2023 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference

March 5-7, 2023 • Cincinnati, OH

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5/20/2019 | 9:45 AM - 10:00 AM | SHIFTING SNOWPACKS AND FOREST PHENOLOGY ALTER THE WINDOWS OF METABOLIC OPPORTUNITY FOR HUBBARD BROOK STREAM ECOSYSTEMS | 150 DEF

SHIFTING SNOWPACKS AND FOREST PHENOLOGY ALTER THE WINDOWS OF METABOLIC OPPORTUNITY FOR HUBBARD BROOK STREAM ECOSYSTEMS

In streams that drain temperate deciduous forests, spring and autumn are the primary “windows of metabolic opportunity” in which small streams are both ice-free and well-lit. These windows may represent the only periods of high algal or microbial activity annually for many small, forested streams. For northeastern headwater streams, the spring window is constrained by snowmelt and canopy closure, while the fall window is constrained by litterfall and permanent snowpack. Long-term records for the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in NH document decreasing snowpack duration and a lengthening of the forest growing season. There is great interannual variability in both trends, leading to substantial variability in the timing of these key bookend events (litterfall, snow-on, snowmelt, leaf-on). Between 1989 and 2015, the spring window ranged from 7 to 43 days, while the autumn window (80% litterfall to snowpack >50mm) ranged from 37 to 105 days. Shifting forest growing season and snowpack duration are leading to colder, more well-lit streams during spring windows which may favor autotrophic activity. A longer autumn window will likely enhance the extent of leaf litter degradation, potentially reducing the residence time of organic matter in these streams.

Light
Temporal
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Presenters/Authors

Audrey Thellman (), Duke University , audrey.thellman@duke.edu;