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Five lichen species were evaluated as element-content pollution bioindicators for a pilot study in Wisconsin and adjacent U.S. states, using data for 20 elements. Goodquality elemental data for aluminum, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, nitrogen, and sulfur—mostly from nonspecialist U.S.
Monitoring vegetation phenology is important for managers at several scales. Across decades, changes in the timing, pattern, and duration of significant life cycle events for plant groups can foreshadow shifts in species assemblages that can affect ecosystem services.
Most regions of the United States are projected to experience a higher frequency of severe droughts and longer dry periods as a result of a warming climate. Even if current drought regimes remain unchanged, higher temperatures will interact with drought to exacerbate moisture limitation and water stress.
Understory vegetation structure and its relationship with forest canopies and site conditions are important determinants of carbon stocks, wildlife habitat, and fuel loading for wildland fire assessments. Comprehensive studies are needed to assess these relationships through the use of consistently collected field-based data.
Context: Land-use change is a global phenomenon with potential to generate abrupt spatial changes in species’ distributions.