Biennial Report Book 2007.indb - Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies

Institute of Ecosystem StudiesA Scientific Review, 2005 - 2007AIRThe Institute has a strong history of analyzing how airborne pollutants impactecosystems. Research by the organization’s founder, Dr. Gene E. Likens, informedClean Air Act Amendments that have been instrumental in reducing acid rain.Institute scientists continue to explore how airborne pollutants influence theenvironment, with research sites worldwide, including New York’s Catskill Forest,Maine’s Acadia National Park, and southern Chile.Threats from above: Air pollution effects on biodiversityThe Institute provided leadership on a Nature Conservancy report detailing the impactof airborne pollutants (sulfur, nitrogen, ozone, and mercury) on plants and animals inthe Northeast and Mid-Atlantic States. All of the ecosystems studied were impacted,with many suffering damage from multiple pollutants. If species and habitats are tobe conserved, the report recommends that conservation organizations become moreinvolved in creating national air pollution policy. (Lovett)Nitrogen air pollution and tree mortalityInstitute researchers found that when trees are fertilized with nitrogen over a periodof several years, they have an elevated mortality rate compared to unfertilized trees.While nitrogen is traditionally viewed as a plant fertilizer, this research suggests thatexcess nitrogen from air pollution may be harmful to forest ecosystems. (Lovett)LANDFrom the state of the world’s forests, to ecological conditions in urban areas, Institutescientists are actively investigating the terrestrial environment. Our research hasproduced a better understanding of invasive forest pests, ecological models thatfacilitate sustainable forestry, and predictions of how climate change will influenceforest function.Predicting forest response to exotic pests and pathogensExotic pests are one of the biggest threats facing forests in the Northeastern UnitedStates. To understand the scope of the problem, a team of Institute scientistsperformed an extensive review of the impacts that introduced insects and diseaseshave on forested ecosystems. The team developed a conceptual framework tohelp assess ecosystem-scale effects of invaders, and the findings were published inBioscience. (Lovett, Canham, Weathers)Understanding climate change impacts on forestsFor over 16 years, Institute research has been looking at forest structure inConnecticut’s Great Mountain Forest. Long-term research on tree competitiondynamics, published in Ecological Applications, has set the stage for understanding thepotential effects of climate change on both the demography and distribution of foresttrees. (Canham)4