Landscapes of interwoven wetlands and uplands offer a rich set of ecosystem goods and services. Changes in climate and land use can affect the value of those services. We study these areas to understand how they may be changing.
We conducted a national landowner survey, evaluated short-term vegetation responses to land management practices (primarily grazing, haying, and burning), and initiating a long-term vegetation monitoring study for wetland buffers.
Will salt marshes survive if sea level rises quickly? The answer depends on whether the areas surrounding them can allow salt marsh fauna and flora to migrate there. Local topography, both natural and manmade, is the main factor limiting this migration.
Study to identify grasslands that may be suitable for cellulosic feedstock production. Producing ethanol from non-cropland areas such as grassland will minimize the effects of biofuel developments on global food supplies.