Terrestrial acidification and ecosystem services: effects of acid rain on bunnies, baseball, and Christmas trees

Irvine, Irina C.; Greaver, Tara L.; Phelan, Jennifer; Sabo, Robert D.; Houtven, George Van

doi:10.1002/ecs2.1857

Cited by 24 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…White ash is particularly well known for its use in baseball bats (Irvine et al. ). Because the above ecosystem services were not examined in our study, the overall effect on ecosystem services remains unknown until a complete accounting can be performed.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nitrogen deposition and climate change effects on tree species composition and ecosystem services for a forest cohort

Houtven

Phelan

Clark

et al. 2019

Ecological Monographs

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The composition of forests in the northeastern United States and the ecosystem services they provide to future generations will depend on several factors. In this paper, we isolate the effects of two environmental drivers, nitrogen (N) deposition and climate (temperature and precipitation) change, through an analysis of a single cohort of 24 dominant tree species. We assembled a tree database using data from U.S. Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis monitoring plots. Applying observed species‐specific growth and survival responses, we simulated how forest stands in a 19‐state study area would change from 2005 to 2100 under 12 different future N deposition–climate scenarios. We then estimated implications for three selected forest ecosystem services: merchantable timber, aboveground carbon sequestration, and tree diversity. Total tree biomass (for 24 species combined) was positively associated with both increased N deposition and temperatures; however, due to differences in the direction and magnitude of species‐specific responses, forest composition varied across scenarios. For example, red maple ( Acer rubrum ) trees gained biomass under scenarios with more N deposition and more climate change, whereas biomass of yellow birch ( Betula alleghaniensis ) and red pine ( Pinus resinosa ) was negatively affected. Projections for ecosystem services also varied across scenarios. Carbon sequestration, which is positively associated with biomass accumulation, increased with N deposition and increasing climate change. Total timber values also increased with overall biomass; however, scenarios with increasing climate change tended to favor species with lower merchantable value, whereas more N deposition favored species with higher merchantable value. Tree species diversity was projected to decrease with greater changes in climate (warmer temperatures), especially in the northwestern, central, and southeastern portions of the study area. In contrast, the effects of N deposition on diversity varied greatly in magnitude and direction across the study area. This study highlights species‐specific and regional effects of N deposition and climate change in northeastern U.S. forests, which can inform management decision for air quality and forests in the region, as well as climate policy. It also provides a foundation for future studies that may incorporate other important factors such as multiple cohorts, sulfur deposition, insects, and diseases.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nitrogen deposition and climate change effects on tree species composition and ecosystem services for a forest cohort

Houtven

Phelan

Clark

et al. 2019

Ecological Monographs

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“…), terrestrial acidification (Irvine et al. ), and terrestrial eutrophication (Clark et al., unpublished manuscript ). Here, we describe the activities of the aquatic acidification subgroup.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impacts to ecosystem services from aquatic acidification: using FEGS‐CS to understand the impacts of air pollution

et al. 2017

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Abstract. Increases in anthropogenic emissions of sulfur (S) and nitrogen (N) have resulted in increasesin the associated atmospheric deposition of acidic compounds. In sensitive watersheds, this deposition has initiated a cascade of negative environmental effects on aquatic ecosystems, resulting in a degradation or loss of valuable ecosystem goods and services. Here, we report the activities of an expert workgroup to synthesize information on acidic deposition-induced aquatic acidification from the published literature and to link critical load exceedances with ecosystem services and beneficiaries, using the Stressor-Ecological Production function-Final Ecosystem Services (STEPS) Framework and the Final Ecosystem Goods and Services Classification System (FEGS-CS). Experts identified and documented the sensitive aquatic ecosystem ecological endpoints valued by humans, and the environmental pathways through which these endpoints may experience degradation in response to acidification. Beneficiary groups were then identified for each sensitive ecological endpoint to clarify relationships between humans and the effects of aquatic acidification, and to lay the foundation for future research and analysis to value these FEGS.

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“…), TA (Irvine et al. ), and TE (Clark et al., unpublished manuscript ). The specific objectives of the workshop were to test the STEPS Framework and explore its utility to (1) develop relationships (chains) based on published literature to link the indicators of an environmental stressor with a final ecosystem service and its associated user group and (2) use these chains to identify an effective method to transfer ecological information into information useful to managers and policy makers.…”

Section: Case Study Application Of Framework: Air Quality and Ecosystmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The TA group focused on two discrete biological indicator tree species (white ash, Fraxinus americana L., and balsam fir, Abies balsamea [L.] Mill) and fully developed their chains to identify all FEGS (Irvine et al. ). The TE group took a regional approach and focused many of their biological indicators and FEGS at a community level (Clark et al., unpublished manuscript ).…”

Section: Case Study Application Of Framework: Air Quality and Ecosystmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A framework to quantify the strength of ecological links between an environmental stressor and final ecosystem services

et al. 2017

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Abstract. Anthropogenic stressors such as climate change, increased fire frequency, and pollution drive shifts in ecosystem function and resilience. Scientists generally rely on biological indicators of these stressors to signal that ecosystem conditions have been altered. However, these biological indicators are not always capable of being directly related to ecosystem components that provide benefits to humans and/or can be used to evaluate the cost-benefit of a change in health of the component (ecosystem services). Therefore, we developed the STEPS (Stressor-Ecological Production function-final ecosystem Services) Framework to link changes in a biological indicator of a stressor to final ecosystem services. The STEPS Framework produces "chains" of ecological components that explore the breadth of impacts resulting from the change in a stressor. Chains are comprised of the biological indicator, the ecological production function (EPF, which uses ecological components to link the biological indicator to a final ecosystem service), and the user group who directly uses, appreciates, or values the component. The framework uses a qualitative score (high, medium, low) to describe the strength of science (SOS) for the relationship between each component in the EPF. We tested the STEPS Framework within a workshop setting using the exceedance of critical loads of air pollution as a model stressor and the Final Ecosystem Goods and Services Classification System (FEGS-CS) to describe final ecosystem services. We identified chains for four modes of ecological response to deposition: aquatic acidification, aquatic eutrophication, terrestrial acidification, and terrestrial eutrophication. The workshop participants identified 183 unique EPFs linking a change in a biological indicator to a FEGS; when accounting for the multiple beneficiaries, we ended with 1104 chains. The SOS scores were effective in identifying chains with the highest confidence ranking as well as those where more research is needed. The STEPS Framework could be adapted to any system in which a stressor is modifying a biological component. The results of the analysis can be used by the social science community to apply valuation measures to multiple or selected chains, providing a comprehensive analysis of the effects of anthropogenic stressors on measures of human well-being.

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Terrestrial acidification and ecosystem services: effects of acid rain on bunnies, baseball, and Christmas trees

Cited by 24 publications

References 35 publications

Nitrogen deposition and climate change effects on tree species composition and ecosystem services for a forest cohort

Nitrogen deposition and climate change effects on tree species composition and ecosystem services for a forest cohort

Impacts to ecosystem services from aquatic acidification: using FEGS‐CS to understand the impacts of air pollution

A framework to quantify the strength of ecological links between an environmental stressor and final ecosystem services

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