observed
advection data in f(U2), while the latter relies on a constant vapor
transfer function fT."

"Although the use of ETpan data to derive seasonal wind functions
represents an independent means of re-parameterizing the formulation of
the ETp component of the complementary relationship, as presented it
does not produce any improvement in the treatment of advection in the
model. In fact, the modified model performs significantly worse than
with the original Penman wind function. This is most likely due to
experimental procedure..."

Google 160

The Sensitivity of Precipitation and Snowpack Simulations to Model
Resolution via Nesting in Regions of Complex Terrain

L. Ruby Leung and Yun Qian

*Journal of Hydrometeorology*: Vol. 4, No. 6, pp. 1025--1043.

doi: 10.1175/1525-7541(2003)004\<1025:TSOPAS\>2.0.CO;2

ABSTRACT

This paper examines the sensitivity of regional climate simulations to
increasing spatial resolution via nesting by means of a 20-yr simulation
of the western United States at 40-km resolution and a 5-yr simulation
at 13-km resolution for the Pacific Northwest and California. The
regional simulation at 40-km resolution shows a lack of precipitation
along coastal hills, good agreement with observations on the windward
slopes of the Cascades and Sierra Nevada, but over prediction on the
leeside and the basins beyond. Snowpack is grossly under predicted
throughout the western United States when compared against snowpack
telemetry (SNOTEL) observations. During winter, higher spatial
resolution mainly improves the precipitation simulation in the coastal
hills and basins. Along the Cascades and the Sierra Nevada range,
precipitation is strongly amplified at the higher spatial resolution.
Higher resolution generally improves the spatial distribution of
precipitation to yield a higher spatial correlation between simulations
and observations. During summer, higher resolution improves not only the
spatial distribution but also the regional mean precipitation.

In the Olympic Mountains and along the Coastal Range, increased
precipitation at higher resolution reflects mainly a shift from light to
heavy precipitation events. In the Cascades and Sierra Nevada, increased
precipitation is mainly associated with more frequent heavy
precipitation at higher resolution. Changes in precipitation from 40- to
13-km resolution depend on synoptic conditions such as wind direction
and moisture transport. The use of higher spatial resolution improves
snowpack more than precipitation. However, results presented in this
paper suggest that accuracy in the snow simulation is also limited by
factors such as deficiencies in the land surface model or biases in
other model variables.

NOTE

"A science issue that remains worth investigating is the effects of sub
grid parameterization, which may reduce the dependence of climate models
on spatial resolution. As an example in regions of complex terrain,
Leung and Ghan (1995, 1998, 1999) developed and applied a sub grid
parameterization of orographic precipitation in a regional climate model
of the Pacific Northwest. Their results suggested that simulations
performed at 90 km with the sub grid parameterization were better than
simulations performed at 30 km, but without the sub grid scheme. When
the sub grid parameterization was applied at different resolutions with
tuning of a single parameter, L. Leung and S. Ghan (1999, unpublished
manuscript) found that the simulations of precipitation were not very
sensitive to the explicit model resolution used. Improved sub grid
parameterizations of cloud, turbulence, and radiation processes will
likely have similar impacts on the dependence of climate models on
spatial resolution."

1.  PRISM Data:

> The data were gridded and spatially interpolated to 1/88 resolution
> using the statistical topographic--precipitation relationships
> developed by Daly et al. (1994), which is important for capturing the
> mesoscale orographic precipitation pattern that is a prominent feature
> of the western United States.
>
> 2\. Affiliation:
>
> Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington

Funding Agency:

> Funding for this study was provided by the Department of Energy (DOE)
> Accelerated Climate Prediction Initiative (ACPI), the National Oceanic
> and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Global Energy and Water Cycle
> Experiment (GEWEX) Americas Prediction Project (GAPP), and the Joint
> Institute for the Study of Atmosphere and Oceans Climate Impacts Group
> at the University of Washington. The ACPI pilot effort was supported
> largely by the DOE Office of Biological and Environmental Research.
> All regional climate simulations reported in this study were performed
> on 64 processors of an IBM-SP3 at the Center for Computational
> Sciences (CCS), which is supported by the DOE Office of Science, at
> the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to interpolate precipitation for a study that
> "examines the sensitivity of regional climate simulations to
> increasing spatial resolution via nesting by means of a 20-yr
> simulation of the western United States at 40-km resolution and a 5-yr
> simulation at 13-km resolution for the Pacific Northwest and
> California."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "The use of higher spatial resolution improves snowpack more than
> precipitation. However, results presented in this paper suggest that
> accuracy in the snow simulation is also limited by factors such as
> deficiencies in the land surface model or biases in other model
> variables."
>
> "This study suggests that when precipitation is a concern, increasing
> spatial resolution from 40 to 13 km does not appear to lead to uniform
> improvements in climate simulations over complex terrain in the
> nesting approach and the model used here... Similar to findings by
> Colle et al., we find over prediction of precipitation along windward
> slopes of the Cascades. However, unlike Colle et al. where there was
> overshadowing on the lee of major mountain barriers, our results
> indicate over prediction of precipitation on the lee side as well, and
> only a minor reduction in precipitation was found as the resolution
> increases. Differences between this study and those by Colle et al.
> may simply be related to how the models were con-figured."

Google 161

Strobilus production and growth of Pacific yew under a range of
overstory conditions in western Oregon

S.P. DiFazio, N.C. Vance, and M.V. Wilson

*Can. J. For. Res*. 27: 986--993 (1997)

ABSTRACT

Strobilus production, growth, and morphology of Pacific yew (*Taxus
brevifolia* Nutt.) were examined at three sites in the Cascade Mountains
and one site in the Willamette Valley of western Oregon. Strobilus
production on branch segments was positively associated with overstory
openness for male and female trees at all four sites over 2 years.
Strobilus production was also associated with branch vigor, but not as
consistently as with overstory. Other variables, including tree size and
age, mass of branches, branch bifurcations, and potential radiation,
failed to explain significant variation in strobilus production.
Overstory openness was also correlated with 5-year growth increment for
all trees and with mass of 1994 branch growth for female trees,
suggesting that tree vigor increased with overstory openness. In
addition, branch mass and the number of branch bifurcations were
positively associated with overstory openness.

NOTE

It is important to note that strobilus production was measured on
subsampled branches only, and no attempt was made to extrapolate results
to whole trees. Nevertheless, it is likely that whole-tree strobilus
production would have followed the same qualitative trends as subsampled
branches: intensity of branching increased with DIFN, and trees were
larger on average under open conditions on three of four sites (Table
1). Therefore, overstory removal resulted in increased vigor of *T.
brevifolia* trees, as indicated by increased strobilus production and
growth at these sites.

1.  PRISM Data:

> Average annual precipitation values derived from interpolations of
> 10-year averages from nearby climate stations, based on the PRISM
> climate model (Daly et al. 1994).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University,
Corvallis,

Funding Agency:

> This research was supported in part by Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. and
> the Genetics and Tree Improvement Team of the **USDA** Forest Service
> Pacific Northwest Research Station.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to provide average annual precipitation values for
> a study of Strobilus production, growth, and morphology of Pacific yew
> (*Taxus brevifolia* Nutt.) growing at three sites in the Cascade
> Mountains and one site in the Willamette Valley of western Oregon.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> Strobilus production on branch segments was positively associated with
> overstory openness for male and female trees at all four sites over 2
> years. Strobilus production was also associated with branch vigor, but
> not as consistently as with overstory. Other variables, including tree
> size and age, mass of branches, branch bifurcations, and potential
> radiation, failed to explain significant variation in strobilus
> production. Overstory openness was also correlated with 5-year growth
> increment for all trees and with mass of 1994 branch growth for female
> trees, suggesting that tree vigor increased with overstory openness.
> In addition, branch mass and the number of branch bifurcations were
> positively associated with overstory openness.

Google 162

AN ANALYSIS OF HISTORICAL POPULATION STRUCTURE FOR EVOLUTIONARILY
SIGNIFICANT UNITS OF CHINOOK SALMON, COHO SALMON, AND STEELHEAD IN THE
NORTH-CENTRAL Eric P. Bjorkstedt, Brian C. Spence, John Carlos Garza,
David G. Hankin, David Fuller, Weldon E. Jones, Jerry J. Smith, and
Richard Macedo

NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS OCTOBER 2005

Executive Summary

The Technical Recovery Team (TRT) for the North-Central California Coast
Recovery Domain (NCCCRD) has been charged with evaluating the historical
population structure of ESUs of Coho salmon, Chinook salmon and
steelhead that occupy coastal watersheds between the Klamath River
(exclusive) and northern Monterey Bay. The main text of this report
presents the conclusions of the TRT regarding historical population
structure of four ESUs (summarized below), and discussion of analysis,
assumptions, and uncertainties that underlie these conclusions. Our
analytical framework extends the original concepts developed by McElhany
et al. (2000) by considering independently two characteristics of a
population: *viability*, defined in terms of probability of extinction
over a specified time frame, and *independence*, defined in terms of the
influence of immigration on a population's extinction probability.
Following McElhany et al. (2000), we define a "viable" population as a
population having a low (\<5%) probability of going extinct over a
100-year time frame, and define an "independent" population as one for
which exchanges with other populations have negligible influence on its
extinction risk, estimated over a similar time frame. By arranging
populations in "viability--independence" space, and setting appropriate
thresholds to distinguish "viable" populations from "non-viable" ones on
one hand, and "independent" from "dependent" on the other, we are able
to define four types of populations:

• "Functionally Independent Populations" are those with a high
likelihood of persisting over 100-year time scales and conform to the
definition of independent "viable salmonid populations" offered by
McElhany et al. (2000, p. 3).

• "Potentially Independent Populations" have a high likelihood of
persisting in isolation over 100- year time scales, but are too strongly
influenced by immigration from other populations to exhibit independent
dynamics.

• "Dependent Populations"1 have a substantial likelihood of going
extinct within a 100-year time period in isolation, yet receive
sufficient immigration to alter their dynamics and reduce extinction
risk.

• "Ephemeral Populations"2 have a substantial likelihood of going
extinct within a 100-year time period in isolation, and do not receive
sufficient immigration to affect this likelihood. Habitats that support
such populations are expected to be occupied at high densities
relatively rarely and to be occupied at all for relatively short periods
of time. To apply this analysis to salmon and steelhead ESUs, we first
define distinct demographic units of salmon and steelhead, defined on
the basis of two rules, each of which reflect the fact that the
anadromous life history places an extremely high premium on a successful
transition from saltwater to a suitable freshwater habitat to close the
life cycle. Our first rule defines each spawning group that occupies a
direct tributary to the Pacific Ocean as a demographic unit separate
from analogous groups in other direct ocean tributaries. Our second rule
is that spawning groups within a large basin (including tributaries of a
common estuary) may comprise multiple populations if sufficient
physical, behavioral, or selective barriers to effective dispersal
exist. To support evaluation of potential structure according to this
rule, we developed an ordination analysis of watershed environmental
characteristics, which identifies important regional structure within
the ESU. (This analysis also supports the designation of "diversity
strata", discussed below.) To support development of the set of
demographic units to be considered for each species, we also used a
synthesis of historical records and results from a model designed to
predict the potential for species- and life-history-stage- specific
habitat to occur at a reach scale and thus, the distribution of habitat
potential within a watershed. A number of types of information can be
brought to bear to support the analysis, of which we relied most heavily
on three: geographic structure, population genetic structure, and life
history variation. Although data are generally sparse for the ESUs in
the NCCCRD, we are fortunate to have a molecular genetic data for each
ESU that supports analysis of population genetic structure. Analysis of
genetic data yielded three general results: (1) concordance between
population genetic structure and the geographical arrangement of
samples, (2) signals of isolation-by-distance, and (3) evidence that
dispersal among tributaries within a basin tends to be greater than
dispersal among basins. These results support the postulates that
underlie our rules for defining demographic units, and further, provide
support for the assumptions of a simple model that allows a
comprehensive synthesis of historical population status within the ESU
based largely on geographic structure. Life history variation was used
solely to differentiate populations within an ESU on the basis of major
differences in run-timing (e.g., summer and winter steelhead, fall-run
and spring-run Chinook salmon.).

The geographical model required that, for each population, we develop
(1) a measure of "viabilityin- isolation", which is based on the
probability of extinction in complete isolation from all other
populations, and (2) an estimate of self-recruitment, i.e., the
proportion of recruits to a population that originate in that
population, which, as a measure of the degree to which each population's
dynamics are determined internally, serves as a measure of population
independence. Methods for calculating population-specific values for
these two parameters are discussed in detail in the main text of the
report, but rest on (1) estimates of habitat capacity derived from a GIS
model as a proxy measure for viabilityin- isolation as a proxy for
(relative) extinction risk, and (2) comparisons of population-specific
self recruitment rates to the fidelity (homing) rate as an indicator of
whether a population is more strongly affected by internal dynamics than
by dispersal processes. Self-recruitment is derived from a simple
dispersal model that includes information on the size of a population
and the size and spatial distribution of neighboring populations. This
framework amounts to a "connectivity-viability" model for *ranking* the
status of populations within an ESU. Of course, the status of individual
populations is not static over time, and the predicted position of a
population in viability-independence space should be envisioned as a
central point about which a population's true state fluctuates as a
function of perturbations to itself and neighboring populations.

We applied the geographic "connectivity-viability" model to each ESU as
a major element of our analysis of historical population structure.
However, in our interpretation of the results from this model, we also
take into account potential biases and uncertainties in the underlying
inputs to the model, particularly those that derive from regional
patterns in environmental conditions (see main text of report for
detailed discussion). As noted previously, we also take into account any
relevant information on life history variation in evaluating population
structure, with a particular emphasis on distinguishing populations on
the basis of major differences in run-timing. After evaluating the
historical population type (e.g., "potentially independent") for all
demographic units in an ESU, we arrange these populations into diversity
strata on the basis of groups identified in our ordination analysis of
watershed-scale environmental characteristics. Diversity strata
represent an important level of structure (although not necessarily
biological structure) between the population and ESU, and offer a useful
framework for accounting for diversity and spatial structure in the
evaluation of ESU viability under current conditions and future
scenarios. Figures on the following pages summarize our conclusions
regarding the historical population structure of each ESU in the NCCCRD.
Note that not all dependent populations are included in these figures.

The analyses described in this report necessarily incorporate a broad
range of assumptions, which are discussed in great detail in the main
text. We emphasize, however, that this uncertainty is likely to have
relatively minor consequences for subsequent development of ESU
viability criteria, given that appropriate consideration of spatial
structure and diversity is included in evaluation of viability at both
scales of individual populations and each ESU as a whole.

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

1Dependent populations (and, by extension, the watersheds that support
them) serve at least three roles within an ESU. First, in the case of
catastrophic disturbance, nearby dependent populations can support
normally independent populations by providing a small, proximate source
of colonists. Second, although they are not themselves dominant sources
of dispersers within the ESU, dependent populations increase
connectivity within an ESU by allowing dispersal among populations to
occur in incremental steps. Third, since they are more subject to
genetic drift and inputs of genetic material from other populations,
small populations can serve as "evolutionary experiments" more readily
than can large populations, such that maintaining conditions that
support the existence of small populations may contribute importantly to
the diversity evolutionary potential of

the ESU. These three criteria argue strongly that "dependence" should
not be equated with "expendable", although it is clear that such
populations will serve a different role in contributing to ESU viability
than will larger populations. Note that a set of small populations that
are dependent on larger populations can themselves exhibit a degree of
"mutual dependence" and increased viability as a consequence of
bilateral dispersal.

2Ephemeral populations are likely to be rare, and to occur almost
without exception at the edge of an ESUs range. For two of the three
species considered in this report, the NCCCRD spans or includes the
southern end of the species (coastal) range, so ephemeral populations
are perhaps more likely to be observed in this region.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> **Table 1.2.** Multivariate environmental analysis of watersheds in
> the NCCCRD.
>
> Data Type Description Source PC 1\_ PC 2\_ PC 3\_
>
> AREA-HA area in ha -0.345 -0.2
>
> MEAN-ELEV mean elevation (m) DEM (USGS, 2003) 0.211 -0.437 -0.107
>
> MEAN-PPT Average\_ mean annual precipitation PRISM (Daly et al., 1994)
> 0.408 -0.154
>
> MEAN-TMN Average mean temperature PRISM (Daly et al., 1994) -0.428
> 0.261
>
> MEAN-TMIN Average minimum temperature PRISM (Daly et al., 1994) -0.248
> 0.394
>
> MEAN-TMAX Average maximum temperature PRISM (Daly et al., 1994) -0.35
> -0.32 0.246
>
> MEAN-TRNG Average annual temperature range PRISM (Daly et al., 1994)
> -0.181 -0.473 0.169
>
> PEAK Peak month of stream flow EarthInfo (2002) -0.24 -0.184
>
> SNWI Snow index PRISM (Daly et al., 1994) 0.23 -0.335 -0.269
>
> VOLCAN\_\_ % area volcanic Jennings (1977)\_\_\_ -0.264 -0.313
>
> SEDIM† % area sedimentary Jennings (1977)\_\_\_ 0.353 0.501
>
> GRANIT†† % area granitic/plutonic Jennings (1977)\_\_\_ -0.155 -0.156
>
> ALLUV††† % area alluvial Jennings (1977)\_\_\_ -0.245 0.151 -0.57
>
> \_
>
> Loadings with magnitude exceeding 0.1 on each of the first three
> principle components. The following lithographic categories were
> aggregated under VOLCAN: calc-alkaline meta-volcanic, calc-alkaline
> volcanoclastic, mafic volcanic flow, felsic pyroclastic, felsic
> volcanic flow, and mafic pyroclastic. Information derived from GIS
> layer based on Jennings (1977). †The following lithographic categories
> were aggregated under SEDIM: carbonate, conglomerate, interlayered
> metasedimentary, interlayered meta-sedimentary Franciscan,
> meta-sedimentary phyllite and schist, sandstone, sandstone Franciscan,
> shale and mudstone, argillite and slate, mixed eugeosynclinal, and
> siltstone. ††The following lithographic categories were aggregated
> under GRANIT: calc-alkaline intrusive, granitic gneiss, mafic
> intrusive, mafic schist and greenstone, ultramafic, alkalic intrusive,
> and mafic gneiss. †††The following lithographic categories were
> aggregated under ALLUV: alluvium, dune sand, glacial drift, and
> landslide.
>
> 2\. Affiliation:
>
> NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service, Southwest Fisheries Science
> Center, Fisheries
>
> Ecology Division, 110 Shaffer Road, Santa Cruz

Funding Agency:

> 3\. PRISM was used to provide "precipitation and temperature data for
> a study that examined with evaluating the historical population
> structure of ESUs of Coho salmon, Chinook salmon and steelhead that
> occupy coastal watersheds between the Klamath River (exclusive) and
> northern Monterey Bay."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion: See executive summary, above.

Google 164

Regional Variation in Epiphytic Macrolichen Communities in Northern and
Central California Forests

SARAH JOVAN AND BRUCE MCCUNE

The Bryologist 107(3), pp. 328 339

ABSTRACT

We studied epiphytic macrolichen communities in northern and central
California to 1) describe how gradients in community composition relate
to climate, topography, and stand structure and 2) define subregions of
relatively homogeneous lichen communities and environmental conditions.
Non-metric multidimensional scaling was used to characterize
landscape-level trends in lichen community composition from 211 plots.
We found two gradients in lichen community composition that corresponded
with macroclimatic gradients: one correlated with temperature variables
and elevation, the second with moisture variables. Moist, warm plots
supported more cyanolichen species, while warm but dry plots supported a
diverse nitrophilous flora. Ammonia pollution, which was not accounted
for in the analysis, may also explain spatial patterns in nitrophilous
species and deserves further study. Cluster analysis and indicator
species analysis were used to divide lichen communities into more
homogeneous groups and identify group indicator species. Three groups of
plots differing in geography, macroclimate, and community composition
were defined: the Greater Central Valley group; the Sierra, Southern
Cascades, and Modoc group; and the NW Coast group. Communities in the
Greater Central Valley group were typically diverse and dominated by
nitrophilous species, averaging 14 species and 40% nitrophiles.
Cyanolichens common to this group were mainly diminuitive species from
the genera Leptogium and Collema. Indicator species strongly associated
with the Greater Central Valley included Melanelia glabra, Candelaria
concolor, and Parmelina quercina. Communities from the Sierra, Southern
Cascades, and Modoc group had the lowest species richness and total
lichen abundance. Cyanolichens were absent, while nitrophiles such as
Candelaria concolor and Xanthoria fulva were frequent. Indicator species
included Letharia vulpina, L. columbiana, and Nodobryoria abbreviata.
The NW Coast group had the highest species richness, cyanolichen
diversity, and cyanolichen abundance while nitrophiles were rare.
Indicator species included Platismatia glauca, Esslingeriana idahoensis,
and Cetraria orbata.

Keywords. Air pollution, California, community analysis, cyanolichens,
epiphytic macrolichens, gradients, nitrophiles, non-metric
multidimensional scaling.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Climate data, averaged over 1961 to 1990, were extracted from the
> Precipitation-Elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model
> (PRISM; Daly et al. 1994, 2001, 2002): mean annual dew temperature,
> mean annual temperature, mean annual maximum temperature, mean annual
> minimum temperature, mean annual precipitation, mean number of wet
> days per year, and mean annual relative humidity.
>
> 2\. Affiliation:
>
> Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University,
> Corvallis

Funding Agency:

> Funding for this research was provided by the **USDA** Forest Service
> PNW Research Station and the Eastern Sierra Institute for
> Collaborative Education, contract number 43-0467-0-1700.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to provide climate data for a study of "epiphytic
> macrolichen communities in northern and central California to 1)
> describe how gradients in community composition relate to climate,
> topography, and stand structure and 2) define subregions of relatively
> homogeneous lichen communities and environmental conditions."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:

We found two gradients in lichen community composition that corresponded
with macroclimatic gradients: one correlated with temperature variables
and elevation, the second with moisture variables. Moist, warm plots
supported more cyanolichen species, while warm but dry plots supported a
diverse nitrophilous flora. Ammonia pollution, which was not accounted
for in the analysis, may also explain spatial patterns in nitrophilous
species and deserves further study. Cluster analysis and indicator
species analysis were used to divide lichen communities into more
homogeneous groups and identify group indicator species. Three groups of
plots differing in geography, macroclimate, and community composition
were defined: the Greater Central Valley group; the Sierra, Southern
Cascades, and Modoc group; and the NW Coast group.

Google 166

Vogel, R. M., and A. Sankarasubramanian

Validation of a watershed model without calibration

Water Resour. Res., 39(10), 1292-1301

doi:10.1029/2002WR001940, 2003

ABSTRACT

Traditional approaches for the validation of watershed models focus on
the ''goodness of fit'' between model predictions and observations. It
is possible for a watershed model to exhibit a ''good'' fit, yet not
accurately represent hydrologic processes; hence ''goodness of fit'' can
be misleading. Instead, we introduce an approach which evaluates the
ability of a model to represent the observed covariance structure of the
input (climate) and output (streamflow) without ever calibrating the
model. An advantage of this approach is that it is not confounded by
model error introduced during the calibration process. We illustrate
that once a watershed model is calibrated, the unavoidable model error
can cloud our ability to validate (or invalidate) the model. We
emphasize that model hypothesis testing (validation) should be performed
prior to, and independent of, parameter estimation (calibration),
contrary to traditional practice in which watershed models are usually
validated after calibrating the model. Our approach is tested using two
different watershed models at a number of different watersheds in the
United States.

KEYWORDS: rainfall-runoff, catchment model, verification, hypothesis
testing, moment diagram

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> This section describes the procedures used to develop the monthly and
> annual time series of precipitation P and potential evapotranspiration
> PE, required as input to the abcd model. Monthly time series of
> precipitation, average minimum, and average maximum daily temperature
> over the period 1951--1988 were obtained from 0.5\_ time series grids
> based on the precipitation-elevation regressions on independent slope
> model (PRISM) climate analysis system \[Daly et al., 1994\].

2\. Affiliation:

Ag WaterSHED Center, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering,
Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts

Funding: (not listed)

> 3\. PRISM was used to provide monthly time series of precipitation,
> average minimum, and average maximum daily temperature over the period
> 1951--1988, which were required for input into the abcd model that was
> used during a validation study of a watershed model without
> calibration.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> An advantage of this approach is that it is not confounded by model
> error introduced during the calibration process. We illustrate that
> once a watershed model is calibrated, the unavoidable model error can
> cloud our ability to validate (or invalidate) the model. We emphasize
> that model hypothesis testing (validation) should be performed prior
> to, and independent of, parameter estimation (calibration), contrary
> to traditional practice in which watershed models are usually
> validated after calibrating the model.

Google 168

Precipitation, sublimation, and snow drift in the Antarctic Peninsula
region from a regional atmospheric model

van Lipzig, N. P. M., J. C. King, T. A. Lachlan-Cope, and M. R. van den
Broeke

J. Geophys. Res., 109, D24106 (2004)

doi:10.1029/2004JD004701.

ABSTRACT

A regional atmospheric model, with a horizontal grid spacing (Dx) of 14
km, is used to study the surface mass balance components (precipitation,
sublimation, and snow drift) in the region of the Antarctic Peninsula
(AP). An integration is performed for the 7-year period 1987--1993,
using a realistic forcing at the lateral model boundaries and at the sea
surface. Output from this integration indicates that the precipitation
reaches its maximum value on the northwestern slope of the AP, where the
upward motion in the atmosphere is largest. Uplift occurs upstream of
the barrier, affecting the precipitation distribution over sea. The
effect of the barrier on the precipitation distribution over the
Bellingshausen Sea might have important implications for the ocean
circulation in this region. The mean precipitation over the grounded ice
of the AP (1.20 m water eq yr_1) is 6 times larger than the mean value
over all the grounded ice of Antarctica. Our estimates for the surface
sublimation and wind transport of snow over the grounding line toward
the sea are 9% and 6 ± 1% of the precipitation, respectively. In situ
data of the wind distribution at three coastal sites located on the
northern, eastern, and western sides of the AP are used to evaluate the
modeled wind field, which is important for the snow drift calculations.
For two of the three sites considered, the prevailing wind direction and
bimodal wind distribution are correctly represented by the model. The
calculated distribution of accumulation and ablation due to snow drift
shows a complex pattern. The wind removes snow from the spine of the AP,
where the near-surface flow field diverges, whereas deposition occurs
mainly on the eastern slopes, where the near-surface flow field
converges. An intercomparison between two 7-year integrations at
different horizontal resolution (Dx = 14 km and Dx = 55 km) shows that
the precipitation on the northwestern slope is very sensitive to the
model resolution: In the Dx = 14 km integration, precipitation on the
northwestern slope is higher than in Dx = 55 km because of higher
vertical velocities, resulting in a 35% increase in average
precipitation over the grounded ice of the AP.

KEYWORDS: precipitation, Antarctic Peninsula, regional atmospheric model

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> On the other hand, precipitation is heaviest over the crest in the
> Coast Range and Cascade Range in Oregon \[Daly et al., 1994\]. It is
> therefore not clear where exactly the maximum in P on the barrier of
> the AP can be expected.
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, UK

Funding Agency:

> This work was supported by the European Commission under a Marie Curie
> Fellowship and by the Computer Services for Academic Research (CSAR)
> for the use of High-Performance Computing facilities.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to estimate where precipitation is heaviest .
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> We recommend that additional measurements of B are performed on the
> western slopes and the spine of the AP to investigate the location of
> the maximum in P in more detail. In addition, future modeling of P
> over the AP should include a more detailed parameterization of P,
> including cloud microphysical processes and downstream advection of
> precipitation.

Google 169

Lichen Communities for Forest Health Monitoring in Colorado, USA: A
Report to the **USDA** Forest Service

Bruce McCune, Paul Rogers, Andrea Ruchty, and Bruce Ryan

June 29, 1998

ABSTRACT

(Lengthy; could not copy/paste from HTML, the only available document on
line.)

"...Field crews collected data on epiphytic macrolichens from throughout
forested areas of Colorado from 1992-1996. Repeated sampling of thee
permanent plots will allow us to document changes in the condition of
lichen communities over time. Additional plots were taken in urban and
industrial areas, for a total of 185 plots reported on here.

This work establishes a baseline from which we can measure impacts of
future changes in climate and air quality in Colorado. We provide the
quantitative tools for doing so and document the repeatability of the
method."

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> "More promising was interpolating precipitation data using the PRISM
> model (Daly et al. 1994:
> <http://www.ocs.orst.edu/prism/prism_new.html>). Long-term means are
> available for the whole state with a cell size of 0.04167 degrees on
> each side. However, we could only approximately match our sample
> locations with the interpolated values. Incorporating elevations of
> our plots into the interpolations of PRISM would be necessary for more
> accurate estimates of long-term precipitation averages."
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, OSU, Corvallis

Funding Agency:

> "Funding was provided by the Forest Health Monitoring Program, an
> interagency program including the **USDA** Forest Service, the US
> Environmental Protection Agency, **USDA** Bureau of Land Management,
> **USDA** Natural Resource Conservation Service, and participating
> state agencies.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to provide precipitation estimates necessary to
> conduct a baseline study from which impacts of future changes in
> climate and air quality in Colorado can be examined through the
> assessment of lichen communities.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "To better understand gradients in lichen communities (and other
> indicators) in Colorado, we need better information on local climates.
> The most cost-effective first step would be to modify the PRISM model
> to produce precipitation estimates for exact locations of all FHM
> plots in Colorado.
>
> More intensive sampling is needed in the Park Range and the front
> Range, to better monitor future changes in lichen communities and
> forest health resulting from air pollution. We recommend intensifying
> the sampling grid by 3X in those areas. To strengthen the link to
> direct air quality monitoring data we recommend sampling a special set
> of plots adjacent to NADP we/dry deposition monitoring stations
> throughout Colorado."

Google 170

ELEVATED CO2 AND TEMPERATURE ALTER THE RESPONSE OF PINUS PONDEROSA TO
OZONE: A SIMULATION ANALYSIS

DAVID T. TINGEY, JOHN A. LAURENCE, JAMES A. WEBER, JOSEPH GREENE,
WILLIAM E. HOGSETT, SANDRA BROWN, AND E. HENRY LEE

*Ecological Applications*, 11(5), 2001, pp. 1412--1424

ABSTRACT

We investigated the potential impact of projected future temperature and
CO2 concentrations in combination with tropospheric O3 on the annual
biomass increment of *Pinus ponderosa* Doug. ex Laws. TREGRO, a
process-based whole-tree growth model in which trees experienced a
seasonal drought, was used to study the interactions of CO2,
temperature, and O3 on tree growth along a latitudinal gradient in
California, Oregon, and Washington, USA. The annual biomass increment
increased in proportion to CO2 concentration, although the magnitude
varied among sites. Increasing air temperature (11.38C) increased growth
at most sites. Elevated CO2 increased the temperature optimum for growth
at four sites and decreased it at two sites. The annual biomass
increment decreased with increasing O3 exposure. The differences in O3
effects among sites were primarily controlled by differences in
precipitation. Although increasing CO2 can reduce the O3 impact, it does
not eliminate the impact of O3. Elevated CO2 would enhance tree growth
more if O3 exposures were reduced, especially in the more polluted
sites. The greatest benefit for tree growth would come from reducing O3
exposures in the most polluted sites, but we must also consider
locations that have high inherent O3 sensitivity because of their mesic
conditions. Limiting the increase of O3 levels in those areas will also
increase tree growth.

*Key words: drought stress; elevated CO2; ozone, tropospheric;* Pinus
ponderosa; *temperature; TREGRO.*

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> An orographic, moving-window linear regression model (Daly et al.
> 1994), used in conjunction with a DEM (NOAA 1989) and daily point
> measurements of precipitation, was used to estimate the precipitation
> over the western U.S. Daily estimates of site precipitation were
> derived from these elevation-corrected precipitation estimates. All
> precipitation was treated as ''liquid''; daily precipitation was
> subdivided into equal hourly increments over a 6-h interval.
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Western Ecology Division,
Corvallis, Oregon

Funding Agency:

The research described in this article has been supported by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency.

> 3\. PRISM was used to estimate precipitation in an investigation of "
> the potential impact of projected future temperature and CO2
> concentrations in combination with tropospheric O3 on the annual
> biomass increment of *Pinus ponderosa..."*
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "*Implications for tree growth*.---The interactions of tropospheric
> O3, changing temperature, and rising atmospheric CO2 can alter forest
> growth. Our simulations suggest that increasing CO2 will increase tree
> growth, even if there is a seasonal drought. Also, current and
> increasing levels of tropospheric O3 can decrease tree growth.
> However, rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations can partially offset
> the current decreases in tree growth from O3 exposure. Although
> increasing CO2 reduces O3 impact, elevated CO2 would enhance plant
> growth more if O3 exposures were reduced, especially in the more
> polluted sites. Although the greatest benefit to tree growth will come
> from reducing O3 exposure in the most polluted sites, we must also
> consider those sites that have inherent high O3 sensitivity because of
> their mesic conditions and limit the growth of O3 exposures in those
> areas also. In contrast, tree growth in other areas would likely not
> be as impacted by increasing O3 exposures because the plants are
> climatically less sensitive to O3. "

Google 171

The Language of Graphics

Leland Wilkinson, Daniel J. Rope, Daniel B. Carr, Matthew A. Rubin

To be published in *Journal of Computational and Graphical Statistics*.

ABSTRACT

We describe a system, called GPL, that implements a language for
quantitative graphics. The structure of this system differs from
existing statistical graphics, visualization, and mapping systems.
Instead of treating a graphics display as a viewer for underlying data,
GPL treats data as an

accessory to viewing a graph. GPL is based on the mathematical
definition of the graph of a function and uses that definition to
organize data linked to the graph.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> The data for the graphic in Figure 1 are described in Carr et al.
> (1999) as follows. Daly et al.(1994) developed an analytic method
> called Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model
> (PRISM) that uses point data and a digital elevation model (DEM) to
> generate 2.5 minute by 2.5 minute gridded estimates of monthly and
> annual U.S. climatic parameters. Their data sets and further details
> can be found at *www.ocs.orst.edu/prism*. Carr et al. (1999, 2000)
> used those gridded summaries for the time period 1961-1990 to develop
> graphics characterizing the spatial variation of climatic parameters
> within ecoregions. They associated each grid cell with an Omernik
> level II ecoregion (Omernik 1987, 1995) using a point-in-polygon
> matching procedure.
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

SPSS Inc., 233 South Wacker, Chicago, IL 60606

Funding Agency: (not listed)

> 3\. PRISM was used to (see number 1, above)
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "The contrast between different interpretations of drill-down points
> to the main distinction between GPL and relational data mining systems
> that employ graphics. Data mining systems based on relational
> databases begin by defining, organizing, and modeling data. In these
> systems, graphics are treated as passive views into data. Even when
> such systems implement graphical controls for manipulating data, they
> are defined in terms of the data model underlying the system. In
> short, these systems begin by specifying a range and domain for the
> function mapping elements of data to a relational table or
> hierarchical or associational object. All graphics possible in such
> systems follow from these definitions.
>
> GPL, in contrast, begins by defining, organizing, and constructing a
> graphic. As Wilkinson (1999) stated, \"These definitions are embedded
> in the mathematical history that determined the evolution of
> statistical charts and maps.\" In short, we begin by considering what
> is the range and what is the domain of a graph underlying a graphic.
> From there, we recurse our definitions until we reach a specification
> of data underlying the graphic. For that specification, we construct
> an abstract DataView and link the graphic to our data."

Google 172

A multi-scale assessment of human and environmental constraints on
forest land cover change on the Oregon (USA) coast range

Michael C. Wimberly, and Janet L. Ohmann

*Landscape Ecology* 19: 631--646, 2004

*Key words:* Disturbance, Environmental heterogeneity, Forest
fragmentation, Forest management, Habitat loss,

Human impacts, Land ownership, Watersheds

ABSTRACT

Human modification of forest habitats is a major component of global
environmental change. Even areas that remain predominantly forested may
be changed considerably by human alteration of historical disturbance
regimes. To better understand human influences on the abundance and
pattern of forest habitats, we studied forest land cover change from
1936 to 1996 in a 25 000 km2 landscape in the Oregon (USA) Coast Range.
We integrated historical forest survey data and maps from 1936 with
satellite imagery and GIS data from 1996 to quantify changes in major
forest cover types. Change in the total area of closed-canopy forests
was relatively minor, decreasing from 68% of the landscape in 1936 to
65% in 1996. In contrast, large-conifer forests decreased from 42% in
1936 to 17% in 1996, whereas small-conifer forests increased from 21% of
the landscape in 1936 to 39% in 1996. Linear regression models were used
to predict changes in the proportion of large conifer forest as a
function of socioeconomic and environmental variables at scales of
subbasins (mean size = 1964 km2, *n* = 13), watersheds (mean size = 302
km2, *n* = 83), and sub watersheds (mean size = 18 km2, *n* = 1325). The
proportion of land in private ownership was the strongest predictor at
all three spatial scales (partial R2 values 0.57--0.76). The amounts of
variation explained by other independent variables were comparatively
minor. Results corroborate the hypothesis that differing management
regimes on private and public ownerships have led to different pathways
of landscape change. Furthermore, these distinctive trajectories are
consistent over a broad domain of spatial scales.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Growing season moisture stress index averaged across each hydrological
> unit; Computed as SMRTMP/SMRPRE, where SMRTMP is the mean temperature
> (C) in May-September and SMRPRE is the natural logarithm of annual
> precipitation from May--Sept. (mm); Based on
>
> mean monthly precipitation and temperature surfaces generated by the
> precipitation-elevation regression on independent slopes model (PRISM)
> (Daly et al. 1994)4 SOLARRAD Solar radiation (cal/cm2) computed from
> the 100-m DEM using the SolarImg
>
> 2\. Affiliation:
>
> Warnell School of Forest Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA

Funding Agency:

> 3\. PRISM was used to generate mean monthly precipitation and
> temperature for use in a study of " forest land cover change from 1936
> to 1996 in a 25 000 km2 landscape in the Oregon (USA) Coast Range.
> (The research) integrated historical forest survey data and maps from
> 1936 with satellite imagery and GIS data from 1996 to quantify changes
> in major forest cover types."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "Inferences about landscape change derived from general
> classifications of land cover (e.g., open versus closed forest) may
> fail to reflect larger and potentially more ecologically relevant
> shifts in the age and size structure of the forest landscape. A major
> challenge for future landscape change research will be to incorporate
> more ecologically relevant measurements of forest habitats rather than
> the limited number of broad classes that can be easily derived from
> satellite imagery. Similarly, regional summaries of land cover change
> may mask variability occurring at finer spatial scales. Although the
> area of large conifer forest decreased within all subbasins within the
> Coast Range, there was a substantial proportion of sub watersheds
> (22%) within which large conifer forest increased. Despite these
> scale-related differences in landscape changes, the area of private
> land within each hydrologic unit was the most important predictor of
> landscape change across all three spatial scales, spanning two orders
> of magnitude in size (1000s--100 000s of ha). Ownership has been
> consistently shown to be an important predictor of landscape change in
> many different forested regions, and this influence also extends
> across a broad domain of scale."

Google 173

The thermodynamic influence of subgrid orography in a global climate
model

S.J. Ghan, X. Bian, A.G. Hunt, and A. Coleman

*Climate Dynamics* (2002) 20: 31--44

ABSTRACT

Assessments of the impacts of climate change typically require
information at scales of 10 km or less. Such a resolution in global
climate simulations is unlikely for at least two decades. We have
developed an alternative to explicit resolution that provides a
framework for meeting the needs of climate change impact assessment much
sooner. We have applied to a global climate model a physically based
subgrid-scale treatment of the influence of orography on temperature,
clouds, precipitation, and land surface hydrology. The treatment
represents subgrid variations in surface elevation in terms of
fractional area distributions of discrete elevation classes. For each
class it calculates the height rise/descent of air parcels traveling
through the grid cell, and applies the influence of the rise/ descent to
the temperature and humidity profiles of the elevation class. Cloud,
radiative, and surface processes are calculated separately for each
elevation class using the same physical parameterizations used by the
model without the subgrid orography parameterization. The simulated
climate fields for each elevation class can then be distributed in
post-processing according to the spatial distribution of surface
elevation within each grid cell. Parallel 10-year simulations with and
without the subgrid treatment have been performed. The simulated
temperature, precipitation and snow water are mapped to 2.5-minute
(approx. 5 km) resolution and compared with gridded analyses of station
measurements. The simulation with the subgrid scheme produces a much
more realistic distribution of snow water and significantly more
realistic distributions of temperature and precipitation than the
simulation without the subgrid scheme. Moreover, the 250-km grid cell
means of most other fields are virtually unchanged by the subgrid
scheme. This suggests that the tuning of the climate model without the
subgrid scheme is also applicable to the model with the scheme.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> "The variables simulated for each elevation class are mapped according
> to the 2.5 minute (about 5 km) distribution of surface elevation using
> linear interpolation in elevation and bilinear interpolation in
> latitude and longitude. Although finer resolution distribution is
> possible, Daly et al. (1994) and LG (1998) conclude that the
> precipitation simulation is most accurate for a resolution of about
> 2.5 minutes; finer resolution may be more appropriate for temperature
> and snow cover, which respond to altitude more rapidly than
> precipitation."
>
> "We now compare the subgrid simulation with observations. Observed
> climatologies at 2.5 minute resolution are rare for regions larger
> than a few hundred km. One such dataset is the PRISM precipitation and
> surface air temperature climatology for the continental US compiled by
> Daly et al. (1994, 1997)."
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA

Funding Agency:

The work reported here was funded by the US Department of Energy
Environmental Science Division Climate Change Prediction Program.

> 3\. PRISM was used in the examination of "the thermodynamic influence
> of subgrid orography in a global climate model."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "The simulated climate fields for each elevation class can then be
> distributed in post-processing according to the spatial distribution
> of surface elevation within each grid cell. Parallel 10-year
> simulations with and without the subgrid treatment have been
> performed. The simulated temperature, precipitation and snow water are
> mapped to 2.5-minute (approx. 5 km) resolution and compared with
> gridded analyses of station measurements. The simulation with the
> subgrid scheme produces a much more realistic distribution of snow
> water and significantly more realistic distributions of temperature
> and precipitation than the simulation without the subgrid scheme.
> Moreover, the 250-km grid cell means of most other fields are
> virtually unchanged by the subgrid scheme. This suggests that the
> tuning of the climate model without the subgrid scheme is also
> applicable to the model with the scheme."
>
> "This work also signals the release of a 1.5 minute resolution gridded
> snow water equivalent climatology for the western USA for the each
> month during water years 1995--2000."

Google 174

Long-Term Climate Patterns in Alaskan Surface Temperature and
Precipitation and Their Biological Consequences

James J. Simpson, Gary L. Hufford, Michael D. Fleming, Jared S. Berg,
and Justin B. Ashton

*IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON GEOSCIENCE AND REMOTE SENSING*, VOL. 40, NO. 5,
MAY 2002

ABSTRACT

Mean monthly climate maps of Alaskan surface temperature and
precipitation produced by the parameter-elevation regression on
independent slopes model (PRISM) were analyzed. Alaska is divided into
interior and coastal zones with consistent but different climatic
variability separated by a transition region; it has maximum interannual
variability but low long-term mean variability. Pacific decadal
oscillation (PDO)- and El Niño southern oscillation (ENSO)-type events
influence Alaska surface temperatures weakly (1--2 C) statewide. PDO has
a stronger influence than ENSO on precipitation but its influence is
largely localized to coastal central Alaska. The strongest influence of
Arctic oscillation (AO) occurs in northern and interior Alaskan
precipitation. Four major ecosystems are defined. A major eco-transition
zone occurs between the interior boreal forest and the coastal
rainforest. Variability in insulation, surface temperature,
precipitation, continentality, and seasonal changes in storm track
direction explain the mapped ecosystems. Lack of westward expansion of
the interior boreal forest into the western shrub tundra is influenced
by the coastal marine boundary layer (enhanced cloud cover, reduced
insulation, cooler surface and soil temperatures). In this context, the
marine boundary layer acts in an analogous fashion to the orographic
features which form the natural boundaries of other Alaskan ecosystems.
Variability in precipitation may play a secondary role.

Index Terms---Alaska, Arctic climate, Arctic hydrology, arctic
oscillation, boreal forest, climographs, El Niño southern oscillation
(ENSO), pacific decadal oscillation, precipitation, surface temperature,
tundra.

NOTE

This paper

1\) reviews the parameter-elevation regression on independent slopes
model (PRISM \[14\]), its Alaskan input data, and its limitations;

2\) extracts patterns of spatial and temporal variability in temperature
and precipitation from PRISM modeled maps;

3\) relates these patterns to climatic processes;

4\) provides the first Alaskan vegetation ecosystem map based on a
phenological classification from advanced very high resolution
radiometer (AVHRR) data;

5\) discusses relationships between climate factors and the ecosystems;

6\) attempts to explain the "Alaskan problem" of the western shrub
tundra-interior boreal forest boundary.

1.  PRISM Data:

> Distribution of (a) precipitation and (b) surface temperature
> stations. Data from these stations were used by PRISM to produce the
> surface maps
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California at San
Diego, La Jolla,

Funding Agency: (not listed)

> 3\. PRISM was used to produce monthly mean temperature and
> precipitation maps included in text.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> 'Mean monthly maps of Alaskan surface temperature and precipitation
> were analyzed. Alaska is divided into an interior zone with a small
> coastal extension in south-central Alaska with consistent seasonal
> differences (extremes in temperature; moderate variation in
> precipitation) that contrasts with the consistent seasonal differences
> of the coastal domain (moderate variation in temperature, extremes in
> precipitation). The boundary between these zones is a region of
> maximum interannual variability (little year to year consistency in
> temperature and precipitation) but low mean long-term variability. The
> annual cycle, ENSO, reversals in PDO, AO, continentality and seasonal
> changes in the direction of storms into Alaska explain most of the
> variability. PDO, ENSO events influence Alaskan coastal surface
> temperature weakly ( 1--2 C) statewide. Interior Alaska and Western
> Canadian temperatures are more strongly influenced by PDO. PDO has a
> stronger influence than ENSO on precipitation but it is localized to
> coastal central Alaska. AO also influences precipitation more than
> temperature, especially along the northern coast and in interior
> Alaska.
>
> The first AVHRR-based Alaskan vegetation map defined four ecosystems
> (coastal rainforest, western coastal shrub tundra, Arctic tundra and
> interior boreal forest). One major transition zone exists between the
> boreal forest and the coastal rain forest, formed by the Cook Inlet
> and Copper River Basins. Total energy balance, precipitation and their
> temporal phase explains much of the climate/vegetation relations. The
> Bering Sea marine boundary layer effectively acts as a barrier
> (analogous to an orographic barrier) to the westward expansion of the
> interior boreal forest into the western shrub tundra ecosystem."

Google 177

Observations of Mountain Wave--Induced Precipitation Shadows over
Northeast Pennsylvania

RAYMOND H. BRADY AND JEFF S. WALDSTREICHER

*Weather and Forecasting* (June 2001): VOL. 16, NO. 3 : pages 281-300.

ABSTRACT

'WSR-88D depictions of two mountain wave--induced precipitation shadows
observed near the Wyoming Valley of northeast Pennsylvania are
presented. These mountain waves developed in similar synoptic
environments that featured a strong south to southeast low-level jet, a
stable layer situated near mountaintop level, and cross barrier flow
that decreased with height. One event was associated with a
well-defined, singular precipitation shadow, while the second event
displayed multiple precipitation shadows. Subtle differences in the
vertical distribution of temperature and wind shear between the two
cases appeared to be instrumental in defining what type of structure the
mountain wave and their associated precipitation shadows displayed. This
is supported by calculations of Froude number, Brunt--Vaisala frequency,
Scorer parameter, and horizontal wavelength for the two events.

These mountain waves appear to have a significant effect on the local
precipitation distribution in and near the heavily populated Wyoming
Valley, with amounts reduced within and up to 15 km downstream of the
valley. These effects are evident in the radar-estimated storm total
precipitation products for both cases, and implied by rain gauge data
for one of the events. Precipitation drift appears to play a role in the
actual surface location of these precipitation minima with respect to
the radar-indicated position, in cases of strong low-level flow."

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> PRISM is an expert system that uses point data and a digital elevation
> model to generate gridded estimates of climate parameters (Daly et al.
> 1994). Figure 1 shows a crescent-shaped axis of minimum annual
> precipitation located nearly coincident with, and similar in shape to,
> the Wyoming Valley (Fig. 2). This suggests that topographic influences
> are responsible for the lower annual precipitation amounts.

2.  Affiliation:

NOAA/National Weather Service---Binghamton, Johnson City, New York

Funding Agency: (none listed)

> 3\. PRISM was used to provide insight into the topographic influences
> responsible for annual precipitation amounts in observations of
> mountain wave--induced precipitation shadows over northeast
> Pennsylvania.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "There is a considerable population living within the region
> potentially impacted by this feature and it is the authors' opinion
> that forecaster recognition and understanding of these events will
> lead to improved forecasts of precipitation intensities and amounts
> across this region."
>
> "The identification of mountain waves and precipitation shadows may be
> especially useful during cases of freezing and frozen precipitation."
>
> "Improved forecasts of mountain wave activity could also benefit
> regional aviation users, including the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton airport,
> as the development of the mountain wave may lead to increased
> turbulence for aircraft descending into or departing from the
> airport."

Google 178

Growth of Usnea longissima Across a Variety of Habitats in the Oregon
Coast Range

DYLAN B. KEON1 AND PATRICIA S. MUIR

*The Bryologist* 105(2), pp. 233 242

ABSTRACT

The sensitive lichen Usnea longissima Ach. has a limited, patchy
distribution across forested landscapes in the U.S. Pacific Northwest.
To gain insight into whether the current distribution within the Oregon
Coast Range has resulted from a lack of suitable habitat or from
dispersal limitations, we measured growth of U. longissima transplants
placed in four habitats. Transplant study site locations and habitats
were determined through an accompanying study that identified
significant U. longissima habitat characteristics, based on the present
distribution of the species, and used predictive modeling to identify
areas of apparently suitable habitat within the study area. Transplants
were placed in 12 sites, comprised of three replicates of the four
habitats. Ninety transplants were placed in each habitat (n 5 360).
Growth was measured as changes in biomass and length after one year.
Transplants grew in all habitats, particularly in sites where habitat
was predicted to be least suitable for U. longissima. Although
transplants in those sites had mean biomass increases that were 2.7 to
4.6 times greater than those of transplants placed in the other three
habitats, their overall rate of attrition was 1.5 to 1.8 times higher
than transplants in the other three habitats. Increases in length were
also greatest in sites where habitat was predicted to be least suitable.
The fact that the transplants grew well in all habitats and actually
thrived in sites where habitat was predicted to be least suitable
indicates that dispersal limitations may play a more significant role
than the availability of suitable habitat in determining the
distribution of U. longissima in the Oregon Coast Range. These findings
underscore the importance of green tree retention during timber
harvests. Trees containing U. longissima should be retained so that they
may inoculate the regenerating stand with U. longissima fragments. It is
also recommended that stands harboring significant populations of U.
longissima (typically old stands) be preserved as source locations of
this dispersal-limited species.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Annual rainfall in the study area ranges from approximately 180 cm to
> over 400 cm (Daly et al. 1994).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:
>
> Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University,
> Corvallis, OR

Funding Agency:

> This research was made possible through the financial support of the
> USGS Biological Resources Division, U.S. Department of the Interior
> (Award No. 97017W5009)
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to determine annual rainfall for a study designed
> to "gain insight into whether the current distribution within the
> Oregon Coast Range has resulted from a lack of suitable habitat or
> from dispersal limitations..."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "The chances of successful establishment and long-term persistence of
> *Usnea longissima* across the landscape will be enhanced if dispersal
> from within clear cuts and regenerating stands is possible, in
> addition to dispersal from intact, older stands. For this reason,
> green tree retention during timber harvests is particularly important,
> as remnant trees containing *U. longissima* can distribute propagules
> across the regenerating stand. Remnant trees (both conifers and
> hardwoods) function as sources of inoculum, from which epiphytic
> lichen propagules can disperse (Peck & McCune 1997). Additionally,
> remnant trees function as important ''hotspots'' of lichen diversity
> and abundance (Neitlich & McCune 1997; Rambo & Muir 1998). Green-tree
> retention is currently required during timber harvest on federal lands
> within the range of the Northern Spotted Owl in the PNW (**USDA** &
> USDI 2001). Such retention may likely benefit *U. longissima* as well
> as other aspects of these forested ecosystems."

Google 179

CHARACTERIZING GRAZING DISTURBANCE IN SEMIARID ECOSYSTEMS ACROSS BROAD
SCALES, USING DIVERSE INDICES

Erik A. Beever, Robin J. Tausch, and Peter F. Brussard

*Ecological Applications*: Vol. 13, No. 1, pp. 119--136.

ABSTRACT

Although management and conservation strategies continue to move toward
broader spatial scales and consideration of many taxonomic groups
simultaneously, researchers have struggled to characterize responses to
disturbance at these scales. Most studies of disturbance by feral
grazers investigate effects on only one or two ecosystem elements across
small spatial scales, limiting their applicability to ecosystem-level
management. To address this inadequacy, in 1997 and 1998 we examined
disturbance created by feral horses ([Equus
caballus](http://www.itis.usda.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=all&search_value=Equus+caballus&search_kingdom=every&search_span=exactly_for&categories=All&source=html&search_credRating=All))
in nine mountain ranges of the western Great Basin, USA, using plants,
small mammals, ants, and soil compaction as indicators. Nine
horse-occupied and 10 horse-removed sites were stratified into high- and
low-elevation groups, and all sites at each elevation had similar
vegetation type, aspect, slope gradient, and recent
(![](media/image5.png){width="0.125in" height="9.375e-2in"}15-yr) fire
and livestock-grazing histories. Using reciprocal averaging and TWINSPAN
analyses, we compared relationships among sites using five data sets:
abiotic variables, percent cover by plant species, an index of abundance
by plant species, 10 disturbance-sensitive response variables, and grass
and shrub species considered "key" indicators by land managers. Although
reciprocal averaging and TWINSPAN analyses of percent cover, abiotic
variables, and key species suggested relationships between sites
influenced largely by biogeography (i.e., mountain range),
disturbance-sensitive variables clearly segregated horse-occupied and
horse-removed sites. These analyses suggest that the influence of feral
horses on many Great Basin ecosystem attributes is not being detected by
monitoring only palatable plant species. We recommend development of an
expanded monitoring strategy based not only on established vegetation
measurements investigating forage consumption, but also including
disturbance-sensitive variables (e.g., soil surface hardness, abundance
of ant mounds) that more completely reflect the suite of effects that a
large-bodied grazer may impose on mountain ecosystems, independent of
vegetation differences. By providing a broader-based mechanism for
detection of adverse effects, this strategy would provide management
agencies with defensible data in a sociopolitical arena that has been
embroiled in conflict for several decades.

*Key words:* broad spatial scales; disturbance; [*Equus
caballus*](http://www.itis.usda.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=all&search_value=Equus+caballus&search_kingdom=every&search_span=exactly_for&categories=All&source=html&search_credRating=All);
feral horses; grazing; Great Basin; landscape ecology; monitoring;
Nevada; reciprocal averaging; semiarid ecosystems; TWINSPAN.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> "Because sites were not near existing weather stations, we used a
> PRISM model-generated
> 1:1![](media/image4.png){width="4.1666666666666664e-2in"
> height="0.14583333333333334in"}190![](media/image4.png){width="4.1666666666666664e-2in"
> height="0.14583333333333334in"}000 scale map based on 1961--1990
> weather data to estimate average annual precipitation at each site
> ([Daly et al.
> 1994](http://www.esajournals.org/esaonline/?request=get-document&issn=1051-0761&volume=013&issue=01&page=0119#i1051-0761-013-01-0119-daly1))."
>
> 2\. Affiliation:
>
> Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, University of
> Nevada

Funding Agency:

> 3\. PRISM was used to estimate average annual precipitation at each
> site in an examination of disturbance created by feral horses in nine
> mountain ranges of the western Great Basin, USA..."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "These analyses suggest that the influence of feral horses on many
> Great Basin ecosystem attributes is not being detected by monitoring
> only palatable plant species. We recommend development of an expanded
> monitoring strategy based not only on established vegetation
> measurements investigating forage consumption, but also including
> disturbance-sensitive variables (e.g., soil surface hardness,
> abundance of ant mounds) that more completely reflect the suite of
> effects that a large-bodied grazer may impose on mountain ecosystems,
> independent of vegetation differences. By providing a broader-based
> mechanism for detection of adverse effects, this strategy would
> provide management agencies with defensible data in a sociopolitical
> arena that has been embroiled in conflict for several decades."

Google 182

PREDICTING THE OCCURRENCE OF RARE MOLLUSKS IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
FORESTS

Jeffrey R. Dunk, William J. Zielinski, and Haiganoush K. Preisler

*Ecological Applications*: Vol. 14, No. 3, pp. 713--729.

ABSTRACT

Terrestrial mollusks are important components of forest ecosystems, yet
we know very little about the distribution and habitat of many of these
species. We sampled for terrestrial mollusks in northern California with
the goal of estimating the geographic ranges and developing predictive
habitat models for five species that were assumed to be sensitive to
land management activities. The species of interest were [Ancotrema
voyanum](http://www.itis.usda.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=all&search_value=Ancotrema+voyanum&search_kingdom=every&search_span=exactly_for&categories=All&source=html&search_credRating=All),
[Helminthoglypta
talmadgei](http://www.itis.usda.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=all&search_value=Helminthoglypta+talmadgei&search_kingdom=every&search_span=exactly_for&categories=All&source=html&search_credRating=All),
[Monadenia
churchi](http://www.itis.usda.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=all&search_value=Monadenia+churchi&search_kingdom=every&search_span=exactly_for&categories=All&source=html&search_credRating=All),
[Monadenia fidelis
klamathica](http://www.itis.usda.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=all&search_value=Monadenia+fidelis+klamathica&search_kingdom=every&search_span=exactly_for&categories=All&source=html&search_credRating=All),
and [M. f.
ochromphalus](http://www.itis.usda.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=all&search_value=M.+f.+ochromphalus&search_kingdom=every&search_span=exactly_for&categories=All&source=html&search_credRating=All).
We randomly selected 308 plots for sampling from a grid of points across
a 2.2 million-ha study area. We used Generalized Additive Models to
estimate each mollusk\'s geographic range and to develop predictive
habitat models within their ranges. Models were developed at one
microscale (1 ha) and six mesoscales (ranging from 12.5 to 1250 ha)
using vegetation, physical, climatic, and spatial location covariates.
Estimated geographic ranges varied from 4770 to
15![](media/image4.png){width="4.1666666666666664e-2in"
height="0.14583333333333334in"}795 km2. Predictive habitat models
explained from 40.8% to 94.5% of the deviance in models describing the
species\' occurrences. Models at the 1-ha scale were generally better
than models at larger spatial scales. Of the six mesoscales evaluated,
the "best" models were often at very large scales. Spatial location and
climatic variables contributed significantly to the predictions of
occurrence for most species. Models for species with small geographic
ranges generally appeared to be better than models for species with
larger geographic ranges, possibly reflecting more restricted
environmental conditions. Cross-validation results, however, showed that
models for species with more locations were more stable. [A.
voyanum](http://www.itis.usda.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=all&search_value=A.+voyanum&search_kingdom=every&search_span=exactly_for&categories=All&source=html&search_credRating=All)
was more frequently associated with late-successional forests and [M.
churchi](http://www.itis.usda.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=all&search_value=M.+churchi&search_kingdom=every&search_span=exactly_for&categories=All&source=html&search_credRating=All)
was found to be a habitat generalist. The remaining three species were
not detected enough for us to make strong conclusions about their
habitat associations. Our results provide important guidance to land
managers who are responsible for determining the necessity for surveys
and protective measures for these and other terrestrial mollusk species
prior to land management activities.

![](media/image3.png){width="0.15625in" height="0.10416666666666667in"}

Key words:
[Ancotrema](http://www.itis.usda.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=all&search_value=Ancotrema&search_kingdom=every&search_span=exactly_for&categories=All&source=html&search_credRating=All);
California; forest; generalized additive model; geographic range;
habitat association;
[Helminthoglypta](http://www.itis.usda.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=all&search_value=Helminthoglypta&search_kingdom=every&search_span=exactly_for&categories=All&source=html&search_credRating=All);
mollusk;
[Monadenia](http://www.itis.usda.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=all&search_value=Monadenia&search_kingdom=every&search_span=exactly_for&categories=All&source=html&search_credRating=All);
Northwest Forest Plan; predictive model.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> We obtained estimates of climatic conditions around each sample
> location from Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes
> Model (PRISM; [Daly et al.
> 1994](http://www.esajournals.org/esaonline/?request=get-document&issn=1051-0761&volume=014&issue=03&page=0713#i1051-0761-014-03-0713-daly1)),
> a national climate mapping program (see [Appendix
> A](http://www.esajournals.org/esaonline/?request=get-document&issn=1051-0761&volume=014&issue=03&page=0713#sa1))
> with ![](media/image2.png){width="0.13541666666666666in"
> height="9.375e-2in"}2 km resolution.
>
> 2\. Affiliation:
>
> Redwood Sciences Laboratory, Pacific Southwest Research Station,
> **USDA** Forest Service, Arcata, California

Funding Agency:

> Funding for the project came from Region 5 and Region 6 of the
> **USDA** Forest Service and the Pacific Southwest Research Station,
> **USDA** Forest Service
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to provide estimates of climatic conditions around
> each location that was "sampled for terrestrial mollusks in northern
> California with the goal of estimating the geographic ranges and
> developing predictive habitat models for five species that were
> assumed to be sensitive to land management activities."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "Of the six mesoscales evaluated, the "best" models were often at very
> large scales. Spatial location and climatic variables contributed
> significantly to the predictions of occurrence for most species.
> Models for species with small geographic ranges generally appeared to
> be better than models for species with larger geographic ranges,
> possibly reflecting more restricted environmental conditions.
> Cross-validation results, however, showed that models for species with
> more locations were more stable..."
>
> "We provided micro- and meso-habitat scale models, in part, to provide
> land mangers with options in the face of uncertain funding for
> information. The microscale models include variables that are
> immediately affected by most land management activities (e.g., mean
> tree dbh, mean tree age, overstory cover, downed woody debris). We
> recommend that managers use these models to sample site-specific
> habitat value in areas proposed for management. However, collecting
> new field data is expensive, so we also provide the option of
> estimating habitat value at a location from either: (1) a model based
> on spatially interpolated values of habitat from the micro-habitat
> scale (FIA) model or (2) from the mesoscale model. Either of these
> options can result in an estimated habitat value for a site of
> interest without the cost of collecting new field data, but it should
> be understood that they may also be less accurate and/or less precise.
>
> ![](media/image3.png){width="0.15625in"
> height="0.10416666666666667in"} Although there is precedent and value
> for developing exploratory models based on few locations (e.g.,
> [Pearce and Ferrier
> 2000](http://www.esajournals.org/esaonline/?request=get-document&issn=1051-0761&volume=014&issue=03&page=0713#i1051-0761-014-03-0713-pearce1)),
> the accuracy of predicting species\' distributions generally improves
> with increasing sample size ([Pearce and Ferrier
> 2000](http://www.esajournals.org/esaonline/?request=get-document&issn=1051-0761&volume=014&issue=03&page=0713#i1051-0761-014-03-0713-pearce1)).
> This observation notwithstanding, our findings suggest that
> large-scale, probability-based sampling surveys for rare organisms,
> even those with small ranges, can provide extremely useful information
> to land managers."

Google 185

Climatology of the Interior Columbia River Basin

Sue A. Ferguson

Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem, Management Project: Scientific
Assessment, United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service
Pacific Northwest Research Station, Portland, Oregon

General Technical Report PNW-GTR-445

March 1999

Ferguson, Sue A. 1999**.** Climatology of the interior Columbia River
basin. Gen. Tech.

Rep. PNW-GTR-445. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest
Service,

Pacific Northwest Research Station. 31 p. (Quigley, Thomas M., ed.;
Interior Columbia

Basin Ecosystem Management Project: scientific assessment).

ABSTRACT

This work describes climate means and trends in each of three major
ecological zones and 13 ecological reporting units in the interior
Columbia River basin. Widely differing climates help define each major
zone and reporting unit, the pattern of which is controlled by three
competing air masses: marine, continental, and arctic. Paleoclimatic
evidence and historical weather records show that the region has
undergone significant fluctuations in temperature and precipitation as
air masses alternate dominance over the basin. The major change in
climate occurred near the time of western settlement with the end of the
"Little Ice Age." Since then there have been numerous annual cycles in
climate that may be related to the Pacific Decadal Oscillation. During
the last 50 years, winter precipitation has decreased slightly and
summer precipitation has increased throughout most of the basin. At the
same time, winter temperatures have increased and summer temperatures
have slightly decreased. Some impacts of changes in climatic means and
trends on ecological conditions in the basin are discussed.

Keywords: Climate, Columbia River basin, climatology, climate
variability, temperature, precipitation, snowfall.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> "Data from these stations were used, however, to help verify model
> results and improve qualitative descriptions. Elevation-regression
> models such as PRISM (Daly and others 1994) and MTCLIM-3D (Thornton
> and Running 1996) improve representation of high-elevation climate by
> interpreting available observations through "topographically
> intelligent" techniques."
>
> 2\. Affiliation:
>
> United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service

Funding Agency: (not listed)

> 3\. PRISM was used to verify results and improve qualitative
> descriptions for a study that describes climate means and trends in
> each of three major ecological zones and 13 ecological reporting units
> in the interior Columbia River basin.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "Climate of the interior Columbia River basin can be characterized by
> three distinct air mass types that interact with each other in a
> region of complex topography. Most precipitation accumulates during
> winter (75 to 125 cm \[30 to 50 in\] in the Eastern Cascades, 25 to 95
> cm \[10 to 37 in\] in the Northern Rockies, and 20 to 40 cm \[8 to 16
> in\] in the Central Columbia and Snake River Plateaus). The mountain
> snowpack acts as a natural reservoir and supplies the basin with most
> of its usable water. Only the east and south ERUs of the basin have
> summer maximum precipitation, which is associated with significant
> thunderstorm activity. Summer precipitation throughout the basin
> ranges from about 20 to 50 cm (8 to 20 in). Trends in the last 50 to
> 100 years indicate a general decrease in winter precipitation and
> increase in summer precipitation.
>
> Temperatures are generally mild in the basin because of periodic
> influxes of moderating Pacific moisture. Winter mean monthly
> temperatures range from -10 to -3 °C (-50 to 27 °F), and summer
> temperatures range from 10 to 15 °C (50 to 59 °F). Trends in the last
> 50 to 100 years indicate a slight increase in winter temperatures and
> slight decrease in summer temperatures. Because most weather
> observation stations are located near towns that are in valleys or
> away from mountains, there is an elevational bias in the instrument
> data. More effective analysis of the Columbia River basin climate
> would include high elevation data from snow course, SNOTEL, and RAWS
> sites. To do such analyses requires a significant amount of data
> processing to check and adjust for quality. In addition, outfitting
> RAWS sites with winter-durable sensors would improve their reliability
> as climatic indicators. Developing a unified database from all
> available data sources also would be a great asset. Exploring new
> methods of analyzing spatial and temporal variability would
> significantly improve our understanding of climate patterns in regions
> of complex topography, such as the Columbia River basin.
>
> In addition to an elevational bias in this instrumental analysis,
> there also was a temporal bias because the number of weather
> observations has increased over time. Determining better ways of
> gathering and interpreting paleoclimatic data would significantly
> improve our understanding of climate variability and trends. Of
> particular interest is the "Little Ice Age," when Northwest climate
> was significantly colder than now and when many tree species in
> Northwest forests were establishing. No weather measurements exist for
> this critical time period (approx. A.D. 1550 to 1850), and few proxy
> data are available. The climatological evidence in proxy data that do
> exist has not been fully realized. There are robust methods of climate
> analysis, however, that can re-create regional climate patterns from
> sparse proxy data and from correlations with long-period records in
> other parts of the world. These methods can be used to develop a
> detailed description of Northwest climate during a "presettlement" era
> when the impacts of climate variability and trend were not complicated
> by management practices."

Google 188

Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) Survival at Two Eastern Mojave
Desert Sites: Death by Short-Term Drought?

KATHLEEN M. LONGSHORE, JEF R. JAEGER, AND J. MARK SAPPINGTON

*Journal of Herpetology*, Vol. 37, No. 1, pp. 169--177, 2003

ABSTRACT

Survival of adult Desert Tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) appears related
to site-specific variation in precipitation and productivity of annual
plants. We studied adult tortoise survival rates at two closely
situated, but physiographically different, sites in the eastern Mojave
Desert over a nine-year period (spring 1992 to spring 2001). Survival
rates were initially derived from population surveys conducted over a
three year period and by radio-telemetry monitoring over a seven-year
period beginning in 1994. After a period of initial stability, survival
rates on the two sites diverged over the study period, and seven-year
survival rates estimated from radio-telemetry monitoring were 0.900 and
0.269, respectively. A die-off in 1996 on the latter site appears to
have been triggered by a period of drought, which began in the summer of
1995, coupled with a failure of annual vegetation production in 1996.
Depressed survival rates on this site were associated with drought
conditions during three of four years. Although the decline had the
appearance of an epizootic, there were no clinical signs of disease.
Relatively short-term drought, combined with little or no annual
biomass, appears to have caused severe reductions in tortoise survival.
If periods of drought induced low survival are common over relatively
small areas, then source-sink population dynamics may be an important
factor determining tortoise population densities.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> A modeled long-term monthly average for Grapevine (a study site) was
> derived from PRISM data covering the period 1961--1990 (Daly et al.,
> 1994).

2.  Affiliation:

U.S. Geological Survey/Biological Resources Division, Las Vegas Field
Station, Nevada

Funding Agency:

> This research was funded through the Clark County Desert Conservation
> Plan as a cooperative agreement with the University of Nevada, Las
> Vegas, and through the Clark County Multi-Species Conservation Plan as
> a cooperative agreement between the University of Nevada, Las Vegas
> and the Biological Resource Division of the U.S Geological Survey.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to provide long-term monthly average precipitation
> for a study on the survival of the desert tortoise (Gopherus
> agassizii) at two eastern Mojave Desert sites.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> Observations at Cottonwood suggest that adult tortoise survival is
> highly dependent on precipitation and annual biomass production at
> this site.

Google 191

Impacts of different precipitation data sources on water budgets

Jianzhong Guo, Xu Lianga, L. Ruby Leung

*Journal of Hydrology* 298 (2004) 311--334

ABSTRACT

Radar and rain-gauge precipitation datasets are used to explore the
impacts of different precipitation data sources on water budgets
simulated by the Three-Layer Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC-3L)
land surface model over the watershed of the Illinois River at Watts,
Oklahoma. Hourly grid-based NEXRAD (Next Generation Radar) Stage III
precipitation data (approximately 4 £ 4 km2) were aggregated in time and
space to daily precipitation at 1/8 degree and compared to the
University of Washington (UW) daily precipitation data, which were
gridded at 1/8 degree based on rain-gauge precipitation data.
Comparisons of the temporal cumulative precipitation magnitudes indicate
that the NEXRAD precipitation is smaller than the UW data and the rain
gauge measurements. Hyetographs obtained from the NEXRAD data in general
appear to be narrower with higher peaks. In addition, the NEXRAD data
are better in capturing the precipitation spatial distributions than the
UW

data.

Investigations of water fluxes based on simulations forced by the two
types of precipitation datasets suggest that realistic streamflow
simulations, compared to the observed daily streamflow at the outlet of
the Illinois River at Watts, can be obtained if model parameters are
calibrated. Compared to soil moisture of the total zone, runoff and
evapotranspiration are more sensitive to the temporal and spatial
distributions of precipitation, with runoff being most sensitive. Also,
runoff and evapotranspiration obtained based on the NEXRAD precipitation
data show more spatial heterogeneities than those obtained by using the
UW precipitation data. Moreover, the magnitudes of the components of the
water budget can be strongly impacted by the VIC-3L calibrated
parameters, but their spatial distribution patterns may not be
significantly affected.

Keywords: Land surface model; Radar precipitation; Rain gauge
precipitation; Runoff; Evapotranspiration; Soil moisture

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> The data are then scaled to match the long-term precipitation
> climatology based on the Parameter-- Elevation Regressions on the
> Independent Slopes model (PRISM) (Daly et al. 1994; Maurer et al.,
> 2002), which accounts for the orographic effects on
>
> precipitation.

2.  Affiliation:

> Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of
> California, Berkeley,

Funding Agency:

> Funding for this study is partially supported by the Pacific Northwest
> National Laboratory to the University of California at Berkeley as
> part of the bilateral agreement between the Department of Energy and
> China Meteorological Administration on regional climate research.
> Partial support from the National Aeronautic and Space Administration
> Land Surface Hydrology Program to the University of California at
> Berkeley under grant FDNAG5-8737 and to the Pacific Northwest National
> Laboratory is greatly appreciated.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to scale long-term precipitation data in a study
> involving radar and rain-gauge precipitation datasets (that were) used
> to explore the impacts of different precipitation data sources on
> water budgets simulated by the Three-Layer Variable Infiltration
> Capacity (VIC-3L) land surface model over the watershed of the
> Illinois River at Watts, Oklahoma.

3.  Impact or Conclusion:

> Precipitation analyses suggest the following conclusions:
>
> 1\. Comparison of the accumulated aerial averaged daily precipitation
> shows that the NEXRAD daily precipitation data generally
> underestimates the accumulated amount compared to the UW precipitation
> over the study period. The cumulative daily precipitation plots over
> the study period at the four selected grids illustrate similar pattern
> as that for the entire watershed, except that the underestimations are
> smaller at the two grids where the co-op rainfall gauges (i.e.
> Bentonville 4S and Fayetteville Exp Station) are present.
>
> 2\. The hyetograph obtained from the NEXRAD data appears to be thinner
> and spikier with higher peaks in general than those from the UW data
> both over the entire watershed and at the four selected grids. The
> hyetograph differences are more significant during the period of heavy
> rainfalls than the period with small rainfall events.
>
> 3\. Not only do the NEXRAD and UW precipitation data differ
> significantly temporally, the differences between their spatial
> distributions are even more significant. This is mainly due to the
> better capability of the NEXRAD radar data in capturing the spatial
> heterogeneity of precipitation.
>
> Primary conclusions from the analyses of water fluxes are summarized
> as follows:
>
> 1\. Both the UW and NEXRAD daily precipitation can generate acceptable
> daily streamflow results at the outlet of the watershed after model
> calibration, although slight underestimations exist for the streamflow
> based on both the UW and NEXRAD precipitation when compared to the
> observed data.
>
> 2\. Daily runoff and evapotranspiration obtained using the NEXRAD and
> UW precipitation at the grid level are highly scattered temporally. It
> illustrates that runoff and evapotranspiration are highly sensitive to
> the temporal differences in the precipitation data. Calibration at the
> watershed level can reduce this sensitivity significantly.
>
> 3\. The spatial distribution patterns of runoff are very different
> when using the UW and NEXRAD precipitation. Large differences in
> evapotranspiration mainly occur under low soil moisture conditions.
> When soil moisture is close to saturation, the evapotranspiration
> value is mainly determined by the soil properties, vegetation cover
> type, and other meteorological conditions (e.g. temperature).
>
> 4\. Compared to runoff and evapotranspiration, both the temporal and
> spatial correlation coefficients of the soil moisture of the total
> zone obtained using the NEXRAD and UW precipitation are high. This
> correlation shows that the temporal and spatial patterns of soil
> moisture of the total zone are not too sensitive to the differences in
> precipitation.
>
> 5\. Although the magnitudes of the water budget components can be
> strongly impacted by the VIC-3L calibrated parameters, their spatial
>
> distribution patterns may not be significantly affected.

Google 192

An assessment of global climate model-simulated climate for the western
cordillera of Canada (1961--90)

Barrie R. Bonsal, Terry D. Prowse and Alain Pietroniro

Hydrol. Process. 17, 3703--3716 (2003)

DOI: 10.1002/hyp.1393

ABSTRACT

Climate change is projected to significantly affect future hydrologic
processes over many regions of the world. This is of particular
importance for alpine systems that provide critical water supplies to
lower-elevation regions. The western cordillera of Canada is a prime
example where changes to temperature and precipitation could have
profound hydro-climatic impacts not only for the cordillera itself, but
also for downstream river systems and the drought-prone Canadian
Prairies. At present, impact researchers primarily rely on global
climate models (GCMs) for future climate projections. The main objective
of this study is to assess several GCMs in their ability to simulate the
magnitude and spatial variability of current (1961--90) temperature and
precipitation over the western cordillera of Canada. In addition,
several gridded data sets of observed climate for the study region are
evaluated.

Results reveal a close correspondence among the four gridded data sets
of observed climate, particularly for temperature. There is, however,
considerable variability regarding the various GCM simulations of this
observed climate. The British, Canadian, German, Australian, and US GFDL
models are superior at simulating the magnitude and spatial variability
of mean temperature. The Japanese GCM is of intermediate ability, and
the US NCAR model is least representative of temperature in this region.
Nearly all the models substantially overestimate the magnitude of total
precipitation, both annually and on a seasonal basis. An exception
involves the British (Hadley) model, which best represents the observed
magnitude and spatial variability of precipitation. This study improves
our understanding regarding the accuracy of GCM climate simulations over
the western cordillera of Canada. The findings may assist in producing
more reliable future scenarios of hydro-climatic conditions over various
regions of the country.

KEY WORDS global climate models; simulations; western cordillera;
Canada; temperature; precipitation; gridded climate

data

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> The next data set incorporates the Parameter-elevation Regressions on
> Independent Slopes Model (PRISM)
>
> that was developed at Oregon State University (Daly *et al*., 1994).
> The procedure utilizes all available station
>
> data and a digital elevation model (DEM) to calculate linear
> parameter-elevation relationships that change
>
> locally with elevation.
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Aquatic Ecosystem Impacts Research Branch, National Water Research
Institute, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 3H5, Canada

Funding Agency: (none listed)

> 3\. PRISM was used in a study whose main objective ... (was) to assess
> several GCMs in their ability to simulate the magnitude and spatial
> variability of current (1961--90) temperature and precipitation over
> the western cordillera of Canada. In addition, several gridded data
> sets of observed climate for the study region are evaluated.

Table II. Gridded data sets of observed climate used in this
investigation

Data set, Methodology, and Resolution:

Climatic Research Unit Thin-plate splines - function of latitude,
longitude, elevation 0.5 degrees x 0.5 degrees

PRISM DEM - linear parameter--elevation relationships; creates zones of
different climatological regimes 2Ð5 arc minutes

ANUSPLIN Thin-plate splines - more stations than CRU data set 5 arc
minutes Square-grid Multivariate regression; elevation, local

slope, distance to ocean; rehabilitated data 1 arc minute

> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> In conclusion, this study has improved our knowledge regarding GCM
> simulations of observed (1961--90) temperature and precipitation over
> the western cordilleran region of Canada. This information, along with
>
> similar assessments for other regions of the country, can assist the
> impacts community regarding the production
>
> of more reliable future hydro-climatic scenarios over various portions
> of Canada.

Google 193

Hydroclimatology of the continental United States

A. Sankarasubramanian and Richard M. Vogel

*GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS*, VOL. 30, NO. 7, 1363-1367

doi:10.1029/2002GL015937, 2003

Citation: Sankarasubramanian, A., and R. M. Vogel,

Hydroclimatology of the continental United States, Geophys. Res.

Lett., 30(7), 1363, doi:10.1029/2002GL015937, 2003.

ABSTRACT

The overall water balance and the sensitivity of watershed runoff to
changes in climate are investigated using national databases of climate
and streamflow for 1,337 watersheds in the U.S. We document that 1%
changes in precipitation result in 1.5--2.5% changes in watershed
runoff, depending upon the degree of buffering by storage processes and
other factors. Unlike previous research, our approach to estimating
climate sensitivity of streamflow is nonparametric and does not depend
on a hydrologic model. The upper bound for precipitation elasticity of
streamflow is shown to be the inverse of the runoff ratio. For over a
century, investigators \[Pike, 1964; Budyko, 1974; Ol'dekop, 1911; and
Schreiber, 1904\] have suggested that variations in watershed aridity
alone are sufficient to predict spatial variations in long-term
watershed runoff. We document that variations in soil moisture holding
capacity are just as important as variations in watershed aridity in
explaining the mean and variance of annual watershed runoff

KEYWORDS: hydroclimatology, hydrologic budget, water/energy
interactions, runoff and streamflow.

NOTE

> "We document that variations in soil moisture holding capacity are
> just as important as variations in watershed aridity in explaining the
> mean and variance of annual watershed runoff."

1.  PRISM Data:

> For each watershed, 37-year monthly time series of precipitation,
> average maximum daily temperature and average minimum daily
> temperature were derived from 0.5-degree time-series grids based on
> the PRISM climate modeling system \[Daly et al., 1994\]. The monthly
> climatic time series grids were spatially averaged over each HCDN
> watershed.
>
> 2\. Affiliation:
>
> International Research Institute for Climate Prediction, Lamont-
> Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, Palisades, New York,
>
> USA.

Funding Agency: (none listed)

> 3\. PRISM was used to generate for each watershed, 37-year monthly
> time series of precipitation, average maximum daily temperature and
> average minimum daily temperature from 0.5-degree time-series grids
> for use in a nonparametric approach to estimating climate sensitivity
> of streamflow that does not depend on a hydrologic model.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> 'We found that a watershed aridity index is not an adequate predictor,
> by itself, of either the long term water balance or the variability of
> annual runoff. Instead, both watershed aridity and watershed soil
> water holding capacity are necessary together, to predict either the
> long-term water balance and/or annual runoff variability. The relative
> importance of watershed soil moisture storage as a predictor of the
> mean and variance of annual watershed runoff may have important
> implications for our ability to model land-atmosphere interactions and
> for incorporating the impact of land surface processes in climate
> models. The approach taken here for modeling the long term water
> balance in terms of watershed aridity and soil moisture holding
> capacity may also be combined with a new approach to the
> regionalization of watershed model parameters introduced by Fernandez
> et al. \[2000\] to enable estimation of watershed model parameters at
> ungaged sites."

Google 194

Environmental determinants of cost sharing

David Aadland and Van Kolpin

*Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization* Vol. 53 (2004) 495--511

ABSTRACT

Multiple cost-sharing rules often coexist in seemingly identical
environments. We use shared irrigation costs as a context for examining
the extent to which the structural environment explains cost-sharing
rule selection. We find that environmental factors affecting irrigation
costs and benefits, as well as those determining irrigator distribution
along the ditch, have impressive explanatory power. These results
present some of the first formal empirical analysis of the manner in
which structural features influence the actual cost-sharing choices of
economic agents. Moreover, our results also suggest that previous
axiomatic studies are reflective of real-world cost-sharing behavior.

Keywords: Cooperative games; Cost allocation; Equity; Probit

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> These are the most detailed, highest-quality spatial climate datasets
> currently available. OCS used the PRISM model to generate mean monthly
> precipitation estimates for the time period 1961--1990 (Daly et al.,
> 1994, 1997).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Department of Economics, Utah State University, Logan, UT

Funding Agency: (none listed)

> 3\. PRISM was used to provide mean monthly precipitation estimates for
> 1961-1990 in a study that used "shared irrigation costs as a context
> for examining the extent to which the structural environment explains
> cost-sharing rule selection."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "We find that environmental factors affecting irrigation costs and
> benefits, as well as those determining irrigator distribution along
> the ditch, have impressive explanatory power. These results present
> some of the first formal empirical analysis of the manner in which
> structural features influence the actual cost-sharing choices of
> economic agents. Moreover, our results also suggest that previous
> axiomatic studies are reflective of real-world cost-sharing behavior."

Google 195

Regional and local species richness in an insular environment:
serpentine plants in California

SUSAN HARRISON, HUGH D. SAFFORD, JAMES B. GRACE, JOSHUA H. VIERS, AND
KENDI F. DAVIES

*Ecological Monographs*, 76(1), 2006, pp. 41--56

ABSTRACT

We asked how the richness of the specialized (endemic) flora of
serpentine rock outcrops in California varies at both the regional and
local scales. Our study had two goals: first, to test whether endemic
richness is affected by spatial habitat structure (e.g., regional
serpentine area, local serpentine outcrop area, regional and local
measures of outcrop isolation), and second, to conduct this test in the
context of a broader assessment of environmental influences (e.g.,
climate, soils, vegetation, disturbance) and historical influences
(e.g., geologic age, geographic province) on local and regional species
richness. We measured endemic and total richness and environmental
variables in 109 serpentine sites (1000-m2 paired plots) in 78
serpentine-containing regions of the state. We used structural equation
modeling (SEM) to simultaneously relate regional richness to
regional-scale predictors, and local richness to both local-scale and
regional-scale predictors.

Our model for serpentine endemics explained 66% of the variation in
local endemic richness based on local environment (vegetation, soils,
rock cover) and on regional endemic richness. It explained 73% of the
variation in regional endemic richness based on regional environment
(climate and productivity), historical factors (geologic age and
geographic province), and spatial structure (regional total area of
serpentine, the only significant spatial variable in our analysis). We
did not find a strong influence of spatial structure on species
richness. However, we were able to distinguish local vs. regional
influences on species richness to a novel extent, despite the existence
of correlations between local and regional conditions.

Key words:![](media/image3.png){width="0.15555555555555556in"
height="0.10486111111111111in"}disturbance; geologic age; local
richness; plant diversity; productivity--diversity; regional richness;
serpentine; spatial habitat structure; species--area; species--energy;
structural equation modeling.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> From the state climate model ([Daly et al.
> 1994](http://www.esajournals.org/esaonline/?request=get-document&issn=0012-9615&volume=076&issue=01&page=0041#i0012-9615-076-01-0041-daly1%23i0012-9615-076-01-0041-daly1)),
> we calculated for each region the 30-yr mean value of annual rainfall
> (1961--1990) and the mean January minimum and July maximum
> temperatures. To obtain the best possible predictive power, we
> calculated these climate variables in two ways: for each entire
> region, and for the serpentine areas within each region.
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of
California, Davis, California

Funding Agency:

Support was provided by the National Science Foundation (NSF
DEB-0075369).

> 3\. PRISM was used to calculate each region's 30-yr mean value of
> annual rainfall (1961--1990) and the mean January minimum and July
> maximum temperatures for a study that had the following two goals: "
> first, to test whether endemic richness is affected by spatial habitat
> structure (e.g., regional serpentine area, local serpentine outcrop
> area, regional and local measures of outcrop isolation), and second,
> to conduct this test in the context of a broader assessment of
> environmental influences (e.g., climate, soils, vegetation,
> disturbance) and historical influences (e.g., geologic age, geographic
> province) on local and regional species richness."

4.  Impact or Conclusion:

> "Our model for serpentine endemics explained 66% of the variation in
> local endemic richness based on local environment (vegetation, soils,
> rock cover) and on regional endemic richness. It explained 73% of the
> variation in regional endemic richness based on regional environment
> (climate and productivity), historical factors (geologic age and
> geographic province), and spatial structure (regional total area of
> serpentine, the only significant spatial variable in our analysis). We
> did not find a strong influence of spatial structure on species
> richness. However, we were able to distinguish local vs. regional
> influences on species richness to a novel extent, despite the
> existence of correlations between local and regional conditions."
>
> "... ours is the only study we know of that has come to grips with the
> fact that historical and contemporary variables may be partially
> correlated with one another, and thus not possible to completely
> disentangle. Our study demonstrates the ability of SEM to add clarity
> to the results in such cases, by explicitly quantifying the shared
> variance as well as the variance that is uniquely attributable to each
> set of explanatory factors."

Google

Genetic variation in response to shade in coastal Douglas-fir

J. Bradley St. Clair and Richard A. Sniezko

*Canadian Journal of Forest Research*, 1999, vol. 29, issue 11, p 1751

ABSTRACT

Tree improvement programs have generally relied on testing families in
open light environments. With increased interest in multi-aged
silvicultural systems, some people have questioned whether families
selected in the open are appropriate for planting in the shade. We grew
Douglas-fir *Pseudotsuga menziesii* (Mirb.) Franco var. *menziesii*)
families from two climatically distinct seed sources for 2 years under
four levels of shade. The response to shade differed for several traits
between the two populations and among families within populations. The
magnitude of variation associated with the interaction, however, was
small compared with the overall effects of genetic selection or of
shade. Families selected based on performance in an open light
environment resulted in nearly the same response to selection when grown
under shade as families selected based on performance in the shade. We
conclude that seedlings from families selected in an open light
environment are appropriate for use in the low-light environments of
alternative silvicultural systems and that use of such genetically
selected stock may compensate for the less favorable growing conditions.
Genetic selection may contribute importantly to meeting multiple
objectives, including the production of significant amounts of wood as
well as the efficient and timely creation of large stand structures
needed for other forest values.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> The area is characterized by a mean daily minimum temperature of 1°C
> during the coldest month of the year, a mean daily maximum temperature
> of 22°C during the warmest month of the year, a frost-free season of
> 170 days, and mean annual precipitation of 1800--3600 mm (based on
> maps generated from the PRISM model to interpolate between weather
> stations; see Daly et al. 1994)
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

**USDA** Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, 3200 SW
Jefferson Way, Corvallis, OR

Funding Agency:

> 3\. PRISM was used to characterize study areas "by a mean daily
> minimum temperature of 1°C during the coldest month of the year, a
> mean daily maximum temperature of 22°C during the warmest month of the
> year, a frost-free season of 170 days, and mean annual precipitation
> of 1800--3600 mm" in a study that addressed "the concerns of the
> appropriateness of (*Pseudotsuga menziesii* (Mirb.) Franco var.
> *menziesii)* families selected in the open for performance in the
> shade by considering the correlated responses to selection when
> selection is in one light environment and response is measured in the
> same or another light environment.

5.  Impact or Conclusion:

> 'We conclude from this study that seedlings from families selected in
> an open light environment are appropriate for use under the low-light
> environments of alternative management regimes. Indeed, appropriate
> use of genetically selected stock may compensate for the less
> favorable growing environments in the understories of alternative
> silvicultural systems. Genetic selection may contribute importantly to
> meeting multiple objectives, including the production of significant
> amounts of wood as well as the efficient and timely creation of large
> stand structures needed for other forest values. These conclusions
> based on controlled experiments in raised nursery beds, however, must
> be confirmed and refined with longer term studies of family
> performance in the understories of multiaged forest stands."

Google 198

A Watershed Scale Assessment of Riparian Forests, with Implications for
Restoration

Timothy L. Hyatt, Tyson Z. Waldo, and Timothy J. Beechie

*Restoration Ecology* Vol. 12 No. 2, pp. 175-183

ABSTRACT

A combination of air-photo interpretation, field data, and Geographic
Information System (GIS) analysis was used to map riparian areas that
are likely to provide wood and shade to small- and medium-sized streams
and where, conversely, restoration might be most beneficial. The
analysis encompassed all salmonid-bearing waters of the Nooksack River
basin, in northwest Washington State, plus small tributaries that were
thought to contribute wood or effective shading. The size and
composition of each riparian stand was examined to determine whether
trees were large enough to contribute logs that would form pools in the
adjacent channel, with pool forming size of wood a function of channel
width. Riparian stands were classified according to whether they passed
this pool-forming test. Model results were an exact match to actual
conditions in 69% of field-verified stands. A large proportion (74%) of
the stands failing the test in reaches of anadromous fish use were in
agricultural areas. Passing stands typically had high shade levels,
because both stream shade and effective large woody debris size are a
function of the size of the trees relative to the size of the stream.
The GIS layer of passing and failing riparian stands can be combined
with layers depicting property ownership, threatened fish distribution,
and other information to objectively prioritize riparian restoration
locations and strategies.

Key words: GIS, habitat modeling, LWD, riparian, shade

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Field measurements of bankfull channel width (the dependent variable)
> were regressed against independent variables for stream gradient,
> channel confinement (SSHIAP 2000), watershed area, and precipitation
> (Daly et al. 1994).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Nooksack Natural Resources, 5016 Deming Road, Deming, WA

Funding Agency:

> This project was partially supported by the Salmon and Steelhead
> Habitat Inventory and Assessment Program (SSHIAP) at the Northwest
> Indian Fisheries Commission, Olympia, WA.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to provide precipitation values for "a combination
> of air-photo interpretation, field data, and Geographic Information
> System (GIS) analysis (that) was used to map riparian areas that are
> likely to provide wood and shade to small- and medium-sized streams
> and where, conversely, restoration might be most beneficial. The
> analysis encompassed all salmonid-bearing waters of the Nooksack River
> basin, in northwest Washington State, plus small tributaries that were
> thought to contribute wood or effective shading."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "Model results were an exact match to actual conditions in 69% of
> field-verified stands. A large proportion (74%) of the stands failing
> the test in reaches of anadromous fish use were in agricultural areas.
> Passing stands typically had high shade levels, because both stream
> shade and effective large woody debris size are a function of the size
> of the trees relative to the size of the stream. The GIS layer of
> passing and failing riparian stands can be combined with layers
> depicting property ownership, threatened fish distribution, and other
> information to objectively prioritize riparian restoration locations
> and strategies."
>
> "The model presented here cannot explicitly address questions of
> thinning and underplanting, but it does provide a comprehensive
> assessment for a large area and bridges the gap on the relative sizes
> of trees and streams."

Google 199

Role of selection versus historical isolation in racial differentiation
of ponderosa pine in southern Oregon: an investigation of alternative
hypotheses

Frank C. Sorensen, Nancy L. Mandel, and Jan E. Aagaard

*Can. J. For. Res. 31*: 1127--1139 (2001)

DOI: 10.1139/cjfr-31-7-1127

ABSTRACT

Continuous populations identified as Pacific and North Plateau races of
ponderosa pine (*Pinus ponderosa* P. Laws. ex C. Laws.) are parapatric
along the crest of the Cascade Range in southern Oregon. A 3-year
common-garden study of bud phenology and seedling vigor was performed to
estimate the nature and magnitude of differentiation between races, to
characterize the transition zone between them, and to relate responses
between and within races to topography and climate. Principal component
(PC) analyses identified two significant character complexes, PC-1
(phenological traits) and PC-2 (size traits), that explained 73% of the
geographic race-related variation. The races were differentiated in two
regards. First, PC-1 scores, which were highly correlated with
frost-free season and summer--winter temperature differential, displayed
a sharp discontinuity in the transition zone. Second, PC-2 scores were
significantly correlated with physiographic and climatic variables in
the North Plateau but not in the Pacific race, even though these
variables had greater ranges in the latter. The data supported a narrow,
adaptive transition between races for a complex of traits probably
related to cold hardiness, and provided evidence that plant vigor traits
were more closely adapted to environments in the North Plateau than in
the Pacific region, possibly as a consequence of past climatic-stress
selection in the former and competitive-stress selection in the latter.

NOTE

**Table 2.** Description of variables used in the climatic regression
model.

[Variable Description]{.underline}

TAVER Mean annual temperature

TSUMWDIF Difference between mean summer (June, July, August) and mean
winter (December, January, February) temperatures

TSPDEDF Difference between mean spring (March, April) and mean December
temperatures

MINMIN Mean minimum temperature of coldest month

FRSTFREE Frost-free period

PTOTAL Total annual precipitation

PM6M7TOT Total June + July precipitation

PM6M7DF June--July precipitation difference

PAUG Mean August precipitation

1.  PRISM Data:

> "Recent climatic maps indicated that several growing season variables
> changed quite abruptly at the Cascade Crest in southern Oregon (maps
> generated by PRISM model, Daly et al. 1994;
> [www.ocs.orst.edu/prism](http://www.ocs.orst.edu/prism))."
>
> "The climatic regression model was based on several temperature and
> precipitation variables that varied strongly across the landscape and
> were weakly correlated or not correlated one with another (J.B. St.
> Clair and K. Vance-Borland, unpublished climatic maps). These
> variables were derived from monthly mean, maximum, and minimum
> temperature (T) and precipitation (P) values for the parent tree
> locations, as determined by using the PRISM climate model (Daly et al.
> 1994)."
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Forestry Sciences Laboratory, **USDA** Forest Service, Corvallis, OR

Funding Agency: (none listed)

> 3\. PRISM was used to indicate several growing season variables in the
> Cascade Crest and to derive monthly mean, maximum, and minimum
> temperature and precipitation values for "a 3-year common-garden study
> of bud phenology and seedling vigor (that) was performed to estimate
> the nature and magnitude of differentiation between races, to
> characterize the transition zone between them, and to relate responses
> between and within races to topography and climate."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> The geographic variation pattern in ponderosa pine has been described
> as ecotypic (Wells 1964) with narrow transitions between "races"
> (Conkle and Critchfield 1988) and clines within races (Rehfeldt 1986a,
> 1986b; Westfall and Conkle 1992; Sorensen and Weber 1994; Rotach
> 1997). Atransition zone in central Montana was attributed to secondary
> contact after historical separation (Latta and Mitton 1999). In
> contrast to that, the abrupt transition in southern Oregon apparently
> has resulted from response to selection in contrasting temperature
> environments. The differentiation is primarily associated with a
> complex of traits probably related to cold hardiness. A second
> important racial contrast in southern Oregon was the different
> physiographic and climatic clines within races. The clines were
> steeper in the North Plateau than in the Pacific region, and we
> suggested that this might have been a consequence of climatic-stress
> selection in the former and competitive-stress selection in the
> latter.

Google 201

Probability of Detecting Atrazine/Desethyl-atrazine and Elevated
Concentrations of Nitrate in Ground Water in Colorado

Michael G. Rupert

*U.S. Geological Survery Water-Resources Investigations* Report 02--4269
(2003): pp 1-35

ABSTRACT

Draft Federal regulations may require that each State develop a State
Pesticide Management Plan for the herbicides atrazine, alachlor,
metolachlor, and simazine. Maps were developed that the State of
Colorado could use to predict the probability of detecting atrazine and
desethyl-atrazine (a breakdown product of atrazine) in ground water in
Colorado. These maps can be incorporated into the State Pesticide
Management Plan and can help provide a sound hydrogeologic basis for
atrazine management in Colorado. Maps showing the probability of
detecting elevated nitrite plus nitrate as nitrogen (nitrate)
concentra­tions in ground water in Colorado also were developed because
nitrate is a contaminant of concern in many areas of Colorado.

Maps showing the probability of detecting atrazine and(or)
desethyl-atrazine (atrazine/DEA) at or greater than concentrations of
0.1 microgram per liter and nitrate concentrations in ground water
greater than 5 milligrams per liter were developed as follows: (1)
Ground-water quality data were overlaid with anthropogenic and
hydro­geologic data using a geographic information system to produce a
data set in which each well had corresponding data on atrazine use,
fertilizer use, geology, hydrogeomorphic regions, land cover,
precipitation, soils, and well construction. These data then were
downloaded to a statistical software package for analysis by logistic
regres­sion. (2) Relations were observed between ground-water quality and
the percentage of land-cover categories within circular regions
(buffers) around wells. Several buffer sizes were evaluated; the buffer
size that provided the strongest relation was selected for use in the
logistic regression models. (3) Relations between concentrations of
atrazine/DEA and nitrate in ground water and atrazine use, fertilizer
use, geology, hydrogeomorphic regions, land cover, precipitation, soils,
and well-construction data were evaluated, and several preliminary
multivariate models with various combinations of independent variables
ere constructed. (4) The multivariate models that best predicted the
presence of atrazine/aDEA and elevated concentrations of nitrate in
ground water were selected. (5) The accuracy of the multivariate models
was confirmed by validating the models with an independent set of
ground-water quality data. (6) The multivariate models were entered into
a geographic information system and the probability maps were
constructed.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Estimates of average annual precipitation for 1961--90 were developed
> by Daly and others (1994), with the Parameter-elevation Regressions on
> Independent Slopes Model (PRISM).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:(not listed)

Funding Agency: (not listed)

> 3\. PRISM was used to provide estimates of annual precipitation
> necessary for the creation of "maps showing the probability of
> detecting atrazine and(or) desethyl-atrazine (atrazine/DEA), (in
> ground water in Colorado), at or greater than concentrations of 0.1
> microgram per liter and nitrate concentrations in ground water greater
> than 5 milligrams per liter..."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "The probability maps developed by the methods described in this
> report are designed to portray the potential for contamination of
> ground water in Colorado. These maps do not show areas that are
> actually (currently) contaminated, but rather, the areas that have a
> potential (or likelihood) for being contaminated if a contaminant were
> released to the environment. More specifically, each map shows the
> probability of detection (in terms of a percent) of a particular
> chemical compound (the contaminant) in ground water. Probability is
> not the same as certainty; a well in a high probability area is not
> necessarily contaminated because contamination can also depend on well
> depth and other local factors not taken into account by the models
> described in this report. The maps produced by this project were
> developed using the best available data, and can probably be improved
> as additional data become available. Additional ground-water quality
> data in areas that are sparsely sampled would probably improve the
> calibration of the maps. Larger scale soils and chemical input data
> would probably improve the accuracy of the probability maps. Data
> differentiating between sprinkler and flood irrigation methods would
> probably improve the accuracy in agricultural areas. Chemical-use data
> in urban areas would improve the accuracy of the probability maps in
> urban area."

Google 202

Diagnosis and Attribution of a Seasonal Precipitation Deficit in a U.S.
Regional Climate Simulation

WILLIAM J. GUTOWSKI JR., FRANCIS O. OTIENO, RAYMOND W. ARRITT, EUGENE S.
TAKLE, and ZAITAO PAN

*Journal of Hydrometeorology* (2004) Volume 5: pp 230-242

ABSTRACT

Precipitation from a 10-yr regional climate simulation is evaluated
using three complementary analyses: self organizing maps, bias scores,
and arithmetic bias. Collectively, the three reveal a precipitation
deficit in the south-central United States that emerges in September and
lingers through February. Deficient precipitation for this region and
time of year is also evident in other simulations, indicating a generic
problem in climate simulation.

Analysis of terrestrial and atmospheric water balances shows that the
10-yr average precipitation error for the region results primarily from
a deficit in horizontal water vapor convergence. However, the 10-yr
average for fall only suggests that the primary contributor is a deficit
in evapotranspiration. Evaluation of simulated temperature and soil
moisture suggests the model has insufficient terrestrial water for
evaporation during fall. Results for winter are mixed; errors in both
evapotranspiration and lateral moisture convergence may contribute
substantially to the precipitation deficit. The model reproduces well
both the time-average and time-filtered large-scale circulation,
implying that the moisture convergence error arises from an error in
simulating mesoscale circulation.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> 'The Vegetation/Ecosystem Modeling and Analysis Project (VEMAP) has
> produced an 1895--1993 time series of monthly average precipitation on
> a 0.58 grid for the contiguous United States (Kittel et al. 1995,
> 1997, 2000; Schimel et al. 2000). Data processing used a local,
> moving-window kriging model (Haas 1990) to produce serially complete
> station records using monthly observations from the National Climatic
> Data Center's Historical Climatalogy Network (;1200 stations from 1895
> to present), the Cooperative Observing Network (additional 6000--8000
> stations from 1951--90), and more recent snowpack telemetry (SNOTEL)
> observations. These records were then merged using the
> Parameter-Elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model (PRISM;
> e.g., Daly et al. 1994) for spatial interpolation with topographic
> adjustment."
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Department of Geological and Atmospheric Sciences, and Department of
Agronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa

Funding Agency:

> 3\. PRISM was used to merge data from VEMAP, station data and SNOTEL
> observations for a diagnosis and attribution of a seasonal
> precipitation deficit in a US regional climate simulation.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> Analysis of terrestrial and atmospheric water balances shows that the
> 10-yr average precipitation error for the region results primarily
> from a deficit in horizontal water vapor convergence. However, the
> 10-yr average for fall only suggests that the primary contributor is a
> deficit in evapotranspiration. Evaluation of simulated temperature and
> soil moisture suggests the model has insufficient terrestrial water
> for evaporation during fall. Results for winter are mixed; errors in
> both evapotranspiration and lateral moisture convergence may
> contribute substantially to the precipitation deficit. The model
> reproduces well both the time-average and time-filtered large-scale
> circulation, implying that the moisture convergence error arises from
> an error in simulating mesoscale circulation.

Google 203

Landscape models to understand steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss)
distribution and help prioritize barrier removals in the Willamette
basin, Oregon, USA

E. Ashley Steel, Blake E. Feist, David W. Jensen, George R. Pess, Mindi
B. Sheer, Jody B. Brauner, and Robert E. Bilby

*Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci*. **61**: 999--1011 (2004)

doi: 10.1139/F04-042

ABSTRACT

We use linear mixed models to predict winter steelhead (*Oncorhynchus
mykiss*) redd density from geology, land use, and climate variables in
the Willamette River basin, Oregon. Landscape variables included in the
set of best models were alluvium, hillslope \< 6%, landslide-derived
geology, young (\<40 years) forest, shrub vegetation, agricultural land
use, and mafic volcanic geology. Our approach enables us to model the
temporal correlation between annual redd counts at the same site while
extracting patterns of relative redd density across sites that are
consistent even among years with varying strengths of steelhead returns.
We use our model to predict redd density (redds per kilometre) upstream
of 111 probable migration barriers as well as the 95% confidence
interval around the redd density prediction and the total number of
potential redds behind each barrier. Using a metric that incorporates
uncertainty, we identified high-priority barriers that might have been
overlooked using only stream length or mean predicted fish benefit and
we clearly differentiated between otherwise similar barriers. We show
that landscape features can be used to describe and predict the
distribution of winter steelhead redds and that these models can be used
immediately to improve decision-making for anadromous salmonids.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Gridded annual maximum and minimum air temperatures from
> parameter-elevation regressions on independent slopes model (PRISM)
> (Daly et al. 1994) Total annual precipitation for 1989, considered a
> "normal" year from PRISM (Daly et al. 1994)
>
> 2\. Affiliation:
>
> Northwest Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Fisheries, Seattle, WA

Funding Agency: (none listed)

> 3\. PRISM was used to provide gridded annual maximum and minimum air
> temperatures and to all annual precipitation for 1989 in a study
> involving linear mixed models designed "to predict winter steelhead
> (*Oncorhynchus mykiss*) redd density from geology, land use, and
> climate variables in the Willamette River basin, Oregon."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "In summary, there are two major findings from our research: landscape
> features can be used to describe and predict the distribution of
> winter steelhead redds and these models can be used immediately to
> improve decision-making for anadromous salmonids. The prioritization
> of restoration projects is a valuable application of broad-scale
> correlation models. Future improvements on this approach will need to
> consider models that incorporate simultaneous effects on multiple
> aquatic species. The validity of the approach can be tested after
> barrier removal projects are underway. In the short term, our
> empirical approach, based purely on remotely sensed landscape data and
> generally available data on redd abundance, provides a series of
> testable hypotheses to improve our understanding of the impacts of
> landscape form and condition on winter steelhead distribution and
> abundance as well as management tools to help prioritize potential
> restoration projects."

Google 204

Atmospheric circulation influences on seasonal precipitation patterns in
Alaska during the latter 20th century

L'Heureux, M. L., M. E. Mann, B. I. Cook, B. E. Gleason, and R. S. Vose
(2004)

J. Geophys. Res., 109-116

doi:10.1029/2003JD003845.

ABSTRACT

A set of long, nearly complete daily precipitation series for Alaska
spanning the latter half of the 20th century has been analyzed for
seasonal relationships between variations in mean, heavy, and extreme
precipitation and large-scale atmospheric circulation variations at
interannual, decadal, and secular timescales. Relationships with four
candidate predictors (the Pacific North American (PNA), Arctic
Oscillation (AO), Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), and Nino3 indices)
are used for insights into possible large-scale climate forcing. Winter
precipitation (mean and extreme) variability and trends along the south
coast and interior of Alaska appear to be closely related to variations
in the PNA pattern over this timeframe, while El Nino/Southern
Oscillation (ENSO) influences, through the Nino3 index, appear to be
significant along the south coast alone. Along the

south coast the PNA and ENSO exert opposing influences on extreme (and
mean) precipitation. Within interior Alaska the positive PNA pattern
tends to suppress precipitation owing to orographic factors. Summer
variations appear more closely related to the influence of the AO and
PDO. The north slope region of Alaska appears to be too far removed from
the influences of any of the examined predictors for any clear
relationship to be evident.

KEYWORDS: Alaska, precipitation, circulation, climate variability,
climate change, PNA

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Figure 1. Climatological pattern of annual mean precipitation over
> Alaska. The locations of the nine stations are noted. The map is
> duplicated with permission from the Spatial Climate Analysis Service
> and uses a state-of-the-art digital elevation model (PRISM) that
> interpolates precipitation between station observations encompassing
> Alaska \[Daly et al., 1994\]. Image courtesy of the Spatial Climate
> Analysis Service, Oregon State University
> (<http://www.ocs.oregonstate.edu/prism>).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia,
Charlottesville, Virginia,

Funding Agency:

> Financial support for M. L. L'Heureux was provided by Michael E. Mann
> while at the University of Virginia, and by David W. J. Thompson and
> David Randall (under NASA grant NAG5- 11737) while at Colorado State
> University. We also thank the NOAA National Climatic Data Center for
> initial financial support and data resources.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to provide the "climatological pattern of annual
> mean precipitation over Alaska" for a study involving "a set of long,
> nearly complete daily precipitation series for Alaska spanning the
> latter half of the 20th century (that was ) analyzed for seasonal
> relationships between variations in mean, heavy, and extreme
> precipitation and large-scale atmospheric circulation variations at
> interannual, decadal, and secular timescales. Relationships with four
> candidate predictors (the Pacific North American (PNA), Arctic
> Oscillation (AO), Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), and Nino3
> indices) are used for insights into possible large-scale climate
> forcing."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "Winter precipitation (mean and extreme) variability and trends along
> the south coast and interior of Alaska appear to be closely related to
> variations in the PNA pattern over this timeframe, while El
> Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) influences, through the Nino3 index,
> appear to be significant along the south coast alone. Along the south
> coast the PNA and ENSO exert opposing influences on extreme (and mean)
> precipitation. Within interior Alaska the positive PNA pattern tends
> to suppress precipitation owing to orographic factors. Summer
> variations appear more closely related to the influence of the AO and
> PDO. The north slope region of Alaska appears to be too far removed
> from the influences of any of the examined predictors for any clear
> relationship to be evident."

Google 205

Evaluation HSPF in an Arid, Urbanized Watershed.

Ackerman, Drew, Kenneth C. Schiff, and Stephen B. Weisberg, 2005.

*Journal of the American Water Resources Association* (JAWRA)
41(2):477-486.

ABSTRACT

The Hydrologic Simulation Program-FORTRAN (HSPF) is a powerful time
variable hydrologic model that has rarely been applied in arid
environments. Here, the performance of HSPF in southern California was
assessed, testing its ability to predict annual volume, daily average
flow, and hourly flow. The model was parameterized with eight land use
categories and physical watershed characteristics. It was calibrated
using rainfall and measured flow over a five-year period in a
predominantly undeveloped watershed and it was validated using a
subsequent 4-year period. The process was repeated in a separate,
predominantly urbanized watershed over the same time span. Annual volume
predictions correlated well with measured flow in both the undeveloped
and developed watersheds. Daily flow predictions correlated well with
measured flow following rain events, but predictions were poor during
extended dry weather periods in the developed watershed. This modeling
difficulty during dry-weather periods reflects the large influence of,
and the poor accounting in the model for, artificially introduced water
from human activities, such as landscape over watering, that can be
important sources of water in urbanized arid environments. Hourly flow
predictions mistimed peak flows, reflecting spatial and temporal
heterogeneity of rainfall within the watershed. Model correlation
increased considerably when predictions were averaged over longer time
periods, reaching an asymptote after an 11-hour averaging window.

KEY TERMS: HSPF; hydrology; urban; watershed; model; California.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Rainfall spatial heterogeneity is highly pronounced in the Malibu
> Creek watershed, where average annual rainfall ranges from 34 to 79 cm
> among sub watersheds, resulting from elevation induced orographic
> differences (Daly et al., 1994).
>
> Rainfall in unmonitored sub watersheds was estimated from the nearest
> gage, after adjustment for orographic differences using topography
> modeled annual rainfall (PRISM) (Daly and Taylor, 1998).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:
>
> Southern California Coastal Water Research Project (SCCWRP),
> Westminster, California

Funding Agency: (none listed)

> 3\. PRISM was used to estimate rainfall data for the Malibu Creek,
> southern California watershed during an assessment of the Hydrologic
> Simulation Program-FORTRAN (HSPF), a powerful time variable hydrologic
> model. Assessment included testing the model's ability to predict
> annual volume, daily average flow, and hourly flow.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> The results from this study demonstrate that the hydrodynamic
> component of HSPF can be applied successfully in arid environments,
> particularly if results are interpreted on monthly or annual time
> scales. The model also performed well for predicting
>
> daily flow during wet weather periods in both undeveloped and
> urbanized watersheds. The correlations between modeled and measured
> flow were higher than typically observed in temperate applications of
> HSPF (Brun and Band, 2000).

The model worked poorly under dry weather conditions, hich probably
reflects the large contribution of

> nonstorm related flows that are added to the system.
>
> The effect of dry weather runoff in the arid environment was
> exacerbated in heavily urbanized Ballona Creek, where the model did
> not work effectively just two days following storms.
>
> The model also had difficulty estimating flow during small (\< 10 mm)
> storm events (Figure 6). The problem with small storms appears to be
> spatial heterogeneity in rainfall and the inability to resolve
> localized storm cells in the highly impervious watersheds.
>
> The modeled watersheds each had two rain gages, which are more than
> are typically found in watersheds of this size, but that appears to be
> inadequate because rainfall does not occur watershed wide for most
> storms smaller than 10 mm (Ackerman and Weisberg, 2003).
>
> The model also had limited effectiveness when applied to hourly time
> scales. Rainfall spatial heterogeneity may contribute to this, though
> temporal heterogeneity is probably more important than spatial
> heterogeneity for short time scale predictions. Because the watersheds
> examined in this study were larger than 250 km2, the initiation of
> rainfall can
>
> vary by several hours at different locations as the storm moves
> through the basin.

Google 206

Simulation of water balance and forest treatment effects at the H.J.
Andrews Experimental Forest

Scott R. Waichler, Beverley C. Wemple and Mark S. Wigmosta

*Hydrol. Process.* 19, 3177--3199 (2005)

ABSTRACT

The distributed hydrology soil--vegetation model (DHSVM) was applied to
the small watersheds WS1, 2, 3 in H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest,
Oregon, and tested for skill in simulating observed forest treatment
effects on streamflow. These watersheds, located in the rain--snow
transition zone, underwent road and clearcut treatments during 1959--66
and subsequent natural regeneration. DHSVM was applied with 10 m and 1 h
resolution to 1958--98, most of the period of record. Water balance for
old-growth WS2 indicated that evapotranspiration and streamflow were
unlikely to be the only loss terms, and groundwater recharge was
included to account for about 12% of precipitation; this term was
assumed zero in previous studies. Overall efficiency in simulating
hourly streamflow exceeded 0Ð7, and mean annual error was less than 10%.
Model skill decreased at the margins, with over prediction of low flows
and under prediction of high flows. However, statistical analyses of
simulated and observed peak flows yielded similar characterizations of
treatment effects. Primary simulation weaknesses were snowpack
accumulation, snowmelt under rain-on-snow conditions, and production of
quick flow. This was the first test of DHSVM against observations of
both control and treated watersheds in a classic paired-basin study
involving a long time period of forest regrowth and hydrologic recovery.
Copyright 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

KEY WORDS DHSVM; HJA; watershed modeling; forest treatment

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Lapse rates estimated with the PRISM climate model (Daly *et al*.,
> 1996) as applied to multiple HJA sites with a range of elevations are
> positive and result in a 13% increase in mean WS1 precipitation
> compared with the data from the base climate station CS2MET. Implied
> ET calculated from base precipitation and streamflow is already higher
> than estimates based on measured ET (Table II, Figure 2), so the
> existence of positive lapse rates for precipitation lends further
> support for the existence of groundwater recharge as a significant
> term in the water balance.
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA

Funding Agency:

> Financial support was provided by the National Council for Air and
> Stream Improvement, Battelle-
>
> Pacific Northwest Division, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to estimate lapse rates as applied to multiple HJ
> Andrews Experimental Forest sites with a range of elevations in a
> simulation of water balance and forest treatment effects.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> We identified and addressed a fundamental problem in previously
> published water balances for the HJA small watersheds. On a mean
> annual basis, Q and ET do not explain about 12% of precipitation,
> using a conservative estimate of P. This portion of the water balance
> was attributed to groundwater recharge, and modeling indicates it is
> most active during the winter wet season.
>
> Overall, the model output agreed well with the observed overall
> 'hydrologic regime' and streamflows at hourly and annual time scales.
> High efficiency (E2 \> 0Ð7) and reasonably low bias in streamflow
> modeling were achieved at an hourly time step over almost the entire
> period of record at HJA, and compared favorably to previous simulation
> efforts. However, the model over predicted low flows and under
> predicted high flows. Inadequate storage and release groundwater as
> base flow was responsible for the low flows problem. Inadequate
> snowmelt generation and quick flow translation down the hillslope were
> responsible for the high flows problem. Although too-slow runoff
> generation led to attenuated peak flows in the simulations and
> degraded statistical results concerning treatment effects, the overall
> sensitivity of the model to observed forest treatments was confirmed.
> The simulations also highlighted the difficulty of predicting
> treatment effects in different climates, and supported the inference
> that climate rather than watershed change was responsible for
> anomalies in
>
> recovery paths.

Google 207

Modeling potential erosion due to the Cerro Grande Fire with a GIS-based
implementation of the revised Universal soil loss equation

Jay D. Miller, John W. Nyhan, and Stephen R. Yoo

*International Journal of Wildland Fire*, 2003, 12, 85-100

ABSTRACT

Erosional processes directly influenced by wildland fire include
reduction or elimination of above-ground biomass, reduction of soil
organic matter, and hydrophobicity. High fuel loads promoted by decades
of fire suppression in the U.S. increase the duration and intensity of
burning, amplifying these effects. The Cerro Grande fire (6-31 May 2000)
consumed approximately 15000 hectacres around and within the town of Los
Alamos, New Mexico, USA. Private and public infrastructure including Los
Alamos National Laboratory are at continuing risk due to increased
threats of upstream erosion. We use a geographic information system
(GIS) based implementation of the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation
(RUSLE) to model pre- and pot-fire soil loss conditions and aid erosion
risk analysis. Pre- and post-fire vegetation cover data layers were
generated from Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) and Enhanced Thematic Mapper
(ETM) data. Based upon annual average rainfall amounts we estimate that
sub watershed average pre-fire erosion rates range from 0.45 to 9.22
tons ha-1yr-1 while post-fire erosion rates before watershed treatments
range from 1.72 to 113.26 tons ha-1yr-1. Rates are approximately 3.7
times larger for 50 year return interval rainfall amounts. It is
estimated that watershed treatments including reseeding will decrease
soil loss between 0.34 and 25.98% in the first year on treated sub
watersheds. Immediately after the fire an interagency Burned Area
Emergency Rehabilitation (BAER) team produced initial estimates of soil
erosion. Our estimates of average erosion rates by sub watershed were in
general larger than those initial estimates.

Keywords: wildland fire; watershed; cover factor; rainfall-runoff
erosivity factor; soil erodibility; slope length and steepness factor

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> "To develop an erosivity surface for the study area we obtained
> modeled annual average precipitation data from the Parameter-elevation
> Regressions on Independent Slopes Model (PRISM) (Daly et al. 1994). We
> interpolated these data from the original 4 km resolution to 1 km
> resolution, applied our regression equation and then equation (2) to
> obtain an erosivity surface (Fig. 1a)"
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Department of Geography and Regional Development, The Universtiy of
Arizona, Tucson, AZ

Funding Agency:

> "This work was supported by the Joint Fire Science Program and the
> Rocky Mountain Research Station, **USDA** Forest Service"
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to provided modeled annual average precipitation
> data that was interpolated from the original 4 km resolution to 1 km
> resolution before being applied to a regression equation and then to
> an erosivity surface equation.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "Based upon annual average rainfall amounts we estimate that sub
> watershed average pre-fire erosion rates range from 0.45 to 9.22 tones
> ha-1yr-1 while post-fire erosion rates before watershed treatments
> range from 1.72 to 113.26 tons ha-1yr-1. Rates are approximately 3.7
> times larger for 50 year return interval rainfall amounts. It is
> estimated that watershed treatments including reseeding will decrease
> soil loss between 0.34 and 25.98% in the first year on treated sub
> watersheds. Immediately after the fire an interagency Burned Area
> Emergency Rehabilitation (BAER) team produced initial estimates of
> soil erosion. Our estimates of average erosion rates by sub watershed
> were in general larger than those initial estimates."

Google 208

Landscape patterns of phenotypic variation and population structuring in
a selfing grass, Elymus

glaucus (blue wildrye)

Vicky J. Erickson, Nancy L. Mandel, and Frank C. Sorensen

*Can. J. Bot.* 82: 1776--1789 (2004)

doi: 10.1139/B04-141

ABSTRACT

Source-related phenotypic variance was investigated in a common garden
study of populations of Elymus glaucus Buckley (blue wildrye) from the
Blue Mountain Ecological Province of northeastern Oregon and adjoining
Washington. The primary objective of this study was to assess geographic
patterns of potentially adaptive differentiation in this self-fertile
allotetraploid grass, and use this information to develop a framework
for guiding seed movement and preserving adaptive patterns of genetic
variation in ongoing restoration work. Progeny of 188 families were
grown for 3 years under two moisture treatments and measured for a wide
range of traits involving growth, morphology, fecundity, and phenology.
Variation among seed sources was analyzed in relation to physiographic
and climatic trends, and to various spatial stratifications such as
ecoregions, watersheds, edaphic classifications, etc. Principal
component (PC) analysis extracted four primary PCs that together
accounted for 67% of the variance in measured traits. Regression and
cluster analyses revealed predominantly ecotypic or stepped-clinal
distribution of genetic variation. Three distinct geographic groups of
locations accounted for over 84% of the variation in PC-1 and PC-2
scores; group differences were best described by longitude and
ecoregion. Clinal variation in PC-3 and PC-4 scores was present in the
largest geographic group. Four geographic subdivisions were proposed for
delimiting E. glaucus seed transfer in the Blue Mountains.

Key words: Elymus glaucus, morphological variation, local adaptation,
seed transfer, seed zones, polyploid.

NOTE

Finally, a cautionary comment on ecoregions, which were quite useful in
delineating our proposed seed-use zones. The grouping of ecoregion
classes into zones involved observation of bimodal distribution of PC
scores and use of discriminant analysis based on plant morphology or
performance in the common garden. There was no a priori ecoregion
evidence that would have divided the area at 118°45′W, nor that would
have grouped, for example, 10f and 11l in one zone and 11c, 11d, and 11f
in another. In other words, ecoregions were a helpful classification
tool, but without the supporting common garden information, a
classification based solely on ecoregions would not have properly
subdivided adaptive variation in *E. glaucus*.

1.  PRISM Data:

> The climatic conditions at each seed collection site were
> characterized using digital maps and data generated by the PRISM
> climate model (Daly et al. 1994; <http://www.ocs.orst.edu/prism>),
> which provides gridded estimates (4-km resolution) of mean monthly and
> yearly temperature and precipitation, mean minimum and maximum monthly
> temperatures, and the mean dates of the last frost in the spring and
> the first frost in the fall.
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

**USDA** Forest Service, Umatilla National Forest, Pendleton, OR

Funding Agency:

Funding for this project was obtained from the **USDA** Forest Service.

> 3\. PRISM was used to determine climatic conditions at each seed
> collection site in a "source-related phenotypic variance ...
> (investigation) in a common garden study of populations of Elymus
> glaucus Buckley (blue wildrye) from the Blue Mountain Ecological
> Province of northeastern Oregon and adjoining Washington."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "Principal component (PC) analysis extracted four primary PCs that
> together accounted for 67% of the variance in measured traits.
> Regression and cluster analyses revealed predominantly ecotypic or
> stepped-clinal distribution of genetic variation. Three distinct
> geographic groups of locations accounted for over 84% of the variation
> in PC-1 and PC-2 scores; group differences were best described by
> longitude and ecoregion. Clinal variation in PC-3 and PC-4 scores was
> present in the largest geographic group. Four geographic subdivisions
> were proposed for delimiting *E. glaucus* seed transfer in the Blue
> Mountains."
>
> "The restoration framework and seed management guidelines proposed
> here are far less restrictive than procedures currently in use by
> federal agencies in the Blue Mountains and elsewhere, but yet are
> considerably better at matching seed-use guidelines to the phenotypic
> variation pattern. Large-scale seed-increase efforts involving *E.
> glaucus* will benefit from the proposed zoning, as will the
> adaptability and sustainability of introduced plant materials."

Google 209

Atmospheric deposition maps for the Rocky Mountains

Leora Nanus, Donald H. Campbell, George P. Ingersoll, David W. Clow, M.
Alisa Mast

*Atmospheric Environment* 37 (2003) 4881--4892

ABSTRACT

Variability in atmospheric deposition across the Rocky Mountains is
influenced by elevation, slope, aspect, and precipitation amount and by
regional and local sources of air pollution. To improve estimates of
deposition in mountainous regions, maps of average annual atmospheric
deposition loadings of nitrate, sulfate, and acidity were developed for
the Rocky Mountains by using spatial statistics. A parameter-elevation
regressions on independent slopes model (PRISM) was incorporated to
account for variations in precipitation amount over mountainous regions.
Chemical data were obtained from the National Atmospheric Deposition
Program/National Trends Network and from annual snowpack surveys
conducted by the US Geological Survey and National Park Service, in
cooperation with other Federal, State and local agencies. Surface
concentration maps were created by ordinary kriging in a geographic
information system, using a local trend and mathematical model to
estimate the spatial variance. Atmospheric deposition maps were
constructed at 1-km resolution by multiplying surface concentrations
from the kriged grid and estimates of precipitation amount from the
PRISM model. Maps indicate an increasing spatial trend in concentration
and deposition of the modeled constituents, particularly nitrate and
sulfate, from north to south throughout the Rocky Mountains and identify
hot-spots of atmospheric deposition that result from combined local and
regional sources of air pollution. Highest nitrate (2.5--3.0 kg/ha N)
and sulfate (10.0--12.0 kg/ha SO4) deposition is found in northern
Colorado.

Keywords: Atmospheric deposition; GIS; Kriging; Precipitation chemistry;
Rocky Mountains

NOTE

"The models are the most accurate predictors where the variability is
low across short distances, however, where extreme elevation differences
exist, incorporating precipitation and elevation into the final model
decreases local variability caused by rapid changes in elevation. In
other words, concentration data may be somewhat variable or
unrepresentative near boundaries, but natural geographic and topological
factors may be accommodated by multiplying the kriged concentration data
with precipitation data from the PRISM model."

1\. PRISM Data:

> Chemical concentration maps were produced by using ordinary kriging
> spatial statistics in a GIS and were overlaid with maps of
> precipitation amount, calculated by using the parameter-elevation
> regressions on independent slopes model (PRISM) (Daly et al., 1994).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

US Geological Survey, Water Resources Division, Federal Center, Denver,
CO

Funding Agency: (none listed)

> 3\. PRISM was used to create Rocky Mountains precipitation maps that
> were overlaid in a GIS with chemical concentration maps in a study
> designed "to improve estimates of deposition in mountainous regions"
> through the creation of average annual atmospheric deposition loadings
> of nitrate, sulfate, and acidity" maps.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "Overall, determination of the spatial distribution of atmospheric
> deposition for the Rocky Mountain region was substantially improved by
> combining three ancillary data sets to address problems that have been
> identified but not resolved in previous studies that used only a
> single data set. Maps are provided on a 1-km grid that estimates
> atmospheric deposition for areas with little deposition chemistry data
> by identifying overall spatial trends in data. These maps can provide
> resource managers with visual, high-resolution, estimates of regional
> patterns in atmospheric deposition and highlight areas where concern
> about atmospheric deposition may warrant additional investigations."

Google 211

Environmental Water-Quality Zones for Streams: A Regional Classification
Scheme

DALE M. ROBERTSON and DAVID A. SAAD

*Environmental Management* Vol. 31, No. 5, pp. 581--602

ABSTRACT

Various approaches have been used to classify large geographical areas
into smaller regions of similar water quality or extrapolate
water-quality data from a few streams to other unmonitored streams. A
combination of some of the strengths of existing techniques is used to
develop a new approach for these purposes. In this new approach,
referred to here as SPARTA (SPAtial Regression-Tree Analysis),
environmental characteristics for each monitored stream are first
quantified using a Geographic Information System (GIS) and then
regression-tree analysis is used to determine which characteristics are
most statistically important in describing the distribution of a
specific water-quality constituent. GIS coverages of only the most
statistically significant environmental characteristics are then used to
subdivide the area of interest into relatively homogeneous environmental
water-quality zones. Results from the regression-tree analysis not only
define the most important environmental characteristics, but also
describe how to subdivide the coverage of the specific characteristic
(for example, areas with \_26% or \_26% soil clay content). The
resulting regionalization scheme is customized for each water-quality
constituent based on the environmental characteristics most
statistically related to that constituent. SPARTA was used to delineate
areas of similar phosphorus, nitrogen, and sediment concentrations (by
including land-use characteristics) and areas of similar potential water
quality (by excluding land-use characteristics). The SPARTA approach
reduced the variability in water-quality concentrations (phosphorus,
total nitrogen, Kjeldahl nitrogen, and suspended sediment) within
similarly classified zones from that obtained using the US Environmental
Protection Agency's nutrient ecoregions.

KEY WORDS: Regionalization; Classification; Ecoregions; Extrapolation;
Nutrients; Regression Tree; SPARTA

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> "The environmental characteristics thought to affect or be related to
> water-quality concentrations in the streams that were compiled for
> this study included the average annual runoff (Gebert and others
> 1987), annual air temperature (based on data from 1990 from the
> National Climatic Data Center, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric
> Administration), annual precipitation (Daly and others 1994), land-use
> types (Anderson and others 1976), ..."
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

US Geological Survey Middleton, Wisconsin

Funding Agency:

> 3\. PRISM was used to provide precipitation data that was compiled in
> digital form and used with other characteristics in a GIS study
> referred to as SPARTA (SPAtial Regression-Tree Analysis), which was
> done to classify large geographical areas into smaller regions of
> similar water quality or extrapolate water-quality data from a few
> streams to other unmonitored streams.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "A combination of some of the strengths of existing regional
> classification schemes was used to develop a new approach, SPAtial
> Regression-Tree Analysis, SPARTA, to subdivide large geographical
> areas into smaller zones of similar water quality and to extrapolate
> water-quality data from a few streams to other unmonitored streams. In
> this new approach, regression-tree analysis is used to determine which
> environmental characteristics are most statistically important in
> describing the distribution of a specific water-quality constituent.
> Break points for the branches from the regression-tree analysis are
> used to subdivide their respective GIS coverages (for example, areas
> with \_26% or \_26% soil clay content). The partitioned GIS coverages
> of only these characteristics are then combined and used to subdivide
> the area of interest into relatively homogeneous environmental
> water-quality zones. The resulting regionalization scheme is
> customized for each water-quality constituent based on the
> environmental characteristics most statistically related to that
> constituent.
>
> SPARTA was used to delineate areas of similar phosphorus, nitrogen,
> and sediment concentrations (by including land-use characteristics)
> and areas of similar potential water quality (by excluding land-use
> characteristics). The variability in water quality within these new
> environmental water-quality zones was generally less than that within
> the nutrient ecoregions previously defined for the Midwest (except for
> nitrate concentrations). This new regional classification scheme
> should enable streams to be better managed and protected because the
> zones of similar water quality are customized for each water-quality
> constituent and can be defined based only on natural environmental
> factors."

Google 213

Adaptation, Spatial Heterogeneity, and the Vulnerability of Agricultural
Systems to Climate Change and CO2 Fertilization: An Integrated
Assessment Approach

John Antle, Susan Capalbo, Edward Elliott, and Keith Paustian

*Climatic Change* **64:** 289--315, 2004.

ABSTRACT

In this paper we develop economic measures of vulnerability to climate
change with and without adaptation in agricultural production systems.
We implement these measures using coupled, site-specific ecosystem and
economic simulation models. This modeling approach has two key features
needed to study the response of agricultural production systems to
climate change: it represents adaptation as an endogenous, non-marginal
economic response to climate change; and it provides the capability to
represent the spatial variability in bio-physical and economic
conditions that interact with adaptive responses. We apply this approach
to the dryland grain production systems of the Northern Plains region of
the United States. The results support the hypothesis that the most
adverse impacts on net returns distributions tend to occur in the areas
with the poorest resource

endowments and when mitigating effects of CO2 fertilization and
adaptation are absent. We find that relative and absolute measures of
vulnerability depend on complex interactions between climate change, CO2
level, adaptation, and economic conditions such as relative output
prices. The relationship between relative vulnerability and resource
endowments varies with assumptions about climate change, adaptation, and
economic conditions. Vulnerability measured with respect to an absolute
threshold is inversely related to resource endowments in all cases
investigated.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Mean long-term climate variables for each polygon were calculated by
> overlaying the sub-MLRA coverage with the PRISM (Parameter-elevation
> Regressions on Independent Slopes Model; Daly et al., 1994) database,
> consisting of 4 km2 polygons for the conterminous U.S. Climate
> variables in PRISM are based on 30- year mean (1960--1990) weather
> station records, spatially interpolated to account for topographic
> effects.
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Department of Agricultural Economics and Economics, Montana State
University

Funding Agency:

> "This research was supported in part by the Montana State Agricultural
> Experiment Station, by the EPA STAR Climate Change program, and by the
> National Institute for Global Environmental Change through the U.S.
> Department of Energy (Cooperative Agreement No. DE-FC03- 90ER61010).
> Although the research described in this article has been funded wholly
> or in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency
> through grant R-82874501-0 to Montana State University..."
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to calculate mean long-term climate variables for a
> study designed to "develop economic measures of vulnerability to
> climate change with and without adaptation in agricultural production
> systems. (These) measures (were) coupled (using) site-specific
> ecosystem and economic simulation models. This modeling approach has
> two key features needed to study the response of agricultural
> production systems to climate change: it represents adaptation as an
> endogenous, non-marginal economic response to climate change; and it
> provides the capability to represent the spatial variability in
> bio-physical and economic conditions that interact with adaptive
> responses."
>
> []{.mark}
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "Our findings show that the spatial distributions of net returns vary
> systematically with assumptions about climate impacts, CO2
> fertilization, and adaptation. The results support the hypothesis that
> the most adverse changes in net returns distributions occur in the
> areas with the poorest resource endowments and when mitigating effects
> of CO2 fertilization or adaptation are absent. We also find that the
> vulnerability of agriculture to climate change depends on how it is
> measured (in relative versus absolute terms, and with respect to a
> threshold), and it also depends on complex interactions between
> climate change, CO2 level, adaptation, and economic conditions such as
> relative output prices. Moreover, we find that the degree of
> vulnerability of wealthier and poorer regions is highly sensitive to
> economic assumptions, such as changes in prices. Our results show that
> the relationship between relative vulnerability and resource
> endowments depends critically on the degree of adaptation, with a
> negative relationship emerging from the non-adaptation scenarios and a
> positive relationship from adaptation scenarios. However,
> vulnerability measured in relation to an absolute threshold appears to
> vary inversely with resource endowments across both adaptation and
> nonadaptation scenarios. Finally, we find that there is generally a
> positive relationship between gains from adaptation and the resource
> endowment of a region. This finding underlines the particularly
> important role that adaptation plays in mitigating climate change
> impacts in poorer regions.
>
> These findings are the first to confirm with population-based survey
> data that the distribution of the economic impacts of climate change
> across regions with more and less favorable resource endowments is
> likely to depend on the ability of farmers 312 JOHN M. ANTLE ET AL. in
> those regions to adapt to climate change. These findings are thus
> consistent with the conclusions of the IPCC Second and Third
> Assessment Reports (1996, 2001) that climate change is likely to have
> its greatest adverse impacts on areas where resource endowments are
> the poorest and the ability of farmers to respond and adapt is most
> limited.
>
> As noted in the IPCC's Third Assessment Report (2001a), impact
> assessments need to be subjected to more thorough sensitivity
> analysis, and dynamic adaptive responses needed to be taken into
> account. Because of their relatively small size, the econometric
> process models used in this study can be subjected to sensitivity
> analysis using parametric methods and Monte Carlo methods. In
> addition, sensitivity analyses could be used to address the issue of
> how uncertainty in the parameters of process-based models (for which
> we lack statistical distributions) affects the results of an
> integrated assessment simulation. An example of this type of analysis
> can be found in Antle et al. (2002). An important limitation of this
> and most other integrated studies done to date is that they are
> limited to before-and after, comparative static analysis of climate
> change. A topic of ongoing work is to dynamically couple the ecosystem
> and economic models to simulate adaptive responses to climate
> transients."

Google 214

Role of Antecedent Land Surface Conditions on North American Monsoon
Rainfall Variability

CHUNMEI ZHU AND DENNIS P. LETTENMAIER, and TEREZA CAVAZOS

*JOURNAL OF CLIMATE* (2005): VOLUME 18: p 3104 - 3121

ABSTRACT

Possible links between North American Monsoon System (NAMS) seasonal
\[June--July--August-- September (JJAS)\] precipitation and premonsoon
seasonal land surface conditions including precipitation (P), surface
air temperature (Ts), soil moisture (Sm), and snow water equivalent
(SWE) anomalies are explored during the 1950--2000 period. A
statistically significant inverse relationship is found between monsoon
precipitation in an area defined as the Monsoon West (Arizona and
western New Mexico) and antecedent winter precipitation in the
southwestern (SW) United States and the mountainous region in Utah and
Colorado (the predictor area). This linkage is strong during 1965--90
and weak otherwise, as has been suggested by previous studies. A land
surface feedback hypothesis is proposed to explain this relationship:
more winter P leads to more winter and early spring SWE in the predictor
area, hence more spring and early summer Sm, and lower spring and early
summer Ts, which induces a weaker onset (and less precipitation) of the
NAMS and vice versa. All three links in this hypothesis were tested and
the existence of a land memory associated with winter precipitation and
snow, which can persist until June, was confirmed. However, the results
show that this land memory contributes little to the magnitude of NAM
precipitation. Winter snow is negatively correlated to late spring Ts in
the SW mountainous region, but not in extreme years. In fact, the
premonsoon (June) Ts over the U.S. southwest is inversely related to
monsoon precipitation, which is the reverse of what is expected based on
the hypothesis. The lack of a significant Sm--Ts--P relationship in most
of the SW suggests, based on the constructed Sm dataset, that local
premonsoon soil wetness conditions play a minor role in the strength of
the monsoon. A strong positive relationship between June Ts anomalies
and the large-scale midtropospheric circulation before the onset of the
monsoon was found, suggesting that the controlling factor for the
premonsoon Ts anomalies may not be local (i.e., not from the land
surface). The results suggest that further research is needed to
elucidate the nature of land--sea--atmosphere interactions as related to
the onset of the monsoon.

NOTE

> 1\. PRISM Data:
>
> For precipitation, the long-term means of the gridded data were
> adjusted to match the Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent
> Slopes Model (PRISM) of Daly et al. (1994), and Ts was lapsed to the
> grid cell mean elevation.
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of
Washington, Seattle, Washington

Funding Agency:

> This publication was funded by the Joint Institute for the Study of
> the Atmosphere and Ocean (JISAO) under NOAA Cooperative Agreement
> NA67RJ0155. It was also partially funded by UCMexus- CONACyT to the
> third author.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to provide precipitation and temperature data for a
> study designed to explore the "possible links between North American
> Monsoon System (NAMS) seasonal \[June--July--August-- September
> (JJAS)\] precipitation and premonsoon seasonal land surface conditions
> including precipitation (P), surface air temperature (Ts), soil
> moisture (Sm), and snow water equivalent (SWE) anomalies ... during
> the 1950--2000 period."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "The results suggest that further research is needed to elucidate the
> nature of land--sea--atmosphere interactions as related to the onset
> of the monsoon."

Google 216

Estimating Monthly, Annual, and Low 7-Day, 10-Year Streamflows for
Ungaged Rivers in Maine

Robert W. Dudley

Scientific Investigations Report 2004-5026

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

ABSTRACT

Regression equations to estimate monthly, annual, and low 7-day, 10-year
(7Q10) streamflows were derived for rivers in Maine. The derived
regression equations for estimating mean monthly, mean annual, median
monthly, median annual, and low 7Q10 streamflows for ungaged rivers in
Maine presented in this report supersede those derived in previous
studies.

Twenty-six U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gauging stations on
unregulated, rural rivers in Maine with 10 years or more of recorded
streamflow were used to develop the regression equations. Ordinary least
squares (OLS) regression techniques were used to select the explanatory
variables (basin and climatic characteristics) that would appear in the
final regression equations. OLS regression of all possible subsets was
done with 62 explanatory variables for each of 27 response variables.
Five explanatory variables were chosen for the final regression
equations: drainage basin area, aerial fraction of the drainage basin
underlain by sand and gravel aquifers, distance from the coast to the
drainage basin centroid, mean drainage basin annual precipitation, and
mean drainage basin winter precipitation (the sum of mean monthly
precipitation for December, January, and February). Generalized
least-squares regression techniques were used to derive the final
coefficients and measures of uncertainty for the regression equations.

The forms of many of the derived regression equations indicate some
physical, mechanistic processes. Drainage basin area is the most
statistically important explanatory variable and appears in all derived
regression equations. Monthly streamflows are related inversely to the
distance from the coast to the drainage basin centroid during December,
January, February, and March; that is, the closer a river basin is to
the coast, the higher monthly streamflows are per unit drainage basin
area during the winter. The relation reverses in May when higher
streamflows are attributed to basins farther from the coast. These
relations are consistent with colder, inland drainage basins storing
more water in snowpack during the winter and releasing it in the spring.
The monthly streamflows (and low 7Q10) during July, August, September,
and October are related positively to aerial fraction of the drainage
basin underlain by sand and gravel aquifers. In general, sand and gravel
aquifers underlying Maine river basins have excellent water-yielding
characteristics and can provide water to streams during low-flow
conditions in the summer and early fall.

NOTE

"When applying the regression equations, it is important that the
explanatory variables (basin and climatic characteristics) be derived
using the same or comparable methods as those documented in this report.
Basin and climatic characteristics derived using techniques different
from those techniques used for this study will yield results of unknown
error. Similarly, using values for any of the explanatory variables
outside the ranges used to develop the regression equations will yield
results of unknown error."

> 1\. PRISM Data:
>
> "For this study, a non-proprietary PRISM GIS map of mean annual
> precipitation for the State of Maine (derived on the basis of
> precipitation data collected from 1961 to 1990) was downloaded from
> the NRCS PRISM Internet site. The NRCS PRISM map was loaded into a GIS
> application and interpolated to 1-km grids. Basin wide averages of
> mean annual precipitation (in inches) were computed for each study
> basin by averaging the values of all 1-km grids within the bounds of
> the drainage basin on an area basis.
>
> 2\. Affiliation:(and funding?)
>
> U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey
>
> In cooperation with the Maine Department of Transportation Maine
> Department of Environmental Protection and Maine Atlantic Salmon
> Commission
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to provide precipitation data for use in regression
> equations that estimate monthly, annual, and low 7-day, 10-year (7Q10)
> streamflows for rivers in Maine. The PRISM data was downloaded into a
> GIS application and interpolated to 1-km grids. "Basin wide averages
> of mean annual precipitation (in inches) were computed for each study
> basin by averaging the values of all 1-km grids within the bounds of
> the drainage basin on an area basis."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "The derived regression equations for estimating mean monthly, mean
> annual, median monthly, median annual, and low 7Q10 streamflows for
> ungaged rivers in Maine presented in this report supersede those
> derived in previous studies."
>
> "The forms of many of the derived regression equations indicate some
> physical, mechanistic processes."
>
> "Drainage basin area is the most statistically important explanatory
> variable and appears in all derived regression equations. Monthly
> streamflows are related inversely to the distance from the coast to
> the drainage basin centroid during December, January, February, and
> March; that is, the closer a river basin is to the coast, the higher
> monthly streamflows are per unit drainage basin area during the
> winter. The relation reverses in May when higher streamflows are
> attributed to basins farther from the coast. These relations are
> consistent with colder, inland drainage basins storing more water in
> snowpack during the winter and releasing it in the spring. The monthly
> streamflows (and low 7Q10) during July, August, September, and October
> are related positively to aerial fraction of the drainage basin
> underlain by sand and gravel aquifers. In general, sand and gravel
> aquifers underlying Maine river basins have excellent water-yielding
> characteristics and can provide water to streams during low-flow
> conditions in the summer and early fall."

Google 217

Diversity and Distribution of Frankia Strains Symbiotic with Ceanothus
in California

Brian Oakley, Malcolm North, Jerry F. Franklin, Brian P. Hedlund, and
James T. Staley

*APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY*, Nov. 2004, p. 6444--6452

ABSTRACT

Frankia strains symbiotic with Ceanothus present an interesting
opportunity to study the patterns and causes of Frankia diversity and
distribution within a particular host infectivity group. We intensively
sampled Frankia from nodules on Ceanothus plants along an elevational
gradient in the southern Sierra Nevada of California, and we also
collected nodules from a wider host taxonomic and geographic range
throughout California. The two sampling scales comprised 36 samples from
eight species of Ceanothus representing six of the seven major
biogeographic regions in and around California. The primary objective of
this study was to use a quantitative model to test the relative
importance of geographic separation, host specificity, and environment
in influencing the identity of Ceanothus Frankia symbionts as determined
by ribosomal DNA sequence data. At both sampling scales, Frankia strains
symbiotic with Ceanothus exhibited a high degree of genetic similarity.
Frankia strains symbiotic with Chamaebatia (Rosaceae) were within the
same clade as several Ceanothus symbionts. Results from a classification
and regression tree model used to quantitatively explain Frankia
phylogenetic groupings demonstrated that the only significant variable
in distinguishing between phylogenetic groups at the more local sampling
scale was host species. At the regional scale, Frankia phylogenetic
groupings were explained by host species and the biogeographic province
of sample collection. We did not find any significant correspondence
between Frankia and Ceanothus phylogenies indicative of co evolution,
but we concluded that the identity of Frankia strains inhabiting
Ceanothus nodules may involve interactions between host species
specificity and geographic isolation.

NOTE

> 1\. PRISM Data:
>
> We used data from a climate model called PRISM (parameter-elevation
> regressions on independent slopes model) (12, 13) to predict January,
> August, and annual mean temperatures, as well as August and annual
> precipitation.
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

College of Forest Resources1 and Department of Microbiology,3 University
of Washington, Seattle,

Funding Agency:

> 3\. PRISM was used to "predict January, August, and annual mean
> temperatures, as well as August and annual precipitation" in a study
> of the "diversity and distribution of Frankia Strains symbiotic with
> Ceanothus in California". In addition, " because host species
> distribution and climate are also confounded with geographic location,
> ... PRISM (was used) to predict climatic variables for each sample
> location (effectively normalizing for latitude, elevation, slope and
> aspect) and then ... the CART model (was used) to identify the factors
> that were most significant in distinguishing between Frankia
> phylogenetic groups."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "By collecting Frankia strains from sympatric host pairs and
> normalizing for latitude and geographic region by use of the PRISM
> model, we concluded that host identity was more important than
> environment in determining Frankia identity."
>
> "At the regional scale, Frankia phylogenetic groupings were explained
> by host species and the biogeographic province of sample collection.
> We did not find any significant correspondence between Frankia and
> Ceanothus phylogenies indicative of co evolution, but we concluded
> that the identity of Frankia strains inhabiting Ceanothus nodules may
> involve interactions between host species specificity and geographic
> isolation."

Google 218

THE VEMAP PHASE 2 BIOCLIMATIC DATABASE I: A GRIDDED HISTORICAL (20th
Century) CLIMATE DATASET FOR MODELING ECOSYSTEM DYNAMICS ACROSS THE
CONTERMINOUS UNITED STATES

T.G.F. Kittel, N.A. Rosenbloom, J.A. Royle , C. Daly, W.P. Gibson, H.H.
Fisher, P. Thornton, D.N. Yates, S. Aulenbach, C. Kaufman, R. McKeown,
D. Bachelet, D.S. Schimel and VEMAP2 Participants

*Clim Res* 27: 151--170, 2004

ABSTRACT

Analysis and simulation of biospheric responses to historical forcing
require surface climate data that capture those aspects of climate that
control ecological processes, including key spatial gradients and modes
of temporal variability. We developed a multivariate, gridded historical
climate dataset for the conterminous USA as a common input database for
the Vegetation/Ecosystem Modeling and Analysis Project (VEMAP), a
biogeochemical and dynamic vegetation model intercomparison. The dataset
covers the period 1895--1993 on a 0.5° latitude/longitude grid. Climate
is represented at both monthly and daily time steps. Variables are:
precipitation, minimum and maximum temperature, total incident solar
radiation, daylight-period irradiance, vapor pressure, and
daylight-period relative humidity. The dataset was derived from US
Historical Climate Network (HCN), cooperative network, and snowpack
telemetry (SNOTEL) monthly precipitation and mean minimum and maximum
temperature station data. We employed techniques that rely on
geostatistical and physical relationships to create the temporally and
spatially complete dataset. We developed a local kriging prediction
model to infill discontinuous and limited-length station records based
on spatial autocorrelation structure of climate anomalies. A spatial
interpolation model (PRISM) that accounts for physiographic controls was
used to grid the in filled monthly station data. We implemented a
stochastic weather generator (modified WGEN) to disaggregate the gridded
monthly series to dailies. Radiation and humidity variables were
estimated from the dailies using a physically-based empirical surface
climate model (MTCLIM3). Derived datasets include a 100 yr model spin-up
climate and a historical Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) dataset.
The VEMAP dataset exhibits statistically significant trends in
temperature, precipitation, solar radiation, vapor pressure, and PDSI
for US National assessment regions. The historical climate and companion
datasets are available online at data archive centers.

Key words: Climate data, Climate variability and climate change,
Ecosystem and vegetation dynamics, Ecological modeling, VEMAP, United
States, Geostatistics, Palmer Drought Severity Index

NOTE

> 1\. PRISM Data:
>
> We used PRISM (Parameter - Elevation Regression on Independent Slopes
> Model; Daly et al. 19 94 , 2001, 2002) to spatially interpolate
> temporally complete station records from Step 2 to the 0.5º grid.
>
> 2\. Affiliation:
>
> National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO

Funding Agency:

> VEMAP dataset development was sponsored by NASA Mission to Planet
> Earth, **USDA** Forest Service Global Change Research Program, and the
> Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). Development of the kriging
> prediction model was supported by the Geophysical Statistics Project
> at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), with funding
> from the National Science Foundation (NSF). PRISM development and
> implementation was supported by **USDA** Natural Resources
> Conservation Service (NRCS) National Water and Climate Center and
> **USDA** Forest Service.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to spatially interpolate temporally complete
> station records... "PRISM was applied independently for each month of
> the 99-yr record. Station values were quality checked before
> processing. PRISM processing was done on a fine resolution 2.5-minute
> (4 -km) grid; these values were aggregated to the VEMAP 0.5 grid using
> a modified Gaussian filter (after Barnes, 1964). Post-processing
> checks included manual inspection of monthly gridded maps for extreme
> outliers."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "Through analysis of spatial covariance structure and use of
> physically-guided statistical relationships among climate variables
> and physiographic controls, we created a long-term (99 year), gridded
> dataset of monthly and daily precipitation, minimum and maximum
> temperature, solar radiation, and humidity. The dataset is (1)
> temporally complete, with realistic representation of climate
> variability at daily through decadal scales, (2) spatially realistic,
> reflecting, at least at a resolution of 0.5º latitude/longitude, key
> climate gradients across the domain, and (3) physically consistent,
> maintaining relationships among climate variables, as well as with
> topography and other geographic factors. These features are crucial
> for reliable simulations of ecological processes across the
> conterminous US for the 20th century that can be used to improve our
> understanding of how climate variability and change determine
> ecological outcomes and to evaluate ecosystem models against field and
> remotely-sensed ecological observations."

Google 219

The effects of habitat resolution on models of avian diversity and
distributions: a comparison of two land-cover classifications

Joshua J. Lawler, Raymond. J. O'Connor, Carolyn T. Hunsaker, K. Bruce
Jones, Thomas R. Loveland and Denis White

*Landscape Ecology* 19: 515--530, 2004.

ABSTRACT

Quantifying patterns is a key element of landscape analysis. One aspect
of this quantification of particular importance to landscape ecologists
is the classification of continuous variables to produce categorical
variables such as land-cover type or elevation stratum. Although
landscape ecologists are fully aware of the importance of spatial
resolution in ecological investigations, the potential importance of the
resolution of classifications has received little attention. Here we
demonstrate the effects of using two different land-cover
classifications to predict avian species richness and the occurrences of
six individual species across the conterminous United States. We
compared models built with a data set based on 14 coarsely resolved
land-cover variables to models built with a data set based on 160 finely
resolved land-cover variables. In general, comparable models built with
the two data sets fit the data to similar degrees, but often produced
strikingly different predictions in various parts of the country. By
comparing the predictions made by pairs of models, we determined in
which regions of the US predictions were most sensitive to differences
in land-cover classification. In general, these sensitive areas were
different for four of the individual species and for predictions of
species richness, indicating that alternate classifications will have
different effects in the analyses of different ecological phenomena and
that these effects will likely vary geographically. Our results lead us
to emphasize the importance of the resolution to which continuous
variables are classified in the design of ecological studies.

Key words: Bird species richness, Blackcapped Chickadee, Classification,
House Wren, Land-cover, Landscape pattern, Ovenbird, Pine Siskin,
Predictive modeling, Red-eyed Vireo, Savannah Sparrow, USA

NOTE

> 1\. PRISM Data:
>
> We obtained climate data from the Historical Climate Network database
> 1996. Climate variables included the mean, the maximum, and the
> minimum levels of precipitation, temperature for both July and
> January, and seasonality the difference between July and January
> temperatures. The elevation correction method of Marks 1990 was used
> to model temperature data to 1-km resolution. The precipitation data,
> which had originally been modeled to 10-km resolution by Daly et al.
> 1994, were likewise interpolated to 1 km with a linear model.
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Margaret Chase Smith Center for Public Policy, University of Maine,
Orono, Maine

Funding Agency:

> We acknowledge financial support for this work from Interagency
> agreements DW12935631 between USEPA and **USDA** Forest Service, and
> USEPA Cooperative Agreements CR818843-01-0 and CR823806-01-0 and
> **USDA** Forest Service Cooperative Agreement PNW93-0462 with
> University of Maine \_Raymond J. O'Connor; Principal Investigator\_.
> The work was additionally supported by Award 9711623 from the National
> Science Foundation to Raymond J. O'Connor and Deirdre M. Mageean.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used in a study that demonstrated "the effects of using
> two different land-cover classifications to predict avian species
> richness and the occurrences of six individual species across the
> conterminous United States." PRISM provided the following "climate
> variables ... the mean, the maximum, and the minimum levels of
> precipitation, temperature for both July and January, and seasonality
> the difference between July and January temperatures. The elevation
> correction method of Marks 1990 was used to model temperature data to
> 1-km resolution. The precipitation data, which had originally been
> modeled to 10-km resolution by Daly et al. 1994, were likewise
> interpolated to 1 km with a linear model."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> The findings reported here lead to two important conclusions. If the
> detail with which sample attributes are discriminated can affect the
> outcome of ecological studies, determining the proper resolution of
> any classification needs to be incorporated into the design of studies
> with the same care that recent research has shown must be paid to the
> effects of scale. Secondly, analyses that cover large spatial extents
> should take into account the fact that the effects of using a
> particular classification may have a strong geographic component.
> Thus, different classifications of the same continuous variable may be
> required to represent habitat in different areas. Our results show
> that it is not defensible to adopt arbitrary categories of habitat and
> to assume their geographic invariance. We conclude that the resolution
> with which continuous variables are classified, like scale and the
> selection of the variables themselves, is a critical aspect of
> ecological analyses.

Google 223

Water quality in pit lakes in disseminated gold deposits compared to two
natural, terminal lakes in Nevada

L.A. Shevenell

Environmental Geology 39 (7) May 2000; pp 807-815

ABSTRACT

Within the next 10--15 years, over 35 mines in Nevada will have a lake
in their open pit mines after dewatering and cessation of mining. Of the
ten past or existing pit lakes at eight different gold mines for which
temporal data are available, most had near neutral pH, yet most had at
least one constituent (e.g., As, SO4, TDS) that exceeded drinking water
standards for at least one sampling event. Most samples from pit lakes
had TDS exceeding drinking water standards, but lower than that in the
natural Pyramid (TDS; 5,500 mg/l) and Walker (TDS;14,000 mg/l) Lakes. In
the past century, salinity increased in both natural, terminal lakes, in
part due to irrigation withdrawals and evapo-concentration. The salinity
in the pit lakes may also increase through time via evapo-concentration.
However, water balance models indicate that up to 132% (Walker Lake) of
the total yearly inflow evaporates from the terminal lakes, whereas
steady-state may be reached in the pit lakes modeled, where evaporative
losses account for only; 6% of the total pit lake volume annually
and100% of the net inflow (groundwater inflow minus outflow,
precipitation and runoff into the lake). The effects of
evapo-concentration are expected to be less significant at most pit
lakes than at the natural, terminal lakes because (1) evaporation rates
are lower at many pit lakes because they are located at higher
elevations than the terminal lakes, and (2) the surface area to depth
ratio of the pit lakes is 11000 times smaller than that of the terminal
lakes.

Key words Pit lakes, Water quality, Mining, Gold Deposits

NOTE

> 1\. PRISM Data:
>
> Precipitation data for the Getchell Mine were acquired from the U.S.
> Soil Conservation Service, and the data supplied were calculated using
> the PRISM method (Daly and others 1993).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV

Funding Agency:

> The author would like to acknowledge the Getchell Gold Corporation and
> the Western Governor's Association for providing partial funding for
> this work.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to calculate precipitation data for the Getchell
> Mine. (Original precipitation data from US Soil conservation Service).
> The investigation examined "water quality in pit lakes in disseminated
> gold deposits compared to two natural, terminal lakes in Nevada".
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> This paper presents generalized information regarding the types of
> water quality issues that may be expected in pit lakes forming in
> Nevada and compares those data to those of local groundwaters and from
> natural, terminal lakes in Nevada. The water quality of the 10 pit
> lakes in Nevada was generally good with near-neutral pH. However,
> elevated As, SO4, and TDS can be expected from many of future Nevada
> pit lakes due to the similarity in the geologic types of deposits at
> the different pits. High As concentrations in host rocks leads to
> elevated concentrations in local groundwaters, as well as high As
> concentrations in the pit lakes (e.g., Getchell, Boss). Elevated As
> and SO4 are observed in the pit lakes due to their proximity to
> reactive rock, but are also observed in the natural lakes, largely due
> to evaporative concentration. Pit lakes are likely to experience
> significantly less water quality degradation due to
> evapo-concentration than are the natural lakes, because the surface
> area to depth ratios in the pit lakes is much (11000 times) less than
> that in the natural lakes. In general, the water quality in the pit
> lakes relative to As, SO4 and Cl is better than that measured in the
> two terminal lakes discussed here. Both of these natural lakes are
> currently used as recreational resources and they support fish
> (although Walker Lake is threatened; Thomas 1995). Because current
> data indicate the water quality in the existing, young pit lakes is
> generally similar to, or better than, that in the two natural lakes,
> it may be possible to use these pit lakes as a recreational resource
> in the future. For instance, the Tuscarora pit lake is currently used
> by local individuals and wildlife. However, many of the other pit
> lakes are deeper with steep walls that may provide more difficult
> access for people and wildlife. The steepness of the walls also
> results in a relatively small or absent riparian zone, also
> potentially limiting the usefulness of these lakes for certain types
> of wildlife Despite the currently relatively good water quality and
> the likely buffering effect on pit waters (neutral pH) in most Nevada
> open pit mines, pit lake geochemistry should be monitored with time.
> The geochemistry and biogeochemistry of pit lakes may change due to
> evaporation, variable kinetics of water-rock interactions, changing
> influx and composition of groundwater and surface waters as pits fill
> to steady-state levels, and changing climate on seasonal and decadal
> time-scales. Additional work is required to address the impact of
> these various processes on future pit lake water quality, yet
> preliminary data and analysis indicate that the water quality in the
> pit lakes may be comparable to or better than two terminal lakes in
> Nevada that are currently used for recreation as well as wildlife
> habitats.

Google 225

Response of the water balance to climate change in the United States
over the 20th and 21st centuries: Results from the VEMAP Phase 2 model
intercomparisons

Gordon, W. S., and J. S. Famiglietti

*Global Biogeochem*. Cycles, 18, GB1030, (2004),

doi:10.1029/2003GB002098.

ABSTRACT

Using the VEMAP Phase 2 data set, we tested the hypothesis that changes
in climate would result in changes in the water balance as projected by
four terrestrial ecosystem models: BIOME-BGC, Century, LPJ, and MC1. We
examined trends in runoff and actual evapotranspiration (AET), changes
in runoff in relation to changes in precipitation, and differences in
runoff ratios as produced by these models for 13 United States
watersheds. Observed climate data were used as inputs for simulations
covering 1895--1993. From 1994 to 2100, the Canadian Centre for Climate
Modeling and Analysis (CGCM1) and the Hadley Centre for Climate
Prediction and Research (HADCM2) general circulation models provided
climate forcing. Runoff and AET trends were significantly positive in
the majority of 13 watersheds examined. Percentage changes in runoff
exceeded the underlying changes in precipitation and this amplification
increased over time. Calculated runoff ratios showed model variability
and differences based on the two GCM scenarios.

KEYWORDS: climate change, runoff ratio, VEMAP, evapotranspiration,
runoff, conterminous United States

NOTE

> 1\. PRISM Data:
>
> Using the Vegetation/Ecosystem Modeling and Analysis Project (VEMAP)
> Phase 2 data set, we tested the hypothesis that changes in climate,
> which include increases in atmospheric CO2 concentrations,
> precipitation, and temperature, would result in changes in runoff as
> projected by four terrestrial ecosystem models: Biome-BGC \[Hunt and
> Running, 1992; Running and Hunt, 1993\], Century \[Parton et al.,
> 1987, 1988, 1993\], Lund-Potsdam-Jena Dynamic Global Vegetation Model
> (LPJ) \[Haxeltine and Prentice, 1996a,1996b; Sitch et al., 2003\], and
> MC1 Dynamic Global Vegetation Model \[Daly et al., 2000\].
>
> For the historical period of 1895--1993, VEMAP model inputs consisted
> of temporally in filled and spatially interpolated measured
> temperature and precipitation data on 0.5\_ latitude by 0.5\_
> longitude grid for the conterminous United States \[Daly et al., 1994;
> Kittel et al., 1997, 2000\].
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Graduate Program in Plant Biology, University of Texas at Austin,
Austin, Texas,

Funding Agency:

> Development of the VEMAP database was supported by NASA Mission to
> Planet Earth, Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), and **USDA**
> Forest Service Global Change Research Program. This research was made
> possible by a U.S. Department of Energy Global Change Education
> Program Graduate Research Environmental Fellowship to W. Gordon and
> administered by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, as
> well as fellowship support from the University of Texas at Austin.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to provide "VEMAP model inputs (with) temporally in
> filled and spatially interpolated measured temperature and
> precipitation data on 0.5\_ latitude by 0.5\_ longitude grid for the
> conterminous United States." VEMAP Phase 2 data set, was used to test
> the hypothesis that changes in climate would result in changes in the
> water balance as projected by four terrestrial ecosystem models:
> BIOME-BGC, Century, LPJ, and MC1. The study included examination of
> trends "in runoff and actual evapotranspiration (AET), changes in
> runoff in relation to changes in precipitation, and differences in
> runoff ratios as produced by these models for 13 United States
> watersheds"
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> Runoff and AET trends were significantly positive in the majority of
> 13 watersheds examined. Percentage changes in runoff exceeded the
> underlying changes in precipitation and this amplification increased
> over time. Calculated runoff ratios showed model variability and
> differences based on the two GCM scenarios.
>
> However, the results presented here, in conjunction with other
> historical analyses and other studies, suggest that one outcome of
> precipitation change, irrespective of warming, may be amplification of
> streamflow. Clearly, climate models must be refined before resource
> managers will have the capability to plan for an uncertain future.

Google 226

HISTORICAL OCCURRENCE OF COHO SALMON IN STREAMS OF THE CENTRAL
CALIFORNIA COAST COHO SALMON EVOLUTIONARILY SIGNIFICANT UNIT

Brian C. Spenc, Scott L. Harris, Weldon E. Jones, Matthew N. Goslin,
Aditya Agrawal, and Ethan Mora

NOAA-TM-NMFS-SWFSC-383;

ABSTRACT

Analyses of recent occupancy of Coho salmon in streams within the
geographic range of the Central California Coast (CCC) Evolutionarily
Significant Unit (ESU) have figured prominently in decisions to list
this ESU under both the federal and state endangered species acts. In
this paper, we present an updated and comprehensive list of streams
within the geographic range of the CCC ESU for which there is historical
or recent evidence of Coho salmon occurrence, providing documentation
supporting each stream's inclusion on the list, categorizing each stream
according to the strength of these historical records, and
characterizing the streams according to their intrinsic habitat
potential. Overall, we found strong evidence of Coho salmon occurrence
for 336 streams, and more equivocal evidence of occurrence for an
additional 44 streams within the range of the CCC ESU. The 336 streams
for which we found strong evidence of Coho salmon occurrence represent
nearly a two-fold increase compared to a previously published list
(Brown and Moyle 1991), which has served as the baseline in previous
analyses of occupancy. The vast majority of these newly identified
streams were added to the list based on recent (post-1995) observations
of occurrence, reflecting increased research and monitoring activities
that have occurred since this ESU was first proposed for listing.
Compared with previously identified streams, newly identified streams
tend to be smaller headwater streams with relatively low predicted
habitat capacity. Thus, while the number of known Coho salmon streams
has increased markedly in the last decade, these new streams represent a
relatively small percentage of the total habitat available to Coho
salmon. Our results have practical implications both for the design of
future Coho salmon monitoring efforts and for interpreting existing
compilations of presence-absence information.

NOTE

"Our examination of output from the IP model overlaid on the historical
stream network indicates that within most large coastal basins in the
CCC ESU, there are several streams that have appreciable intrinsic
potential (greater than 1 IP-km) but for which there are no records of
historical Coho occurrence. Output from the IP model can direct surveys
to provide a more complete assessment of Coho salmon distribution.
Finally, reach-based IP estimates may provide a basis for assessing
whether sample sites randomly drawn from the sample frame are likely to
be representative of conditions throughout a geographic area of
interest. Although IP predictions do not reflect current conditions,
they nevertheless can be used to ascertain whether

randomly selected reaches represent geomorphic and hydrologic conditions
within a particular watershed or region of interest. Likewise, IP
predictions may provide a useful basis for stratifying streams for
analysis of trends in occupancy rates or abundance."

> 1\. PRISM Data:
>
> Mean annual discharge at the mouth of each stream was estimated based
> on a modeled regression relationship between discharge and both
> watershed area and mean annual precipitation. Input data for
> developing this relationship included discharge data from unregulated
> USGS stream gages in coastal regions of central and northern
> California (Monterey Bay to the Oregon Border) and precipitation
> estimates from the PRISM model (Daly et al. 1994).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:
>
> Fisheries Ecology Division, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, NOAA
> National Marine
>
> Fisheries Service, Santa Cruz, CA

Funding Agency:

> US Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
> Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Southwest Fisheries
> Science Center
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to provide precipitation estimates necessary for
> the calculation of the "mean annual discharge at the mouth of each
> stream, (which) was estimated based on a modeled regression
> relationship between discharge and both watershed area and mean annual
> precipitation." The study "updated a comprehensive list of streams
> within the geographic range of the Central California Coast (CCC)
> Evolutionarily Significant Unit (ESU) for which there is historical or
> recent evidence of Coho salmon occurrence, providing documentation
> supporting each stream's inclusion on the list, categorizing each
> stream according to the strength of these historical records, and
> characterizing the streams according to their intrinsic habitat
> potential."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "Overall, we found strong evidence of Coho salmon occurrence for 336
> streams, and more equivocal evidence of occurrence for an additional
> 44 streams within the range of the CCC ESU. The 336 streams for which
> we found strong evidence of Coho salmon occurrence represent nearly a
> two-fold increase compared to a previously published list (Brown and
> Moyle 1991), which has served as the baseline in previous analyses of
> occupancy. The vast majority of these newly identified streams were
> added to the list based on recent (post-1995) observations of
> occurrence, reflecting increased research and monitoring activities
> that have occurred since this ESU was first proposed for listing.
> Compared with previously identified streams, newly identified streams
> tend to be smaller headwater streams with relatively low predicted
> habitat capacity. Thus, while the number of known Coho salmon streams
> has increased markedly in the last decade, these new streams represent
> a relatively small percentage of the total habitat available to Coho
> salmon. Our results have practical implications both for the design of
> future Coho salmon monitoring efforts and for interpreting existing
> compilations of presence-absence information."

Google 227

Influences of the vegetation mosaic on riparian and stream environments
in a mixed forest-grassland landscape in ''Mediterranean'' northwestern
California

Welsh, H. H. Jr, Hodgson, G. R. and Karraker, N. E.

*Ecography* (2005) 28: 537\_/551.

ABSTRACT

We examined differences in riparian and aquatic environments within the
three dominant vegetation patch types of the Mattole River watershed, a
789-km2 mixed conifer-deciduous (hardwood) forest and
grassland-dominated landscape in northwestern California, USA. Riparian
and aquatic environments, and particularly microclimates therein,
influence the distributions of many vertebrate species, particularly the
physiologically-restricted ectotherms/reptiles and amphibians
(herpetofauna), and fishes. In addition to being a significant portion
of the native biodiversity of a landscape, the presence and relative
numbers of these more tractable small vertebrates can serve as useful
metrics of its ''ecological health.'' Our primary objective was to
determine the range of available riparian and aquatic microclimatic
regimes, and discern how these regimes relate to the dominant
vegetations that comprise the landscape mosaic. A second objective,
reported in a companion paper, was to examine relationships between
available microclimatic regimes and herpetofaunal distributions. Here we
examined differences in the composition, structure, and related
environmental attributes of the three dominant vegetation types, both
adjacent to and within the riparian corridors along 49 tributaries.
Using automated dataloggers, we recorded hourly water and air
temperatures and relative humidity throughout the summer at a
representative subset of streams; providing us with daily means and
amplitudes for these variables within riparian environments during the
hottest period. Although the three vegetation types that dominate this
landscape each had unique structural attributes, the overlap in plant
species composition indicates that they represent a seral continuum.
None-the-less, we found distinct microclimates in each type. Only
riparian within late-seral forests contained summer water temperatures
that could support cold-water-adapted species. We evaluated
landscape-level variables to determine the best predictors of water
temperature as represented by the maximum weekly maximum temperature
(MWMT). The best model for predicting MWMT (adj. R2\_/0.69) consisted of
catchment area, aspect, and the proportion of non-forested (grassland)
patches. Our model provides a useful tool for management of cold-water
fauna (e.g. salmonids, stream amphibians) throughout California's
''Mediterranean'' climate zone.

NOTE

> 1\. PRISM Data:
>
> Mean air temperatures were determined using data available for the
> thirty-year time period from 1961 to 1990, at a 2 km2 resolution,
> based on Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Models
> (hereafter PRISM: Daly et al. 1994).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station, Redwood
Sciences Lab., Arcata, CA

Funding Agency:

> Funding for this research came from the Interagency Forest Ecosystem
> Management and Assessment Team (FEMAT) program.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to determine "mean air temperatures ... using data
> available for the thirty-year time period from 1961 to 1990, at a 2
> km2 resolution" for a study that "examined differences in riparian and
> aquatic environments within the three dominant vegetation patch types
> of the Mattole River watershed, a 789-km2 mixed conifer-deciduous
> (hardwood) forest and grassland-dominated landscape in northwestern
> California."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "The best model for predicting MWMT (adj. R2\_/0.69) consisted of
> catchment area, aspect, and the proportion of non-forested (grassland)
> patches. Our model provides a useful tool for management of cold-water
> fauna (e.g. salmonids, stream amphibians) throughout California's
> ''Mediterranean'' climate zone."
>
> "We have added to the understanding of factors influencing
> physiologically-restricted ectotherms, building on work done by others
> who evaluated these organisms' thermal niche and demonstrated the
> importance of particular riparian conditions for providing the
> appropriate microclimatic conditions defined by that niche, and linked
> the presence of those conditions to processes at the landscape scale.
> As such we have documented an additional and larger-scale process of
> the web of mutually inclusive factors influencing these species
> distributions and abundances. This information promotes our
> understanding of the interconnections across hierarchical ecological
> systems and thus helps us predict and detect (in the early stages) how
> changes at one level affect other levels, and which species are most
> likely to be negatively impacted by particular process disruptions or
> disturbance regimes (Welsh and Ollivier 1998, Welsh and Droege 2001)."

Google 228

Model integration for assessing future hydroclimate impacts on water
resources, agricultural production and environmental quality in the San
Joaquin Basin, California

N.W.T. Quinn, L.D. Brekke, N.L. Miller, T. Heinzer, H. Hidalgo, J.A.
Dracup

*Environmental Modelling & Software* 19 (2004) 305--316

doi:10.1016/S1364-8152(03)00155-5

ABSTRACT

The US National Assessment of the Potential Consequences of Climate
Variability and Change provides compelling arguments for action and
adaptive measures to help mitigate water resource, agricultural
production and environmental quality impacts of future climate change.
National resource planning at this scale can benefit by the development
of integrated impact analysis toolboxes that allow linkage and
integration of hydroclimate models, surface and groundwater hydrologic
models, economic and environmental impact models and techniques for
social impact assessment. Simulation models used in an assessment of
climate change impacts on water resources, agriculture and environmental
quality in the San Joaquin Basin of California are described in this
paper as well as the challenges faced in linking the component models
within an impacts assessment toolbox. Results from simulations performed
with several of the tools in the impacts assessment toolbox are
presented and discussed. After initially attempting model integration
with the public domain, GIS-based modeling framework Modular Modeling
System/Object User Interface (MMS/OUI), frustration with the framework's
lack of flexibility to handle monthly time step models prompted
development of a common geodatabase to allow linkage of model input and
output for the linked simulation models. A GIS-based data browser was
also developed that works with both network flow models and makes calls
to a model post-processor that shows model output for each selected node
in each model network. This data and output browser system is flexible
and can readily accommodate future changes in the model network
configuration and in the model database.

Keywords: Climate change; Water resources; Modeling; Impact assessment

NOTE

GCMs: general circulation models

MAP and MAT: mean area precipitation, and mean area temperature, data,
respectively

CC: climate change

> 1\. PRISM Data:
>
> "MAP and MAT data for each CC scenario, rainfall runoff simulation
> were developed from the GCM data using historically derived regression
> equations based on the PRISM technique (i.e. the Parameter elevation
> Regressions on Independent Slopes Model (Daly et al., 1994)), where
> GCM temperature and precipitation data were first downscaled to 10-km
> spatial resolution, then aggregated into MAPCC and MATCC data, and
> finally both temperature and precipitation data were averaged within
> each calendar month yielding 12 climatological values for each
> projection period."

2\. Affiliation:

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA

Funding Agency:

The authors received project funding from the US EPA STAR Program
(Science to Achieve Results) under grant R827448-01-0.

> 3\. PRISM was used to develop MAP and MAT data for each CC scenario,
> rainfall runoff simulation from GCM data in a study that used "model
> integration for assessing future hydroclimate impacts on water
> resources, agricultural production and environmental quality in the
> San Joaquin Basin, California."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "The modeling toolbox described in the paper makes use of the new
> geodatabase architecture of Arc-Info GIS and graphical data browser
> tools that can be invoked from the model viewing window using shell
> scripts. The toolbox minimizes the time required for file anipulation
> and to formulate impact response scenarios allowing the analyst to
> simulate the impacts of global climate change on important California
> resources such as water supply, water quality, agricultural production
> and economic activity. These factors are key to the development of
> secondary and tertiary impact assessments dealing with issues such as
> the California fisheries, endangered species issues and socioeconomic
> welfare. Attempted model integration using the public domain toolbox
> MMS/OUI failed owing to a lack of compatibility of the monthly model
> time steps and the input data time series supported by the MMS/OUI
> application. Instead a less elegant, but more robust, GIS-based data
> and analysis browsing system has been developed that has satisfied
> project goals."

Google 229

Nutrients in Shallow Ground Waters Beneath Relatively Undeveloped Areas
in the Conterminous United States

Bernard T. Nolan and Kerie J. Hitt

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEYWater-Resources Investigations Report 02--4289
(2003)

NATIONAL WATER-QUALITY ASSESSMENT PROGRAM

ABSTRACT

Nutrient concentrations in shallow (well depth of 30 meters or less)
ground waters of relatively undeveloped areas were evaluated to
determine background conditions relative to agri­cultural and urban land
uses. Lands comprising 67 percent or greater forest or range, 10 percent
or less agricultural land, and 10 percent or less urban land were used
to represent relatively undevel­oped areas. Data subsets from the U.S.
Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment Program (81 wells)
and retrospective studies (320 wells) yielded 75th percentile nitrate
concentrations of 0.51 and 1.1 milligrams per liter, respectively, in
shallow ground water beneath relatively undeveloped areas. The value of
1.1 milligrams per liter is a reasonable upper bound estimate of
relative background concentra­tion of nitrate in shallow ground waters in
the United States and incorporates effects of nominal nitrogen load to
susceptible aquifers. Relative background concentration of nitrate is
variable and depends in part on land use, rock type, and climate. Median
nitrate concentration was signifi­cantly greater in ground water beneath
rangeland (1.20 milligrams per liter) than beneath forest land (0.06
milligram per liter). Median nitrate concentration in ground water
beneath rangeland was 1.4_2.7 milligrams per liter in susceptible
aquifers, which consist of coarse-textured deposits or fractured rock.
Increased relative background concentration of nitrate in rangeland
areas likely results from evaporative concentra­tion of nominal nitrogen
load associated with natural organic and inorganic sources in hydro
geologically susceptible settings.

NOTE

> 1\. PRISM Data:
>
> "Precipitation and potential evapotranspiration data were obtained
> (David M. Wolock, U.S. Geological Survey, unpub. data, September 2001)
> using the Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model
> (PRISM) (see <http://ocs.oce.orst.edu/prism/prism_new.html>) and
> compiled in a geographic infor­mation system to assess climate
> differences for wells in forest and rangeland."
>
> 2\. Affiliation: (not listed)

Funding Agency:

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIORGALE A. NORTON, Secretary U.S. GEOLOGICAL
SURVEY

> 3\. PRISM was used to provide "precipitation and potential
> evapotranspiration data that was compiled in a geographic infor­mation
> system to assess climate differences for wells in forest and
> rangeland."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "Data subsets from the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality
> Assessment Program (81 wells) and retrospective studies (320 wells)
> yielded 75th percentile nitrate concentrations of 0.51 and 1.1
> milligrams per liter, respectively, in shallow ground water beneath
> relatively undeveloped areas. The value of 1.1 milligrams per liter is
> a reasonable upper bound estimate of relative background concentra­tion
> of nitrate in shallow ground waters in the United States and
> incorporates effects of nominal nitrogen load to susceptible aquifers.
> Relative background concentration of nitrate is variable and depends
> in part on land use, rock type, and climate. Median nitrate
> concentration was signifi­cantly greater in ground water beneath
> rangeland (1.20 milligrams per liter) than beneath forest land (0.06
> milligram per liter). Median nitrate concentration in ground water
> beneath rangeland was 1.4_2.7 milligrams per liter in susceptible
> settings."

Google 234

A simple method for estimating potential relative radiation (PRR) for
landscape-scale vegetation analysis

Kenneth B. Pierce Jr., Todd Lookingbill and Dean Urban

*Landscape Ecology* (2005) 20:137--147

DOI: 10.1007/s10980-004-1296-6

ABSTRACT

Radiation is one of the primary influences on vegetation composition and
spatial pattern. Topographic orientation is often used as a proxy for
relative radiation load due to its effects on evaporative demand and
local temperature. Common methods for incorporating this information
(i.e., site measures of slope and aspect) fail to include daily or
annual changes in solar orientation and shading effects from local
topography. As a result, these static measures do not incorporate the
level of spatial and temporal heterogeneity required to examine
vegetation patterns at the landscape level. We developed a widely
applicable method for estimating potential relative radiation (PRR)
using digital elevation data and a widely used geographic information
system (Arc/Info). We found significant differences among four
increasingly comprehensive radiation proxies. Our GIS-based proxy
compared well with estimates from more data-intensive and
computationally rigorous radiation models. We note that several recent
studies have not found strong correlations between vegetation pattern
and landscape-scale differences in radiation. We suggest that these
findings may be due to the use of proxies that were not accurately
capturing variability in radiation, and we recommend PRR or similar
measures for use in future vegetation analyses.

Key words: Aspect, DEM, GIS, Solar insolation, Species-environment
interactions, Topographic effects, Vegetation

distribution

NOTE

> 1\. PRISM Data:
>
> "For HJA, we compared our results to those from a model of radiation
> recently completed for the watershed that synthesizes the LTER
> meteorological data using PRISM (Parameter-elevation Regressions on
> Independent Slopes Model: Daly et al. 1994). These mean monthly
> estimates of radiation account for topography, cloudiness and their
> effects on direct and diffuse radiation (Smith 2002). We again summed
> monthly values over the growing season (June through September)."
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences, Duke University,
Durham, NC

Funding Agency:

> "This research was supported in part by a USGS/BRD Coop. agreement No.
> 99WRAG0019 and partially by NSF grant IBN-9652656 to D.L. Urban."
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to compare results from a study that "developed a
> widely applicable method for estimating potential relative radiation
> (PRR) using digital elevation data and a widely used geographic
> information system (Arc/Info)."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "Radiation is a fundamental influence on many ecological patterns. We
> developed our approach for use in forest community studies to respond
> to the following common data needs: (1) Our study areas encompass
> large landscapes in mountainous terrain, in which empirical measures
> of radiation are sparsely available; (2) In the complex terrain in
> which we work, we felt differences associated with topographic shading
> were important to include in our estimates of radiation. We also felt
> that it was important to represent the dynamic nature of radiation
> loads, which change over the course of the day and year; (3) Because
> our requirements for vegetation analysis are less stringent then for
> atmospheric scientists, we did not account for the comprehensive suite
> of factors used in solar radiation models such as attenuation by
> atmospheric transmittance or cloudiness. This is in part because of
> the scale of our study, and also because our analyses of vegetation
> distributions are correlative and thus require only relative radiation
> values. We felt it was important that the estimates could be
> calculated readily and the approach be widely accessible. The
> resulting PRR index should provide a tool for estimating fine-scale
> variability in radiation across large spatial extents."

Google 236

Comparing landscape scale vegetation dynamics following recent
disturbance in climatically similar sites in California and the
Mediterranean basin

Yohay Carmel, and Curtis H. Flather

*Landscape Ecology* 19: 573--590, 2004.

ABSTRACT

A long line of inquiry on the notion of ecological convergence has
compared ecosystem structure and function between areas that are
evolutionarily unrelated but under the same climate regime. Much of this
literature has focused on quantifying the degree to which animal
morphology or plant physiognomy is alike between disjunct areas. An
important property of ecosystems is their behavior following
disturbance. Yet, this aspect of ecosystems has not been investigated in
a comparative study of convergence. If different ecosystems are under
similar environmental controls, then one would predict that the rates
and patterns of response to disturbance would also be similar. The
objective of this study is to compare landscape dynamics following
disturbance using spatiotemporal models to quantify vegetation change in
Mediterranean ecosystems found in California and Israel. We model the
process of tree and shrub regeneration at the landscape scale in two
similar study sites in Israel Mount Meron and California Hasting Nature
Reserve. During the periods studied \_1964-1992 for Israel and 1971-1995
for California, average annual change in tree cover was 5 times larger
in Israel than in California. Based on multiple regression models,
differences were found in the relative importance of specific variables
predicting vegetation change. In Hastings , California, initial tree
cover accounted for most of the explained variability in 1995 tree cover
partial R2 0.71, while in Meron, Israel, grazing type and intensity,
topography indices, and initial vegetation each accounted for about a
third of the explained variability. These findings support the notion
that traits such as regeneration pattern and rate, both at the
individual level and at the landscape level, were largely affected by
the human land use history of the region.

*Key words:* California, Convergent evolution, Disturbance history,
Israel, Landscape dynamics, Mediterranean type

ecosystems, Vegetation change

NOTE

> 1\. PRISM Data:
>
> Mean monthly temperature and precipitation surfaces were generated for
> California using the PRISM software (Daly et al. 1994).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Technion -- Israel
Institute of Technology, Haifa

Funding Agency: (none listed)

> 3\. PRISM was used to provide mean monthly temperature and
> precipitation for California in a study whose objective was to
> "compare landscape dynamics following disturbance using spatiotemporal
> models to quantify vegetation change in Mediterranean ecosystems found
> in California and Israel."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> In conclusion, the comparison of vegetation dynamics following
> disturbance between Mediterranean- type ecosystems in California and
> Israel reveals vast differences. Possibly, these differences are
> attributable to disparate historical contingencies, either in the
> short term differences in recent land use histories, both
> site-specific and regional or in the long term possible differences in
> inherent regeneration capabilities that reflect adaptations to
> differing human impacts in the two regions that have occurred over
> several millennia. Which of these sources of historical contingencies
> explains the discrepant pattern of vegetation change that we observed?
> This question can not be answered within the framework of an
> observational study. A controlled experiment, in which species from
> both regions are growing in the same controlled environment, under
> treatments that mimic various natural disturbances, may have better
> chances of yielding indications."

Google 237

SIMULATING CLIMATE OVER WESTERN NORTH AMERICA USING STOCHASTICWEATHER
GENERATORS

SIMON J. MASON

*Climatic Change* 62: 155--187, 2004.

ABSTRACT

The climatologies of daily precipitation and of maximum and minimum
temperatures over western North America are simulated using stochastic
weather generators. Two types of generator, differentiated only by their
method of modeling precipitation occurrence, are investigated. A
second-order Markov model, in which the probability of the occurrence of
precipitation is modeled as contingent upon its occurrence on the
previous two days, is compared with a spell-length model, in which mass
functions of wet- and dry-spell lengths are modeled. Both models are
able to reproduce the observed annual and monthly climatology in the
region to a high degree of accuracy. However, there is considerable
over-dispersion in annual precipitation, resulting primarily from an
underestimation in the interannual variability of precipitation
intensity. The interannual variability of temperatures is similarly
underestimated, and is most severe for minimum temperatures. There is a
severe problem in estimating minimum temperature extremes, which can be
attributed to the negatively skewed distribution of daily minimum
temperatures. Non-normality in the distribution of daily temperatures is
shown to be a problem in simulating extreme temperature maxima as well
as of minima. It is suggested that the normal distribution used in the
generation of daily temperatures in the widely used Richardson (1981)
generator, and its derivations, be supplanted by a more appropriate
distribution that permits skewness in either direction.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> "The precipitation data are then rescaled to long-term averages from
> the PRISM (Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes
> Model) dataset (Daly et al., 1994), while the interpolated temperature
> data are adjusted for altitude using a fixed lapse rate."
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Climate Research Division, Scripps Institution of Oceanography,
University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA

Funding Agency: (none listed)

> 3\. PRISM was used to rescale precipitation data to long-term averages
> and to interpolate temperature data adjusted for altitude in a study
> that simulated daily precipitation and maximum and minimum
> temperatures over western North America using stochastic weather
> generators.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> 'The abilities of two weather generators to simulate current climate
> conditions over western North America have been investigated. The
> first model is based closely on the Richardson (1981) algorithm. This
> model consists of a second-order Markov model, in which the
> probability of the occurrence of precipitation is modeled as
> contingent upon its occurrence on the previous two days. In the second
> model, an alternative procedure is used for generating daily
> precipitation occurrence: the mass functions of wet- and dry-spell
> lengths are modeled. Methods for the generation of precipitation
> amounts and of maximum and minimum temperatures were identical in the
> two models, and involved a mixed exponential distribution for
> precipitation amounts, and an autoregressive procedure for the
> temperatures. Seasonal variability in the various model parameters has
> been fully incorporated for all variables, and in a way that allows
> the parameters to change gradually. This approach allows for the
> multi-year generation of weather, and permits a detailed comparison of
> generated data with observations. The models have been applied to
> generate the climate of a large area of western North America at a
> very fine spatial resolution. The domain includes a wide range of
> different climate conditions, and thus tests the models' adaptability.
>
> The performances of the models are typical of most weather generators:
> the mean monthly and annual precipitation amounts, and frequencies are
> virtually error free, but the interannual variance of all three
> variables is underestimated considerably (cf. Semenov et al., 1998;
> Wilks and Wilby, 1999; Hansen and Mavromatis, 2001; Mavromatis and
> Hansen, 2001; Srikanthan and McMahon, 2001). For precipitation the
> over-dispersion is largely attributable to weak interannual
> variability in precipitation intensity, and to precipitation frequency
> only to a lesser extent. The interannual variability of temperatures
> is similarly underestimated, and is most severe for minimum
> temperatures. Because the models are designed to reproduce only the
> statistics of daily weather, interannual variability in the generated
> climate will be purely stochastic. Since there are mechanisms in the
> observed climate controlling lower frequency variability, these
> contributions are not reproduced in the models. Some form of
> conditioned weather generator would be an appropriate solution for
> improving on the simulated interannual variability (Wilby et al.,
> 2002).
>
> Apart from the underestimation of the interannual variability of
> climate, there are some additional problems in reproducing the daily
> statistics of climate. The most severe problem is in estimating
> minimum temperature extremes, although errors in simulating maximum
> temperature extremes are also evident. This problem can be attributed
> to the skewed distributions of daily temperatures. Negative
> temperatures (in winter, at least) are strongly negatively skewed,
> whereas maximum temperatures (in summer) are negatively skewed in
> land, but positively skewed near the coast. A normal distribution
> assumption for temperatures is widely applied in weather generators,
> but will provide unrealistic estimates of the probabilities of
> temperature extremes. It is therefore suggested that the normal
> distribution used in the generation of daily temperatures in the
> widely used Richardson (1981) generator, and its derivations, be
> supplanted by a more appropriate distribution that permits skewness in
> either direction. Unfortunately, distributions that can skew in either
> direction are not common, although negative skewness is evident in
> other meteorological data (Holzer, 1996). Further research is
> warranted to identify a suitable distribution, or transformation, for
> daily temperatures.
>
> Differences between the Markov and spell-length models are minor: the
> Markov model may be slightly superior in reproducing mean
> precipitation, but the spell length model has a slight edge with
> respect to the interannual variability. Based only on model
> performance, there is little basis for choosing between the two
> models, and so other criteria have to be addressed."

Google 238

Rough Set Rule Induction for Suitability Assessment

Patricia A. Berger

*Environmental Manager* (2004) [Volume 34, Number
4](http://0-www.springerlink.com.oasis.oregonstate.edu/(eweqisy2jqmm1f3wpezlj055)/app/home/issue.asp?referrer=searchresults&id=U63472424170&backto=searcharticlesresults,1,1;issue,1,1;journal,33,220;linkingpublicationresults,1:100370,1)
Pages: 546 - 558

DOI: 10.1007/s00267-003-0097-z

ABSTRACT

The data that characterize an environmental system are a fundamental
part of an environmental decision-support system. However, obtaining
complete and consistent data sets for regional studies can be difficult.
Data sets are often available only for small study areas within the
region, whereas the data themselves contain uncertainty because of
system complexity, differences in methodology, or data collection
errors. This paper presents rough-set rule induction as one way to deal
with data uncertainty while creating predictive if--then rules that
generalize data values to the entire region. The approach is illustrated
by determining the crop suitability of 14 crops for the agricultural
soils of the Willamette River Basin, Oregon, USA. To implement this
method, environmental and crop yield data were spatially related to
individual soil units, forming the examples needed for the rule
induction process. Next, four learning algorithms were defined by using
different subsets of environmental attributes. ROSETTA, a software
system for rough set analysis, was then used to generate rules using
each algorithm. Cross-validation analysis showed that all crops had at
least one algorithm with an accuracy rate greater than 68%. After
selecting a preferred algorithm, the induced classifier was used to
predict the crop suitability of each crop for the unclassified soils.
The results suggest that rough set rule induction is a useful method for
data generalization and suitability analysis.

Keywords:  Crop suitability assessment - Rule induction - Rough set
theory - Regional modeling

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> "In addition to soil data, climatic and topographic data were used to
> characterize each soil map unit. Climate information was represented
> by 2-km resolution grids of mean monthly precipitation for the year
> and the mean monthly number of growing degree days (50Â°C) for the
> growing season (March--October), both of which were produced by
> Parameter-elevation Regression on Independent Slopes Model ([*Daly and
> others
> 1994*](http://www.springerlink.com/media/4h8acgqqlm0ju6tvxceg/contributions/q/n/r/n/qnrn8hwxhpwmuh34_html/fulltext.html#CR6))."
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Department of Bioengineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis

Funding Agency:

> This research was supported by the United States Environmental
> Protection Agency through Cooperative Agreement CR 824682 with Oregon
> State University.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to provide mean monthly precipitation for the year
> and the mean monthly number of growing degree days for a study whose
> primary goal ... was to develop spatial data layers of crop yield for
> the agricultural lands of the Willamette River Basin.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "The study found that although there was a tradeoff between accuracy
> and interpretability among the algorithms, the RS(A2) algorithm
> provided a good compromise biased toward accuracy. Using this
> algorithm, basin-wide values of crop yield class were induced from the
> sample data, with the RS(A2) algorithm nearly meeting or exceeding the
> desired 70% accuracy threshold. The accuracy rates for this algorithm
> varied by crop, with higher rates associated with a larger number of
> examples and a higher crop value. However, because the parameters used
> in the reduction calculations and rule filtering were not optimized
> for a particular crop, it is likely that accuracy rates for some of
> the crops could be slightly improved. Useful follow-up studies would
> be to investigate how the rule characteristics change over different
> spatial scales and over different climate zones.
>
> A secondary goal of this study was to discover how different types of
> data contributed to classification accuracy. This is important because
> if the condition attributes selected do not contain enough information
> to distinguish the decision classes, the rules induced will be of
> little value. However, in environmental applications it is not always
> possible to obtain data sets that contain potentially significant
> attributes. To investigate the situation, this study compared the
> performance of four algorithms distinguished by their attributes. It
> found that although the combination of soil surface land profile data
> was the preferred algorithm, other combinations of attributes also
> performed well, land for six of the crops any of the algorithms
> provided accuracy rates greater than 70%. This suggests that more
> readily available data could be used to provide useful information,
> especially for crops with management characteristics similar to those
> of Clusters 3 and 4. For example, in a regional-scale assessment,
> coarse-scale climate data are often available from public or private
> agencies, but detailed soil data of the region is incomplete. Here,
> the RS(A3) algorithm containing soil surface, climatic, and
> topographic data might provide sufficient accuracy.
>
> The third goal of this study was to evaluate the general usefulness of
> rough set theory in environmental applications. The success of this
> study suggests that a rough sets approach could prove useful for any
> suitability assessment where the data have the following properties:
> the concept to be learned is described by a set of attributes; it is
> possible to collect a set of discriminating examples; the distribution
> of the data is unknown; there is known imprecision in the data."

Google 241

Mountain-Block Hydrology and Mountain-Front Recharge

John L. Wilson and Huade Guan

Preprint of paper to be published in Groundwater Recharge in A Desert
Environment: The Southwestern United

States, edited by Fred M. Phillips, James Hogan, and Bridget Scanlon,
2004, AGU, Washington, DC.

ABSTRACT

In semiarid climates, a significant component of recharge to basin
aquifers occurs along the mountain front. Traditionally called
"mountain-front recharge" (MFR), this process has been treated by
modelers of basins as a boundary condition. In general, mountain-front
recharge estimates are based on the general precipitation
characteristics of the mountain (as estimated, e.g., by the chloride
mass balance and water balance methods), or by calibration of a basin
groundwater model. These methods avoid altogether the complexities of
the hydrologic system above the mountain front, or at best consider only
traditional runoff process. Consequently hydrology above the mountain
front is an area ripe for significant scientific advancement. A complete
view would consider the entire mountain block system and examine
hydrologic processes from the slope of the highest peak to the depth of
the deepest circulating groundwater. Important aspects above the
mountain front include the partitioning of rainfall and snowmelt into
vegetation-controlled evapotranspiration, surface runoff, and deep
infiltration through bedrock, especially its fractures and faults.
Focused flow along mountain stream channels and the diffuse movement of
groundwater through the underlying mountain block would both be
considered. This paper first defines some key terms, then reviews
methods of studying MFR in arid and semiarid regions, discusses
hydrological processes in the mountain block, and finally addresses some
of the basic questions raised by the new mountain-block hydrology
approach, as well as future directions for mountain-block hydrology
research.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> The following map shows 44 weather stations in central New Mexico
> centered on Albuquerque and the Sandia Mountains. Mean July
> precipitation was obtained from National Climate Data Center, and
> correlated well with 1 km DEM elevation (r2 = 0.71). Thus, using
> co-kriging it is possible to use elevation as a secondary variable to
> better estimate the spatial distribution of precipitation. This method
> estimates the precipitation distribution with a spatial resolution
> equal to that of the elevation data used, as evident by comparing the
> co-kriging estimate using DEM data (shown in the lower left panel) and
> PRISM estimates \[*Daly et al.,* 1994\]
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, New Mexico

Funding Agency:

> This material is based upon work supported by SAHRA (Sustainability of
> semi-Arid Hydrology and Riparian Areas) under the STC Program of the
> National Science Foundation, Agreement No. EAR-9876800. PACES, a NASA
> university research center located at UTEP, provided the remote
> sensing images.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used in an example of methods of studying MFR in arid
> and semiarid regions.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> 'This paper first defines some key terms, then reviews methods of
> studying MFR in arid and semiarid regions, discusses hydrological
> processes in the mountain block, and finally addresses some of the
> basic questions raised by the new mountain-block hydrology approach,
> as well as future directions for mountain-block hydrology research."
>
> "These models can also help detect the impacts of long-term climate
> change and local disturbances, and help estimate potential
>
> hydro geological hazards due to high-rate snowmelt or intensive summer
> storms. Although a better understanding of mountain block hydrology
> has these and other ancillary benefits, our prime motive here is that
> it will quantify the link between precipitation
>
> and recharge to basins bounding the mountain front."

Google 243

VALIDATION OF SIMULATED RUNOFF FROM SIX TERRESTRIAL

ECOSYSTEM MODELS: RESULTS FROM VEMAP

W. S. GORDON, J. S. FAMIGLIETTI, N. L. FOWLER, T. G. F. KITTEL, AND K.
A. HIBBARD

*Ecological Applications*, 14(2), 2004, pp. 527--545

ABSTRACT

Vegetation/Ecosystem Modeling and Analysis Project (VEMAP) Phase 2 model
experiments investigated the response of biogeochemical and dynamic
global vegetation models (DGVMs) to differences in climate over the
conterminous United States. This was accomplished by simulating
ecosystem processes using historical climate and atmospheric CO2 records
from 1895--1993.We evaluated the behavior of six models (Biome-BGC,
Century, GTEC, LPJ, MC1, and TEM) by comparing simulated runoff in 13
watersheds to gauged streamflow from the Hydro-Climatic Data Network.
Metrics used to assess the ''goodness of fit'' between simulated and
observed values were: (1) Pearson's r to evaluate the overall data set,
(2) Kendall's t to gauge seasonality trends as derived from a time
series analysis of monthly runoff, and (3) three measures of absolute
and relative error.

We found small differences in performance among the six models over all
watersheds. However, the models yielded highly divergent results
depending upon the watershed analyzed. Performance of the ensemble of
models in a watershed was positively correlated with observed
streamflow: models in the wettest watersheds in this study were
associated with the highest model correlations and largest absolute
errors, and models in the driest watersheds were associated with the
lowest correlations and smallest absolute errors. Mean relative error
was small and nearly constant across watersheds. A bias estimator showed
that the models tended to underestimate runoff in wet watersheds and
overestimate runoff in dry watersheds. Analysis of long-term trends in
runoff using a moving-average approach demonstrated the ability of the
models to reproduce temporal variation in observed data, even though
quantitative differences among models were large.

Models relying on prescribed vegetation (Biome-BGC, Century, and TEM)
outperformed the two DGVMs (LPJ and MC1); GTEC gave the poorest fit to
observations due to the absence of an evaporation function and a snow
routine. Across all 13 watersheds, TEM ranked the highest in model
performance. The validation results presented here suggest that
improvements in the simulation of hydrologic processes in land-surface
models will come, in part, from a more realistic representation of
subgrid-scale soil moisture and from a more detailed understanding and
representation of subsurface processes.

Key words: Biome-BGC, Century, GTEC, LPJ, MC1, and TEM compared; climate
change; dynamic global vegetation models; HCDN (Hydro-Climatic Data
Network \[USGS\]); model intercomparisons and validation; Nash-Sutcliffe
coefficient of efficiency; runoff estimation; streamflow; terrestrial
ecosystem models; United States, conterminous; VEMAP Phase 2 model
experiments; watersheds.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> "In this study we used streamflow records as a yardstick against which
> to measure the effectiveness of six terrestrial ecosystem models in
> reproducing temporal and spatial patterns of observed runoff. We
> wanted to determine under what conditions the models accurately
> simulated monthly runoff and under what conditions the models
> performed poorly. We evaluated the behavior of six VEMAP models---
> .... MC1 Dynamic Global Vegetation Model (MC 5 modified Century; Daly
> et al. 2000), ..."
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Graduate Program in Plant Biology, University of Texas, Austin, Texas

Funding Agency:

> Development of the VEMAP database was supported by NASA Mission to
> Planet Earth, Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), and **USDA**
> Forest Service Global Change Research Program.. This research was made
> possible by a U.S. Department of Energy Global Change Education
> Program Graduate Research Environmental Fellowship to W. Gordon and
> administered by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, as
> well as fellowship support from the University of Texas at Austin.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used as part of a VEMAP model, MC1 Dynamic Global
> Vegetation Model (MC 5 modified Century) in a study that "used
> streamflow records as a yardstick against which to measure the
> effectiveness of six terrestrial ecosystem models in reproducing
> temporal and spatial patterns of observed runoff."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "We found small differences in performance among the six models over
> all watersheds. However, the models yielded highly divergent results
> depending upon the watershed analyzed. Performance of the ensemble of
> models in a watershed was positively correlated with observed
> streamflow: models in the wettest watersheds in this study were
> associated with the highest model correlations and largest absolute
> errors, and models in the driest watersheds were associated with the
> lowest correlations and smallest absolute errors. Mean relative error
> was small and nearly constant across watersheds. A bias estimator
> showed that the models tended to underestimate runoff in wet
> watersheds and overestimate runoff in dry watersheds. Analysis of
> long-term trends in runoff using a moving-average approach
> demonstrated the ability of the models to reproduce temporal variation
> in observed data, even though quantitative differences among models
> were large.
>
> Models relying on prescribed vegetation (Biome-BGC, Century, and TEM)
> outperformed the two DGVMs (LPJ and MC1); GTEC gave the poorest fit to
> observations due to the absence of an evaporation function and a snow
> routine. Across all 13 watersheds, TEM ranked the highest in model
> performance. The validation results presented here suggest that
> improvements in the simulation of hydrologic processes in land-surface
> models will come, in part, from a more realistic representation of
> subgrid-scale soil moisture and from a more detailed understanding and
> representation of subsurface processes."

Google 244 (may just be a mention... see points 3 and 4, below.

Climate spatial variability and data resolution in a semi-arid
watershed, south-eastern Arizona

Susan M. Skirvin, Stuart E. Marsh, Mitchel P. McClaran, & David M. Meko

*Journal of Arid Environments* (2003) 54: 667--686

doi:10.1006/jare.2002.1086

ABSTRACT

In the 10,000km2 San Pedro River watershed area in south-eastern
Arizona, high-resolution spatial patterns of long-term precipitation and
temperature were better reproduced by kriging climate data with
elevation as external drift (KED) than by multiple linear regression on
station location and elevation as judged by the spatial distribution of
interpolation error. Mean errors were similar overall, and interpolation
accuracy for both methods increased with increasing correlation between
climate variables and elevation. Uncertainty in station locations had
negligible effect on mean estimation error, although error for
individual stations varied as much as 27%. Our future ability to examine
spatial aspects of climate change at high spatial resolution will be
severely limited by continuing closures of climate stations in this part
of the United States.

Keywords: climate; interpolation; south-western U.S.; San Pedro River;
spatial variability; geostatistics; precipitation; temperature

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Elevation values for stations in the DEM area were subsequently taken
> from the 360m DEM; Daly et al. (1994) also used DEM elevations for
> stations to reduce errors arising from mismatch of resolution between
> station and DEM data.
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Office of Arid Lands Studies, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona

Funding Agency:

> This study was supported by Cooperative Agreement A950-A1-0012 between
> The University of Arizona and the Biological Resources
>
> Division of the United States Geological Survey.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to ... I think it was just a comparison of the use
> of DEM data. (?)
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "Evaluation of shorter-term climatic effects at high spatial
> resolution may prove problematic. Data from the past 30 years are
> commonly used for interpolation of current climate (e.g. Daly et al.,
> 1994), and may be compared to long-term means for indication of
> temporal change. However, it will be harder to assess spatial
> components of climate change in the future: for the region sampled
> here, only 71 precipitation and 51 temperature stations spanned the
> most recent 30-year period, less than half the number of stations used
> in this study. During the past 30 years, there has been a net loss of
> more than 15% of the climate stations in this region (29 precipitation
> and 21 temperature stations). In topographically varied landscapes,
> this loss of spatially distributed data may prevent the development of
> accurate high spatial resolution climate models that will be
> increasingly needed. More climate stations, rather than fewer, will be
> necessary for spatially explicit studies of climate change and its
> effects"

Google 245

20th century drought in the conterminous United States

Konstantinos M. Andreadis, Elizabeth A. Clark, Andrew W. Wood, Alan F.
Hamlet, and Dennis P. Lettenmaier

(No journal was listed in any of the electronic versions of the text)

ABSTRACT

Droughts can be characterized by their severity, frequency and duration,
and aerial extent. Depth-area-duration analysis, widely used to
characterize precipitation extremes, provides a basis for evaluation of
drought severity when storm depth is replaced by an appropriate measure
of drought severity. We used gridded precipitation and temperature data
to force a physically-based macroscale hydrologic model at 1/2o spatial
resolution over the continental U.S., and then constructed a drought
history from 1920 to 2003 based on the model-simulated soil moisture and
runoff. A clustering algorithm was used to identify individual drought
events and their spatial extent from monthly summaries of the simulated
data. A series of severity area-duration (SAD) curves were constructed
to relate the area of each drought to its severity. An envelope of the
most severe drought events in terms of their SAD characteristics was
then constructed. Our results show that a) the droughts of the 1930s and
1950s were the most severe of the 20th century for large areas; b) the
early 2000s drought in the western U.S. is among the most severe in the
period of record, especially for small areas and short durations; c) the
most severe agricultural droughts were also among the most severe
hydrologic droughts -- however, the early 2000s western U.S. drought
occupies a larger portion of the hydrologic drought envelope curve than
does its agricultural companion; d) runoff tends to recover in response
to precipitation more quickly than soil moisture, so the severity of
hydrologic drought during the 1930s and 1950s was dampened by short wet
spells while the severity of the early 2000s drought remained high due
to the relative absence of these short term phenomena.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> The final forcing data set also includes a topographical precipitation
> correction described in Maurer et al. (2002) based on the
> Precipitation Regression on Independent Slopes Method (PRISM)
> precipitation maps (Daly et al. 1994).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of
Washington, Seattle, WA

Funding Agency: (none listed)

> 3\. PRISM was used to provide "a topographical precipitation
> correction described in Maurer et al. (2002) based on the
> Precipitation Regression on Independent Slopes Method (PRISM)
> precipitation maps (Daly et al. 1994).
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "Drought severity calculated using the simulated soil moisture and
> runoff percentiles is limited by errors and biases inherent in the
> model physics, parameters, and forcing data. Nonetheless, validation
> of VIC soil moisture and streamflow predictions in different regions
> of the U.S., and the identification of drought events that have
> already been cited as extreme droughts in the 20th century, support
> our use of an approach based on soil moisture and runoff derived from
> VIC model simulations. The model products provide a spatially and
> temporally continuous dataset of hydrologic variables, which are
> estimated using a physically based model that accounts for various
> land surface processes (such as cold land processes), in contrast with
> other drought indices that employ simple water balance models. The
> technique presented in this paper employs a physically-based criterion
> for drought identification that is applicable across climate regions.
> Since many of the most severe droughts in the U.S. cross climate
> region boundaries, regionalization that other studies have employed
> limits the maximum spatial component of drought impacts -- a
> limitation that our method avoids. Whereas many studies produce
> time-series of regional drought evolution, SAD analysis directly
> characterizes specific drought events, both spatially and temporally.
> SAD is thus meant to be a supplementary tool in drought
> characterization."

Google 246

Non-point Source Pollution Assessment of the San Antonio - Nueces
Coastal Basin

David R. Maidment and William K. Saunders

Paper presented to the Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee
Corpus Christi Bay National Estuary Program Corpus Christi, Texas
January 11, 1996

ABSTRACT

The amount of pollution from non-point sources flowing in the streams of
the San Antonio - Nueces coastal basin in South Texas is estimated by a
GIS-based method using rainfall, runoff and land use data. A fine grid
of cells 100m in size is laid over the landscape. For each cell, mean
annual runoff is estimated from rainfall, and expected pollutant
concentration is estimated from land use. The product of runoff and
concentration gives expected pollutant loading from that cell. These
loadings are accumulated going downstream to give expected annual
pollutant loadings in streams and rivers. By dividing these accumulated
loadings by the similarly accumulated mean annual runoff, the expected
pollutant concentration from non-point sources is determined for each
location in a stream or river. Observed pollutant concentrations in the
basin are averaged at each sample point and compared to the expected
concentrations at the same locations determined from the grid cell
model.

Results for phosphorus indicate that non-point source pollution in the
Mission and Copano watersheds, which have largely rangeland and forest
land use, is at relatively low levels in the 0 - 0.2 mg/l range, and is
consistent with observed concentrations. There don't appear to be
significant point sources of pollution in these watersheds. In the
Aransas watershed, primarily of agricultural land use, observed
concentrations are greater than non-point sources alone would indicate
and there is evidence that a point source in the town of Beeville has
been contributing a significant amount of phosphorus to the Aransas
River. Results for Nitrogen suggest that observed pollutant levels in
most parts of the basin are higher than expected, especially in the
Aransas watershed, where the City of Beeville again appears to have been
a significant point source contributor.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> The mean annual rainfall on each 100m cell is found by using a
> standard mean annual precipitation grid for the US for 1961-1990
> developed by Oregon State University and the **USDA** Natural
> Resources Conservation Service (Daly, et. al., 1994), for which the
> portion overlying the San Antonio - Nueces basin is shown in Figure
> 6(a).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Center for Research in Water Resources University of Texas Austin, TX
78712

Funding Agency:

> This research was supported in part by grants from the Texas Natural
> Resource Conservation Commission and the Texas Water Resources
> Institute.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to provide mean annual rainfall on each 100m cell
> in an examination of "the amount of pollution from non-point sources
> flowing in the streams of the San Antonio - Nueces coastal basin in
> South Texas (that was) estimated by a GIS-based method using rainfall,
> runoff and land use data.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:

The non-point source pollution assessment method described here has a
number of limitations:

-   the results given are for mean annual flow and no variations within
    years or from year to year are given...

-   pollutant concentration from local runoff is assumed to be directly
    related to land use in that area and not to vary from event to
    event.

-   pollutant transport is conservative in streams and rivers...

-   the modeled downstream concentrations are compared to the average of
    the observed concentrations without differentiating whether the
    observed concentrations occurred during periods of high flow or base
    flow...

-   point sources have not been separately accounted for in the
    pollutant loading calculations, although it is clear that the City
    of Beeville is potentially a significant point source...

> The advantages of the GIS-based non-point source pollution assessment
> method described here are:

-   it makes use of all the recorded flow and concentration data in the
    basin and synthesizes them in a logical way that is consistent
    across the basin...

-   the data sources used are all publicly available in digital form...

-   the principal data imported from outside the South Texas region is
    the table of values relating land use to expected pollutant
    concentration (Table 1)...

-   the spatial analysis over the basin shows spatial patterns of
    pollutant levels and highlights areas where additional sampling is
    needed...

    Google 248

    Graphical displays

    Dan Carr

    Volume 2, pp 933--960 in Encyclopedia of Environmetrics (ISBN 0471
    899976)

    Edited by Abdel H. El-Shaarawi and Walter W. Piegorsch; John Wiley &
    Sons, Ltd, Chichester, 2002

    ABSTRACT

> The purpose of environmental visualization via graphical displays is
> to facilitate scientific and public understanding of environmental
> status, trends, and processes. Such understanding is incremental owing
> to: the complexity of the environment; the difficulty of
> parsimoniously conceptualizing this complexity; the logistic and
> political impediments to collecting adequate, representative data; and
> the limits of human perception and cognition for understanding
> multivariate summaries. This entry can only hint at the range of
> challenges faced in attempts to characterize the environment and
> communicate using graphical summaries. It can only touch on the
> background knowledge that helps experienced readers to assess and
> interpret environmental graphics. However, the background is important
> since environmental visualization goes far beyond routine production
> and superficial interpretation of environmental graphics. After a
> brief introduction, the focus herein is on graphical design principles
> and graphical templates for representing environmental summaries. The
> quality of environmental graphics depends on many factors:
> conceptualization, data collection, modeling, summarization, and, as
> emphasized here, sound graphical design.
>
> Our understanding of quantitative graphical design continues to
> evolve. Since one design principle is to use familiar templates, a
> tension arises between using familiar templates and introducing new
> templates that offer richer, more focused or accurately communicated
> content. This entry includes some new templates and uses design
> principles to motivate their inclusion. The sequence of static
> templates presented is far from complete. Further, a printed
> publication has difficulty in doing justice to interactive graphics
> and no such attempt is made here. This entry attempts to help the
> reader fill in omissions by providing references into the literature.
>
> Another omission is a discussion of integrating environmental graphics
> into extended documents. Interested readers can refer to Stone et al.
> \[99\] and Wahlstr¨om et al. \[109\] as examples of excellence. The
> reader may also want to adapt methods and graphics illustrated in the
> award-winning *Atlas of United States Mortality* \[Pickle et al. 89\]
> to environment applications.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> The boxplots summarize the spatial variation in the half million grid
> cells that partition the US. Each grid cell has estimates produced by
> Daly et al. \[45\] giving the 30-year average precipitation and
> average number of growing degree days.

2\. Affiliation:

John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, Chichester

Funding Agency:

Portions of this work were supported by NSF Grants 9819945 and 9983461
and EPA Cooperative Agreement CR825564-01-2.

> 3\. PRISM was used to in the creation of Omernik level II ecoregions
> with yearly average values from 1961 to 1990 and a spatial
> distribution from 1/2 million grid cells. The LM plot with boxplots
> shows spatial variation and is notable because "the ecoregions may not
> be familiar but the horizontal color linking makes it easy to find
> them, even the ones that are disjoint."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "Sometimes we need to think about the data that we are not seeing.
> Sometimes there are barriers to scientific inquiry that those who see
> beyond the data should address. Increasingly the size, detail, and
> complexity of environmental datasets will overwhelm our visualization
> capacity. In thinking about the future, Tukey \[106\] coined the term
> cognostics (diagnostics interpreted by a computer rather than a
> human). The idea was to compute features of merit and have a computer
> rank plots by their potential interest to humans. This is frightening;
> for example algorithms can miss little details like the hole in the
> ozone layer. However, humans miss a lot because our looking is not
> automated and not optimized for understanding. Some may think
> environmental visualization is easy. It is not. Rather, it is a huge
> intellectual challenge that spans developing concepts, collecting data
> thoughtfully, modeling, grappling with complexity, and dealing with
> our own limits."

Google 250

Gauging the Vulnerability of Local Water Utilities to Extreme Weather
Events

Robert Hersh and Kris Wernstedt

Resources for the Future, Washington, D.C.

ABSTRACT

Water utilities that rely on surface water may be vulnerable to future
droughts and floods, avulnerability that may be magnified by climate
perturbations as well as shorter-term and, in some cases, ongoing
changes in the political and regulatory environment in which utilities
operate. Unfortunately, day-to-day responsibilities currently occupy
most utility operators, leaving little time to plan for inherently
uncertain effects. The record of actual responses to past droughts and
floods can be illuminating, however, particularly when placed in the
context of plausible hydrologic and institutional disruptions. This
paper draws on interviews of water utility operators in the northwestern
U.S. to highlight opportunities and constraints that water utilities may
face vis-à-vis such disruptions. Key considerations affecting
vulnerabilities include water rights, institutional barriers to
efficient utility operations, hazards management policy, and the fiscal
status of utilities.

Key Words: water utilities, extreme events, environmental planning,
climate variability, climate change, adaptation

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> The precipitation estimates in Figure 2 and Figure 3 have been
> calculated from the PRISM model developed by researchers at Oregon
> State University and the Oregon Climate Service and funded by the
> Water and Climate Center of the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation
> Service Daly, C., Neilson, R. P., & Phillips, D. L. (1994). A
> Statistical- Topographic Model for Mapping Climatological
> Precipitation Over Mountainous Terrain. Journal of Applied
> Meteorology, 33, 140-158. The estimates are based on an unpublished
> and provisional 44-year (1950-1993) time series of monthly
> precipitation means for nearly 1,950 grid points in the Willamette
> watershed that have been modeled with the PRISM software (see
> reference to be provided for further details).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:(not listed)

Funding Agency: (none listed)

> 3\. PRISM was used to provide precipitation estimates for a paper that
> "draws on interviews of water utility operators in the northwestern
> U.S. to highlight opportunities and constraints that water utilities
> may face vis-à-vis such disruptions."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "In summary, the lesson that the Willamette offers for other water
> utilities is that vulnerability to long-term environmental changes is
> highly specific to individual systems and not necessarily related to
> the financial resources available to a utility. Even in an area as
> blessed with natural resources as the Pacific Northwest, some water
> utilities appear at risk from prospective environmental perturbations
> that many have ignored or thought unlikely. The ability of water
> utilities to cope with extreme events is influenced by the ongoing
> adjustments made by water utilities and local utility boards to meet
> new regulatory demands, changing environmental preferences, and growth
> pressures. Clearly, there is no one decision point for water utilities
> to deal with extreme events. In their deliberations about system
> upgrades, capital investments, and revisions to rate structures, water
> supply managers and other environmental planners in the region would
> benefit from considering scenarios that suggest a greater range of
> climate variability. Such information could help water suppliers
> develop plans that seek to exploit synergies between capacity
> development and broader policy objectives."

Google 251

The relative importance of climate change and the physiological effects
of CO2 on freezing tolerance for the

future distribution of Yucca brevifolia

Krishna P. Dole, Michael E. Loik, and Lisa Cirbus Sloan

*Global and Planetary Change* 36 (2003) 137--146

ABSTRACT

We modeled potential changes in geographic distribution due to increased
atmospheric CO2 via climate change as well as direct physiological
effects. Numerous studies have quantitatively predicted how the
geographic distribution of plant species will shift in response to
climate change, but few have also included the direct effects of
atmospheric CO2 concentrations on plant physiology. We modeled the role
that increased seedling freezing tolerance caused by exposure to
elevated CO2 would play in determining the future range of the Joshua
Tree (Yucca brevifolia). Results from greenhouse experiments were used
to define how a doubling of present-day atmospheric CO2 concentrations
changes the low-temperature tolerance. We used discriminant analysis to
predict Y. brevifolia distribution as a function of climate based on
correlations between observational climate data and the current range of
this species. We generate a scenario of future climate under doubled CO2
conditions with a general circulation model (GCM) and used this as input
for the predictive distribution model. The model predicts that under
future climate, the distribution of this species will change
dramatically, and that the total area it occupies will decrease
slightly. When the direct effects of CO2 on seedling freezing tolerance
are included, the model predicts a different and slightly larger future
distribution, indicating that the direct effects of CO2 on this aspect
of plant physiology will likely play a significant but secondary role in
determining the future distribution of [Y]{.underline}.
[brevifolia]{.underline}.

Keywords: Carbon dioxide; Climate change; Joshua Tree; Plant migration;
Plant physiology; Vegetation

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> In order to re-scale temperature to the topography, the resulting maps
> of potential temperature were added to the topography multiplied by
> the same 9.5 jC/km lapse rate. The Global 30 Arc Second Elevation Data
> Set (GTOPO 30) provided the topographic data for these operations at
> approximately 1-km resolution. Maps of precipitation were obtained
> from the PRISM mapping project (Daly et al., 1994).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Department of Environmental Studies, University of California Santa
Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA

Funding Agency:

> KPD was funded by a grant from C. DELSI, the Center for Dynamics and
> Evolution of the Land--Sea Interface at UC Santa Cruz. LCS thanks the
> David and Lucile Packard Foundation for supporting this research.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to create precipitation maps for use in a study
> that examined "the relative importance of climate change and the
> physiological effects of CO2 on freezing tolerance for the future
> distribution of Yucca brevifolia". This study "modeled potential
> changes in geographic distribution due to increased atmospheric CO2
> via climate change as well as direct physiological effects."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "One potential limitation of this study is the possibility that biotic
> interactions will control distribution shifts. It is possible that a
> warmer, wetter, CO2-rich climate would be amenable to Y. brevifolia
> but even more favorable to pathogens, predators, or competing species,
> reducing the recruitment and survival of Y. brevifolia."
>
> "One interesting implication of this study is that anthropogenic CO2
> increases will drive ecosystem change even in the absence of
> significant climate change. This study included the effects of CO2 on
> only one physiological parameter, yet this still produced a difference
> in predicted future distributions. This indicates the importance of
> including the physiological effects of CO2 in studies that try to
> predict the biological effects of climate change, and further confirms
> the difficulty of predicting the biological and ecological impacts of
> CO2 emissions."

Google 253

Reconnaissance Estimates of Recharge Based on an Elevation-dependent
Chloride Mass-balance Approach

Charles E. Russell and Tim Minor

submitted to Nevada Operations Office, National Nuclear Security
Administration, U.S. Department of Energy

Las Vegas, Nevada

AUGUST 2002, Publication No. 45164

Available electronically at <http://www.doe.gov/bridge>

ABSTRACT

Significant uncertainty is associated with efforts to quantity recharge
in arid regions such as southern Nevada. However, accurate estimates of
groundwater recharge are necessary to understanding the long-term
sustainability of groundwater resources and predictions of groundwater
flow rates and directions. Currently, the most widely accepted method
for estimating recharge in southern Nevada is the Maxey and Eakin
method. This method has been applied to most basins within Nevada and
has been independently verified as a reconnaissance level estimate of
recharge through several studies. Recharge estimates derived from the
Maxey and Eakin and other recharge methodologies ultimately based upon
measures or estimates of groundwater discharge (outflow methods) should
be augmented by a tracer-based aquifer response method. The objective of
this study was to improve an existing aquifer-response method that was
based on the chloride mass-balance approach. Improvements were designed
to incorporate spatial variability within recharge areas (rather than
recharge as a lumped parameter), develop a more defendable lower limit
of recharge, and differentiate local recharge from recharge emanating as
interbasin flux.

Seventeen springs, located in the Sheep Range, Spring Mountains, and on
the Nevada Test Site were sampled during the course of this study and
their discharge was measured. The chloride and bromide concentrations of
the springs were determined. Discharge and chloride concentrations from
these springs were compared to estimates provided by previously
published reports. A literature search yielded previously published
estimates of chloride flux to the land surface. 36Cl/Cl ratios and
discharge rates of the three largest springs in the Amargosa Springs
discharge area were compiled from various sources. This information was
utilized to determine an effective chloride concentration for recharging
precipitation and its associated uncertainty via Monte Carlo
simulations. Previously developed isohyetal maps were utilized to
determine the mean and standard deviation of precipitation within the
area. A digital elevation model was obtained to provide elevation
information. A geologic model was obtained to provide the spatial
distribution of alluvial formations. Both were used to define the lower
limit of recharge. In addition, 40 boreholes located in alluvial
sediments were drilled and sampled in an attempt to support the argument
that the aerial distribution of alluvial sediments can be used to define
a zone of negligible recharge. The data were compiled in a geographic
information system and used in a Monte Carlo analysis to determine
recharge occurring within the study area. Results of the analysis
yielded estimates of the mean and standard deviation of recharge
occurring within the study area (28.168 x106 m3 yr-1 and 7.008 x106m3
yr-1, and 26.838 x106 m3 yr-1 and 6.928 x106m3 yr-1) for two sets of
simulations using alternate definitions of the lower limit of recharge.
A sensitivity analysis determined the recharge estimates were most
sensitive to uncertainty associated with the chloride concentration of
the spring discharge. The second most sensitive parameter was the
uncertainty associated with the mean precipitation within the recharge
areas. Comparison of the analysis to previously published estimates of
recharge revealed mixed results with the recharge estimates derived
during the course of this project generally greater relative to
previously published estimates.

NOTE

"It must be cautioned that previously published estimates of recharge
are being compared to recharge estimates developed from regression
equations associated with the 5th, 50th, and 95th percentile for the
entire study area. These values are used as analogues for the 5th, 50th,
and 95th percentiles for the respective basins. The true variability of
recharge estimates for each basin would require application and ranking
of all 1,000 realizations solely to that basin, which was not done for
this project. As a result, some of the 95th percentile estimates in
Table 10 are less than the 50th percentile estimate for three of the
basins (Amargosa Desert, Death Valley, and Rock Valley) simulated using
the spatial distribution of alluvium as the lower limit of recharge."

1.  PRISM Data:

> Several isohyetal maps were utilized during the course of this study.
> These include the PRISM model (Precipitation-elevation Regressions on
> Independent Slopes Model: Daley et al. 1994), the Hardman (1965) map,
> and the Rush (1970) precipitation elevation relationship.

2\. Affiliation:

> Division of Hydrologic Sciences, Desert Research Institute, University
> and Community College System of Nevada

Funding Agency:

> The work upon which this report is based was supported by the U.S.
> Department of Energy under Contracts #DE-AC08-95NV11508 and
> #DE-AC08-00NV13609.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to
>
> "Precipitation studies in southern Nevada are hampered by the lack of
> high altitude gauging stations, a lack in the overall number and
> distribution of stations, and a lack of lengthy records from many of
> the existing stations. Estimates of precipitation rates and their
> distribution are underlain by a considerable degree of uncertainty.
> For the purposes of this study the PRISM map was utilized as a basis
> for defining the relative spatial distribution of precipitation across
> the study area. The quantity of precipitation used for this study area
> was variable, based upon a mean and standard deviation derived from
> the three estimates of precipitation previously developed for the area
> (Hardman, 1965; Rush, 1970; Daley *et al.,* 1994)."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion: *See second paragraph of abstract, above*.
>
> "Incorporation of a greater number of springs, especially low-altitude
> springs would constrain the analysis further and decrease the
> uncertainty created by a limited number of springs utilized during the
> analysis. Additional estimates of the 36Cl/Cl ratio from other sources
> in the area would provide a better estimate of the effective
> concentration of chloride in precipitation and would further reduce,
> to a limited degree, the uncertainty in the analysis. A further
> improvement would be realized if multiple, spatially varied measures
> of 36Cl/Cl were obtained. With this information, one could obtain the
> spatial variability of chloride flux to the land surface and its
> associated uncertainty. The method could then be decoupled from an
> estimate of the effective chloride concentration in precipitation.
> This would allow kriged estimates of precipitation and chloride flux
> to be directly utilized with kriged estimates of chloride
> concentration in springs to determine a recharge flux independent of
> elevation. The quantification of recharge within washes remains
> unsolved in a regional sense. Additional studies that couple surface
> water runoff with infiltration losses (similar to the analysis
> contained herein) would allow a spatial analysis of the redistribution
> and concurrent reduction of recharge due to surface runoff. In its
> current form, areas that experience significant surface runoff violate
> the methodology as do areas that incorporate large tracts of alluvium
> at high altitudes that experience recharge. Extrapolation of this
> methodology to other areas may require the adoption of recharge
> cut-off zones in a fashion similar to Dettinger (1989) or the drilling
> of additional vadose zone wells to defend assumptions regarding
> recharge through vegetated alluvium. A more thorough incorporation of
> alternate lower limits of recharge, into the uncertainty process, is
> also warranted. Finally, the method is not applicable to areas
> containing large amounts of depositional chloride or areas that
> receive large quantities of chloride and or waters that are not of
> meteoric origin."

Google 254

Predicting Swiss Needle Cast Disease Distribution and Severity in Young
Douglas-Fir Plantations in Coastal Oregon

Pablo H. Rosso and Everett M. Hansen

PHYTOPATHOLOGY Epidemiology Vol. 93, No. 7, 2003 790-798

Rosso, P. H., and Hansen, E. M. 2003. Predicting Swiss needle cast
disease

distribution and severity in young Douglas-fir plantations in coastal

Oregon. Phytopathology 93:790-798.

ABSTRACT

Swiss needle cast (SNC), caused by the fungus Phaeocryptopus gaeumannii,
is producing extensive defoliation and growth reduction in Douglas-fir
forest plantations along the Pacific Northwest coast. An SNC disease
prediction model for the coastal area of Oregon was built by
establishing the relationship between the distribution of disease and
the environment. A ground-based disease survey (220 plots) was used to
study this relationship. Two types of regression approaches, multiple
linear regression and regression tree, were used to study the
relationship between disease severity and climate, topography, soil, and
forest stand characteristics. Fog occurrence, precipitation,
temperature, elevation, and slope aspect were the variables that
contributed to explain most of the variability in disease severity, as
indicated by both the multiple regression (r2 = 0.57) and regression
tree (RMD = 0.27) analyses. The resulting regression model was used to
construct a disease prediction map. Findings agree with and formalize
our previous understanding of the ecology of SNC: warmer and wetter
conditions, provided that summer temperatures are relatively low, appear
to increase disease severity. Both regression approaches have
characteristics that can be useful in helping to improve our
understanding of the ecology of SNC. The prediction model is able to
produce a continuous prediction surface, suitable for hypothesis testing
and assisting in disease management and research.

Additional keywords: Pseudotsuga menziesii, Douglas-fir diseases, forest
disease model, Venturiaceae.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> "The modeled fog map (C. Daly, unpublished data) is based on a coastal
> advection model which simulates the wet air penetration from the
> Pacific Ocean inland in the Oregon coast region. This simulation was
> adjusted to local variability with satellite and weather station
> information. The model produces a map with the predicted daily
> percentage of hours with fog over the entire month of July on the
> Oregon coast at a resolution of 1 km."
>
> "Temperature and precipitation data were obtained from raster
> (grid)-based outputs from the climate prediction model PRISM (4).
> These grids have an approximate cell resolution of 4 by 4 km (2.5
> arc-minutes). Temperature and precipitation grids of the months
> considered most relevant from the epidemiological point of view,
> January, April to July, and November, were selected from the five most
> recent available years (1989 to 1993)."
>
> "Degree-days (base 0°C) were calculated using an interpolation model
> that uses PRISM climate grids as inputs (Oregon degree-day
>
> mapping calculator, version 1.2., developed by L. Coop, is available
> online on the Oregon State University Integrated Plant
>
> Protection Center website)."
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

CSTARS Laboratory, Department of Land, Air, and Water Resources,
University of California at Davis,

Funding Agency:

We thank the Oregon Department of Forestry for its invaluable
contribution

> in providing financial support,...
>
> 3\. PRISM was used in a study examining the prediction of Swiss Needle
> Cast disease distribution and severity in young Douglas-Fir in Coastal
> Oregon as follows:
>
> From Table 1. Variables considered in the analysis to build the Swiss
> needle cast (SNC) prediction model in coastal Oregon
>
> *Climate directly from PRISM model*
>
> Mean monthly maximum temperature (months: J,A,M,J,J, & N) (°C) 2.5
> arc-minute (\_4 by 4 km) raster
>
> Mean monthly minimum temperature (months: J,A,M,J,J, & N) (°C) 2.5
> arc-minute (\_4 by 4 km) raster
>
> Mean monthly precipitation (months: J,A,M,J,J, & N) (mm) 2.5
> arc-minute (\_4 by 4 km) raster

*Climate derived from PRISM outputs*

> Mean vapor pressure deficit (VPD) (months: J,A,M,J,J, & N) (Pa) 2.5
> arc-minute (\_4 by 4 km) raster
>
> Degree days, base 0°C (months: J,A,M,J,J, & N) (°C) 2.5 arc-minute
> (\_4 by 4 km) raster
>
> Total radiation (months: J,A,M,J,J, & N) (SolarImg model) 2.5
> arc-minute (\_4 by 4 km) raster
>
> July fog occurrence (Fog model)
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "Our analyses and final model point at the influence of variables
> consistent with forest manager's experience and scientific findings
> about SNC distributional patterns. However, our study indicates a more
> complex scenario than simply the effect of one or two variables. Our
> observations about possible influences of climate on the disease are
> consistent with the suggestions of Hansen et al. (10) that climate
> could have played a role in the increase of SNC symptoms."
>
> "The results of the model can be used as a hazard prediction to orient
> integrated forest management. The model also is useful in generating
> hypotheses and emphasizing the need for information and understanding.
> Future research should focus on better understanding processes at
> finer spatial and temporal scales of resolution, such as weather and
> canopy hydrology, guided by the main findings of this study at the
> regional level. For example, it seems reasonable to suspect that fog
> and ambient temperature, both found to be important variables in this
> study, must have a strong effect on air moisture and leaf wetness,
> which in turn might be closely related to fungal spore germination and
> hyphal development (13). In other words, findings at the scale of the
> present study need to be corroborated and integrated with studies at
> lower scales. This includes scales at which the pathogen interacts
> with the host, mainly histologically, physiologically, and
> genetically. In this way, relationships and patterns can be integrated
> with plausible mechanisms."

Google 255

PLANT TRAITS AND ECOSYSTEM GRAZING EFFECTS: COMPARISON OF U.S. SAGEBRUSH
STEPPE AND PATAGONIAN STEPPE

PETER B. ADLER, DANIEL G. MILCHUNAS, OSVALDO E. SALA, INGRID C. BURKE,
AND WILLIAM K. LAUENROTH

*Ecological Applications*, 15(2), 2005, pp. 774--792

ABSTRACT

Plant functional traits provide one tool for predicting the effects of
grazing on different ecosystems. To test this approach, we compared
plant traits and grazing response across analogous climatic gradients in
sagebrush steppe, USA (SGBR), known to have a short evolutionary history
of grazing, and Patagonian steppe, Argentina (PAT), where generalist
herbivores exerted stronger selective pressures. We measured grazing
response by sampling vegetation and soils across distance-from-water
gradients at arid, semiarid, and subhumid study areas in both regions.
Based on a previous analysis of graminoid traits, we predicted that: (1)
high forage quality in all three SGBR communities would lead to high
utilization and large grazing effects, whereas low quality in arid PAT
would constrain utilization and grazing impacts, with semiarid and
subhumid PAT intermediate in quality and grazing response; and (2)
grazing in arid PAT would cause shifts in relative abundance within the
graminoid functional group, due to the large range of forage quality
among graminoids, but in SGBR, where all graminoids are relatively
palatable, shifts in abundance would occur between grasses and shrubs.
Utilization in locations close to water was higher in SGBR than in PAT
study areas. This utilization difference led to differences in grazing
effects consistent with our first prediction. Abundance of graminoids
increased with distance from water in all three SGBR communities and in
subhumid PAT, but not in arid PAT. Shrub and total production decreased
with distance in SGBR but not PAT study areas. Grazing variables
explained less variation in species composition in arid PAT (43%) than
in any other study area (59--74%). Grazing did not significantly
influence species richness. Evidence for our second prediction was
mixed. Grazing did alter the relative abundance of SGBR graminoids and
shrubs, but abundance shifts among the graminoids in SGBR communities
were larger than in PAT communities, counter to our prediction. This
case study demonstrates how plant traits can explain relative effects of
grazing on ecosystem structure and functioning, although predicting
species-specific responses remains a challenge. Regardless of their
evolutionary origin, poor-quality graminoids make the arid Patagonian
steppe more resistant to overgrazing than communities dominated by more
nutritious species.

Key words: aridity gradients; consumption; ecosystem structure and
function; generalist herbivores; graminoid nutritional quality; grazing;
Patagonia; plant traits; primary production; sagebrush steppe; species
composition; species diversity.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> (climate data are from Priest Rapids Dam, National Climatic Data
> Center; [Daly et al.
> 1994](http://www.esajournals.org/esaonline/?request=get-document&issn=1051-0761&volume=015&issue=02&page=0774#i1051-0761-015-02-0774-daly1%23i1051-0761-015-02-0774-daly1),
> [Bertiller et al.
> 1995](http://www.esajournals.org/esaonline/?request=get-document&issn=1051-0761&volume=015&issue=02&page=0774#i1051-0761-015-02-0774-bertiller3%23i1051-0761-015-02-0774-bertiller3),
> [Beltrán
> 1997](http://www.esajournals.org/esaonline/?request=get-document&issn=1051-0761&volume=015&issue=02&page=0774#i1051-0761-015-02-0774-beltran1%23i1051-0761-015-02-0774-beltran1)).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort
Collins, Colorado

Funding Agency:

> P. B. Adler was supported by a NSF Graduate Fellowship, an NSF
> International Programs Dissertation Improvement award, and an
> Organization of American States training fellowship.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to provide climate data for Priest Rapids Dam for a
> study that "compared plant traits and grazing response across
> analogous climatic gradients in sagebrush steppe, USA (SGBR), known to
> have a short evolutionary history of grazing, and Patagonian steppe,
> Argentina (PAT), where generalist herbivores exerted stronger
> selective pressures."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> To determine the ultimate causes of variability in ecosystem response
> to grazing, we need to understand the evolution of plant functional
> traits. In contrast, useful predictions about grazing response, a goal
> of applied research, only require easily collected information about
> plant traits themselves. Our comparison of communities in sagebrush
> and Patagonian steppe demonstrates that plants of low forage quality
> can limit utilization and thus make an ecosystem more resistant to
> overgrazing than one dominated by undefended, palatable plants.

Google 257

Patterns of primary succession on the foreland of Coleman Glacier,
Washington, USA

Chad C. Jones, and Roger del Moral1

Plant Ecology (2005) 180:105--116

DOI 10.1007/s11258-005-2843-1

ABSTRACT

Patterns of community development vary among studied glacier forelands
around the world. However, there have been few studies of primary
succession on glacial forelands in temperate regions of North America.
We described patterns in community composition, vegetation cover,
diversity, and vegetation heterogeneity during primary succession on the
foreland of Coleman Glacier, in Washington State, USA. Community
composition changed rapidly with high turnover between age classes.
Cover increased through succession as expected. Species richness and
diversity were highest in early succession at small scales and in late
succession at larger scales. At small scales, heterogeneity decreased in
early succession but increased in mature sites. At larger scales,
heterogeneity reached its lowest point earlier in succession. These
scale dependent patterns in diversity and heterogeneity differ from
results of other studies of glacier forelands. We hypothesize that these
patterns arise due to the development of a dense canopy of the deciduous
shrub Alnus viridis followed by a dense canopy of Abies amabilis, Tsuga
heterophylla, and Pseudotsuga menziesii.

Key words: Diversity, Heterogeneity, Species richness

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> A spatial model (PRISM), which considers the effect of topography on
> precipitation, estimated annual precipitation of 292 cm on the
>
> foreland, again with 16% occurring from June-- September (Daly et al.
> 1994, 1997).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA

Funding Agency:

Funding for this research was provided by the Mazamas and the Giles
Field Research Travel Fund.

> 3\. PRISM was used to estimate annual precipitation of 292 cm on a
> glacier foreland in a study that examined "patterns in community
> composition, vegetation cover, diversity, and vegetation heterogeneity
> during primary succession on the foreland of Coleman Glacier, in
> Washington State, USA."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "Community composition changed rapidly with high turnover between age
> classes. Cover increased through succession as expected. Species
> richness and diversity were highest in early succession at small
> scales and in late succession at larger scales. At small scales,
> heterogeneity decreased in early succession but increased in mature
> sites. At larger scales, heterogeneity reached its lowest point
> earlier in succession. These scale dependent patterns in diversity and
> heterogeneity differ from results of other studies of glacier
> forelands. We hypothesize that these patterns arise due to the
> development of a dense canopy of the deciduous shrub Alnus viridis
> followed by a dense canopy of Abies amabilis, Tsuga heterophylla, and
> Pseudotsuga menziesii."

Google 259

Scaling snow observations from the point to the grid element:
Implications for observation network design

Molotch, Noah P. and Bales, Roger C.

*Water Resour. Res*., 41, W11421 (16 pages)

Molotch, N. P., and R. C. Bales (2005), Scaling snow observations from
the point to the grid element: Implications for

observation network design, Water Resour. Res., 41, W11421;
doi:10.1029/2005WR004229.

ABSTRACT

The spatial distribution of snow water equivalent (SWE) within 16-, 4-,
and 1-km2 grid elements surrounding six snow telemetry (SNOTEL) stations
in the Rio Grande headwaters was characterized using field observations
of snowpack properties, satellite data, binary regression tree models,
and a spatially distributed net radiation/temperature index snowpack
mass balance model. In some cases, SNOTEL SWE values were 200% greater
than mean grid element SWE. Analyses designed to identify the optimal
location for measuring mean grid element SWE accumulation indicated that
only 2.4% of each grid element satisfied the criteria of optimality.
Similar analyses for the ablation season showed that point SWE and mean
grid element SWE were highly correlated (r = 0.73) in areas with
relatively persistent snow cover. These locations did not overlap in
space with areas deemed optimal at maximum accumulation; areas with
persistent snow cover have relatively high accumulation rates. Therefore
future observations may need to be placed with the specific objective of
representing either accumulation or ablation season processes. These
results have implications for large-scale studies that require ground
observations for updating purposes; we show an example of this utility
using the SWE product of the National Operational Hydrologic Remote
Sensing Center. Furthermore, the relatively consistent spatial patterns
of snow accumulation and melt have implications for future observation
network design in that results from short-term studies (e.g., 2 years)
can be used to design long-term observation networks.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> The degree-day value, Td, was spatially distributed using an
> environmental lapse rate and a 30-m DEM \[Daly et al., 1994; Thornton
> et al., 1997; Willmott and Matsuura, 1995\]. Lapse rates were
> determined on a daily basis from air temperature observations at the
> SNOTEL station within the modeling domain and the next nearest
> meteorological station (i.e., SNOTEL station or the Center
> meteorological station).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University
of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA

Funding Agency:

> This research was supported by the Cooperative Institute for Research
> in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) Visiting Fellows Program. Data
> collection was supported by SAHRA (Sustainability of Semi-Arid
> Hydrology and Riparian Areas) under the STC Program of the National
> Science Foundation, agreement EAR-9876800. Additional support was
> provided by the Climate Assessment for the Southwest (CLIMAS),
> Institute for the Study of Planet Earth.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to provide "a degree-day value, Td, (that) was
> spatially distributed using an environmental lapse rate and a 30-m DEM
> in a study involving "the spatial distribution of snow water
> equivalent (SWE) within 16-, 4-, and 1-km2 grid elements surrounding
> six snow telemetry (SNOTEL) stations in the Rio Grande headwaters
> (that) was characterized using field observations of snowpack
> properties, satellite data, binary regression tree models, and a
> spatially distributed net radiation/temperature index snowpack mass
> balance model."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> At maximum accumulation differences between observed SWE at SNOTEL
> sites and the mean SWE of the surrounding areas were not consistent
> from site to site. However these differences were fairly consistent in
> 2001 and 2002. On average, less than 2.4% of each grid element
> satisfied the physiographic criteria of optimality for future
> observations of accumulation season dynamics. Temporal trends in SWE
> representativeness did not exhibit significant variability between the
> two years studied. Steep, north facing slopes with relatively
> persistent snow cover were determined to be optimal locations for
> observing SWE during the ablation season. These locations did not
> overlap in space with the accumulation-season-optimal locations and
> therefore future observations may need to be placed with the specific
> objective of representing either accumulation or ablation season
> processes. This research has shown that SNOTEL SWE data are generally
> unrepresentative of mean grid element SWE. The consistency in the
> relationship between mean grid element SWE and SNOTEL SWE during these
> two different water years makes these results particularly useful for
> large-scale SWE variability studies that require ground observations
> for evaluation, initialization or calibration purposes. Furthermore,
> these consistencies have implications for future observation network
> design in that results from short-term studies (e.g., 2 years) can be
> used to design long-term observation networks.

Google 260

Estimating cover of an invasive grass (Bromus tectorum) using tobit
regression and phenology derived from two dates of Landsat ETM+ data

E. B. PETERSON

*International Journal of Remote Sensing* (June 2005) Vol. 26 (12):
2491--2507

ABSTRACT

Bromus tectorum (cheatgrass) is an annual Eurasian grass that has
invaded rangelands of the western USA. Being both a fire follower and a
fire promoter, it can rapidly exclude native vegetation and is among the
greatest threats to conservation in the region. Key to land management
is a strong understanding of B. tectorum distribution and density.
Percentage ground cover of B. tectorum was estimated and mapped as a
continuous variable over 13.3 million ha in Nevada, USA. Estimation
involved a statistical model derived from 262 training plots, two dates
of six scenes from Landsat 7 ETM+ imagery collected in 2001, and
elevation. Absence of B. tectorum in many plots led to a dataset that
was leftcensored at zero for the response variable, B. tectorum ground
cover. Tobit regression, a method for modeling censored data, was found
to produce a better model from these data than ordinary least squares
regression. The two dates of the imagery were used to derive a variable
representing phenology of the landscape. The derived phenology (in
quadratic form), elevation, and the late season green band were
statistically significant in the model development. Additionally, a
brightness index was used to limit estimates in bright and dark portions
of the imagery such as playas and lakes. Final map accuracy determined

from an additional 75 independent assessment plots showed good
correspondence between sampled and estimated B. tectorum ground cover
(r50.71) and the root-mean-square error for estimated ground cover is
9.1%.

NOTE

3.  PRISM Data:

> Precipitation falls mainly from November through May, often as snow,
> with average annual precipitation at lower elevations ranging from
>
> approximately 7 cm to 35 cm, and exceeding 100 cm at high elevations
> (Daly et al. 1994).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Nevada Natural Heritage Program, Department of Conservation and Natural
Resources, Carson City, NV

Funding Agency:

This project was funded by a Section 6 grant from the US Fish and
Wildlife Service and by the Nevada Biodiversity Initiative.

> 3\. PRISM was used to provide precipitation data from November through
> May for a study designed to estimate "cover of an invasive grass
> (Bromus tectorum) using tobit regression and phenology derived from
> two dates of Landsat ETM+ data."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> Absence of B. tectorum in many plots led to a dataset that was left
> censored at zero for the response variable, B. tectorum ground cover.
> Tobit regression, a method for modeling censored data, was found to
> produce a better model from these data than ordinary least squares
> regression. The two dates of the imagery were used to derive a
> variable representing phenology of the landscape. The derived
> phenology (in quadratic form), elevation, and the late season green
> band were statistically significant in the model development.
> Additionally, a brightness index was used to limit estimates in bright
> and dark portions of the imagery such as playas and lakes. Final map
> accuracy determined from an additional 75 independent assessment plots
> showed good correspondence between sampled and estimated B. tectorum
> ground cover (r50.71) and the root-mean-square error for estimated
> ground cover is 9.1%.

Google 261

The Importance of Hotspots for Lichen Diversity in Forests of Western
Oregon

ERIC B. PETERSON and BRUCE MCCUNE

The Bryologist 106(2), pp. 246 256

ABSTRACT

While people experienced with lichen field work may easily locate
hotspots of lichen diversity, other botanists, ecologists, and land
managers may not. We sought to describe lichen hotspots in Pacific
Northwest forests in terms of forest structure and environment.
Additionally, we describe the varying lichen communities of different
hotspot types and how the hotspot communities differ from more typical
young and old-growth forest stands. A retrospective, blocked design was
used with 17 blocks in the Coast Range and the western Cascades of
Oregon. Each block consisted of two young matrix stands, one old-growth
stand (age \> 200 years), and one diversity hotspot. Most diversity
hotspots were in riparian zones, but some upland hardwood gaps and rock
outcrops were included. We found 117 lichen species in the 68 plots.
There was no difference in the average species richness between matrix
and old-growth plots, but hotspots averaged five more species than those
plots (blocked ANOVA p 5 0.001). Eleven species were associated with
old-growth plots, 26 were associated with hotspots, and 28 specifically
with hotspots in riparian zones. Most old-growth associates were
forage-providing alectorioid lichens while most hotspot and riparian
zone associates were nitrogen-fixing cyanolichens. Among the hotspots,
stands in riparian zones with a large proportion of hardwood trees were
found to be optimal for the conservation of many native lichen species
that occur infrequently in typical upland (non-riparian) forests.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Annual precipitation at the sites is estimated to average 1.3 to 3.0
> m/yr (Daly et al. 1994).
>
> Average annual precipitation was determined according to Daly et al.
> (1994)
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Nevada Natural Heritage Program, Carson City, NV

Funding Agency:

> Funding for this project was provided by the U.S. Geological Survey's
> Division of Biological Resources and Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem
> Science Center.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to provide "average annual precipitation at sites
> involved in a study that sought to describe lichen hotspots in Pacific
> Northwest forests in terms of forest structure and environment."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> Although hotspots harbored greater lichen diversity than old-growth
> forests, conservation of old forests cannot be discounted as there are
> many lichen species specifically associated with them. Rather,
> conservation of both old-growth and of lichen diversity hotspots will
> be necessary for sustaining lichen biodiversity in the Pacific
> northwest. Fortunately, hotspots of macrolichen diversity are easily
> identifiable from stand and environmental characteristics. In general,
> hotspots usually possess one or more of the following characters: a
> gappy canopy, a large proportion of hardwood versus conifer trees,
> variable tree sizes, and perennial surface water. For the sake of
> narrowing down these hotspots, those in riparian zones were most
> distinct from typical upland stands. Additionally, cyanolichen
> diversity and abundance increased with greater proportions of hardwood
> trees. Therefore, as a supplement to current old-growth forest
> reserves, management of riparian zones to maintain a landscape- level
> hardwood component will promote lichen biodiversity on the landscape.

Google 262

A TWO-STAGE INFORMATION-THEORETIC APPROACH TO MODELING LANDSCAPE LEVEL

ATTRIBUTES AND MAXIMUM RECRUITMENT OF CHINOOK SALMON IN THE COLUMBIA
RIVER BASIN

WILLIAM L. THOMPSON and DANNY C. LEE

*NATURAL RESOURCE MODELING* (Summer 2002) Volume 15, Number 2: pp
227-257

ABSTRACT

Many anadromous salmonid stocks in the Pacific Northwest are at their
lowest recorded levels, which has raised questions regarding their
long-term persistence under current conditions. There are a number of
factors, such as freshwater spawning and rearing habitat that could
potentially influence their numbers. Therefore, we used the latest
advances in information-theoretic methods in a two stage modeling
process to investigate relationships between landscape-level habitat
attributes and maximum recruitment of 25 index stocks of Chinook salmon
(Onocorhynchus tshawytscha) in the Columbia River basin. Our first-stage
model selection results indicated that the Ricker-type, stock
recruitment model with a constant Ricker a, i.e., recruitsper-spawner at
low numbers of fish) across stocks was the only plausible one given
these data, which contrasted with previous unpublished findings. Our
second-stage results revealed that maximum recruitment of Chinook salmon
had a strongly negative relationship with percentage of surrounding sub
watersheds categorized as predominantly containing U.S. Forest Service
and private moderate-high impact managed forest. That is, our model
predicted that average maximum recruitment of Chinook salmon would
decrease by at least 247 fish for every increase of 33% in surrounding
sub watersheds categorized as predominantly containing U.S. Forest
Service and privately managed forest. Conversely, mean annual air
temperature had a positive relationship with salmon maximum recruitment,
with an average increase of at least 179 fish for every increase in 2◦C
mean annual air temperature.

KEY WORDS: Akaike's Information Criterion, Chinook salmon, model
averaging, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, Ricker model, stock-recruitment.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> WPPRECIP Weighted mean annual precipitation (mm) (PRISM model; Daly et
> al. \[1994\])
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

U.S.D.A. Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station, Boise, ID

Funding Agency:

> This work was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, Bonneville
> Power Administration under project 92-32, and the U.S.D.A. Forest
> Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to provide weighted mean annual precipitation "in a
> two stage modeling process to investigate relationships between
> landscape-level habitat attributes and maximum recruitment of 25 index
> stocks of Chinook salmon (Onocorhynchus tshawytscha) in the Columbia
> River basin."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> When considering our results, one should keep in mind that inferences
> based on landscape-level variables are obviously scale dependent. That
> is, inferences are limited to the scale of our predictor variables.
> Localized physiographic, geophysical, and anthropogenic variables that
> may be affecting maximum recruitment of Chinook salmon may not be
> discernible at the landscape scale. For instance, a negative
> relationship between the managed forest variable and maximum
> recruitment of Chinook salmon should be interpreted relative to index
> stocks at the sub watershed level and across the Columbia River basin
> rather than applying it on a finer scale, such as attempting to apply
> our results to a particular stream reach.

Google 263

**The Impact of Land--Atmosphere Interactions on the Temporal
Variability of Soil Moisture at the Regional Scale**

JOHN P. KOCHENDORFER AND JORGE A. RAMÍREZ

*JOURNAL OF HYDROMETEOROLOGY* (2005) VOLUME 6: pp 53-67

ABSTRACT

This study examines the impact of the nonlinear dynamics of
soil-moisture feedbacks to precipitation on the temporal variability of
soil moisture at the regional scale. It is a modeling study in which the
large-scale soil-water balance is first formulated as an ordinary
differential equation and then recast as a stochastic differential
equation by incorporating colored noise representing the high-frequency
temporal variability and correlation of precipitation. The underlying
model couples the atmospheric and surface-water balances and accounts
for both *precipitation recycling* and *precipitation-efficiency
feedbacks,* which arise from the surface energy balance. Based on the
governing Fokker--Planck equation, three different analytical solutions
(corresponding to differing forms and combinations of feedbacks) are
derived for the steady-state probability density function of soil
moisture. Using NCEP--NCAR reanalysis data, estimates of potential
evapotranspiration, and long-term observations of precipitation,
streamflow, and soil moisture, the model is parameterized for a 5° X 5°
region encompassing the state of Illinois. It is shown that
precipitation efficiency feedbacks can be significant contributors to
the variability of soil moisture at the regional scale. Precipitation
recycling, on the other hand, increases the variability by a negligible
amount. For all feedback cases, the probability density function is
unimodal and nearly symmetric. The analysis concludes with an
examination of the dependence of the shape of the probability density
functions on spatial scale. It is shown that the associated increases in
either the correlation time scale or the variance of the noise will
produce a bimodal distribution when precipitation-efficiency feedbacks
are included. However, the magnitudes of the necessary increases are of
an unrealistic magnitude.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Monthly precipitation estimates for the study region were extracted
> from a monthly dataset generated by the PRISM model (Daly et al. 1994)
> for the Vegetation/ Ecosystem Modeling and Analysis Project (VEMAP;
> available online at <http://www.cgd.ucar.edu/vemap/>).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Department of Civil Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort
Collins, Colorado

Funding Agency:

> This work was partially supported by the National Institute for Global
> Environmental Change through the U.S. Department of Energy
> (Cooperative Agreement DE-FC03-90ER61010).
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to provide monthly precipitation estimates for a
> study that "examines the impact of the nonlinear dynamics of
> soil-moisture feedbacks to precipitation on the temporal variability
> of soil moisture at the regional scale. It is a modeling study in
> which the large-scale soil-water balance is first formulated as an
> ordinary differential equation and then recast as a stochastic
> differential equation by incorporating colored noise representing the
> high-frequency temporal variability and correlation of precipitation."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> In its present form, the model is a useful tool for examining the
> impact of the nonlinear dynamics of soil moisture feedbacks to
> precipitation on the variability of soil moisture at the regional
> scale. In estimating parameter values for the study region, we have
> demonstrated that hydro meteorological fluxes---most of which have
> high-frequency temporal variability and are dependent on smaller-scale
> spatial heterogeneities---can be captured at regional scales over long
> averaging periods by empirical power functions of spatially averaged
> soil moisture. A key feature of the simplified representation of those
> fluxes is the use of a soil-moisture-- dependent
> precipitation-efficiency factor. That a correlation exists between
> soil moisture and precipitation efficiency over the study region was
> shown in section 3e. While that correlation does not prove a causal
> mechanism, both the existence of positive precipitation- efficiency
> feedbacks and the assumed strength of those feedbacks are supported by
> observational and modeling studies of the region (Findell and Eltahir
> 1997; Zheng and Eltahir 1998; Brown and Arnold 1998; Pal and Eltahir
> 2001) and similar climates of Europe (Schär et al. 1999). Greater
> confidence in the conclusions of this study depends on further
> elucidation of the mechanisms and magnitudes of
> precipitation--efficiency feedbacks, especially with regards the
> extent to which they are dependent on regional-scale averages of soil
> moisture.

Google 265

A GIS/Simulation Framework for Assessing Change in Water Yield over
Large Spatial Scales

DALE D. HUFF, WILLIAM W. HARGROVE, ROBIN GRAHAM, NED NIKOLOV, and M.
LYNN THARP

*Environmental Management* Vol. 29, No. 2, pp. 164--181

ABSTRACT

Recent legislation to initiate vegetation management in the Central
Sierra hydrologic region of California includes a focus on corresponding
changes in water yield. This served as the impetus for developing a
combined geographic information system (GIS) and simulation assessment
framework. Using the existing vegetation density condition, together
with proposed rules for thinning to reduce fire risk, a set of
simulation model inputs were generated for examining the impact of the
thinning scenario on water yield. The approach allows results to be
expressed as the mean and standard deviation of change in water yield
for each 1-km2 map cell that is thinned. Values for groups of cells are
aggregated for typical watershed units using area-weighted averaging.
Wet, dry, and average precipitation years were simulated over a large
region. Where snow plays an important role in hydrologic processes, the
simulated change in water yield was less than 0.5% of expected annual
runoff for a typical watershed. Such small changes would be undetectable
in the field using conventional stream flow analysis. These results
suggest that use of water yield increases to help justify
forest-thinning activities or offset their cost will be difficult.

KEY WORDS: Water-yield change; Forest management; GIS; Simulation; Monte
Carlo Analysis

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Seasonal precipitation totals were constructed from the monthly values
> contained in a statistical--topographic model for mountainous terrain
> (Daly and others 1994).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Environmental Sciences and Computational Physics and Engineering
Divisions Oak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge, Tennessee

Funding Agency:

> Research was sponsored by the US Department of Energy, Bioenergy
> Feedstock Development Program. University of Tennessee--Battelle, LLC
> manages Oak Ridge National Laboratory for the US Department of Energy
> under contract number DE-AC05-00OR22725.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to construct seasonal precipitation totals for use
> in "a GIS/Simulation Framework for Assessing Change in Water Yield
> over Large Spatial Scales."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> The effects of large-scale vegetation management are difficult to
> evaluate, particularly when it is desirable to have multiple benefit
> targets (i.e., fuel reduction, bioenergy development, fire risk, water
> quality, and quantity changes). The general approach embodied in the
> framework presented here can be useful for addressing a variety of
> questions systematically. It need not be confined to water-related
> issues. By substituting other models and other spatial data, a broad
> variety of issues can be addressed.

Google 266

Modeling the probability of observing Armillaria root disease in the
Black Hills

M. A. Kallas, R. M. Reich, W. R. Jacobi, and J. E. Lundquist

*For. Path*. 33 (2003) 241--252

ABSTRACT

Armillaria root disease (ARD) occurrence on ponderosa pine (Pinus
ponderosa) is not uniform in the Black Hills of South Dakota, USA. To
help manage this ecosystem, a model was developed to predict the
probability of observing diseased trees. A kernel density estimator was
used to estimate the probability of observing ARD using presence data
from two field studies. An eight-parameter regression equation using
topographical data (Universal Trans Mercator coordinates, elevation and
slope) derived from a Digital Elevation Model was fitted to the
estimated probabilities and the residuals kriged to produce correction
factors for the regression estimates. The final model, which had a
relative mean squared error of 0.128, identified two peaks of high
probability in the north-west portion of the Black Hills and several
peaks of moderate probability throughout the Black Hills.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> The database also included a 5151-m resolution grid overlay of average
> annual precipitation for the Black Hills, created using PRISM
> (Parameter-elevation Regression on Independent Slopes Model) (Daly et
> al. 1994) and resampled to a 30-m resolution.
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Department of Forest Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins,
CO

Funding Agency:

> Funding and support for this project was from **USDA** Forest Service,
> Region 2, and Colorado Agricultural Experiment Station, Colorado State
> University
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to provide average annual precipitation in a study
> "modeling the probability of observing Armillaria root disease in the
> Black Hills."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> This model can be used by forest managers to aid in predicting the
> occurrence of ARD throughout the Black Hills. The ability to assess
> the likelihood of observing ARD in a forest stand can aid in
> decision-making processes regarding the management of that stand. The
> model indicates the need for forest resource assessments in high
> probability areas prior to management activity. For example, it would
> be prudent to assess the forest before locating recreation facilities
> where ARD hazard trees might exist or develop. The techniques used in
> this study can also be used to model the number of infected trees per
> acre provided that the sample size of points with accurate data is
> sufficient.

Google 267

Evaluation and prediction of shrub cover in coastal Oregon forests (USA)

Becky K. Kerns and Janet L. Ohmann

*Ecological Indicators* 4 (2004) 83--98

ABSTRACT

We used data from regional forest inventories and research programs,
coupled with mapped climatic and topographic information, to explore
relationships and develop multiple linear regression (MLR) and
regression tree models for total and deciduous shrub cover in the Oregon
coastal province. Results from both types of models indicate that forest
structure variables were most important for explaining both total and
deciduous shrub cover. Four relationships were noted: (1) shrub cover
was negatively associated with Tsuga heterophylla basal area and density
of shade-tolerant trees; (2) shrub cover was negatively associated with
variables that characteristically peak during stem exclusion and
mid-succession; (3) shrub cover was positively associated with variables
that characterize later successional stages; and (4) higher total and
especially deciduous shrub cover were positively associated with
hardwood stands. Environmental variables were more important for
explaining deciduous shrub cover compared to total shrub cover, but they
have an indirect effect on total shrub cover by influencing tree
composition. However, because of land ownership patterns, it was
difficult to decouple environmental from disturbance factors associated
with management strategies across multiple ownerships.

Tree models performed similarly (PRD = 0.17--0.27) or better compared to
MLR models (PRD = 0.17--0.23) although they contained more (2) predictor
variables. Our results indicate that response variable transformation
can greatly improve regression tree model performance. While
interpretation of MLR and tree models were somewhat similar, the tree
models allowed a more explicit understanding of relationships and
provided thresholds for anticipating shifts in shrub cover. Such
thresholds are useful to forest managers who are monitoring and
evaluating critical amounts of shrub cover necessary for different
ecosystem components such as bird habitat. Lack of strong predictive
power in both types of models may be because many common shrubs can
persist and maintain consistent cover under a variety of stand and
environmental conditions or there may be a lag time between disturbance
events and shrub response. The stochastic nature of disturbance and
their interactions with site conditions also makes prediction at this
scale in this highly managed landscape inherently problematic. Yet, our
models provide both a predictive and conceptual tool for understanding
shrub cover patterns across the region.

Keywords: Forest understory; Linear regression; Pacific Northwest;
Predictive models; Regression trees; Shrubs

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Climate data were derived from mean annual and mean monthly
> precipitation and temperature surfaces generated by the
> Precipitation--Elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model
> (PRISM) (Daly et al., 1994).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

**USDA** Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Corvallis,

Funding Agency:

> The **USDA** Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Wood
> Compatibility Initiative, and Coastal Landscape and Analysis Modeling
> Study provided funds.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to generate climate data from mean annual and mean
> monthly precipitation and temperature for a study designed to explore
> relationships and develop multiple linear regression (MLR) and
> regression tree models for total and deciduous shrub cover in the
> Oregon coastal province.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "Results from all of our models suggest that forest structure and
> stand development, site disturbance history, and environment all
> interact to influence shrub cover in the Oregon coastal landscape..."
>
> "Four major relationships in our results can be summarized as follows:
> (1) shrub cover was negatively associated with *T. heterophylla* basal
> area and density of shade-tolerant trees; (2) shrub cover was
> negatively associated with variables that characteristically peak
> during stem exclusion (sensu Oliver, 1981) and mid-succession (small
> and medium tree density, stand density index); (3) shrub cover was
> positively associated with variables that characterize later
> successional stages (very large tree density, quadratic mean diameter
> of all trees, stand age); and (4) higher total and especially
> deciduous shrub cover was positively associated with hardwood stands.
> These relationships provide managers with a framework for
> understanding how management and forest development can potentially
> impact shrub cover and the ecosystem components that rely on
> shrubs..."

Google 268

Impacts of Two Coal-Fired Power Plants on Lichen Communities in
Northwestern Colorado

Eric B. Peterson and Peter Neitlich

A report to the **USDA** Forest Service

August 9, 2001

ABSTRACT

The **USDA** Forest Health Monitoring project (FHM) includes studies of
lichen communities because lichens directly relate to several forest
resource issues, including concerns over air pollution. Previous FHM
lichen studies in Colorado culminated in a gradient model for the state
which included environmental characters and air quality. That work also
developed a method for calculating an air quality index at future sites
from the proportion of pollution indicator lichens in the lichen
communities. The previous work, as well as other studies, also suggest
that air quality is low in the area of Colorado's Park Range and the
Mount Zirke Wilderness (Routt National Forest), attributable to two
coal-fired power plants in the Yampa Valley, but lichen community data
is sparse in the area. We added 35 plots to the area, mostly on the
western and upper-eastern slopes of the Park Range. These plots should
help us to understand environmental gradients and the influence of
pollution in the area, and can be later resampled to determine changes
in lichen communities with respect to changes in air quality. With a
smaller study area, we found a greater number of environmental
characteristics to which lichen community patterns corresponded,
including elevation, the presence of hardwood trees, and forest
structure. Though initial analyses hinted that we would also find strong
pollution gradients in the area, once adjustments were made, any
pollution gradients present were swamped by noise in the data from the
complex topography and environment, and could not be statistically
verified. There did remain the visual appearance of lower air quality as
measured by the abundance of Bryoria fuscescens in the same area as
other studies have found peaks in sulfur deposition. While no strong
conclusions can be made about pollution gradients, we suggest pollution
affects on lichen community composition are most likely concentrated in
the area of Rabbit Ears and Buffalo Passes in the Park Range.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Average annual precipitation was determined from PRISM precipitation
> maps in vector format available from the internet (Daly et al. 1994;
> PRISM s.d.)
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Nevada Natural Heritage Program, Carson City, NV,

> Funding Agency: (none listed)
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to provide June, July, August, and annual
> precipitation in a study designed to assess the impact of two
> coal-fired power plants on lichen communities in Northwestern
> Colorado.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> Our other goal was to establish a baseline data set so that the same
> plots could be resampled at some time in the future. Such resampling
> would allow determination of changes in lichen communities in response
> to reductions in air pollution or other environmental changes.
> Interestingly, resampling might also help elucidate which of our
> possible conclusions is most accurate. For example, if the fourth
> possible conclusion is correct then increases in adjusted Bryoria
> fuscescens would be expected in the vicinity of the passes, but not in
> the sites toward the northern and southern ends of the mountain range
> (after accounting for site specific changes such as increased forest
> age).
>
> More generally, we have demonstrated that variable topography and
> environment complicates the interpretation of pollution gradients in
> lichen community data. Some complications could be avoided by a priori
> knowledge of the environmental gradients that affect lichen community
> composition and the ability to control for those gradients in the
> sampling design. Gradients that are not controlled in the sampling
> design must be accounted for in the analyses before conclusions can be
> drawn about pollution gradients. A simplistic analysis would have
> incorrectly drawn strong conclusions about a pollution gradient,
> modeled as distance from the Hayden power plant. Our complex analysis
> revealed that strong conclusions could not be drawn about pollution
> gradients and implied that the more appropriate model for a pollution
> gradient (if there is one) would be the distance from Steamboat
> Springs or the area of the passes.

Google 271

Estimates of Median Flows for Streams on the Kansas Surface Water
Register

CHARLES A. PERRY, DAVID M. WOLOCK, and JOSHUA C. ARTMAN

Water-Resources Investigations Report 02--4292 (2002)

Prepared in cooperation with the KANSAS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
ENVIRONMENT, Lawrence, Kansas

ABSTRACT

The Kansas State Legislature, by enacting Kansas Statute KSA 82a--2001
et. seq., mandated the criteria for determining which Kansas stream
segments would be subject to classification by the State. One criterion
for the selection as a classified stream segment is based on the
statistic of median flow being equal to or greater than 1 cubic foot per
second. As specified by KSA 82a--2001 et. seq., median flows were
determined from U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gauging-station data
by using the most-recent 10-years of gauged data (KSA) for each
streamflow-gauging station. Median flows also were determined by using
gauged data from the entire period of record (all-available hydrology,
AAH). Least-squares multiple regression techniques were used, along with
Tobit analyses, to develop equations for estimating median flows for
uncontrolled stream segments. The drainage area of the uncontrolled
gauging stations used in the regression analyses ranged from 2.06 to
12,004 square miles. A logarithmic transformation of the data was needed
to develop the best linear relation for computing median flows. In the
regression analyses, the significant climatic and basin characteristics,
in order of importance, were drainage area, mean annual precipitation,
mean basin permeability, and mean basin slope. Tobit analyses of KSA
data yielded a root mean square error of 0.285 logarithmic units, and
the best equations using Tobit analyses of AAH data had a root mean
square error of These equations and an interpolation procedure were used
to compute median flows for the uncontrolled stream segments on the
Kansas Surface Water Register. Measured median flows from gauging
stations were incorporated into the regression- estimated median flows
along the stream segments where available. The segments that were
uncontrolled were interpolated using gauged data weighted according to
the drainage area and the bias between the regression-estimated and
gauged flow information. On controlled reaches of Kansas streams, the
median flow information was interpolated between gauging stations using
only gauged data weighted by drainage area. Of the 2,232 total stream
segments on the Kansas Surface Water Register, 30 percent of the
segments had an estimated median streamflow of less than 1 cubic foot
per second when the KSA analysis was used. When the AAH analysis was
used, 40 percent of the segments had an estimated median streamflow of
less than 1 cubic foot per second.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> "Mean annual precipitation, the major climatic factor affecting
> streamflow in the State, varies from about 16 in. in extreme western
> Kansas to about 42 in . in southeastern Kansas (Daly and others, 1997)
> (fig. 5)."
>
> "...and runoff from the PRISM model (parameter-elevation regressions
> on independent slope model),in cubic feet per second, using the mean
> annual precipitation grid for the United States developed by Daly and
> others (1994)."
>
> "Many spatial data sets were available for this task, including: (1)
> 30-year (1961--90) mean annual precipitation data (Daly and others,
> 1997), (2) 30-m gridded elevation data (U.S. Geological Survey, 1998)
> for determining drainage area, mean basin slope, and mean basin
> elevation, and ..."
>
> 2\. Affiliation:(none listed)

Funding Agency: (none listed)

> 3\. PRISM was used to provide mean annual precipitation for an
> estimate of streamflow and runoff from streams on the Kansas Surface
> Water Register.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> Streamflow-gauging-station data were used to improve the quality of
> the estimates along the streams that had gages. Median flows for the
> segments that were uncontrolled were interpolated using gauged data
> weighted according to the drainage area and the bias between the
> regression estimate and gauged flow information.
>
> On controlled reaches of Kansas streams, the median flow information
> was interpolated between gauging stations by using only gauged data
> weighted by drainage area. Of the 2,232 stream segments on the Kansas
> Surface Water Register, 30 percent of the segments had an estimated
> median flow of less than 1 ft3/s when the most-recent 10 years o fdata
> (KSAanalysis) were used. When all-available data (AAH analysis) were
> used, which resulted in a regression equation with a lower level of
> uncertainty when compared to KSA analysis, 40 percent of the stream
> segments had an estimated median flow of less than 1 ft3/s.

Google 276 (and 273)

[GIS-Based System of Hydrologic and Hydraulic Applications for Highway
Engineering](http://www.utexas.edu/research/ctr/pdf_reports/1738_6.pdf)

Olivera, Francisco and Maidment, David

FHWA/TX-00/1738-6; Research Project 0-1738; Project title: Develop Basic
Information to be used for developing a plan to monitor

ABSTRACT

In this research project, a GIS has been developed to assist in the
design of highway drainage facilities by utilizing hydrologic spatial
data to calculate the input parameters for standard hydrologic software
packages. This GIS reduces the analysis time and improves the analysis
accuracy by integrating digital spatial data that describe the watershed
of interest with hydrologic theory. This final report presents a summary
of the results obtained throughout the duration of this three year
project.

Flood plains; Mapping; Geographic information systems; Highway
facilities; Design; Bridges and culverts; Storm sewers; Drainage
structures Highway drainage facilities; Floodplain mapping; Hydraulic
modeling; HEC-RAS; Hydrologic software; Hydrologic spatial data

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data: \*

> 2\. Affiliation:

Center for Transportation Research (University of Texas at Austin0

Funding Agency: Other Contributors

> Prepared in cooperation with the Texas Department of Transportation
> and the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway
> Administration, and CENTER FOR TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH Bureau of
> Engineering Research THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to (\*could not find "Daly, PRISM, or precipitation
> while using "search" or in examining document.)
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:

"It was observed that 20m and 10m DEMs do not provide sufficiently
dtailed channel representations to be used as the source of
cross-sectional data for floodplain modeling. In addition, because of
the small distances inherent to floodplain mapping, map projection
consistency is of significant importance. The number of cross sections
should also be great enough to capture bends and sharp elevation changes
in the channel. The appropriate density of cross sections should be
determined based on the shape of the channel and requirements for
hydraulic modeling. To increase the density of cross sections in
HEC-RAS, the cross-section interpolation menu option can be employed.

Further development on the use of GIS for hydrologic and hydraulic
modeling should include support of more modeling options of the software
packages, as well as development of a more efficient and GIS-supported
connection between the hydrologic and hydraulic packages for flow value
transfers. Future development in the field, though, is strongly
dependent on the availability of terrain data at a resolution consistent
with its use."

Google 277

DEVELOPMENT OF INDICES FOR AGRICULTURAL DROUGHT MONITORING USING A
SPATIALLY DISTRIBUTED HYDROLOGIC MODEL

A Dissertation by BALAJI NARASIMHAN

Texas A&M University, August 2004

ABSTRACT

Farming communities in the United States and around the world lose
billions of dollars every year due to drought. Drought Indices such as
the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) and Standardized Precipitation
Index (SPI) are widely used by the government agencies to assess and
respond to drought. These drought indices are currently monitored at a
large spatial resolution (several thousand km2). Further, these drought
indices are primarily based on precipitation deficits and are thus good
indicators for monitoring large scale meteorological drought. However,
agricultural drought depends on soil moisture and evapotranspiration
deficits. Hence, two drought indices, the Evapotranspiration Deficit
Index (ETDI) and Soil Moisture Deficit Index (SMDI), were developed in
this study based on evapotranspiration and soil moisture deficits,
respectively. A Geographical Information System (GIS) based approach was
used to simulate the hydrology using soil and land use properties at a
much finer spatial resolution (16km2) than the existing drought indices.

The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was used to simulate the
long-term hydrology of six watersheds located in various climatic zones
of Texas. The simulated soil water was well-correlated with the
Normalized Difference Vegetation Index NDVI (r \~ 0.6) for agriculture
and pasture land use types, indicating that the model performed well in
simulating the soil water.

Using historical weather data from 1901-2002, long-term weekly normal
soil moisture and evapotranspiration were estimated. This long-term
weekly normal soil moisture and evapotranspiration data was used to
calculate ETDI and SMDI at a spatial resolution of 4km × 4km. Analysis
of the data showed that ETDI and SMDI compared well with wheat and
sorghum yields (r \> 0.75) suggesting that they are good indicators of
agricultural drought.

Rainfall is a highly variable input both spatially and temporally.
Hence, the use of NEXRAD rainfall data was studied for simulating soil
moisture and drought. Analysis of the data showed that rain gages often
miss small rainfall events that introduce considerable spatial
variability among soil moisture simulated using rain gage and NEXRAD
rainfall data, especially during drought conditions. The study showed
that the use of NEXRAD data could improve drought monitoring at a much
better spatial resolution.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> NRCS PRISM annual precipitation data (Daly et al. 1994) for the
> watersheds: Upper Trinity, Lower Trinity Red River, Guadalupe, San
> Antonio, and Colorado
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Texas A&M University

Funding Agency:

> This research was supported by the Texas Higher Education
> Co-ordination Board's (THECB) Advanced Technology Program (ATP),
> project number 000517-0110- 2001 titled, "A Real-Time Drought
> Assessment and Forecasting System for Texas Using GIS and Remote
> Sensing". The research effort was also partly funded by Texas Forest
> Service (TFS) and Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI).
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to provide precipitation data for watersheds as
> part of the development of indices for agricultural drought monitoring
> using a spatially distributed hydrologic model.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> The significance of spatial variability of rainfall data for
> simulating streamflow, soil moisture and drought was evaluated by the
> hydrologic model SWAT using rain gage and NEXRAD rainfall data. A
> local bias adjustment procedure developed by Jayakrishnan (2001)
> improved the accuracy of NEXRAD data considerably. The local bias
> adjustment of the NEXRAD data improved the R2 and E statistic from
> 0.67 and 0.64 to 0.86 and 0.85, respectively. The streamflow
> simulations using bias adjusted NEXRAD rainfall data more closely
> matched the observed streamflow (R2 \~ 0.8 and E \~ 0.8) than the
> streamflow simulated using rain gage data. The study also showed that
> certain model calibration parameters such as CN2, ESCO, SOL_AWC, and
> SOL_K depend on spatial distribution of rainfall. The model parameters
> calibrated using rain gage data, when used for simulating streamflow
> with NEXRAD rainfall data, yielded poor statistics (for USGS gage no.
> 08136500, R2: 0.67, E: -0.91). However, the same model parameters
> calibrated using NEXRAD data, when used with rain gage data,
> satisfactorily simulated the streamflow (for USGS gage no. 08136500,
> R2: 0.81, E: 0.80). Hence, for studies involving use of both rain gage
> and NEXRAD rainfall data, NEXRAD rainfall data could be used for
> calibrating the model and the same model parameters could be used for
> simulation years involving rain gage data.
>
> Time series correlation analysis between soil moisture simulations
> using rain gage and NEXRAD rainfall data showed that soil moisture
> simulations were affected by spatial variability of rainfall, which
> was not effectively characterized by rain gages. The R2 between soil
> moisture simulated at each grid cell using rain gage and NEXRAD
> rainfall data was high (\~ 0.8) at the location of rain gage. However,
> the R2 decreased (\~0.4) with distance from the rain gage, indicating
> the deviations in simulations due to the spatial variability of
> rainfall and the rainfall events missed by rain gages.
>
> Spatial cross-correlation analysis of soil moisture simulated by rain
> gage and NEXRAD data showed a higher correlation during days of heavy
> precipitation events that saturated the soils in both the simulations.
> However, spatial variability of small rainfall events during the dry
> season affected the spatial cross-correlation of soil moisture
> considerably. This was because small rainfall events produce more
> infiltration into soils than surface runoff and hence, fill the soil
> profile to varying levels of saturation depending on the available
> water holding capacity. As the drought indices SMDI-2 and ETDI were
> functions of soil water available at two feet, they were affected by
> the spatial variability of rainfall to the same extent as that of soil
> water. As NEXRAD rainfall data could effectively capture the spatial
> variability of rainfall, the use of local bias-adjusted NEXRAD
> rainfall data could help overcome the limitations of rain gage data
> for simulating soil water and in the calculation of drought index for
> drought monitoring.

Google 279

Eight nonnative plants in western Oregon forests: associations with
environment and management. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment.

Gray, Andrew

*Environmental Monitoring and Assessment* (2005). 100: 109-127.

Gray, Andrew 2005. Eight nonnative plants in western Oregon forests:
associations with environment and management. Environmental Monitoring
and Assessment. 100: 109-127.

ABSTRACT

Nonnative plants have tremendous ecological and economic impacts on
plant communities globally, but comprehensive data on the distribution
and ecological relationships of individual species is often scarce or
nonexistent. The objective of this study was to assess the influence of
vegetation type, climate, topography, and management history on the
distribution and abundance of eight selected nonnative plant taxa in
forests in western Oregon. These eight taxa were selected as being
reliably detected by a multi-resource inventory of 1127
systematically-placed plots on nonfederal forest lands from 1995 to 1997
by the USFS Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program. One or more of
the eight nonnative taxa studied were found on 20% of the sampled
subplots in the study area, but relatively few stands were dominated by
them. Overall abundance of nonnative taxa was likely much greater,
because few composites and graminoids were identified to species in this
general-purpose inventory. Distribution of most taxa was more closely
associated with low density of overstory trees than with climate.
Nonnative taxa were significantly more abundant in stands that had been
recently clearcut or thinned than in stands that had not. Frequencies of
several taxa decreased with elevation, which may reflect proximity to
source populations and intensive land use rather than any climatic
constraints. Although the greatest potential for displacement of native
forest species appears to be in early-successional communities, the
potential for spread of some shade-tolerant evergreen shrubs also seems
high.

Keywords: autecology - conifer forest - invasive plants -- management -
monitoring

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Climatic variables were extracted by geographic overlay of plot
> coordinates with maps created by the PRISM model, which uses elevation
> and coarse-scale aspect to interpolate data from climate stations
> (Daly *et al*., 1994).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

**USDA** Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station, Corvallis,
Oregon,

> Funding Agency: (none lised)
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to create maps from which climatic variables were
> extracted by geographic overlay of plot coordinates for use in a study
> whose "objective ... was to assess the influence of vegetation type,
> climate, topography, and management history on the distribution and
> abundance of eight selected nonnative plant taxa in forests in western
> Oregon."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> This study suggested some of the more important environmental
> constraints on the distribution of the selected nonnative species.
> Logging and stand density were important for most species, climatic
> limitations were important for some species, but site topography
> variables appeared least related to frequency and cover. Similar types
> of analyses have been developed from systematic inventory plots to
> evaluate the role of climate on plant distributions (Iverson and
> Prassad, 1998; McKenzie and Halpern, 1999; Ohmann and Gregory, 2002).
> The lack of comparable data on nonforest lands and on federal forest
> lands made it difficult in this study to distinguish the importance of
> elevation from climate or land use. Future evaluations may be able to
> evaluate this better; since 2001, all forest lands in Oregon are being
> inventoried with the same vegetation protocols. Although personal
> observation suggests that most of the nonnative plant species in
> western Oregon are concentrated near agricultural, urban, and range
> lands, there is no systematic data to support analysis, conduct basic
> monitoring, or evaluate the spread of nonnative species into forest
> lands.

Google 280

Decision Support for Road System Analysis and Modification on the Tahoe
National Forest

EVAN GIRVETZ and FRASER SHILLING

*Environmental Management* (2003) Vol. 32, No. 2, pp. 218--233

ABSTRACT

The United States Forest Service is required to analyze road systems on
each of the national forests for potential environmental impacts. We
have developed a novel and inexpensive way to do this using the
Ecosystem Management Decision Support program (EMDS). We used EMDS to
integrate a user-developed fuzzy logic knowledge base with a grid-based
geographic information system to evaluate the degree of truth for
assertions about a road's environmental impact. Using spatial data for
natural and human processes in the Tahoe National Forest (TNF,
California, USA), we evaluated the assertion "the road has a high
potential for impacting the environment." We found a high level of
agreement between the products of this evaluation and ground
observations of a TNF transportation engineer, as well as occurrences of
road failures. We used the modeled potential environmental impact to
negatively weight roads for a least-cost path network analysis to 1573
points of interest in the forest. The network analysis showed that out
of 8233 km of road analyzed in the forest, 3483 km (42%) must be kept in
a modified road network to ensure access to these points. We found that
the modified network had improved patch characteristics, such as
significantly fewer "cherry stem" roads intruding into patches, an
improved area-weighted mean shape index, and larger mean patch sizes, as
compared to the original network. This analysis system could be used by
any public agency to analyze infrastructure for environmental or other
risk and included in other mandated analyses such as risks to
watersheds.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Average annual precipitation from the 1-km-grid PRISM model (Daly et
> al., 1994) was resampled to a 30-m grid using a cubic transformation
> in ARC/Info GRID.
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Department of Environmental Science and Policy University of California,
Davis,

Funding Agency:

A grant from **USDA** Forest Service Region 5 supported this project.

> 3\. PRISM was used to provide a 1-km-grid PRISM average annual
> precipitation model that was resampled to a 20-m grid for use in the
> Ecosystem Management Decision Support program (EMDS), which was used
> to analyze road systems in the Tahoe National Forest, California for
> potential environmental impacts.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> Finding significant similarity of model predictions with expert
> opinion and actual road failures shows the usefulness of this method
> for assessing environmental impacts of forest roads on one national
> forest. However, this tool is not a mathematical model in terms of
> providing quantified relationships between features of a road system
> and probability of road failure and should be used cautiously in this
> application. Rather, this method gives a relative degree of truth for
> environmental impact based on the assumptions laid out in the
> knowledge-base. This method should be repeated in other national
> forests and the results compared to the findings in the TNF to see if
> the method works under different environmental and geographic
> conditions. This type of approach and tool could have important
> benefits to a user agency involved in resource decision-making due to
> the transparency of the process and analysis developed.

Google 281

IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON CROP WATER DEMAND IN THE OKANAGAN VALLEY,
B.C., CANADA

Neilsen, D., Smith, C.A.S., Frank, G., Koch, W.O. and Parchomchuk, P.

Acta Hort 2004. (ISHS) 638:273-278

Neilsen, D., Smith, C.A.S., Frank, G., Koch, W.O. and Parchomchuk, P.
2004. IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON CROP WATER DEMAND IN THE OKANAGAN
VALLEY, B.C., CANADA. Acta Hort. (ISHS) 638:273-278

ABSTRACT

Horticulture in the semi-arid, Okanagan valley is dependent on
irrigation. Our objectives were to determine crop water requirements
under climate change scenarios and to compare potential demand with
current water use and supply. Methods were developed to integrate crop
water demand data with spatial climate and land use data. Equations for
seasonal crop coefficients were developed. Equations to predict daily
solar radiation and daily maximum and minimum temperatures from monthly
data were also derived as a basis for estimating PET. Future climate
data (Canadian Global Coupled Model -CGMC1) were compared with 1961-1990
normals. Climate data were spatially downscaled from a 3.75° latitude x
3.75° longitude grid output through the PRISM (Parameter-elevation
Regressions on Independent Slopes Model) to a 4km x 4km grid. Land use
data were acquired from a variety of sources and incorporated into a GIS
and overlain with the PRISM grid cells to create unique polygons.
Calculations of crop water demand were performed for each polygon. Crop
water demand was totaled on a region and Irrigation District basis.
Overall average predicted water use data for present day conditions were
compared with values of expected water use to test the crop water demand
model. Predicted values were slightly lower than expected values (745
mm/year vs. 820-1000 mm/year). This was attributed to the coarseness of
the PRISM grid, which resulted in large elevation changes within cells
and underestimation of temperatures. Total annual water consumption for
the period 1996-1999 reported by the major Irrigation Districts was
reasonably similar to that predicted by the model (46.9 m3x 106 vs. 51.8
m3x 106 ). Thus the model was considered adequate for prediction of
effects of climate change. For the region as a whole, estimated crop
water demand increased by 37%, from 745 to 1021 mm/year (80 to 110 m3x
106) between the present day and the 2070-2099 scenario. Some Irrigation
Districts may not be able to meet the increased demand.

NOTE

1.  [PRISM Data: DO NOT KNOW -- could not get full article]{.mark}

> []{.mark}
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Funding Agency:

> 3\. PRISM was used to
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:

Google 285

Equilibrium-line altitudes during the Last Glacial Maximum across the
Brooks Range, Alaska

NICHOLAS L. BALASCIO, DARRELL S. KAUFMAN and WILLIAM F. MANLEY

*JOURNAL OF QUATERNARY SCIENCE* (2005) 20(7--8) 821--838

Balascio, N. L., Kaufman, D. S. and Manley, W. F. 2005. Equilibrium-line
altitudes during the Last Glacial Maximum across the Brooks Range,
Alaska. J. Quaternary Sci.,

Vol. 20 pp. 821--838. ISSN 0267-8179.

ABSTRACT

Equilibrium-line altitudes (ELAs) were estimated for 383 reconstructed
glaciers across the Brooks Range, northern Alaska, to investigate their
regional pattern during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Glacier outlines
were delimited based on published field mapping and the original
interpretations of aerial photographs. Glacier margins were digitized
from 1:63 360-scale maps into a geographic information system (GIS) with
a digital elevation model on a 60-m grid. ELAs were calculated for each
reconstructed glacier using the accumulation area ratio method
(AAR¼0.58). The analysis was restricted to relatively simple cirque and
valley glaciers that deposited clearly identifiable LGM moraines, and
that did not merge with the complex transection glacier ice that filled
most troughs of the range. The glaciers used in this analysis had areas
ranging from 0.14 to 120 km2. Their ELAs rose from 470m a.s.l. in the
western Brooks Range to 1860m a.s.l. in the east, over a distance of
1000 km. The ELAs were fitted with a third-order polynomial trend
surface to model their distribution across the range, and to investigate
the source of local-scale variations. The trend surface lowers toward
the west and south, similar to previously derived trends based on
glaciation thresholds. In addition, ELAs in the northeastern part of the
range lower northward toward the Beaufort Sea, which has not been
reported as strongly in other studies. Modern glacier ELAs also lower
toward the southwest. The depression of LGM ELAs from modern glacier
ELAs is greatest in the central Brooks Range (a maximum of 700 m), and
decreases to the east (200 m). The regional pattern of LGM ELAs points
to the primary source of moisture from the North Pacific, as it is
today. The unexpected trend of LGM ELAs in the northeast part of the
range is supported by recent field mapping, where anomalous ice
distribution and ELAs reflect complicated LGM climate patterns and
possibly late Quaternary tectonism.

KEYWORDS: equilibrium-line altitude; Brooks Range; Last Glacial Maximum;
Alaska.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Temperatures decrease north of the range toward the Beaufort and
> Chukchi Seas (Haugen, 1979; Daly et al., 1994).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Northern Arizona University, Department of Geology, Flagstaff, AZ

Funding Agency:

> This project was funded by National Science Foundation Grants
> OPP-9977972 and OPP-9977974, and a Geological Society of America
> graduate research grant.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to provide temperature data for the Beaufort and
> Chukchi Seas area in a study on the equilibrium-line altitudes during
> the Last Glacial Maximum across the Brooks Range, Alaska

4.  Impact or Conclusion:

> ELA reconstructions from the Brooks Range provide an important proxy
> for LGM climate trends. LGM ELAs rise from 470m a.s.l. in the west to
> 1860m a.s.l. in the eastern Brook Range. Modeled by a third-order
> trend surface, palaeo-ELAs lower toward the southwest across most of
> the range, and toward the northeast in the eastern Brooks Range. The
> southwestern lowering of ELAs across the range is dominant during the
> LGM, as it is today, indicating a source of moisture from the northern
> Pacific Ocean. This interpretation is similar to previous observations
> (e.g. Porter et al., 1983) and highlights the general stability of the
> regional atmospheric pressure systems, despite the impact of the
> Laurentide Ice Sheet on atmospheric circulation to the east (e.g.
> Bartlein et al., 1998). The northward lowering of LGM ELAs in the
> northeastern Brooks Range is probably at least in part the result of
> the cold temperatures where the range is farthest north and closest to
> the Beaufort Sea.
>
> Apparent contradictions in LGM atmospheric circulation patterns exist
> among geologic records. The opposing patterns of winds recorded from
> glacial and aeolian evidence are mostly the result of a difference
> between upper atmosphere moisture circulation and the generation of
> surface winds, but may also reflect seasonal differences in wind
> regimes.

Google 287

United States Submission on Land-Use, Land-Use Change, and Forestry

August 1, 2000

ABSTRACT

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Climatic regions for the U.S. land area were determined using the
> PRISM (Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model)
> climate mapping program (Daly, 1994). In section: Part C: Cropland and
> grazing land literature for Tables II and III.
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Funding Agency:

> 3\. PRISM was used to determine climatic regions in the USA for the
> cropland and grazing land section of the "United States Submission on
> Land-Use, Land-Use Change, and Forestry" report
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> The United States believes carbon sinks can play an important role in
> meeting the challenge of climate change. The United States has long
> supported a comprehensive approach to emissions and removals of
> greenhouse gases related to land-use, land-use change and forestry
> (LULUCF) and proposes adoption of such an approach pursuant to Article
> 3.4. The United States believes that a comprehensive approach would
> best account for the full range of natural and human activities that
> could affect the global climate system. The United States strongly
> believes that the COP-6 decision on LULUCF must be considered as a
> package. As the IPCC Special Report recognizes, Article 3.3 addresses
> only a very limited subset of LULUCF activities, and therefore
> inevitably leads to discrepancies between actual and accounted changes
> in carbon stocks. To remedy these inadequacies, the United States
> proposes that LULUCF activities be included in a comprehensive manner
> pursuant to Article 3.4. This will further the objective of the
> UNFCCC, namely to stabilize atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse
> gases at safe levels, by taking into account the entire contribution
> -- both positive and negative -- of LULUCF to climate change. It is
> also consistent with the nature of the agreement struck at Kyoto,
> which was intended to include LULUCF in a manner that would result in
> significant additions in the first commitment period to the assigned
> amount of countries that are sequestering large amounts of carbon
> (including the United States). Indeed, the United States agreed to the
> target set forth in Annex B of the Protocol, in part, on the
> expectation of significant credits from LULUCF. The United States
> proposes the inclusion of three broad land management activities
> pursuant to Article 3.4:

-   Forest management

-   Cropland management

-   Grazing land management.

> These activities include the large majority of specific land
> management practices that store and release carbon in the United
> States. To account for greenhouse gas emissions and removals
> associated with these management activities, the United States
> proposes a land-based accounting system, focusing on the changes in
> carbon stocks on managed lands during the commitment period. The
> United States believes that it has the capability to provide
> high-quality data to implement a broad-activity/land-based accounting
> system, and that, prior to the beginning of the first commitment
> period, other Annex I Parties should also be able to do so. Parties
> should report other greenhouse gas emissions related to LULUCF in
> their inventories in accordance with agreed methodologies. Benefits of
> the comprehensive approach proposed by the United States include the
> following...

Google 289

An Analysis of Daily Precipitation over East Asia: Current Status and
Future Improvements

Pingping Xie, Akiyo Yatagai, Mingyue Chen, Tadahiro Hayasaka, Yoshihiro
Fukushima, and Changming Liu

(no journal citation provided in the online article, no doi number)

ABSTRACT

A new gauge-based data set of daily precipitation has been created on a
0.5olat/lon grid over the East Asia for a 20-year period from 1978 to
1997 for meteorological and hydrological applications.

Keyword: precipitation, daily, East Asia, gauge.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Analyzed fields of daily the station climatology and by adjusting it
> against the PRISM (Daily et al. 1994) monthly climatology over China
> and Mongolia and against the PREC/L (Chen et al. 2002) elsewhere.
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

NOAA/NWS/NCEP, USA

Funding Agency: (none listed)

> 3\. PRISM was used to adjust analyzed fields of daily station
> climatology over China and Mongolia in an analysis of daily
> precipitation over East Asia.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> An analysis of gauge-based analysis of daily precipitation has been
> constructed on a 0.5olat/lon grid for a 20-year period from 1978 to
> 1997 by interpolating observations from over 3000 stations collected
> in three individual data sets.
>
> The analysis is capable of representing precipitation variations with
> good quality over most of the regions and its quality depends
> primarily on the gauge-network density.
>
> A variation of the analysis is created for 1998 using additional gauge
> data collected by the GAME project and the results showed that
> including more gauges in the data-sparse areas such as the Southeast
> Asia will greatly improve the quality of our gauge-based analysis.
>
> The Base Product of daily precipitation described in this paper is
> available to all interested scientists. We welcome collaborations of
> any form in improving this analysis by refining the algorithm and
> including more gauge data.

Google 290

Historical population structure of Coho salmon in the Southern Oregon /
Northern California Coasts Evolutionarily Significant Unit

T. H. Williams, E. P. Bjorkstedt, W. Duffy, D. Hillemeier, G. Kautsky,
T. Lisle, M. McCain, M. Rode, R. G. Szerlong, R. Schick, M. Goslin, and
A. Agrawal1

DRAFT -- External Technical Review Draft -- Do Not Cite - DRAFT

18 November 2005

ABSTRACT

This report describes the historical population structure of Coho salmon
in the Southern Oregon/Northern California (SONCC) Evolutionarily
Significant Unit (ESU) that includes coastal watersheds from Elk River
(Oregon) in the north to Mattole River (California) in the south.
Developing an understanding of historical population structure of
populations within an ESU is a prerequisite in recovery planning that
ultimately results in the development of biological viability criteria.
These viability criteria, and the analyses from which they stem, must
refer to specific populations and population groups (i.e., populations
or groups of populations within a ESU). Types of information we
considered in this report included historical distribution, geographic
isolation, dispersal rates, genetic data, life history information,
population dynamics, and environmental and ecological diversity. Our
analysis of historical population structure was strongly constrained by
the lack of data available for consideration; however our approach was
intentionally consistent with the approaches taken by Technical Recovery
Teams (TRTs) working in more data-rich areas of California and the
Pacific Northwest. Because of this lack of data, our determination of
historical population structure of SONCC Coho Salmon ESU is based
primarily on a simple conceptual model of spatially dependent
demographics of 59 populations considered to be historically present.
Readers interested in the conclusions and specific population
designations can refer to Table 1 (page 26), and Figures 7 and 8 (pages
39 and 45).

In general, the historical population structure of Coho salmon in the
SONCC ESU was characterized by small-to-moderate-sized coastal basins
where high quality habitat is in the lower portions of the basin and by
three large basins where high quality habitat was located in the lower
portions, middle portions of the basins provided little habitat, and the
largest amount of habitat was located in the upper portions of the
sub-basins. Twenty populations that were determined to have minimal
demographic influence from adjacent populations and were
viable-in-isolation were classified as Functionally Independent
populations. Seven populations that appeared to have been
viable-in-isolation but were demographically influenced by adjacent
populations were classified as Potentially Independent populations.
Small populations of Coho salmon that do not have a high likelihood of
sustaining themselves over a 100-year time period in isolation and
receive sufficient immigration to alter their dynamics and extinction
risk were classified as Dependent (32 populations).

In anticipation of developing of viability criteria at the population
scale and integration of population information into viability criteria
at the ESU scale, we identify groups of populations that span the
diversity and distribution that currently exists or historically existed
within the ESU. We refer to these groups as 'diversity strata' to
reflect our primary focus on the issue of diversity, broadly defined, as
the basis for delineating these groups. The TRT organized the
independent and dependent populations of Coho salmon in the SONCC ESU
into diversity strata largely based on the geographical arrangement of
the populations and basin-scale environmental and ecological
characteristics.

The TRT recognizes that future information and data collection, when
available, may provide support for reconsidering our approach,
assumptions, and results. In our analyses, much of the uncertainty
stemmed from the lack of appropriate data, particularly historical
information on distribution, abundance, and dispersal rates. Moreover,
recent data are sparse and provided a limited basis for inferring
historical population structure.

NOTE

Preface

The main purpose of technical recovery planning for Pacific salmon and
steelhead is to produce biologically based viability criteria for listed
Evolutionarily Significant Units (ESUs) that will be considered in
setting recovery goals. These viability criteria, and the analyses from
which they stem, must refer to specific populations and population
groups (i.e., populations or groups of populations within a ESU). The
purpose of this report is to document the historical population
structure of Coho salmon in the Southern Oregon/Northern California
Coast (SONCC) ESU in order to guide viability analyses, and to provide a
historical context for other parties interested in recovering Coho
salmon in the geographic region. We collected and examined available
information relevant to the question of population structure of Coho
salmon in the SONCC ESU, and we present that information here. Readers
interested in the conclusions can refer to the abstract, Table 1, and
Figure 8. The Oregon and Northern California Coast (ONCC) TRT recognizes
that other interpretations of the information presented in this report
are possible and remains open to convincing arguments and information
that may have been overlooked. We are releasing this draft report to
solicit such information. **As a public review draft, this document
should not be cited**; after consideration of comments, this report will
be completed and published in an appropriate venue.

1.  PRISM Data:

> Environmental variables used in multivariate analysis, loadings and
> percent variance explained by the first three principal components,
> and data sources.
>
> Snow index (Daly et al. 1994)
>
> Average mean annual range of temperature (Daly et al. 1994)
>
> Month of peak flow (Daly et al. 1994)
>
> Average maximum air temperature (Daly et al. 1994)
>
> Average mean annual precipitation (Daly et al. 1994)
>
> Average mean air temperature (Daly et al. 1994)
>
> Average minimum air temperature (Daly et al. 1994)
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Fisheries Ecology Division, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, Santa
Cruz, California

Funding Agency:

> 3\. PRISM was used to (see no. 1, above... do not cite)

5.  Impact or Conclusion:

> The TRT based its determination of historical population structure of
> SONCC Coho Salmon ESU on a simple conceptual model of spatially
> dependent demographics of 59 populations considered to be historically
> present. These populations were classified based on their
> viability-in-isolation and self-recruitment. We believe that the
> interaction of these two characteristics provided us a measure of
> population independence and allowed us to categorize the role of each
> population played in the ESU. Our analysis of population structure was
> strongly constrained by the lack of data available for consideration;
> however our approach was intentionally consistent with the approaches
> taken by TRTs working in more data-rich areas of California and the
> Pacific Northwest (Currens et al. 2002; Lawson et al. 2004; Lindley et
> al. 2004). Technical Recovery Teams in California and the Pacific
> Northwest have expressed great confidence in inferences based on
> geographical information, followed by, in order of declining strength
> of inference, information on migration rates, population genetics,
> life history and phenotypic variation, population dynamics, and,
> lastly, environmental and habitat characteristics (Lawson et al. 2004;
> Lindley et al. 2004; Bjorkstedt et al. 2005). We believe our goal to
> have an approach that was consistent, reproducible, and transparent
> was met by our rule-based approach.

Google 291

**OROGRAPHIC ENHANCEMENTS IN PRECIPITATION: AN INTERCOMPARISON OF TWO
GAUGE-BASED PRECIPITATION CLIMATOLOGIES**

Mingyue Chen, Pingping Xie, John E. Janowiak, and Phillip A. Arkin

No journal article citation or doi was provided

ABSTRACT

Accurate documentation of terrestrial precipitation climatology is very
important for many meteorological and hydrological applications. A
number of such long-term mean data sets have been constructed through
objective analysis of gauge observations (e.g. Legates and Willmott
1990, Rudolf 1993; Chen et al. 2002), and, in some cases, taking into
account related topographic information (Daly et al. 1994; New et al.
1999). While most of these data sets present very similar spatial
distribution patterns of precipitation over land, differences exist in
smaller scale features and in magnitude, especially over mountainous
areas (Chen et al. 2002).

In this study, an intercomparison is conducted between two gauge-based
precipitation climatologies, the PRISM of Daly et al. (1994) and the
PREC/L of Chen et al. (2002), to examine how orographic enhancements in
precipitation may impact the quantitative accuracy of the interpolated
precipitation fields over mountainous areas.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> In this study, an intercomparison is conducted between two gauge-based
> precipitation climatologies, the PRISM of Daly et al. (1994) and the
> PREC/L of Chen et al. (2002), to examine how orographic enhancements
> in precipitation may impact the quantitative accuracy of the
> interpolated precipitation fields over mountainous areas.

2.  Affiliation:

> RS Information Systems, Inc

Funding Agency:

> 3\. PRISM was used in an intercomparison ...between two gauge-based
> precipitation climatologies, the PRISM of Daly et al. (1994) and the
> PREC/L of Chen et al. (2002), to examine how orographic enhancements
> in precipitation may impact the quantitative accuracy of the
> interpolated precipitation fields over mountainous areas.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> The preliminary results of this study indicate that the underestimates
> of the precipitation in the PREC/L climatology are caused primarily by
> the lack of a procedure to account for orographic enhancements in
> precipitation and that improvements are possible by making use of the
> quantitative relationship between the precipitation and elevation.
>
> Further work is underway to investigate how the linear relationship
> between precipitation enhancement and elevation changes over various
> regions and if or not it is possible to approximate the changes as a
> function of large-scale parameters so that a PRISM-like technique can
> be applied easily to improve the quality of the gauge-based
> precipitation analyses over various parts of the global land areas.

Google 296

The Climate of the Southwest

Paul R. Sheppard, Andrew C. Comrie, Gregory D. Packin, Kurt Angersbach,
and Malcolm K. Hughes

CLIMAS Report Series CL1-99 (December 1999)

ABSTRACT

This paper summarizes the current state of knowledge concerning the
climate of the Southwest. Low annual precipitation, clear skies, and
year-round warm weather over much of the Southwest are due in large part
to a quasi-permanent subtropical high-pressure ridge over the region.
However, the Southwest is located between the mid-latitude and
subtropical atmospheric circulation regimes, and this positioning
relative to shifts in these regimes is the fundamental reason for the
region\'s climatic variability. El Niño, which is an increase in sea
surface temperature of the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean with an
associated shift of the active center of atmospheric convection from the
western to the central equatorial Pacific, has a well developed
teleconnection with the Southwest, usually resulting in wet winters. La
Niña, the opposite oceanic case of El Niño, usually results in dry
winters for the Southwest. Another important oceanic influence on winter
climate of the Southwest is a feature called the Pacific Decadal
Oscillation (PDO), which has been defined as temporal variation in sea
surface temperatures for most of the Northern Pacific Ocean. The major
feature that sets climate of the Southwest apart from the rest of the
United States is the North American monsoon, hich, in the US, is most
noticeable in Arizona and New Mexico. Up to 50% of the annual rainfall
of Arizona and New Mexico occurs as monsoonal storms from July through
September.

Instrumental measurement of temperature and precipitation in the
Southwest dates back to the middle to late 1800s. From that record,
average annual rainfall of Arizona is 322 mm \[12.7 in.\] while that of
New Mexico is 340 mm \[13.4 in.\], and mean annual temperature of New
Mexico is cooler (12°C \[53°F\]) than Arizona (17°C \[62°F\]). As
instrumental meteorological records extend back only about 100-120 years
throughout the Southwest, they are of limited utility for studying
climate phenomena at the multi-decadal to century or longer time frames.
Hence, there is a need to extend the measured meteorological record
further back in time using so-called \"natural archive\" paleoclimate
records. Tree-ring data, which provide annual resolution, range
throughout the Southwest, extend back in time for up to 1000 years or
more in various forests of the Southwest, and integrate well the
influences of both temperature and precipitation, are useful for this
assessment of climate of the Southwest. Tree growth of mid elevation
forests typically responds to moisture availability during the growing
season, and a commonly used climate variable in paleo-precipitation
studies is the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI), which is a single
variable derived from variation in precipitation and temperature.
June-August PDSI strongly represents precipitation and, to a lesser
extent, temperature of the year prior to the growing season (prior
September through current August). The maximum intra-ring density of
higher elevation trees can yield a useful record of summer temperature
variation.

The combined paleo-modern climate record has at least three occurrences
of a multi-decadal variation of alternating dry (below average PDSI) to
wet (above average PDSI). The amplitude of this multi-decadal variation
seems to have increased since the 1700s. Should this pattern persist
into the future, then perhaps the American Southwest will next enter an
extended dry period. The most obvious feature of the temperature record
is its current increase to an extent unprecedented in the last four
hundred years. Because this warming trend is outside the variation of
the natural archives, it is possible that anthropogenic impacts are
playing a role in climate of the Southwest. Accordingly, this pattern
merits further research in search of its cause or combination of causes.

Keywords: Southwest, climate, El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO),
monsoon, Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI), summer temperature,
dendrochronology, tree rings

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> A more realistic accounting of snow accumulation in the high mountains
> would probably result in higher precipitation totals for the UCRB
> (Daly et al. 1994).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:
>
> Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, University of Arizona

Funding Agency:

> This project was funded with support from National Oceanic and
> Atmospheric Administration.

Report is for the Institute for the Study of Planet Earth, The
University of Arizona, Tucson

> 3\. PRISM was used to give a more realistic accounting of
> precipitation totals for the high mountains in the Upper Colorado
> River Basin (UCRB) of Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming. "Climate of the
> UCRB is important to the Southwest because the rivers of the basin
> serve as a supply of water to Arizona and New Mexico."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> The combined paleo-modern climate record has at least three
> occurrences of a multi-decadal variation of alternating dry (below
> average PDSI) to wet (above average PDSI). The amplitude of this
> multi-decadal variation seems to have increased since the 1700s.
> Should this pattern persist into the future, then perhaps the American
> Southwest will next enter an extended dry period. The most obvious
> feature of the temperature record is its current increase to an extent
> unprecedented in the last four hundred years. Because this warming
> trend is outside the variation of the natural archives, it is possible
> that anthropogenic impacts are playing a role in climate of the
> Southwest. Accordingly, this pattern merits further research in search
> of its cause or combination of causes.

Google 297

**INTERACTION BETWEEN PRECIPITATION AND LANDSURFACE**

**A. Pfeiffer, B. Früh, J.W. Schipper, J. Egge, V. Wirth**

**Project ID: 07 GWK 04 (research group \"Meteorology\")**

project duration: 01.10.2000 − 31.12.2003 report period: 01.01.2001 −
31.03.2002

ABSTRACT

Using German (DWD) and Austrian (ZAMG) measurements and the mesoscale
model MM5, the \"Atmosphere\"−group has established the exchange of
numerous parameters, which are relevant to GLOWA. After interpolating,
parameters will be exchanged at a height of 2 m above land surface. The
exchange of parameters between \"Atmosphere\" and other GLOWA
disciplines takes place over the 'Atmosphere Controller'. This implies a
more uniform exchange, which is of great benefit to the user. In order
to decrease the simulation time, MM5 operates on a resolution of 15x15
km. The output then is brought down to 1x1 km (as decided within GLOWA)
by statistical downscaling. Additionally, a factor is produced to
correct the downscaling for the higher resolved orography.

Keywords: Atmosphere−object, meteorological observations, atmospheric
simulation (MM5), downscaling

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> As a last step, the 2−dimensional grid has to be corrected to a higher
> resolved orography. Therefore, it is connected to the PRISM
> climatology (Precipitation−elevation Regression on Independent Slopes
> Model) delivered by Frei (priv. comm., 2002) and described by Daly
> (1).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Department of Theoretical Meteorology, Ludwig−Maximilians−University,
Munich

Funding Agency: (none listed)

> 3\. PRISM was used to connect a 2−dimensional grid has to be corrected
> to a higher resolved orography in a study on the interaction between
> precipitation and land surface.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> For the precipitation, the routine converts the measurements from all
> stations to daily and monthly averages and normalizes the daily
> averages to the monthly averages. In case of missing observations,
> these will be replaced by measurements of best correlated stations
> nearby. The result is the 'daily climatological measurements' for each
> station. Then, the so-called Shepard algorithm (4) interpolates the
> results to an equidistant 2−dimensional grid with a resolution of 1x1
> km. In this way, the numerical inaccuracy is diminished (5). As a last
> step, the 2−dimensional grid has to be corrected to a higher resolved
> orography. Therefore, it is connected to the PRISM climatology
> (Precipitation−elevation Regression on Independent Slopes Model)
> delivered by Frei (priv. comm., 2002) and described by Daly (1). An
> equivalent routine concerning downscaling is described by Widmann (5,
> 6). The 'climatological measurements' (1x1 km) described above are
> compared with a climatology run of MM5 (15x15 km), to get an orography
> correction factor. During an operational MM5 run, the 15x15 km model
> output is automatically multiplied by the correction factor to obtain
> the most reliable results.

Google 300

Regional-scale predictive models of the distribution of the California
spotted owl: an exploratory analysis. Carroll, C.

**USDA** Forest Service Pacific Southwest Research Station, Arcata, CA
(1999)

ABSTRACT (next day article was not available online and no reference
citation was listed)

NOTE

Due to funding limitations, this analysis has been limited to an
exploration of the utility of an approach that combines found
distributional data with regional-scale habitat attributes. Before these
results can be used in planning for species viability, the owl location
database should be subjected to a more extensive analysis of sampling
bias and its effects on model predictions. The information on
reproductive status by year contained in the database should be explored
for potential correlations with habitat attributes. Habitat variables
that affect reproductive status may differ from those associated with
adult survival or distribution (Seamans et al. 1999, Franklin et al. in
press). Cross-scale comparison of results with more detailed data from
demographic study areas would provide further insights. Development of
similar empirical models for other sympatric species of concern, such as
the fisher, and use of model predictions in dynamic viability models may
offer significant new insights to help create a comprehensive
conservation strategy for the Sierra Nevada region.

1.  PRISM Data:

> I acquired climatic data for mean annual precipitation and mean annual
> snowfall (1961- 1990) at approximately 2-km resolution (Daly et al.
> 1994). These climatic data were derived from meteorological records
> and elevation data by means of the PRISM model (Daly et al. 1994).

2\. Affiliation:

Funding Agency:

> 3\. PRISM was used to provide mean annual precipitation and mean
> annual snowfall for an exploratory analysis of regional-scale
> predictive models of the distribution of the California spotted owl.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> The high level of significance shown by the model suggests that
> regional-scale empirical models can reveal important factors
> associated with the distribution of the California spotted owl.
> Interpretation of model results contributes to constructing new
> hypotheses regarding specific limiting factors governing
> distributional patterns. Equally important, model predictions allow
> map-based conservation planning at a spatial scale relevant to the
> population processes of wide-ranging species and allow initial plans
> to be iteratively refined as new data become available. The large
> amount of unexplained variance in our analysis suggests that
> regional-scale models alone are not sufficient for the development of
> detailed conservation plans. Conversely, the models reveal factors not
> evident at finer scales. Given the sampling bias inherent in found
> data sets, a large proportion of unexplained variance is probably
> unavoidable. Historical effects and stochastic variability in habitat
> occupancy unrelated to the current habitat pattern will determine some
> proportion of the variation in the distribution and abundance of a
> species. Our analysis also does not attempt to quantify the
> relationships between probability of occurrence and population density
> or between density and individual survival and reproduction (Van Horne
> 1983).

Google 301

TOPOGRAPHIC AND DIABATIC INFLUENCES ON BAROCLINIC STORM EVOLUTION OVER
THE INTERMOUNTAIN WEST

Jason C. Shafer

A dissertation submitted to the faculty of The University of Utah in
partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of
Philosophy Department of Meteorology The University of Utah December
2005

ABSTRACT

The evolution of baroclinic storm systems over the western United States
is explored through case study and climatological approaches. The case
study examines IOP3 of the Intermountain Precipitation Experiment, and
describes the influence of terrain on the evolution of a winter storm
from the Pacific coast to northern Utah using a variety of field-program
and traditional observations. Results show that the terrain had a
dramatic effect on the storm's low-level front/trough structure,
including frontal distortion and discontinuous movement. Specifically,
the low-level frontal structure was stripped or removed as the front
traversed the Sierra Nevada. Downstream of the Sierra, a new surface
pressure trough developed and moved rapidly over Nevada and into
northern Utah, eventually developing characteristics of a weak cold
front. The mesoscale precipitation distribution over northern Utah was
also strongly influenced by terrain driven circulations. The
climatological study examined strong surface cold fronts over the
western United States from 1979--2003. Strong cold fronts were
identified using standard hourly surface observations and the North
American Regional Reanalysis (NARR). Results show that strong cold
fronts are mainly continental and that the number of events increases
heading eastward from the Sierra Nevada and Cascade ranges and across
the Intermountain region. To develop an understanding of how these
strong Intermountain old fronts develop, a NARR composite of the 25
strongest cold fronts at Salt Lake City, UT was produced. Most strong
Intermountain cold fronts develop during the day in a deep, dry
convective boundary layer, and intensify rapidly during the 12 hours
leading up to frontal passage. Results show this intense front genesis
is driven by a combination of large-scale and diabatic processes, and
that the terrain may be important for determining the location of the
incipient frontogenesis.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Over the IPEX target region, climatological precipitation increases
> linearly with height (e.g., Alter 1919; Daly et al. 1994; Fig. 2.25c)
> with linear correlation coefficient of 0.70. However, large departures
> from this relationship have been observed for total storm
> precipitation (e.g., Horel and Gibson 1994; Cheng 2001; Shafer et al.
> 2002) and within individual storms (e.g., Steenburgh 2003)
>
> 2\. Affiliation:
>
> The University of Utah, Department of Meteorology

Funding Agency:

> Funding for the analysis of IPEX IOP3 (Chapter 2) was provided by
> National Science Foundation Grants (NSF) ATM-0085318 and ATM-0333525,
> and a series of grants to the Cooperative Institute for Regional
> Prediction from the NOAA C-STAR program. The work in Chapter 3 was
> supported by the aforementioned NSF grants and a NSF GK-12 fellowship
> (ATM-0338340) under the Water the Environment Science and Teaching
> (WEST) grant.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to examine IPEX target region climatological
> precipitation as it increases linearly with height in a study of the
> topographic and diabatic influences on baroclinic storm evolution over
> the intermountain west.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> This dissertation has examined the effects of complex terrain and dry
> boundary layers on synoptic baroclinic systems over the western United
> States. This was accomplished by an observational study of IOP3 of the
> Intermountain Precipitation Experiment, and by developing a
> climatology of strong Intermountain cold fronts.
>
> The analysis of IOP3, which featured a mobile, weakening frontal
> cyclone, illustrates the importance of terrain on baroclinic storm
> evolution and Intermountain precipitation systems. These results show
> that low-level frontal structures undergo a dramatic transformation
> from the Pacific coast to the Intermountain region as a result of
> interactions with Sierra Nevada. This transformation occurs as the
> Sierra Nevada block and distort low-level fronts, essentially
> destroying or stripping the low-level baroclinicity of transient
> baroclinic systems. In the lee of the Sierra, a discontinuous surface
> evolution is observed where a lee pressure trough develops, and then
> moves rapidly downstream with the strongest upper-level vertical
> motion.
>
> Results from the IOP3 analysis also show that mesoscale (5--50 km)
> terrain-modified flows have a significant effect on Intermountain
> precipitation. The terrain may enhance or curtail precipitation in
> lowlands distant from the terrain producing them, resulting in large
> deviations from the climatological quasi-linear
> precipitation-elevation relationship. These terrain-induced
> deviations, which vary with flow direction, stability, and humidity,
> have significant implications for operational weather predication.
> These results show that the construction of precipitation anomaly maps
> may help precipitation prediction in complex Intermountain terrain by
> identifying locations that may be biased towards an increased or
> decreased precipitation during different storm environments or
> evolutions.
>
> The climatology shows that the frequency of strong cold fronts
> increases east of the Sierra Nevada, reaching a maximum at Salt Lake
> City. Thus, under the right conditions, cold fronts do not die in the
> Intermountain region, they are reborn. In most cases, the genesis of
> strong Intermountain cold fronts occurs as large-scale confluent
> frontogenesis and diabatic processes act in concert. Diabatic
> processes are highly frontogenetical during the daytime, and arise
> from differential sensible heating caused by cloud shading and
> diabatic postfrontal cooling from evaporation and sublimation. These
> clouds and precipitation are largely forced by an amplifying
> upper-level trough. Results from this climatology should lead to
> better short-range forecasting of strong Intermountain cold fronts,
> and provide a foundation for future studies of strong cold fronts
> across the western United States.
>
> A synthesis of this dissertation suggests the following relationship
> over the Intermountain West. The large-scale structures of baroclinic
> systems are determined by synoptic-scale dynamics, but the mesoscale
> and low-level structures of Intermountain baroclinic systems are
> controlled by interactions with the terrain and dry boundary layer.
>
> Future work should better quantify the extent of diabatic processes on
> frontal development, including the role of evaporation and
> sublimation. Future work should also determine the origins of
> low-level ageostrophic flow, which is responsible for much of the
> frontal development. These tasks may be accomplished through a
> combination of case studies and numerical simulations.

Google 302

Using Linked Micromap Plots to Characterize Omernik Ecoregions

Daniel B. Carr, Anthony R. Olsen, Suzanne M. Pierson, and Jean-Yves P.
Courbois

January 1999

Submitted to Data Mining and Knowledge Discovery An International
Journal

ABSTRACT

The paper introduces linked micromap (LM) plots for presenting
environmental summaries. The LM template includes parallel sequences of
micromap, label, and statistical summary graphics panels with attention
paid to perceptual grouping, sorting and linking of the summary
components. The applications show LM plots for Omernik Level II
Ecoregions. The summarized United States continental data includes USGS
digital elevation, 30-year normal precipitation and temperature, and 8
million AVHRR pixels classified into 159 types of land cover. One LM
plot uses a line-height glyph to represent all 159 land cover
percentages per ecoregion. LM plots represent new visualization
methodology that is useful in the knowledge, data, and discovery pattern
representation and discovery process. The LM plots focus on providing an
orienting overview. The overview provides a starting place for
subsequent drilling down to what could otherwise be viewed as an
overwhelming mass of data. The overview also provides a starting place
to learn about the intellectual structure that lies behind the notion of
ecoregions and begins to connect this abstract structure to quantitative
methods.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Nationally consistent climate data sets were obtained from PRISM
> (Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model). PRISM,
> described by Daly et al (1994), is an analytical model that uses point
> data and a DEM to generate gridded estimates of event, monthly and
> annual climatic parameters.
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Center for Computational Statistics George Mason University Fairfax, VA

Funding Agency:

> EPA funded the majority of the work behind this paper under
> cooperative agreements No. CR8280820-01-0 and No. CR825564-01-0.
> Additional federal agencies, BLS and NCHS, supported some facets of
> this work.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to provide climate data sets for a study that used
> linked micromap plots to characterize Omernik Ecoregions.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> Plot production convenience remains a big issue. If LM plots are to be
> used they need to be easily produced. The general S-PLUS tools we
> developed (anonymous ftp to galaxy.gmu.edu and change directory to
> pub/dcarr/newsletter/lmplots) are flexible building blocks but not
> easy push button tools. The software includes a Visual Basic front end
> developed to simplify production of LM dot plots and time series plots
> for states. This is just a start toward simple production. Much work
> remains to design micromaps for new applications and to develop
> software that makes it easy to produce a wide range of LM plots. Much
> research is appropriate concerning compromises and variations that are
> motivated by plot purpose, audience, specific data and metadata.

Google 303

Spatial prediction of invasion success across heterogeneous landscapes
using an individual-based model

Sarah C. Goslee, Debra P.C. Peters & K. George Beck

Biological Invasions (2006) 8: 193--200

DOI 10.1007/s10530-004-2954-y

ABSTRACT

The limited resources available for managing invasive plant species in
native ecosystems and the magnitude of the problem make it essential
that we develop methods to prioritize sites for management efforts. We
used the individual-based simulation model ECOTONE in conjunction with
climate and soil texture data to identify grassland site types where the
invasive perennial forb Acroptilon repens is likely to be successful,
and to create a threat map indicating the most vulnerable regions of
Colorado. Acroptilon repens has the potential to become most abundant in
dry areas with fine-textured soils. This information can be used to
direct management efforts towards the areas at greatest risk, allowing
the most effective use of limited resources. The most common approach
for identifying invasible regions has been to extrapolate from the
locations of existing invasions to find similar sites. Two major
drawbacks to this method are the lack of consideration of the role of
the existing plant community in inhibiting or facilitating invasion, and
the assumption that the invading species is at equilibrium with the
environment. The combination of an individual-based simulation model and
a geographic information system provides a flexible tool to investigate
the community and regional dynamics of invasive plant species.

Key words: Acroptilon repens, climate, geographic information systems,
grassland, individual-based simulation model, soil texture

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> PRISM temperature and precipitation maps for Colorado were used as a
> source for minimum and maximum monthly temperature and monthly
> precipitation, which were used to calculate annual averages and totals
> (Daly et al. 1994).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

**USDA**-ARS, Pasture Systems and Watershed Management Research Unit,
University Park, PA

Funding Agency:

This research was funded by the **USDA** National Research Initiative
Competitive Grants Program award #9600468.

> 3\. PRISM was used to provide temperature and precipitation maps for
> Colorado as a source for minimum and maximum monthly temperature and
> monthly precipitation, which were used to calculate annual averages
> and totals for a study on the spatial prediction of invasion success
> of the perennial forb Acroptilon across heterogeneous landscapes. The
> individual-based simulation model ECOTONE was used in conjunction with
> climate and soil texture data to identify grassland site types where
> invasion is likely to be successful, and to create a threat map
> indicating the most vulnerable regions of Colorado.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> This information can be used to direct management efforts towards the
> areas at greatest risk, allowing the most effective use of limited
> resources. The most common approach for identifying invasible regions
> has been to extrapolate from the locations of existing invasions to
> find similar sites. Two major drawbacks to this method are the lack of
> consideration of the role of the existing plant community in
> inhibiting or facilitating invasion, and the assumption that the
> invading species is at equilibrium with the environment. The
> combination of an individual-based simulation model and a geographic
> information system provides a flexible tool to investigate the
> community and regional dynamics of invasive plant species.

Google 304

Late Pleistocene Glacial Geology of the Okpilak-Kongakut Rivers Region,
Northeastern Brooks Range, Alaska

Nicholas L. Balascio, Darrell S. Kaufman, Jason P. Brine, and William F.
Manley

*Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research*, Vol. 37, No. 4, 2005, pp.
416--424

ABSTRACT

Glacial mapping combined with cosmogenic exposure dating provides the
first detailed assessment of the late Pleistocene glacial history in the
northeastern Brooks Range, Alaska. Former ice limits were identified in
the Okpilak, Jago, Aichillik, Egaksrak, and Kongakut River valleys.
Relative-weathering data support our correlations with the well studied
glacial sequence of the central Brooks Range. Of the 16 boulders from
four moraines analyzed for 10Be, the exposure ages on two moraines are
tightly clustered. The results indicate that the glacier in the Jago
River valley reached its maximum extent during the Itkillik II
glaciation by about 23.2 6 2.8 ka. The ice retreated rapidly, and a
prominent, but local, readvance took place by 19.1 6 2.8 ka within a
tributary valley. The relative size of glaciers and the difference in
ice extent between the Itkillik I and Itkillik II glaciations varied
among the river valleys, with the Aichillik River valley showing the
greatest difference. A first-order trend surface fit to Itkillik II
equilibrium lines rises toward the south, from 1400 to 1800 m. This is a
reversal of the overall trend across the rest of the Brooks Range, and
suggests that glaciers of the last glacial maximum in the northeastern
sector, similar to today, benefited from the cold and possibly moister
conditions associated with their proximity to the Beaufort Sea.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> For example, July mean temperature decreases from 128C at Atigun Pass
> to 48C at Prudhoe Bay (Haugen, 1979; see also the PRISM climate model,
> Daly et al., 1994, 2002).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:
>
> Northern Arizona University, Department of Geology, Flagstaff, AZ

Funding Agency:

> This project was funded by National Science Foundation grants
> OPP-9977974 and OPP-9977972, and a Geological Society of America
>
> graduate research grant.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to provide July mean temperature information at
> Atigun Pass and Prudhoe Bay for a study on the late Pleistocene
> glacial geology of the Okpilak-Kongakut Rivers Region, Northeastern
> Brooks Range, Alaska.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> Our reconstruction of late Pleistocene glaciers in the northeastern
> Brooks Range contributes a more detailed record of ice extent than has
> previously been documented for the region. New relative-weathering
> data support our correlations with the well-studied glacial sequence
> in the central Brooks Range. Our 10Be ages on surface boulders from
> the Jago River valley suggest that Itkillik II glaciers reached and
> retreated from the northeastern Brooks Range front relatively early
> during the late Wisconsin, by about 23 ka. The Hubley moraine records
> a prominent readvance in the Jago River valley at about 19 ka.
> Glacial-geologic mapping shows that, during both phases of the
> Itkillik glaciation, voluminous ice occupied the Okpilak and Jago
> River valleys, sourced in the high-elevation headwaters. East of these
> river valleys, differences in the extent of Itkillik I and Itkillik II
> advances are greater. From west to east, Itkillik I glaciers
> progressively decreased in extent from the Okpilak to the Kongakut
> River valleys. In contrast, glaciers during the Itkillik II phase were
> much smaller compared to their Itkillik I predecessors in the
> Aichillik River valley. If glaciers were larger than we have
> interpreted in the Aichillik River valley, then the west-to-east
> progression of decreasing Itkillik II ice extent would have been more
> continuous, similar to the Itkillik I phase. Moraine evidence for a
> larger advance in the trunk valley may have been obliterated by
> fluvial activity.
>
> ELAs reconstructed for Itkillik II glaciers dominantly rise toward the
> south in the northeastern Brooks Range, which is opposite of the trend
> seen elsewhere in the Brooks Range. This pattern may in part be the
> result of winter precipitation derived from the north during the late
> Pleistocene. However, the proximity of this part of the range to the
> Beaufort Sea, and a possible coastal influence, suggest that summer
> temperature may have had an unusually strong local control on ELA
> variation. Tectonic effects can confound the interpretation of ELAs in
> regions where uplift rates are high, but cannot explain the ELA
> gradient in the northeastern Brooks Range.

Google 305

Clarkston Creek, Newton Reservoir, Newton Creek TMDL Study

Public Draft Prepared for Utah Department of Environmental Quality -
Division of Water Quality

Prepared by: Cirrus Ecological Solutions, Logan, Utah

June 24, 2004

ABSTRACT

The Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) study for the Newton Creek, Newton
Reservoir, and Clarkston Creek area has been completed under the
direction of the Utah Department of Environmental Quality -- Division of
Water Quality (DWQ) for submittal to the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) as specified by section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act
(CWA). The water quality and flow assessment detailed within this
document addresses impairment to these water bodies due to high
concentrations of Total Phosphorus (TP) and low levels of Dissolved
Oxygen (DO). An extensive field effort has accompanied this assessment
in order to document existing conditions and verify model outputs. As a
result, it is believed that this document provides an accurate picture
of the important influences on water quality in the project area. In
order for a TMDL to be effective, involvement by agencies and
stakeholders at the local level is essential. Efforts have been made
throughout this process to involve local agencies and stakeholders to
inform them of the current status of water quality in the
Newton/Clarkston area. It is not the intent of this assessment to place
blame or criticism on any individual or group within the watershed, but
to try and provide an accurate characterization of **all** conditions
that lead to water quality impairment within the project area.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> An annual average precipitation value was calculated for the
> Newton/Clarkston watershed by summarizing the spatially explicit
> precipitation data contained in the **P**arameter-elevation
> **R**egressions on **I**ndependent **S**lopes **M**odel (PRISM)
> dataset (Daly et al. 1994**).**
>
> 2\. Affiliation:
>
> Cirrus Ecological Solutions, Logan, Utah

Funding Agency:

Utah Department of Environmental Quality - Division of Water Quality

> 3\. PRISM was used to determine the annual average precipitation value
> was calculated for the Newton/Clarkston watershed in a study of
> Clarkston Creek, Newton Reservoir, and Newton Creek.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> In summary, while it is believed that the BMPs prescribed in the TMDL
> implementation plan will improve water quality in the short term
> (i.e., 10 - 15 years) it is not believed that they are a long-term
> solution to phosphorus related water quality problems in the Newton
> watershed. Merely displacing the phosphorus will cause potential
> saturation in the soils, riparian buffers, etc. and eventually the
> phosphorus will again start impacting the water bodies in the
> watershed. The long-term solution must involve a change in the amount
> of phosphorus exported from and/or imported to the Newton watershed.

Google 306

Bioclimatic modeling using Gaussian mixture distributions and multiscale
segmentation

Daniel G. Gavin and Feng Sheng Hu

*Global Ecology and Biogeography, (Global Ecol. Biogeogr*.*)* (2005) 14,
491--501

ABSTRACT

To introduce Gaussian mixture distributions and sequential maximum a
posteriori image segmentation (GM-SMAP) as a model that predicts species
ranges from mapped climatic variables, and to compare its predictive
capacity with two commonly used bioclimatic models: regression tree
analysis (RTA) and smoothed response surfaces (SRS).

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Climatic and water-balance variables were developed from the monthly
> normals available from the PRISM climate mapping project (Daly
>
> et al., 1994).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:
>
> Department of Plant Biology, 265 Morrill Hall, University of Illinois,
> Urbana, IL

Funding Agency:

This research was funded by the US National Science Foundation (DEB
02--12917) and the Packard Foundation.

> 3\. PRISM was used to develop climatic and water-balance variables for
> a bioclimatic modeling study using Gaussian mixture distributions and
> multiscale segmentation in North-west North America.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> Models using all five variables were significantly better than
> three-variable models. Model fit was greatest for SRS. GM-SMAP
> misclassified slightly more area and RTA misclassified almost twice
> the area compared to SRS. However, cross validation showed that the
> predictive capacity was clearly greatest for GM-SMAP and lowest for
> SRS, indicating that GM-SMAP makes more accurate predictions from
> sparse data. Main conclusions GM distributions prevent overfitting
> using an information theoretic approach, and the SMAP algorithm
> minimizes the spatial extent of the largest misclassified area using a
> multiscale method. These properties, useful for image classification,
> also aid their strong predictive capacity as a bioclimatic model. SRS
> over fit the data, lowering its predictive capacity, and RTA failed to
> capture details of interactions among variables, yielding a poor fit.
> These results demonstrate the strong potential of GM-SMAP as a
> bioclimatic model.

Google 307

**THE COLORADO VEGETATION MODEL: USING NATIONAL LAND COVER DATA AND
ANCILLARY SPATIAL DATA TO PRODUCE A HIGH RESOLUTION, FINE-CLASSIFICATION
MAP OF COLORADO (***Final report v8***)**

David M. Theobald, Nathan Peterson, and William Romme

ABSTRACT

Land cover maps provide baseline information about the status, extent,
and distribution of land cover types, and this information is
fundamental to a variety of natural resource issues. For example, in
response to the severe wildfire seasons of 2000 and 2002, the National
Fire Plan (**USDA** 2002) was developed to help states identify
communities at risk from forest fires, and a key input to these
assessments is land cover data about forest types and structure.
Although detailed spatial databases exist for most National Forests,
maps that provide statewide, consistent coverage across all land owners
and managers, including private lands, are less common. National
programs have been developed to provide these data, such as the USGS Gap
Analysis Program that has produced land cover maps for each state (e.g.,
Schrupp et al. 2000) and the USGS/EPA National Land Cover Dataset (NLCD)
that has produced fine-grained land cover maps nationally (Vogelman et
al. 1998). An increasingly important aspect of efforts, such as the
NLCD, is that because they are produced with a repeatable methodology
and have scheduled updates, they are especially valuable to enable
trends to be assessed in addition to status (Heinz Center 2002).

Often, however, a land cover map that distinguishes finer-level classes,
perhaps down to the species level, is needed (e.g., National Vegetation
Classification level, USGS 1994). For example, in many states,
particularly in the western US because of the topographic relief, a
general land cover class such as grassland may include alpine tundra,
foothills grasses and shortgrass prairie. Frequently it is important to
be able to distinguish the species that occur between these three broad
grassland types. For wildfire applications, individual coniferous forest
species

often need to be mapped because the fire regimes associated with
different coniferous forest types can be quite different (e.g., frequent
ponderosa pine vs. infrequent spruce-fir fires). As a result, a
pragmatic issue of widespread interest is: can general land cover maps
such as the NLCD be modified to produce refined, finer-classification
land cover maps?

Our goal in this paper is to describe a methodology to produce a
fine-grained, fineclassed, statewide land cover map. Our research effort
was originally designed to support the Colorado State Forest Service's
Wildland Fire Hazard Assessment Methodology, which needed to identify
communities at risk from forest fires (Edel 2002). Our approach to
developing a statewide land cover map was to refine the general NLCD
classes using surrogate spatial data and knowledge of ecological
processes that control the distribution of land cover types. Our overall
goal was to produce a fine-grained (\~1 ha minimum mapping unit) map of
land cover types for Colorado. Our specific objectives were to: a)
differentiate important forest species Page 2 -- 2/5/2004 types; b)
enable current patterns of land cover to be directly incorporated into
models of potential distributions of land cover under varying climate
scenarios; c) and minimize project costs by incorporating
widely-available ancillary datasets such as topography (Gesch et al.
2002) and hydrography (USGS National Hydrography Dataset 1:100,000) into
a GIS framework.

We chose the approach of modeling land cover types based on NLCD for two
practical reasons. First, although there are a variety of methods to
develop species-level land cover maps such as categorical regression
trees (e.g., Meentemeyer et al. 2001) and spatial statistics (e.g.,
Ohmann and Gregory 2002), these typically require extensive field
surveys to develop a dataset of points that can be associated with
covariates. Indeed, we initially hoped to employ these techniques, but
the expense of generating a statewide dataset of plots collected in the
field far exceeded the amount of funding available. Second, decision
makers were pressing for these data within a 1 year timeframe, rather
than a two to three year time frame needed for an involved mapping
project. We felt that by incorporating knowledge that describes how
vegetation is distributed in relation to biotic factors such as
elevation and moisture gradients (e.g., Peet 1981), that we could
produce an improved map of vegetation types within a short time-frame
and limited budget. Here we detail our methods used to produce the
Colorado Vegetation Model (CVM) and provide results, including an
accuracy assessment and comparison to two other land cover datasets. We
conclude by detailing the potential uses for spatially-modeled
vegetation products. Plant taxonomy follows Weber (1987, 1996).

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> The PRISM data provide an elevationally-weighted regression of
> climatic data across the US (Daly et al. 1994). Because of the
> relatively coarse resolution of the PRISM data (roughly 2 km), we used
> the 30 m DEM to smooth the precipitation values by weighting
> precipitation by local elevation values.
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Natural Resource Ecology Lab

Funding Agency:

> We thank the Colorado State Forest Service and the Nature
> Conservancy's David Smith Conservation Research Program for financial
> support of this project,
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to "provide an elevationally-weighted regression of
> climatic data across the US."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:

Because the number of classes and spatial resolution (grain) influence
the notion of "accuracy", we developed a refined accuracy method that
directly incorporates the number of classes so that comparisons can be
made on a more reasonable basis. One approach that wed examined was to
develop a means to weight a class based on its similarity to or
"membership" with another class. Standard contingency tables use a
weight of 1 if the ground and predicted class are the same and 0 if the
ground and predicted are different. With a small number of classes this
approach is reasonable, but is loses utility as the number of classes
increases (i.e. beyond 30 or so). For many purposes it is reasonable to
presume that some errors are larger than others (e.g., a ponderosa pine
misclassed as water vs. as Douglas fir), so that a weight could range
from 0 to 1. This provides a flexible approach to assess the accuracy
that can be made meaningful to a given use of the land cover dataset.
For example, the *weighted accuracy* columns in Table 3 shows results
that reflect adjusting the weights of classes based on the similarity of
species types in terms of fire. This raises the accuracy level,
especially for lodgepole pine, spruce-fir, and mixed woodland.

Another central challenge we faced in this project was the lack of a
comprehensive network of ground plots for which we could obtain the
spatial locations -- and conducting work at broad spatial scales
compounds the difficulty of collecting such data. We readily identified
a number of datasets that were developed for various projects throughout
the state, but because they were collected using different methods and
for different purposes, they were not very useful for our statewide
effort. Although the Basinwide points were helpful to estimate a general
level of accuracy, the sampling strategy did not contain a random
component and therefore we did not feel comfortable using these data in
an accuracy assessment. In addition, we were unable to acquire USFS
Forest Inventory Analysis data for the entire state.

Moreover, this points out a gap between common research efforts and the
needs of decision makers. That is, often research is conducted at fine
spatial extents (e.g., a small watershed or single stand) while decision
makers are often seeking guidance to manage broad landscapes (e.g.,
ecoregions and states). A second challenge was limited availability of
data about natural and human-induced disturbances. In particular, data
on the location and year of forest fires, timber harvesting (clear
cutting, selective harvest, thinning), chaining (to remove shrubs), etc.
are needed to better understand how these past modifications affect
current land cover conditions (Wohl 2001).

Google 309

John Day Subbasin Steelhead

Prepared by Blake Feist and Ashley Steel 

No source listed

ABSTRACT (none)

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Total annual precipitation for 1989, considered a "normal" year from
> Precipitation Elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model
> (PRISM) (Daly et al. 1994), acquired from the Interior Columbia Basin
> Ecosystem Management Project (ICBEMP) in 1999
>
> 2\. Affiliation:(none listed)

Funding Agency: (none listed)

> 3\. PRISM was used to provide total annual precipitation for 1989 for
> a study/report on steelhead in the John Day sub basin.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:

The final model selection procedure involved a ranking of the remaining
models by several criteria. All of the remaining models appeared to
perform well; the goal was to identify at most four models for each AOI
within a given sub basin that could be considered best. A secondary
consideration included the selection of models with a diversity of
predictor variables. Selection occurred in the following sequence, with
the process halted as soon as the pool of models dropped to four or
fewer. In most cases, it was not necessary to proceed through the entire
list before the pool of models was decreased sufficiently...

The final group of models is summarized below (Table 15). Further
details about the models, including parameter estimates and significance
levels, are presented in the sub basin sections of this document.
Predictions of redd density for each sub basin could be made by
averaging the predictions from several models. The BIC can be used to
compare models from the various AOIs within a sub basin, though cannot
compare models from different subbasins because in order to do so, the
set of response variables must be identical...

Google 310

CONTRACTION OF THE SOUTHERN RANGE LIMIT FOR ANADROMOUS ONCORHYNCHUS
MYKISS

David A. Boughton, Heidi Fish, Kerrie Pipal, Jon Goin, Fred Watson,
Julie Casagrande, Joel Casagrande, and Matt Stoecker

NOAA-TM-NMFS-SWFSC-380

ABSTRACT

For many species, contraction of the geographic range limit nearest the
equator is predicted by current global climate trends. Anecdotal data
suggest that the southern range limit for anadromous populations of the
fish Oncorhynchus mykiss has recently contracted northward; the
contraction is consistent with the climate-change hypothesis, but is
also consistent with the coincidental urbanization of the species'
southern range limit during the twentieth century. Distinguishing
between the two mechanisms of range contraction is important in part to
plan conservation measures for the species; and in part to accurately
account for the impacts of climate change vs. other impacts on species'
geographic distributions. Here we assess the current occurrence of
anadromous O. mykiss in each coastal basin of southern California in
which it occurred historically. The extent of the study is the region
from Monterey Bay (the Pajaro River basin) southward to the US Border
with Mexico; the grain of the study (the smallest unit for which
occurrence is estimated) is the coastal basin. Two especially large
basins---those of the Pajaro and Salinas rivers---were divided into
sub-units. Ninety-two historic steelhead basins were identified, and
occurrence was estimated in 86 of them through a combination of field
reconnaissance and spot checks (snorkel surveys). The spot checks were
conducted in the best occurring habitat of stream reaches with
migration-connectivity to the ocean. The results indicated that between
58% and 65% of historic steelhead basins currently harbor O. mykiss
populations. The pattern of basin-level extirpation showed a latitudinal
gradient, with the highest extirpation rates in the south, confirming
that a range contraction has taken place. Most of the extirpations (68%)
were associated with anthropogenic barriers to fish migration (dams,
flood-control structures, culverts, etc.). Historically, the probability
of occurrence in a basin was correlated with basin area, but this
correlation no longer holds. Barrier-associated extirpations were
positively correlated with urban/agricultural development, whereas the
"other" extirpations (i.e., not associated with barriers) were
positively correlated with mean annual air temperature in the basin. The
results suggest that the range contraction is primarily an effect of
lost migration opportunities arising from the urban/rural
infrastructure; however climate and other stressors may have played a
subsidiary role.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Basin areas (hectares) were estimated using ArcMap software and then
> log-transformed. Mean annual temperatures for each basin were taken as
> the mean PRISM temperature across each basin, here PRISM refers to
> interpolated climate data computed as in Daly et al. (1994) (obtained
> from the Climate Source, Corvallis Oregon; mean °C for the period
> 1961 - 1990).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Fisheries Ecology Division Southwest Fisheries Science Center NOAA
National Marine Fisheries Service, Santa Cruz, CA

> Funding Agency: (none listed)
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to determine the mean annual temperatures for each
> basin in a study designed to "assess the current occurrence of
> anadromous O. mykiss in each coastal basin of southern California in
> which it occurred historically."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> Despite the importance of climate, extirpations associated with
> barriers were twice as common as extirpations associated with
> temperature. The strong association between range contraction of an
> aquatic species and the regional development of water resources and
> flood control is consistent with Moyle's (1995) vision of the threats
> facing freshwater fish in southern California, and Frissell's (1993)
> analysis of threats to freshwater fishes throughout the west coast of
> the USA. Our study is the first to conduct a basin-by-basin accounting
> of O. mykiss in the south, and unambiguously demonstrates a
> large-scale range contraction and a strong association of barriers
> with that range contraction. Unlike the myriad impacts of climate
> change on natural systems (Parmesan and Yohe 2003), and the numerous
> negative effects of urbanization on native species, the major
> anthropogenic limit on southern steelhead occurrence at the basin
> scale appears to be quite specific: anthropogenic barriers are
> preventing migration to suitable habitat.

Google 311

AIR-QUALITY BIOINDICATION IN THE GREATER CENTRAL VALLEY OF CALIFORNIA,
WITH EPIPHYTIC MACROLICHEN COMMUNITIES

SARAH JOVAN1 AND BRUCE MCCUNE

*Ecological Applications*, 15(5), 2005, pp. 1712--1726

ABSTRACT

Air-quality monitoring in the United States is typically focused on
urban areas even though the detrimental effects of pollution often
extend into surrounding ecosystems. The purpose of this study was to
construct a model, based upon epiphytic macrolichen community data, to
indicate air-quality and climate in forested areas throughout the
greater Central Valley of California (USA). The structure of epiphytic
lichen communities is widely recognized as an effective biological
indicator of air-quality as sensitivities to common anthropogenic
pollutants vary by species. We used nonmetric multidimensional-scaling
ordination to analyze lichen community data from 98 plots. To calibrate
the model, a subset of plots was co-located with air-quality monitors
that measured ambient levels of ozone, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen
dioxide. Two estimates of ammonia deposition, which is not regularly
monitored by any state or federal agency in California, were
approximated for all plots using land-use maps and emissions estimates
derived from the California Gridded Ammonia Inventory Modeling System.
Two prominent gradients in community composition were found. One
ordination axis corresponded with an air-quality gradient relating to
ammonia deposition. Ammonia deposition estimates (r 5 20.63 and 20.51),
percentage nitrophilous lichen richness (r 5 20.76), and percentage
nitrophile abundance (r 5 20.78) were correlated with the air-quality
axis. Plots from large cities and small, highly agricultural towns had
relatively poor air-quality scores, indicating similar levels of ammonia
deposition between urban and agrarian land uses. The second axis was
correlated with humidity (r 5 20.58), distance from the coast (r 5
0.62), kriged estimates of cumulative ozone exposure (r 5 0.57), maximum
one-hour measurements of ozone (r 5 0.58), and annual means of nitrogen
dioxide (r 5 0.63). Compared to ammonia, ozone and nitrogen dioxide
impacts on lichen communities are poorly known, making it difficult to
determine whether the second axis represents a response to climate,
pollution, or both. Additionally, nitric acid may be influencing lichen
communities although the lack of deposition data and research describing
indicator species prevented us from evaluating potential impacts.

Key words: air pollution; ammonia; California; community analysis;
epiphytic macrolichens; gradients; land use; multidimensional-scaling
ordination; nitrogen dioxide; nitrophiles; ozone; sulfur dioxide.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> According to the ''precipitation--elevation regressions on independent
> slopes'' model (PRISM; Daly et al. 1994, 2001, 2002), the Central
> Valley generally experiences relatively low mean annual precipitation
> (range: 150--850 mm/yr) and high mean annual temperatures (16--198C).
> Precipitation is higher in the Sierra Nevada foothills (450--1100
> mm/yr), and central coast and Bay areas (500--1300 mm). The latter
> two, having more oceanic climates, experience milder mean annual
> temperatures (13--158C) and higher salt loading.
>
> Climate variables were extracted from the PRISM model (Daly et al.
> 1994, 2001, 2002), which included annual means of dew temperature,
> maximum temperature, minimum temperature, mean temperature,
> precipitation, number of wet days, and relative humidity.
>
> The humidity gradient is generally evident in the geographic
> distribution of plot scores for axis 2 (Fig.6), and is consistent with
> the PRISM data (Daly et al. 1994, 2001, 2002).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University,

Funding Agency:

> We are very appreciative of the **USDA**-Forest Service/ PNW Research
> Station and the Eastern Sierra Institute for Collaborative Education
> for funding for this research, contract number 43-0467-0-1700.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used provide "climate variables ... which included
> annual means of dew temperature, maximum temperature, minimum
> temperature, mean temperature, precipitation, number of wet days, and
> relative humidity" for a study that used epiphytic macrolichen
> communities to assess air-quality bio indication in the greater
> Centeral Valley of California."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> We have presented here the first lichen-based model for indication of
> NH3 patterns in the United States. Additional lichen communities may
> be sampled within the defined study area, incorporated into the model,
> and assigned air-quality scores with NMS (nonmetric multidimensional
> scaling) to indicate relative, local NH3 deposition. In the absence of
> a multivariate lichencommunity model, percentage nitrophile richness
> or abundance may be used as a rough but nonetheless useful estimate of
> NH3 deposition. Most species that we designated as nitrophiles, such
> as *Candelaria concolor*, and species from *Phaeophyscia*, *Physcia*,
> and *Xanthoria*, are widely accepted among lichenologists. The next
> advancement in NH3 biomonitoring research will ideally involve close
> calibration of lichen community data with direct NH3 measurements.

Google 312

PREDICTING THE POTENTIAL FOR HISTORICAL COHO, CHINOOK AND STEELHEAD
HABITAT IN

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

A. Agrawal, R. S. Schick, E. P. Bjorkstedt, R. G. Szerlong, M. N.
Goslin, B. C. Spence, T. H. Williams, K. M. Burnett

NOAA-TM-NMFS-SWFSC-379

ABSTRACT

Numerous Evolutionarily Significant Units (ESUs) of salmon and steelhead
in California and the Pacific Northwest have been listed under the U.S.
Endangered Species Act (ESA). In response, NOAA Fisheries convened
Technical Recovery Teams (TRTs) to develop biological viability criteria
for the listed ESUs. An understanding of biological structure is a
critical first step to assessing population viability and potential
persistence of ESUs (Meffe and Vrijenhoek, 1988; McElhany et al., 2000).
TRTs evaluate population structure within each ESU under historical
conditions, because this structure resulted from ecological and
evolutionary dynamics that played out across the landscape before recent
anthropogenic disruption. The historical population structure therefore
represents a state for which we are most certain that the ESU persisted
over long periods and is a "baseline" for evaluating the status of an
ESU under current or projected conditions. Because populations that were
important to ESU persistence in the past are likely to be important to
ESU persistence in the future, understanding the historical template is
critical to reducing uncertainty in assessments of current or future
viability scenarios.

Unfortunately, historical data on population abundance and distribution
are sparse and of limited spatial extent or resolution. Furthermore,
information on current conditions is often insufficient or is too
influenced by anthropogenic disruption of natural processes to support
inference regarding historical structure within a given ESU. TRTs for
coastal California and Oregon1 have therefore adopted a GIS-based
modeling approach

to predict historical population structure as a function of the
geomorphic and hydrologic processes that generate suitable freshwater
habitat for critical life-history stages of each species. This approach
to broad-scale classification of areas according to their "intrinsic
potential" (IP) to exhibit suitable habitat was originally developed for
Coho salmon and steelhead watersheds draining the Coast Range of Oregon
(Burnett et al., 2003), and is supporting analysis of historical
population structure for the Oregon Coast Coho Salmon ESU and the three
ESUs in the NCCC Recovery Domain (Lawson et al., in prep.; Bjorkstedt et
al., in prep.).

In this report, we describe implementation of this approach to coastal
watersheds between Cape Blanco, Oregon, and Monterey Bay, California and
characterize GIS data sets developed for listed ESUs of salmon and
steelhead in this region. Specifically, we adapt the approach developed
by Burnett et al. (2003) to predict IP for rearing habitat of Coho
salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), winter steelhead (O. mykiss) and fall-run
Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha). Note that we do not assess intrinsic
potential for summer steelhead and spring-run Chinook salmon because
these life-history strategies have very specific habitat requirements
(e.g., deep, cold pools in which the adults spend the summer) that are
not readily identified from available GIS data. In addition to the
technical description of the model and analysis, we also offer guidance
regarding appropriate interpretation and use of these results in
recovery planning for listed salmonids.

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

*1Two TRTs are charged with developing biological viability criteria for
five listed ESUs of salmon and steelhead that occupy watersheds
tributary to the Pacific Ocean between the Columbia River (exclusive),
and northern Monterey Bay, California. The TRT for the Oregon/Northern
California Coast (ONCC) Recovery Domain is charged with analyses for the
Oregon Coast Coho salmon (OC-Coho) and Southern Oregon/Northern
California Coast Coho salmon (SONCC-Coho) ESUs. The TRT for the
North-Central California Coast (NCCC) Recovery Domain is charged with
analyses for the Central California Coast Coho salmon (CCC-Coho),
North-Central California Coast steelhead (NCCC-Steelhead), Central
California Coast steelhead (CCC-Steelhead) ESU, and California Coastal
Chinook salmon (CC-Chinook) ESUs.*

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> To construct a stream network, we implemented a model developed by
> Miller (2003) that synthesizes grid-based data on topography derived
> from a 10 m resolution DEM5 and mean annual precipitation derived from
> the PRISM model (Daly et al., 1994)6.
>
> The PRISM data set is derived by interpolating climatic observations
> from the period 1961-1990 at a spatial resolution of 2km by 2km. The
> interpolation scheme accounts for the influence of elevation, aspect,
> and proximity to the coast on climatic variables such as temperature
> and precipitation (Daly et al., 1994).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:
>
> Santa Cruz Laboratory, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, NOAA
> National Marine Fisheries Service Santa Cruz, CA

Funding Agency:

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, and National Marine Fisheries Service

> 3\. PRISM was used to generate mean annual precipitation for a study
> on "predicting the potential for historical Coho, Chinook, and
> Steelhead habitat in Northern California."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:

Accounting for latitudinal gradients in climate

> By implementing the IP model directly, we assumed that geomorphic
> structure and precipitation interact similarly to generate stream
> networks in northern California and in coastal Oregon, for which the
> IP model was originally developed. We attempted to evaluate this
> assumption by estimating regional models for mean annual discharge as
> a function of catchment area and mean annual precipitation. To
> accomplish this, we assembled discharge data for stream gages with at
> least 20 years of data during the period for which the PRISM
> precipitation data were developed and with little or no evidence of
> substantial upstream diversion, extraction or elevated evaporative
> loss10. Preliminary analyses indicated that the relation of mean
> annual discharge to catchment area and mean annual precipitation in
> the SONCC Recovery Domain was essentially identical to that for
> coastal Oregon. The final discharge-precipitation relationship we
> developed for coastal watersheds throughout the study area was also
> very similar to that used for coastal watersheds north of Cape
> Blanco11. On the basis of substantial climatic differences, we
> estimated a separate model to predict discharge in watersheds in the
> San Francisco Bay.

Google 315

Hydrogeology and Hydrologic Landscape Regions of Nevada

Douglas K. Maurer, Thomas J. Lopes, Rose L. Medina, and J. LaRue Smith

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEYCarson City, Nevada

2004 Scientific Investigations Report 2004--5131

ABSTRACT

In 1999, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency initiated a rule to
protect ground water in areas other than source-water protection areas.
These other sensitive ground water areas (OSGWAs) are aquifers that are
not currently but could eventually be used as a source of drinking
water. The OSGWA program specifically addresses existing wells that are
used for underground injection of motor vehicle waste. If the injection
well is in a ground-water protection area or an OSGWA, well owners must
either close the well or apply for a permit. The Nevada Division of
Environmental Protection will evaluate site-specific information and
determine if the aquifer associated with a permit application is
susceptible to contamination. A basic part of evaluating OSGWAs is
characterizing the hydrogeology of aquifer systems including the
lithology, hydrologic properties, soil permeability, and faulting, which
partly control the susceptibility of ground water to contamination.
Detailed studies that evaluate ground-water susceptibility are not
practical in a largely unpopulated State like Nevada. However, existing
and new information could be extrapolated to other areas of the State if
there is an objective framework to transfer the information. The concept
of hydrologic landscape regions, which identify areas with similar
hydrologic characteristics, provides this framework. This report
describes the hydrogeology and hydrologic landscape regions of Nevada.
Consolidated rocks that form mountain ranges and unconsolidated
sediments that fill the basins between the ranges are grouped into
hydrogeologic units having similar lithology and assumed to have similar
hydrologic properties.

Consolidated rocks and unconsolidated sediments are the two major
hydrogeologic units and comprise 51 and 49 percent of the State,
respectively. Consolidated rocks are subdivided into 8 hydrogeologic
units. In approximate order of decreasing horizontal hydraulic
conductivity, consolidated-rock hydrogeologic units consist of: (1)
carbonate rocks, Quaternary to Tertiary age; (2) basaltic, (3)
rhyolitic, and (4) andesitic volcanic flows; (5) volcanic breccias,
tuffs, and volcanic rocks older than Tertiary age; (6) intrusive and
metamorphic rocks; (7) consolidated

and semi-consolidated tuffaceous rocks and sediments; and (8) clastic
rocks consisting of sandstone and siltstone. Unconsolidated sediments
are subdivided into four hydrogeologic units on the basis of flow
regime, topographic slope, and mapped stream channels. The four units
are (1) alluvial slopes, (2) valley floors, (3) fluvial deposits, and
(4) playas.

Soil permeability was grouped into five descriptive categories ranging
from very high to very low, which generally correspond to mapped
geomorphic features such as playas and alluvial slopes. In general, soil
permeability is low to moderate in northern, northeastern, and eastern
Nevada and high to very high in western, southwestern, and southern
Nevada. Within a particular basin, soil permeability decreases downslope
from the bedrock contact. The type of parent rock, climate, and
streamflow velocities are factors that likely cause these spatial
patterns.

Faults in unconsolidated sediments usually are barriers to ground-water
flow. In consolidated rocks, permeability and ground-water flow is
reduced in directions normal to the fault zone and increased in
directions parallel to the fault zone. With time, mineral precipitation
may seal fractures in consolidated rocks, reducing the permeability.
However, continued movement along the fault may form new fractures,
resulting in a fault alternating from a zone of preferred flow to a flow
barrier during geologic time. The effect of faults on ground-water flow
at a particular location is difficult to determine without a
site-specific investigation.

Hydrologic landscape regions were delineated by over- laying a grid of
100-foot (30-meter) cells over the State, estimating the value of five
variables for each cell, and conducting cluster analysis to assign each
cell to a region such that each region is fairly homogeneous and
distinct from other regions. The five variables include mean annual
precipitation, soil permeability, slope, aspect, and hydrogeologic unit.
The number of clusters was increased until each region had only one
category of hydrogeologic unit, which resulted in 16 regions. Most of
Nevada has moderate (8 to 16 inches) precipitation (58 percent), low
(less than 5 feet per day) soil permeability (50.1 percent), moderate (3
to 25 percent) slope (58.1 percent), non-northerly aspect (88.7
percent), and hydrogeologic units with high (greater than 40 feet per
day) horizontal hydraulic conductivity (59.8 percent).

Regions with moderate to high precipitation (equal to or greater than 8
inches per year), moderate to high soil permeability (greater than 5
feet per day), low to moderate slope (equal to or less than 25 percent),
and high hydraulic conductivity could have greater recharge rates and be
more susceptible to contamination than other regions. These
characteristics describe hydrologic landscape regions 9, 14 and 15,
which comprises 27.1 percent of Nevada. These hydrologic landscape
regions represent valley floors and alluvial slopes of most basins in
eastern and central Nevada. In the most populated areas of Nevada, hydro
logic landscape regions 9, 10, 14 and 15 comprise a large portion of Las
Vegas, Reno, Carson City, Minden, Gardnerville, and Spanish Springs.
These areas could be most vulnerable due to their hydrologic
characteristics and contaminants associated with urban land-use
practices.

NOTE

> 1\. PRISM Data:
>
> Mean annual precipitation ranges from 4 to 52 in. in Nevada (Daly and
> others, 1994). Three iterations were done to categorize precipitation.
>
> 2\. Affiliation:(not listed)

Funding Agency:

> Prepared in cooperation with the NEVADA DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND
> NATURAL RESOURCES, NEVADA DIVISION OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to provide mean annual precipitation ranges in
> Nevada for a study that "describes the hydrogeology and hydrologic
> landscape regions of Nevada. Consolidated rocks that form mountain
> ranges and unconsolidated sediments that fill the basins between the
> ranges are grouped into hydrogeologic units having similar lithology
> and assumed to have similar hydrologic properties."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> Most (59.8 percent) of Nevada is comprised of HLRs with high
> horizontal hydraulic conductivity. Regions with moderate to high
> precipitation, moderate to high soil permeability, low to moderate
> slope, and high hydraulic conductivity could have greater recharge
> rates and be more susceptible to contamination relative to other
> regions. These characteristics describe HLRs 9, 14 and 15, which
> comprises 27.1 percent of Nevada and represent alluvial slopes and
> valley floors in most basins of eastern and central Nevada. Aspect
> could be an important variable affecting susceptibility in Indian
> Springs Valley (HA 161) and Three Lakes Valley (HA 211) because they
> have a large amount of slopes with a northerly aspect. Aspect may not
> be an important variable for other HLRs because of the scattered
> distribution of northerly slopes.
>
> Almost 90 percent of Nevada\'s population lives on hydrogeologic units
> with high horizontal hydraulic conductivity. HLR 9 could be more
> susceptible than other regions and has 38 percent of Nevada\'s
> population, indicating it also is vulnerable to contamination. HLR 9
> represents the alluvial slope and valley floor of western Las Vegas
> and Spanish Springs, alluvial slope and fluvial deposits of western
> Reno, and valley floor of Carson City, Minden, and Gardnerville where
> virtually all the population is located. These areas could be most
> vulnerable due to their hydrologic characteristics and contaminants
> associated with urban land-use practices.

Google 319

Correlated evolution of chloroplast heat shock protein expression in
closely related plant species

Charles A. Knight and David D. Ackerly

*American Journal of Botany.* 2001;88:411-418.

ABSTRACT

Interspecific variation in chloroplast low molecular weight (cLMW) HSP
(heat shock protein) expression was examined with respect to phylogeny,
species specific leaf area, chlorophyll fluorescence, and mean
environmental conditions within species ranges. Eight species of
Ceanothus (Rhamnaceae) were heat shocked for 4 h at several different
temperatures. Leaf samples were collected immediately after the heat
shock, and cLMW HSP expression was quantified using Western blots. At
45°C species from the subgenus Cerastes had significantly greater cLMW
HSP expression than species from the subgenus Ceanothus. Specific leaf
area was negatively correlated with cLMW HSP expression after the 45°C
heat treatment. In addition, chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm) 1 h after
the heat shocks was positively correlated with cLMW HSP expression.
Contrary to our prediction, there was no correlation between July
maximum temperature within species ranges and cLMW HSP expression. These
results suggest that evolutionary differentiation in cLMW HSP expression
is associated with leaf physiological parameters and related aspects of
life history, yet associations between climatic conditions within
species ranges and cLMW HSP expression require further study.

*Key Words:* Ceanothus • chlorophyll fluorescence • chloroplast low
molecular weight heat shock protein • Rhamnaceae • specific leaf area

NOTE

> 1\. PRISM "climate maps of July maximum temperature and annual
> precipitation (obtained from the Oregon State University PRISM
> project; Daly, Neilson, and Phillips, 1994; Daly, Taylor, and Gibson,
> 1997) were intersected with the species range maps..."
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Department of Biological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford,
California

Funding Agency:

> Supported in part from a Tri-Agency (DOE, NSF, **USDA**) Training
> Grant in Plant Biology and an NSF Dissertation Improvement Grant
> (IBN-9902295) for C.K.
>
> 3\. PRISM "climate maps of July maximum temperature and annual
> precipitation (obtained from the Oregon State University PRISM
> project; Daly, Neilson, and Phillips, 1994; Daly, Taylor, and Gibson,
> 1997) were intersected with the species range maps, resulting in a
> histogram of the percentage of each species range falling into several
> different temperature or precipitation classes. From this histogram,
> the mean July maximum temperature and mean annual precipitation inside
> each species distribution were calculated as an estimate of species
> differences in realized climatic niche distributions (see Austin,
> Nicholls, and Margules, 1990; Westman, 1991; Franklin, 1998).'
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "We found significant differences in cLMW HSP expression among eight
> species of Ceanothus. This is the first study to document variation in
> expression of any HSP in closely related nonagricultural plant species
> and to examine this variation in the context of phylogenetic
> relationships and ecological variation among species. Expression
> levels of the cLMW HSP was significantly different between species of
> the two subgenera of Ceanothus. These two groups also differ in leaf
> traits and drought tolerance, and there was a negative correlation
> between HSP expression and specific leaf area (i.e., higher cLMW HSP
> per unit protein in thicker leafed species). There was a positive
> correlation between cLMW HSP expression and chlorophyll fluorescence,
> which supports the hypothesis that cLMW HSP expression functions to
> maintain PSII electron transport at high temperature. Interestingly,
> there was no correlation between cLMW HSP expression and measures of
> the mean July maximum temperature within the species range."
>
> "Several questions concerning the evolution and functional
> significance of HSP expression merit further attention (see also Feder
> and Hofmann, 1999). For instance, does evolution in thermally
> stressful environments involve natural selection favoring more
> thermally stabile proteins, or better mechanisms for maintaining
> proteins in their folding competent states (e.g., HSPs)? Understanding
> the importance of these alternative strategies will aid in
> interpreting variation in induction temperature or expression levels
> of HSPs. Research on relative costs and benefits of HSP expression is
> also needed to understand the factors that favor increased or
> decreased HSP expression levels or induction temperatures (Coleman,
> Heckathorn, and Hallberg, 1995 ). Comparative studies involving
> species from contrasting environments are critical for understanding
> the adaptive and functional significance of HSP expression with regard
> to the evolution of thermotolerance. Studies of species with varying
> degrees of evolutionary relatedness will provide insight into
> different aspects of this question. Congeneric species from
> contrasting climates minimize the genetic differences between species
> and make it somewhat easier to isolate specific traits of interest.
> Studies of distantly related species will be valuable to examine
> evolutionary change in more conserved aspects of the HSP response."

Google 320

Do abiotic differences explain contrasting graminoid functional traits
in sagebrush steppe, USA and Patagonian steppe, Argentina?

P.B. Adler, M.F. Garbulsky, J.M. Paruelo, W.K. Lauenroth

*Journal of Arid Environments* 65 (2006) 62--82

doi:10.1016/j.jaridenv.2005.07.003

ABSTRACT

Previous work in climatically similar sagebrush steppe, USA and
Patagonian steppe, Argentina suggested that a more intense evolutionary
history of grazing in Patagonia selected for graminoids of lower forage
quality, resulting in a plant community more resistant to livestock
grazing. Here we consider whether subtle abiotic differences might
create greater water or nutrient limitation in Patagonian steppe, which
would offer an alternative explanation for the observed contrasts in
graminoid functional traits. Simulations of soil water dynamics showed
that observed differences in temperatures and wind speeds canceled out,
but differences in soil texture were important. The sandier soils
typical of Patagonian steppe reduced the ratio of evaporation to
transpiration, and may have contributed to a longer growing season in
Patagonia, as measured by a satellite index of vegetation activity.
Thus, we did not find strong evidence for greater water limitation than
in sagebrush steppe, although the larger arid zone within Patagonia
might still favor the evolution of xerophytic traits. On the other hand,
sandy soils accumulate less total nitrogen than the loamier soils common
in sagebrush steppe. Older, more weathered soils are also more
regionally common in Patagonia. Nitrogen limitation created by coarse
textured, weathered soils offers an alternative working hypothesis to
explain the evolution of lower forage quality in Patagonian steppe
graminoids.

*Keywords:* Convergence; Evapo-transpiration; NDVI; Soil texture;
Sagebrush steppe; Patagonia

NOTE

> 1\. PRISM Data:

"To characterize regional precipitation in the sagebrush steppe, we used
mean annual values from Daly et al. (1994)."

> 2\. Affiliation:
>
> Graduate Degree Program in Ecology and Department of Forest, Range and
> Watershed Stewardship, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO

Funding Agency:

> PBA was supported by a NSF Graduate Fellowship and NSF International
> Programs dissertation improvement award. MFG was supported by the
> Universidad de Buenos Aires. The remotely sensed data was produced
> through funding from NASA's Pathfinder Program in cooperation with the
> National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to "characterize regional precipitation in the
> sagebrush steppe..."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "One explanation for the evolution of poorer forage quality in
> Patagonian compared to sagebrush steppe involves a more intense
> evolutionary history of grazing in Patagonia. Our analysis of abiotic
> differences indicates that nitrogen limitation caused by the coarse
> soils of Patagonia offers the most credible alternative hypothesis. We
> found less evidence for important differences in water stress, though
> it is possible that the larger arid regions within Patagonia favored
> the evolution of xerophytic traits. The N limitation hypothesis could
> be tested by sampling soil and plant tissue N across gradients of soil
> texture, holding precipitation constant. Rather than acting
> independently, evolutionary history of grazing and N limitation are
> likely to interact to influence plant traits. Since losses of
> leaf-tissue to herbivores are particularly difficult to replace when N
> is limiting (Coley et al., 1985), selection for plant defense against
> historical grazing may have been much stronger in Patagonian than
> sagebrush steppe."

Google 321

OBSERVATIONAL DATA USED FOR ASSIMILATION IN THE NCEP NORTH AMERICAN
REGIONAL REANALYSIS

Perry C. Shafran, Jack Woollen, Wesley Ebisuzaki,Wei Shi, Yun Fan
,Robert W. Grumbine , and Michael Fennessy

ABSTRACT (none)

The National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) North American
Regional Reanalysis (NARR, Mesinger et al, this volume) assimilated a
great deal of observational data. The data used was assimilated into the
analysis, used as boundary conditions, or directly used during the
execution of the Eta model. Here, the data usage and preparation are
described in depth.

Much of the NARR input dataset was created during the preparation period
of the NCAR/NCEP Reanalysis, also known as the Global Reanalysis (GR).
Most, but not all, of that data was also used in the NARR.

Temperature, winds, and moisture from radiosondes were used in the NARR.
Figure 1 shows a 00Z radiosonde distribution for a typical day. About
100-130 radiosondes were available for assimilation. Also included were
dropsondes, instruments dropped from airplanes, that also measured
temperature, winds, and moisture. Wind data was used from pibals.
Commercial aircraft measured temperature and winds. While NCEP surface
data was available in the GR, it only used the sea-level pressure in
their assimilation, and thus it was available for usage in the NARR.
Also, wind profilers have been available since 1990 and are assimilated
from that time on. Vertical Azimuth Display (VAD) winds have also been
available since about 1990 as well. Finally, cloud drift winds from
geostationary satellites also were used during the creation of the
analyses.

The dataset was basically the same as what was used in the GR.
Therefore, it required only a small amount of preparation. To make the
data useful for the NARR, though, the 6-hourly files had to be split
into 3-hourly files. Also, data outside the Eta domain was cut from the
file for easy file management.

NOTE

> 1\. PRISM Data:
>
> This particular dataset is analyzed using an orographic dataset known
> as the Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model
> (PRISM, Daly et al 1994). This allows the effects of mountainous
> terrain to be more accurately analyzed for the RR. Also, a
> least-squares weighting scheme was used as well. The daily
> precipitation was disaggregated using the HPD.
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

SAIC/GSO and NCEP/EMC, 5200 Auth Rd. Rm. 207, Camp Springs, MD

Funding Agency: (none listed)

3\. PRISM was used to analyze an observational dataset used for
assimilation in the NCEP North American Regional reanalysis.

> 4\. Impact or Conclusion: (none, not applicable)

Google 322

Statistical Analysis of Extremes Motivated by Weather and Climate
Studies: Applied and Theoretical Advances

Daniel S. Cooley

A thesis submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the
University of Colorado in partial fulfillment

of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of
Applied Mathematics, 2005

ABSTRACT

In this thesis three analyses involving extremes in weather and climate
studies are presented. Earlier it was said that extremes are usually of
interest primarily because of their significant human and economic
impact. Generally such studies try to quantify a worst-case scenario (or
at least a really-bad-case scenario). For instance, in hydrology
stream-flow measurements are used to estimate quantities such as the
aforementioned "100-year flood". The 100-year flood is an example of a
return-level, which is simply a high quantile. The n-th year return
level is the quantile which has probability 1/n of being exceeded at
least once in a given year. In 8 such studies, it is not uncommon (and
the application often requires) extrapolation beyond the temporal range
of the data, i.e. 50 years of data may be used to estimate the 100 year
flood.

The first project, however, is not a worst-case-scenario type of
application. The objective of the project is to use proxy data to
estimate the ages of paleoclimate events. Extreme value techniques are
used because the data are block maxima, but the quantities of interest
are not the data values themselves. Hence, the project is an inverse
problem, and, to our knowledge, is a unique application of EVT.

The second and third projects revolve around extremes on spatial
domains. Central to each project is the need to model spatial
dependence. However, because the goals of the two projects are distinct,
the spatial dependence in each is modeled very differently. Chapter 3
provides some background in geostatistics and multivariate extremes and
then outlines the different nature of the two projects. The projects are
then presented in Chapters 4 and 5.

Chapter 6 concludes the thesis. In it is a brief summary of the work
completed and some thoughts on future extensions of each of the
projects.

NOTE

> 1\. PRISM Data:
>
> For its current precipitation atlas update project, the NWS employs
> RFA and relies on the PRISM method (Daly et al. (1994, 2002)) to
> spatially interpolate the mean annual maximum precipitation which is
> employed as the index flood measure...
>
> The method we present in Section 5.3 differs in several ways from
> RFA-based studies above. Our general model has the flexibility to
> accommodate different covariate relationships, and models can be
> evaluated in manner similar to that in a regression analysis...
>
> We focus on two readily available covariates: elevation (Spatial
> Climate Analysis Service (1995)) and mean precipitation for the months
> April-October (MSP), which is itself an interpolated data product from
> the Spatial Climate Analysis Service (2004).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

University of Colorado at Boulder

Funding Agency:

> I was primarily supported by the department's VIGRE grant which
> allowed me tremendous freedom to work with Philippe and the GSP group
> at NCAR. I received summer support from the Weather and Climate
> Impacts Initiative at NCAR, and a portion of my travel was covered by
> grant NSF-ATM-0327936.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used in a thesis on three analyses involving extremes in
> weather and climate studies. Although all three of the projects
> incorporated a spatial component to their analysis, the details of the
> spatial analysis in the three projects were very different.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion: (no real conclusion given)
>
> "The second of the two models incorporated data from different spatial
> locations (specifically, different glaciers on the same mountain), and
> the model was able to test the hypothesis that there was no spatial
> effect in the data. More importantly, it was able to pool data from
> corresponding moraines of different glaciers to more accurately
> determine the age of the climatic event which formed the moraine..."

"An important extension of the precipitation model may be pursued. Using
the methodology presented in Chapter 5, one can create return level maps
for the 1-, 2-, 6-, 12-, and 24-hour precipitation levels. Each of these
would be done individually, using only the data corresponding to the
duration period under study. However, as the data are not coupled, it
would be possible that the return level estimate for say a 12-hour
duration period could be higher than for the 24-hour period. It seems
that one could borrow strength by developing a model which would produce
measures for all duration periods which would also not allow
inconsistencies in the return-level estimates..."

Google 323

West Nile Virus (WNV) in Equids in the Northeastern United States in
2000

United States Department Of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service Veterinary Services

ABSTRACT

The first new world outbreak of West Nile virus (WNV) in equids occurred
in the Northeastern United States in 1999. Following investigations in
1999, it was recognized there were still some important questions
regarding exposure and occurrence of disease among equids in this region
that remained unanswered. Thus, a case-control study of premises was
designed so that if cases of WNV in equids were identified in 2000, it
could be implemented in a timely manner. States with confirmed WNV
equine cases were requested to participate in the case-control study
coordinated by **USDA**: APHIS: VS. This study was designed to gather
information from premises with equids that developed clinical signs of
WNV infection in 2000, as well as from premises that did not have
confirmed disease due to WNV infection in their equids. In addition, a
spatial analysis was conducted to describe the geographic and ecological
aspects of case premises. Factors looked at included precipitation,
temperature, and locations of case premises relative to equid
inventories, WNV-positive mosquito pools, WNVinfected wild birds,
elevation and ecoregions.

The objective of the case-control study was to identify potential
environmental and management factors associated with equine exposure to
WNV in the year 2000, and generate hypotheses that may direct future
studies.

NOTE

> 1\. PRISM Data:
>
> Precipitation data were interpolated between weather stations and
> variation due to topography was minimized, using the
> Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model (PRISM)
> developed by Daly and Neilson (1992; Daly et al., 1994). In this
> regression-based interpolation process, precipitation values from
> weather reporting stations were weighted according to distance,
> elevation, cluster, vertical layer, topographic facet, coastal
> proximity, and effective terrain.
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

United States Department Of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service Veterinary Services

> Funding Agency: (assume same as above)
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to provide precipitation data for use in a study on
> West Nile Virus in horses in the Northeastern United States.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "Based on the spatial analysis of case-control and other data,
> exposure of equids to WNV is a geographically clustered event. Within
> regions of virus activity, exposure of individual equids appears to be
> chance event. Consequently, immunoprophylaxis is warranted for equids
> in regions where foci of WNV are likely to be found. This is similar
> to the approach used in protecting equids from infections with the
> viruses that cause eastern equine encephalitis and western equine
> encephalitis. Other recommended mitigation methods include reducing
> the size of vector mosquito populations, especially in areas near
> communal bird roosts or waterfowl congregations.
>
> Because there are many unanswered questions about equid exposure to
> infected mosquitoes in and around epizootic foci, future studies of
> affected, equid premises should include an ecological assessment of
> the surrounding area. It is important to determine which species of
> mosquitoes feeding on equids are also infected with WNV. In addition,
> the infection status of free-ranging birds in the vicinity of an
> affected premises needs to be determined. The location of communal
> bird roosts or congregations of waterfowl relative to a site with an
> infected equid needs to be determined more precisely."

Google 324

Climate Change, Hydrology, and Ecological Models: Intercomparison and
Validation

Wendy Silverman Gordon, Ph.D.

The University of Texas at Austin, 2003

**Abstract**

Chapter 1: Validation of Simulated Runoff from Six Terrestrial Ecosystem
Models Using Observed Streamflow: Results from the VEMAP Phase 2

Model Intercomparison

Vegetation/Ecosystem Modeling and Analysis Project (VEMAP) Phase 2 model
experiments investigated the response of biogeochemical and dynamic
global vegetation models (DGVMs) to differences in climate over the
conterminous United States. This was accomplished by simulating
ecosystem processes using historical climate and atmospheric CO2 records
from 1895-1993. We evaluated the behavior of six models ─ Biome-BGC,
Century, GTEC, LPJ, MC1, and TEM ─ by comparing simulated runoff in 13
watersheds to gauged streamflow from the Hydro-Climatic Data Network
(HCDN). Metrics used to assess the \"goodness of fit\" between simulated
and observed values were: 1) Pearson\'s r to evaluate the overall data
set, 2) Kendall\'s τ to gauge seasonality trends as derived from a
time-series analysis of monthly runoff, and 3) three measures of
absolute and relative error.

We found small differences in performance among the six models over all
watersheds. However, the models yielded highly divergent results
depending upon the watershed analyzed. Performance of the ensemble of
models in a watershed was positively correlated with observed
streamflow: models in the wettest watersheds in this study were
associated with the highest model correlations and largest absolute
errors, and models in the driest watersheds were associated with the
lowest correlations and smallest absolute errors. Mean relative error
was small and nearly constant across watersheds. A bias estimator showed
that the models tended to underestimate runoff in wet watersheds and
overestimate runoff in dry watersheds. Analysis of long-term trends in
runoff using a moving-average approach demonstrated the ability of the
models to reproduce temporal variation in observed data, even though
quantitative differences among models were large.

Models relying on prescribed vegetation (Biome-BGC, Century, and TEM)
outperformed the two DGVMs (LPJ and MC1); GTEC gave the poorest fit to
observations due to the absence of an evaporation function and a snow
routine. Across all 13 watersheds, TEM ranked the highest in model
performance. The validation results presented here suggest that
improvements in the simulation of hydrologic processes in land-surface
models will come, in part, from a more realistic representation of
sub-grid scale soil moisture and from a more detailed understanding and
representation of subsurface processes.

Chapter 2: Response of the Water Balance to Climate Change in the U.S.
Over the 20 and 21 Centuries: Results from the VEMAP Phase 2 th st Model
Intercomparisons using the VEMAP Phase 2 data set, we tested the
hypothesis that changes in climate would result in changes in the water
balance as projected by four terrestrial ecosystem models: BIOME-BGC,
Century, LPJ, and MC1. We examined trends in runoff and actual
evapotranspiration (AET), changes in runoff in relation to changes in
precipitation, and differences in runoff ratios as produced by these
models for 13 U.S. watersheds. Observed climate data were used as inputs
for simulations covering 1895-1993. From 1994-2100, the Canadian Centre
for Climate Modeling and Analysis (CGCM1) and the Hadley Centre for
Climate Prediction and Research (HADCM2) general circulation models
provided climate forcing. Runoff and AET trends were significantly
positive in the majority of 13 watersheds examined. Percentage changes
in runoff exceeded the underlying changes in precipitation and this
amplification increased over time. Calculated runoff ratios showed model
variability and differences based on the two GCM scenarios.

Chapter 3: Assessing Land-Cover Change in Watersheds of the
Hydro-Climatic Data Network: Application of the North American Landscape
Characterization Project Imagery from the North American Landscape
Characterization (NALC) Project was analyzed to detect land-cover
changes in a watershed selected from the Hydro-Climatic Data Network
(HCDN). Watersheds included in the HCDN have been screened to represent
"unimpaired" streamflow, that is, watersheds in which water management
practices have remained constant through time so as to not alter mean
monthly discharge. Implicit in this definition is the assumption that
land cover is also relatively constant over the streamflow time series.
This study examined land-cover change from 1972 to 1992 in an Oregon
watershed selected from the HCDN. Five classes were attributed for each
of the time periods: water/shadow, forest, grassland, shrubland, and
barren. Accuracy assessment was carried out for the 1992 imagery using
digital orthophoto quadrangles and an overall accuracy of 0.80 was
calculated while the KHAT value was 0.74. In the absence of data to use
for accuracy assessment of the baseline period, classifications of two
pieces of overlap imagery constituting a mosaic of the baseline period
were compared for consistency. A post-classification change detection
was carried out between the 1972 and 1992 images. Fifty-six percent of
the pixels were unchanged over time. The largest transitions occurred
among the forest, shrubland, and grassland classes. The L-THIA model of
Purdue University was used to quantify the potential impacts on runoff
of the magnitude of land-cover change detected here. Runoff changed less
than 5% over the 20- year period examined. This report summarizes
recommended steps for applying NALC imagery to detection of landscape
change in other HCDN watersheds.

NOTE

This dissertation consisted of three related studies. The first study
used historical streamflow records from the Hydro-Climatic Data Network
(HCDN) representing 13 unimpaired watersheds to validate runoff
simulated by six terrestrial ecosystem models (Biome-BGC, Century, GTEC,
LPJ, MC1, and TEM) comprising VEMAP. The validation exercise tracked the
historical period of VEMAP from 1895-1993. This study demonstrated that
the models performed better in wet watersheds, where runoff was
generally underestimated, than dry ones, where runoff was overestimated.
The static vegetation models outperformed the dynamic vegetation models.
TEM, an independently calibrated model, was the best performer. GTEC, a
model missing a snow routine and an evaporation function, was the lowest
performer. This study suggested that improvements to these types of
models may come from more realistic descriptions of hydrologic processes
in arid environments.

The second study examined water balance parameters of four of these
models (Biome-BGC, Century, LPJ, and MC1) from the inception of the
VEMAP climatological data base in 1895 through 2100. The 21st century
simulations were based on the Hadley Centre and Canadian Centre for
Climate Modeling general circulation models (GCM). Runoff and actual
evapotranspiration trends were positive in the majority of cases.
Percentage changes in runoff exceeded underlying changes in
precipitation and this amplification increased over time. Results varied
by model and GCM.

The third study sought to address an underlying assumption of the
validation work. Streamflow gauging stations included in the HCDN have
been carefully screened to filter out factors that could confound their
use in the assessment of long-term climate signals. One criterion for
station inclusion was that land uses in the watershed had not changed
over the period of record so as to significantly alter natural
streamflow. This assumption was explicitly tested in a watershed
selected for the validation study by interpreting remotely-sensed
imagery from the North American Landscape Characterization (NALC)
project, and land cover was found to be relatively unchanged over the
period examined, 1972-1992. Runoff modeling of land-cover changes was
accomplished using the Long-Term Hydrologic Impacts Assessment model and
runoff changes were less than 5% over the twenty year period.

> 1\. PRISM Data:
>
> We evaluated the behavior of six VEMAP models - Biome-BGC (Hunt and
> Running 1992, Running and Hunt 1993), Century (Parton et al. 1987,
> 1988, 1993), Global Terrestrial Ecosystem Carbon Model (GTEC; Post et
> al. 1997), Lund-Potsdam-Jena Dynamic Global Vegetation Model (LPJ;
> Haxeltine and Prentice 1996, Sitch 2003), MC1 Dynamic Global
> Vegetation Model (Daly et al. 2000), and Terrestrial Ecosystem Model
> (TEM; McGuire et al. 1992, Melillo et al. 1993, Tian et al. 2000) - by
> comparing simulated runoff from the VEMAP Phase 2 historical (20
> century) experiments to gauged streamflow from the Hydro-climatic Data
> Network or HCDN (Slack and Landwehr 1992). Using the
> Vegetation/Ecosystem Modeling and Analysis Project (VEMAP) Phase 2
> data set, we tested the hypothesis that changes in climate, which
> includes increases in atmospheric CO2 concentrations, precipitation,
> and temperature, would result in changes in runoff as projected by
> four terrestrial ecosystem models: Biome- BGC (Hunt and Running 1992,
> Running and Hunt 1993), Century (Parton et al. 1987, 1988, 1993),
> Lund-Potsdam-Jena Dynamic Global Vegetation Model (LPJ; Haxeltine and
> Prentice 1996a and b, Sitch 2003), and MC1 Dynamic Global Vegetation
> Model (Daly et al. 2000).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

The University of Texas at Austin

Funding Agency:

> Development of the VEMAP database was supported by NASA Mission to
> Planet Earth, Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), and **USDA**
> Forest Service Global Change Research Program. This research was made
> possible by a U. S. Department of Energy Global Change Education
> Program Graduate Research Environmental Fellowship to me and
> administered by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, as
> well as fellowship support from the University of Texas at Austin.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used in a Ph.D. thesis to evaluate "the behavior of six
> VEMAP models - Biome-BGC (Hunt and Running 1992, Running and Hunt
> 1993), Century (Parton et al. 1987, 1988, 1993), Global Terrestrial
> Ecosystem Carbon Model (GTEC; Post et al. 1997), Lund-Potsdam-Jena
> Dynamic Global Vegetation Model (LPJ; Haxeltine and Prentice 1996,
> Sitch 2003), MC1 Dynamic Global Vegetation Model (Daly et al. 2000),
> and Terrestrial Ecosystem Model (TEM; McGuire et al. 1992, Melillo et
> al. 1993, Tian et al. 2000) - by comparing simulated runoff from the
> VEMAP Phase 2 historical (20 century) experiments to gauged streamflow
> from the Hydro-climatic Data Network or HCDN (Slack and Landwehr
> 1992). Using the Vegetation/Ecosystem Modeling and Analysis Project
> (VEMAP) Phase 2 data set, we tested the hypothesis that changes in
> climate, which includes increases in atmospheric CO2 concentrations,
> precipitation, and temperature, would result in changes in runoff as
> projected by four terrestrial ecosystem models: Biome- BGC (Hunt and
> Running 1992, Running and Hunt 1993), Century (Parton et al. 1987,
> 1988, 1993), Lund-Potsdam-Jena Dynamic Global Vegetation Model (LPJ;
> Haxeltine and Prentice 1996a and b, Sitch 2003), and MC1 Dynamic
> Global Vegetation Model (Daly et al. 2000.)".
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "This study lends credence to the idea that impacts of vegetation
> change on streamflow may be slight, and that streamflow in this
> watershed remained "unimpaired" over the study period. Even with
> land-cover changes approaching 44% of the watershed runoff was
> predicted to have held relatively steady (within 5% change) from
> 1972/4 to 1992. The sensitivity experiments executed with the runoff
> model suggested that landcover changes in the future would have to be
> more dramatic than in the past to alter streamflow significantly. The
> results also suggest that low classification accuracies reported for
> some classes probably did not disproportionately influence the runoff
> results. Low classification accuracies are not uncommon in regions
> with heterogeneous and highly interspersed landcover types (Skirvin et
> al. in press). This patchiness may arise from edaphic variability,
> climatic and micro-climatic effects, and land-use effects. Even though
> forest was the 53 dominant land cover, the DOQs made it clear that the
> landscape was very heterogeneous and that classifying 60-m pixels is
> challenging work (Figure 3.8)...
>
> The current study has relevance not only to past research that has
> relied on the HCDN data base but also to the continued use of the data
> base, and the broader issue of long-term monitoring of the climate
> system for the fingerprint of climate change. As noted earlier, the
> HCDN is a popular tool for examining hydroclimatological processes and
> the detection of changes that have occurred to them during the 20th
> century. Demonstrating the long-term viability of HCDN as a set of
> reliable observations against which scientists can continue to examine
> the impacts of climate change is crucial. The climate change modeling
> community recognizes the needs for such long-term monitoring sites
> (Goody et al. 2002). The interpretation of remotely-sensed imagery
> with both a long temporal record and covering large land areas, such
> as the footprint of the HCDN watersheds, is a tool that could be
> employed for the continued assessment and updating of the records. The
> 1988 termination date of the HCDN is already 15 years shy of current
> climate observations. Extension of the data base would serve the needs
> of the climate change community for validation records.
>
> An objective of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility of a
> streamlined approach to detecting and interpreting land-cover change
> in watersheds so that this approach could be adopted and applied to
> watershed interpretation on a larger scale. The methodology described
> includes many steps in which analyst judgment is of paramount
> important. It is difficult to fully automate remote sensing
> interpretation. A skilled analyst is a necessity. Nonetheless, the
> steps outlined could be easily adopted and modified to demonstrate the
> ongoing suitability of HCDN watersheds to a wide range of hydrologic
> and climatological investigations using not only NALC data, but also
> incorporating data from newer platforms such as Landsat 7..."

Google 326

Evaluate the Snow Depletion Curve Theory in the American River Basin
with Distributed Snow Model

Eylon Shamir, Ph.D.

ABSTRACT

In numerical hydrologic snow models the Snow Depletion Curve (SDC) is
commonly used to explain spatial variability in the snow pack within the
modeling elements. This curve relates the Snow Cover Area (SCA) to the
current Snow Water Equivalent (SWE), which is a model derived variable.
A primary assumption carried in the exploitation of such curves is that
the accumulation and ablation processes that control the aerial SWE
distribution are mainly related to the physical properties (e.g.,
topography, land cover) and climatic signals (e.g., prevailing wind,
mean monthly precipitation distribution) of a given basin. Since these
basin properties are assumed stationary over the years with relatively
small inter annual variability the derivation of a single representative
SDC curve is feasible. We test the aforementioned assumption in the
upper part (i.e., \>1500 meter) of the three forks (i.e., North, Middle,
and South) of the American River Basin. The NWS snow-17 model which
accounts for the current energy and mass states of the pack, was
developed in 1-km2 grid cells to provide both the SCA and the SWE as
model variables. The model parameters were spatially distributed to
account for radiation variation resulting from land cover and aspect,
and 6-hour point observed surface temperature and precipitation was
interpolated based on climatologically derived lapse rate and mean
annual distribution map (PRISM), respectively. The model derived SDC
showed uniqueness of SDC in the upper three Forks, however, entail large
inter-annual variability. We developed a procedure that estimate SDC in
the beginning of the melting season that is based on Snow Course data
which reduces the uncertainty of the snow variables (e.g., SWE and melt)
resulted from the SDC.

NOTE

> 1\. PRISM Data:
>
> The MAT and MAP time series were used to generate input for each
> distributed model gridcell. The surface temperature was distributed
> based on a diurnally varied lapse rate applied to the elevation
> differences from the elevation of the upper Middle Fork MAT series. In
> order to distribute the precipitation to the model gridcells, we used
> the PRISM (Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes
> Model) map, which is a 2.5 arc min (\~4km) mean annual precipitation
> (1961-1990) map created for the conterminous US (Daly et al., 1994).
> The precipitation values were distributed based on the proximity of
> the model element's center to the center of the PRISM gridcell. The
> precipitation time series was applied at the location were the average
> annual precipitation is 1500 mm year-1, and the precipitation for the
> other model elements was distributed to maintain the same ratio of
> local to reference precipitation as observed from the PRISM map.
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Post Doctoral Associate at the Hydrologic Research Center San Diego, CA
92130

Funding Agency:

> This research was done as part of the INFORM Project, sponsored by the
> National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the California Energy
> Commission and the CALFED Bay Delta Authority.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to "evaluate the snow depletion curve theory in the
> American River Basin with Distributed Snow Model." "The NWS snow-17
> model which accounts for the current energy and mass states of the
> pack, was developed in 1-km2 grid cells to provide both the SCA and
> the SWE as model variables. The model parameters were spatially
> distributed to account for radiation variation resulting from land
> cover and aspect, and 6-hour point observed surface temperature and
> precipitation was interpolated based on climatologically derived lapse
> rate and mean annual distribution map (PRISM), respectively."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "In this study we evaluated the validity of the assumption that there
> is a static annual relationship between the SWE and the SCA during the
> melting season described by a characteristic snow depletion curve
> (SDC). The study was conducted by deriving these relationships
> explicitly using prognostic distributed snow model output for the
> basins of the three upper Forks of the American River for the water
> years 1960-1999. The model estimated SDC functions share a unique
> shape that characterizes the different Forks; however the SDC
> inter-annual variability is large. The effect of such variability is
> demonstrated and found to largely impact the timing of the snow melt.
> As such, one must exercise caution when assessing the timing of snow
> melt with spatially lumped models in real time or longer term
> predictions (e.g. associated with climate change scenarios).
>
> Analysis of the model derived SDC indicates that the SWE for a given
> SCA is related to the maximum SWE of the year at the end of the
> winter. Moreover, this maximum SWE is found to be correlated with
> early March snow course data from the corresponding Fork basin. Such
> results provide a simple procedure to adjust the SDC curve at the
> beginning of the melt season. This procedure could potentially reduce
> the uncertainty in the snow melt estimates.
>
> In future studies the idea presented here should be validated to
> confirm these reported relationships using different model setups. For
> example, using models with different temporal and spatial scales and
> using dynamical downscaling methods to distribute the model
> meteorological input onto the model elements. Application to areas in
> different hydroclimatic regimes is also a natural extension of this
> work."

Google 327

Simulated distribution of vegetation types in response to climate change
on the Tibetan Plateau

Minghua Song, Caiping Zhou & Hua Ouyang

*Journal of Vegetation Science* 16: 341-350, 2005

ABSTRACT

**Questions:** What is the relationship between alpine vegetation
patterns and climate? And how do alpine vegetation patterns respond to
climate changes?

**Location:** Tibetan Plateau, southwestern China. The total area is 2
500 000 km2 with an average altitude over 4000 m.

**Methods:** The geographic distribution of vegetation types on the
Tibetan Plateau was simulated based on climatology using a small set of
plant functional types (PFTs) embedded in the biogeochemistry-biography
model BIOME4. The paleoclimate for the early Holocene was used to
explore the possibility of simulating past vegetation patterns. Changes
in vegetation patterns were simulated assuming continuous exponential
increase in atmospheric CO2 concentration, based on a transient
ocean-atmosphere simulation including sulfate aerosol effects during the
21st century.

**Results:** Forest, shrub steppe, alpine steppe and alpine meadow
extended while no desert vegetation developed under the warmer and humid
climate of the early Holocene. In the future climate scenario, the
simulated tree line is farther north in most sectors than at present.
There are also major northward shifts of alpine meadows and a reduction
in shrubdominated montane steppe. The boundary between montane desert
and alpine desert will be farther to the south than today. The area of
alpine desert would decrease, that of montane desert would increase.

**Conclusions:** The outline of changes in vegetation distribution was
captured with the simulation. Increased CO2 concentration would
potentially lead to big changes in alpine ecosystems.

**Keywords:** BIOME4 model; Paleoclimate; Plant functional type;
Vegetation pattern.

NOTE

> 1\. PRISM Data:

The climate data for China simulated by the PRISM climate model
(Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes

> Model) developed by the Oregon Space Climate Research Center. Daly
> (1994, 2000) simulated the Chinese 0.05° × 0.05° gridded long-term
> mean climatology based on 2450 station mean values for monthly
> temperature, monthly percentage of potential sunshine hours, and
> monthly total precipitation throughout China and its adjacent regions.
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research,
Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing,China

Funding Agency:

> This research was financially supported by The Key Project funded by
> the Chinese Academy of Sciences (KZCX3-SW-339), and The National
> Natural Science Foundation (40331066).
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to "simulate climate data for China based on 2450
> station mean values for monthly temperature, monthly percentage of
> potential sunshine hours, and monthly total precipitation throughout
> China and its adjacent regions in a study that simulated distribution
> of vegetation types in response to climate change on the Tibetan
> Plateau."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "The outline of changes in vegetation distribution was captured with
> the simulation. Increased CO2 concentration would potentially lead to
> big changes in alpine ecosystems. ..."
>
> "Vegetation-atmosphere feedbacks may be important in determining the
> future climate. Our model results do not invoke vegetation feedbacks.
> A more complete understanding of the impact of climate on alpine
> vegetation in the early Holocene will include vegetation feedbacks..."

Google 328

Lichen Communities in Colorado.s Park Range and the Influence of Two
Coal Fired Power Plants

Poster

Eric B. Peterson and Peter Neitlich

ABSTRACT

Lichen communities are included in the Forest Health Monitoring program
because they directly address several key resource assessment questions
on the contamination of natural resources, biodiversity, forest health,
and sustainability of timber production. Hundreds of papers worldwide
and dozens of review articles and books have documented the close
relationship between lichen communities and air pollution, especially
SO2 and acidifying or fertilizing nitrogen and sulfur-based pollutants.
Quantitative relationships between lichen communities and air pollutants
can be established when sufficient air quality data are available
through lichen chemistry or direct air monitoring (McCune 1988; de Wit
1976). Steamboat Springs and the Park Range are downwind of two large
coal-fired utilities. Combined, the power plants annually emit an
estimated 20,000 metric tons of sulfur dioxide and 25,000 tons of
nitrogen oxides. Lichen tissue analysis in the nearby Mount Zirkel
Wilderness indicates that sulfur concentrations are the highest in
western Colorado, and sulfur isotope studies reveal the fingerprint of
local power plant emissions in lichen tissues (Jackson et al. 1996).
Previous Forest Health Monitoring off-frame sampling in the Steamboat
Springs and Hayden areas suggested that lichen communities have already
been altered. Lichen diversity on the lower to mid slopes in these areas
was considerably lower than in analogous clean air sites (n=6), but more
sampling was needed to document the severity and extent of the problem
(McCune et al. 1998). While chemical analysis of lichens at higher zones
showed greatly elevated sulfur levels, sampling intensity has not been
sufficient to establish impacts to communities. Impacts are suspected at
higher elevations, however, because of low pH and high sulfates in the
snowpack, and considerable impacts to aquatic ecosystems (T. Blett,
pers. comm.). The **USDA**/Forest Service recently issued a
certification of impairment of a Class I airshed attributable to the
power plants. As a result, strict emissions control technologies were
mandated and are beginning to be incorporated. Our intensified sampling
allows us to: (1) document the nature and degree of the impacts to the
resources from 30 years of emissions and (2) establish a baseline with
which to document long term changes associated with anticipated air
quality improvement from cleaner emissions.

NOTE

> 1\. PRISM Data:

Estimated annual precipitation (dominated by winter snow) and July
precipitation (dominated by afternoon rain showers) was obtained for
each plot from PRISM models (Daly et al. 1994).

> 2\. Affiliation:

Nevada Natural Heritage Program, Carson City, NV

Funding Agency: (none listed)

> 3\. PRISM was used to provide estimated annual precipitation
> (dominated by winter snow) and July precipitation (dominated by
> afternoon rain showers) for each plot in a study that examined the
> influence of two coal fired power plants on lichen communities in
> Colorado's Park Range.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "Results are preliminary, because some specimens are still being
> examined by experts. Among the 35 plots, we found 43 species... NMS
> Ordination revealed gradients that correlate with species composition.
>
> Regression revealed that our raw air scores were a function of
> elevation and the presence of Populus tremuloides.
>
> Term Coefficient p-value
>
> Constant -374.63 0.000878
>
> Elevation 0.331 0.0000695
>
> Elevation2 -0.00005973 0.0000542
>
> P. tremuloides -9.822 0.0062
>
> However, the variation remaining in our adjusted air scores did not
> correlate with the distance from the nearest power plant.
>
> What did correlate with distance from the nearest power plant (DIST)
> was the pollution intolerant genus Bryoria, particularly the most
> abundant species, Bryoria fuscescens. For our localized data, it
> appears that the lack of pollution intolerant species is more
> important than the presence of pollution tolerant species. The story
> is still somewhat complicated, as DIST is correlated with July
> (liquid) precipitation at our plots (r = 0.656). However, Bryoria
> fuscescens is not directly correlated with July (liquid) precipitation
> (r = 0.265). Regression describes the abundance of B. fuscescens as a
> function of DIST (p-value = 0.00009) but not July precipitation
> (p-value = 0.124)."

Google 330

Rainfall-Runoff Simulation using the VIC-3L Model over the Heihe River
Mountainous Basin, China

Zhao Dengzhong and Zhang Wanchang

0-7803-9050-4/05/\$20.00 ©2005 IEEE.

Pages 4391-4394

ABSTRACT

Water is an important resource in the cold and arid mountainous region
of northwestern China and as a pivotal role, affects the climate change,
land cover and change, forest and agriculture in local. A research about
hydrological circle process is a very meaningful work at the background
of global change. In this paper, the VIC-3L model has been slightly
modified to simulate the rainfall-runoff processes over the 10009 km2
drainage catchment on the upper-stream of the Heihe River Mountainous
Basin gauged by the Yingluoxia Hydrological Station. The main aims of
this paper are to examine the possibility for model parameter
transforming in a higher spatial resolution simulation in high altitude
mountainous area and to test the applicability of the VIC-3L model over
this region. For accurately simulating the spatial distributed
characteristics of the meteorological input parameters needed in the
VIC-3L modeling schemes, limited number of the station-based
measurements on temperature (daily maximum, minimum and mean) and
precipitation (daily rainfall, snow-melts) in the study catchment were
utilized to interpolate the distributed meteorological regimes by using
a PRISM scheme under the GIS environment. The soil and vegetation
parameters utilized in the model was partly transformed from the
original model, partly derived from the field experiment, soil
investigation data or cited from the relevant references. The model was
experimentally run under the 5 years continuous driven data to simulate
the response of rainfall-runoff. The results suggest that the simulated
runoff in the daily and monthly scale, besides the time lag about 2 or 3
day between the measured and simulated ones, is generally consistent
with the observed runoff, the precision of the simulated runoff in the
rainfall rich years are better than in the arid years. The Horton
infiltration theory works well and is the main feature in the VIC-3L
model and infilt is a parameter to describe the infiltration ability of
soil layer in the theory, so the variable is calibrated in this paper.
The further detailed analysis indicate that the VIC-3L model is
generally applicable in cold arid region of northwestern China, however,
much efforts need to modify or improve it for much satisfied
performances.

*Keywords:* Heihe River Basin, The VIC-3L Distribution Hydrological
Model, PRISM Spatial Interpolation Model, Land Surface Runoff

NOTE

> 1\. PRISM Data:
>
> So the PRISM spatial interpolation model is used to map daily
> precipitation, daily maximum temperature and daily minimum temperature
> using DEM data over the basin.
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

International Inst. for the Earth System Science, Nanjing University,
Nanjing, P.R. China

Funding Agency:

This work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of
China under Grant NOs.2001CB309404.

> 3\. PRISM was used to map daily precipitation, daily maximum
> temperature and daily minimum temperature using DEM data over the
> Heihe River Mountainous Basin in China during a study that used the
> VIC-3L Model to simulate rainfall-runoff.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "The results suggest that the simulated runoff in the daily and
> monthly scale, besides the time lag about 2 or 3 day between the
> measured and simulated ones, is generally consistent with the observed
> runoff, the precision of the simulated runoff in the rainfall rich
> years are better than in the arid years. The Horton infiltration
> theory works well and is the main feature in the VIC-3L model and
> infilt is a parameter to describe the infiltration ability of soil
> layer in the theory, so the variable is calibrated in this paper. The
> further detailed analysis indicate that the VIC-3L model is generally
> applicable in cold arid region of northwestern China, however, much
> efforts need to modify or improve it for much satisfied performances."

Google 333

NORTH AMERICAN REGIONAL REANALYSIS

A long-term, consistent, high-resolution climate dataset for the North
American domain, as a major improvement upon the earlier global
reanalysis datasets in both resolution and accuracy

Fedor Mesinger, Geoff DiMego, Eugenia Kalnay, Kenneth Mitchell, Perry C.
Shafran, Wesley, Ebisuzaki, Dusan Jovic, Jack Woollen, Eric Rogers,
Ernesto H. Berbery, Michael B. Ek, Yun Fan, Robert Grumbine, Wayne
Higgins, Hong Li, Ying Lin, Geoff Manikin, David Parrish, and Wei Shi

24 December 2004, in final form 7 November 2005

Submitted to the *Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society*

ABSTRACT

NORTH AMERICAN REGIONAL REANALYSIS

In 1997, during the late stages of production of NCEP-NCAR Global
Reanalysis (GR), exploration of a regional reanalysis project was
suggested, particularly if the RDAS \[Regional Data Assimilation
System\] is significantly better than the global reanalysis at capturing
the regional hydrological cycle, the diurnal cycle and other important
features of weather and climate variability." Following a six-year
development and production effort, NCEP's North American Regional
Reanalysis (NARR) project was completed in 2004, and data are now
available to the scientific community. Along with the use of the NCEP
Eta Model and its Data Assimilation System (at 32 km/45 layer resolution
with 3-hourly output), the hallmarks of the NARR are incorporation of
hourly assimilation of precipitation, which leverages a comprehensive
precipitation analysis effort, use of a recent version of the Noah land
surface model, and the use of numerous other data sets that are
additional or improved compared to the GR. Following the practice
applied to NCEP's GR, the 25 yr NARR retrospective production period
(1979-2003) is augmented by construction and daily execution of a system
for near real-time continuation of the NARR, known as the Regional
Climate Data Assimilation System, or R-CDAS. Highlights of the NARR
results are presented: precipitation over the continental United States
(CONUS), which is seen to be very near the ingested analyzed
precipitation; fits of tropospheric temperatures and winds to rawinsonde
observations; and fits of 2 m temperatures and 10 m winds to surface
station observations. The aforementioned fits are compared to those of
the NCEP-DOE Global Reanalysis (GR2). Not only have the expectations
cited above been fully met, but very substantial improvements in the
accuracy of temperatures and winds compared to that of GR2 are achieved
throughout the troposphere. Finally, the numerous datasets produced are
outlined and information is provided on the data archiving and present
data availability.

The NCEP (see Appendix C for a list of acronyms) North American Regional
Reanalysis (NARR) is a long-term, dynamically consistent,
high-resolution, high-frequency, atmospheric and land surface hydrology
dataset for the North American domain. It covers the 25-year period
1979-2003, and is being continued in near-real time as the Regional
Climate Data Assimilation System, R-CDAS. Essential components of the
system used to generate NARR are the lateral boundaries from and the
data used for the NCEP/DOE Global Reanalysis, the NCEP Eta Model and its
Data Assimilation System, a recent version of the Noah land surface
model, and the use of numerous data sets additional to or improved
compared to those of the Global Reanalyses. In particular, NARR has
successfully assimilated high quality and detailed precipitation
observations into the atmospheric analysis. Consequently, the forcing to
the land surface model component of the system is more accurate than in
previous reanalyses, so that NARR provides a much improved analysis of
land hydrology and land-atmosphere interaction. The overall atmospheric
circulation throughout the troposphere has been substantially improved
as well.

Exploration of a regional reanalysis effort as a follow up to the
NCEP/NCAR Global Reanalysis project was recommended by the November 1997
meeting of the Advisory Working Group of the project. Opinion was
expressed that "the proposed regional reanalysis is an exciting new idea
which has considerable potential value, particularly if the RDAS
\[Regional Data Assimilation System\] is significantly better than the
global reanalysis at capturing the regional hydrological cycle, the
diurnal cycle and other important features of weather and climate
variability." The NARR project was subsequently formed, and has been
supported for 6 years by the NOAA Office of Global Programs (OGP). A
Scientific Advisory Panel chaired by John Roads, of the Scripps
Institute of Oceanography, La Jolla, CA, and reporting to OGP, has
provided valuable and continued guidance to the NARR project.

Following the 25 yr period 1979-2003, the NARR is being continued in
near-real time as the Regional Climate Data Assimilation System, R-CDAS.
As specified in more detail below, this is done with a maximum effort to
minimize changes in R-CDAS compared to the retrospective NARR system, so
that the only changes in place are those which were forced by either
unavailability in near-real time of some of the data sources or
discontinuation of a data source.

After several years of development, most of the NARR production was
successfully completed during May-September 2003, taking advantage of
the window of availability of the previously \"production\" NCEP IBM ASP
supercomputer, and using four parallel streams to carry it out during
this limited time. Most of the remaining NARR tasks have subsequently
been completed, including processing of the complete 25 yr period.

The NARR was developed as a major improvement upon the earlier NCEP/NCAR
Global Reanalysis (GR1, Kalnay et al. 1996; Kistler et al. 2001), in
both resolution and accuracy. The NCEP/DOE Global Reanalysis (GR2,
Kanamitsu et al. 2002) is used to provide lateral boundary conditions.
The NARR takes advantage of the use of a recently operational version of
the NCEP regional Eta Model (Mesinger et al. 1988; Black 1988; Janjic
1994; for an overview see Mesinger 2000) including the many advances
that have been made in the Eta regional modeling and data assimilation
systems since the GR system's starting time of 1995.

Some of the most important improvements are direct assimilation of
radiances, the use of additional sources of data (Table 2), improved
data processing, and several Eta Model developments, particularly those
associated with the Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment (GEWEX)
Continental-scale International Project (GCIP) initiatives in
hydrological research, such as assimilation of precipitation and
improvements to the Noah land surface model, which is the land-model
sub-component of the Regional Reanalysis (Mitchell et al. 2004; Ek et
al. 2003; Berbery et al. 2003).

The NARR should help answer questions about the variability of water in
weather and climate, in particular as it concerns U.S. precipitation
patterns. To that end, a special effort was made to output all "native"
(Eta) grid time-integrated quantities of water budget. We expect that
the NARR should have a good representation of extreme events, such as
floods and droughts, and should interface well with hydrological models.

Our results -- first those of preliminary pilot runs at 80 km horizontal
resolution and 38 layers in the vertical, and later those of most of the
"production" results, at 32 km/45 layer resolution -- have been reported
on in a sequence of conference papers. The last of those is Mesinger et
al. (2004); note that its revised version is available at the NARR web
site <http://wwwt.emc.ncep.noaa.gov/mmb/rreanl/index.html>.

In all of these earlier reports, the assimilation of precipitation
during the reanalysis was found to be very successful, obtaining model
precipitation quite similar to the analyzed precipitation input.
Temperature and vector wind rms fits to rawinsondes were considerably
improved over those of the GR2 throughout the troposphere, both in
January and in July, and in the analyses as well as in the first guess
fields. Significant improvements in the 2 m temperatures and 10 m winds
were seen as well. In addition to completing our 25 yr production
period, we have also built the system for and started the near real-time
continuation of the NARR, following the practice of the NCEP global
"Climate Data Assimilation System", the real-time continuation of the
GR. A basic requirement underlying reanalysis efforts is, of course,
minimization of technical inhomogeneities in the system. However,
inhomogeneities in the input data are unavoidable, and the most
important of these we faced are in the input precipitation fields. One
such change, introduced into the processing as of year 1999, is the
switch from the use of both real-time and non real-time precipitation
observations to the use of only real-time observations, in the
gauge-only Climate Prediction Center (CPC) precipitation analyses over
the Contiguous United States (CONUS). Another is the change in the type
of CPC precipitation analyses used over the low and lower mid-latitude
oceans starting with January 2003, when we switched to our current near
real-time system. In the following sections, we give more details on
these two systems of ocean precipitation analysis, namely the Merged
Analysis of Precipitation (CMAP), used in the retrospective NARR, and
the Morphing Technique (CMORPH), used in the real-time R-CDAS.

As was the case with the GR, the NARR includes free forecasts performed
at regular intervals, useful for predictability studies. We have chosen
to do these forecasts every 2.5 days, out to 72 hr in order to have free
forecasts alternatively initialized at 0000 and 1200 UTC, with a 12 hr
overlap period. This should be useful to estimate or eliminate spin-up
in the first 12 hr. The free forecasts use GR2 forecast (not reanalysis)
lateral boundary conditions, in order to simulate the forecast skill
that would be attainable in operational conditions using the same
system.

This is our first open literature documentation of the project, and the
first report after the completion of the processing of the planned 25
years. In the section to follow we summarize the system and the data
used. Subsequently, we give a description of the precipitation, upper
air, near surface, and land-surface results obtained and compare the
fits to observations with those of the global reanalysis 2. A brief
summary of the near real-time continuation of the project, R-CDAS, is
given next. We then summarize the datasets produced, archiving systems
established, and archiving activities in progress or planned. Appendix A
contains a more extensive description of the NARR datasets. A DVD
accompanying this issue includes samples of results, and provides
additional information useful to potential NARR users. Appendix B
summarizes the contents of the DVD in some more detail. Appendix C is a
list of the acronyms used. A companion paper (Rutledge et al. 2006) will
describe the data retrieval system in place at the main data
distribution center, National Climatic Data Center (NCDC).

NOTE

> 1\. PRISM Data:
>
> Over CONUS, the 24 hr analysis is a 1/8-th degree analysis obtained
> using the analysis method of J. Schaake (personal communication),
> which applies an inverse square-distance weighting scheme and an
> orographic enhancement technique known as the Parameter-elevation
> Regressions on Independent Slopes Model (PRISM, Daly et al. 1994).
> This 24 hr CONUS analysis is disaggregated to hourly using temporal
> weights derived from a 2.5-degree analysis of hourly rain gauge data.
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

NCEP/Environmental Modeling Center, Camp Springs, MD

Funding Agency:

> No lesser credit should go to NOAA/OGP who funded the project, as well
> as much of the forerunner development of the precipitation
> assimilation and Noah land surface model within the EMC GAPP and GCIP
> projects, and whose program directors, Mark Eakin, Richard Lawford,
> Jin Huang, and Ken Mooney provided us with guidance in terms of the
> mechanics of the effort, as well as trust regarding the eventual high
> quality of the product to be obtained.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used as (part of the analysis method of J. Schaake) in a
> study that resulted in the development "of a long-term, consistent,
> high-resolution climate dataset for the North American domain, ... a
> major improvement upon the earlier global reanalysis datasets in both
> resolution and accuracy."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "We believe the results summarized here confirm that the objectives
> set out at the beginning of the Regional Reanalysis project, to create
> a long-term, consistent, high-resolution climate dataset for the North
> American domain, as a major improvement upon the earlier global
> reanalysis datasets in both resolution and accuracy, have been fully
> met. Regarding accuracy, not only have the near-surface temperatures
> and winds been shown to be closer to the observations than those of
> the GR, as could probably be expected, but clear and quite significant
> improvements in winds and temperatures throughout the troposphere have
> been demonstrated as well."

Google 334

Watershed Models for Decision Support in the Yakima River Basin,
Washington

M. C. Mastin and J. J. Vaccaro

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Open-File Report 02-404

Tacoma, Washington 2002

ABSTRACT

A Decision Support System (DSS) is being developed by the U.S.
Geological Survey and the Bureau of Reclamation as part of a long-term
project, the Watershed and River Systems Management Program. The goal of
the program is to apply the DSS to U.S. Bureau of Reclamation projects
in the western United States. The DSS was applied to the Reclamations'
Yakima Project in the Yakima River Basin in eastern Washington. An
important component of the DSS is the physical hydrology modeling. For
the application to the Yakima River Basin, the physical hydrology
component consisted of constructing four watershed models using the U.S.
Geological Survey's Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System within the
Modular Modeling System. The implementation of these models is
described. To facilitate calibration of the models, mean annual
streamflow also was estimated for ungaged subbasins. The models were
calibrated for water years 1950-94 and tested for water years 1995-98.
The integration of the models in the DSS for real-time water-management
operations using an interface termed the Object User Interface is also
described. The models were incorporated in the DSS for use in long-term
to short-term planning and have been used in a real-time operational
mode since water year 1999.

NOTE

> 1\. PRISM Data:
>
> In addition to the GIS data layer for the DEM, data layers for soils
> (U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1994), land cover/land use (U.S.
> Geological Survey, 1992; see Loveland and others, 1991; Cassidy,
> 1997), a forest-cover type and a forest-density (Zhu and Evans, 1992;
> Powell and others, 1998), simplified surficial geology (Fuhrer and
> others, 1998), and mean annual and monthly precipitation (Daly and
> others, 1994) were obtained to aid in the initial parameter estimates
> and to help in basin assessment. All data layers were established as a
> 208-foot-square GIS grid that was consistent with the DEM. A GIS layer
> of the major hydro meteorological sites in the basin was established
> jointly with USBR.
>
> To obtain zone information for every subbasin, the 208-foot-cell DEM
> data first were multiplied by the mean annual precipitation values
> (Daly and others, 1994) that were gridded in GIS using the same
> 208-foot cell size as the DEM, and then divided by 100. For each
> subbasin, the number of cells in a zone were accumulated and then
> converted to an area for each zone present in a subbasin.

2\. Affiliation:(none listed)

Funding Agency: (none listed)

> 3\. PRISM was used to obtain mean annual and monthly precipitation
> (Daly and others, 1994) to aid in the initial parameter estimates and
> to help in basin assessment in a study involving watershed models for
> decision support in the Yakima River Basin, Washington. In addition,
> PRISM was used to obtain the mean annual precipitation values that
> were multiplied by the 208-foot-cell DEM data to obtain zone
> information for every subbasin
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "The calculated daily values for all ungaged subbasins and the stream
> nodes, together with the observed estimated daily values, for the
> complete 1950-98 period provide a long (49 years) data series that can
> be used for assessment of long-term planning and policy decisions for
> water management. The values are stored in the Hydrologic Database for
> statistical analysis and for input into RiverWare. The values provide
> the ability to plan basin operations in a daily or monthly mode with
> streamflow values that are consistent with each other and represent a
> full spatial data series, which was not previously available. The
> integration of the models in the Decision Support System using the
> Object User Interface provides the framework for mid- to short-term
> operations and planning."

Google 336

Donald J. Bills and Marilyn E. Flynn. 2002. Hydrogeologic Data for the
Coconino Plateau and Adjacent Areas, Coconino and Yavapai Counties,
Arizona

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR and U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Open-File Report 02---265

ABSTRACT

Data on geology, topography, hydrology, climate, land use, and
vegetation were compiled between October 2000 and September 2001 and
assembled into a database for use by local and regional water resource
managers and for future water-resource investigations. The hydrologic
data include information on wells, springs, streamflow, water chemistry,
and water use. Limitations of the data and additional data needs also
were prepared. The roughly 5,000-square-mile Coconino Plateau contains a
complex regional aquifer that has become increasingly important as a
source of water supply for domestic, municipal, and in-stream uses owing
to population growth and development. The flow characteristics of the
regional aquifer are poorly understood because the aquifer is deeply
buried, which limits exploratory drilling and testing, and because the
geologic structure, which controls the occurrence and movement of ground
water, is complex. The study area is about 10,300 square miles and,
besides containing the entire Coconino Plateau, includes parts of
adjacent areas where ground water from the Coconino Plateau discharges.
Selected data are presented in tabular or graphical form. All data are
available in electronic form.

NOTE

The Coconino Plateau area contains important surface-water,
ground-water, and riparian resources that are under increasing pressure
from development. Concerns have been raised about the effects of water
development on regional springs, surface-water and riparian resources,
and the availability and sustainability of regional-water supplies.
Stakeholders agree that an improved understanding of the regional
hydrogeologic system is needed to address the concerns of water supply
and ground-water sustainability. Such an understanding requires a base
of information that adequately describes the system. That base of
information currently does not exist for the Coconino Plateau.

> 1\. PRISM Data:
>
> Additional precipitation data were obtained from a
> statistical-geographical approach model developed at Oregon State
> University called PRISM (Parameter- Elevation Regressions on
> Independent Slopes Model, fig. 5; Daly and others, 1994; Precipitation
> data for Arizona, accessed March 26, 2001, at
> <http://www.ocs.orst.edu/prism/state_products/az_maps.html>). PRISM
> uses DEM data that contain information describing the Earth's
> topography (slopes, aspects, and elevations) and observed
> precipitation measurements to determine variations in precipitation as
> a function of elevation (Daly and others, 1994).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:(none listed)
>
> Funding Agency:

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR and U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

> 3\. PRISM was used to provide precipitation data for a study, done in
> cooperation with the City of Williams and the USGS, involving
> compilation of available water-resources data for the Coconino Plateau
> from October 2000 through September 2001 as the initial phase of a
> study of regional hydrogeology. "The USGS compiled data on climate,
> geology, ground water, surface water, water chemistry, land use,
> vegetation, and water use."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> The hydrogeologic evaluation of water resources and ground-water flow
> of the Coconino Plateau requires adequate quantitative information
> that can provide an accurate characterization of surface and
> subsurface conditions. Although this data report provides substantial
> information to begin the hydrogeologic evaluation, additional data and
> monitoring could fill in data gaps and be used to better characterize
> the regional hydrogeology. The additional data could include: (1) an
> inventory of additional wells and springs and verification of existing
> well and spring information; (2) water-chemistry data that can be used
> to resolve the origin, occurrence, and movement of water; (3)
> large-scale geologic mapping of surface formations and structure in
> areas where the information is lacking; (4) selected geophysical
> information that will enhance understanding of the hydrogeologic
> framework in areas where direct physical information is lacking; and
> (5) a program to monitor spring discharge, streamflow, and
> ground-water levels at additional sites. As of September 2001,
> hydrogeologic data were still being collected and compiled into the
> database.

Google 338

ULREY, CHRISTOPHER JOSEPH. 2002.

The Relationship between Soil Fertility and the Forests of the Southern
Appalachian Region

A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty of North Carolina State
University

In partial fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of
Philosophy Botany

ABSTRACT

This study examines the distribution of plant communities across the
Southern Appalachian region and seeks to understand the role that soil
fertility plays in the complex pattern of vegetation that exists in this
landscape. A regional dataset consisting of 1,273 sample plots was used
to explore patterns of species composition. A total of 6 vegetation
classes and 19 plant communities were classified from this dataset. The
correlation of environmental variables with Nonmetric Multidimensional
Scaling (NMDS) ordinations indicated three major environmental
gradients, elevation surrogate for temperature ), topographic landform
(a surrogate for moisture), and soil fertility (base cations). The
regional dataset was subset to mesophytic plant communities (Acidic Cove
Forests, Rich Cove Forests, and Mesic Montane Oak-Hickory Forests) that
represent narrow segments of the elevation and topographic landform
gradients. Variables associated with soil fertility were highly
correlated with the NMDS ordination of this reduced dataset. Finally,
Acidic Cove Forests and Rich Cove Forests were examined separately. Soil
fertility variables continued to be important correlates with patterns
of species composition within Acidic Cove Forests. The Rich Cove Forests
also exhibited a strong relationship between soil fertility and species
composition. In addition, much of the compositional variation in Rich
Cove Forests appears to have a geographic component. Future efforts to
understand the causal factors of species distribution in this region
should consider soil fertility.

NOTE

> 1\. PRISM Data:
>
> Owing to the work of Daly et.al. (1994), quantitative estimates of
> annual and monthly precipitation information are now available for
> much of the U.S. Using existing weather station data, their method
> interpolates between these stations while accounting for topography.
> Monthly precipitation (JAN, FEB, MAR, etc. inches/month) and annual
> precipitation (ANNUAL inches/year) data were calculated for each
> sample plot. Additive variables were also created by combining monthly
> data to derive growing season precipitation (GROWING) ∑(May, June,
> July, August, September), growing season drought (DROUGHT) ∑(July,
> August), and recharge for months where soil moisture reaches
> saturation (RECHARGE) ∑(March, April, May).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Graduate student

> Funding Agency:

USDA Forest Service through the Bent Creek Experimental Forest provided
funding for this research.

> 3\. PRISM was used to provide quantitative estimates of annual and
> monthly precipitation for plots in a study on the relationship between
> soil fertility and vegetation patterns across the Southern Appalachian
> region.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> The benefits of understanding which environmental factors are
> associated with vegetation patterns in the Southern Appalachians are
> numerous. One specific example recently employed by the U.S. Forest
> Service is predictive mapping, whereby environmental variables are
> generated in a Geographic Information System (GIS) and used to predict
> the occurrence of forest types or even individual species. Given the
> findings of the current work it appears that variables which attempt
> to characterize soil chemistry would add greatly to the viability and
> long-term success of predictive mapping endeavors.

Google 340

Forest & Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center Inventory and Monitoring of
Amphibians in North Cascades and Olympic National Parks, 1995-1998.

Edited by R. Bruce Bury and Michael J. Adams

USGS Forest & Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center

December 20, 2000

ABSTRACT

Olympic National Park (ONP) comprises 370,000 ha of land on the Olympic
Peninsula in Washington State. The park includes the Olympic Mountains
as well as a 100-km strip of Pacific coast. ONP has 13 species of
amphibians: 3 stream/seep breeders, 7 pond breeders, and 3 terrestrial
breeders. Three resident amphibians represent families endemic to the
Pacific Northwest. ONP has the richest herpetofauna of the three
National Parks in Washington State.

We developed new inventory techniques for amphibians in streams, seeps,
and ponds in ONP in 1995. These techniques are suitable and effective
for conducting broad inventories when many surveys must be conducted
over large areas. The techniques can also be adapted to long-term
monitoring and we have developed an example of this approach for
streams. We conducted extensive surveys of streams (167), seeps (250),
and ponds (167) in ONP from 1996 to 1998. These surveys determined the
distribution and, for streams, abundance of amphibians over most of ONP.
We found that most species were common and widespread within the
environmental limits that they were previously thought to occur. One
exception was the western toad which was rare at high elevations despite
its known ability to thrive at high elevations in other regions. The
other exception was Cope's giant salamander which was not detected in
the northeastern portion of the park including the Elwha River drainage.
Reed Glesne and Ronald Holmes simultaneously conducted similar surveys
in North Cascades National Park (NOCA; see attached reports).

We assessed the association between amphibians and many environmental
variables. Cascade frogs were associated with shallow ponds with high
attenuation of ultraviolet-b radiation. This is consistent with a
hypothesis that ultraviolet radiation may be contributing to declines in
Cascade frogs in other regions. However, we found no evidence that
Cascade frogs were declining in ONP. Cascade frogs were less likely to
occur when exotic fish (brook trout) were present and long-toed
salamanders never co-occurred with exotic fish. Stream amphibians were
all associated with the steep climatic gradients in ONP but climate
alone did not fully explain the current distribution of Cope's giant
salamanders.

Overall, we found few indications of serious amphibian decline in the
parks and definitely not of the magnitude that has been documented in
other areas such as Colorado and California where toads and ranid frogs
have virtually disappeared in many areas. All of the species that were
not marginal to the parks to begin with, were relatively common and
widespread in our surveys. We have little historic information on the
distribution and abundance of these species for comparison so it is
possible that some have declined or increased in abundance. However, we
see little reason to believe that major changes have occurred.

We have three main concerns: 1) Some pond breeding species (long-toed
salamander, Cascade frog) may be reduced or eliminated by introduced
fish. This does not appear to be a major management concern in Olympic
because these amphibian species are common and widespread in the many
fishless ponds that are available, and fish are no longer introduced in
ONP. The problem may be more serious in North Cascades. 2) Toads were
more rare than we expected in montane ponds of ONP and NOCA. They appear
common in some valley bottoms, but this is a species that was
historically common at higher elevation in other parts of its range. It
is also a species that has declined dramatically in other parts of its
range. 3) The absence of Cope's giant salamanders on the northeast side
of the ONP is surprising. This species tends to be a habitat generalist
compared to the other stream-breeding species and much suitable habitat
exists in the northeast corner of the park. Our analysis suggest that
this pattern is not entirely a result of the southwest to northeast
climate gradient. We recommend that hydrology and potential pollution
from the Seattle area be investigated as possible causes.

Both ONP and NOCA are important for long term monitoring. ONP is
important because of its environmental gradients and its diverse and
unique amphibian assemblage. NOCA is important because it is near the
northern extent of the range for several species. We have developed
techniques and collected baseline data that will aid future monitoring.
These unique characteristics coupled with the amphibian data we have
collected provide an opportunity for long-term study of global change
and evaluation of declining amphibian hypotheses. We urge continued
study and active monitoring of these systems.

NOTE

> 1\. PRISM Data:

To determine the association between stream amphibian distributions and
climate gradients, we used climate predictions from PRISM climate
models. PRISM generates gridded estimates of climate parameters based on
point data and a digital elevation model (Daly et al. 1994). It is
designed to account for the effect that mountainous terrain has on
climate. We used the average number of individuals/segment for each
PRISM grid cell as the response variable for each species of stream
amphibian. The climate variables we analyzed were mean annual
precipitation, mean annual temperature, mean heating degree days, and
mean growing season length. They were based on data collected from
1961-1990.

> 2\. Affiliation:(none listed)
>
> Funding Agency:

USGS Forest & Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center (assumed)

> 3\. PRISM was used "to determine the association between stream
> amphibian distributions and climate gradients" during a study that
> inventoried and monitored amphibians in North Cascades and Olympic
> National Parks, 1995-1998.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> Currently, most species of amphibians in OLYM and NOCA appear to be
> stable or showing no signs of major distribution changes. This is
> encouraging news as other reports suggest marked declines of
> amphibians in the Rocky Mountains, Sierra 56 Nevada and Oregon
> Cascades. Why the northern parks have relatively \"healthy\"
> populations is unclear at this time. However, we should not let our
> guard down as rapid or catastrophic losses in amphibians have occurred
> in other parts of the world. Both OLYM and NOCA can also serve as
> sounding boards to better compare results from other regions (e.g.,
> contaminant levels in the Sierra Nevada). The rarity of western toads
> at higher elevations, the unexpected distribution pattern of Cope's
> giant salamander, the isolated nature of spotted frog populations, and
> the rarity of long-toed salamanders and Cascade frogs with introduced
> fish all give cause for concern.
>
> We have several recommendations. First, amphibians should be a
> component of any long-term monitoring in the northwestern National
> Parks. Their indicator status, links to multiple terrestrial and
> aquatic habitats, and worldwide evidence of sudden catastrophic
> declines justifies their inclusion.
>
> Second, we believe there is ample justification for fish removal from
> some lakes in the parks. We know that fish cause dramatic changes in
> aquatic systems that are not consistent with preservation goals
> (Leavitt et al. 1994; Meijer et al. 1994; Wellborn 1994; Vanni et al.
> 1997; Harig and Bain 1998; Liss et al. 1998) and evidence is strong
> and growing that introduced fish have negative effects on amphibian
> populations (Kiesecker and Blaustein 1998; Tyler et al. 1998a; Tyler
> et al. 1998b; Adams et al. 1999; Adams 2000). In the northwestern
> national parks, small fishless ponds appear to compensate for any
> negative effects of fish in larger waters, but we don't know how
> important large waters are over long time periods. Lakes may be
> essential for the persistence of some species during periods of
> drought when smaller ponds have insufficient duration for amphibian
> reproduction. It seems prudent to assure that some larger fishless
> habitats are dispersed throughout the park. Ongoing efforts in Mount
> Rainier and Sequoia National Parks have demonstrated the feasibility
> of fish removal using gill nets (Knapp and Matthews 1998). Moreover,
> amphibians are already showing signs of increase in lakes where fish
> have been removed relative to control lakes. By only removing fish
> from a network of lakes, the needs of aquatic organisms and the desire
> for backcountry fishing opportunities can be balanced.
>
> Finally, we suggest that western toads, Cope's giant salamander, and
> Columbia spotted frog all would benefit from further investigation
> into the factors affecting their distribution and abundance. The
> patterns we documented for western toads and Cope's giant salamander
> could both be indications of decline. Our lack of historic data to
> compare to precludes solid interpretation, but our current
> understanding of their biology gives cause for concern. In the case of
> Columbia spotted frog, we are not concerned that they are declining,
> although this species appears to be declining in parts of its range,
> but we feel that its fragmented distribution renders it vulnerable to
> perturbations.

Google 342

USING NEW REMOTELY-SENSED DATASETS IN MOS DEVELOPMENT: A STEP TOWARD
TRUE HIGH-RESOLUTION STATISTICAL QUANTITATIVE PRECIPITATION FORECASTS

Mark S. Antolik

Preprint, 17th Conference on Probability and Statistics in the
Atmospheric Sciences January 11-15, 2004, Seattle, AMS

ABSTRACT (none)

NOTE

Implications for Hydrologic Operations: We also have seen how many of
the decisions made by HAS forecasters can affect the character of the
NPVU QPE dataset. By extension, these decisions also will affect the
performance of the gridded MOS QPF and any future forecast system based
upon RFC-generated QPE. Because of the presence of the HAS forecasters,
perhaps no other dataset in the meteorological lexicon is subject to as
much human quality control and analysis in near real-time. To be sure,
the HAS function is an essential first line of defense against gross
errors in the operational QPE products. At the same time, this function
has the potential to alter the statistical "character" and homogeneity
of data which may be used at a later date. Now that the NPVU archive has
been established, it must be kept in mind that RFC-generated QPE may
have additional future use in research, forecast product development,
and forecast verification.

In order to ensure a consistent dataset which has application beyond
immediate hydrologic operations, we suggest that the RFCs strive for as
much standardization as possible in QPE processing procedures. There is
little question that locally- or regionally-devised procedures often are
necessary to arrive at the best possible QPE for hydrologic use at all
locations (e.g., Mountain Mapper). However, variable QPE processing will
almost certainly lead to variable performance of MOS forecasts based
upon these data. While this might be a favorable situation from the HAS
forecaster's standpoint (i.e., the automated QPF is somewhat "tailored"
to the biases of the QPE normally used in the local hydrologic models),
this may render the gridded MOS QPF somewhat less appropriate for other
users. Perhaps, these concerns could be addressed by the routine
production of a second RFC generated QPE dataset, specifically for
archive purposes, in which all QPE are produced to some common standard.

> 1\. PRISM Data:
>
> To assist with the mapping of gauge observations to the HRAP grid, the
> western RFCs rely on a software package called "Mountain Mapper",
> which utilizes the high-resolution PRISM (Precipitation-elevation
> Regressions on Independent Slopes Model) climatology developed by the
> University of Oregon (Daly et al. 1994). The Mountain Mapper
> (hereafter denoted by "MM") program is calibrated against the PRISM
> climatology by using certain user-selected gauge observations in areas
> where data coverage is deemed adequate. When precipitation occurs at
> the calibration sites, MM compares the hourly observed amounts with
> the collocated monthly PRISM value. The high-resolution PRISM field
> for the given month is then used to "project", via an inverse-distance
> weighting procedure, amounts at HRAP gridpoints in a manner which
> strives to preserve the relationships between the observed hourly
> precipitation amounts and the monthly PRISM normals at nearby gauge
> locations.
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Meteorological Development Laboratory Office of Science and Technology
National Weather Service/NOAA Silver Spring, Maryland

> Funding Agency: (none listed)
>
> 3\. PRISM was used as part of the western RFCs software package
> "Mountain Mapper" during the mapping of
>
> of gauge observations to the HRAP grid in a study that utilized "new
> remotely-sensed datasets in MOS development in a step toward true
> high-resolution statistical quantitative precipitation forecasts."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:

Benefits of Proposed System:

> As we have seen, by combining the strengths of the MOS approach with
> judicious use of the NPVU QPE dataset, we can develop a true,
> high-resolution, gridded statistical QPF system of nationwide scope.
> This system will be compatible with IFPS/NDFD requirements as well as
> the current NWS hydrologic forecast procedures. The MOS technique is
> also well suited to a probabilistic forecast paradigm. The inclusion
> of additional information regarding forecast uncertainty is being
> emphasized as NWS field operations transition to the use of IFPS/NDFD
> and a new ensemble streamflow prediction system. Through the use of
> summary statistics of the MOS QPF probability distributions at HRAP
> gridpoints, automated guidance for probabilistic forecasts of basin
> MAP will now be possible.
>
> The character of the NPVU QPE dataset makes it difficult to predict
> the eventual skill of gridded MOS QPF forecasts of the heaviest
> precipitation amounts. Assuming that data-void areas of the QPE are
> treated appropriately, however, the NPVU dataset appears to do an
> excellent job of delineating rain/no-rain areas with great detail,
> even if the estimated amounts are not always accurate. Therefore, the
> major benefit from the proposed gridded MOS QPF system may be a
> highly-detailed and skillful set of gridded PoP forecasts. Such
> guidance is likely to be ideal for initializing the IFPS to produce
> high-resolution PoP for inclusion in NWS zone forecasts.

Google 343

Construction of a 10-min-gridded precipitation data set for the Greater
Alpine Region for 1800--2003

Dimitrios Efthymiadis, Philip D. Jones, Keith R. Briffa, Ingeborg Auer,
Reinhard Böhm, Wolfgang Schöner, Christoph Frei, and Jürg Schmidli

An edited version of this paper was published by AGU. Copyright \[2006\]
American Geophysical Union.

Efthymiadis, D., P. D. Jones, K. R. Briffa, I. Auer, R. Böhm, W.
Schöner, C. Frei, and J.

Schmidli (2006), Construction of a 10-min-gridded precipitation data set
for the Greater Alpine Region

for 1800--2003, *Journal of Geophysical Research*, *110*, D01105,
doi:10.1029/2005JD006120.

ABSTRACT

A new precipitation data set for the Greater Alpine Region (GAR;
4°E--19°E, 43°N--49°N) has been developed. It provides monthly
precipitation totals, for the 1800--2003 period, gridded at 10-minute
resolution. The new HISTALP 10-min-grid data set is based on 192
long-term homogenized precipitation series from meteorological stations
across the study domain and a high-resolution precipitation climatology
for the 1971--1990 period. The effective coverage of the data set
depends on the observations available in the station network which
progressively declines back to the early 19th century (from 192 to 5
stations). To aid the use of these data in other studies, an
accompanying data set has also been developed, which provides a measure
of the quality of each monthly precipitation estimate over the grid: the
explained variance, relative to the 1931--2000 (maximum data
availability) period. The computed quality score illustrates the
comparatively poorer accuracy of the data set for regions and months
with less coherent precipitation fields (i.e., over the Alps and in
summer) and when the number of stations is reduced, particularly before
1840. The derived gridded field has also been compared for the whole and
geographical sub-regions with other independently-developed data sets
and is found to provide a similar description of the precipitation in
the GAR for places and periods of common coverage. The data set is
publicly available at <http://www.cru.uea.ac.uk/>.

NOTE

> 1\. PRISM Data:
>
> A modified/calibrated version of the PRISM technique \[Daly et al.,
> 1994, 2002\] was implemented for the interpolation of mean monthly
> totals at the stations onto a regular grid. For the needs of our study
> a 10 min × 10 min gridded climatology (hereafter 'ETH climatology')
> was obtained by spatially averaging the original high-resolution
> climatology.
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Climatic Research Unit, School of Environmental Sciences, University of
East Anglia, Norwich, UK

> Funding Agency:
>
> This study was carried out in the framework of the ALP-IMP project
> supported by the European Commission (EVK2-CT-2002-00148). The HISTALP
> system was developed within the Austrian Science Fund (FWF)--funded
> project CLIVALP (P15076-N06).
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to interpolate mean monthly totals at stations for
> use in the "construction of a 10-min-gridded precipitation data set
> for the Greater Alpine Region for 1800--2003."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> The construction of the new HISTALP 10-min-grid data set aims to
> represent the precipitation variability over the Greater Alpine Region
> on a regular geographical grid with monthly time resolution. To cope
> with the complexity of the precipitation field in the GAR a local data
> interpolation technique was developed which was applied to the
> time-varying station network. The parameters of the local interpolator
> were determined by the precipitation field coherence and the data
> availability around each grid cell. The gridding was implemented in
> two stages: a) reconstruction of the individual station time series
> using neighboring station data, and b) angular-distance-weighted (ADW)
> interpolation of observational and reconstructed monthly data. The
> temporal evolution of the gridded precipitation field accuracy was
> estimated in relation to the full station network period (1931--2000).
> The relative explained variance (score) computed indicates that the
> accuracy declines back in time as the station network becomes sparser,
> particularly in the inner-Alpine region during the 19th century. The
> accuracy also varies throughout the calendar year, with comparatively
> lower scores during the summer, due to reduced spatial coherence of
> rainfall patterns at that time. Within the 20th century, the gridded
> field compares well with the field provided by other data sets, in
> terms of the temporal variability correlation and multidecadal trends.
> Discrepancies were also found locally, mainly at places and times
> where the station networks of the various data sets differ
> substantially. While the new data set surpasses other gridded
> precipitation data sets, in terms of time length, its reliability has
> to be further validated through its use in future climate studies.

Google 347

Modeling Energy Inputs to Predict Pedogenic Environments Using Regional
Environmental Databases

Craig Rasmussen, Randal J. Southard, and William R. Horwrath

Published in Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 69:1266--1274 (2005).

doi:10.2136/sssaj2003.0283

ABSTRACT

We present a model for prediction of pedogenic environments and soil
properties based on energy input to the soil system. The model estimates
rates of precipitation and net primary production (NPP) energy input
using the Parameter-Regression Independent Slope Model (PRISM) climate
data, and a parent material index (PMI). Soil order, soil C, and clay
data from the State Soil Geographic (STATSGO) database were compared
with rates of NPP and precipitation energy input for major geographic
regions of the continental USA, including California, Oregon,
Washington, Texas, North Dakota, Alabama, Pennsylvania, and New
Hampshire. Soil orders in all states show differences in total energy
input (Ein, kJm_2yr_1) and the percentage of Ein from NPP (%Enpp) (e.g.,
Ultisols Ein \_ 29 915, %Enpp \_ 49%; Mollisols Ein \_ 5880, %Enpp \_
90%). Using linear regression models, rates of NPP estimated (R2 \_
0.82\*\*\*) trends in soil C content in western states, but failed to
estimate soil C in other geographic areas. Parent material index
adjusted energy flux estimated soil clay content for the majority
(99.5%) of igneous parent materials in California and Oregon (R2 \_
0.67\*\*), the only states with digital geologic data. The model
underestimated clay content in steeply sloping Inceptisols and Andisols
(0.5% of igneous land area). Results suggest that rates of NPP may be
used to estimate soil C for climate regimes with steep environmental
gradients. Landscape age and stability components might improve clay
prediction in young and erosive landscapes. Modeled energy input
provides a tool for, estimating pedogenic environments, soil order, and
soil properties. Energy input parameters may aid efforts to pre-map
broad landscape units for soil survey.

NOTE

> 1\. PRISM Data:
>
> The PRISM database was used to approximate climatic parameters across
> the continental USA. The PRISM model interpolates climatic data from
> known points using the assumed relationship between changes in
> topography and elevation and changes in temperature and precipitation
> at a scale of 1:250 000 (Daly et al., 1994). The PRISM data allow for
> estimation of current pedogenic regimes and we assumed the PRISM data
> represent the average climatic conditions during pedo logically
> significant lengths of time (i.e., we ignore past climate changes).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Land, Air, and Water Resources Dep., Univ. of California, Davis

> Funding Agency: (none listed)
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to approximate climatic parameters across the
> continental USA in a study on modeling energy inputs to predict
> pedogenic environments using regional environmental databases.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> This model may be improved and modified to operate at finer scales,
> such as the county scale (1:24 000) with the incorporation of landform
> indices derived from fine scale DEM data, site specific parent
> material indices, and remotely sensed vegetation data. These data
> sources could allow for incorporation of landscape stability features,
> vegetative cover and type, and specific indices relating parent
> material composition to weatherability. The incorporation of landscape
> age in particular, would allow for further testing of the hypothesis
> that soil properties and pedogenic regimes may be represented by these
> energy input variables. This approach, developed independent of soil
> data, may be useful for soil survey premapping and separation of the
> landscape into pedogenic environments.

Google 349

NORTH AMERICAN REGIONAL REANALYSIS

Fedor Mesinger, Geoff DiMego, Eugenia Kalnay, Perry Shafran, Wesley
Ebisuzaki, Dusan Jovic, Jack Woollen, Kenneth Mitchell, Eric Rogers,
Michael Ek, Yun Fan, Robert Grumbine, Wayne Higgins, Hong Li, Ying Lin,
Geoff Manikin, David Parrish, and Wei Shi

NCEP/EMC and UCAR

ABSTRACT

The NCEP North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR) is a long-term,
consistent, high-resolution climate data set for the North American
domain. It covers the 25- year period 1979-2003, and it will be
continued later in near-real time as the Regional Climate Data
Assimilation System, R-CDAS. After several years of development, most of
the production was successfully completed during May-September 2003,
taking advantage of the window of availability of the previously
\"production\" NCEP IBM ASP supercomputer, and using four parallel
streams to carry it out during this limited time. The NARR tasks still
to be completed are described later.

The NARR was developed as a major improvement upon the earlier NCEP/NCAR
Global Reanalysis (GR1, Kalnay et al, 1996; Kistler et al, 2000), in
both resolution and accuracy. The NCEP/DOE Global Reanalysis (GR2,
Kanamitsu et al, 2002) is used to provide boundary conditions, but the
NARR takes advantage of the use of the regional Eta model including the
many advances that have been made in the Eta regional modeling and data
assimilation systems since the GR system's starting time of 1995. Some
of the most important improvements are direct assimilation of radiances,
the use of additional sources of data (Table 2), improved data
processing, and several Eta model developments, particularly those
associated with the GCIP-funded initiatives in hydrological research,
assimilation of precipitation, land atmosphere coupling, and
improvements to the Noah land surface model, which is the land-model
subcomponent of the Regional Reanalysis (Mitchell et al. 2003; Ek et al.
2003; Berbery et al. 2003).

The NARR should help answer questions about the variability of water in
weather and climate, in particular as it concerns U.S. precipitation
patterns. To that end, a special effort was made to output all "native"
(Eta) grid time-integrated quantities of water budget. We expect that
the NARR should have a good handle on extreme events, such as floods and
droughts, and should interface well with hydrological models. Results of
preliminary pilots, produced at 80 km horizontal resolution and 38
layers in the vertical have been reported earlier (Mesinger et al.
2002). We have also reported on our preliminary "production" results, at
32 km/45 layer resolution (Mesinger et al. 2003). In all of these tests,
the assimilation of precipitation during the reanalysis was found to be
very successful, obtaining model precipitation quite similar to the
analyzed precipitation, especially during the warmer seasons.
Temperature and vector wind rms fits to rawinsondes were considerably
improved over those of the GR throughout the troposphere, both in
January and in July, and in the analyses as well as in the first guess
fields. Improvements in the 2-m temperatures and 10-m winds were seen as
well. Following final tests and having \"frozen\" the system we run most
of the NARR production during the past summer. We report here on the
production NARR results as they are available to us at the time of this
writing, and provide additional information deemed to be useful to
potential NARR users.

The period that (at the revision time) still remains to be processed as
part of the planned 25 years is the 25^th^ year, 2003, which requires a
number of special processing tasks because not all the necessary input
data is available in near real time and can be processed in the same
manner as the data used so far. The plans include efforts to minimize
inhomogeneities and to build a system enabling the NARR to continue to
be run in real time, like the \"Climate Data Assimilation System\" is
being run as a real-time continuation of the GR.

As was the case with the GR, the NARR includes free forecasts performed
at regular intervals, useful for predictability studies. We have chosen
to do these forecasts every 2.5 days, out to 72 h in order to have free
forecasts alternatively initialized at 0000 and 1200 UTC, with a 12-h
overlap period. This would be useful to estimate spin-up in the first 12
h. The free forecasts use GR2 forecast lateral boundary conditions,
which simulates the forecast skill attainable in operational conditions
with the same system.

The project has been supported for 5 years by the NOAA Office of Global
Programs (OGP), as originally planned, and will continue with reduced
support for one more year, in order to complete the tasks summarized
above. A Scientific Advisory Panel chaired by John Roads and reporting
to OGP has provided valuable and continued guidance to the NARR project.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Over the CONUS area, the disaggregation is performed based on hourly
> precipitation data (HPD), using an inverse distance scheme, and the
> Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model (PRISM,
> Daly et al, 1994) known as \"mountain mapper\".
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

NCEP/EMC and UCAR

> Funding Agency:
>
> The project has been supported for 5 years by the NOAA Office of
> Global Programs (OGP), as originally planned, and will continue with
> reduced support for one more year, in order to complete the tasks
> summarized above.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used as part of the "mountain mapper" along with hourly
> precipitation data in a North American regional reanalysis.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> During the intensive effort to complete the 23+ years of the NARR
> processing (December 2002 was done later), datasets had to be moved
> directly into the mass storage system at NCEP. The production of
> monthly means and other data forms that facilitate the use of the data
> is in progress and will be completed in early 2004. Four archiving
> centers plan to host various subsets of the NARR data. They are NCDC,
> NCAR, San Diego Supercomputing Center (SDSC) and the University of
> Maryland. These centers have a wide variety of storage resources at
> hand and will be making different portions of the total NARR database
> available at their institutions. Our plan is to make the so-called
> NOMADS facility at NCDC a major distributor of NARR data. To handle
> the data volumes, the next version of the NOMADS software is planned
> to allow subsetting by user specified: region, time, level, field, and
> resolution. This will likely require four unique processing streams to
> extract the proper data and prepare it to take maximum advantage of
> the individual storage possibilities available. Specifically, since
> none of the archiving centers have the ability to have on-line both
> the analysis and the first guess GRIB (also referred to as AWIPS)
> files, \"merged\" AWIPS files will be produced, containing analysis
> and some of the first guess fields. Discussion on which fields need to
> be included is in progress.

Google 350

National Climatic Data Center DATA DOCUMENTATION FOR DATA SET 6143
(DSI-6143) Prism High Resolution Analyses. December 6, 2002 National
Climatic Data Center, Asheville, NC

ABSTRACT

This data set consists of monthly and annual precipitation and
temperature files for a high resolution spatial grid. Each file
represents 1 month of 1 year for the period 18950101-19971231 (103
years). Distribution of the point measurements to a spatial grid was
accomplished using the PRISM model, developed by Chris Daly of the
Spatial Climate Analysis Service/Oregon State University. Care should be
taken in estimating data values at any single point on the map.
Precipitation and temperatures estimated for each grid cell are an
average over the entire area of that cell; thus, point values can be
estimated at a spatial precision no better than half the resolution of a
cell. For example, data were distributed at a resolution of
approximately 4km. Therefore, point precipitation can be estimated at a
spatial precision no better than 2km. However, the overall distribution
of precipitation and temperature features is thought to be accurate. For
additional information see the locations listed below:
[URL:http://www.ocs.oregonstate.edu/prism/prism_new.html](url:http://www.ocs.oregonstate.edu/prism/prism_new.html)

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Distribution of the point measurements to a spatial grid was
> accomplished using the PRISM model, developed by Chris Daly of the
> Spatial Climate Analysis Service/Oregon State University. Care should
> be taken in estimating data values at any single point on the map.
>
> 2\. Affiliation:
>
> Funding Agency:
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:

Google 351

DOWNSCALING SIMULATIONS OF FUTURE GLOBAL CLIMATE WITH APPLICATION TO
HYDROLOGIC MODELLING

ERIC P. SALATH´E JR

*Int. J. Climatol.* 25: 419--436 (2005)

Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com).
DOI: 10.1002/joc.1125

ABSTRACT

This study approaches the problem of downscaling global climate model
simulations with an emphasis on validating and selecting global models.
The downscaling method makes minimal, physically based corrections to
the global simulation while preserving much of the statistics of
interannual variability in the climate model. Differences among the
downscaled results for simulations of present-day climate form a basis
for model evaluation. The downscaled results are used to simulate
streamflow in the Yakima River, a mountainous basin in Washington, USA,
to illustrate how model differences affect streamflow simulations. The
downscaling is applied to the output of three models (ECHAM4, HADCM3,
and NCAR-PCM) for simulations of historic conditions (1900--2000) and
two future emissions scenarios (A2 and B2 for 2000--2100) from the IPCC
assessment. The ECHAM4 simulation closely reproduces the observed
statistics of temperature and precipitation for the 42 year period
1949--90. Streamflow computed from this climate simulation likewise
produces similar statistics to streamflow computed from the observed
data. Downscaled climate-change scenarios from these models are examined
in light of the differences in the present-day simulations. Streamflows
simulated from the ECHAM4 results show the greatest sensitivity to
climate change, with the peak in summertime flow occurring 2 months
earlier by the end of the 21st century. Copyright 2005 Royal
Meteorological Society.

KEY WORDS: Pacific Northwest; statistical downscaling; hydrology;
hydrologic modeling; precipitation; streamflow; climate change

NOTE

The downscaling method applied to climate models in this paper is a very
simple scaling of precipitation and temperature that forces the seasonal
mean values simulated for present-day conditions to agree with
observations. The physical basis of the scaling is well founded, given
the meteorology and topography of the region. The large-scale weather
systems that produce monthly variability in temperature and
precipitation are well resolved by global models. Although the mesoscale
processes that produce the regional patterns are not captured by global
models, these patterns are produced predominately by the interaction of
the large-scale systems with the stationary topography.

This minimal approach to downscaling requires that the global model
simulates realistic interannual variability. Other downscaling methods,
such as bias correction, could constrain the temperature and
precipitation CDFs for the HST simulations to match the CDFs of observed
temperature and precipitation. Thus, the issues that cause the HADCM3
simulations to yield poor simulated streamflow could be largely
mitigated. However, doing so may obscure important deficiencies in how
the model simulates the local weather dynamics and make model selection
more difficult. If a model simulates present-day variability
realistically, then that performance gives more confidence to the
model's response to anthropogenic forcing. The simple local scaling
exposes the capacity of the model simulation and allows one to judge
which model best represents the conditions for a particular region under
consideration. Since one of the models considered here, ECHAM4, performs
quite well with even this simple downscaling, the ability to judge that
performance may well outweigh the benefits of a more sophisticated
downscaling.

The ECHAM4 appears to do well in capturing the timing and distribution
of precipitation events, and the relationship between precipitation
events and temperature variability. The HADCM3 simulation for historic
conditions appears to simulate unrealistic wintertime variability, which
translates into less high-altitude snow, more wintertime streamflow, and
an earlier peak to the summer flow compared with streamflow computed
from observed data. As a result, the response of streamflow to climate
change computed from the HADCM3 A2 simulation is relatively weak
compared with the streamflow computed from the ECHAM4 A2 scenario. The
NCAR-PCM simulations fall between these two.

1.  PRISM Data:

> The data are derived by combining daily station observations with the
> long-term monthly climatology from the parameter-elevation regressions
> on independent slopes model (PRISM; Daly et al., 1994) to produced
> gridded daily fields. This data set spans the period 1 January 1949 to
> 31 July 2000 and is available from the Surface Water Modelling group
> at the University of Washington from their Website at
> [http://www.hydro.washington.edu/Lettenmaier/gridded
> data/](http://www.hydro.washington.edu/Lettenmaier/gridded data/).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:
>
> Center for Science in the Earth System, Joint Institute for the Study
> of the Atmosphere and Ocean, University of Washington, Seattle
>
> Funding Agency:
>
> This publication is funded by the Joint Institute for the Study of the
> Atmosphere and Ocean (JISAO) under NOAA Cooperative Agreement No.
> NA17RJ1232, contribution #1018.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to derive data for use in a study that downscaled
> global climate model simulations with an emphasis on validating and
> selecting global models.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> The good performance of ECHAM4 for the present-day simulation gives
> more confidence that the model does a good job capturing the basic
> physical mechanisms of Pacific Northwest climate and, therefore, of
> the sensitivity of the region to climate change. This evaluation,
> however, does not address the global climate response of the model,
> which depends on processes not considered in a regional study. For the
> A2 scenario, the ECHAM4 model simulates considerable warming for the
> region for summer. Simulated winter temperatures increase less
> dramatically. Simulated precipitation does not change significantly
> for either season with climate change. The most significant response
> of streamflow in the Yakima River basin to these changes is a shift in
> the typical summer flow peak from June to April during the 21st
> century.

Google 352

Climate Change and the Lower Fraser Valley

Eric Taylor and Darlene Langlois

Revised July 27, 2000

ABSTRACT

The climate of the Lower Fraser Valley is expected to change over the
next 100 years as atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations continue to
rise and cause an accelerated warming of the globe. Uncertainty remains
about the rate of warming both in the Valley and globally, but climate
models suggest a warming in the local area of about 3 to 4 degrees,
along with wetter winters and drier summers, by the end of the 21^st^
century. The current climate of the Valley is heavily influenced by the
proximity to the Pacific Ocean and the surrounding mountains. The Valley
therefore experiences relatively mild temperatures along with high
precipitation amounts. As these parameters change over the next 50 to
100 years, they could have a significant impact on sea levels along the
coast, spring flooding, summer drought, coastal ecosystems, air quality,
forest fire occurrence, and recreation.

NOTE

Three climate stations were analyzed in this study to assess the changes
in climate in the Lower Fraser Valley. Vancouver International Airport,
Abbotsford International Airport, and Agassiz Agricultural Research
Station, were selected for their relatively long records and the quality
of the data. The climate of Vancouver Airport, and to a lesser extent
Abbotsford Airport, are likely to have been influenced at least in part
by urbanization. Based on the analyses of these time series (Appendix
C), the Lower Fraser Valley temperatures have risen gradually over the
last 60 to 100 years. Most of this warming has occurred in the overnight
minimum temperature, and in both maximum and minimum in winter. This
phenomena is common in climate records throughout North America and is
likely to be caused, at least in part, by increasing greenhouse gas
concentrations. Generally minimum temperatures in the Lower Fraser
Valley have risen at the rate of about 2°C per 100 years, though only
Agassiz has data for the full century. **Figure 1.** Global air
temperature for the period 1860-1999. Both land and marine air
temperatures are included. Relatively few climate stations existed in
the late 1800s and early 1900s compared to the last 50 years. Maximum
temperatures did not rise as sharply in spring, summer or autumn, with
Vancouver Airport and Agassiz showing no increasing trend in maximum
temperatures at all in summer and autumn.

1.  PRISM Data:

> Precipitation estimates in the mountains have been aided by the use of
> results from a climate analysis system called PRISM that is now being
> used to provide temperature and precipitation estimates for all of
> British Columbia (Daly, 1994).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Environment Canada, Pacific & Yukon Region Vancouver, British Columbia

> Funding Agency:
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to provide mountain area precipitation estimates
> used in a discussion of climate change in the Fraser Valley, Canada.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> Some potential impacts that climate change could have in British
> Columbia and the Yukon were identified in 1997 (Environment Canada
> report, 1997). This report and recently updated information was used
> to compile the summary below of the potential climate change impacts
> on the Lower Fraser Valley. These potential impacts are based on the
> projections of global climate models and historical trends and are a
> result of literature review and expert assessment. There is a varying
> degree of uncertainty with each of these potential impacts.

Google 356

Genecology of Douglas Fir in Western Oregon and Washington

J . BRADLEY ST CLAIR, NANCY L. MANDEL and KENNETH W. VANCE-BORLAND

*Annals of Botany 96: 1199--1214, 2005*

doi:10.1093/aob/mci278, available online at www.aob.oxfordjournals.org

ABSTRACT

Background and Aims Genecological knowledge is important for
understanding evolutionary processes and for managing genetic resources.
Previous studies of coastal Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var.
menziesii) have been inconclusive with respect to geographical patterns
of variation, due in part to limited sample intensity and geographical
and climatic representation. This study describes and maps patterns of
genetic variation in adaptive traits in coastal Douglas fir in western
Oregon and Washington, USA.

Methods Traits of growth, phenology and partitioning were measured in
seedlings of 1338 parents from 1048 locations grown in common gardens.
Relations between traits and environments of seed sources were explored
using regressions and canonical correlation analysis. Maps of genetic
variation as related to the environment were developed using a
geographical information system (GIS).

Key Results Populations differed considerably for adaptive traits, in
particular for bud phenology and emergence. Variation in bud-set,
emergence and growth was strongly related to elevation and cool-season
temperatures. Variation in bud-burst and partitioning to stem diameter
versus height was related to latitude and summer drought. Seedlings from
the east side of the Washington Cascades were considerably smaller, set
bud later and burst bud earlier than populations from the west side.

Conclusions Winter temperatures and frost dates are of overriding
importance to the adaptation of Douglas fir to Pacific Northwest
environments. Summer drought is of less importance. Maps generated using
canonical correlation analysis and GIS allow easy visualization of a
complex array of traits as related to a complex array of environments.
The composite traits derived from canonical correlation analysis show
two different patterns of variation associated with different gradients
of cool-season temperatures and summer drought. The difference in growth
and phenology between the westside and eastside Washington Cascades is
hypothesized to be a consequence of the presence of interior variety (P.
menziessii var. glauca) on the eastside.

Key words: Pseudotsuga menziesii, genecology, geographical variation,
adaptation, growth, phenology.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Climatic data were obtained from GIS coverages generated from PRISM
> (Parameter- Elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model), a
> statistical--geographical model in which climate parameters are
> predicted for 4 · 4 km grid cells using localized regression equations
> of climate as a function of elevation with greater weight given to
> climate data from nearby weather stations of similar elevation and
> topographical position (Daly et al., 1994; see
> [www.ocs.orst.edu/prism/prism_new.html](http://www.ocs.orst.edu/prism/prism_new.html)).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Corvallis, OR

> Funding Agency: (none listed)
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to provide climatic data for a genecology study of
> Douglas Fir in Western Oregon and Washington.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> Adaptation of Douglas fir populations to their environments appears to
> be largely a consequence of trade-offs between selection for traits to
> avoid exposure to cold and traits that confer high vigor in mild
> environments. Winter temperatures are of greatest importance to
> population differentiation. Selection for drought avoidance by early
> bud-burst also appears to have resulted in population differentiation.
> An important unanswered question arising from this work is: what
> specific genetic and epigenetic phenomena are responsible for
> geographical variation observed in adaptive traits? To address this
> fundamental question, parents from this study are currently being
> genotyped at candidate genes presumably involved in cold hardiness and
> drought tolerance. Associations between DNA-level polymorphism and
> traits measured in this study should provide a first step to
> elucidating the genes or pathways responsible for adaptive variation
> in Douglas fir (Neale and Savolainen, 2004).

Google 357

Selecting discriminant function models for predicting the expected
richness of aquatic macroinvertebrates

JOHN VAN SICKLE, DAVID D. HUFF AND CHARLES P. HAWKINS

*Freshwater Biology* (2006) 51, 359--372

doi:10.1111/j.1365-2427.2005.01487.x

ABSTRACT

1\. The predictive modeling approach to bioassessment estimates the
macroinvertebrate assemblage expected at a stream site if it were in a
minimally disturbed reference condition. The difference between expected
and observed assemblages then measures the departure of the site from
reference condition.

2\. Most predictive models employ site classification, followed by
discriminant function (DF) modeling, to predict the expected assemblage
from a suite of environmental variables. Stepwise DF analysis is
normally used to choose a single subset of DF predictor variables with a
high accuracy for classifying sites. An alternative is to screen all
possible combinations of predictor variables, in order to identify
several 'best' subsets that yield good overall performance of the
predictive model.

3\. We applied best-subsets DF analysis to assemblage and environmental
data from 199 reference sites in Oregon, U.S.A. Two sets of 66 best DF
models containing between one and 14 predictor variables (that is,
having model orders from one to 14) were developed for five-group and
11-group site classifications.

4\. Resubstitution classification accuracy of the DF models increased
consistently with model order, but cross-validated classification
accuracy did not improve beyond seventh or eighth-order models,
suggesting that the larger models were overfitted.

5\. Overall predictive model performance at model training sites,
measured by the rootmean -squared error of the observed/expected species
richness ratio, also improved steadily with DF model order. But
high-order DF models usually performed poorly at an independent set of
validation sites, another sign of model overfitting.

6\. Models selected by stepwise DF analysis showed evidence of
overfitting and were outperformed by several of the best-subsets models.

7\. The group separation strength of a DF model, as measured by Wilks'
K, was more strongly correlated with overall predictive model
performance at training sites than was DF classification accuracy.

8\. Our results suggest improved strategies for developing reliable,
parsimonious predictive models. We emphasize the value of independent
validation data for obtaining a realistic picture of model performance.
We also recommend assessing not just one or two, but several, candidate
models based on their overall performance as well as the performance of
their DF component.

9\. We provide links to our free software for stepwise and best-subsets
DF analysis.

Keywords: discriminant function, expected richness, model selection,
model validation, O/E model, RIVPACS

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> We employed 14 candidate predictors (including PRISM precipitation and
> temperature data) for our DF Models (Table 1). Except for 'Julian
> day', all candidate predictors were estimated from geographical
> information system (GIS) operations on digital maps. Our reliance on
> map-based predictors was dictated by our desire to build models that
> could estimate O/E from a macroinvertebrate sample alone, without the
> need for other field data.
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

US Environmental Protection Agency, National Health and Environmental
Effects Laboratory, Western Ecology Division, Corvallis, OR

> Funding Agency:
>
> CPH was supported by EPA Science To Achieve Results (STAR) grants
> R-82863701 and R- 82863701.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to generate temperature and precipitation data as
> candidate predictors for DF models in a study in involving the
> selection of "discriminant function models for predicting the expected
> richness of aquatic macroinvertebrates:
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> Finally, Fig. 3 shows that many of our models performed quite well on
> training data, but then performed poorly, even worse than the null
> model, on data from an independent set of validation sites. Fig. 3b
> also suggests that model performance at validation sites can be
> degraded by using too many site groups as well as too many DF
> predictors. Our validation results indicate that overfitting is an
> issue for the entire structure of a predictive model, not just for its
> DF component. Sample size permitting, we recommend that predictive
> model developers set aside at least 20 reference samples or sites to
> provide an independent, realistic assessment of overall model quality.
> For many model development projects, reference site samples will be
> too precious for use only as validation data (Harrell, 2001). In these
> cases, cross-validation of the entire model-building process might be
> a more efficient, but still realistic, way to estimate overall
> predictive model performance.

Google 359

Boxplot Variations in a Spatial Context: An Omernik Ecoregion and
Weather Example

TOPICS IN INFORMATION VISUALIZATION

Daniel B. Carr, Anthony R. Olsen, Suzanne M. Pierson, and Jean-Yves P.
Courbois

*Statistical Computing & Statistical Graphics Newsletter* Vol.9 No.2: p
4-13

ABSTRACT

This article presents three variations on boxplots for use in a spatial
context. The three variations are linked micromap boxplots, linked
micromap bivariate boxplots, and angular boxplot glyphs. The specific
examples show Omernik Level II Ecoregions. The variables chosen for
illustration purposes are growing degree days and precipitation.

This article is closely related to papers by Carr et al (1998a, 1998b).
The first paper provides a general description of linked micromap (LM)
plots such as that in Figure 1b. The second paper puts LM plots to work
in describing Omernik Level II ecoregions. It also promotes LM plots as
useful methodology in the KDD pattern discover process and as overviews
that provide an orienting context for drilling down to finer detail in
extensive hierarchically organized summaries. This relatively brief
article adapts graphics and text from the second paper while focusing
attention on boxplots.

In this paper Section 2 provides context for the graphics with a
description of Omernik ecoregions and the data sets. Section 3 provides
background on boxplots and then presents both univariate and bivariate
LMboxplots. Section 4 motivates two angular boxplot glyphs and presents
the one that is more striking, the Portuguese man of war. Section 5
closes with connections to other work and challenges for the future.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> We use nationally consistent climate data sets developed using PRISM
> (Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model). PRISM,
> described by Daly et al (1994), is an analytical model that uses point
> data and a digital elevation model (DEM) to generate gridded estimates
> of monthly and annual climatic parameters.
>
> 2\. Affiliation:
>
> Funding Agency:
>
> EPA funded the majority of the work behind this paper under
> cooperative agreements No. CR8280820-01- 0 and No. CR825564-01-0.
> Additional federal agencies, BLS and NCHS, supported some facets of
> this work.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to provide climate data sets for a study involving
> "boxplot variations in a spatial context: an omernik ecorgeion and
> weater example."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> The task of developing and presenting statistical overviews for
> massive data sets is a big challenge. The environmental science
> community has worked on the task longer than many disciplines. How
> does one represent environmental facts and knowledge? Two recent book
> length overviews, Stone et al (1997) and Wahlstrom, Hllanaro, and
> Maninen (1996), involved the work of many people, including in one
> case layout specialists and graphics designers. The integration of
> photographs, text, and statistical graphics serves as an inspiration.
> Our challenge is to learn when others have blazed the trail, to make
> the improvements when we see the opportunity and to adapt the methods
> to other applications. Perhaps an even harder challenge is to see the
> patterns in important data not collected and take action.

Google 360

Estimates of Natural Ground-Water Discharge and Characterization of
Water Quality in Dry Valley,

Washoe County, West-Central Nevada, 2002--2003

David L. Berger, Douglas K. Maurer, Thomas J. Lopes, and Keith J.
Halford

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Carson City, Nevada.2004.

Scientific Investigations Report 2004-5155

ABSTRACT

The Dry Valley Hydrographic Area is being considered as a potential
source area for additional water supplies for the Reno-Sparks area,
which is about 25 miles south of Dry Valley. Current estimates of annual
ground-water recharge to Dry Valley have a considerable range. In
undeveloped valleys, such as Dry Valley, long-term ground-water
discharge can be assumed the same as long-term ground-water recharge.

Because estimating ground-water discharge has more certainty than
estimating ground-water recharge from precipitation, the U.S. Geological
Survey, in cooperation with Washoe County, began a three-year study to
re-evaluate the ground-water resources by estimating natural
ground-water discharge and characterize ground-water quality in Dry
Valley.

In Dry Valley, natural ground-water discharge occurs as subsurface
outflow and by ground-water evapotranspiration. The amount of subsurface
outflow from the upper part of Dry Valley to Winnemucca and Honey Lake
Valleys likely is small. Subsurface outflow from Dry Valley westward to
Long Valley, California was estimated using Darcy's Law. Analysis of two
aquifer tests show the transmissivity of poorly sorted sediments near
the western side of Dry Valley is 1,200 to 1,500 square feet per day.
The width of unconsolidated sediments is about 4,000 feet between
exposures of tuffaceous deposits along the State line, and decreases to
about 1,500 feet (0.5 mile) west of the State line. The hydraulic
gradient east and west of the State line ranges from 0.003 to 0.005 foot
per foot. Using these values, subsurface outflow to Long Valley is
estimated to be 50 to 250 acre-feet per year.

Areas of ground-water evapotranspiration were field mapped and
partitioned into zones of plant cover using relations derived from
Landsat imagery acquired July 8, 2002. Evapotranspiration rates for each
plant-cover zone were multiplied by the corresponding area and summed to
estimate annual groundwater evapotranspiration. About 640 to 790
acre-feet per year of ground water is lost to evapotranspiration in Dry
Valley. Combining subsurface-outflow estimates with ground-water
evapotranspiration estimates, total natural ground-water discharge from
Dry Valley ranges from a minimum of about 700 acre-feet to a maximum of
about 1,000 acre-feet annually.

Water quality in Dry Valley generally is good and primary drinking-water
standards were not exceeded in any samples collected. The secondary
standard for manganese was exceeded in three ground-water samples. One
spring sample and two surface-water samples exceeded the secondary
standard for pH. Dry Valley has two primary types of water chemistry
that are distinguishable by cation ratios and related to the two
volcanic rock units that make up much of the surrounding mountains. In
addition, two secondary types of water chemistry appear to have evolved
by evaporation of the primary water types. Ground water near the State
line appears to be an equal mixture of the two primary water chemistries
and has as an isotopic characteristic similar to evaporated surface
water.

NOTE

The Dry Valley Hydrographic Area is being considered as a source area
for additional water supplies for the Reno-Sparks area, which is about
25 mi to the south of Dry Valley. Current estimates of annual
ground-water recharge to Dry Valley have a considerable range and are a
direct function of the particular precipitation data used in the
recharge estimate. Because estimating ground-water discharge has more
certainty than estimating ground-water recharge from precipitation, the
USGS, in cooperation with Washoe County, began a three-year study to
re-evaluate the ground-water resources in Dry Valley, with emphasis on
estimating natural ground-water discharge.

1.  PRISM Data:

> A statistical-topographic model used to estimate regional
> precipitation (Daly and others, 1994) indicates that annual
> precipitation in Dry Valley may be as much as 80,000 acre-ft and the
> resultant ground-water recharge more than 4 times the estimate of Rush
> and Glancy (1967).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

> Funding Agency: (none listed, assume USGS, with help from Washoe
> County)
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to estimate regional precipitation in Dry Valley,
> Nevada for a study estimating "the natural ground-water discharge and
> characterization of water quality in Dry Valley, Washoe County,
> West-Central Nevada, 2002--2003."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> Water quality in Dry Valley generally is good and primary
> drinking-water standards were not exceeded in any samples collected.
> The secondary standard for manganese was exceeded in three
> ground-water samples. One spring sample and two surface-water samples
> exceeded the secondary standard for pH. Dry Valley has two primary
> types of water chemistry that are distinguishable by cation ratios and
> related to the two volcanic rock units that make up much of the
> surrounding mountains. In addition, two secondary types of water
> chemistry appear to have evolved by evaporation of the primary water
> types. Ground water near the State line appears to be an equal mixture
> of the two primary water chemistries and has as an isotopic
> characteristic similar to evaporated surface water.

Google 362

Comment on the paper: "Basin hydrologic response relations to
distributed physiographic descriptors and climate" by Karen Plaut
Berger, Dara Entekhabi, 2001. Journal of Hydrology 247, 169--182

A. Sankarasubramanian, Richard M. Vogel

*Journal of Hydrology* 263 (2002) 257--261

ABSTRACT (none)

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> The climate database consists of 37-year monthly time-series of
> monthly precipitation, average maximum daily temperature and average
> minimum daily temperature derived from 0.58 time-series grids based on
> the precipitation--elevation regressions on independent slopes model
> (PRISM) climate interpolation modeling system (Daly et al., 1994).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tufts University,
Medford, MA

> Funding Agency: (none listed)
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to provide monthly time-series grids of temperature
> and precipitation for a discussion on a previously published study on
> "basin hydrologic response relations to distributed physiographic
> descriptors and climate."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> Berger and Entekhabi (2001) developed a multivariate relationship
> between modeled runoff ratio and four basin descriptors using 10
> basins in the US. Different definitions of the basin characteristics
> were employed as well as different databases, so that one cannot
> really compare the coefficients in these two equations. Nevertheless,
> it is interesting to note that most of the variability in observed
> runoff ratios is explained by the same types of basin characteristics
> used by Berger and Entekhabi, to explain the variability in modeled
> runoff ratios. This lends support to their approach which employs
> hydrologic model output in combination with basin descriptors, to
> determine those aspects of basin lithology, climate and topography
> which govern the overall hydrologic response of a basin. Furthermore,
> it is interesting to note that in both studies, the wetness index
> explained most of the variability in the runoff ratio. In their study,
> the wetness index explained 70% of the variability in modeled runoff
> ratios, whereas in this discussion, the wetness index explained only
> 51% of the variability in observed runoff ratios. The two studies
> differed in terms of the degree to which information on the lithology
> and topography were able to improve estimates of the runoff ratio over
> and above the use of the wetness index alone.

Google 363

Brenner, J., K. Paustian, G. Bluhm, J. Cipra, M. Easter, K. Killian, J.
Schuler, P. Smith and S. Williams. 2001. Phase I Progress Report:
Quantifying the change in greenhouse gas emissions due to natural
resource conservation practice application in Nebraska. Colorado State
University Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory and USDA Natural
Resources Conservation Service, Fort Collins, CO, USA.

ABSTRACT

Land managers have long known the importance of soil organic matter in
maintaining the productivity and sustainability of agricultural land.
More recently, interest has developed in the potential for using
agricultural soils to sequester C and mitigate increasing atmospheric
carbon dioxide by adopting practices that increase standing stocks of
carbon in soil organic matter and vegetation. Practices that increase
the amount of CO2 taken up by plants (through photosynthesis), which
then enter the soil as plant residues, tend to increase soil C stocks.
Likewise, management practices that reduce the rate of decay or
"turnover" of organic matter in soils will also tend to increase carbon
stocks.

In 2001, we initiated a state wide assessment (Phase I) of how
management decisions involving cropping and tillage systems affect soil
organic matter. Our approach utilized a variety of resource data (on
climate, soils, land use and management), long-term field experiment
results, and the Century EcoSystem Soil Organic Matter Computer Model
(Parton, et al., 1987, 1994; Metherall, et al., 1993). An initial Phase
I study of cropland in Nebraska utilized existing information on
climate, soils and management factors (e.g., drainage, crops grown,
production levels and tillage systems) to estimate current rates of C
sequestration in Nebraska and derived a value of 1.7 million metric tons
per year (MMT). This annual rate of C sequestration can be maintained
and increased to 2.3 MMT of C if all cropland is converted to a no
tillage management system. Model refinements are continuing to help
provide an understanding of inputs due to irrigation in collaboration
with the University of Nebraska.

From this Phase I study, it was apparent that the individual counties
had land use information, including management histories of cropping
rotations, drainage histories, fertilizer rates, and conservation
practices that were not available in published databases. It was also
ascertained from the Phase 1 study that local land managers wanted
additional information about C sequestration, and local natural resource
districts were willing to report any C sequestered due to conservation
practices to the US Department of Energy (DOE).

The Phase II study is on going and involves all 93 counties. This
approach of involving every county within a state has been proven
effective in Iowa and Indiana. For the project to be successful, it was
necessary to devise a means of improving communication with the local
land managers and collecting the local data. A survey instrument called
the Carbon Sequestration Rural Appraisal (CSRA), has been designed,
tested and is presently being implemented in each county. This local
data will provided additional inputs into the Century Model that were
not available in previously published databases, and refined the output
for the individual counties and the soils and crop/tillage systems
within each county.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Monthly temperature (mean monthly maximum and minimum) and
> precipitation (monthly total) values were obtained from the
> Parameter-Elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model (PRISM)
> climate dataset (Daly et al., 1994).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:
>
> A collaborative effort between USDA Natural Resources Conservation
> Service and Colorado State University -
>
> Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Fort Collins, CO
>
> Funding Agency: (none listed)
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to provide monthly temperature (mean monthly
> maximum and minimum) and precipitation (monthly total) values for a
> study designed to quantify the change in greenhouse gas emissions due
> to natural resource conservation practice application in Nebraska.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> We are continuing to refine the model for Nebraska agriculture
> systems. In collaboration with University of Nebraska, we are
> collecting data on irrigated crop systems, which will provide better
> estimates of irrigated biomass production, high yielding crops and
> effects of additional moisture on decomposition of organic matter. The
> phase II study is on going with each county collecting additional data
> using the CSRA. These activities will continue over the summer of 2001
> and will provide additional refinements to the model. Upon completion
> of the phase II study, local land managers will have a tool to
> estimate C sequestration rates for their system and will allow
> individuals to estimate soil C changes based on land management
> decisions.

Google 364

Quantitative testing of bedrock incision models, Clearwater River, WA.
2002.

JH Tomkin, MT Brandon, FJ Pazzaglia, JR Barbour, and SD Willett

ABSTRACT

The incision of rivers in bedrock is thought to be an important factor
that influences the evolution of relief in tectonically active orogens.
At present, there are at least six competing models for incision of
bedrock rivers, but these models have received little quantitative
testing. We statistically evaluate these models using observations from
the Clearwater River in northwestern Washington State, which crosses the
actively rising forearc high of the Cascadia margin. A previous study
has used uvial terraces along the Clearwater to estimate bedrock
incision rates over the last 150 k.y. They show that incision rates have
been steady over the long-term ( \>2 m.y.) erosion rates. The
steady-state character of the river allows us to use the relatively
simple time-invariant solutions for the various incision models and also
to estimate long-term sediment discharge along the river, which is a
critical variable for some incision models. An interesting feature of
the Clearwater River is that it has a downstream decrease in the rate of
incision, from 0.9 mm/yr in the headwater to \< 9,1 mm/yr at the coast.
None of the incision models, including the shear-stress odel,
successfully explain this downstream pattern. Testing another rives is
needed to see if any of the current incision models is capable of
predicating long-term incision rate.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Discharge was determined using a gridded data set based on a 30-yar
> precipitation record (1961-1990) (PRISM method, see Daly et al., 1994;
> Daly et al., 2001)
>
> 2\. Affiliation:
>
> Department of Geology and Geophysics, Yale Universtiy, New Haven, CT
>
> Funding Agency: (none listed)
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to determine discharge in a study involving
> quantitative testing of bedrock incision models, Clearwater River, WA.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> For all the models considered, including those in which sediment is a
> factor, both and tend to be lower than predicted. This has
> consequences for Clearwater's timescale of response to changes in
> climatic and tectonic conditions. A low value implies a reduced
> sensitivity to variations in precipitation. A low value implies that
> slope (and thus relief) must respond in a disproportionately large
> fashion to changes in the rates of tectonic uplift. The Olympic
> Mountains topography would therefore appear to take a long time to
> adjust to any changes in the tectonic regime but would respond
> relatively quickly to changes in climate.

Google 369

Spatial prediction of invasion success across heterogeneous landscapes
using an individual-based model

Sarah C. Goslee1, Debra P.C. Peters & K. George Beck

*Biological Invasions* (2006) 8: 193--200 Springer 2006

DOI 10.1007/s10530-004-2954-y

ABSTRACT

The limited resources available for managing invasive plant species in
native ecosystems and the magnitude of the problem make it essential
that we develop methods to prioritize sites for management efforts. We
used the individual-based simulation model ECOTONE in conjunction with
climate and soil texture data to identify grassland site types where the
invasive perennial forb Acroptilon repens is likely to be successful,
and to create a threat map indicating the most vulnerable regions of
Colorado. Acroptilon repens has the potential to become most abundant in
dry areas with fine-textured soils. This information can be used to
direct management efforts towards the areas at greatest risk, allowing
the most effective use of limited resources. The most common approach
for identifying invasible regions has been to extrapolate from the
locations of existing invasions to find similar sites. Two major
drawbacks to this method are the lack of consideration of the role of
the existing plant community in inhibiting or facilitating invasion, and
the assumption that the invading species is at equilibrium with the
environment. The combination of an individual-based simulation model and
a geographic information system provides a flexible tool to investigate
the community and regional dynamics of invasive plant species.

Key words: Acroptilon repens, climate, geographic information systems,
grassland, individual-based simulation model, soil texture

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> PRISM temperature and precipitation maps for Colorado were used as a
> source for minimum and maximum monthly temperature and monthly
> precipitation, which were used to calculate annual averages and totals
> (Daly et al. 1994).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

USDA-ARS, Pasture Systems and Watershed Management Research Unit,
University Park, PA 16802

> Funding Agency:

This research was funded by the USDA National Research Initiative
Competitive Grants Program award #9600468.

> 3\. PRISM was used to create temperature and precipitation maps for
> Colorado that were used "as a source of minimum and maximum monthly
> temperature and monthly precipitation, which were which were used to
> calculate annual averages and totals."

3.  Impact or Conclusion:

> Simulation models require considerable information about both the
> invasive species and the existing community. For systems where these
> data are available, simulation models have a number of advantages,
> including the ability to take into account existing vegetation type,
> to incorporate ecological processes, and to predict the success of an
> invasive species at a much finer scale than the regression model. The
> coarse resolution of the soils and weather data available restricted
> us to a regional approach, but the approach presented here will become
> increasingly valuable for site prediction as data resolution and
> availability improve. The simulation model approach has many more
> applications than simply range prediction. Once a model has been
> developed, parameterized and tested for a particular community type,
> it can be used to examine traits of actual or hypothetical species
> that allow them to become invasive. The combination of simulation
> model and GIS provides the ability to examine geographic patterns,
> species traits and community dynamics. Simulation modeling can be used
> to identify key processes and to generate hypotheses about species
> distributions. This approach can evaluate the success of an invasive
> plant species under hypothetical conditions. These include climate
> change scenarios, management plans, disturbance regimes, and many
> more. Thus, the simulation model-GIS approach can be of great benefit
> to ecologists, planners and policymakers because it allows estimates
> of risk to be made for particular species in a wide variety of
> situations. Even without the need for prediction under different
> hypothetical conditions, a threat map such as that presented here is
> quite useful for allocating limited management resources towards those
> areas where the invasive exotic perennial A. repens is most likely to
> thrive.

Google 370

Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands Precipitation Frequency Project

Update of Technical Paper No. 42 and Technical Paper No. 53

Twenty-first Progress Report, October 2005

ABSTRACT (none)

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> On September 23, 2005 the Spatial Climate Analysis Service (SCAS) at
> Oregon State University provided HDSC with spatially interpolated
> 60-minute and 24-hour mean annual maximum (a.k.a. "Index flood")
> grids. SCAS used PRISM (Parameter-Regression Independent Slopes Model)
> (Daly et al., 1994, 2002) to spatially distribute the HDSC-calculated
> mean values. The 60-minute and 24-hour grids from SCAS will serve as
> the basis for deriving the precipitation frequency grids, which will
> be available during the upcoming peer review.

2.  Affiliation:

> Hydrometeorological Design Studies Center Hydrology Laboratory
>
> Funding Agency:
>
> Office of Hydrologic Development, U.S. National Weather Service
> National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Silver Spring,
> Maryland
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to spatially distribute the HDSC-calculated mean
> precipitation values. "The 60-minute and 24-hour grids from SCAS
> (served) as the basis for deriving the precipitation frequency
> grids..." used in the Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands precipitation
> frequency project.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:

5\. Projected Schedule and Remaining Tasks

> The following list provides a tentative schedule with completion
> dates. Brief descriptions of tasks to be worked on are also included
> in this section. Data Collection and Quality Control \[October 2005\]
> Trend Analysis \[Complete\] Temporal Distributions of Extreme Rainfall
> \[October 2005\] L-Moment Analysis/Frequency Distribution \[Complete\]
> Peer Review of Spatially Interpolated Point Estimates \[October 2005\]
> Spatial Interpolation of Grids \[January 2006\] Precipitation
> Frequency Maps \[February 2006\] Web Publication \[January 2006\]
> Spatial Relations (Areal Reduction Factors) \[December 2005\]

5.1 Data Collection and Quality Control

> During the next quarter, as a final check, the spatially-based quality
> control software, QCseries, will be run on the partial duration series
> of the longer (2-day through 60-day) and shorter (2-hour through
> 12-hour) duration data. N-minute ratios will be calculated.

5.2 Temporal Distributions

> The decision on whether to provide temporal distributions for the
> 1-hour duration will be finalized. Histograms of precipitation
> accumulations will be investigated to determine if the time
> distribution of heavy precipitation in the project area is weighted
> toward a certain time interval or quartile. This will help assess the
> value of a center-loaded temporal distribution which includes only
> events where the majority of rain falls in the center 25% of the
> duration, similar to the existing Soil Conservation Service (SCS) type
> curves.

5.3 Cross-correlation

> Longer duration annual maximum series data will be investigated for
> cross correlation between stations to assess intersite dependence.
>
> 5.4 Spatial Interpolation HDSC will generate the grids for 24-hour and
> 60-minute durations. A Peer Review of the 60-minute and 24-hour mean
> annual maximum grids and 100-year precipitation frequency grids will
> then commence. After addressing reviewer concerns, HDSC will begin
> generating the grids for all durations and recurrence intervals.

5.5 Peer Review

> A Peer Review is projected to begin on October 21, 2005. The review
> will include the point precipitation frequency estimates (including
> n-minute estimates) and confidence limits for all observing sites and
> four spatially interpolated maps: the mean annual maximum grids and
> 100-year precipitation estimates for the 60-minute and 24-hour
> durations. The review will last approximately one month. Reviewer
> feedback is an integral part in ensuring HDSC develops the best
> possible estimates. After evaluating and responding to reviewer
> comments, final estimates and spatially interpolated grids will be
> developed.

5.6 Areal Reduction Factors (ARF)

> Computations for the ARF curves will be completed in the next quarter
> for 14 areas. The resulting curves will be tested for differences to
> determine if a single set of ARF curves is applicable to the entire
> U.S. or whether curves vary by region.

Google 371

ACCURACY ASSESSMENT OF WEPP-BASED EROSION MODELS ON THREE SMALL,
HARVESTED AND BURNED FOREST WATERSHEDS A Thesis Presented in Partial
Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science with
a Major in Forest Resources in the College of Graduate Studies

University of Idaho

Susan Ashley Covert

December 2003

ABSTRACT

This study assesses the accuracy of GeoWEPP model (Geospatial Water
Erosion Prediction Project) and a modified version of WEPP for forest
soils. hree small watersheds (2-9 ha) in the Interior Northwest were
monitored for several years following timber harvest and prescribed
fires. Observed site factors of climate variables, percent ground cover
and soil erodibility values, along with digital slope data were used to
drive the models. The GeoWEPP and WEPP model predictions of runoff and
sediment yield were compared to observed yearly totals from each
watershed. Monthly totals were also compared the results of the modified
version of WEPP. The yearly results showed that GeoWEPP under-predicts
runoff and sediment and the results were not acceptable at a 90 percent
confidence interval. The same data was tested with the modified version
of WEPP containing modified algorithms for deep percolation and
subsurface lateral flow intended to better represent forest hydrology.
This modified version of the WEPP model showed improvements to yearly
predictions of runoff and sediment over the GeoWEPP model and generated
acceptable results of runoff and sediment. Monthly values of runoff and
sediment yield generated by the modified WEPP generated acceptable
results compared to the observed monthly values. The GeoWEPP model has
the potential to model erosion with the incorporation of digital
elevation data, but lacks the ability to accurately represent forest
hydrology. The incorporation of a WEPP algorithms that represent forest
soils more realistically would improve the results of GeoWEPP
predictions.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> The PRISM model estimates precipitation and temperature based on
> orographic effects generated from DEMs with 5-7 min lat- long grid
> spacing (Daly et al. 1994). The final climate file is then added to
> the WEPP climate database to be used in model simulations.
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

College of Graduate Studies University of Idaho

> Funding Agency: (none listed)
>
> 3\. PRISM was used as part of a Geospatial Water Erosion Prediction
> Project (GeoWEPP) model that was analyzed in an accuracy assessment of
> WEPP-based erosion models on three small, harvested and burned forest
> watersheds.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> The GeoWEPP model incorporates digital elevation data to quickly
> generate runoff and sediment outputs in textual and digital formats on
> small watersheds with limited spatial variability. Significant
> under-predictions of runoff and sediment yield by the GeoWEPP model
> found in this study showed that changes need to be made to improve how
> GeoWEPP models forest hydrologic processes and to incorporate spatial
> variability within hillslopes. The WEPP model, which is used in
> GeoWEPP, has been successfully tested in agricultural settings to
> accurately predict runoff and sediment yield (Elliot et al. 1991;
> Povilaitis et al. 1995), but has not been proven to accurately predict
> erosion in forest conditions (Elliot et al. 1996a; Koopman 2002). Wu
> et al. (2000) modified the algorithms of deep percolation and
> subsurface lateral flow in WEPP and found significant improvements in
> how WEPP models forest hydrology when using a simulated watershed.
> This study showed that the modified WEPP (Wu et al. 2000) generates
> more accurate predictions of runoff and sediment yield on a yearly
> basis than the GeoWEPP model in three small harvested and burned
> forest watershed. It also showed that the outputs are within an
> acceptable range of values based on a 90 percent confidence level.
> Monthly outputs of runoff and sediment yield by the modified version
> of WEPP are also within an acceptable range of values, though there is
> some variation in the timing of predicted and observed runoff events.
> Further investigation should be conducted on shorter time scale to
> investigate the delay in some of the runoff events.
>
> Currently, GeoWEPP predictions for small forest watersheds should not
> be relied upon for management decisions until the model has been
> modified to improve predictions in forest conditions.

Google 373

Understanding and modeling basin hydrology: interpreting the
hydrogeological signature

R. E. Beighley, T. Dunne and J. M. Melack

*Hydrol. Process.* 19, 1333--1353 (2005)

DOI: 10.1002/hyp.5567

ABSTRACT

Basin landscapes possess an identifiable spatial structure, fashioned by
climate, geology and land use, that affects their hydrologic response.
This structure defines a basin's hydrogeological signature and
corresponding patterns of runoff and stream chemistry. Interpreting this
signature expresses a fundamental understanding of basin hydrology in
terms of the dominant hydrologic components: surface, interflow and
groundwater runoff. Using spatial analysis techniques, spatially
distributed watershed characteristics and measurements of rainfall and
runoff, we present an approach for modeling basin hydrology that
integrates hydrogeological interpretation and hydrologic response unit
concepts, applicable to both new and existing rainfall-runoff models.
The benefits of our modeling approach are a clearly defined distribution
of dominant runoff form and behavior, which is useful for interpreting
functions of runoff in the recruitment and transport of sediment and
other contaminants, and limited over-parameterization. Our methods are
illustrated in a case study focused on four watersheds (24 to 50 km2)
draining the southern coast of California for the period October 1988
though to September 2002. Based on our hydrogeological interpretation,
we present a new rainfall-runoff model developed to simulate both
surface and subsurface runoff, where surface runoff is from either urban
or rural surfaces and subsurface runoff is either interflow from steep
shallow soils or groundwater from bedrock and coarse-textured fan
deposits. Our assertions and model results are supported using
streamflow data from seven US Geological Survey stream gauges and
measured stream silica concentrations from two Santa Barbara
Channel--Long Term Ecological Research Project sampling sites

KEY WORDS geographic information systems; hydrology; hydrologic response
unit; interflow; Mediterranean climate; model; runoff; streamflow;
subsurface; watershed response

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Monthly and annual precipitation contours were obtained from the
> parameter--elevation regressions on independent slopes model (PRISM;
> Daly *et al*., 1994) to evaluate the spatial distribution of rainfall
> within the watershed.

Mean annual rainfall was estimated using PRISM contours (Daly *et al*.,
1994).

> 2\. Affiliation:

Institute for Computational Earth System Science, University of
California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA

> Funding Agency:
>
> This research was conducted as part of the Santa Barbara Channel--Long
> Term Ecological Research
>
> Project supported by the National Science Foundation under Cooperative
> Agreement No. OCE-9982105.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to estimate mean annual rainfall in a study about
> "understanding and modeling basin hydrology: interpreting the
> hydrogeological signature."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> While our case study focused on a new conceptual model that we
> constructed for the purpose of tracking numerous runoff components in
> the combined streamflow, our concepts are also applicable for
> existing, spatially averaged, models. In addition to the primary
> benefits listed above, our study illustrates other favorable aspects
> of hydrogeological interpretation, such as: providing a rational basis
> for the selection of applicable runoff mechanisms; supporting a
> modeling framework that focuses on the fundamental components of basin
> hydrology; and increasing awareness of individual sources of runoff,
> rather than relying on only combined streamflow for model evaluation.
> Our hydrogeological interpretation can be incorporated into standard
> modeling procedures, providing direction for future research efforts
> to improve understanding of fundamental basin hydrology. Our approach
> for mapping the spatial distribution of runoff mechanisms and
> components is particularly relevant for water quantity and quality
> studies, because it forces modelers and managers to quantify the
> spatial extent of similar runoff (and contamination) characteristics
> before initiating the modeling process.

Google 374

Distribution of Soil Organic and Inorganic Carbon Pools by Biome and
Soil Taxa in Arizona

Craig Rasmussen

*Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J.* 70:256--265 (2006).

Pedology

doi:10.2136/sssaj2005.0118

ABSTRACT

Arid systems represent an important component of the global soil C
budget in that they cover 12% of the global land area and contain nearly
20% of global soil C stocks, both organic (SOC) and inorganic (SIC). The
objectives of this study were to quantify SOC and SIC stocks in Arizona
biomes, using Arizona as a model system for arid lands. Biome
distribution was extracted from the Arizona Gap Analysis Project spatial
vegetation dataset (GAP), while soil C data were extracted from the
Arizona State Soil Geographic Dataset (STATSGO) at a scale of 1:250 000,
and the western Yavapai County Soil Survey Geographic Dataset (SSURGO)
at a scale of 1:24000. Soil data were converted from a polygonal vector
format to a raster format, and a raster-based method used to estimate
SOC and SIC stocks by biome. Statewide, STATSGOsoil C stocks indicate
Arizona contains 0.5 and 1.5 Pg of SOC and SIC, respectively, with 27%of
the SOC in pinyon-juniper biomes (PJ), and 34% of SIC in
creosotebush-bursage biomes (CB). A comparison of soil C estimates
between datasets indicates significantly greater estimates of biome SOC
and SIC using SSURGO data relative to the STATSGO data. SSURGO soil C
estimates varied considerably between the raster-based and soil taxa
based method of data aggregation. Soil taxa data exhibited large
intra-unit variation in each biome. In addition, soil C differed
substantially between biomes by soil taxa (e.g., Haplargid SOC of 4.0
and 13.5 kg m22 in the paloverde-cacti (PC) and montane pine (MP) forest
biomes, respectively). Raster based soil C estimations incorporate the
spatial distribution and aerial land cover of each soil type within a
biome, providing a more accurate representation of soil C stocks.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> The Parameter Regression Independent Slope Model (PRISM) dataset was
> used to quantify MAT and MAP at the 1:250 000 scale (Daly et al.,
> 1994).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Dep. of Soil, Water, and Environmental Sci., Univ. of Arizona, Tucson,
AZ

> Funding Agency: (none listed)
>
> 3\. PRISM dataset was used to quantify MAT and MAP at the 1:250 000
> scale in a study of the "distribution of soil organic and inorganic
> carbon pools by biome and soil taxa in Arizona."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> Analysis of Arizona soil C stocks by the raster method indicates that
> total SOC content generally follows biome land area, while SIC stocks
> are overwhelming located in the desert biomes in the southwest portion
> of the state. At the STATSGO scale, regression analyses indicate SOC
> and SIC are strongly related to climate parameters. In addition, SOC
> tended to show significant positive correlations to soil clay content
> in each biome. The strength of the SOC correlation to climate and clay
> vary by biome, with the Sonorant Desert biomes particularly sensitive
> to MAP and MAT relative to the other biomes, suggesting the need for
> biome specific parameters to accurately model soil C dynamics in these
> systems.
>
> SSURGO SOC and SIC data were substantially greater than STATSGO
> estimates, indicating an influence of scale on regional soil C stock
> estimations. A comparison of the raster method to the soil taxa method
> indicates significant variation in estimated soil C content (on a kg
> m22) basis between the two methods. Soil taxa data, both at the order
> and great group level of classification, exhibited large intra-unit
> variation and taxonomic unit soil C differed substantially between
> biomes. For these reasons, a soil taxa based soil C estimation may
> greatly misrepresent soil C content. In contrast, the raster method
> incorporates the spatial distribution and inherent land cover of each
> soil type into its soil C estimations, possibly providing a more
> accurate representation of soil C stocks. Analysis of SSURGO data
> using a raster based approach also indicates significant variation in
> soil C stocks within a soil order or great group between biomes,
> suggesting landscape segregation based both on biome and soil taxonomy
> may provide a more reliable estimate of regional soil C stocks.

Google 377

Stable isotopic variation across a precipitation gradient in Oregon: Is
13C of organic material a reliable predictor of water availability?

S.E. Reed, B. J. Bond, D. R. Bowling, N.G. McDowell, J. R. Ehleringer

Global Change Education Program 2003

Poster on web

ABSTRACT

Stable isotope analyses are useful tools in a wide variety of plant
ecological and physiological research. During photosynthesis, plants
discriminate against the heavier isotope of carbon (13C). First, 13CO2
diffuses more slowly through stomata, making the interior of the leaf
slightly more depleted in 13CO2. Furthermore, the primary carboxylating
enzyme in C3 plants, Rubisco, preferentially fixes 12CO2. Thus
measurements of carbon isotopic composition of leaf tissue (\_13Cf) can
reflect environmental conditions and plant metabolism. Several studies
have explored foliar \_13C across precipitation gradients. For example,
Stewart, et al. (1995) found a linear increase in community averaged
\_13Cf with decreasing annual rainfall across a 1300 mm precipitation
gradient. This result supports the notion that as plants become more
water stressed, less discrimination occurs. However, Schulze, et al.
(1998) concluded that \_13Cf was approximately constant at rainfalls
above 475 mm across a 1600mm precipitation. This study is an attempt to
shed light on those contrasting results and to try to infer the
mechanisms controlling \_13C within various ecosystem processes. We made
use of the OTTER Transect (Oregon Transect for Terrestrial Ecosystem
Research) (Fig. 1) to study the isotopic composition of foliage, roots,
and soil organic matter across a precipitation gradient.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

PRISM model (Daly et al. 1994 & 1997) applied to better estimate the
mean annual precipitation at each site.

> 2\. Affiliation:

Dept. Of Biology, University of Utah

> Funding Agency: (none listed)
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to estimate mean annual precipitation at each site
> in a study on "stable isotopic variation across a precipitation
> gradient in Oregon", which sought to determine if organic material 13C
> is a reliable predictor of water availability.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> The relationship between community-averaged \_13Cf and precipitation
> across the transect may lead to the use of \_13Cf as an indicator of
> environmental influences on plant functioning. However, the
> discrepancies between studies such as Stewart et al.'s (1995) and
> Schulze et al.'s (1998) must still be resolved before any
> generalizations can be made. The correlation between \_13CR and \_13Cf
> is intriguing in that \_13Cf might become useful in predicting
> ecosystem espiration, which is important in estimations of the global
> carbon budget. The pattern of decreasing foliar d15N with increasing
> mean annual precipitation was consistent over two years and has been
> observed in a number of other studies world-wide (Handley et al.
> 1999). This suggests that annual rainfall input may play a significant
> role in controlling ecosystem nitrogen cycling. Since most other
> studies have focused on the variation of \_13Cf within a single
> species or a single plant functional type, we sampled as wide a
> variety of species and plant functional groups as possible in attempt
> to gain a better understanding of the differences of isotopic
> composition across plant functional groups. We are currently working
> to examine the differences in isotopic composition with respect to
> plant functional types and other parameters.

Google 380

Prediction of Stream Temperature in Forested Watersheds. 2004.

Sridhar, V., Amy L. Sansone, Jonathan LaMarche, Tony Dubin, and Dennis
P. Lettenmaier.

*Journal of the American Water Resources Association* (JAWRA)
40(1):197-213.

ABSTRACT

Removal of streamside vegetation changes the energy balance of a stream,
and hence its temperature. A common approach to mitigating the effects
of logging on stream temperature is to require establishment of buffer
zones along stream corridors. A simple energy balance model is described
for prediction of stream temperature in forested headwater watersheds
that allows evaluation of the performance of such measures. The model is
designed for application to "worst case" or maximum annual stream
temperature, under low flow conditions with maximum annual solar
radiation and air temperature. Low flows are estimated via a regional
regression equation with independent variables readily accessible from
GIS databases. Testing of the energy balance model was performed using
field data for mostly forested basins on both the west and east slopes
of the Cascade Mountains, and was then evaluated using the regional
equations for low flow and observed maximum reach temperatures in three
different east slope Cascades catchments. A series of sensitivity
analyses showed that increasing the buffer width beyond 30 meters did
not significantly decrease stream temperatures, and that other
vegetation parameters such as leaf area index, average tree height, and
to a lesser extent streamside vegetation buffer width, more strongly
affected maximum stream temperatures.

KEY TERMS: stream temperature prediction; watershed management; best
management practices; GIS; water quality; stream energy balance.)

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> The average annual and monthly precipitation values for the reference
> period (1961 to 1990) were obtained from a 4 km (horizontal
> resolution) dataset, produced using the Parameter Elevation
> Regressions on Independent Slopes Model (PRISM) as described by Daly
> et al. (1994).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of
Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195

> Funding Agency:
>
> The research reported in this paper was supported by Cooperative
> Agreement No. PNW 98-0514-1-CA and Joint Venture Agreement No. PNW
> 00-JV-11261927-522 between the U.S. Forest Service and the University
> of Washington.
>
> 3\. PRISM, a 4 km (horizontal resolution) dataset, was used to provide
> average annual and monthly precipitation values for the reference
> period (1961 to 1990) in a predictive study of stream temperature in
> forested watersheds.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:

The physically based GIS-STRTEMP stream temperature model was able to
predict maximum stream temperatures during the critical summer low flow
period for streams on both the east and west slopes of the Cascades.
Additional simulations carried out over four east slope Cascade basins,
which can experience relatively high maximum summer temperatures,
illustrated the potential use of the method to evaluate combinations of
natural factors and streamside vegetation management, which is of
particular concern for water quality management. Stream orientation, as
computed from digital topographic data, was important in determining
maximum temperatures. Streams having a north-south orientation tended to
be warmer than those with an east-west orientation. Of the factors
related to streamside vegetation, LAI of the streamside vegetation had
the greatest effect on stream temperatures. Average tree height, which
determines the shade and penetration of solar radiation in the basin,
appeared to be the second most sensitive parameter followed by buffer
width and bank/canopy distance. Buffer widths greater than about 30 m
had only minimal effect on stream temperature, however. The largest
stream temperature reductions were predicted for mature (high LAI)
canopies close to the stream (i.e., within 10 m of the stream bank) and
having width of about 30 m.

Among the limitations of this relatively simple model are that the
stream azimuths and associated vegetation parameters (e.g., tree height
and buffer width) are prescribed for the entire reach. Allowing
specification of more general channel orientations (e.g., through use of
multiple reaches) would enhance the model applicability for larger
stream systems with changing buffers, but would complicate model
implementation. Likewise, additional data on 7Q10 discharge, stream
temperatures, and vegetation implementation, but would, in the authors'
view, detract from the applicability of the model over large areas. In
any event, such data are not generally available. Furthermore, it was
found that the upstream boundary condition, if chosen appropriately, did
not significantly affect the predicted stream temperatures.

Google 383

Use of a Precipitation-Runoff Model to Simulate Natural Streamflow
Conditions in the Methow River Basin, Washington (2001)

D. Matthew Ely and John C. Risley

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEYWater-Resources Investigations Report 01-419

ABSTRACT

Management of the water resources of the Methow River Basin is changing
in response to the listing of three species of fish under the Endangered
Species Act and the Washington State-legislated watershed-planning
process. Management options must be considered that minimize adverse
effects on people but meet instream flow needs for fish. This report
describes the construction and calibration of the Methow River Basin
watershed model and evaluates the accuracy of the model as a predictive
tool for assessing the natural instream flow conditions. The term
"natural" instream flow is stressed because surface water within the
Basin is used for agricultural irrigation through an extensive system of
diversions.

The USGS Modular Modeling System was used for the watershed modeling
component of the Methow River Basin study. The Geographic Information
System Weasel characterized the physical properties of the basin, and
the Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System simulated the natural
streamflow. Natural streamflow conditions in the Basin were difficult to
calibrate because six of the seven streamflow gauging stations are
located below irrigation diversions and few streamflow measurements
exist for the study area before the diversions were present. Therefore,
limited records of natural streamflow conditions were available and
estimations concerning some physical processes could not be quantified.

Streamflow was simulated for water years 1992-99 to calibrate the model
to measured streamflows. Simulated and measured streamflow generally
showed close agreement, especially during spring runoff from snowmelt.
Low-flow periods, most restrictive to fish habitation, were simulated
reasonably well, yet possessed the most uncertainty. Simulations of the
total annual runoff as a percentage of measured annual runoff for the
8-year calibration period at seven gauging stations ranged from -33.7 to
+30.5 percent with 70 percent of the simulated values within 16 percent.
Simulation of water years 1959-99 demonstrated great variability in
monthly streamflow statistics. The simulated mean monthly flows for the
seven streamflow-gauging stations were an average of 11.5 percent higher
for the calibration period (1992-99) than for the entire simulation
period (1959-99).

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Monthly mean precipitation ratios between climate stations and MRUs
> were calculated from the Parameter-estimation Regressions on
> Independent Slopes Model (PRISM) estimates (Daly and others 1994;
> 1997).
>
> The rain module requires mean monthly estimates of precipitation for
> each MRU to compute ratios between rain gage locations and the MRU.
> For this purpose, the PRISM model estimates (Daly and others 1994;
> 1997) were used. PRISM data are 1961-90 mean monthly precipitation
> from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Cooperative
> sites, SNOTEL sites, and selected state network stations. Short-term
> stations supplemented data-sparse areas.

2\. Affiliation:

US Geological Survey and prepared in cooperation with OKANOGAN COUNTY

Funding Agency:

> Asusme it is US Geological Survey
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to calculate monthly mean precipitation ratios
> between climate stations and MRUs for a study on the use of a
> precipitation-runoff model for simulating natural streamflow
> conditions in the Methow River Basin, Washington.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> A study was conducted in cooperation with Okanogan County to evaluate
> natural streamflows for the Methow River and its tributaries. The need
> for this study was due in part to the listing of Upper Columbia River
> steelhead, including the Methow River run, and Upper Columbia River
> spring-run Chinook salmon, including the Methow River run, as
> "endangered" under the Endangered Species Act. Also, bull trout in the
> Methow River were listed under the Endangered Species Act as
> "threatened." In an effort to focus on habitat conditions to sustain
> naturally producing salmonid populations, the National Marine
> Fisheries Service set instream flow requirements for three tributaries
> to the Methow River: the Chewuch River, Early Winters Creek, and Wolf
> Creek. Irrigation diversions from the river above existing and
> historical streamflow-gauging stations make it difficult to assess the
> natural streamflow conditions in the Basin. A calibrated watershed
> model could properly assess the available water resources throughout
> the Basin and provide guidance as to the natural streamflow
> conditions.
>
> Delineation of subbasins and the drainage network was accomplished
> with the Geographic Information System (GIS) Weasel. A 150-foot
> (45-meter) USGS 7.5 minute digital elevation model of the Methow River
> Basin was used to define topographic surfaces. The GIS Weasel
> delineated 607 modeling response units (MRUs) based on slope, aspect,
> elevation, and flow planes. The parameterization component of the
> program then generated parameters for the MRUs incorporating ancillary
> information concerning soils, land use and land cover, and vegetation.
>
> Information from the GIS Weasel was used to construct and calibrate a
> computer-simulation model of natural streamflow conditions for the
> Methow River Basin. The Modular Modeling System (MMS), using the
> Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System, was the simulation model chosen
> for this study. Major advantages of this system include the ability to
> (1) simulate the moisture balance of each component of the hydrologic
> cycle, (2) account for heterogeneous physical characteristics of a
> basin, (3) appropriately simulate both mountainous and flat areas, and
> (4) easily accept parameterization output from the GIS Weasel.
> Additionally, the system was recently applied and calibrated to a
> nearby, hydrologically similar watershed, the Yakima River Basin.
> Calibration of the various subbasins within the Methow River Basin was
> accomplished by using measured precipitation and air-temperature data
> as model input and by matching simulated and measured streamflows.
> Precipitation and air-temperature modules used a distance-weighted
> average approach to estimate missing data and avoid problems in the
> simulations. Monthly mean precipitation ratios between climate
> stations and MRUs were calculated from Parameter estimation
> Regressions on Independent Slopes Model (PRISM) estimates.
>
> Streamflow was simulated for water years 1992-99 to calibrate the
> model to measured streamflows at the seven USGS gauging stations.
> Values determined by the GIS Weasel, values calculated and set by MMS
> algorithms, and parameter estimates used in the hydrologically similar
> Yakima River watershed basin model all provided initial estimates of
> parameters. Most parameter adjustments were related to precipitation,
> air temperature, minimum ground-water storage, and the ground-water
> flow coefficient.
>
> Difficulty existed in calibrating natural streamflow conditions in the
> Methow River Basin because all streamflow-gauging stations, with the
> exception of Andrews Creek (12447390), are located below irrigation
> diversions and few historical records exist for the study area prior
> to the diversions. Certain assumptions were made about the flow
> system. Simulated and measured streamflow generally showed close
> agreement, especially for spring runoff from snowmelt and low-flow
> conditions. The model simulations were less accurate capturing the
> magnitude and timing of short-term (1 to 3-day) peak flows. Annual
> water totals for simulated and measured streamflow varied considerably
> during many of the water years but total annual runoff for the 8-year
> period matched closely for all calibration points with the exception
> of station 12448500, Methow River at Winthrop. Simulated mean monthly
> September and October streamflow for two gauging stations, the Methow
> River above Goat Creek (12447383) and the Chewuch River (12448000),
> were greater than measured flows. The calibrated model can be used as
> a tool to simulate flows at ungaged streams or flows at gauged streams
> for periods outside the historical record. To demonstrate this
> ability, the period of water years 1959-99 was simulated and monthly
> streamflow statistics generated.
>
> Certain approximations and simplifications must be made to simulate
> actual flow systems. Lack of understanding about some aspects of the
> natural flow system, coupled with only one streamflow-gauging station
> that measures natural streamflow (above irrigation diversions),
> accounts for much of the error in simulated results. Additional
> sources of error are data error, model error, and errors in the
> estimated parameter values. As a result, model-predicted values must
> be used with caution in consideration of simulation error.

Google 385

A regional approach to predict water quality and application to the
Upper Teton Watershed

Connely K. Baldwin and Jeffery S. Horsburgh

(nothing else provided for citation)

ABSTRACT

We motivate the development of a regional prediction strategy of WQ for
data-poor areas. We describe the general approach and demonstrate its
effectiveness using a case study Bayesian Network (BN) to estimate total
phosphorous (TP). To this end, we develop a preliminary regional
database of potential predictors and TP data for 141 subwatersheds and
use the K-nearest neighbor Bayesian Network (KNNBN) methodology to
develop a regional BN to estimate total Phosphorous (TP). We demonstrate
the predictive skill of the resulting BN in a small validation set and
note the need to consider seasonality in a case study in the upper Teton
watershed.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> This approach was used to extract a database of 141 subwatersheds
> throughout southern Idaho that will be applied to the case study area
> in the upper Teton watershed. The database consists of the area of the
> watershed, land use in both the whole watershed and in a 100-meter
> riparian zone buffer strip (EPA, 1998), phosphate-based fertilizer use
> (Battaglin and Goolsby, 1994), climatological monthly precipitation
> (Daly et al., 1994 and Daly et al., 1997)
>
> 2\. Affiliation: (none listed)
>
> Funding Agency: (none listed)
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to provide monthly precipitation in the areas of
> 141 subwatersheds of the upper Teton watershed in southern Idaho for a
> regional prediction of water quality.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> We have demonstrated the development of a regional prediction strategy
> of WQ for data-poor areas. We described the general approach and
> demonstrated its effectiveness in estimating TP. We developed a
> preliminary regional database of potential predictors and TP data for
> 141 subwatersheds and used the KNNBN methodology to develop a regional
> BN to estimate TP. We demonstrated the predictive skill of the
> resulting BN in a small validation set and noted the need to consider
> seasonality in a case study in the upper Teton watershed. We believe
> the major impediment to clear results in the case study was the lack
> of consideration of the seasonal variation and limited local data
> availability in the case study area.
>
> Another issue that needs to be addressed is the relatively small size
> of the preliminary regional database. It needs to be expanded to be
> more generally applicable (i.e., it needs to be expanded to include a
> greater variety of land uses to make it accurate for any combination
> of land uses), although it was shown to be skillful in the 22
> validation subwatersheds that were similar to those in the preliminary
> regional database. Two possible ways to expand the regional database
> to respond to this concern are:
>
> 1\. Increase the size of the subwatershed database by simply searching
> out and delineating more subwatersheds, and
>
> 2\. Relax the restrictions on delineated watersheds so that
> subwatersheds that were previously rejected due to these restrictions
> are included in the database, meaning accept higher order streams with
> more complex hydrology.
>
> While the second remedy may introduce more uncertainty in the
> predictions, it is not likely degrade their accuracy. Other sources of
> uncertainty more severely limit prediction accuracy, including the
> coarseness of predictors and the lack of explicit consideration of
> riparian zone management. Hence, we expect the utility of the approach
> to increase with an expanded regional database. This prototype
> application and case study have demonstrated the value of the approach
> and highlighted many key issues that will be considered in developing
> the TMDL Toolkit module for this regional approach to predict ambient
> non-point source loads in subwatersheds.

Google 387

DIGITAL-MAP GRIDS OF MEAN-ANNUAL PRECIPITATION FOR 1961-90, AND
GENERALIZED SKEW COEFFICIENTS OF ANNUAL MAXIMUM STREAMFLOW FOR OKLAHOMA

Alan Rea and Robert L. Tortorelli\
U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 97-574

Prepared in cooperation with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 1997

ABSTRACT

This digital report contains two digital-map grids of data that were
used to develop peak-flow regression equations in Tortorelli, 1997,
\"Techniques for estimating peak-streamflow frequency for unregulated
streams and streams regulated by small floodwater retarding structures
in Oklahoma,\" U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations
Report 97-4202. One data set is a grid of mean annual precipitation, in
inches, based on the period 1961-90, for Oklahoma. The data set was
derived from the PRISM (Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent
Slopes Model) mean annual precipitation grid for the United States,
developed by Daly, Neilson, and Phillips (1994, \"A
statistical-topographic model for mapping climatological precipitation
over mountainous terrain:\" Journal of Applied Meteorology, v. 33, no.
2, p. 140-158).

The second data set is a grid of generalized skew coefficients of
logarithms of annual maximum streamflow for Oklahoma streams less than
or equal to 2,510 square miles in drainage area. This grid of skew
coefficients is taken from figure 11 of Tortorelli and Bergman, 1985,
\"Techniques for estimating flood peak discharges for unregulated
streams and streams regulated by small floodwater retarding structures
in Oklahoma,\" U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations
Report 84-4358. To save disk space, the skew coefficient values have
been multiplied by 100 and rounded to integers with two significant
digits. The data sets are provided in an ASCII grid format.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> This digital report contains two digital-map grids of data that were
> used to develop peak-flow regression equations in Tortorelli (1997).
> One data set is a grid of mean annual precipitation, in inches, based
> on the period 1961-90, for Oklahoma. The data set was derived from the
> PRISM (Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model)
> mean annual precipitation grid for the United States, developed by
> Daly, Neilson, and Phillips (1994).

2.  Affiliation:

> U.S. Geological Survey and Oklahoma Department of Transportation
> Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
>
> Funding Agency: (none listed)
>
> 3\. PRISM was used in a digital report containing two digital-map
> grids of mean-annual precipitation for 1961-90, as well as generalized
> skew coefficients of annual maximum streamflow for Oklahoma. The data
> that were used to develop peak-flow regression equations in Tortorelli
> (1997).
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> This digital report contains two digital-map grids of data that were
> used to develop peak-flow regression equations in Tortorelli (1997).
> One data set is a grid of mean annual precipitation, in inches, based
> on the period 1961-90, for Oklahoma. The data set was derived from the
> PRISM (Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model)
> mean annual precipitation grid for the United States, developed by
> Daly, Neilson, and Phillips (1994).
>
> The second data set is a grid of generalized skew coefficients of
> logarithms of annual maximum streamflow for Oklahoma streams less than
> or equal to 2,510 square miles in drainage area. This grid of skew
> coefficients is taken from figure 11 of Tortorelli and Bergman,
> (1985). To save disk space, the skew coefficient values have
>
> A documentation file (known as metadata) for each data set is
> provided. Graphic images also are provided in Graphics Interchange
> Format ([GIF](http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1997/ofr97-574/#NOTES%23NOTES))
> files.
>
> The U.S. Geological Survey compiled these data sets in cooperation
> with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation.

Google 389

nViZn: An Algebra-Based Visualization System

Leland Wilkinson, Matt Rubin, Dan Rope, and Andrew Norton

ABSTRACT

We describe a system, called nViZn, that implements a language for
quantitative graphics. The structure of this system differs from
existing statistical graphics, visualization, and mapping systems.
Instead of treating a graphics display as a viewer for underlying data,
nViZn treats data as an accessory to viewing a graph. nViZn is based on
the mathematical definition of the graph of a function and uses that
definition to organize data linked to the graph.

Keywords: Charts, algebra, graphics, visualization

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> The data for the graphic in Figure 1 are described in \[4\]. The
> climate variables (Precipitation and Growing Degree Days) were
> computed from an analytic method called Parameter-elevation
> Regressions on Independent Slopes Model (PRISM) developed in \[7\].
>
> 2\. Affiliation:
>
> SPSS, Inc. 233 South Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 USA
>
> Funding Agency:

We thank Jack Noonan, Ed Hamburg, and Mark Battaglia for supporting this
research.

> 3\. PRISM was used to compute precipitation and growing degree days in
> the development of an algebra-based visualization system called nVIZn.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> nViZn defines, organizes, and constructs a graphic in graphworld
> rather than data-world. This might strike those accustomed to
> relational database or object database worlds as somewhat peculiar. As
> Wilkinson \[21\] stated, however, \"These definitions are embedded in
> the mathematical history that determined the evolution of statistical
> charts and maps.\" In short, we begin by considering what is the range
> and what is the domain of a graph underlying a graphic. Figure 4:
> Drill Down and Brushing controllers. Third quartile of earnings by
> Males with bachelor degrees is highlighted in histogram of all
> earnings. From there, we recurse our definitions until we reach a
> specification of data underlying the graphic. For that specification,
> we construct an abstract DataView and link the graphic to our data.

Google 391

NCEP COMPLETES 25-YEAR NORTH AMERICAN REANALYSIS: PRECIPITATION
ASSIMILIATION AND LAND SURFACE ARE TWO HALLMARKS

K. Mitchell, M. Ek, Y. Lin, F. Mesinger, G. DiMego, P. Shafran, D.
Jovic, W. Ebisuzaki, W. Shi, Y. Fan, J. Janowiak, and J. Schaake

NEWS World Climate Research Programme\_\_WCRP

*Global Water Energy Cycle Experiment News*

Vol. 14, No. 2 May 2004

ABSTRACT

Improving the depiction of precipitation in both the assimilation mode
and prediction mode of models can be achieved through: 1) improving
physical parameterizations, 2) increasing spatial resolution (including
topography), and 3) advancing assimilation methods and data, including
that for precipitation. The benefit of improving the depiction of
precipitation in the assimilation mode is demonstrated here by the
results of the North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR).

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Over the CONUS, about 12,000 (7,000) gauge observations of daily
> precipitation are available to the retrospective (realtime) NARR and
> analyzed to a one eighth- degree CONUS grid using the least-squares
> distance-weighting scheme of Schaake (2002, personal communication).
> The latter scheme also applies the Parameter-elevation Regressions on
> Independent Slopes Model (PRISM) (Daly et al., 1994) climatology of
> CONUS precipitation to account for orographic influences on
> precipitation. For a given grid point, any gauge observation within
> the influence radius for that grid point is multiplied by the ratio of
> the value of the PRISM precipitation climatology at the location of
> the grid point divided by that of the location of the observation. The
> resulting daily precipitation analysis then is disaggregated to hourly
> by using hourly temporal weights computed in: 1) the retrospective
> NARR from a 2.5-degree analysis of the lower-density hourly gauge
> observations of precipitation (many received after realtime); and 2)
> the realtime NARR from the hourly 4-km WSR-88D radar-dominated
> precipitation analyses, known as Stage-II/Stage-III. Lastly, these
> hourly analyses are interpolated to the Eta model\'s computational
> grid. in 1993 vs. 1988 produces a notably lower boundary layer height
> (see figures in the middle of page 16) in that same region. The 2-week
> mean fields (16--31 July, not shown) corresponding to the four 15 July
> figures on the back cover show analogous features.
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

NCEP Environmental Modeling Center

> Funding Agency: (none listed)
>
> 3\. PRISM was included in a discussion of the benefit of improving the
> depiction of precipitation in the assimilation mode of models has
> demonstrated by the results of the North American Regional Reanalysis
> (NARR).
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> The NARR precipitation anomaly is well manifested in NARR mid-July
> soil moisture states (see figure at the top of page 16) for 1988
> (left) and 1993 (right). Over the central CONUS, the much wetter soil
> (and more cloud cover, not shown) in NARR in mid-July 1993 (right)
> vs.1988 (left) yields (not shown) much lower mid-day surface sensible
> heat flux and skin temperature. In turn, this lower sensible heat flux
> in 1993 vs. 1988 produces a notably lower boundary layer height (see
> figures in the middle of page 16) in that same region. The 2-week mean
> fields (16--31 July, not shown) corresponding to the four 15 July
> figures on the back cover show analogous features.

Google 392

**THE NATIONAL PRECIPITATION VERIFICATION UNIT (NPVU): OPERATIONAL
IMPLEMENTATION**

Brett E. McDonald

Thomas M. Graziano

ABSTRACT

The United States Weather Research Program (USWRP) and the National
Weather Service (NWS) have identified quantitative precipitation
estimates (QPEs) and forecasts (QPFs) as a priority for improvement in
the research and operational communities (Fritsch et al. 1998; Office of
Meteorology 1999). Objective assessment and quantification of the skill
of QPFs in the NWS end-to-end (ETE) forecast process are necessary to:
(1) identify the value added at each step of the ETE forecast process;
(2) assist in improving the forecasts by providing near real-time
feedback to QPF forecasters; and (3) insure that the ETE forecast
process represents the most efficient use of resources to produce
quality QPF information for hydrologic services.

As a result, the NWS Office of Climate, Water, and Weather Services
(OCWWS; formerly the Office of Meteorology - OM) outlined a uniform
national QPF verification program and planned to establish the National
Precipitation Verification Unit (NPVU) to fulfill these requirements.
Verification statistics from the NPVU would serve to support NWS
programmatic decisions and numerical weather predication (NWP) model
changes, provide feedback to individual forecasters and forecast
offices, and ultimately improve QPFs and associated products for outside
users. The success of the program is dependent upon the timely
availability of all QPEs and QPFs.

The basic components of the NWS national QPF verification program are
described in Office of Meteorology (1999), with adjustments being made
according to recommendations from the NWS QPF Process Assessment Team
(NWS 1999). Since August 1998, a prototype NPVU has been established at
the NOAA Science Center in Camp Springs, MD, where it is administered by
the NWS OCWWS and co-managed by the National Centers for Environmental
Prediction (NCEP) Hydrometeorlogical Prediction Center (HPC). The
prototype NPVU has been integral in providing objective QPF verification
for the NWS QPF Process Assessment Team in 1999 and 2000. Additionally,
the prototype NPVU has supported HPC QPF verification and participated
in the QPF Implementation Working Group (QPFIWG) (for more information
see

<http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/qpi/qpf/iwginfo.htm>).

On 01 October 2000, the NWS NPVU was operationally implemented. QPF
verification statistics are now available at
<http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/npvu/>.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a conceptual outline of the
NPVU, outline the data ingest procedures that have been established to
support the verification system of the NPVU, describe the QPF
verification procedures at the NPVU, summarize prior NPVU QPF
verification activities, and highlight future plans and expectations.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> The use of climatological precipitation data in QPF verification is
> necessary to provide a baseline of skill with which to compare the
> QPFs. Appropriate precipitation climatologies, such as those developed
> via PRISM (Daly et al. 1994) and TDL (Charba et al. 1998), will be
> utilized.
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

NOAA/NWS/NCEP/HPC Camp Springs, MD

> Funding Agency:
>
> This research was supported in part by an appointment to the COMET
> Postdoctoral Fellowship Program and UCAR Visiting Scientist Program
> sponsored by the National Weather Service and administered by the
> University Corporation for Atmospheric Research pursuant to the
> National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Award No. NA97WD0082.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to provide climatological precipitation data in QPF
> verification.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> The availability of QPF verification statistics in the beginning will
> be fairly basic. More diversified and specific verification results
> will be added in the coming year, including QPF verification for
> individual QPF forecasters.
>
> The NPVU has recently agreed to become a 'one-stop shopping' location
> for QPE and QPF data via the Internet. The specific URL is
> <http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/npvu/data/>. Much of the data are
> already available in individual RFC sites, the HPC site, and others.
> However, the need and request of a central location for the data has
> logically fallen to the NPVU since much of the data already in
> utilized by the verification system.

Google 393

Quantifying the change in greenhouse gas emissions due to natural
resource conservation practice application in Nebraska.

Brenner, J., K. Paustian, G. Bluhm, J. Cipra, M. Easter, R. Foulk, K.
Killian, R. Moore, J. Schuler, P. Smith, and S. Williams.

2002\. Colorado State University Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory and
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Fort Collins, CO, USA

ABSTRACT

Land managers have long known the importance of soil organic matter in
maintaining the productivity and sustainability of agricultural land.
More recently, interest has developed in the potential for using
agricultural soils to sequester C and mitigate increasing atmospheric
CO2 by adopting practices that increase standing stocks of carbon in
soil organic matter and vegetation. Practices that increase the amount
of CO2 taken up by plants (through photosynthesis), which then enter the
soil as plant residues, tend to increase soil C stocks. Likewise,
management practices that reduce the rate of decay or "turnover" of
organic matter in soils will also tend to increase carbon stocks.

In 2001, we initiated a statewide assessment of how management decisions
involving cropping and tillage systems affect soil organic matter. Our
approach utilized a variety of resource data (on climate, soils, land
use and management), long-term field experiment results, and the Century
EcoSystem Soil Organic Matter Computer Model. An initial Phase I study
of cropland in Nebraska utilized existing information on climate, soils
and management factors (e.g., drainage, crops grown, production levels
and tillage systems) to estimate current rates of C sequestration in
Nebraska and derived value of 1.7 million metric tons per year (MMT). It
was estimated that this annual rate of C sequestration could be
maintained and increased to 2.3 MMT of C if all cropland were converted
to a no tillage management system. From this Phase I study, it was
apparent that the individual counties had land use information,
including management histories of cropping rotations, drainage
histories, fertilizer rates, and conservation practices that were not
available in published databases.

The Phase II study was started in 2001 and involved all 93 counties.
This general approach of involving every county within a state had
recently been successfully used in similar studies in Iowa and Indiana.
To communicate with the local land managers and collect the local data,
the

Carbon Sequestration Rural Appraisal (CSRA) survey instrument was
modified, tested and implemented in each county using an electronic
spreadsheet format. Individually tailored spreadsheets were prepared for
each county and electronically transmitted to Nebraska. Local data only
available at the county level was filled in each spreadsheet. All
spreadsheets were electronically transmitted back to Fort Collins, CO
when completed. This local data provided additional inputs into the
Century Model that were not available in previously published databases,
and refined the output for the individual counties and the soils and
crop/tillage systems within each county. Century estimates for
approximately one million different scenarios showing the C changes are
now available in the Nebraska CarbOn Management Evaluation Tool (COMET)
database. The county summaries for the amounts of C sequestered in
1990-2000 are also available.

The Phase II assessment for Nebraska suggests that agricultural soils
are currently (based on 2000 data) sequestering 1.28 MMT of carbon per
year (equivalent to 4.7 MMT of CO2 per year), largely through increased
adoption of conservation practices over the past 10 to 20 years. Non
irrigated systems provide 45% of the sequestration benefit on cropland
while irrigated systems provide the remaining 55% of the benefit. The
model predicts that rotations that include fallow periods utilizing
intensive tillage practices are very close to C neutral or in some case
are losing C. Grass plantings continue to sequester C, but the rates are
decreasing due to the length of time that they have been in place. The
application of sound conservation practices on Nebraska cropland is
sequestering C and is equivalent to an offset of 12% of Nebraska's 1999
fossil fuel carbon emissions. Rangeland has the potential to sequester 5
MMT of C over the next 20 years through the application of grazing
management practices on areas identified as being in fair or poor range
condition.

NOTE

The data provided by the Natural Resource Districts in Nebraska, the
Century simulations, and the resulting public outreach support the
following seven conclusions:

1\. Nebraska cropland soils are shown as a C sink prior to 1990 and
continuing to sequester C over time. These soils in 2000 are removing
1.28 MMTC (\~4.7 MMT of CO2) from the atmosphere mainly through the
adoption of conservation practices.

2\. Nebraska rangeland has the potential to sequester 5 MMTC (18.4 MMT
of CO2) from the atmosphere over a 20 year period through the adoption
of grazing management practices on areas identified as being in poor or
fair condition.

3\. Using results from this study, local land managers, working with
local conservation planners have the ability to estimate rates of soil C
change (C sequestration) depending on the types of management decisions
that are implemented.

4\. The CSRA provides a tool to help gather local land use data.

5\. Nebraska NRD's have the necessary data to report to the U.S. DOE,
through the use of the EIA-1605 (b) reporting procedures, the C
sequestered by the implementation of conservation practices.

6\. The Nebraska Conservation Partnership, including NRD's, state
agencies, and NRCS, were willing to take a leadership role aimed at
increasing awareness of the C sequestration issue and the role of
agriculture.

7\. 100% of the Nebraska NRD's were willing to participate in research
dealing with C sequestration and to provide the valuable local
information that is necessary to enhance C simulation computer modeling.

1.  PRISM Data:

> Monthly temperature (mean monthly maximum and minimum) and
> precipitation (monthly total) values were obtained from the
> Parameter-Elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model (PRISM)
> climate dataset (Daly et al., 1994). PRISM uses point data from the
> U.S. network of weather stations and a digital elevation model (DEM)
> to orographically adjust climate variables for 4 km grid cells across
> the coterminous U.S. The data used in our analysis consisted of
> long-term (1961-1990) monthly averages (Figure 12 & 13). Area-weighted
> mean values of monthly temperature and precipitation variables were
> calculated for each county.
>
> 2\. Affiliation:
>
> Funding Agency:
>
> Nebraska state law set up a governor's task force to initiate the
> dialogue of C sequestration in Nebraska agriculture. Funding for the
> Phase I activities were made available by grants from the Nebraska
> Public Power District, Corn Board, Farm Policy Task Force and the
> Department of Energy. Funding for the Phase II activities were made
> available by grants from the Nebraska Environmental Trust. These
> grants were administered by the Nebraska Department of Natural
> Resources and cooperative agreements with the USDA Nebraska Natural
> Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Nebraska NRCS contracted with
> Colorado State University Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory and USDA
> Natural Resources Conservation Service, Fort Collins, CO, USA to
> provide a state/county wide assessment of soil C in agricultural
> systems using the Century Eco-System Model.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used in the quantification of "the change in greenhouse
> gas emissions due to natural resource conservation practice
> application in Nebraska ("The Nebraska Carbon Storage Project")."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> The analysis was designed to account for the complex interactions of
> varying climate, soil and management conditions across the State, both
> to increase the accuracy of the total estimates for the state as well
> as to provide locally-relevant information for managers and
> decision-makers in individual counties/NRD's. The assessment was
> initiated using existing information compiled by USDA/NRCS and other
> sources, together with a state-of-the-art simulation model capable of
> integrating climate and soil conditions, land use change and
> agricultural management practices and their effects on soil carbon
> changes over time. The Century model, developed by the Natural
> Resource Ecology Laboratory/Colorado State University and USDA/ARS,
> was chosen, based on its ability to incorporate effects of historical
> land use and a wide variety of management practices as well as its
> wide-spread use and recognition in the US and internationally.
>
> Following an initial project phase utilizing existing information on
> land use and management practices, the project was expanded to include
> acquisition and use of locally derived information, through the
> development of a survey instrument called the Carbon Sequestration
> Rural Appraisal (CSRA). The objectives of the CSRA were to provide
> local input about current and historical management practices for use
> in the modeling and at the same time to provide training and
> information about greenhouse gas mitigation and carbon sequestration.
>
> Products of the research include statewide estimates of carbon
> sequestration, broken out for various land use and management
> practices and displayed by maps and county-level tables to show
> spatial distributions across the state. The COMET (CarbOn Management
> Evaluation Tool) database, which can be queried by specific soils,
> historical land use, and management combinations for each county in
> the state, provides a means for local NRD's to estimate the effects of
> current management systems on carbon sequestration and to make
> projections of carbon sequestration through changes in management and
> the adoption of conservation practices. NRCS offices will be able to
> use this database to assist them in the planning process and provide
> assistance on best management practices as well as other local
> agricultural producers, policy makers and business interests.
> Estimates of current soil carbon sequestration for each county can be
> submitted to DOE as part of a program on voluntary greenhouse gas
> mitigation reporting. Results of the project have been presented at
> numerous scientific and public meetings, trade journals and newspaper
> articles. Results of the study will be reported in scientific
> publications and in upcoming conferences and workshops.

Google 394

Genetic variation in broadleaf lupine (*Lupinus latifolius*) on the Mt.
Hood National Forest and implications for seed collection and
deployment. Doede, David L. Native Plants Spring 2005, p 36-48.

ABSTRACT

Analysis of a common-garden study of broadleaf lupine (Lupinus
latifolius Lindl. ex J.G.Agardh ssp. latifolius \[Fabaceae\]) indicates
that use of watershed delineations is better than use of plant
association series for determining seed zones on the Mt Hood National
Forest. Risk analysis further confirmed that only 4 seed zones are
required, providing a reasonable compromise between managing costs and
maintaining local adaptation. Overall, moderate amounts of genetic
variation were found in 84 seed sources. Two principal components (PCs)
summarized 58% of the variation in 24 measured traits, and variation in
PC scores was significantly correlated with topographic, geographic, and
climatic variables. Regression analyses showed that these variables
accounted for 47% of the variation in the first PC and 34% of the
variation in the second PC.

KEY WORDS: adaptation, seed transfer risk, seed transfer zones,
common-garden

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Climatic variables obtained from the PRISM model (Daly and others
> 1994) included: average monthly temperature (Jan--Dec, °C), average
>
> monthly precipitation (Jan--Dec, cm), average monthly snow (Jan--Dec,
> cm), average monthly growing degree-days (Jan--Dec, days above 10 °C
> \[50 °F\]), average date of last spring frost (Julian date), and
> average date of first fall frost (Julian date).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:
>
> USDA Forest Service, Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Mt. Adams Ranger
> District. Trout Lake, WA
>
> Funding Agency:

This project was funded by the USDA Forest Service.

> 3\. PRISM was used to provide climatic variables (average monthly
> temperature (Jan--Dec, °C), average monthly precipitation (Jan--Dec,
> cm), average monthly snow (Jan--Dec, cm), average monthly growing
> degree-days (Jan--Dec, days above 10 °C \[50 °F\]), average date of
> last spring frost (Julian date), and average date of first fall frost)
> for a study on how closely patterns of genetic variation in broadleaf
> lupine populations match patterns of environmental variation in their
> source locations, and to quantify the risk associated with
> transferring seeds beyond their local range of genetic variability.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion: (see abstract)

Google 395

Surface-Water Quality Assessment of the North Fork Red River Basin
Upstream from Lake Altus, Oklahoma, (2002) S. Jerrod Smith, Martin L.
Schneider, Jason R. Masoner, and Robert L. Blazs

Open--File Report 03--362. U.S. Department of the Interior U.S.
Geological Survey

ABSTRACT

Elevated salinity in the North Fork Red River is a major concern of the
Bureau of Reclamation W. C. Austin Project at Lake Altus. Understanding
the relation between surface-water runoff, ground-water discharge, and
surface-water quality is important for maintaining the beneficial use of
water in the North Fork Red River basin. Agricultural practices,
petroleum production, and natural dissolution of salt-bearing bedrock
have the potential to influence the quality of nearby surface water.

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Bureau of
Reclamation, sampled stream discharge and water chemistry at 19 stations
on the North Fork Red River and tributaries. To characterize
surface-water resources of the basin in a systematic manner, samples
were collected synoptically during receding streamflow conditions during
July 8-11, 2002.

Together, sulfate and chloride usually constitute greater than half of
the dissolved solids. Concentrations of sulfate ranged from 87.1 to
3,450 milligrams per liter. The minimum value was measured at McClellan
Creek near Back (07301220), and the maximum value was measured at Bronco
Creek near Twitty (07301303). Concentrations of chloride ranged from
33.2 to 786 milligrams per liter. The minimum value was measured at a
North Fork Red River tributary (unnamed) near Twitty (07301310), and the
maximum value was measured at the North Fork Red River near Back
(07301190), the most upstream sample station. Elevated salinity in the
North Fork Red River is a major concern of the Bureau of Reclamation W.
C. Austin Project at Lake Altus. The concentration of dissolved solids,
especially sulfate and chloride, generally increases downstream as the
river passes over salt-bearing rocks of Permian age (Smith and Wahl,
2003). Ongoing studies in the North Fork Red River basin (fig. 1)
indicate changes in water sources that could contribute to impaired
surface-water quality. Some streamflow gauging stations in the basin
show an increased proportion of base flow as well as substantial
decreases in annual peak discharges over the past few decades (Smith and
Wahl, 2003). Understanding the relation between surface-water runoff,
ground-water discharge, and surface-water quality is important for
maintaining the beneficial use of water in the North Fork Red River
basin.

The Bureau of Reclamation began construction of the Lake Altus dam in
1941 as part of the W.C. Austin Project. Storage operations began in
1946, and the project was completed in 1948 (Oklahoma Water Resources
Board, 1990). The purposes of the project were flood control, water
supply for the city of Altus, and irrigation (Blazs and others, 2003).
In 2002, the Lugert-Altus Irrigation District withdrew about 57,700
acre-feet (L. Hall, Bureau of Reclamation, written commun., 2002) from
the lake to sustain about 46,000 acres of agricultural land south of
Lake Altus (A. Ensley, Lugert-Altus Irrigation District, oral commun.,
2002; fig. 2).

As water-use requirements increased in the basin, concerns were
expressed about the effects of runoff retention structures and
ground-water withdrawals on the quantity and quality of water flowing
into Lake Altus. Determination of both stream discharge and chemistry
was necessary to evaluate water resources in the basin. The U.S.
Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation,
sampled stream discharge and water chemistry at 19 stations on the North
Fork Red River and tributaries.

NOTE

The purpose of this report is to present data from a surface water
quality assessment that will be used to assess the groundwater and
surface-water interaction in the North Fork Red River upstream from Lake
Altus. To characterize surface-water resources of the basin in a
systematic manner, samples were collected synoptically during receding
streamflow conditions during July 8-11, 2002. These data can be used to
support modeling of ground-water and surface-water interaction for the
purpose of identifying areas where ground-water contribution has a
substantial effect on surface-water quality. The data presented in this
report will provide information that can be used to determine the need
for a ground-water-quality model and can be used for placement of
streamflow-gauging stations and water-quality stations.

1.  PRISM Data:

> Mean-annual precipitation increases steadily to the east as the effect
> of the mountains decreases. The basin headwaters receive about 17
> inches of mean-annual precipitation, whereas the basin outlet receives
> about 26 inches (Daly and others, 1994).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:
>
> U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey
>
> Funding Agency:

Prepared in cooperation with the BUREAU OF RECLAMATION

> 3\. PRISM was used to provide mean --annual precipitation for a
> surface-water quality assessment of the North Fork Red River Basin
> upstream from Lake Altus, Oklahoma.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> The data presented in this report will provide information that can be
> used to determine the need for a ground-water-quality model and can be
> used for placement of streamflow-gauging stations and water-quality
> stations.

Google 397

Application of Basin-Scale Recharge Modeling to the Tucson Basin

Abigail E. Faust, Alan L. Flint, Ty P.A. Ferré, and S.A. Leake (poster)

ABSTRACT

Where Does Net Infiltration Occur in the Tucson Basin? Spatial and
temporal distributions of recharge at the basin scale are key factors
controlling predictions of the sustainability of water resources and
riparian habitats. In this study, we are applying the Basin
Characterization Model (BCM) developed by Flint et al. (2001) to
estimate spatial and temporal patterns of net infiltration in the Tucson
Basin (fig. 1). Quantifying these components of the water budget is
important in estimating recharge on a basin scale. The BCM simulates net
infiltration using a deterministic water balance and extensive
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) coverages. Readily available
hydrologic (soil storage, bedrock permeability, soil infiltration
capacity) and meteorologic data from the Tucson Basin will be collated
and used in the BCM. The model uses monthly spatial estimates of
precipitation, temperature, and potential evapotranspiration to
determine the locations and amounts of excess water available for
recharge. Recharge can occur directly or as streambed infiltration. The
spatial resolutions of both model forcings and physical characteristics
of the basin will be varied to determine the effects on net
infiltration.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> The Parameter-Elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model
> (PRISM) (Daly et al. 1994, Daly et al. 1997) provides basin estimates
> of monthly precipitation (fig. 2). Resultant net infiltration will be
> calculated using the PRISM derived precipitation estimates and a
> locally calibrated gradient-plus-inverse distance-squared (Nalder and
> Wein, 1998) precipitation model. Net infiltration from the two
> calculations will be compared to determine whether the PRISM data can
> be used for local net infiltration estimates.
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Department of Hydrology and Water Resources, University of Arizona

> Funding Agency: (none listed on poster)
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to provide "basin estimates of monthly
> precipitation in a study on the application of basin-scale recharge
> modeling to the Tucson Basin." The "resultant net infiltration (was)
> calculated using the PRISM derived precipitation estimates and a
> locally calibrated gradient-plus-inverse distance-squared (Nalder and
> Wein, 1998) precipitation model. Net infiltration from the two
> calculations "was" compared to determine whether the PRISM data can be
> used for local net infiltration estimates."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "Bedrock hydraulic conductivity will be estimated on the basis of
> geologic maps (fig. 3). A sensitivity analysis of the spatial
> resolution of bedrock geology will be performed. Soil parameters are
> estimated using the State Soil Geographic (STATSGO) database (U.S.
> Department of Agriculture, 1994) and ROSETTA (Schaap et al., 2001).
> The Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) database (U.S. Department of
> Agriculture, 1999) along with ROSETTA will produce soil parameters at
> a finer spatial resolution than the STATSGO parameters for comparison
> in the BCM."

Google 398

An Approach for Estimating Water Quality Benefits of Conservation
Practices at the National Level

C. Santhi, N. Kannan, M. Di Luzio, S. R. Potter, Jeffrey G. Arnold, Jay
D. Atwood, and R. L. Kellogg

An ASAE Meeting Presentation: ASAE Annual International Meeting Tampa
Convention Center

Tampa, Florida, 17 - 20 July 2005, Paper Number 052043

ABSTRACT

The United States Department of Agriculture has initiated the
Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) to quantify the
environmental benefits of conservation practices at the national scale.
This paper provides an overview of the analytical approach being used in
the CEAP national assessment to estimate off-site water quality
benefits. For the assessment, a sampling and modeling approach is used.
The farm-scale model Agricultural Policy/Environmental Extender (APEX)
is used to simulate conservation practices for cultivated cropland.
Farmer surveys conducted on a subset of National Resource Inventory
sample points provide information on current farming activities and
conservation practices for APEX. Output from APEX will be input into the
watershed scale model, Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) in the
HUMUS (Hydrologic Unit Modeling for the United States) system for
routing the pollutants to the 8-digit watershed outlet. SWAT will be
calibrated and validated using the United States Geological Survey's
SPAtially Referenced Regressions On Watershed attributes (SPARROW) model
output, streamflow and pollutant data. The HUMUS system simulates
in-stream effects for (a) a baseline scenario with conservation
practices and (b) an alternative scenario without conservation
practices. The off-site water quality benefits of conservation practices
currently in use will be determined by comparing outputs for the
alternative scenario to the baseline outputs at each 8-digit watershed.
Benefits will be reported as reductions in in-stream concentrations and
loadings of sediment, nutrients and pesticides, and reductions in the
number of days that concentrations exceed human health and ecological
thresholds.

Keywords. Soil and Water Assessment Tool, Agricultural Environmental
Productivity Extender, Conservation Practices, Water Quality, National
Assessment, HUMUS.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> The precipitation and temperature data sets are created from a
> combination of point measurements of daily precipitation and
> temperature (maximum and minimum) (Eischeid et al., 2000) and PRISM
> (Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model) (Daly et
> al., 1994; Daly et al., 2002).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

Blackland Research Center, Texas A&M University System

> Funding Agency:

American Society of Agricultural Engineers (ASAE)

> 3\. PRISM contributed to the creation of the precipitation and
> temperature data sets in a study designed to

estimate "water quality benefits of conservation practices at the
national level."

> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> Information regarding the quantitative benefits of conservation
> practices or programs on water quality is imperative to improve the
> existing conservation programs and develop new programs and for
> efficient utilization of the resources. Modeling is a potential option
> for evaluating the effects of conservation practices on water quality
> benefits. This paper described the modeling approach used for
> estimating the water quality benefits of conservation practices at the
> national level in the CEAP. The modeling approach is useful to analyze
> several scenarios that might be helpful for policy makers and
> conservation managers in planning the conservation programs or
> practices.

Google 400

Perry, C.A., Wolock, D.M., and Artman, J.C., 2004, Estimates of flow
duration, mean flow, and peak-discharge frequency values for Kansas
stream locations: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations
Report 2004--5033, 651 p.

ABSTRACT

Streamflow statistics of flow duration and peak-discharge frequency were
estimated for 4,771 individual locations on streams listed on the 1999
Kansas Surface Water Register. These statistics included the
flow-duration values of 90, 75, 50, 25, and 10 percent, as well as the
mean flow value. Peak-discharge frequency values were estimated for the
2-, 5-, 10-, 25-,50-, and 100-year floods.

Least-squares multiple regression techniques were used, along with Tobit
analyses, to develop equations for estimating flow-duration values of
90, 75, 50, 25, and 10 percent and the mean flow for uncontrolled flow
stream locations. The contributing- drainage areas of 149 U.S.
Geological Survey streamflow- gauging stations in Kansas and parts of
surrounding States that had flow uncontrolled by Federal reservoirs and
used in the regression analyses ranged from 2.06 to 12,004 square miles.
Logarithmic transformations of climatic and basin data were performed to
yield the best linear relation for developing equations to compute flow
durations and mean flow.

In the regression analyses, the significant climatic and basin
characteristics, in order of importance, were contributing drainage
area, mean annual precipitation, mean basin permeability, and mean basin
slope. The analyses yielded a model standard error of prediction range
of 0.43 logarithmic units for the 90-percent duration analysis to 0.15
logarithmic units for the 10-percent duration analysis. The model
standard error of prediction was 0.14 logarithmic units for the mean
flow. Regression equations used to estimate peak-discharge frequency
values were obtained from a previous report, and estimates for the 2-,
5-, 10-, 25-, 50-, and 100-year floods were determined for this report.

The regression equations and an interpolation procedure were used to
compute flow durations, mean flow, and estimates of peak-discharge
frequency for locations along uncontrolled flow streams on the 1999
Kansas Surface Water Register. Flow durations, mean flow, and
peak-discharge frequency values determined at available gauging stations
were used to interpolate the regression-estimated flows for the stream
locations where available. Streamflow statistics for locations that had
uncontrolled flow were interpolated using data from gauging stations
weighted according to the drainage area and the bias between the
regression-estimated and gauged flow information. On controlled reaches
of Kansas streams, the streamflow statistics were interpolated between
gauging stations using only gauged data weighted by drainage area.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> "Mean annual precipitation, the major climatic factor affecting
> streamflow in the State, varies from about 16 in. in extreme western
> Kansas to about 42 in. in southeastern Kansas (Daly and others, 1997)
> (fig. 6)."
>
> "The basin characteristics considered in this report included
> contributing-drainage area, in square miles; mean basin elevation, in
> feet above NAVD 88; mean basin permeability, in inches per hour; mean
> basin slope, in degrees; a base-flow index (Wahl and Wahl, 1995); mean
> annual runoff for hydrologic basins in the United States, in cubic
> feet per second (Gebert and others, 1987); and runoff from a
> water-balance model (Wolock and McCabe, 1999) (parameter-elevation
> regressions on independent slope model), in cubic feet per second,
> using the mean annual precipitation grid for the United States
> developed by Daly and others (1994). "
>
> "Many spatial data sets were available for this task, including: (1)
> 30-year (1961--90) mean annual precipitation data (Daly and others,
> 1997)..."
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

U.S. Department of the Interior and U.S. Geological Survey

> Funding Agency:

Prepared in cooperation with the Kansas Department of Health and
Environment and the Kansas Department of Transportation

> 3\. PRISM was used to provide mean annual precipitation values and
> spatial data sets, as well as being employed in a water-balance model
> in a study that estimated "flow duration, mean flow, and
> peak-discharge frequency values for Kansas stream locations."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> "Streamflow statistics of flow duration and peak-discharge frequency
> were estimated for 4,771 individual locations on streams listed on the
> 1999 Kansas Surface Water Register. These statistics included the
> flow-duration values of 90, 75, 50, 25, and 10 percent, as well as the
> mean flow value. Peak-discharge frequency values were estimated for
> the 2-, 5-, 10-, 25-, 50-, and 100-year floods..."
>
> "Streamflow-gauging-station data were used to improve the quality of
> the streamflow-statistic estimates along the streams that had gages.
> Streamflow statistics for the locations that had uncontrolled flow
> were interpolated using gauged data weighted according to the drainage
> area and the bias between the regression estimate and gauged flow
> information. On controlled reaches of Kansas streams, the
> streamflow-statistic information was interpolated between gauging
> stations by using only gauged data weighted by drainage area."

Google 401

Estimates of Ground-Water Discharge as Determined from Measurements of
Evapotranspiration, Ash Meadows Area, Nye County, Nevada

Randell J. Laczniak, Guy A. DeMeo, Steven R. Reiner, J. LaRue Smith, and
Walter E. Nylund

Water-Resources Investigations Report 99-4079, U.S. Department of the
Interior U.S. Geological Survey

ABSTRACT

Ash Meadows is one of the major discharge areas within the regional
Death Valley groundwater flow system of southern Nevada and adjacent
California. Ground water discharging at Ash Meadows is replenished from
inflow derived from an extensive recharge area that includes the eastern
part of the Nevada Test Site (NTS). Currently, contaminants introduced
into the subsurface by past nuclear testing at NTS are the subject of
study by the U.S. Department of Energy's Environmental Restoration
Program. The transport of any contaminant in contact with ground water
is controlled in part by the rate and direction of groundwater flow,
which itself depends on the location and quantity of ground water
discharging from the flow system. To best evaluate any potential risk
associated with these test-generated contaminants, studies were
undertaken to accurately quantify discharge from areas down gradient
from the NTS. This report presents results of a study to refine the
estimate of ground-water discharge at Ash Meadows.

The study estimates ground-water discharge from the Ash Meadows area
through a rigorous quantification of evapotranspiration (ET). To
accomplish this objective, the study identifies areas of ongoing
ground-water ET, delineates unique areas of ET defined on the basis of
similarities in vegetation and soil-moisture conditions, and computes ET
rates for each of the delineated areas. A classification technique using
spectralreflectance characteristics determined from satellite images
recorded in 1992 identified seven unique units representing areas of
ground-water ET. The total area classified encompasses about 10,350
acres dominated primarily by lush desert vegetation. Each unique area,
referred to as an ET unit, generally consists of one or more assemblages
of local phreatophytes. The ET units identified range from sparse
grasslands to open water. Annual ET rates are computed by energy-budget
methods from micrometeorological measurements made at 10 sites within
six of the seven identified ET units. Micrometeorological data were
collected for a minimum of 1 year at each site during 1994 through 1997.
Evapotranspiration ranged from 0.6 foot per year in a sparse, dry
saltgrass environment to 8.6 feet per year over open water. Ancillary
data, including water levels, were collected during this same period to
gain additional insight into the evapotranspiration process. Water
levels measured in shallow wells showed annual declines of more than 10
feet and daily declines as high as 0.3 foot attributed to water losses
associated with evapotranspiration.

Mean annual ET from the Ash Meadows area is estimated at 21,000
acre-feet. An estimate of ground-water discharge, based on this ET
estimate, is presented as a range to account for uncertainties in the
contribution of local precipitation. The estimates given for mean annual
ground-water discharge range from 18,000 to 21,000 acre-feet. The low
estimate assumes a large contribution from local precipitation in
computed ET rates; whereas, the high estimate assumes no contribution
from local precipitation. The range presented is only slightly higher
than previous estimates of ground-water discharge from the Ash Meadows
area based primarily on springflow measurements.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Although no long-term precipitation data are available for Ash
> Meadows, a reasonable estimate for mean annual precipitation is
> between 2.5 and 4.25 inches. This range accounts for differences
> observed during 3 years of local data collection (volumetric rainfall
> measurements, fig. 16), long-term record available from four National
> Weather Service stations in the general area (fig. 16), published maps
> of precipitation (Hardman, 1965; Winograd and Thordarson, 1975, fig.
> 3; Houghton and others, 1975, fig. 40), and a map generated by PRISM
> (parameter elevation regressions on independent slopes model; Daly and
> others, 1994).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

U.S. Department of the Interior and U.S. Geological Survey

> Funding Agency:
>
> U.S. Department of the Interior and U.S. Geological Survey Prepared in
> cooperation with the OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORATION AND WASTE
> MANAGEMENT U.S. Department of Energy Nevada Operations Office, under
> Interagency Agreement DE-AI08-96NV11967
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to determine a reasonable estimate for mean annual
> precipitation for Ash Meadows because no long-term precipitation data
> were available for a study designed to estimate "ground-water
> discharge as determined from measurements of evapotranspiration, at
> Ash Meadows Area, Nye County, Nevada."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> The estimate of ground-water discharge presented includes only water
> lost through evaporation and transpiration and does not include any
> water that may be leaving the Ash Meadows area through subsurface
> means. Assuming some potential for subsurface outflow, the range given
> for annual ground-water discharge should be considered a minimum value
> of total outflow from the Ash Meadows area.

Google 403

Carroll, Carlos. 2005. Carnivore Restoration in the Northeastern U.S.
and Southeastern Canada: A Regional-Scale Analysis of Habitat and
Population Viability for Wolf, Lynx, and Marten (Report 2: Lynx and
Marten Viability Analysis). Wildlands Project Special Paper No. 6.
Richmond, VT: Wildlands Project. 46 pp.

ABSTRACT

The research described here and in a companion report on the wolf, seeks
to develop a comprehensive analysis of habitat, population viability,
and conservation needs for three focal carnivores in the Northern
Appalachians region of the northeastern U.S. and southeastern Canada:
American marten (Martes americana), lynx (Lynx canadensis), and eastern
gray wolf (Canis lupus, or C. lycaon). All three species are considered
threatened in portions of the region but differ in their basic habitat
requirements and the factors responsible for their decline. Carnivore
conservation in the Northern Applachians faces fundamental challenges
due in part to the expected impacts of climate change on species such as
the lynx and marten, which are primarily associated with boreal regions.
Habitat for these species at the southern limits of their range is
already fragmented by climate and human associated factors such as
conversion of forest to farmland and urban areas. Because of the small
and semi-isolated carnivore populations of the region, climate change
can interact with habitat conversion and direct exploitation (trapping)
to form an "extinction vortex" that may affect both regionally scarce
species such as the lynx and relatively abundant species such as the
marten.

Species recovery efforts that span national boundaries face challenges
due to contrasting social and regulatory contexts. For example, lynx are
relatively abundant and commercially trapped in the Gaspé region of
Québec, but threatened or extirpated elsewhere in the Northern
Appalachians region. Broad-scale analyses such as this one that
encompass all components of the regional metapopulation, although
necessarily less detailed than state/province-level efforts, may provide
important insights as to the underlying drivers of species vulnerability
that can make conservation policy more effective.

In the first stage of this analysis, I developed regional- scale models
that relate GIS habitat data to the relative fecundity and survival
rates shown by marten, lynx and wolf in differing habitats. Marten
distribution was predicted by relating marten trapping harvest to
environmental factors, and lynx distribution was predicted using a
previously published model (Hoving et al. 2005). Snowfall is an
important habitat factor in both the marten and lynx models, because
decreased snowfall is linked to decreased prey abundance and/or
vulnerability, and decreased competitive advantage over sympatric
carnivores. Therefore, projecting these initial regional habitat models
forward to 2055 using snowfall predictions from the IPCC's general
circulation models resulted in dramatic changes in the extent of
suitable habitat in the region. Marten habitat was effectively liminated
from Nova Scotia, southern New Brunswick, and eastcentral Maine, and
predicted marten abundance was reduced in more northerly areas. Lynx
habitat contracted to the Gaspé peninsula (Québec), northernmost New
Brunswick, and scattered areas in the northeastern U.S.

In the second step, I incorporated these static habitat models into a
spatially-explicit population model (SEPM) called PATCH. This model goes
beyond the simpler habitat models by simulating populations of
individual animals on the landscape, allowing assessment of how
population size and connectivity influence persistence. PATCH also
allowed assessment of novel future scenarios that included increased
trapping pressure, increased or decreased timber harvest, and the
interaction of these with climate change.

For marten, an increase in trapping intensity results in fragmentation
of formerly continuous range into two large subpopulations (in northern
New Brunswick/northern Gaspé and northern Maine) and two smaller
untrapped populations (northern New Hampshire and Cape Breton Island),
and loss of the Adirondack subpopulation. An increase in logging
intensity results in a similar pattern of fragmentation. Climate change
sharply reduced marten distribution in Maine, fragmenting the regional
population into a larger population in northern New Brunswick/northern
Gaspé and a remnant isolate in the mountains of northern New Hampshire.
Restoration (decreased logging) mitigated this range contraction to some
extent by maintaining distribution in northern and western Maine. The
climate change scenarios suggest that decreased snowfall will have high
impact on marten, not only in small isolated populations such as Cape
Breton Island, but also in areas such as northern Maine where they are
relatively abundant under current conditions, but which lack mountainous
refugia.

For lynx, small peripheral populations (Cape Breton Island) and lowland
populations (Maine) were also most vulnerable to the effects of climate
change. However, because core habitat for the lynx is already limited to
the Gaspé peninsula, northward range contraction was more pronounced.
Mountainous or more northerly populations (New Brunswick) were
moderately vulnerable to climate change, while the core Gaspé
population, at the northern limits of the study area, was least
vulnerable. However, the threats from trapping and climate change
interacted, causing a Gaspé population affected by climate change to
become highly vulnerable to additional threats from trapping. These
results suggest areas such as Gaspé that hold robust lynx populations
under current conditions will not be able to sustain current threat
levels when coupled with the effects of climate change.

Because marten, lynx, and (potentially) wolf populations in the Northern
Appalachians represent peninsular extensions of broader boreal ranges,
demographic decline due to increased threats and environmental
stochasticity is rapidly expressed as fragmentation of peripheral from
core populations. This occurs at differing scales; the wolf suffers from
the isolation of the Northern Appalachians from populations north of St.
Lawrence River, the lynx from potential disconnection of the U.S. from
the Gaspé population, and the marten from potential loss of contact
between peripheral populations in New Hampshire, Vermont, and Nova
Scotia from core populations in northern Maine/northern New
Brunswick/Gaspé

The PATCH analysis highlighted areas that may serve as critical linkages
to maintain viability of outlying populations. While there is some
overlap between the linkage areas highlighted, the substantial contrasts
in linkage needs between these three carnivore species, a small subset
of the region's threatened species, implies that identifying and
protecting linkages requires a science-based approach rather than a
rapid assessment based on human perceptions of landscape pattern.

Until recently, the effects of climate change on biodiversity were
assessed using simple "climatic envelope" models that predicted changes
in a species range without considering the dynamics of individuals and
populations and the ability to disperse to new habitat. This study is
thus the first comprehensive assessment of the how climate change will
interact with other threats to affect carnivore population viability.
The results reported here help focus conservation action on policy
changes and critical habitat areas which will be key to preventing the
loss of these vulnerable species from large portions of the Northern
Applachians in the next century.

The strong impact of climate change in our results imply, not that
conservation action to address other threats will be useless, but on the
contrary, that it is essential to move towards more precautionary
management of populations that may today still appear robust. Unless
steps are taken now to begin more precautionary and regionally
coordinated management of these species, they may suffer range
contraction in areas that are now considered the core of their regional
range (Gaspé for the lynx, northern Maine for the marten). These results
imply that reduction in trapping of vulnerable populations and habitat
restoration in critical core areas and linkages may have a large effect
in sustaining regional lynx and marten populations in the face of
climate change. For all three species, effective conservation strategies
must be bi-national and take into account the dynamic ecosystem context
within which recovery will occur.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Annual snowfall data for the U.S. originated from the PRISM model
> (Daly et al. 1994), while snowfall data for Canada was predicted based
> on a model similar to that developed by Hoving et al. (2005), relating
> weather station data to geographic coordinates, elevation, and
> distance to water.
>
> Because the PRISM snowfall data includes a lake effect (Daly et al.
> 1994), it predicts heavier snowfall and hence more suitable lynx
> habitat in the Tug Hills and southwestern Adirondacks that does Hoving
> et al. (2005).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:
>
> Funding Agency:
>
> This study was commissioned by the Wildlands Project, Richmond,
> Vermont, and was funded through the generous support of the Fine
> Family Foundation, Sweet Water Trust, and Henry P. Kendall Foundation.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to provide annual snowfall data for the US and to
> predict suitable lynx habitat in the Tug Hills and southwestern
> Adironaks in a study on "carnivore restoration in the Northeastern
> U.S. and Southeastern Canada: a regional- scale analysis of habitat
> and population viability for wolf, lynx, and marten."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> Due to the limited availability of regional scale models to discern
> proximal limiting factors such as forest structure or prey density, as
> well as the additional limitations inherent in complex models such as
> SEPMs, the quantitative predictions from the PATCH scenarios should be
> interpreted cautiously. Nonetheless, both static and dynamic model
> results are highly relevant to carnivore conservation policy because
> they generate hypotheses concerning regional population dynamics and
> offer heuristic tools to begin considering how carnivore populations
> are linked across jurisdictions. Because marten, lynx, and
> (potentially) wolf populations in the Northern Appalachians represent
> peninsular extensions of broader boreal ranges, demographic decline
> due to increased threats and environmental stochasticity is rapidly
> expressed as fragmentation of peripheral from core populations. This
> occurs at differing scales; the wolf suffers from the isolation of the
> Northern Appalachians from populations north of St. Lawrence River,
> the lynx from potential disconnection of the U.S. from the Gaspé
> population, and the marten from potential loss of contact between
> peripheral populations in New Hampshire, Vermont, and Nova Scotia from
> core populations in northern Maine/northern New Brunswick/Gaspé. In
> all three cases, however, conservation strategies must be bi-national
> and take into account the dynamic ecosystem context within which
> recovery will occur. The strong impact of climate change in our
> results imply, not that conservation action to address other threats
> will be useless, but on the contrary, that it is essential to move
> towards more precautionary management of populations that may today
> still appear robust.

Google 407

Carbon Storage in Coarse and Fine Fractions of Pacific Northwest
Old-Growth Forest Soils

P. S. Homann, S. M. Remillard, M. E. Harmon, and B. T. Bormann

*SOIL SCI. SOC. AM. J*., VOL. 68, NOVEMBER--DECEMBER 2004, p 2023-2030.

ABSTRACT

Many assessments of soil C have been restricted to the \<2-mm fraction,
but C has recently been identified in \>2-mm fractions of forest mineral
soils. Our objective was to determine the importance of the \>2-mm
fraction to whole-soil C pools in Pacific Northwest old-growth
coniferous forests. Seventy-nine pedons in 18 Washington and Oregon
forests were sampled to a depth of 100 cm. The \>2-mm fraction was
separated from the \>2-mm fraction by air- drying, physically crushing
soil, and sieving; C was determined by Leco combustion. The\>2-mm
fraction contained up to 46% of the whole-soil C and averaged 23% for
the seven forests that had C in that fraction. Following treatment with
sodium hexametaphosphate to disaggregate soil material, up to 20% of
whole-soil C remained in the \>2-mm fraction. Thus, the \_2-mm fraction
C appears to be instable and unstable aggregates, as well as
concretions. The whole-soil C in the surface 100 cm of mineral soil
ranged from 30 to 400 Mg C ha^-1^. Multiple regression analysis
indicated this C pool was positively related to available water
capacity, annual precipitation, and coarse woody debris (r ^2^ - 0.63 to
0.66, n - 18 forests). Similar results were obtained with only the
\<2-mm soil C, which is the basis of previous regional evaluations. This
suggests consideration of the \>2-mm fraction does not alter our
understanding of the importance of climate and soil texture as controls
of soil C pools, but it does affect the quantification of soil C pools
in many old-growth forests in the Pacific Northwest.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

Precipitation data was from Precipitation-elevation Regressions on
Independent Slopes Model (PRISM; Daly et al., 1994) for 1960--1990.

> 2\. Affiliation:
>
> P.S. Homann, Dep. of Environmental Sciences, Huxley College of the
> Environment, Western Washington University, Bellingham WA
>
> Funding Agency:
>
> This research was made possible by funding from the following sources:
> H.J. Andrews Long Term Ecological Research - (LTER) program, under NSF
> grant number DEB-9632921; NASA grant NAG5-6242; Pacific Northwest
> Research Station Long-Term Ecosystem Productivity Program, Corvallis,
> OR; Interagency Agreement DW 12936179 between USEPA and the Pacific
> Northwest Research Station; Bureau for Faculty Research, Western
> Washington University.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to provide precipitation data for a study on
> "carbon storage in coarse and fine fractions of Pacific Northwest
> Old-Growth Forest Soils."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> Substantial soil C was present in the \>2-mm fractions of one third of
> the Pacific Northwest old-growth forests we examined. The \>2-mm
> fractions contained up to 46% of whole-soil C. The separation of C
> between \<2- and above \>2-mm fractions is likely influenced by
> soil-preparation procedures; however, up to 20% of whole-soil C
> remained in the \>2-mm fraction even after treatment with sodium
> hexametaphosphate, a standard NRCS procedure to disaggregate soil
> materials. Therefore, determination of soil C pools should include the
> \>2-mm fraction, at least in initial assessments to determine
> magnitude of that fraction at individual sites. In spite of the
> importance of C in the \>2-mm fraction in some soils, consideration of
> this C does not substantially affect our understanding of the vertical
> distribution or the controls on soil C on a regional basis. Climate
> and soil texture variables continue to be important in explaining the
> spatial variation in soil C. Additionally, coarse woody debris may
> influence soil C in these old-growth forests.

Google 410

Variation in gas exchange and water use efficiency patterns among
populations of western redcedar.

Steven C. Grossnickle . Shihe Fan . John H. Russell

*Trees* (2005) 19: 32--42

DOI 10.1007/s00468-004-0360-9

ABSTRACT

Abstract Western redcedar (Thuja plicata Donn) populations were planted
out on a reforestation site and measured, during the summer, to define
their gas exchange processes in relation to evaporative demand under
nonlimiting light and edaphic conditions. These populations came from
various locations across a longitudinal transect representing various
biogeoclimatic subzones, differing in annual and summer precipitation,
in British Columbia, Canada. The study was designed to determine whether
there was population variation in gas exchange patterns and if this
variation was adaptive to environmental conditions of the source
geographic region (i.e., descriptors of population seed-origin). Both
instantaneous gas exchange and carbon isotope composition were measured.
All western redcedar populations had a decrease in foliage conductance
(gwv) and net photosynthesis (Pn) as vapor pressure deficit (VPD)
increased. There was evidence of genetic variation in both gwv and Pn
responses to VPD, with the two Vancouver Island populations having
greater gwv and Pn levels than most other populations across the full
range of VPD conditions. For all populations, intrinsic water use
efficiency (WUEI) was fairly stable across the full range of VPD
conditions. There was a relationship between foliage carbon isotope
discrimination (Δ) and both the ratio of internal to ambient CO2
concentration (CI/Ca) and WUEI measured during the summer growing
season. There was a stronger relationship between gwv and Δ than between
Pn and Δ. There was population variation in Δ with trees from two
submaritime locations having the lowest Δ levels and the highest WUEI
across all field site VPD conditions. In contrast, the two Vancouver
Island populations as well as trees from a very dry interior location
had the lowest seasonal WUEI and the highest Δ levels. Measured gas
exchange response and long-term water use efficiency (WUE) patterns did
not consistently correspond to environmental conditions of the source
geographic region.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> The water regime categories are as follows (Daly et al. 1994, 1997).
>
> Population descriptor data were obtained from Meteorological Service
> of Canada: 1961--1990 average monthly temperature and precipitation
> data for British Columbia that had been mapped on a 2.5×2.5 ° grid
> using the PRISM climate analysis system and a digital elevation model
> (Daly et al. 1994, 1997).
>
> 2\. Affiliation:

CELLFOR, Inc., P.O. Box 133 Brentwood Bay, BC, V8M 1R3, Canada

> Funding Agency:
>
> Support for this study came from a Forest Renewal BC program (No.
> HQ96440-RE) to J.R. with the British Columbia Ministry of Forests.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used in determining water regime categories and as
> 1961--1990 average monthly temperature and precipitation data for
> British Columbia that had been mapped on a 2.5×2.5° grid using the
> PRISM climate analysis system and a digital elevation model (Daly et
> al. 1994, 1997) as part of a study on the "variation in gas exchange
> and water use efficiency patterns among populations of western
> redcedar."
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> Western redcedar seedlings had dynamic gas exchange patterns in
> response to summer atmospheric conditions. Variation was evident
> between the populations, with the magnitude of gas exchange
> differences consistent across the full range of atmospheric
> conditions. Thus, specific environmental conditions do not seem to be
> needed to define population differences in instantaneous summer gas
> exchange respons patterns. Variation was apparent for the western
> redcedar populations long-term WUE, measured as Δ, and was better
> related to gwv than to Pn. Gas exchange and Δ response of the measured
> populations did not consistently correspond to the origin of these
> populations from across the regional precipitation gradient.

Google 480

Characterizing and Estimating Spatial and Temporal Variability of Times
between Storms

J. V. Bonta, Transactions of the ASAE

*American Society of Agricultural Engineers* Vol. 44(6): 1593--1601 2001

ABSTRACT

An exploratory investigation was conducted on methods to characterize
times between storms and estimate a parameter used to identify storms in
a precipitation record for the purpose of simulating the occurrence of
storms. The parameter is called the "critical duration" (CD) and is
fundamental to the operation of a storm--generator model. It is defined
as the minimum dry period between storms that separates bursts of
rainfall into statistically independent storms. Data used covered an
area of about 225,000 km^2^ in the plains area of Colorado, Nebraska,
Kansas, and Wyoming for the months from May through September. The
exponential method that yields an exponential frequency distribution of
times between storms (TBS) appears to give reasonable fits to the data.
However, some precipitation gauge data yield CD estimates that appear to
be outliers for individual months. CD varies noticeably with month and
location. An equation developed earlier for estimating CD over a wide
range of climates is inadequate for estimating monthly CD values.
Computing CD by collapsing TBS and precipitation data into 2--, 3--,
4--, and 5--month periods did not improve the estimating capability of
the equation. Separate regressions for monthly CD data against average
monthly precipitation were statistically insignificant for all months,
and led to computing averages of the data for each month. A
multiplicative power equation that was successful in another study to
estimate monthly CD did not work as well in the present study. Mapping
CD over the study area appears to be the best method to estimate CD on
ungauged areas for parameterization and storm modeling. The study
results are useful for guiding storm--generation model development and
parameterization, and drought studies.

Keywords: storm generation, storm identification, storm separation,
drought, storm simulation, times between storms, critical duration

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

Mapping of the monthly average precipitation data using the PRISM model
(Daly et al., 1994) has been completed across the USA on a 4--km^2^
grid. The PRISM model accounts for elevation effects on average
precipitation and provides a source of data with which possible CD
estimation techniques can be developed.

2.  Affiliation: USDA Agricultural Research Service, North Appalachian
    Experimental Watershed, P.O. Box 488, Coshocton, Ohio

> Funding Agency: None listed

3.  PRISM was used to map the monthly average precipitation data across
    the USA on a 4-km^2^ grid, and to provide a source of data with
    which possible CD estimation techniques can be developed

4.  Impact or Conclusion:

> This study reveals that the exponential method to identify storms is
> encouraging for characterization of the times between storms for
> simulation purposes and CD can be estimated from monthly CD maps, but
> that a CD estimation equation requires further investigation. This
> study has direct utility for guiding development of the storm
> generator and associated model parameterization studies, and for
> drought investigations.

Google 482

U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Forest Service, 1999, Relationships Between
Landscape Habitat Variables and Chinook Salmon Production in the
Columbia River

Thompson, William L., D. C. Lee

*Basin Annual Report* 1999 to Bonneville Power Administration, Portland,
OR, Contract No. 92AI25866, Project No. 92-032-00, 23 electronic pages

ABSTRACT

Here, we investigate potential relationships between various landscape
habitat variables and estimates of fish production from 25 index stocks
of spring/summer Chinook salmon within the Columbia River Basin. Because
we use recently-described techniques for model selection and inference
(Buckland et al. 1997, Burnham and Anderson 1998) that are probably
unfamiliar to most ecologists, we discuss our methodological approach in
some detail. Note, however, that this approach may be applied more
broadly to other modeling situations, and hence should be of general
interest to ecologists.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Weighted mean annual precipitation (mm) (PRISM model; Daly et al.
> 1994)

2.  Affiliation:

U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research
Station, Boise, Idaho

Funding Agency:

> This report was funded by the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA),
> U.S. Department of Energy, as part of Boa's program to protect,
> mitigate, and enhance fish and wildlife affected by the development
> and operation of hydroelectric facilities on the Columbia River and
> its tributaries. This work was funded by Bonneville Power
> Administration under project 92-32.

3.  PRISM was used to determine weighted mean annual precipitation as
    the description of landscape variables included in a set of linear
    regression models attempting to predict fish production for 25 index
    stocks of spring/summer Chinook salmon within the Columbia River
    Basin.

4.  Impact or Conclusion

> Given the level of uncertainty and noise inherent in our data,
> detecting any signal at all is in itself noteworthy. This lends
> support to the idea that, despite the uncertainty involved, broadscale
> analyses can be worthwhile. Beyond this, one of the more interesting
> of our results was that the stock-recruitment model containing a
> common Ricker *a* was the only plausible model for our data. This is
> surprising because of the apparent soundness of the biological
> rationale for using stock-specific Ricker *a* values, being a measure
> of fish production at low stock sizes, to help discern differences in
> spawning/rearing habitats across stocks of Chinook salmon that are at
> historically low levels. However, previous analyses in which *a*
> values were used in the response variable in landscape habitat models
> indicated REGION (Table 1; Fig. 1) was the only variable that was
> statistically significant. This result implies that any differences in
> *a* values among stocks were overwhelmed by the uncertainty in the
> region effect. Conversely, REGION was not even contained in a
> plausible habitat model when maximum recruitment was the response
> variable. This contrast in results reinforces the importance of model
> selection to the overall modeling process. Given the implausibility of
> the stock-specific Ricker *a* model for these spawner-recruit data, we
> recommend maximum recruitment be used instead of *a* values in any
> PATH retrospective or prospective analysis of potential effects of
> broadscale habitat changes on productivity of spring/summer Chinook in
> the 25 index stocks.
>
> The negative relationship between maximum recruitment and percentage
> of forests with moderate to high intensity management status warrants
> consideration of forest management practices as a factor to be
> included in the PATH prospective analyses. However, a more rigorous,
> experimental management approach (Walters 1986, Walters 1997) is
> needed to better understand broad scale effects of land management
> actions on pawning/rearing habitat of spring/summer Chinook stocks.
> There is too much uncertainty associated with the life history
> patterns of anadramous salmon for us to expect a clear answer from
> correlative data, which is why an experimental management approach has
> been incorporated into the objectives of PAH (Marmorek and Peters
> 1998). Although this paper does not resolve uncertainties related to
> broad scale habitat features and production of spring/summer Chinook,
> it does provide direction for future research that we hope will
> ultimately answer fundamental questions related to conservation of
> anadromous salmon in the Columbia River Basin.

Google 483

Impact of Climate, Moisture, Regime, and Nutrient Regime on the
Productivity of Douglas-Fir in Coastal British Columbia, Canada

Gordon D. Nigh

*Climatic Change* (2006) 76: 321--337

ABSTRACT

Future climate change is expected to have many impacts on forest
ecosystems. It is important to have some understanding of these impacts
in order to make informed forest management decisions. A major
consideration in making forest management decisions is the productivity
of a site, as measured by site index. In this study, I relate
Douglas-fir site index to accumulated growing degree-days greater than 5
degrees C (DD5), as well as to soil moisture and nutrient regime. This
allows the impact of climate change on forest productivity to be
estimated. A two-step approach was followed. The first step derived
models to estimate various climate variables to latitude, longitude, and
elevation using data from climate stations. Then, these climate
variables were used along with soil moisture and nutrient data to
predict site index for the site index plots. A two-step approach was
taken because climatic data were not available for the site index plots.
The trend was for site index to increase with both increasing soil
moisture and nutrients, although the site index decreased on the wetter
sites. Site index also increased with DD5 at the rate of 1.2 m for every
increase of 100 units in DD5. These models can be used together to
evaluate the impact of various climate change scenarios on site index.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> The PRISM model (Daly et al., 1994; Daly et al., 1997) was used as an
> alternative for estimating climate variables MAT, MAP, MSP, MTWM, and
> MTCM. PRISM estimates climate parameters from latitude and longitude.
> Experience suggests that the PRISM model predicts
> precipitation-related variables better than regression models (Nigh et
> al., 2004). The climate variables were predicted for each weather
> station in the complete climate data set. The errors in the estimates
> were calculated and analyzed as was previously described for the
> testing of the climate models. The best model (model 1 or PRISM) for
> each climate variable was selected based on statistical properties of
> the errors including bias, variability, normality and
> homoscedasticity.

2.  Affiliation: BC Ministry of Forests, Victoria, British Columbia,
    Canada

> Funding Agency: (none listed)

3.  PRISM was used as an alternative for estimating climate variables
    MAT, MAP, MSP, MTWM, and MTCM.

4.  Impact or Conclusion:

Douglas-fir is an important timber species on the coast of British
Columbia. Therefore, it is important to be able to estimate the impacts
of climate change on forest productivity in order to make informed
forest management planning decisions. I present two models that will
help in evaluating the impacts of climate change on forest stand growth.
The first model predicts the number of growing-degree days greater than
5 degree C for coastal sites. The second model predicts site index from
soil moisture and nutrient regimes, and from growing-degree days greater
than 5 degree C. These two models can be used in conjunction with site
information and forest stand growth and yield models to estimate current
and future stand volumes. An increase of 100 in the growing-degree days
greater than 5 will increase the site index of coastal Douglas-fir by
approximately 1.2 m, independent of the effect of edaphic factors. This
analysis assumes that other site characteristics remain unchanged under
a changing climate.

Google 484

West Nile Virus (WNV) in Equids in the Northeastern United States in
2000

*United States Department Of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service*, August 2001

ABSTRACT:

The first new world outbreak of West Nile virus (WNV) in equids occurred
in the Northeastern United States in 1999. Following investigations in
1999, it was recognized there were still some important questions
regarding exposure and occurrence of disease among equids in this region
that remained unanswered. Thus, a case-control study of premises was
designed so that if cases of WNV in equids were identified in 2000, it
could be

implemented in a timely manner. States with confirmed WNV equine cases
were requested to participate in the case-control study coordinated by
USDA: APHIS: VS. This study was designed to gather information from
premises with equids that developed clinical signs of WNV infection in
2000, as well as from premises that did not have confirmed disease due
to WNV infection in their equids. In addition, a spatial analysis was
conducted to describe the geographic and ecological aspects of case
premises. Factors looked at included precipitation, temperature, and
locations of case premises relative to equid inventories, WNV-positive
mosquito pools, WNV-infected wild birds, elevation and ecoregions.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Thirty-year average total precipitation data for 1961-1990 were
> obtained from The Climate Source, LLC (Corvallis, OR), in a grid
> format with a spatial resolution of 1.25 arc-minutes (about a 2-km^2^
> area). Average precipitation values, measured in millimeters, were
> based on reports from 7,700 National Weather Service stations.
> Precipitation data were interpolated between weather stations and
> variation due to topography was minimized, using the
> Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model (PRISM)
> developed by Daly and Neilson (1992; Daly et al., 1994). In this
> regression-based interpolation process, precipitation values from
> weather reporting stations were weighted according to distance,
> elevation, cluster, vertical layer, topographic facet, coastal
> proximity, and effective terrain.

2.  Affiliation:

United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service Veterinary Services

> Funding Agency: (none listed)

3.  PRISM was used to interpolate between weather stations and minimize
    variation due to topography by weighing precipitation values
    according to distance, elevation, cluster, vertical layer,
    topographic facet, coastal proximity, and effective terrain.

4.  Impact or Conclusion:

> Based on the spatial analysis of case-control and other data, exposure
> of equids to WNV is a geographically clustered event. Within regions
> of virus activity, exposure of individual equids appears to be chance
> event. Consequently, immunoprophylaxis is warranted for equids in
> regions where foci of WNV are likely to be found. This is similar to
> the approach used in protecting equids from infections with the
> viruses that cause eastern equine encephalitis and western equine
> encephalitis. Other recommended mitigation methods include reducing
> the size of vector mosquito populations, especially in areas near
> communal bird roosts or waterfowl congregations.
>
> Because there are many unanswered questions about equid exposure to
> infected mosquitoes in and around epizootic foci, future studies of
> affected, equid premises should include an ecological assessment of
> the surrounding area. It is important to determine which species of
> mosquitoes feeding on equids are also infected with WNV. In addition,
> the infection status of free-ranging birds in the vicinity of an
> affected premises needs to be determined. The location of communal
> bird roosts or congregations of waterfowl relative to a site with an
> infected equid needs to be determined more precisely.

Google 486

An ArcGIS Application of Spatial Statistics to Precipitation Modeling

Kurt Baron and Jared Aldstadt

Paper Number 206

ABSTRACT

This paper presents an ArcGIS application of spatial statistics to
precipitation modeling. Rainfall observed at weather stations is
combined with environmental variables such as elevation (DEM), aspect,
and location to produce a precipitation surface. This surface is
generated using a spatial auto-regressive model, which employs maximum
likelihood estimation. This method accounts for spatial autocorrelation
of precipitation data and estimates unbiased and efficient parameters
from relatively few rainfall observations. Hydrologic and environmental
applications can benefit from this versatile approach, which provides an
accurate precipitation surface without the limitations of other
regression or geostatistical methods.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> It would be valuable to examine the orientation of existing
> precipitation gages as well as include aspect as a variable in the
> Maximum Likelihood precipitation grid. This concept is a central
> component of the Parameter- elevation Regressions on Independent
> Slopes Model (PRISM), which models the terrain as a grid of facets
> with unique location and orientation (Daly, 1994). PRISM data is
> available for the United States portion of the Tijuana River
> Watershed. This allows for a comparison of the results from other
> models, such as PRISM with the results from this study.

2.  Affiliation: ESRI

> Funding Agency: (assume ESRI)

3.  PRISM was used for a comparison of the results from this study

4.  Impact or Conclusion:

> In this first approach to modeling precipitation using spatial
> auto-regressive models, two GIS packages (ArcInfo and ArcView), a
> scripting language (Avenue), and a high-level math program (OCTAVE)
> were used. This type of modeling can be easily integrated intoone
> package in ArcGIS. Version 9.0 will support Python as a scripting
> language and include an integrated visual modeling tool. This modeling
> tool will allow for easy integration of the various components of this
> model. The PySpace initiative of the Center for Spatially Integrated
> Social Science is developing optimized, open source spatial
> autoregressive routines that could be used in this type of modeling
> (Sweeney, 2002).
>
> In summary, this paper presented an application of spatial statistics
> to precipitation modeling. A precipitation surface was generated using
> a spatial auto-regressive model. The methods used account for spatial
> autocorrelation of precipitation data and estimates consistent and
> efficient parameters from relatively few rainfall observations, and it
> proved to be the most appropriate method to use for this study. The
> procedure is not environment specific, and hydrologic and
> environmental applications can benefit from this versatile approach,
> which provides an accurate surface without the limitations of other
> regression or geostatistical methods.

Google 487

Spatial variation of climatic and non-climatic controls on species
distribution: the range limit of Tsuga heterophylla

Daniel G. Gavin and Feng Sheng Hu

*Journal of Biogeography* (2006) 33, 1384--1396

ABSTRACT

Aim: To assess which climatic variables control the distribution of
western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla), how climatic controls vary over
latitude and between disjunct coastal and interior sub-distributions,
and whether non-climatic factors, such as dispersal limitation and
interspecific competition, affect range limits in areas of low climatic
control.

Keywords: Actual evapotranspiration, bioclimatic envelope model,
climate, local adaptation, model evaluation, North America, predictive
species models, range expansion, Tsuga heterophylla

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Our analyses used four bioclimatic variables that are expected to have
> a strong functional relationship with the distribution of T.
> heterophylla: actual evapotranspiration (AET); mean temperature of the
> coldest month (MTCO); water balance deficit (DEF); and growing
> degree-days on a 5 degree C base (GDD5). We calculated these four
> variables (see Table 2 for methods) from gridded climate normals
> (1961--90) obtained from the PRISM climate-mapping project (Daly et
> al., 1994).

2.  Affiliation:

Department of Geography, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-1251,
USA

> Funding Agency:

This study was supported by a National Science Foundation Grant and a
Packard Fellowship in Science and Engineering.

3.  PRISM was used to calculate four bioclimatic variables that are
    expected to have a strong functional relationship with the
    distribution of T. heterophylla: actual evapotranspiration (AET);
    mean temperature of the coldest month (MTCO); water balance deficit
    (DEF); and growing degree-days on a 5 degree C base (GDD5) in a
    study about Spatial variation of climatic and non-climatic controls
    on species distribution, specifically the range limit of Tsuga
    heterophylla.

4.  Impact or Conclusion:

> The high predictive capacity of AET is consistent with this species'
> physiological requirements for a mild and humid climate. Spatial
> variation of MTCO, GDD5 and DEF thresholds probably reflects both the
> correlation of these variables with AET and ecotypic variation. The
> level of over prediction in portions of the interior suggests that T.
> heterophylla has not completely expanded into its potential habitat.
> Tsuga heterophylla became common in the interior 2000--3500 years ago,
> compared with \> 9000 years ago in the coastal region. The limited
> time for dispersal, coupled with frequent fires at the margins of the
> distribution and competition with disturbance-adapted species, may
> have retarded range expansion in the interior. This study demonstrates
> that bioclimatic modelling can help identify various climatic and
> non-climatic controls on species distributions.

**[(2002) "A knowledge-based approach to the statistical mapping of
climate"]{.underline}**

Webscience 2-3/07-02

Factors influencing ground-water recharge in the eastern United States

Bernard T. Nolan, Richard W. Healy, Patrick E. Taber, Kimberlie Perkins,
Kerie J. Hitt, and David M. Wolock

*Journal of Hydrology* (2007) 332, 187-- 205

ABSTRACT

> Ground-water recharge estimates for selected locations in the eastern
> half of the United States were obtained by Darcian and chloride-tracer
> methods and compared using statistical analyses. Recharge estimates
> derived from unsaturated-zone (RUZC) and saturated-zone (RSZC)
> chloride mass balance methods are less variable (interquartile ranges
> or IQRs are 9.5 and 16.1 cm/yr, respectively) and more strongly
> correlated with climatic, hydrologic, land use, and sediment variables
> than Darcian estimates (IQR = 22.8 cm/yr). The unit-gradient Darcian
> estimates are a nonlinear function of moisture content and also
> reflect the uncertainty of pedotransfer functions used to estimate
> hydraulic parameters. Significance level is \<0.001 for nearly all
> explanatory variables having correlations with RUZC of \< 0.3 or
> \>0.3. Estimates of RSZC were evaluated using analysis of variance,
> multiple comparison tests, and an exploratory nonlinear regression
> (NLR) model. Recharge generally is greater in coastal plain surficial
> aquifers, fractured crystalline rocks, and carbonate rocks, or in
> areas with high sand content. Westernmost portions of the study area
> have low recharge, receive somewhat less precipitation, and contain
> fine-grained sediment. The NLR model simulates water input to the land
> surface followed by transport to ground water, depending on factors
> that either promote or inhibit water infiltration. The model explains
> a moderate amount of variation in the data set (coefficient of
> determination = 0.61). Model sensitivity analysis indicates that mean
> annual runoff, air temperature, and precipitation, and an index of
> ground-water exfiltration potential most influence estimates of
> recharge at sampled sites in the region. Soil characteristics and land
> use have less influence on the recharge estimates, but nonetheless are
> significant in the NLR model.
>
> ©: 2006 Elsevier B.V.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Table A1 lists sources of spatial data used in statistical analyses of
> ground-water recharge estimates, including potential
> evapotranspiration, cm/yr Daly et al. (2002), Hamon (1961).
>
> 2\. Affiliation: US Geological Survey, 413 National Center, Reston, VA
> 20192, United States

Funding Agency: (none listed)

3.  PRISM was used as a source of potential evapotranspiration (cm/yr)
    data used in statistical analyses of ground-water recharge estimates
    in the eastern United States.

4.  Impact or Conclusion:

> The NLR model comprises precipitation and transport factors and
> identifies those, in a multi-variate context, that most influence
> recharge in the region. Sensitivity analysis indicated that, of the
> more than 100 variables screened in the model, mean annual runoff, air
> temperature, precipitation, and topographic wetness index had the most
> influence on predictions. Some of the variables, such as runoff and
> subsurface contact time, are difficult to interpret and may explain
> residual variation not accounted for by other variables in the model;
> however, their inclusion results in significant model improvement.
> Soil characteristics such as measured percent sand have less influence
> on predicted recharge but nonetheless are highly significant in the
> model (p generally \<0.01). Additionally, measured bulk physical
> properties (texture, moisture content, and bulk density) were key to
> estimating recharge by the Darcian-pedotransfer method.
>
> Although the NLR model fits the existing data set reasonably well, we
> consider it exploratory and refrained from using it to predict
> recharge throughout the region. Sampling was sparse overall, with only
> 108 estimates of RSZC available for the eastern US. Future work could
> involve hundreds or even thousands of RSZC estimates using ground
> water and atmospheric chemistry data that are readily available in
> national databases. An enhanced data set may improve model fit, reduce
> variability, and enable prediction in unsampled areas.

Webscience 3-3/07-02

Comparative streamflow characteristics in urbanizing basins in the
Portland Metropolitan Area, Oregon, USA

Heejun Chang

*Hydrol. Process.* 21, 211--222 (2007)

ABSTRACT

This study investigates changes in streamflow characteristics for
urbanizing watersheds in the Portland Metropolitan Area of Oregon for
the period from 1951 to 2000. The objective of this study was to assess
how mean annual runoff ratio, mean seasonal runoff ratio, annual peak
runoff ratio, changes in streamflow in response to storm amount, the
fraction of time that the daily mean flow exceeds the annual mean flow,
3-day recession constants, and dry/wet flow ratio vary among watersheds
with different degrees of urban development. There were no statistically
significant changes in annual runoff ratio and annual peak runoff ratio
for the mixed land-use watershed (Tualatin River watershed) and the
urban watershed (Johnson Creek watershed) during the entire study
period. The Tualatin River watershed, where most of the urban
development occurred in a lower part of the watershed, showed a
statistically significant increase in annual peak runoff ratio during
the 1976 and 2000 period. The Upper Tualatin River watershed illustrated
a significant decrease in annual peak runoff ratio for the entire study
period. With significant differences in seasonal runoff ratio, only
Johnson Creek exhibited a significant increase in both wet and dry
season runoff ratios. Streamflow during storm events declined rapidly in
the urban watershed, with a high 3-day recession constant. At an event
storm scale, streamflow in Fanno Creek, which is the most urbanized
watershed, responded quickly to precipitation input. The fraction of
time that the daily mean flow exceeded the annual mean flow and dry/wet
flow ratio are all lower in Johnson Creek. This suggests a shorter
duration of storm runoff and lower baseflow in the urbanized watershed
when compared to the mixed land use watershed. The findings of this
study demonstrate the importance of spatial and temporal scale, climate
variability, and basin physiographic characteristics in detecting the
hydrologic effects of urbanization in the Pacific Northwest of the USA.

© 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

KEY WORDS: streamflow; urban watershed; Portland Metropolitan Area;
Oregon

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> To avoid potential underestimation of precipitation, PRISM
> (Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model) data
> were also used for estimating mean annual and seasonal runoff ratio
> for each watershed (Daly *et al*., 2000, 2002).

2.  Affiliation:

Department of Geography, 424 Cramer Hall, Portland State University,
Portland, OR 97201

Funding Agency:

The research was funded by Faculty Enhancement Awards at Portland State
University.

> 3\. PRISM data was used to estimate a mean annual and seasonal runoff
> ratio for each watershed (Daly *et al*., 2000, 2002) in a study on
> comparative stream flow characteristics in urbanizing basins in the
> Portland Metropolitan Area, Oregon, USA.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> Urbanization in the Johnson Creek and Tualatin River watersheds has
> resulted in changes in stream flow characteristics during the period
> 1951--2000. Two important conclusions can be drawn from the current
> study.
>
> Identifying the influence of urbanization on hydrology is subject to
> the index and scale investigated. Whereas the mean annual runoff ratio
> is greatest in the Upper Tualatin River watershed (rural, high
> elevation), the annual peak runoff ratio is highest in the Johnson
> Creek watershed (urban, low elevation). It was also determined that,
> in the Johnson Creek watershed, the fraction of time that the daily
> mean flow exceeds the annual mean flow was lower and the 3-day
> recession constant higher, when compared to the upper Tualatin River
> watershed. These findings suggest that urbanization in the marine
> west-coast climate is likely to lead to increases in runoff during
> storm events rather than increases in mean annual runoff. The strong
> difference between wet- and dry-season runoff ratios and the low
> dry/wet season flow ratio in the Johnson Creek watershed suggest
> significantly low dry-season base flow conditions in the urban
> watershed. The influence of urbanization on the hydrology of a region
> was more pronounced at a shorter time-scale, suggesting that annual
> and monthly scale analysis may not be appropriate for detecting the
> urban signal on hydrology.
>
> Detecting changes in trend in stream flow characteristics is sensitive
> to the time period studied. Like any trend analysis, a statistically
> significant trend can be identified for a particular period, but not
> for the other period within the study period. This complexity is
> potentially associated with the history of land-cover change (e.g.
> urban development, forest fire) and climate variability (e.g. El Nino,
> La Nina, and the PDO) during the study period. The Tualatin River
> watershed, which has undergone relatively rapid urbanization in the
> downstream part of the watershed in the last 25 years, exhibited a
> more dramatic increase in annual peak runoff ratio during the later
> study period. Although it is surprising that no discernable increases
> in flow occurred between 1951 and 2000, it should also be noted that,
> in the Pacific Northwest of the USA, stream flow has generally
> declined due to less precipitation (Service, 2004). This is the result
> of a warm-phase of PDO and more frequent El Nino years during the
> later study period. In the northwestern USA, detecting long-term
> trends in stream flow as a result of urbanization may be difficult
> when climatic variability, variable physical characteristics of the
> study basins, and other human interventions mask the effects of urban
> development on hydrology.

Webscience 4-3/07-02

Application of a coupled ecosystem-chemical equilibrium model,
DayCent-Chem, to stream and soil chemistry in a Rocky Mountain watershed

Melannie D. Hartman, Jill S. Baron, Dennis S. Ojima

*Ecological Modelling* 200 (2007) 493--510

ABSTRACT

Atmospheric deposition of sulfur and nitrogen species have the potential
to acidify terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, but nitrate and ammonium
are also critical nutrients for plant and microbial productivity. Both
the ecological response and the hydrochemical response to atmospheric
deposition are of interest to regulatory and land management agencies.
We developed a non-spatial biogeochemical model to simulate soil and
surface water chemistry by linking the daily version of the CENTURY
ecosystem model (DayCent) with a low temperature aqueous geochemical
model, PHREEQC. The coupled model, DayCent-Chem, simulates the daily
dynamics of plant production, soil organic matter, cation exchange,
mineral weathering, elution, stream discharge, and solute concentrations
in soil water and stream flow. By aerially weighting the contributions
of separate bedrock/talus and tundra simulations, the model was able to
replicate the measured seasonal and annual stream chemistry for most
solutes for Andrews Creek in Loch Vale watershed, Rocky Mountain
National Park. Simulated soil chemistry, net primary production, live
biomass, and soil organic matter for forest and tundra matched well with
measurements. This model is appropriate for accurately describing
ecosystem and surface water chemical response to atmospheric deposition
and climate change.

© 2006 Elsevier B.V.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> The median elevation of Andrews Creek basin is \~400m higher than the
> weather station, so we applied an environmental lapse rate of 6
> degrees C per 1000m (Daly et al., 2002) to account not only for the
> higher elevation of Andrews Creek basin, but also the shadowing effect
> of cliff faces and northerly aspect of the catchment that limits solar
> heating during much of the year (Campbell et al., 1995).

2.  Affiliation:

Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University, Fort
Collins, CO 80523-1499, USA

Funding Agency:

> Funding was provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Clean
> Air Markets Division, EPA STAR Grant R829640, National Park Service
> Air Resource Division, and by the U.S. Geological Survey Western
> Mountain Initiative.

3.  PRISM was used to apply an environmental lapse rate of 6 degrees C
    per 1000m to account for the higher elevation of Andrews Creek basin
    in a study about a coupled ecosystem-chemical equilibrium model,
    DayCent-Chem, and its effect to stream and soil chemistry in a Rocky
    Mountain watershed.

4.  Impact or Conclusion:

> DayCent-Chem, a non-spatial biogeochemical model of intermediate
> complexity, was able to replicate the seasonal and annual stream
> chemistry of an alpine catchment, Andrews Creek in Rocky Mountain
> National Park. The contributions of separate bedrock/talus and tundra
> simulations were aerially weighted. Simulated stream concentrations of
> many solutes matched well with observations when the model accurately
> predicted daily and annual discharge. The model had some difficulty
> accurately portraying some stream solutes during winter low flow.
> Parameters that regulated runoff, baseflow, melt, and elution helped
> to calibrate the model's response to the spatially variable processes.
>
> The model matched spring and summer sulfate and aluminum soil water
> concentrations for forests, and simulated summer sulfate
> concentrations for tundra soil. Additionally, model estimates of net
> primary production, biomass, soil organic matter, and net
> mineralization rates for alpine tundra and subalpine forest were close
> to measurements.
>
> Soil and ground water processes are important to describing the stream
> chemistry of the watershed even though bedrock and talus cover 89% of
> Andrews Creek. The combined runs produced better results than
> bedrock-talus or tundra simulations alone. Simulated stream chemistry
> was sensitive to the model's plant and biological soil processes.
> Although the tundra simulation contributed only 11% to the combined
> alpine run, modeling plant and soil processes of tundra improved the
> model's ability to estimate daily runoff and seasonal stream nitrate
> concentrations. We expect the importance of including biological
> processes in the model to increase for simulations of more vegetated
> systems.
>
> DayCent-Chem is a daily time-step, process-based model that computes a
> number of biologic and abiotic processes that respond automatically to
> climate and deposition inputs. The value of this model beyond the
> application described here will be to test how strongly terrestrial N
> cycling influences surface water chemistry. Nitrogen cycling processes
> that are explicitly described by the model, will be important to
> evaluating potential ecosystem response to alternative scenarios of
> deposition and climate change.

Webscience 7-3/07-02

Use of response functions in selecting lodgepole pine populations for
future climates

T. Wang, A. Hamann, A. Yanchuk, G.A. O'Neill, and S.N. Aitken

*Global Change Biology* (2006) 12, 2404--2416

ABSTRACT

Although growth response functions have previously been developed for
lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud.) populations in British
Columbia, new analyses were conducted: (1) to demonstrate the merit of a
new local climate model in genecological analysis; (2) to highlight new
methods for deriving response functions; and (3) to evaluate the impacts
of management options for existing geographically defined seed planning
units (SPUs) for reforestation. Results of this study suggest that new
methods for anchoring population response functions, and a multivariate
approach for incorporating climate variables into a single model,
considerably improve the reliability of these functions. These functions
identified a small number of populations in central areas of the species
distribution with greater growth potential over a wide range of mean
annual temperature (MAT). Average productivity of lodgepole pine is
predicted to increase (up to 7%) if moderate warming ( \~2 degree C MAT)
occurs in the next few decades as predicted, although productivity would
substantially decline in some SPUs in southern BC. Severe global warming
(\>3 degree C MAT) would result in either a drastic decline in
productivity or local populations being extirpated in southern SPUs. New
deployment strategies using the best seed sources for future
reforestation may not only be able to mitigate the negative impact of
global warming, but may even be able to increase productivity in some
areas.

© 2006 The Authors Journal compilation; © 2006 Blackwell Publishing Ltd

Keywords: climate change impacts, facilitated migration, forest
productivity, growth response function, local adaptation, Pinus
contorta, seed deployment

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> With the recent commercial availability of the climate model PRISM
> (parameter-elevation regressions on independent slopes model; Daly et
> al., 2002), we were able to make comparisons between this model and
> the polynomial functions developed by Rehfeldt et al. (1999). We found
> in a previous study (Hamann &Wang, 2005) that predictions of climatic
> variables using elevation-adjusted PRISM data were considerably
> improved over those of the polynomial models, especially for
> precipitation-related variables. Therefore, we felt it worthwhile to
> reanalyze the provenance trial data in light of the new climatic
> model.

2.  Affiliation:

Department of Forest Sciences, University of British Columbia,
Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4,

Funding Agency:

Funding for this study was provided by the Forest Investment Account
through both the BC Forest Science Program and the Forest Genetics
Council of BC and a joint Strategic Grant to Aitken and Yanchuk from
NSERC and the BIOCAP Canada Foundation.

3.  PRISM was used in a comparison with the polynomial functions
    developed by Rehfeldt et al. (1999) in a study about the use of
    response functions in selecting lodgepole pine populations for
    future climates.

4.  Impact or Conclusion:

> As climate changes, the general 'local is the best' rule for seed
> transfer will no longer be valid. Reliable growth response functions
> are critical in formulating new seed deployment strategies to mitigate
> the impacts of global warming. Comprehensive provenance trials for
> lodgepole pine and a high-resolution climate model, ClimateBC, enabled
> the development of growth response functions to evaluate seed
> deployment options in British Columbia.
>
> Predicted anchor points based on transfer functions produced response
> curves with a reasonable temperature range and improved the response
> functions (average R^2^ increased from 0.48 to 0.64 for 20-year
> height). Otherwise, a large number of response functions (over 20%)
> with very low R^2^ values (\<0.20) or with unrealistic fundamental
> niches would either need to be discarded or arbitrarily modified. The
> use of anchor points in development of response functions also altered
> the general pattern of adaptation detected across populations.
> Application of a multivariate approach to climate further improved
> response functions (average R^2^ increased from 0.64 to 0.70).
>
> Comparisons of response functions for different SPU and peripheral
> populations revealed an 'epicenter' pattern of growth potential and
> adaptation. Populations originating from this epicenter showed the
> best performance and broad adaptation.
>
> Predicted impacts of climate change on productivity in SPUs suggest
> that productivity averaged across all SPUs will increase in the near
> future if climate warms as predicted. The productivity will peak
> (+17%) with an increase of 1.5 degrees C in MAT and 2.7% in mean
> annual precipitation (predicted by 2030). However, productivity
> averaged across all SPUs will decline if warming continues beyond this
> point and is predicted to drop below current levels if MAT increases
> by 3.2 degrees C or more (predicted by 2069). Facilitated migration
> will considerably improve productivity if climate changes. The
> increase in productivity could be as high as 36% relative to using
> local seed as currently prescribed by forest management policy.
> Facilitated migration of seed would also increase productivity (or at
> a minimum, not negatively affect productivity) even under current
> climatic conditions. In addition, the most desirable seed sources
> found in this study, NElow, are reported to be the most resistant to
> some important fungal diseases. Further work is necessary to evaluate
> the deployment of these superior populations, either from wild sources
> or from current breeding programs and seed orchards, with respect to
> other important traits (e.g. stem form and wood properties), in order
> to be ready to deploy these populations as soon as possible.

Webscience 8-3/07-02

Potential effects of climate change on ecosystem and tree species
distribution in British Columbia

Andreas Hamann and Tongli Wang

*Ecology*, 87(11), 2006, pp. 2773--2786

ABSTRACT

A new ecosystem-based climate envelope modeling approach was applied to
assess potential climate change impacts on forest communities and tree
species. Four orthogonal canonical discriminant functions were used to
describe the realized climate space for British Columbia's ecosystems
and to model portions of the realized niche space for tree species under
current and predicted future climates. This conceptually simple model is
capable of predicting species ranges at high spatial resolutions far
beyond the study area, including outlying populations and southern range
limits for many species. We analyzed how the realized climate space of
current ecosystems changes in extent, elevation, and spatial
distribution under climate change scenarios and evaluated the
implications for potential tree species habitat. Tree species with their
northern range limit in British Columbia gain potential habitat at a
pace of at least 100 km per decade, common hardwoods appear to be
generally unaffected by climate change, and some of the most important
conifer species in British Columbia are expected to lose a large portion
of their suitable habitat. The extent of spatial redistribution of
realized climate space for ecosystems is considerable, with currently
important sub-boreal and montane climate regions rapidly disappearing.
Local predictions of changes to tree species frequencies were generated
as a basis for systematic surveys of biological response to climate
change.

© 2006 by the Ecological Society of America

Key words: bioclimatic analysis; British Columbia; climate change;
climate envelope; predictive vegetation mapping; spatial predictions;
species distributions and ranges.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

Our baseline climate data are derived from commercially available
coverages that were generated using the Parameter Regression of
Independent Slopes Model (PRISM; available online) (Oregon Climate
Service, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA) to interpolate
climate normal data observed at weather stations for the period
1961--1990 (Daly et al. 2000, 2002).

2.  Affiliation:

> Centre for Forest Gene Conservation, Department of Forest Sciences,
> University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Y 2X8
> Canada

Funding Agency:

Funding for this study was provided by a joint Strategic Grant from
NSERC and the BIOCAP Canada Foundation, and by the Forest Investment
Account through both the BC Forest Science Program and the Forest
Genetics Council of British Columbia.

3.  PRISM was used to interpolate climate normal data observed at
    weather stations for the period 1961--1990 in a study looking at the
    potential effects of climate change on ecosystem and tree species
    distribution in British Columbia.

4.  Impact or Conclusion:

> We developed an ecosystem-based climate envelope modeling approach to
> assess potential climate change impact on forest ecosystems and tree
> species. The model was capable of predicting species ranges at high
> resolution far beyond the study area, including southern range limits
> and outlying populations for many species, which supports the view
> that climate is the primary factor controlling the distribution of
> plants. Four orthogonal canonical discriminant functions were required
> to describe the realized climate space for British Columbia's
> ecosystems and to model the realized niche space for tree species
> under current and predicted future climates.
>
> Tree species within their northern range limits in British Columbia
> gained potential habitat at a pace of at least 100 km per decade;
> frequently occurring hardwoods appeared to be generally unaffected by
> climate change; and some of the most important conifer species in
> British Columbia were expected to lose a large portion of their
> suitable habitat. Despite the fact that response to climate change was
> not modeled separately for each species, species changed their
> distribution or frequency individualistically as expected from niche
> theory. The results supported the theoretical expectation that in
> community-wide surveys of biological response to climate change, a
> certain proportion of species will show no response or a reversed
> response.
>
> The predicted spatial redistribution of realized climate space for
> British Columbia's ecosystems appears to be considerable even at the
> zone level, which represents major forest types. Ecosystems in
> mountainous areas appear to be particularly vulnerable, spatially
> shifting out of their current climatic envelope within 50 years. Other
> notable predictions are the initial expansion of the climatic envelope
> for Interior Cedar Hemlock within; 25 years, followed by expansion of
> the Interior Douglas-fir and Ponderosa Pine climate regions throughout
> the interior plateau replacing the current climate space of sub-boreal
> and boreal ecosystems.
>
> The magnitude of predicted changes, climate change trends already
> observed in British Columbia, and presumed biological impacts, such as
> the current mountain pine beetle epidemic, strongly suggest that
> ecosystems and forest resources are threatened by continued global
> warming. If currently observed climate trends continue or accelerate,
> major changes to management of natural resources will become
> necessary. Because of modeling uncertainties at small spatial scales,
> systematic field monitoring of biological response to climate change
> guided by our model predictions may be the best indicator for the need
> to implement management changes.

Webscience 9-3/07-02

Evidence of urban-induced precipitation variability in arid climate
regimes

J.M. Shepherd

*Journal of Arid Environments* 67 (2006) 607--628

ABSTRACT

The study employs a 108-year precipitation historical data record,
global climate observing network observations and satellite data to
identify possible anomalies in rainfall in and around two major arid
urban areas, Phoenix, Arizona and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The analysis
reveals that during the monsoon season, locations in northeastern
suburbs and exurbs of the Phoenix metropolitan area have experienced
statistically significant increases in mean precipitation of 12--14%
from a pre-urban (1895--1949) to post-urban (1950--2003) period. Further
analysis of satellite-based rainfall rates suggests the existence of the
anomaly region (AR) over a 7-year period. The anomaly cannot simply be
attributed to maximum topographic relief and is hypothesized to be
related to urban-topographic interactions and possibly irrigation
moisture. Temperature records suggest that Riyadh has experienced an
adjustment in mean temperature in response to the growth of urban
surfaces (e.g. the so-called urban heat island effect). While
ground-based precipitation records also indicate an upward trend in mean
and total precipitation in and around Riyadh in the last 10--15 years,
it is difficult to attribute the increase to urbanization because other
less urbanized stations in Saudi Arabia also show a similar increase.
Recent satellite-based precipitation estimates indicate an AR 50--100km
north of Riyadh, but this study is not robust enough to conclusively
link it to urbanization although certain climate-regime attributes
suggests that it might be.

© 2006 Elsevier Ltd.

Keywords: Urban; Precipitation; Climate; Phoenix; Middle East;
Anthropogenic

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> First, we utilize a high-quality (HQ), topographically sensitive,
> 108-year precipitation data record provided by the Spatial Climate
> Analysis Service (SCAS) at Oregon State University. This 4-km
> resolution dataset resolves the pre-urban (1895-- 1949) and post-urban
> precipitation climatology for the southwestern US. This capability is
> necessary for detecting pre-urban and post-urban effects since the
> city cannot be physical removed for experimentation.
> Parameter-regression independent slopes model (PRISM) (Daly et al.,
> 2002) is used to spatially distribute ground-based observations.

2.  Affiliation:

Geography Department, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA

Funding Agency:

The author thanks Ramesh Kakar (NASA HQ) for support of this work under
the NASA Precipitation Measurement Missions program and the 3B42/3B43
team of Bob Adler, George Huffman, and colleagues.

3.  PRISM was used to spatially distribute ground-based observations and
    helps resolve the pre-urban (1895-- 1949) and post-urban
    precipitation climatology for the southwestern US in a study about
    urban-induced precipitation variability in arid climate regimes

4.  Impact or Conclusion:

This study has employed a unique 108-year precipitation data record,
global observing network and satellite-based to identify statistically
significant anomalies in rainfall downwind of the Phoenix, Arizona urban
region and a possible urban-induced anomaly just north of Riyadh, Saudi
Arabia. Our analysis showed that during the monsoon rainfall season
(July--September) locations in the northeastern suburbs and exurbs of
the Phoenix metropolitan urban area (the so-called ''AR''), primarily
the Lower Verde Basin, have experienced statistically significant
increases in mean precipitation of 12--14% from a preurban (1895--1949)
to post-urban (1950--2003) period. Additionally, mean and median
post-urban precipitation totals in the AR were significantly greater, in
the statistical sense, than regions west of the city and in nearby
mountainous regions of similar or greater topography. Further analysis
of satellite-based rainfall totals for the summer of 2003 also revealed
the existence of the AR even though the arid southwest experienced
severe drought during the period. More significant orographic features
do not correspond to the location of the AR, and statistically
significant precipitation changes are found in the AR when pre- and
post-urban data are analyzed. For the Saudi Arabian case, results from
our analysis of gauge data did not inclusive link any precipitation
trends with urbanization. However, satellite-based analyses revealed a
relative maxima in accumulated rainfall 50--100km north of Riyadh.

Future work will utilize coupled atmosphere and land surface models to
test the hypothesis that urban-topographic dynamics and increased
moisture from irrigation practices alter precipitation in arid regimes.
The role of aerosols must also be investigated. The implications of this
research are wide. The results continue to suggest that weather and
climate models must adequately resolve the urban environment (e.g. land
use, aerosols). The results also indicate that even a fairly significant
large synoptic-scale process (e.g. monsoon) might possibly interact with
local and regional mesoscale circulations. Finally, our results
highlight how sensitive the water cycle can be to anthropogenic
forcings, even under extreme drought or arid conditions.

Webscience 18-3/07-02

Mosquito Habitat and Dengue Risk Potential in Hawaii: A Conceptual
Framework and GIS Application

Korine N. Kolivras

*Professional Geographer*, Volume 58, Number 2, May 2006

ABSTRACT

Dengue is an emerging disease, and the distribution of the mosquito
vector is partially mediated by environmental conditions. In this
article, a new conceptual model is suggested that emphasizes the
importance of including environmental variability in mosquito modeling
studies. In an applied sense, mosquito habitat maps are developed for
Hawaii using a GIS overlay of mosquito survival thresholds of
temperature, precipitation, and stream/wetland location. Populated areas
represent locations with the potential for an outbreak. The maps are
adjustable based on expert knowledge input, and efforts to prevent or
control outbreaks can be concentrated in those zones delineated by this
study.

© 2006 by Association of American Geographers

Key Words: dengue, Hawaii, infectious disease, medical geography,
mosquito-borne disease.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Spatial climate information is a key variable in the determination of
> mosquito habitat. PRISM (parameter-elevation regressions on
> independent slopes model) data, spatial climate data developed using a
> knowledge-based system acquired from the Spatial Climate Analysis
> Service, are used in this study. Temperature and precipitation data
> are developed on a grid using station data, topography, and user
> input, and are verified using a variety of related spatial datasets
> such as satellite data (Daly et al. 2002). For Hawaii, PRISM data are
> available at a resolution of 450 m, and the analyses in this study use
> the average (1961--1990) monthly precipitation (Figure 2) and
> temperature (Figure 3).

2.  Affiliation:

Department of Geography at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State
University, Blacksburg, VA 24060.

Funding Agency:

> The research was partially funded by the University of Arizona
> Department of Geography, the Social and Behavioral Sciences Research
> Institute at the University of Arizona, and the UA/NASA Space Grant
> program.
>
> 3\. PRISM was used to develop average (1961--1990) monthly
> precipitation and temperature spatial climate data at a resolution of
> 450 m for use in a study of mosquito habitat and dengue risk potential
> in Hawaii.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:

This study has identified mosquito habitat and dengue potential areas in
Hawaii. Examining climate alone, low and middle elevation windward
locations often serve as appropriate mosquito habitat, and leeward and
high elevations are typically too dry or too cold, respectively, for
mosquito survival. The inclusion of stream and wetland locations
recognizes areas outside of the climate threshold zones in which
mosquitoes could breed. From an applied standpoint, the maps developed
for Hawaii can change and adapt based on user inputs, which will aid in
mosquito surveillance and outbreak prevention. Future work will apply
the improved conceptual framework presented earlier to examine the
shifts of mosquito habitat in Hawaii with climate variability and
change. In addition, future iterations of the model presented here will
be improved with more sophisticated modeling techniques, such as the
genetic algorithm for rule-set prediction (GARP), which has been
successfully used for ecological niche modeling in general ( Peterson
2001) and for modeling of the Triatoma species, the vector for Chagas'
disease (Costa, Peterson, and Beard 2002; Beard et al. 2003).

The conceptual framework developed in this study illustrates research
gaps in the area of mosquito habitat modeling. The improved conceptual
framework can be applied to future research studying the dynamic and
complex role that environmental variables play in the creation of
mosquito habitat. Environmental conditions are characterized by
variability and change, and mosquito models based on environmental
variables need to reflect that perspective. Future work will concentrate
on examining how climate variability results in an expansion or
contraction of potential mosquito habitat. The results of a study
examining precipitation variability at the sub-island level (Kolivras
and Comrie forthcoming) will be applied to the results of this research
to study how mosquito habitat may be modified with varied precipitation
at both seasonal and interannual temporal scales, including the effect
of El Nino/La Nina on mosquito habitat in Hawaii...

> Given the importance of microclimatic conditions in the determination
> of habitat, better fine-scale information on mosquito survival in the
> tropics is required to decrease uncertainty in future studies. The
> research presented here was limited by the absence of spatial mosquito
> surveillance data across the islands to develop and validate a
> fine-scale model, and regular surveillance can improve modeling as
> well as inform public health officials of the changing nature of
> mosquito distribution and timing for improved mosquito and disease
> control.

The adjustable nature of the maps developed in this study allows users
with expert knowledge of a place to adjust the input factors to develop
a more precise map depending on local conditions. In fact, even with
improved models and mosquito surveillance data, there is still no
canonical ''right'' map. Thus, the opportunity for expert interaction is
useful. In this framework, the results of this study serve as a
generalized decision-support mechanism rather than as an attempt to
define precisely where mosquitoes and potential dengue outbreaks will
be. By modifying inputs through a variable weighting process, decisions
regarding mosquito and disease control can be adjusted based on specific
temporal and local spatial variation.

Another future research direction will involve interviewing the various
stakeholders active in decision making regarding mosquito and dengue
control, such as epidemiologists, vector control specialists, and health
department officials. One potentially useful follow-on to this study is
to implement the analytic hierarchy process, a decision- support
methodology that incorporates multiple criteria into a model and
discriminates between the specific preferences of various experts based
on personal knowledge of the system (Saaty 1987). In the case of
mosquito/dengue control, the input variables to the maps developed in
this study can be weighted and adjusted in importance in the model based
on the preferences of decision-makers, and new maps can be developed
similar to the sample adjustable maps produced in this study.

The maps created in this study are useful to stakeholders in Hawaii who
are attempting to control mosquitoes and dengue. The conceptual
framework developed here can be used to further study
mosquito-environment relationships in Hawaii and elsewhere involving
other vector-borne diseases. In future research, by adding the concept
of dynamism and variability into previously static mosquito models,
fluctuations in populations with environmental variability can be more
closely estimated. Eradicating mosquito-borne diseases is highly
unlikely, but understanding the interacting environmental factors
related to mosquito habitat will greatly improve disease control and
will allow health departments to concentrate limited financial and
personnel resources in appropriate areas.

Webscience 20-3/07-02

Development of scale-free climate data for Western Canada for use in
resource management

T. Wang, A. Hamann, D.L. Spittlehouse, and S.N. Aitken

*Int. J. Climatol.* 26: 383--397 (2006)

ABSTRACT

Applying climate data in resource management requires matching the
spatial scale of the climate and resource databases. Interpolating
climate data in mountainous regions is difficult. In this study, we
present methodology to generate scale free climate data through the
combination of interpolation techniques and elevation adjustments. We
apply it to monthly temperature and precipitation normals for 1961--90
produced by the Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes
Model (PRISM) for British Columbia, Yukon Territories, the Alaska
Panhandle, and parts of Alberta and the United States. Equations were
developed to calculate biologically relevant climate variables including
various degree-days, number of frost-free days, frost-free period, and
snowfall from monthly temperature and precipitation data. Estimates of
climate variables were validated using an independent dataset from
weather stations that were not included in the development of the model.
Weather station records generally agreed well with estimated climate
variables and showed significant improvements over original PRISM
climate data. A stand-alone MS Windows application was developed to
perform all calculations and to integrate future climate predictions
from various global circulation models. We demonstrate the use of this
application by showing how climate change may affect lodgepole pine seed
planning zones for reforestation in British Columbia.

©2006 Royal Meteorological Society

KEY WORDS: PRISM; derived climate variables; climate change; forest
management; British Columbia

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

We apply it to monthly temperature and precipitation normals for
1961--90 produced by the Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent
Slopes Model (PRISM) for British Columbia, Yukon Territories, the Alaska
Panhandle, and parts of Alberta and the United States. Weather station
records generally agreed well with estimated climate variables and
showed significant improvements over original PRISM climate data

2.  Affiliation:

Department of Forest Sciences, University of British Columbia,
Vancouver, BC, Canada

Funding Agency:

Funding for this study was provided by the Forest Investment Account
through both the BC Forest Science Program and the Forest Genetics
Council of BC and a joint Strategic Grant to Aitken and Yanchuk from
NSERC and the BIOCAP Canada Foundation.

3.  PRISM was used to determine monthly temperature and precipitation
    normals for 1961-90 for British Columbia, Yukon Territories, the
    Alaska Panhandle, and parts of Alberta and the United States.

4.  Impact or Conclusion:

A combination of regression and bilinear smoothing techniques were used
to generate scale-free climate normals for monthly temperature and
precipitation for western Canada. Normals could then be calculated from
latitude, longitude, and elevation. Predictions from the model for an
independent set of weather stations agreed well with the measured data.
Formulae were derived to calculate monthly normals of derived variables
such as DD and frost-free period from the monthly data. These formulae
were applied to the scale-free monthly data and again produced values
that agreed well with measured data. The format of the data allows for
adjustment with climate change scenarios and to be used in impact
assessments. The data were used to assess changes in the location of
SPZs for lodgepole pine in British Columbia. A stand-alone MS Windows
application package was developed to perform all calculations and to
integrate future climate predictions from various global circulation
models. As the scale-free prediction is PRISM-based, some of the
shortfalls in PRISM data cannot be avoided. For example, poor
predictions of PRISM data for areas that are not well covered by weather
stations (Hamann and Wang, 2004) could also result in relatively poor
scale-free predictions. PRISM data were generated on the basis of data
from weather stations recorded at 1.5-m height at open areas.
Consequently, scale-free predictions also represent climate at the same
circumstance. Thus, care needs to be taken when applying them in
resource analysis. The microclimate of small-scale topographic features,
e.g. frost pockets and rivers and lakes, will not be correctly
represented. Forest canopies are often a few degrees cooler during the
day and warmer at night than open areas. Air temperature under a snow
pack can be substantially higher than that of the air above the pack.
Consequently, as with using individual weather station data, users need
to know how the environment of the organism of interest may vary from
the reference values generated using the scale-free predictions.

Webscience 22-3/07-02

Reconstructing landscape-scale tree invasion using survey notes in the
Medicine Bow Mountains, Wyoming, USA

Mark D. Andersen and William L. Baker

*Landscape Ecology* (2005) 21:243--258

ABSTRACT

We assessed landscape-scale invasions of openings in mountain forests by
native tree species since Euro American settlement (ca. 1870--1899). We
reconstructed historical openings across a 250,240 ha area in the
Medicine Bow Mountains, Wyoming, using notes from the original General
Land Office (GLO) surveys, and compared historical openings to modern
openings interpreted from digital aerial photography. We constructed
logistic regression models to describe and predict tree invasion, based
on a set of environmental and land use predictors. Openings have
decreased by about 7.3% in the last ca. 110 years. Invasion was more
likely to occur on moister sites, indicated by high values for
steady-state wetness, low values for evaporative demand, proximity to
streams, and topographic settings in basins or channels. More invasion
also occurred on unprotected public land, in openings surrounded by
lodgepole pine and aspen, and on mesic soils. The relatively slow rates
of invasion in the study area may be driven by climate and land use.

© Springer 2006.

Key words: forest-grassland ecotone, GLO surveys, logistic regression,
Southern Rocky Mountains, vegetation dynamics, woody encroachment

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

Mean annual precipitation varies from about 28 cm at the base of the
mountains to \>116 cm near the central peaks (Daly et al. 2002). Average
daily temperatures vary from approximately -13 to -2 degrees C in
January and from 4 to 23 degrees C in July (Daly et al. 2002)...Mean
July maximum temperature and mean annual precipitation estimates were
based on the Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model
(PRISM) using 1961--1990 weather station data (Daly et al. 2002).

2.  Affiliation:

> Department of Geography, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY

Funding Agency:

This project was supported by the National Science Foundation under
Grant no. BCS-0309918.

3.  PRISM was used to estimate mean July maximum temperature and mean
    annual precipitation using 1961--1990 weather station data in a
    study about reconstructing landscape-scale tree invasion using
    survey notes in the Medicine Bow Mountains, Wyoming.

4.  Impact or Conclusion

> Uncertainties inherent in interpreting GLO survey notes somewhat
> constrain interpretation of landscape-scale invasion. It was
> impossible to detect, with certainty, low-density, or scattered tree
> invasions, because surveyors may have simply recorded areas with
> scattered trees as openings. In many cases (n = 82), surveyors
> described areas containing 'scattering timber', which seems to
> indicate they used that description when appropriate. If so, invasion
> of scattered trees into historical openings would have been correctly
> identified in the overall change analysis. However, scattered trees
> would have been excluded from modeling, if, as is likely, their length
> values were less than the 30 m threshold. Though necessary to avoid
> mistaking minor land cover layer offsets as invasions, this threshold
> also means invasions \<30 m in length were not modeled. Thus,
> scattered or relatively small invasions would have been
> underrepresented in the modeling analysis, but present in the overall
> change estimate. Finally, although GLO notes are generally thought to
> provide accurate information about land cover patterns near Euro
> American settlement, the potential certainly exists for surveyor error
> or bias, or for misinterpretation of their notes. However, the large
> sample sizes used in these analyses provide some assurance that the
> overall patterns identified are accurate. Implications of this
> research Landscape-scale rates and patterns of tree invasion since
> Euro American settlement have not been analyzed prior to this study.
> We suggest that conclusions describing widespread recent tree
> invasions in western mountain ranges, drawn from evidence based on
> non-random sampling in relatively small study areas, and potentially
> biased toward areas of known invasion, may have overestimated the
> overall extent of tree invasion. Results from this study show that
> since arrival of Euro American settlers, tree invasion has caused a
> relatively modest, yet potentially ecologically significant,
> landscape-scale decrease in openings, particularly in moister
> settings. Inferences regarding tree invasion causes are limited since
> this study does not provide precise dates for invasions, but the
> relatively strong correlation between invasion and moisture
> availability suggests that changing climate played a key role in
> facilitating tree invasion. Tree-coring at randomly selected invasion
> sites would provide more precise invasion timing, allowing more
> definitive conclusions to be drawn regarding causation.

Webscience 25-3/07-02

Very high resolution interpolated climate surfaces for global land areas

Robert J. Hijmans, Susan E. Cameron, Juan L. Parra, Peter G. Jones, and
Andy Jarvis

*Int. J. Climatol.* 25: 1965--1978 (2005)

ABSTRACT

We developed interpolated climate surfaces for global land areas
(excluding Antarctica) at a spatial resolution of 30 arc s (often
referred to as 1-km spatial resolution). The climate elements considered
were monthly precipitation and mean, minimum, and maximum temperature.
Input data were gathered from a variety of sources and, where possible,
were restricted to records from the 1950--2000 period. We used the
thin-plate smoothing spline algorithm implemented in the ANUSPLIN
package for interpolation, using latitude, longitude, and elevation as
independent variables. We quantified uncertainty arising from the input
data and the interpolation by mapping weather station density, elevation
bias in the weather stations, and elevation variation within grid cells
and through data partitioning and cross validation. Elevation bias
tended to be negative (stations lower than expected) at high latitudes
but positive in the tropics. Uncertainty is highest in mountainous and
in poorly sampled areas. Data partitioning showed high uncertainty of
the surfaces on isolated islands, e.g. in the Pacific. Aggregating the
elevation and climate data to 10 arc min resolution showed an enormous
variation within grid cells, illustrating the value of high-resolution
surfaces. A comparison with an existing data set at 10 arc min
resolution showed overall agreement, but with significant variation in
some regions. A comparison with two high-resolution data sets for the
United States also identified areas with large local differences,
particularly in mountainous areas. Compared to previous global
climatologies, ours has the following advantages: the data are at a
higher spatial resolution (400 times greater or more); more weather
station records were used; improved elevation data were used; and more
information about spatial patterns of uncertainty in the data is
available. Owing to the overall low density of available climate
stations, our surfaces do not capture of all variation that may occur at
a resolution of 1 km, particularly of precipitation in mountainous
areas. In future work, such variation might be captured through
knowledge based methods and inclusion of additional covariates,
particularly layers obtained through remote sensing.

© 2005 Royal Meteorological Society.

KEY WORDS: ANUSPLIN; climate; error; GIS; interpolation; temperature;
precipitation; uncertainty

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Scale and comparison with earlier work---To illustrate the importance
> of high-resolution climate surfaces, we calculated the within-cell
> range of elevation, mean annual temperature, and total annual
> precipitation for a 10 arc min resolution grid. This resolution was
> chosen because it is the highest resolution global climate data set
> that was available before our study (New et al., 2002) and in order to
> compare with that data set. We aggregated our estimates of annual mean
> temperature and annual precipitation to a 10 arc min resolution
> (calculating the mean values) to compare these with the surfaces from
> New et al. (2002). We also compared mean temperature and annual
> precipitation on our surfaces to two other sets of high-resolution
> climate surfaces for the conterminous United States: the 1-
> km-resolution Daymet database of means for 1980--1997 (Thornton et
> al., 1997) and the 2.5 arc min (\~5 km) PRISM climate database for
> 1970--2000 (Daly et al., 2002).

2.  Affiliation:

Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Valley Life
Sciences Building, Berkeley, CA,

Funding Agency:

> The study was partly funded by NatureServe. SEC was funded by a
> National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship.

3.  PRISM was used in a comparison of mean temperature and annual
    precipitation against the ANUSPLIN-SPLINA program and to illustrate
    the importance of high-resolution climate surfaces in a study about
    very high resolution interpolated climate surfaces for global land
    areas.

4.  Impact or Conclusion:

In conclusion, while we have made significant progress, additional
efforts to compile and capture climate data are needed to improve
spatial and temporal coverage of the available climate data and quality
control (Mitchell and Jones, 2005), and interpolation methods can be
further refined to better use these data. Evaluation of the sources and
amounts of uncertainty, and comparisons between data sets, as was done
in this study, provide both insight into the geographic distribution of
uncertainty as well as a starting point for improvement of the surfaces
that is targeted at the areas where this may impact the results most.

Webscience 35-3/07-02

Incorporating Medium-Range Numerical Weather Model Output into the
Ensemble Stream flow Prediction System of the National Weather Service

Kevin Werner, David Brandon, Martyn Clark, and Subhrendu Gangopadhyay

*Journal of Hydrometeorology* 6(2) 101-114 April 2005

ABSTRACT

This study introduces medium-range meteorological ensemble inputs of
temperature and precipitation into the Ensemble Stream flow Prediction
component of the National Weather Service River Forecast System
(NWSRFS). The Climate Diagnostics Center (CDC) produced a reforecast
archive of model forecast runs from a dynamically frozen version of the
Medium-Range Forecast (MRF) model. This archive was used to derive
statistical relationships between MRF variables and historical
basin-average precipitation and temperatures. The latter are used to
feed the Ensemble Stream flow Prediction (ESP) component of the NWSRFS.
Two sets of ESP reforecasts were produced: A control run based on
historically observed temperature and precipitation and an experimental
run based on MRF-derived temperature and precipitation. This study found
the MRF reforecasts to be generally superior to the control reforecasts,
although there were situations when the downscaled MRF output actually
degraded the forecast. Forecast improvements were most pronounced during
the rising limb of the hydrograph---at this time accurate temperature
forecasts improve predictions of the rate of snowmelt. Further
improvements in stream flow forecasts at short forecast lead times may
be possible by incorporating output from high-resolution regional
atmospheric models into the NWSRFS.

© 2005 American Meteorological Society

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Average annual precipitation (in the upper Colorado River basin)
> varies from about 6 in. in the lower valleys to 50 in. in the
> mountainous terrain on the Continental Divide (Daly et al. 2002). Snow
> water equivalent ranges from near zero in the valley bottoms to 25 in.
> in the mountains.

2.  Affiliation:

> Colorado Basin River Forecast Center, Salt Lake City, Utah

Funding Agency:

> This work was supported by the NOAA's NWS Advanced Hydrologic
> Prediction Services initiative. Clark and Gangopadhyay were supported
> by the NOAA GEWEX Americas Prediction Program (GAPP) and the NOAA
> Regional Integrated Science and Assessment (RISA) Program under award
> numbers NA16Gp2806 and NA17RJ1229, respectively.

3.  PRISM was used to provide average annual precipitation for the lower
    valleys and mountainous terrain on the Continental Divide in the
    upper Colorado River basin in a study about incorporating
    medium-range numerical weather model output into the ensemble stream
    flow prediction system of the National Weather Service.

4.  Impact or Conclusion:

> The forecast skill improvements shown here through RPSS values are
> substantial. However, the RPS values were calculated against simulated
> flow rather than observed flow. Lower forecast skill should be
> expected when the RPSS is calculated against the observed flow and
> when the hydrologic model error is taken into account. The current
> operational use of ESP does account for meteorological forecasts
> through the inclusion of deterministic temperature (days 1--10) and
> precipitation forecasts (days 1--3). It is hypothesized that the MRF
> ESP forecasts presented in this study may have a higher skill than the
> operational ESP forecasts because of the inclusion of probabilistic
> information. However, a historical archive of the deterministic
> station forecasts used in the operational ESP forecasts would be
> necessary to quantify the forecast skill of the operational ESP. Since
> the meteorological forecasts used in the operational ESP are based on
> the dynamic NCEP MRF and human-derived precipitation forecasts, such
> an archive of suitable length of record does not currently exist. A
> comparison of the operational ESP to the MRF ESP presented in this
> study will be addressed in a future study. The increase in forecast
> skill due to the inclusion of the MRF forecast is encouraging. In
> 2004, CBRFC will have the capability to extend and use this method for
> any of its basins on a once per day operational basis. Similar methods
> may be applicable for other fine resolution numerical weather models
> (i.e., the Meso Eta), which may lead to an increase in forecast skill
> for shorter lead times.

Webscience 42-3/07-02

Root biomass along subtropical to alpine gradients: global implication
from Tibetan transect studies

Tianxiang Luo, Sandra Brown, Yude Pan, Peili Shi, Hua Ouyang, Zhenliang
Yu, and Huazhong Zhu

*Forest Ecology and Management* 206 (2005) 349--363

ABSTRACT

Much uncertainty in estimating root biomass density (RBD, root mass per
unit area) of all roots regionally exists because of methodological
difficulties and little knowledge about the effects of biotic and
abiotic factors on the magnitude and distribution pattern of RBD. In
this study, we collected field data of RBD from 22 sites along the
Tibetan Alpine Vegetation Transects executed with the same sampling
method that covered a relatively undisturbed vegetation gradient from
subtropical forests to alpine vegetation. Our field data indicated that
RBD significantly decreased with increasing altitudes (r2 = 0.60, P \<
0.001) but had low or non-robust correlations with aboveground biomass
density (r2 = 0.10--0.34), suggesting that RBD can be predicted without
reference to shoot biomass. The transect data further revealed that
temperature and/or precipitation were likely the major limiting factors
for geographical distribution patterns of RBD. The relationships could
be expressed as logistic function with a maximum RBD of 200 Mg/ha (r2 =
0.59--0.65, P \< 0.001). A simple empirical model was developed from the
logistic regressions and then globally tested against data for 295 field
plots of undisturbed to semi-disturbed vegetation ranging from the
boreal zone to the tropics. In general, the model explained 80% of the
RBD variation for 30 field plots along the North--South Transect of
Eastern China (r2 = 0.80, P \< 0.0001) and less than half of the
variation in the global dataset (r2 = 0.45, P \< 0.0001). The model
predictions were strong for temperate evergreen forests,
temperate/alpine shrubs and grasslands, boreal tundra, and Mediterranean
deserts. Such a global scaling exercise revealed the global distribution
pattern of RBD broadly over a range of major biomes, suggesting the
possibility to develop a new method for large-scale estimation of root
biomass.

© 2004 Elsevier B.V.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Because few meteorological stations (about 50 stations) exist in the
> Central Tibetan Plateau, the climatic data of the sites along the
> longitudinal-- latitudinal transect were obtained from a Chinese
> temperature and precipitation database at resolution of 2.5' x 2.5'
> (ca. 4--5 km) simulated by parameter elevation regressions on
> independent slopes model (PRISM; Daly et al., 2002) according to GPS
> locations (latitude, longitude and altitude). The PRISM's database was
> based on the averages of 30-year (1961--1990) observation data of
> monthly minimum and maximum mean temperatures and monthly
> precipitation from about 2450 temperature stations and 2600
> precipitation stations in China and neighboring countries (Daly et
> al., 2000). The independent meteorological observation records from 18
> ecological research stations over China were used to validate the
> PRISM grid data sets (Zhu et al., 2003).

2.  Affiliation:

Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences,
Shuangqing Road 18, Haidian District, P.O. Box 2871, Beijing 100085, PR
China

Funding Agency:

This study is funded by the Knowledge Innovation Projects of Chinese
Academy of Sciences (KZCX3- SW-339-04, CX10G-E01-02-03), the Special
President Foundation of Chinese Academy of Sciences (2002), and the
International Cooperation Project of the USDA Forest Service Northern
Global Change Program (03-IC-11242343-069).

3.  PRISM was used to create a Chinese temperature and precipitation
    database at resolution of 2.5' x 2.5' (ca. 4--5 km), which was used
    in a study on root biomass along subtropical to alpine gradients.

4.  Impact or Conclusion

> The paucity of root biomass estimates is partly caused by the lack of
> accepted standards for sampling and estimation. There are a variety of
> ways of sampling roots, but none of them are standardized,
> particularly with respect to depth. The MRERBD model developed in this
> study may be appropriate for temperate evergreen forests,
> temperate/alpine shrubs and grasslands, boreal tundra, and
> Mediterranean deserts. We still need additional field work to further
> calibrate the model simulations in tropical/subtropical forests and
> boreal/alpine forests. The climate-based predictions in undisturbed to
> semi-disturbed vegetation may provide the baseline estimates of RBD
> across a large-scale landscape that is an important component in
> estimating global carbon stocks and the resulting fluxes when they are
> changed.

Webscience 43-3/07-02

Stand-scale Habitat Associations across a Large Geographic Region of an
Old-Growth Specialist, The Marbled Murrelet

Carolyn B. Meyer, Sherri L. Miller, and C. John Ralph

*Wilson Bulletin* 116(3): 197--210, 2004

ABSTRACT

We used two metrics, occupancy and relative abundance, to study forest
stand characteristics believed to be important to a threatened seabird
that nests in old-growth forests, the Marbled Murrelet (*Brachyramphus
marmoratus*). Occupancy refers to murrelet presence or absence based on
observed bird behaviors, while relative abundance refers to categories
of low, medium, and high numbers of bird observations per survey in a
forest stand. Within the murrelet's nesting range in California and
southern Oregon, we measured habitat and climatic variables in all
old-growth stands surveyed for murrelets between 1991 and 1997. The two
bird metrics produced similar results. In California, murrelets most
often occupied, or were abundant in, redwood (*Sequoia sempervirens*)
stands with large trees (.100 cm diameter at breast height) located on
gentle, low elevation slopes or on alluvial flats close to streams. In
stands of the less flood-tolerant Douglas-fir (*Pseudotsuga menziesii*)
in southern Oregon, murrelets most often occupied, or were abundant on,
gentle, low-elevation, westfacing slopes that were not close to streams.
Murrelets tended to use areas farther from roads. The important climatic
requirements for murrelet stands in both states were cool temperatures
and high amounts of rainfall.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

The annual precipitation and maximum temperature for the summer,
averaged over the survey period (1991--1997), were measured at each
station using PRISM (Parameter-Elevation Regressions on Independent
Slopes Model) at a 4-ha resolution (Spatial Climate Analysis Service,
Oregon State University, http:// www.ocs.orst.edu/prism).

2.  Affiliation:

Dept. of Botany, Univ. of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071.

Funding Agency:

> We are thankful for the support of this research by a U.S.
> Environmental Protection Agency STAR Fellowship, the U.S. Geological
> Survey, and the Andrew Mellon Foundation.

3.  PRISM annual precipitation and maximum temperature data for the
    summer, averaged over the survey period (1991--1997), was used in a
    study about forest stand characteristics that are believed to be
    important to a threatened seabird (the Marbled Murrelet) that nests
    in old-growth forests in California and southern Oregon.

4.  Impact or Conclusion:

> In summary, our results suggest that recovery efforts for murrelets in
> our study area should focus on protecting cool, moist, low elevation
> stands of old-growth forest with the largest-dbh trees, and that these
> areas should be far from roads. In California, redwood stands along
> alluvial flats adjacent to streams should be given high priority, and,
> in southern Oregon, the low-elevation Douglas-fir stands higher on
> hillsides should be given priority. This information, along with
> landscape and regional-level results from other studies, can help
> managers prioritize recovery efforts. More research is needed to
> establish the link between occupancy, abundance, and nest density to
> verify our conclusions.

Webscience 44-3/07-02

Mapping environments at risk under different global climate change
scenarios

Earl Saxon, Barry Baker, William Hargrove, Forrest Hoffman and Chris
Zganjar

*Ecology Letters,* (2005) *8*: 53--60

ABSTRACT

All global circulation models based on Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC) scenarios project profound changes, but there is
no consensus on how to map their environmental consequences. Our
multivariate representation of environmental space combines stable
topographic and edaphic attributes with dynamic climatic attributes. We
divide that environmental space into 500 unique domains and map their
current locations and their projected locations in 2100 under
contrasting emissions scenarios. The environmental domains found across
half the study area today disappear under the higher emissions scenario,
but persist somewhere in it under the lower emissions scenario.
Locations affected least and those affected most under each scenario are
mapped. This provides an explicit framework for designing conservation
networks to include both areas at least risk (potential refugia) and
areas at greatest risk, where novel communities may form and where
sentinel ecosystems can be monitored for signs of stress.

© 2005 Blackwell Publishing Ltd/CNRS

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

To represent current climate, we used 4-km data from the
Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model (PRISM) for
the period 1961--1990 (Daly et al. 2002), resampled to 5-km resolution.

2.  Affiliation:

TNC-CI Joint Initiative on Climate Change & Conservation, Washington, DC
20036.

Funding Agency:

> Oak Ridge National Laboratory is managed by UT-Battelle, LLC, for the
> US Department of Energy under contract DEAC05- 00OR22725.

3.  PRISM data was used to represent current climate in the continental
    USA and a portion of northwestern Canada in a study that involved
    mapping environments at risk under different global climate change
    scenarios.

4.  Impact or Conclusion

> Climate-dynamic domains provide an objective basis for designing
> conservation networks in conjunction with models of other biodiversity
> surrogates, models of land use change and other threats to
> biodiversity and species- specific assessments where available (Saxon
> 2003). All else being equal, ecosystems will be least at risk from
> climate change in domains that maintain their location and extent.
> These are also potential refugia for species. A domain's future
> locations may overlap little, if at all, with its current ones. For
> example, one domain in northern Alaska increases dramatically in
> extent, but changes its location from the south side of the Brooks
> Range to the arctic coast on the north side of the Range. Ancient
> boreal forests occur at its present location, but the responses of
> tundra communities at its future location will generate novel and
> unstable biotic communities (Rupp et al. 2001). The process of
> structural change without change in species composition has already
> started there (Sturm et al. 2001). Domains that shrink and/or move
> will require deliberate conservation strategies to enhance the
> adaptive capacity of their ecosystems, reducing the loss of
> biodiversity that would otherwise occur. Biodiversity will be at
> greatest risk where domains disappear and non-analogue ones take their
> place. There, sentinel ecosystems can be monitored for early signs of
> stress and disturbance regimes may have to be manipulated to maintain
> complex ecosystems as novel communities form. Dispersal to a familiar
> environment is certainly not an option for the plants and animals
> presently confined to these locations.

Webscience 47-3/07-02

Distributions of Dominant Tree Species on the Tibetan Plateau under
Current and Future Climate Scenarios

Minghua Song, Caiping Zhou, and Hua Ouyang

*Mountain Research and Development* Vol 24 No 2 May 2004: 166--173

ABSTRACT

A bioclimatic model was used to simulate distributions of the dominant
tree species on the Tibetan Plateau. The model is based on physiological
constraints to alpine plant growth. The bioclimatic variables used in
this model are: minimum temperature in the coldest month, maximum
temperature in the warmest month, accumulated growing-season warmth, and
minimum value of soil moisture availability in the growing season. A
comparison was made between simulated current distributions of tree
species and their actual natural distributions on the Tibetan Plateau.
It was shown that there is good agreement between simulated current and
actual natural distributions. The simulated current distribution areas
of tree species such as Abies spectabilis, Picea likiangensis var.
linzhiensis, Pinus densata, Larix griffithiana were a little larger than
their actual distributions. For Quercus aquifolioides and the relict
species Betula platyphylla, simulated areas were a little smaller than
their actual distributions. Future distributions of dominant tree
species were predicted under a climate scenario with a CO2 concentration
of 500 ppmv in the year 2100. The distribution areas of Abies
spectabilis, Picea likiangensis var. linzhiensis, Pinus densata, Larix
griffithiana and Quercus aquifolioides would shift and extend towards
the north and west under the future climate scenario. For Betula utilis,
the distribution areas would shift towards the north but they would
shrink.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> The minimum temperature in the coldest month and the maximum
> temperature in the warmest month were derived from a Chinese 0.05° x
> 0.05° temperature and precipitation database (1960--1990) and
> simulated by PRISM (Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent
> Slopes Model; Daly et al 2000; Daly et al 2002).

2.  Affiliation:

Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research,
Chinese Academy of Sciences; Chinese Ecosystem Research Network (CERN),
PO Box 9717, Beijing 100101, China.

Funding Agency:

This research received financial support from the National Natural
Science Foundation (40331006), and was further funded by a Foundation
award for a post doctoral fellowship.

3.  PRISM was used to simulate the minimum temperature in the coldest
    month and the maximum temperature in the warmest month in a study
    that simulated distributions of the dominant tree species on the
    Tibetan Plateau.

4.  Impact or Conclusion:

> Bioclimatic variables (minimum temperature in the coldest month,
> maximum temperature in the warmest month, accumulated growing-season
> warmth, and minimum value of relative moisture availability in the
> growing season) are responsible for the physiological mechanism of
> plants' responses to climate change. But the predictive model can be
> improved by including a full Priestley-Taylor analysis. In this study,
> we considered only soil water balance, but ignored individual plant
> species characteristics owing to a lack of data on LAI and stomatal
> conductance. Neilson's model (1995) contains a plant transpiration
> module. It is feasible to incorporate plant transpiration in soil
> water balance analysis. In addition, elevated CO^2^ could dramatically
> affect the plant water use efficiency of species, hence their drought
> sensitivity, and their distribution. If these factors could be
> incorporated into Priestley-Taylor calculations, it would be a major
> improvement of the Priestley-Taylor model, as well as a significant
> advance in statistical methods. We concentrated on simulating alpine
> tree species distributions based on relatively few factors. What
> mechanisms lie behind the restrictive impacts of continental climate
> on the distribution of alpine species? What mechanisms lie behind the
> responses of species to climate change during their evolution? Such
> questions require further research.
>
> **Webscience Query March 2007: Citation update**
>
> **(1994) "A statistical topographic model for mapping climatological
> precipitation over mountainous terrain"**

Webscience 2-3/07-94

Estimating snow depletion curves for American River basins using
distributed snow modeling

Eylon Shamir, Konstantine P. Georgakakos

*Journal of Hydrology* (2007) 334, 162-- 173

ABSTRACT

We used a well evaluated temperature-based distributed energy balance
model for snow accumulation and ablation with a 1 km x 1 km resolution
to derive estimates of snow water equivalent (SWE) and snow cover area
(SCA) for the American River basin during the water years 1960--1999.
These model prognostic variables were then used to derive and analyze
the properties of the snow depletion curves (SDC) of the drainage basins
of the three Forks of the American River. Such curves are commonly used
in spatially lumped model applications as a priori estimates that
account for the areal heterogeneities of the snow pack. Assuming that
SDC can be derived for a basin and the annual variability is small, a
single SDC offers an adequate description of the snow pack area
distribution. Unique model-derived SDC were obtained for each Fork but
with large inter- annual variability. The curve variability introduces
large uncertainty in the prediction of snowmelt timing and magnitude
when spatially lumped models are used. Further analysis of the model
derived SDC showed significant correlation between the maximum annual
SWE of the basin and the SWE values for a given SCA. In addition, the
maximum annual SWE of the basin is also correlated with the SWE from
snow courses surveys conducted in the beginning of March. These
empirical relationships provide a procedure to estimate the SDC at the
beginning of the melting season and, therefore, reduce the uncertainty
in snowmelt estimation associated with the use of SDC.

© 2006 Elsevier B.V.

KEYWORDS: Snow depletion curve; Snow water equivalent; Snow cover area;
Snowmelt; Distributed modeling; Subgrid variability

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> In order to distribute the precipitation to the model gridcells, we
> used the parameter-elevation regressions on
>
> independent slopes model (PRISM) map, which is a 2.5 arc - min (\~4
> km) mean annual precipitation (1961--1990) map
>
> created for the conterminous US (Daly et al., 1994). We used the mean
> annual precipitation PRISM map to distribute observed precipitation
> onto the distributed snow model grid elements. The values were
> distributed based on the proximity of the model element center to the
> center of the PRISM grid. The MAP time series was applied at the
> locations where the PRISM average annual precipitation is equal to the
> observed annual average precipitation. After adjustment to correct for
> gauge catch deficiency, the precipitation input for the other model
> grid cells was spatially estimated every time step to maintain the
> spatial ratio between current grid and observation grid annual
> amounts.

2.  Affiliation:

Hydrologic Research Center, 12780 High Bluff Drive, Suite 250, San
Diego, CA 92130

> Funding Agency:
>
> This research was done as part of the INFORM Project, sponsored by the
> National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the California Energy
> Commission and the CALFED Bay Delta Authority.

3.  PRISM was used to distribute observed precipitation onto the
    distributed snow model grid elements. The values were distributed
    based on the proximity of the model element center to the center of
    the PRISM grid in a study that estimates snow depletion curves for
    American River basins

4.  Impact or Conclusion:

> In this study, we evaluated the validity of the assumption that there
> is a static annual relationship between the SWE and the SCA during the
> melting season described by a characteristic snow depletion curve
> (SDC). This assumption is posed to support a practical modeling
> approach for prediction using an a priori SDC definition. The study
> was conducted by deriving these relationships explicitly using
> prognostic distributed snow model output for the basins of the three
> upper Forks of the American River for the water years 1960--1999. The
> model estimated SDC functions share a unique shape that characterizes
> the different Forks; however, the SDC inter-annual variability is
> large. The effect of such variability is demonstrated and found to
> largely impact the timing of the snowmelt. As such, one must exercise
> caution when assessing the timing of snowmelt with spatially lumped
> models in real time or longer term predictions (e.g. associated with
> climate change scenarios). Analysis of the model derived SDC indicates
> that the SWE for a given SCA is related to the maximum SWE of the year
> at the end of the winter. Moreover, this maximum SWE is found to be
> correlated with early March snow course data from the corresponding
> Fork basin. Such results provide a simple procedure to adjust the SDC
> curve at the beginning of the melt season. This procedure could
> potentially reduce the uncertainty in the snowmelt estimates. In
> future studies, the idea presented here should be validated to confirm
> these reported relationships using different model setups. For
> example, using models with different temporal and spatial scales and
> using dynamical downscaling methods to distribute the model
> meteorological input onto the model elements. Application to areas in
> different hydroclimatic regimes is also a natural extension of this
> work.

Webscience 5-3/07-94

Non-parametric habitat models with automatic interactions

McCune, Bruce

*Journal of Vegetation Science* 17: 819-830, 2006

ABSTRACT

**Questions:** Can a statistical model be designed to represent more
directly the nature of organismal response to multiple interacting
factors? Can multiplicative kernel smoothers be used for this purpose?
What advantages does this approach have over more traditional habitat
modelling methods?

**Methods**: Non-parametric multiplicative regression (NPMR) was
developed from the premises that: the response variable has a minimum of
zero and a physiologically-determined maximum, species respond
simultaneously to multiple ecological factors, the response to any one
factor is conditioned by the values of other factors, and that if any of
the factors is intolerable then the response is zero. Key features of
NPMR are interactive effects of predictors, no need to specify an
overall model form in advance, and built-in controls on overfitting. The
effectiveness of the method is demonstrated with simulated and real data
sets.

**Results**: Empirical and theoretical relationships of species response
to multiple interacting predictors can be represented effectively by
multiplicative kernel smoothers. NPMR allows us to abandon simplistic
assumptions about overall model form, while embracing the ecological
truism that habitat factors interact.

2006 © IAVS; Opulus Press Uppsala

**Keywords:** Habitat model; Kernel smoothing; *Larix occidentalis*;
*Lobaria*; Local model; Non-parametric multiplicative regression; NPMR;
*Picea glauca*; *Picea mariana*; Regression; Species response surface;
Spruce.

**Abbreviations:** GAM = Generalized additive model; GLM = Generalized
linear model; NPMR = Non-parametric multiplicative regression.

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> A second example illustrates a model fitting binary (presence-absence)
> data for the tree *Larix occidentalis* (Anon. 1999) to a suite of
> climate variables (Daly et al. 1994): mean January, July, and annual
> temperatures; mean January, July, and annual precipitation; mean
> relative humidity in January and July; and 'wetdays', the mean number
> of wet days in a year.

2.  Affiliation:

Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University,
Corvallis, OR 97331

> Funding Agency: (none listed)

3.  PRISM was used to illustrate a model fitting binary
    (presence-absence) data for the tree *Larix occidentalis* to a suite
    of climate variables: mean and annual temperatures, mean and annual
    precipitation, mean relative humidity and the mean number of wetdays
    in a year in a study about non-parametric habitat models with
    automatic interactions.

4.  Impact or Conclusion:

Extensions to community analysis

> So far NPMR has been applied only to problems with a single response
> variable. NPMR opens a door, however, to future improvements in
> multivariate analyses of ecological communities. Species abundance
> data have three properties in relationship to environmental gradients
> that challenge multivariate statistical analysis (Beals 1984; McCune &
> Grace 2002, pp. 35-43): the zero truncation problem, 'solid' response
> curves, and complex response shapes (including polymodality and
> asymmetry). Together, these properties produce the 'dust bunny'
> distribution of sample units in multidimensional species space (McCune
> & Grace 2002) rather than a multivariate normal distribution,
> demanding multivariate tools capable of effectively representing
> grossly nonlinear relationships. An ordination axis derived from
> community data can be considered a synthetic gradient through the dust
> bunny of sample units in species space. The collective relationships
> of species to these gradients, fit with NPMR, could be an improved
> basis for an optimization principle, replacing stress minimization in
> nonmetric multidimensional scaling. The immediate utility of NPMR,
> however, will be improved empirical models of single species in
> relation to the factors that influence them. NPMR allows us to abandon
> simplistic assumptions about overall model form, embracing the
> ecological truism that habitat factors interact.

Webscience 6-3/07-94

Precipitation in the Colorado River Basin and its low frequency
associations with PDO and ENSO signals

Julio Canon, Javier Gonzalez, Juan Valdes

*Journal of Hydrology* (2007) 333, 252-- 264

ABSTRACT

The spatial and temporal distribution of point precipitation quantiles
representing abnormal moisture conditions over the Colorado River Basin
(CRB) is analyzed by means of the Standardized Precipitation Index
(SPI), calculated in annual and seasonal aggregations. From a
cell-by-cell analysis, the area covered by abnormally wet and dry
conditions during the last century shows an inverse relationship with
their frequency of occurrence, with frequent events (occurring 80% of
the time) in which abnormal conditions cover less than 10% of the basin
and infrequent events (occurring 5% of the time) in which abnormal
conditions cover around 50% of the basin. During El Nino years, both
extremely wet and dry conditions are likely to occur, while only
extremely dry conditions are probable during La Nina years. Regions of
homogeneous SPI realizations were delimited using principal components
analysis (PCA) to highlight major variation modes distinguishable in the
basin, and a frequency analysis was performed over the reconstructed
values of SPI to identify their multiannual oscillation modes. Common
multiannual oscillations between the SPI index, the Pacific Decadal
Oscillation (PDO) and the Bivariate El Nino-Southern Oscillation (BEST)
time series were explored using multichannel singular spectrum analysis
(M-SSA). The coupled impact of PDO-ENSO indicates the presence of a
trend and two significant oscillations around 5 and 15 years on the SPI
time series. The occurrence of extreme SPI values associated with ENSO
and PDO was also evaluated as a common product of these indices that
highlights moisture conditions affected by common enhancement phases of
ENSO and PDO. ©: 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

© 2006 Elsevier B.V.

KEYWORDS: Standardized Precipitation Index; Principal components
analysis; Frequency analysis; Climate indices; Teleconnections

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Precipitation data used in this study correspond to the Near-
> Real-Time Monthly High-Resolution Precipitation Climate Data Set for
> the Conterminous United States, which is based on the PRISM model
> developed by Daly et al. (2005) for the Spatial Climate Analysis
> Service. The PRISM dataset was preferred over similar precipitation
> data sources (i.e. IRI, 2004 and New et al., 1999, 2000) because its
> information is updated on a regular basis, storing grid data for the
> entire conterminous United States. As additional features of interest
> for this study, PRISM has a resolution of 4 x 4 km and incorporates
> corrections on precipitation due to elevation changes that are
> pertinent for comparisons between precipitation regimes at locations
> with different geographic characteristics (Daly et al., 1994).

2.  Affiliation:

Department of Hydrology and Water Resources, University of Arizona,
Tucson, AZ 85721, USA

> Funding Agency:
>
> This material is based upon work supported in part by The University
> of Arizona's TRIF-WEDSP (Technology and Research Initiative Fund for
> Water, Economic Development and Sustainability Program), and by SAHRA
> (Sustainability of semi-Arid Hydrology and Riparian Areas) at
> University of Arizona under the STC Program of the National Science
> Foundation, Agreement No. EAR-9876800.
>
> 3\. PRISM precipitation data, specifically the near-real-time monthly
> high-resolution precipitation climate data set for the conterminous
> United States, was used in a study on precipitation in the Colorado
> River Basin and its low frequency associations with PDO and ENSO
> signals.
>
> 4\. Impact or Conclusion:
>
> The use of M-SSA was advantageous in enhancing the percentage of SPI
> variance explained by common multiannual frequency oscillations among
> the SPI and the ENSO and PDO signals. The superposition of the
> oscillatory components shows: (1) an in-phase amplification of the
> ENSO and the SPI signals during ascendant limbs of PDO; (2) a tendency
> of ENSO and SPI to decline or to be negative during either descendant
> limbs or negative phases of PDO; (3) two well-defined oscillations
> around 5 and 15 years among SPI, PDO and ENSO; and (4) a distinctive
> common trend involving the SPI and the PDO. These results strengthen
> the findings of previous studies suggesting that precipitation in the
> Colorado Basin is affected in an important extension by common forcing
> mechanisms of the climate over the Pacific Ocean. The study also shows
> how abnormally dry and wet conditions during the last century over the
> Colorado Basin have had a spatial incidence that is inversely related
> to the frequency of occurrence: most of the time the extreme events
> tend to be localized in less than 10% of the area while extraordinary
> coverage of these extreme conditions occur only 5% of the time. During
> La Nina years widespread dry events are likely to occur, whereas wet
> events are not significant. During El Nino episodes both widespread
> wet and dry conditions tend equally to occur. These results agree with
> those of previous studies based on similar indices (Hereford et al.,
> 2002). Abnormally wet conditions, on the other hand, were more
> persistent than abnormally dry conditions in terms of coverage from
> 1975 to 2000. When dry conditions occur, however, they tend to have a
> higher impact over the basin (i.e., in 2000 and 2002). Finally, the
> product of the indices highlights the reinforcement of the SPI by the
> ENSO and PDO signals, particularly during years of extremely wet and
> dry conditions. The product of the SPI and the BEST index, for
> instance, indicates the predominance of wet events during the 1990s
> and the shift to dry events during 2000--2002. SPI is also reinforced
> by PDO but in less frequent occurrences. When the three signals are
> multiplied together, the number of episodes with common reinforcements
> is reduced to only well-known years in which extreme weather has been
> experienced in the entire basin (severe wet conditions in 1941 and
> 1983 and severe dry condition in 1956 and 2000). Although simple,
> these products provide a useful way to identify years of extreme
> moisture conditions that are notably affected by common enhancement
> phases of ENSO and PDO.

Webscience 7-3/07/94

Soil Genesis and Mineral Transformation Across an Environmental Gradient
on Andesitic Lahar

Craig Rasmussen, Nobuhiko Matsuyama, Randy A. Dahlgren, Randal J.
Southard, Neil Brauer

*Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J.* 71(1): 225-237 JAN-FEB 2007

ABSTRACT

Soils derived from andesite are regionally important in the western USA,
and expression of andic soil properties may be directly related to
climate. The objective of this research was to quantify mineral
transformation on andesitic lahar across an environmental gradient on
the western slope of the Sierra Nevada of California. We hypothesized
that the dominance of short-range-order (SRO) materials would increase
with increasing elevation as precipitation increased and temperatures
decreased. Seven pedons were sampled across an elevation gradient
(150--2800 m) having large variations in mean annual soil temperature
(3--17°C) and mean annual precipitation (45--150 cm). The soil mineral
assemblage was characterized by x-ray diffraction, selective
dissolution, total elemental analysis, and microprobe analysis.
Weathering and soil development displayed maxima in the zone just below
the permanent winter snowline (\~1590 m), with a sharp decrease at
higher elevations. Rainfall-dominated soils at lower elevations had a
clay fraction dominated by kaolin. In the snowfall-dominated zone, SRO
(allophane and imogolite) dominated the clay fraction, except for the
soils in the cryic soil temperature regime, where interlayered 2:1 layer
silicates dominated. The 2:1 mineral is probably inherited, based on the
presence of a chlorite-like mineral in the andesite parent material.
With increasing elevation, soil development followed the order Mollisols
Alfi sols Ultisols Andisols Inceptisols. Weathering, mineralogical
transformations and soil development are limited by water availability
at low elevations, whereas low soil temperature is the major limitation
at high elevations.

© Soil Science Society of America

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> MAT, mean annual temperature; MAP, mean annual precipitation; MAT and
> MAP taken from the PRISM data set (Daly et al., 1994).

2.  Affiliation:

Soil, Water, and Environmental Science Dep. Univ. of Arizona Tucson, AZ
85721

> Funding Agency: (none listed)

3.  PRISM mean annual temperature and mean annual precipitation data for
    Sierra Nevada of California was used in a study on soil genesis and
    mineral transformation across an environmental gradient on andesitic
    lahar.

4.  Impact or Conclusion:

Soil mineralogy, physicochemical properties, and taxonomic
classification suggest a strong influence of climate on soil genesis and
mineral transformation in soils derived from andesitic parent materials
in the xeric soil moisture regime of California. Very fine sand, silt,
and clay XRD data indicate that one of the dominant weathering reactions
across the gradient is the direct transformation of feldspar to kaolin
minerals. Low-elevation biomes demonstrated dehydration of halloysite in
surface horizons, probably due to extreme desiccation and heating in
summer. Data further indicate a significant break in soil development
and weathering at the current permanent winter snowline (\~1590 m).
Soils in the snowfall-dominated zone exhibited minimal soil development
and dominance of the clay fraction by SRO materials and interlayered 2:1
minerals, whereas soils dominated by rainfall exhibited maximum soil
development and dominance of the clay fraction by kaolins. Further, the
very fine sand fractions of the snow-dominated systems contain
relatively unweathered primary minerals, whereas rainfall-dominated
regimes exhibit substantial pseudomorphic replacement of primary
minerals with kaolin and gibbsite. The weathering threshold is probably
an interaction between soil moisture and temperature. Low-elevation
soils remain relatively warm during the wet winter months, promoting in
situ mineral weathering. In contrast, high-elevation soils experience
cold temperatures when the soil profile is moist, followed by dry
conditions during the warm summer period. The upper elevation systems
may be further subdivided by clay mineral assemblage at the transition
from frigid to cryic systems. The WF-4 and RF-5 biomes are dominated by
allophane and imogolite in the clay fraction, along with fully
interlayered 2:1 minerals. In contrast, SA-6 and AL-7 contain minimal
SRO aluminosilicate materials and are dominated by a swelling 2:1 layer
silicate. It is likely that the 2:1 minerals throughout the transect are
inherited from the parent material based on the presence of a
chlorite-like mineral found in the andestic parent material, although
eolian deposition cannot be ruled out, as suggested by unexpectedly high
base saturation and total Na2O + CaO in the \<2-mm fraction at the
high-elevation sites. Soil development and weathering converge at the
Ultisol in the PP-3 biome. This soil represents the most highly
weathered soil, dominated by kaolin minerals, gibbsite, crystalline Fe
oxides, and substantial clay and organic C content. Weathering and
mineral transformations at lower elevations appear to be limited by
moisture, whereas higher elevation systems are limited by temperature.

Webscience 10-3/07-94

Development of a GIS-based model for extrapolating mesoscale groundwater
recharge estimates using integrated geospatial data sets

Timothy B. Minor & Charles E. Russell & Steve A. Mizell

*Hydrogeology Journal* (2007) 15: 183--195

ABSTRACT

A geographic information systems (GIS)-based model was used to derive
spatially explicit estimates of recharge using the elevation-dependent
chloride mass balance (EDCMB) approach in a 14-basin area in
southwestern Nevada, USA. For each of the 14 basins, a non-linear
regression equation was developed relating chloride enrichment to the
elevation of spring watersheds. The ratio of chloride enrichment as a
function of elevation was used in a GIS framework to transform
continuous precipitation data to recharge. Spatial masks that
represented two definitions of the lower limits of recharge---one
definition based on alluvium/non-alluvium boundaries, the other based on
both alluvium/non-alluvium boundaries and an elevation threshold---were
applied to each basin. Resultant recharge estimates were then summed for
each basin. When compared to summaries of previous recharge estimates
for the study area, the EDCMB approach produced results that were within
14 and 3% of two studies, but were significantly greater (31%) than a
third. GIS proved to be a very effective tool for combining large
spatial data with widely different resolutions into an integrated data
set, and also proved to be an efficient mechanism for implementing
robust statistical models to estimate recharge.

© Springer-Verlag 2006

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Recharge coefficients were derived through multiple linear regression
> of precipitation zones (Daly et al. 1994) as a function of the
> previously described estimates of discharge for the 16 valleys.
> Multiplication of the summed precipitation within each zone by the
> relevant recharge coefficient yielded estimates of total recharge
> occurring within each zone. Recharge within each zone was summed to
> determine total recharge within a given basin.

2.  Affiliation:

> Division of Earth and Ecosystem Sciences, Desert Research Institute,
> Nevada System of Higher Education, Reno, NV 89512
>
> Funding Agency:
>
> US Department of Energy (DOE) and Robert Bangerter and Stephen
> Lawrence, former DOE Underground Test Area project managers, for
> providing the funding to accomplish the work described herein.

3.  PRISM precipitation data was used to calculate spatially explicit
    estimates of recharge using the elevation-dependent chloride
    mass-balance approach in a study on extrapolating mesoscale
    groundwater recharge estimates with integrated geospatial data sets.

4.  Impact or Conclusion:

> A GIS-based model was successfully developed to estimate spatially
> explicit estimates of recharge using the elevation-dependent chloride
> mass-balance approach. This approach was based on precipitation,
> elevation and recharge water chemistry from an original study (Russell
> et al., personal observations, 2006), extrapolated to an expanded 14
> hydrographic basin study area in southwestern Nevada. Spatially
> continuous raster data sets of precipitation and elevation and
> discrete vector representations of geology were converted and
> integrated in a GIS framework to facilitate modeling of 1,000
> realizations of a non-linear regression equation developed using a
> Monte Carlo simulation. Recharge estimates were calculated as
> spatially continuous raster data sets, then total recharge was summed
> for each hydrographic basin in the study area. The raster data sets
> for each individual basin were then combined to show the spatial
> distribution of recharge estimates across the entire study area. When
> compared to summaries of previous estimates for the entire study area,
> the EDCMB approach produced estimates of recharge flux that were in
> close agreement with two studies, but were significantly greater than
> a third. The differences with the third estimate, recharge calculated
> using the Maxey and Eakin (1949) method, may be due to differences in
> the modeling parameters used in the respective approaches,
> specifically the elevation-precipitation relationship. When individual
> basins in the study area were evaluated, the EDCMB results were in
> close agreement with the previous studies in seven of ten basins
> evaluated. In this study, GIS proved to be a very effective, efficient
> tool for combining spatial data at widely different scales into an
> integrated data set, and it provided the mechanism for implementing
> robust statistical models to estimate recharge. Spatially explicit
> recharge estimates are critical for supporting groundwater flow and
> transport models, and can prove valuable for contaminant transport
> analysis and groundwater assessments related to development of
> potential water supplies in arid environments.

Webscience 11-3/07-94

Estimating the economic potential for agricultural soil carbon
sequestration in the Central United States using an aggregate
econometric-process simulation model

John M. Antle, Susan M. Capalbo, Keith Paustian, and Md Kamar Ali

*Climatic Change* (2007) 80:145--171

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this paper is to develop and apply a new method to assess
economic potential for agricultural greenhouse gas mitigation. This
method uses secondary economic data and conventional econometric
production models, combined with estimates of soil carbon stocks derived
from biophysical simulation models such as Century, to construct
economic simulation models that estimate economic potential for carbon
sequestration. Using this method, simulations for the central United
States show that reduction in fallow and conservation tillage adoption
in the wheat-pasture system could generate up to about 1.7 million
MgC/yr, whereas increased adoption of conservation tillage in the
corn--soy--feed system could generate up to about 6.2 million MgC/yr at
a price of \$200/MgC. About half of this potential could be achieved at
relatively low carbon prices (in the range of \$50 per ton). The model
used in this analysis produced estimates of economic potential for soil
carbon sequestration potential similar to results produced by much more
data-intensive, field-scale models, suggesting that this simpler,
aggregate modeling approach can produce credible estimates of soil
carbon sequestration potential. Carbon rates were found to vary
substantially over the region. Using average carbon rates for the
region, the model produced carbon sequestration estimates within about
10% of those based on county-specific carbon rates, suggesting that
effects of spatial heterogeneity in carbon rates may average out over a
large region such as the central United States. However, the average
carbon rates produced large prediction errors for individual counties,
showing that estimates of carbon rates do need to be matched to the
spatial scale of analysis. Transaction costs were found to have a
potentially important impact on soil carbon supply at low carbon prices,
particularly when carbon rates are low, but this effect diminishes as
carbon prices increase.

© Springer Science + Business Media B.V. 2006

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Mean monthly climate variables were calculated for each county in the
> central U.S. region from the PRISM (Daly et al. 1994) database, which
> is based on orographically corrected weather station data, computed at
> a 4 km^2^ spatial resolution. County means for temperature and
> precipitation were determined by area-weighted averaging using an
> overlay of county boundaries and PRISM grid cells.
>
> For this study, the PRISM model was utilized to describe the
> distribution of precipitation across the study area. The PRISM data
> set was developed from precipitation data collected from 1961 to 1999,
> and integrates the influence of slope, aspect and elevation. Mean
> monthly values for stations that had at least 27 years of data were
> used without modification. Data sets for those with at least 15 years
> but less than 27 years of data were modified by applying a
> least-squares fit to data from a representative nearby station,
> yielding a 30-year average. PRISM was run for each month and the
> months summed to obtain an annual estimate. The spatial resolution of
> the PRISM data
>
> used in this study is 2.06 km (4.24 km2).

2.  Affiliation:

Department of Agricultural Economics and Economics, Montana State
University, Bozeman, MT 59717-2920, USA

> Funding Agency:

This research was supported in part by the Montana State Agricultural
Experiment Climate Change program and by the Consortium for the
Agricultural Mitigation Although the research described in this article
has been funded wholly or Environmental Protection Agency through grant
R-82874501-0 to Montana subjected to the Agency's required peer and
policy review and therefore views of the Agency and no official
endorsement should be inferred.

3.  PRISM was used to calculate mean monthly climate variables for each
    county in the central U.S. region in a study estimating the economic
    potential for agricultural soil carbon sequestration in the Central
    United States

4.  Impact or Conclusion:

> In this study we derive an econometric-process simulation model for
> analysis of soil carbon sequestration that can be estimated and
> simulated with aggregated data, such as the county level agricultural
> census data used in this analysis. The conceptual basis for this model
> is the logic of farm-level decisions to participate in soil carbon
> contracts. We show how this logic can be used to derive first-order
> conditions for land allocation to carbon contracts that are
> quantifiable with profit functions estimated with aggregated data. The
> simulation model uses the estimated profit functions to solve for the
> land allocation (e.g., reduction in fallow, or increase in the use of
> conservation tillage) that is economically efficient for a given
> carbon price. These land allocations are then used to derive carbon
> supply curves by aggregating results across the land units to a
> regional level. Simulations for the central United States show that
> reduction in fallow and conservation tillage adoption in the wheat
> system could generate up to about 1.7 million MgC/yr, whereas
> increased adoption of conservation tillage in the corn--soy--feed
> system could generate up to about 6.2 million MgC/yr at a price of
> \$200/MgC.

Webscience 12-3/07-94

Seed Shatter Dates of Antelope Bitterbrush in Oregon

G. R. Johnson1 and Paul C. Berrang

*Rangeland Ecol Manage* 60:99--103 \| January 2007

ABSTRACT

Seed shatter dates for antelope bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata
\[Pursh\] DC) were estimated from collections at 192 sites in Oregon and
surrounding states. Shatter date was strongly correlated to elevation (r
= 0.74) and an equation that included elevation, latitude, longitude,
and longitude squared explained 79% of the variation in seed shatter
dates. In general, earlier shatter dates were associated with more
southerly latitudes, easterly longitudes, and lower elevations.
Examination of climatic data confirmed the expectation that earlier
shatter dates were associated with warmer sites. This information can
assist those needing to schedule seed collection activities at multiple
locations.

Key Words: Purshia tridentata, seed collection, seed maturation

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

Climatic data for these 192 sites were obtained from GIS coverages
generated from PRISM (Parameter-Elevation Regressions on Independent
Slopes Model, Daly et al. 1994; see
www.ocs.orst.edu/prism/prism_new.html). Climate variables included
monthly mean, minimum and maximum temperatures, monthly precipitation,
date of last spring and first fall frosts, and number of frost-free
days.

2.  Affiliation:

Research Geneticist, USDA Forest Service, Corvallis, OR 97331-4401;

> Funding Agency: (none listed)

3.  PRISM was used to provide climatic data for 192 sites that produced
    at least 100 sound seeds in a study that examined seed shatter dates
    of Antelope Bitterbrush in Oregon.

4.  Impact or Conclusion:

> This information can assist those needing to schedule seed collection
> activities at multiple locations. When comparing sites, differences in
> latitude, longitude, and elevation must be taken into account. The
> estimated seed shatter dates predict the relative shatter dates for
> multiple sites, but actual dates will vary from year to year (see also
> Shaw and Monsen 1983).

Webscience 14-3/07-94

A pragmatic approach for downscaling precipitation in alpine-scale
complex terrain

Barbara Fruh, Janus Willem Schipper, Andreas Pfeiffer, and Volkmar Wirth

*Meteorologische Zeitschrift*, Vol. 15, No. 6, 631-646 (December 2006)

ABSTRACT

A statistical method is presented to downscale precipitation from a
mesoscale atmospheric model simulation. The algorithm consists of two
steps. First, local subscale variability is estimated based on a high
resolution observed climatology. Second, there is a bias correction,
which constrains the downscaled model climatology to be equal to the
observed climatology on the coarse grid. Combining both steps results in
a local scaling factor for each day of the climatological year. The
method is applied to the upper Danube catchment which encompasses part
of the European Alps and which is characterized by highly complex
orography. The subgrid-scale variability described by the first part of
the algorithm partly reflects the underlying orography, especially the
narrow alpine valleys. The bias correction leads to a redistribution of
precipitation on the catchment scale and accounts for the model
deficiency producing too much precipitation in the inner alpine regions
and too little at the edges of the Alps. An evaluation with regard to
the simulated and observed daily precipitation indicating the
significant potential of the method is presented.

© by Gebrüder Borntraeger 2006

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Our downscaling algorithm requires an observed high resolution
> precipitation climatology. This section describes how we obtained such
> a climatology for the reference period 1991--2000. **...** SCHWARB
> (2001) and SCHWARB et al. (2001) provide a precipitation climatology
> for the entire European Alps (42.75ºN--49ºN, 2ºE--18ºE) at 2.5 minutes
> (≈ 2 km) resolution for the time period 1971--1990 based on 9546
> station records. They obtained monthly climatologies by applying a
> modified version of the Parameter-elevation Regression on Independent
> Slope Model (PRISM) (DALY et al., 1994). This model combines
> climatological and statistical concepts for the analysis of orographic
> precipitation. We adapted this precipitation climatology to our 1 km
> grid by simple linear interpolation. The result is referred to as
> ![](media/image6.wmf){width="0.5965277777777778in"
> height="0.14027777777777778in"}where the overbar stands for
> climatological, 'M' for monthly value, and '1' for 1 km resolution.

2.  Affiliation:

Institute for Atmospheric Physics, University of Mainz, Germany

> Funding Agency:
>
> The presented work was funded by the German Ministry of Research and
> Education (BMBF) in the framework of GLOWA.

3.  PRISM was used to provide a precipitation climatology for the entire
    European Alps (42.75ºN--49ºN, 2ºE--18ºE) at 2.5 minutes (≈ 2 km)
    resolution for the time period 1971--1990 based on 9546 station
    records. The PRISM data was modified to a 1 km grid by simple linear
    interpolation in a study about downscaling precipitation in
    alpine-scale complex terrain.

4.  Impact or Conclusion:

> The strength of correlation of our downscaled daily precipitation with
> the station measurements is similar to that of HAY and CLARK (2003).
> They developed a statistical downscaling which is based on the three
> stations providing the best simulation of runoff (best-stations). They
> found that the output of their method captures the annual cycle of the
> precipitation but not the day-to-day variability. The correlation
> between the daily precipitation of the statistically downscaled and
> the measured precipitation at the best stations lies within about 0.4
> to 0.7 depending on the catchment. In our study the Spearman rank
> correlation coefficient is 0.67 considering all stations available
> during the 10 years reference period.
>
> Analysis of a number of weekly periods shows that our algorithm
> substantially increases the \"represented spatial variance\" and
> reduces the root mean square error when compared with station
> measurements. We anticipate that this will be beneficial for many
> aspects, e.g., of the modeled surface hydrology in the framework of
> GLOWA-Danube.
>
> Although the results of the downscaling method are most representative
> for the period 1991--2000, the relative differences between the
> observations and the simulations should be generally applicable. In
> slightly changed climates, the method is able to give higher resolved
> precipitation patterns than any mesoscale model can do over such a
> long time period within reasonable costs.
>
> There are various potential extensions of the current algorithm. For
> instance, an important aspect of precipitation in mountainous terrain
> is its dependence on the strength and direction of the wind. One may,
> therefore, expect improvements when modeled wind in addition to
> modeled precipitation is used as predictor for precipitation
> (cf.WIDMANN et al., 2003). This allows one to capture the rain shadow
> effect in mountainous regions and improves the correlation between
> observed and downscaled precipitation. It is planned to pursue this
> idea in a forthcoming paper.
>
> Furthermore we plan to couple the atmospheric model including our
> downscaling procedure to a hydrologic model. In a first step this
> coupling will be one-way, i.e., the supply of atmospheric data for the
> land surface model. In a future step a two-way interactive coupling is
> intended.

Webscience 15-3/07-94

Climate-Driven Variability and Trends in Mountain Snowpack in Western
North America

Philip W. Mote

*Journal of Climate* VOL 19(23) 1 DEC 2006

ABSTRACT

Records of 1 April snow water equivalent (SWE) are examined here using
multiple linear regression against reference time series of temperature
and precipitation. This method permits 1) an examination of the separate
roles of temperature and precipitation in determining the trends in SWE;
2) an estimation of the sensitivity of SWE to warming trends, and its
distribution across western North America and as a function of
elevation; and 3) inferences about responses of SWE to future warming.
These results emphasize the sensitivity to warming of the mountains of
northern California and the Cascades of Oregon and Washington. In
addition, the contribution of modes of Pacific climate variability is
examined and found to be responsible for about 10%--60% of the trends in
SWE, depending on the period of record and climate index.

© 2006 American Meteorological Society

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Several observations emerge when looking at the snow course data from
> this perspective. First, the elevation of snow courses declines with
> latitude; it turns out that the slope of the distribution of snow
> courses roughly follows an isotherm, approximately 1 km in altitude
> per 7.3° latitude. \[The isotherms were determined by multiple linear
> regression on latitude and altitude, using December through February
> mean temperatures at the snow course locations from the Precipitation-
> Elevation Regression on Independent Slopes Model (PRISM) dataset (Daly
> et al. 1994; see Mote et al. 2005).\]

2.  Affiliation:

Climate Impacts Group, Center for Science in the Earth System,
University of Washington, Seattle, Washington

> Funding Agency:
>
> This publication is funded by the Joint Institute for the Study of the
> Atmosphere and Ocean (JISAO) under NOAA Cooperative Agreement No.
> NA17RJ1232.

3.  PRISM was used to determine isotherms by multiple linear regression
    on latitude and altitude, using December through February mean
    temperatures at the snow course locations from the PRISM dataset in
    a study on climate-driven variability and trends in mountain
    snowpack in western North America.

4.  Impact or Conclusion:

> The modest success of this simple regression approach suggests that
> for most snow course locations in the West, the long-term variations
> in spring SWE are reasonably well explained by summaries of seasonal
> climate at nearby locations. This implies that day-to-day details of
> snow accumulation, ablation, and melt are generally of secondary
> importance, except where correlations between observed SWE and
> climate-derived SWE are low. On longer time scales, another
> implication of the general agreement between observed and climate
> derived SWE is that other sources of trends are also generally of
> secondary importance. Where discrepancies exist, they could be caused
> by, for example, changes in forest canopy or other aspects of site
> characteristics that influence SWE, or substantially different climate
> trends between the relatively low-elevation climate stations and the
> snow course locations...Simple regression- based methods for
> forecasting seasonal volumetric streamflow will have to be revised or
> replaced by more sophisticated methods that can account for the
> changing role of temperature both in determining the quantity of
> spring snowpack (the subject of this paper) and the rate at which it
> melts (Hamlet et al. 2005).

Webscience 16-3/07-94

Influence of volcanic history on groundwater patterns on the west slope
of the Oregon High Cascades Anne Jefferson, Gordon Grant, and Tim Rose

*Water Resources Research*, VOL. 42 (12) W12411, 2006

ABSTRACT

Spring systems on the west slope of the Oregon High Cascades exhibit
complex relationships among modern topography, lava flow geometries, and
groundwater flow patterns. Seven cold springs were continuously
monitored for discharge and temperature in the 2004 water year, and they
were periodically sampled for *d*18O, *d*D, tritium, and dissolved noble
gases. Anomalously high unit discharges suggest that topographically
defined watersheds may not correspond to aquifer boundaries, and oxygen
isotope data reveal that mean recharge elevations for the springs are
coincident with extensive Holocene lava fields. The 3He/4He ratios in
most of the springs are close to atmospheric, implying shallow flow
paths, and aquifer thicknesses are estimated to be 30--140 m. Estimates
using 3H/3He data with exponential and gamma distributions yield mean
transit times of 3--14 years. Recharge areas and flow paths are likely
controlled by the geographic extent of lava flows, and some groundwater
may cross the Cascade crest.

© 2006 by the American Geophysical Union

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> Monthly values of precipitation in 2 km by 2 km grid cells were
> derived from the PRISM model \[Daly et al., 1994, 2002\] and summed.

2.  Affiliation:

Department of Geosciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon,
USA.

Funding Agency:

This material is based upon work supported under a National Science
Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship and grants from the Eugene Water
and Electric Board and the Center for Water and Environmental
Sustainability at Oregon State University.

3.  PRISM was used to derive monthly values of precipitation in 2 km by
    2 km grid cells in a study about the influence of volcanic history
    on groundwater patterns on the west slope of the Oregon High
    Cascades.

4.  Impact or Conclusion:

> In young volcanic arcs that receive large amounts of annual
> precipitation, high recharge rates coupled with volcanic aquifers that
> have high near-surface hydraulic conductivity lead to extensive
> groundwater systems. The aquifers are locally constrained by the
> geographic extent of permeable lava flows, with recharge areas and
> flow paths that are not fully bounded by modern topography. Flow paths
> are generally shallow and water discharging at large, cold springs has
> had limited contact with geothermal systems. A combination of
> hydrologic, isotopic, and geologic data illuminate these groundwater
> systems by providing data on aquifer sizes and locations, recharge
> elevations, transit times, and other aquifer characteristics. Our
> observations on the west slope of the Oregon High Cascades emphasize
> the importance of volcanic history in controlling the patterns of
> groundwater flow in young mafic landscapes.

Webscience 18-3/07-94

Late Holocene forest dynamics, volcanism, and climate change at
Whitewing Mountain and San Joaquin Ridge, Mono County, Sierra Nevada,
CA, USA

Constance I. Millar, John C. King, Robert D. Westfall, Harry A. Alden,
Diane L. Delany

*Quaternary Research* 66 (2006) 273--287

ABSTRACT

Deadwood tree stems scattered above treeline on tephra-covered slopes of
Whitewing Mtn (3051 m) and San Joaquin Ridge (3122 m) show evidence of
being killed in an eruption from adjacent Glass Creek Vent, Inyo
Craters. Using tree-ring methods, we dated deadwood to AD 815-- 1350 and
infer from death dates that the eruption occurred in late summer AD
1350. Based on wood anatomy, we identified deadwood species as Pinus
albicaulis, P. monticola, P. lambertiana, P. contorta, P. jeffreyi, and
Tsuga mertensiana. Only P. albicaulis grows at these elevations
currently; P. lambertiana is not locally native. Using contemporary
distributions of the species, we modeled paleoclimate during the time of
sympatry to be significantly warmer (+3.2°C annual minimum temperature)
and slightly drier (-24 mm annual precipitation) than present,
resembling values projected for California in the next 70--100 yr.

© 2006 University of Washington

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

> We next downloaded 4-km2 (2.5-arcmin) gridded climate data from PRISM
> (Daly et al., 1994), extracting layers for annual minimum and annual
> maximum temperatures, January and July minimum temperatures, January
> and July maximum temperatures; annual precipitation, and January and
> July precipitation for the period of record, 1971--2000. We chose
> these variables for their ecological significance to the species and
> because they span annual climatic extremes. The PRISM grids were
> converted to polygons and sequentially intersected with each of the
> species\' range polygons, with GIS analyses done in ARC/Info (ESRI,
> 2002).
>
> To determine the overlap among species, we first subjected the merged
> species-range/PRISM-climate data to discriminant analysis (DA). DA was
> used because it maximizes differences among groups (species) and
> discriminates overlap areas better than other methods. A test for
> normality indicated excessive tailing in the residuals of the DA.

2\. Affiliation:

USDA Forest Service, Sierra Nevada Research Center, Pacific Southwest
Research Station, Berkeley, CA 94701

> Funding Agency: (none listed)

3.  PRISM was used to derive climatic factors chosen for their
    ecological significance to the species and because they span annual
    climatic extremes: annual minimum and annual maximum temperatures;
    January and July minimum temperatures; January and July maximum
    temperatures; annual precipitation; and January and July
    precipitation for the period of record, 1971--2000. Adjustments to
    these PRISM climatic factors were made to estimate high resolution
    current climate for San Joaquin Ridge, in a study about late
    Holocene forest dynamics, volcanism, and climate change at Whitewing
    Mountain and San Joaquin Ridge, Mono County, Sierra Nevada, CA.

4.  Impact or Conclusion:

> Recognizing significant CO2 differences between future projected and
> Medieval climates, our empirical findings of
>
> significant increase in subalpine forest extent and diversity during
> similar climate conditions nonetheless raise questions
>
> about modeled results of future forest reductions in the subalpine
> zone. As we have observed for the 20th century,
>
> subalpine forests in the Sierra Nevada often respond nonlinearly with
> increasing temperature, showing abrupt changes
>
> and reversals (Millar et al., 2004). Such trends may well ensueunder
> future warming.

Webscience 20-3/07-94

Use of a case-control study and geographic information systems to
determine environmental and demographic risk factors for canine
leptospirosis

George S. Ghneim, Joshua H. Viers, Bruno B. Chomel, Philip H. Kass,
Daphne A. Descollonges, Michael L. Johnson

*Vet. Res.* 38 (2007) 37--50, 2007

ABSTRACT

Leptospirosis is increasingly diagnosed as a re-emerging canine disease
in the USA. Our objectives were to describe potential risk factors for
canine leptospirosis infections in northern California, through the use
of a case-control study, and to perform a spatial analysis to
investigate which aspects of the landscape and land use patterns are
important in the transmission of leptospirosis. Forty-three cases and 59
controls were enrolled into the study. Serological results showed that
17 (39.5%) of the 43 dog cases were infected with serovar *pomona*.
Cases were 7.86 times more likely to have been walked in a rural
environment rather than an urban environment. Cases also had eight times
higher odds of swimming in outdoor water, and approximately 12 times
higher odds of drinking from outdoor water in the two weeks preceding
illness. At smaller distances from the dogs' homes (radius ≤ 0.5 km)
hydrographic density was positively correlated with cases, while at
larger distances (radius ≥ 5 km) there was a positive relationship
between leptospirosis cases and percent of wetlands or public open
space. Intervention measures for the prevention of canine leptospirosis
should include reducing access to potentially infectious bodies of water
that are close to canine homes, and to large areas of wetlands and
public open space in the general vicinity. We have shown that a spatial
analysis in conjunction with traditional epidemiological analysis is a
powerful combination in identifying risk factors for infectious
diseases.

© INRA, EDP Sciences, 2007

Keywords: leptospirosis, dogs, GIS, California, disease geography

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

We also examined the relationship between mean annual precipitation and
disease status, by examining long term rainfall data \[6\].

2\. Affiliation:

Center for Companion Animal Health, School of Veterinary Medicine,
University of California, Davis, CA

> Funding Agency:
>
> This study was funded by generous support from The Center for
> Companion Animal Health through a special grant provided by Mary Ann
> Charles.

2.  PRISM was used to provide precipitation data and validate the
    findings of a case-control study that elucidated environmental and
    demographic risk factors for infectious canine leptospirosis.

3.  Impact or Conclusion:

> Based on our results as well as the work of Ward et al. \[24\], we
> believe that habitats where there are a large number of interactions
> between canines and wildlife pose a significant risk for acquiring
> leptospirosis... While our study did not consistently find
> urbanization to be a significant factor of influence, we did find that
> surrogates for wildlife reservoir exposure (e.g. open space and
> wetlands) were important factors. The relationship between disease
> status and the distance to the nearest hydrographic feature was
> apparent from our study... At close proximity, the important factor
> probably was exposure to leptospires and not the amount of habitat
> available for supporting leptospires.
>
> The GIS study's results validate the findings of the case-control
> study and underline the usefulness of GIS in elucidating environmental
> risk factors for infectious diseases. While it was important to
> demonstrate the correlation between the results of the case-control
> study and the GIS analysis, it is now clear that GIS analysis of
> possible risk factors can be used alone. Overall, we have demonstrated
> that GIS analysis in conjunction with more traditional epidemiological
> analysis can be a powerful tool in identifying risk factors for
> infectious diseases.

Webscience 23-3/07-94

Genetic variation in fall cold hardiness in coastal Douglas-fir in
western Oregon and Washington

J. Bradley St. Clair

*Can. J. Bot.* 84: 1110-1121 (2006)

ABSTRACT

Genetic variation in fall cold damage in coastal Douglas-fir
(*Pseudotsga* *menziesii* (Mirb.) Franco var. *menziesii*) was measured
by exposing excised branches of seedlings from 666 source locations
grown in a common garden to freezing temperatures in a programmable
freezer. Considerable variation was found among populations in fall cold
hardiness of stems, needles, and buds compared with bud burst, bud set,
and biomass growth after 2 years. Variation in fall cold hardiness was
strongly correlated (r=0.67) with cold-season temperatures of the source
environment. Large population differences corresponding with
environmental gradients are evidence that natural selection has been
important in determining genetic variation in fall cold hardiness, much
more so than in traits of bud burst (a surrogate for spring cold
hardiness) bud set, and growth. Seed movement guidelines and breeding
zones may be more restrictive when considering genetic variation in fall
cold hardiness compared with growth, phenology, or spring cold
hardiness. A regional stratification system based on ecoregions with
latitudinal and elevational divisions, and roughly corresponding with
breeding zones used in Oregon and Washington, appeared to be adequate
for minimizing population differences within regions for growth and
phenology, but perhaps not fall cold hardiness. Although cold hardiness
varied among populations, within-population and within-region variation
is sufficiently large that responses to natural or artificial selection
may be readily achieved.

© 2006 University of Washington

NOTE

1.  PRISM Data:

Climatic data were obtained from GIS coverages generated from the
climate model PRISM (Daly et al. 1994).

2.  Affiliation:

> USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Corvallis, OR
>
> Funding Agency: (none listed)

3.  PRISM data was used in mapping patterns of cold hardiness variation
    in a study about genetic variation in fall cold hardiness in coastal
    Douglas-fir in western Oregon and Washington.

4.  Impact or Conclusion:

> Substantial clinal genetic variation in fall cold hardiness was found
> across the range of Douglas-firs in western Oregon and Washington.
> Clines varied with both latitude and longitude, and were most strongly
> associated with cold-season temperatures. Coast Range populations
> suffered greater cold damage than Cascade populations of the same
> approximate elevation and latitudes. These patterns of variation match
> those of earlier studies involving smaller geographic ranges and fewer
> populations. When grown together in a common garden, families from
> breeding zones near the Oregon Coast suffered greater fall cold damage
> from the natural frost events or in artificial freeze tests than
> families from breeding zones to the east in the Cascades (Loopstra and
> Adams 1989; O'Neill et all. 2001).