Current Research
Effects of Atmospheric Deposition on Biodiversity
Air pollutants such as sulfur, nitrogen, ozone and mercury have serious direct and indirect effects on organisms in our region. A recent synthesis of research findings, written by the Cary Institute and the Nature Conservancy, reports that no major ecosystem types in the Northeast are free of air pollution effects. Many ecosystem types are subject to serious impacts that impede their function and affect the survival of sensitive species. Conservation organizations should realize that land preservation alone is not sufficient to protect ecosystems, and should consider air pollution threats to the ecosystems they are trying to protect.
Ecosystem Effects of Exotic Forest Pests.
Introduced pests and pathogens can alter the composition of tree species in our forests. We are currently researching the impact of three exotic pests-- gypsy moth, beech bark disease and hemlock wooly adelgid. These invaders alter species composition, resulting in fundamental changes in forest nitrogen cycling, decomposition rates, and the acid-base status of forest soils.
Control of Nitrogen Loss from Watersheds.
Combustion of fossil fuel releases nitrogen oxides, which can be deposited to forested watersheds and have serious effects on forest health, stream quality, and pollution of estuaries. Understanding how atmospheric nitrogen deposition is processed, retained and released by forested watersheds is integral to maintaining healthy ecosystems.
Patterns of Atmospheric Deposition.
Air pollutants are deposited not only in rain and snow, but also as gases, particles, and fog droplets. Measuring the deposition of all of these forms is difficult, especially in mountainous terrain, where deposition rates are strongly influenced by elevation and characteristics of the forest canopy. Knowing the rates and patterns of deposition is critical to evaluating ecosystem response to the pollutants.
Long-Term Monitoring of the Forest Ecosystem at Cary
We measure key aspects of forest productivity, species composition and nutrient cycling in the mixed-oak forest at the Cary Institute iin Millbrook, New York. This long-term monitoring allows us to track trends in the forest ecosystem resulting from air pollution and other stresses. |
Selected Publications
- Peltzer, D.A., R.B. Allen, G.M. Lovett, D. Whitehead and D.A. Wardle. 2010. Effects of biological invasions on forest carbon sequestration. Global Change Biology 16: 732-746.
- Lovett, G.M , T. H. Tear, D. C. Evers, S.E.G. Findlay, B. J. Cosby, J. K. Dunscomb, C.T. Driscoll and K. C. Weathers. 2009. Effects of Air Pollution on Ecosystems and Biological Diversity in the Eastern United States. The Year in Ecology and Conservation Biology, 2009: Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 1162: 99-135.
- Kelly, V. R., K. C. Weathers, G. M. Lovett and G. E. Likens. 2009. Effect of climate change between 1984 and 2007 on precipitation chemistry at a site in northeastern USA. Environmental Science & Technology 43: 3461-3466 .
- Christenson, L.M., G.M. Lovett, K. C. Weathers, M. A. Arthur. 2009. The influence of tree species, nitrogen fertilization, and soil C:N ratio on gross soil nitrogen transformations. Soil Science Society of America Journal 73:638-646.
- Lovett, G. M., C. D. Canham, M. A. Arthur, K. C. Weathers, and R. D. Fitzhugh. 2006. Forest ecosystem responses to exotic pests and pathogens in eastern North America. Bioscience 56:395-405.
- Lovett, G. M., J. J. Cole, and M. L. Pace. 2006. Is net ecosystem production equal to ecosystem carbon accumulation? Ecosystems 9:152-155.
- Lovett, G. M., C. G. Jones, M. G. Turner, and K. C. Weathers (eds.) 2005. Ecosystem Function in Heterogeneous Landscapes. Springer, NY. 489 pp.
- Lovett, G. M., G. E. Likens, D. C. Buso, C. T. Driscoll, and S. W. Bailey. 2005. The biogeochemistry of chlorine at Hubbard Brook, New Hampshire, USA. Biogeochemistry 72:191-232.
- Lovett, G. M., and M. J. Mitchell. 2004. Sugar maple and nitrogen cycling in forests of eastern North America. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 2:81-88.
- Lovett, G. M., K. C. Weathers, M. A. Arthur, and J. C. Schultz. 2004. Nitrogen cycling in a northern hardwood forest: Do species matter? Biogeochemistry 67:289-308.
- Lovett, G. M., K. C. Weathers, and M. A. Arthur. 2002. Control of nitrogen loss from forested watersheds by soil carbon:nitrogen ratio and tree species composition. Ecosystems 5:712-718
- Lovett G. M., L. M. Christenson, P. M. Groffman, C. G. Jones, J. E. Hart, and M. J. Mitchell. 2002. Insect defoliation and nitrogen cycling in forests. Bioscience 52, 335-341
- Lovett, G. M., K. C. Weathers, and W. Sobczak. 2000. Nitrogen saturation and retention in forested watersheds of the Catskill Mountains, NY. Ecological Applications 10:73-84.
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