Department of Earth and Environmental Science

Frederick N Scatena

Disturbance ecology and the biochemistry and management of Tropical Watersheds

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Understanding the interplay of natural and anthropogenic disturbances on the biogeochemistry of watersheds is essential to understanding landscape development and developing sustainable land use management practices. The focus of this research is to quantify the magnitudes, frequencies, and responses of forested watersheds to common disturbances. The majority of this work has been conducted in the Bisley Experimental watersheds in Northeastern Puerto Rico in conjunction with the Luquillo Long-term Ecological Research project and the International Institute of Tropical Forestry of the USDA Forest Service. Recent publications in this area include:

Recent Publications

Heartsill Scalley, Scatena F.N., Lugo A.E., Moya S., Estrada C., 2010. Changes in the Structure, Composition and Nutrients during Hurricane-Induced Succession in a Subtropical Wet Forest. Biotropica, 10.1111/j.1744-7429.2009.00609.x

Lenart M.T., Falk D.A., Scatena F.N., Osterkamp W.R., 2010. Estimating soil turnover from tree uprooting during hurricanes in Puerto Rico. Forest Ecology and Management 259:1076-1084 doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2009.12.014

Vance-Chalcraft H.D., Willig M.R., Cox S.B., Lugo A.E., Scatena F.N., 2009. Relationship Between Aboveground Biomass and Multiple Measures of Biodiversity in a Subtropical Forest of Puerto Rico. Biotropica 1-10:10.1111/j.1744-7429.2009.00600.x

Johnson K.D., Scatena F.N., Johnson A.H., Pan Y., 2009. Controls on Soil organic matter content within a northern hardwood forest. Geoderma 148:346-356

Arn The Y. Silver W.L., Scatena F.N., 2009. A decade of belowground reorganization following multiple disturbances in a subtropical wet forest. Plant and Soil DOI 10.1007/s11104-009-9926-z