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Environmental & Economic Research Overview ERP Program Overview Research Reports Environmental & Economic Research Newsletters RFP Postings Grant Process FAQs Printable Version 
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Completed Projects| Completed Projects | Completed Projects by Author | Monitoring Projects |
The following projects received funding from the Environmental Research Program. To access the executive summaries or the final research reports, click on the links below. Dates shown refer to when final reports were submitted. Identifying Trade-offs Between Biomass Production and Biological Diversity in Wisconsin’s Forests and Grasslands to Meet Tomorrows Bioenergy and Biofuel Needs (November 2011) This research project examined trade-offs within two bioenergy production systems, grasslands in southern Wisconsin and aspen forests in northern Wisconsin. Our primary goal was to quantify the potential benefits and costs of producing bioenergy feedstocks and maintaining wildlife populations on the same piece of land within these systems. The factors that influence the costs and benefits of the emerging bioeconomy are complex and will require a synthetic and data rich approach. Key trade-offs examined included biomass productivity in grasslands and aspen forests and biodiversity within the production system. As the next generation of biofuel crops is being investigated and planted, our findings provide insight into the establishment and management of such operational fields and the potential benefits these fields might provide for wildlife. Our study suggests that to promote sustainable high yields of biomass in grasslands, it may be prudent to include a diverse suite of both native species and functional groups in planting mixes. In addition, high functional group diversity would promote habitat for grassland birds. And, although it followed logically that retention of legacy trees in aspen clearcuts would enhance habitat diversity for understory plants compared to clearcuts lacking legacy trees, there was little empirical research to support this form of aspen management. To our knowledge, this study is the first to demonstrate that for a variety of bird species of conservation concern, legacy tree retention dramatically improves the quality of the aspen forest habitat Life-cycle Inventory of Wood Pellet Manufacturing in Wisconsin (March 2011) John F. Katers and Adam Snippen, Natural and Applied Sciences (Engineering), University of Wisconsin-Green Bay The purpose of this study was to determine the environmental impacts of "premium" wood pellets manufactured in Wisconsin through a cradle-to-gate life-cycle inventory. The functional unit was the mill complex, which produces wood pellets from a variety of feedstocks. Three groups of pellet manufacturers were identified based on feedstock: those who utilize green co-product, those who utilize dry co-product, and those who harvest their own timber. Using the LCI modeling software package SimaPro 7.2, environmental impacts were measured based on emissions to air and water, solid waste, energy consumption, and resource use. Results indicate that on-site energy consumption for producing wood pellets from source-dried co-product was ~65% less than using co-product dried in-situ and producers who harvest their own timber. However, when considering the cradle-to-gate material and energy inputs, wood pellets produced from whole logs harvested by the manufacturer use 32-35% less energy and have a much lower environmental impact. Energy Intensity and Environmental Impact of integrated Dairy and Bio-Energy Systems in Wisconsin (March 2011) Douglas Reinemann, Thais Passos-Fonseca, Horacio Aguirre-Villegas, Simone Kraatz, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Biological Systems Engineering; Franco Milani, Food Science and Center for Dairy Research; Louis Armentano, Victor Cabrera and Michel Wattiaux, Dairy Science; John Norman: Soil Science There are a number of well known 'green' or 'environmentally friendly' management practices that can reduce the undesirable environmental consequences of milk production including: optimizing dairy diets, wisely managing waste, adopting optimal cropping patterns and conservative field operations, improving energy efficiency of food production and generating energy on farms. The Green Cheese study is a group effort focused on identifying synergies that reduce Green-House Gas emissions, the use of fossil fuels, and other environmental impacts of integrated dairy and bio-fuels production systems in Wisconsin. The Green Cheese model is a partial life cycle assessment of integrated dairy and bio-fuels production systems based on two objectives: quantifying and evaluating the energy, GHG, land use, and nutrient balances of dairy systems combined with bio-fuel production, energy generation and conservation technologies; and investigating synergies and opportunities to reduce net energy intensity and environmental impact of dairy and bio-fuel production in Wisconsin.
Climate Change in Wisconsin (January 2011) Dr. Daniel J. Vimont, Assistant Professor, Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Center for Climatic Research, Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin–Madison In the coming decades, we can anticipate that climate change will affect state resources in both expected and unexpected ways. A first step in assessing the influence of climate change on Wisconsin's environment and economy involves developing projections of climatic variables that are relevant to specific impacts in Wisconsin. To overcome the poor spatial resolution of Wisconsin conditions as represented on existing global models, this project focused on three major objectives: Developing regional-scale, daily precipitation, and minimum and maximum temperature projections for Wisconsin for the 21st century; calculating a set of non-standard climate variables needed by impacts and policy communities, using model output variables and observations; and designing a web-based repository for present-day climatic conditions and future climate projections that will be utilized by impacts scientists, policy analysts and makers, and the citizens of Wisconsin. The climate scientists worked closely with impact scientists, policy analysts, and policy makers through their involvement with the Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts (WICCI).
Managing Wisconsin's Forests for Fiber Production and Carbon Sequestration: A Modeling Approach (October 2010) Stith T. Gower, Forest Ecosystem Ecology Program Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin–Madison Ecosystem process models are tools that can be used to examine the long-term effects of different management scenarios on ecosystem dynamics. This issue is particularly important to devising forest management practices and policy to sequester carbon and still produce wood fiber for biofuel feedstock. The big advantage of ecosystem process models is they provide insight into questions that experimental studies would require decades to centuries to answer. This report uses the ecosystem process model Biome-BGC to simulate the effects of harvest and residue removal management scenarios on soil carbon (C), available soil nitrogen (N), net primary production (NPP), and net ecosystem production (NEP) in jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) and sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh) ecosystems in northern Wisconsin. A concerted effort was made to validate the model output of Biome-BGC to determine if the model was providing accurate simulations of vegetation and soil C cycling processes. Results of this study indicate that for a given harvest type (clear-cut or selective) and harvest interval, as residue removal increased, mineral soil carbon losses increased relative to the base scenario. The decline in mineral soil carbon content is likely due to the reduced amount of carbon entering the soil pool through decomposition. In general, the more intensive harvest scenarios increased overall net ecosystem production, even though the mineral soil carbon content declined. These results highlight the complexity of managing forests for carbon sequestration and maintaining long-term soil productivity. One issue that could not be resolved in this project was which climate data should be used to complete the simulations. There are several climate data sources available, and each has strengths and weaknesses. Moreover, the differences in the climate data result in equally unsettling differences in model results. The large differences in the two common climate data sets highlight the need for a collaborative effort among climatologist to evaluate the different climate data and develop one consistent data set. Consumer Adoption and Grid Impact Models for Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles in Wisconsin (October 2010) Part A: Consumer Adoption Models Part B: Grid Impact Studies Jessica Y. Guo, Giri Venkataramanan, Bernie Lesieutre, Anthony Smick, Megan Mallette, Chris Getter, University of Wisconsin-Madison This two-part study focuses on assessing demand for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) and provides near term recommendations to manage impacts on the Wisconsin’s electric grid. Objectives included enhancing the understanding of consumers’ perception of, and demand for PHEVs in order to assess the market potential of PHEVs in Wisconsin, and estimating the associated vehicle charging patterns, electricity consumption, and infrastructure needs. In view of the time frame for the study, the analyses were limited to the Greater Madison area. As such, the project serves as a demonstration of research methodology that could be used to analyzing the PHEV impacts across the state. The study focused on three major research components. Part A assesses infrastructure readiness, and analyzes consumer preferences. Part B explores impact of PHEV adoption on the electric grid. Results presented in Part A show that nearly 70% of all residential parcels in Madison are found to be PHEV ready. However, the likelihood of a household becoming an early adopter depends on a suite of factors ranging from infrastructure availability, charging methods, vehicle and fueling costs, vehicle performance characteristics, to household's income, life style, and attitudes towards environmental issues. Demand response is quickly evolving and playing a greater role in the electric industry, particularly with recent promotion of smart grid activities across the nation. Part B of the report looks at different demand response scenarios from a US-Midwest regional perspective along with an outline of future possibilities where PHEV may participate as a resource. The study explores the use of PHEVs for their energy storage potential, thus enabling a higher penetration of intermittent and variable generation resources such as wind and solar energy. Future studies are needed to better understand the relationship between PHEV preference and PHEV readiness, and between the true market and the potential market pool. Link to Part A: Executive Summary
Link to Part A: Full Report Link to Part B: Executive Summary Link to Part B: Full Report Back to Top Spatial Implications of a Wood Gasification System at UW-Stevens Point (September 2010) Dan McFarlane and Anna Haines, Center for Land Use Education, University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point In 2006, Governor Doyle selected four University of Wisconsin campuses to take part in a pilot program to become energy independent within five years, enabling them to function without the traditional energy grid. UW-Stevens Point was one of these campuses. As part of the energy planning process, the Center for Land Use Education and the College of Natural Resources at UW-Stevens Point designed and performed this study to use Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology for investigating biomass as a feedstock to replace the campus coal and natural gas consumption. The result is a new model for calculating logging residue availability in Wisconsin. Wisconsin has a large and diverse forest resource base that could potentially provide the UW-Stevens Point campus with renewable energy. Currently, there is only minimal published research that quantifies the amount of available harvest residue in the state. To understand the ramifications of such a biomass facility on campus, this project generated a spatially explicit dataset of potential timber harvest residue from various spatial and non-spatial databases. GIS software was used to translate biomass residue volume required by the campus into a plausible landscape scenario in central Wisconsin. The project also identified and mapped locations and supply areas for different facilities that are currently using biomass resources for thermal heating, bioenergy production, and electricity. The project's spatial approach to quantifying available harvest residue in Wisconsin is unique in that it generates a detailed map layer that depicts the potential oven dry tons of residue for the entire state while taking into account both environmental and physical constraints. Building the model in an ArcGIS framework allows the user to make changes, modify assumptions, and re-run it to produce multiple scenarios. Study results will help campus officials visualize the spatial distribution and abundance of timber harvest residue in Wisconsin and can be used to approximate a “harvestshed,” or the land area needed to meet projected feedstock demands. This project provides a model and template for other institutions and businesses considering the feasibility of bio-fuel projects, which can be also used to understand competition among numerous facilities over the same biomass resources. Impacts of Biomass Removal on Carbon and Nutrient Pools in Wisconsin Northern Hardwood Forests: Establishment of a Long-Term Study (March 2010) David J. Mladenoff, Jodi A. Forrester, Jason Schatz, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison As demand grows for woody biomass fuel to replace coal and natural gas, concern also grows regarding potentially negative impacts on forest health that could result from more intensive harvesting. Woody debris is a critical structural and functional component of forests, yet its influence on fundamental questions like carbon and nutrient exchange and storage remain poorly understood. This study focuses on the effects of biomass harvest and removal on key nutrients in Wisconsin northern hardwood forests, including nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, and potassium. The primary objectives were to measure the pre- and postharvest above- and belowground nutrient pools in a second-growth northern hardwood forest. Project results showed that the majority of the forest’s nutrient capital is contained in the living aboveground biomass as opposed to the woody debris or forest floor strata. Where the harvested wood was left in place following cutting, the woody debris nutrient pool increased to over four times the preharvest conditions. The nutrient content of the forest floor appeared higher near woody debris of any type. These results establish the initial conditions of the forest before and immediately following forest harvest. Repeated sampling in future years will allow us to study the impacts of intensive harvests to evaluate the sustainability of this management practice. Assessment of High Penetration of Photovoltaics on Peak Demand and Annual Energy Use (January 2010) Kevin S. Myers, S.A. Klein and D.T. Reindl, Solar Energy Laboratory, University of Wisconsin-Madison This project looks at the role solar electric (photovoltaic, or PV) power might potentially play in the electricity mix in Wisconsin. The goals of the research were to provide an assessment of the interaction of distributed solar PV with the utility grid, the economics of varying levels of penetration, and the quantification of displaced emissions. Analysis of distributed PV systems on the electric utility load was carried out using TRNSYS simulations which used measured hourly solar radiation and weather data from the National Solar Radiation Database. The project found that as the penetration rate of PV systems is increased, there are diminishing returns to further increasing the installed capacity of PV systems. The second goal was to evaluate the economics of solar PV in Wisconsin. The comparison between the unit cost of solar PV electricity and a theoretical value, based on generous time-of-use rates, indicates that the cost of electricity from PV is much greater than its value. The third goal to evaluate the emissions impacts of the distributed solar PV systems was accomplished using the PV simulation data and a simplified dispatch. The emissions simulation estimated the reduction in six emission types based on average emissions rates derived from the EPA’s eGRID2007 database. At low levels of installed capacity, solar PV primarily displaces electricity generation from lower emission natural gas plants that are on the margin. At high levels of installed capacity, solar PV begins to displace generation from coal (higher emissions) or biomass plants during times when the system load is low and PV generation is still high. Wisconsin has a sufficient solar resource for solar photovoltaics to be a future source of electricity production. A very large level of capacity is required before this resource becomes a significant contribution to the total generation mix. On an economic basis, the investment in distributed solar photovoltaics in Wisconsin is not profitable at this time. With proper incentives, solar PV can be cost effective in Wisconsin. Monitoring the Impact of Climate Change on Water Resources in the Northern Highland/American Legion (NHAL) State Forest in Wisconsin: Phase II (November 2009) Carl J. Watras, Principal Investigator, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources This report summarizes the results of Phase II of a multi-year effort to design and deploy a wireless, remote sensor network that could monitor the hydrochemical impact of greenhouse gas emissions and global warming on remote lakes and wetlands within the Northern Highland American Legion State Forest (NHAL) of Vilas and Oneida counties. During Phase I, several remote sensing technologies were evaluated, and then a prototype network of radio-controlled sensors was deployed within a wetland-dominated NHAL sub-catchment. The PI mote network, deployed in the CB catchment at the end of summer 2007, was interfaced with an existing high-power radio network operated by the University of Wisconsin (www.gleon.org). The initial deployment was promising but not all project performance criteria were met. Power consumption was higher than expected, and data from some nodes frequently had erroneous values. During this second phase (2008-09), the electrical circuitry at the heart of each CrossBow node was improved, and the network was re-deployed in Crystal Bog. The result was enhanced performance: both lower power consumption and higher reliability. This report summarizes the project status as of October 1, 2009, when Phase II was completed. The technology is described in detail, and the results of field deployments in Crystal Bog and Trout Bog are presented. The report also describes progress made in cooperation with a local non-profit organization to establish a citizen-based environmental monitoring network with broader coverage across Vilas County. Phase III, the final phase, is due to be completed in the summer of 2011. NOTE: The wetland observatory website for this project is at wetlands.gleon.org, where future project data will be uploaded. Evaluating Bird and Bat Migration in the Upper Mississippi River Valley and Its Implications for Siting Wind Energy Facilities: A Workshop Series for Resource Agencies and Wind Developers (July 2009) Brian Bub and Jon Gumtow, Project Coordinators, Natural Resources Consulting, Inc.; Barbara Behlke, Facilitator, Behlke Consulting, Inc.; and Richard Purdy, Ph.D., Administrator, River Country Resource Conservation and Development Council, Inc. The Upper Mississippi River Valley (UMRV) is recognized as a globally important avian migration corridor. Increasing interest in locating wind energy facilities along the Mississippi River corridor has raised the need for objective and cost-effective means for evaluating and mitigating their potential impacts on migrating birds and bats. This project organized two stakeholder workshops that include participants from the Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, and Iowa Departments of Natural Resources, the USFWS, the USGS, wind developers, environmental consultants, and other organizations. The goals of the stakeholder group were defined as identifying areas for wind energy development within the UMRV that lessen the risks to migratory birds and bats, and to establish cooperation among stakeholders regarding siting of wind facilities at a regional level through open dialog and an understanding of the financial thresholds and natural resource implications. During the workshops, stakeholders identified and prioritized information needs for understanding the potential implications to wildlife from siting wind facilities in or along the UMRV. The information needs/gaps were generally categorized into 1) identifying species groups of concern, 2) recognizing important habitats, 3) understanding behavioral factors (e.g., timing and duration of migration, flight paths and heights), 4) understanding the wind resource and the siting criteria from a wind developers perspective, and 5) compiling applicable data spatially in a Geographic Information System (GIS) and on maps. The workshops set the foundation for continued stakeholder cooperation within the region and will help the group achieve the critical next steps of assembling mapping information and organizing a workgroup of bird and bat experts to analyze species groups and behaviors. Impacts of Past and Future Changes in Climate and Atmospheric CO2 on Wisconsin Agriculture (October 2008) Christopher J. Kucharik, Principal Investigator, Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Shawn P. Serbin, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison Climate change and increased variability pose a real threat to the stability of agro-ecosystems in the long term, jeopardizing food and economic security. To begin addressing this significant challenge, this study focuses on a single important question: How has previous climate change and variability impacted corn and soybean production across Wisconsin, and how might future atmospheric changes challenge farmers? The project concentrates on three main objectives: 1) Developing a daily record of maximum and minimum temperature and precipitation observations, and annual crop yields (corn and soybeans) across Wisconsin for the 1950 to 2006 period; 2) quantifying the actual trends in climate and statistical relationships between seasonal weather indices and corn and soybean yields for 1950 through 2006; and 3) and using statistical modeling in conjunction with results from the second objective and Global Circulation Model (GCM) scenarios of future climate change through the year 2100 to delineate how crop yields may respond to atmospheric changes. The project established clear and coherent spatial patterns in temperature and precipitation that are to be expected for this region. They found that annual average precipitation has increased in the central and southern portions of the state but declined across the far northern portion of Wisconsin since 1950. They also calculated that the length of the growing season has increased by 5 to 20 days, with the greatest change in the central and northern part of the state. The annual number of days each year with low temperatures less than 0ºF has diminished substantially, while the number of days each year with highs greater than 90ºF has remained relatively constant, which is in contrast to what has been projected by climate models. Results suggest that for each additional degree (ºC) of future warming, corn and soybean yields could potentially decrease by 13 percent and 16 percent, respectively, whereas modest increases in precipitation during the summer could help boost yields by between 5 to 10 percent, counteracting the negative effects of increased temperature. While northern U.S. Corn Belt regions such as Wisconsin may benefit from climate and management changes that lengthen the crop-growing period in spring and autumn, they are not immune to decreased productivity due to warming during meteorological summer. Monitoring the Impact of Climate Change on Water Resources in the Northern Highland American Legion State Forest in Wisconsin (NHAL) (August 2008)
Carl J. Watras, Principal Investigator, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources This project is the first phase of a three-phase research effort to quantify and track the potential impact of greenhouse gas emissions and global warming on the 900 lakes and 126 streams situated within Vilas and Oneida counties (the Northern Highland American Legion State Forest, or NHAL), the largest group of undeveloped waters in Wisconsin. Climatic changes may threaten these lakes and streams due to potentially more frequent flooding and higher rates of evaporation. The resulting exchange of water and solutes between lakes, their terrestrial watersheds, and the atmosphere may have profound biogeochemical and ecological implications. The technical challenge of this first phase was development and deployment of a prototype network of remote sensors within a typical NHAL catchment. The remote sensors would monitor hydrochemical gradients between a small lake, a surrounding wetland and the atmosphere, and could run unattended for months on a few AA batteries. A cluster of motes deployed within a watershed could theoretically form a network that sends data back to a distant base station in near-real time via a single high power radio. Nodes were designed to record and transmit data on rainfall, lake water and groundwater at three minute intervals. The prototype network was designed serve as a model for monitoring efforts across a wide variety of NHAL catchments. Field testing of the prototype system began at the end of summer 2007. The deployment was successful and preliminary results were promising, but not flawless. Power consumption was higher than expected, and data from the lake and wetland nodes frequently had erroneous values. Further evaluation indicated that subtle hardware malfunctions and software bugs were causing the problems. Phases Two and Three of the project (also funded by Focus on Energy) will involve further technical refinements, and data gathering and analysis. Link to Executive Summary
Link to Full Report Back to Top Biodiversity in Selected Communities Related to Global Climate Change (August 2008)
Craig Anderson, Project Coordinator; Loren Ayers, Tara Bergeson, and Bill Smith, Co-Principal Investigators; Bureau of Endangered Species, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Environmental alterations associated with climate change can have significant impacts on natural communities. The primary purpose of this 5-year study was to establish a baseline for assessing the influence of climate change on a diversity of animal and plant species in Wisconsin. To accomplish this, researchers chose to focus on peatland natural communities, which provide a good structure for studying the influence of global climate change on natural systems. Peat, or undecomposed vegetation, accumulates slowly in wet areas that are deprived of oxygen. The rate of natural vegetation growth and change in peatlands is very slow. The harsh growing conditions also make peatlands relatively resistant to the invasive plant species which have been introduced to Wisconsin in the past 150 years. Finally, many of Wisconsin’s peatlands do not contain merchantable timber. These characteristics become advantageous for the study of plant and animal distribution and abundance trends because a large subset of variables, namely vegetation structure and composition, are essentially held constant in comparison to other habitats which could be studied. In Wisconsin, peatland natural communities include black spruce swamps, bog relicts, boreal rich fens, muskegs, open bogs, poor fens (including central poor fens), tamarack (poor) swamps, tamarack (rich) swamps, northern wet-mesic forests (white cedar swamps), southern sedge meadows, and northern sedge meadows. Baseline data were collected from 2004-2007 on breeding passerine birds, small mammals, amphibians (with extra survey efforts for certain rare species), rare vascular plants, selected groups of invertebrates, secretive marsh birds, and natural communities in order to allow comparisons with future studies. Researchers designated two levels of survey sites: Intensive or Extensive. Intensive Sites were comprehensively surveyed for selected species each year. Extensive Sites were surveyed one season out of the four field seasons. Methods developed for this study can be replicated in 10 to 20 years, and periodically thereafter. Large amounts of baseline data were gathered for all of the taxon groups at the Intensive Sites. Researchers also obtained vegetation data that can help in detecting changes in the natural communities at individual sites. Data gathered on rare animals has already led to changes in the Natural Heritage Inventory working list, and it’s anticipated that further changes will occur for animals and plants. Value-added projects, such as the habitat models that were developed for passerine birds, can be a valuable tool for natural resource professionals and may be especially useful in light of climate change. Link to Executive Summary
Link to Full Report Back to Top A Landscape Scale Decision Support Tool for Monitoring Bird and Bat Migration Across Wisconsin (July 2008)
Manuel Suarez, U.S. Geological Survey; Patricia Heglund, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Robert Kratt, U.S. Geological Service (All from the Upper Midwest Environmental Science Center, La Crosse, WI) Migratory birds and bats face many challenges as they travel between their wintering and breeding grounds, including potential collisions with human-erected structures such as wind turbines and cell towers. Federal, state and local government agencies continue to ponder the issue of increasing bird safety with regard to siting wind energy projects. This project was initiated to address the question, “Are there patterns in timing, location, and direction among migrating land birds?” The project goal was to explore the use of Nexrad weather data to see if examining five or more years of this data would provide a sense of the general timing, movement patterns and habitat use by migrating land birds. Nexrad Weather Surveillance Radar (WSR-88D) is increasingly viewed as a potentially valuable resource in the study of bird and bat migration, particularly with species that migrate at night or tend to have small body sizes and therefore are too small to wear radio transmitters with enough capacity to monitor for long distances and long periods of time. This project incorporated six years of data generated by the Nexrad WSR-88D sites located in Wisconsin (and in neighboring states) that was made available from the NOAA National Climatic Data Center, and created time-series mosaics of the radar products. The animations allow the viewer to identify and summarize timing, stop over locations, and general pathways of movement across Wisconsin where Nexrad coverage exists. While the scope of this project did not include in-depth analyses of the data, researchers noted several interesting patterns worthy of further analysis. For example, under the four-year viewer, they noted lower activity in the Marquette, MI radar station relative to the stations along the Wisconsin border of Lake Michigan. They also observed progressions of movement from south to north in the spring data and from north to south in the fall data that may establish timing of movements. Additionally, they noted a few locations that repeatedly display high intensity returns, which suggest these might be stop over areas. NOTE: The animation tool is complete and users can select up to four months (April or May 2002 to 2007 or September or October 2002 to 2007) for concurrent display. Once a particular time frame is selected, users can then analyze the raw data for weather patterns, explicit stop over locations, timing of exodus and fall out. To obtain the full dataset for further research, contact Manuel Suarez at msuarez@usgs.gov. Link to Executive Summary
Link to Full Report Back to Top Applying the Natural Heritage Inventory Classification System to Characterize the Natural Communities in the Ongoing Peatlands Study (July 2008) Craig Anderson, Eric Epstein and Christina Isenring, Bureau of Endangered Resources, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison, WI This project complements the WDNR project "Biodiversity in Selected Natural Communities Related to Global Climate Change," known as the Peatlands Study, and also funded by the Wisconsin Focus on Energy program. Its purpose is to characterize the natural communities, or habitats, for each of the Peatlands Study sites using the Natural Heritage Inventory (NHI) classification system. The NHI was originated by the Nature Conservancy in 1974 as a public/private partnership, and there are NHI programs in all fifty states as well as internationally. The NHI classification system tracks species-related data including such categories as taxonomy, distribution, habitat requirements, population trends and viability. The standardization in data collection allows for accurate exchange of information among NHI programs. Incorporating findings from the Peatlands Study into Wisconsin’s NHI program makes this valuable data available at the national and international levels to climate change researchers. During the course of conducting site evaluations and rare plant surveys for the Peatlands Study, data pertaining to natural communities were collected for many of the sites. Analyzing and incorporating these data into the Natural Heritage Database provides a valuable baseline for the evaluation of change over time related to natural community composition, structure, and extent when these sites are re-visited in ten to twenty years as planned. Natural communities from the Peatlands Study were mapped and incorporated into the Natural Heritage Inventory system following standard methodology. These data are now accessible to researchers, local communities, land use planners and policy-makers through data sharing agreements and are available for environmental review, assessing and identifying conservation project priorities and other conservation-related purposes, including future research. Projecting Consequences of Altered Atmospheric Chemistry for Carbon Sequestration by Wisconsin’s Aspen Forests (January 2008)
Eric Kruger, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison; John Erickson, Department of Agronomy, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL; Ed Jepsen, Bureau of Air Management, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison, WI; David Karnosky, School of Forest Resources and Environmental Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI Wisconsin’s forests harbor the potential to sequester considerable amounts of the carbon emitted (as carbon dioxide) through fossil fuel combustion, thereby helping to mitigate the effects of these emissions on atmospheric chemistry and global climate. However, Wisconsin’s forests are also quite sensitive to levels of other polluting gases, such as ozone (O3), which are increasing rapidly due transportation, industrial use of fossil fuels, and coal-fired generation, and which tend to inhibit tree growth. This project uses the well-studied quaking aspen to investigate the balance between the potential for Wisconsin forests to sequester substantially more carbon, and the possibility that increased ozone production will seriously limit tree growth rates in the state. Investigators used data from the Aspen Free-Air CO2 and O3 Enrichment Study (Aspen FACE) located on a USDA experimental farm near Rhinelander, WI, and air quality data from the WDNR Air Management Program, to model and project impacts of elevated levels of CO2 and O3 on carbon sequestration by Wisconsin aspen forests during the next century. They used a state-of-the-art canopy process model to generate estimates of carbon sequestration in Wisconsin aspen forests under an array of plausible air pollution scenarios. Among project findings, results showed that Wisconsin’s aspens could potentially increase carbon sequestration capability by as much as 30 percent as CO2 emissions increase, but rising levels of O3 during the same period of time could inhibit tree growth and cancel out this additional sequestration capability. Mercury in Selected Fish Species over Time (October 2007)
Candy S. Schrank, Environmental Toxicologist, Paul W. Rasmussen, Research Scientist, and Patrick A. Campfield, Fisheries Biologist, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Bureau of Fisheries Management This two-year project assessed changes in mercury concentrations in selected fish species over time. The initial design was to monitor mercury concentrations in walleye and young yellow perch from two sets of lakes for a total of 50 lakes every 5 years. The resulting data plus historical data were analyzed to describe the relationship between mercury and length of fish, changes in mercury concentration over time, and investigate other factors known to affect mercury accumulation. Characteristics known to affect mercury accumulation include water chemistry, lake characteristics, fish growth rates, airborne mercury deposition, and other factors. Researchers found that the current sampling strategy is adequate for detecting changes in mercury concentrations over time using walleye. They found that the temporal trends of mercury concentrations in walleye varied from north to south within Wisconsin. Northern lakes showed slight average decreases, central lakes showed no change, and southern lakes showed modest average increases in mercury concentration over the period from 1982 to 2005. Estimates of temporal trends in individual lakes were not quantified due to data limitations for individual lakes but deviate from the regional average trends quantified. Among other findings, they established that walleye mercury concentrations and the mercury-fish length relationship vary greatly among lakes. They also found that concentrations vary by gender and season of collection. Mercury was lower in walleye females than in males of equal size. Mercury concentrations were highest in walleye captured in the spring and lowest in the fall. This project also supported the collection, processing, and analysis of young yellow perch. Researchers were unable to draw a strong conclusion about their utility for detecting mercury trends in Wisconsin's lakes. However, based on these initial efforts they recommend additional study of this species. Assessing the Ecological Risk of Mercury Exposure to Common Loons (June 2007)
Michael W. Meyer, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources; Kevin P. Kenow, U.S. Geological Survey, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Geological Survey, and the University of Wisconsin collaborated on a research project designed to generate a scientifically defensible wildlife/mercury risk assessment model, focusing on the common loon, a species at risk to mercury exposure in Wisconsin. The model was needed to produce regulatory endpoints that will safeguard wildlife from the toxic effects of excess mercury exposure. This project proceeded with additional work needed to validate predictions of the resulting toxicokinetic model, establish an accurate relationship between mercury intake and blood mercury exposure, collect additional tissue partitioning data, and gather supplemental information concerning the effect of mercury exposure on the immune function and physiology of loon chicks. The results of this work will be used to establish the level of mercury in fish that safeguards survival and health of loon chicks reared on lakes in Wisconsin. The project found close agreement between modeled mercury exposure and measured blood mercury, which varied significantly with diet mercury and age. Researchers also determined the distribution and accumulation of mercury in tissues of common loon chicks maintained for up to 15 weeks on measured diets. Total mercury tissue concentrations were strongly and positively correlated with the amount of mercury delivered to individual chicks throughout the course of the experiment. To assess the relation between mercury exposure and suppressed immune function in loon chicks, researchers conducted a dose-response laboratory study, using skin and blood tests to measure T-lymphocyte and antibody-mediated immunity. Analysis indicated suppression of antibody production at one of the mercury dose levels. Mercury Chemistry in Power Plant Plumes (January 2007)
Leonard Levin; Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Palo Alto, California Recent field and pilot-scale results indicate that divalent mercury emitted from power plants may rapidly transform to elemental mercury within the power plant plumes. To establish the presence, direction, and rate of these reactions, it is necessary to measure power plant plumes relatively close to the stack exit, and compare mercury composition there with measured composition within the stack. By sampling plumes with instruments aboard a small aircraft, this project explored whether significant reduction or oxidation reactions occur to mercury emitted from coal-fired power plants, and what numerical redox rate should apply for extension to other sources and for modeling of power plant mercury plumes locally, regionally, and nationally. Bioenergy in WI: Potential Supply of Forest Biomass & Its Relationship to Biodiversity (November 2006)
Cassandra J. Willyard and Susan M. Tikalsky; Resource Strategies, Inc., Madison. Wisconsin's forests, one of state's most valuable natural resources, could serve as an abundant source of renewable energy. As fossil fuel prices escalate, biomass-derived energy is an increasingly attractive option because it is sustainable and home-grown. Sustainable forestry holds a promise to meet the state's biomass needs, while protecting the environment, especially biodiversity. This project reviews the current state of the science on sustainable forestry as it relates to biomass production and its impact on biodiversity in Wisconsin. The report also explores the policy implications of implementing sustainable forestry for biomass production. This information will be of interest to utilities, landowners, environmental interest groups, regulators, and any of a growing group of forest product industry interests witnessing increased competition for forest resources. Reduction in Mercury Loading: Timing and Magnitude of an Ecosystem Response (September 2006)
James P. Hurley, Christopher L. Babiarz, Shawn Chadwick; Environmental Chemistry and Technology Program, University of Wisconsin -- Madison. Atmospheric transport, deposition, and reemission of Mercury (Hg) are key processes of its movement through our environment. Historically, it has been difficult to understand these processes because of our inability to differentiate between mercury that has been recently deposited from human generated (or anthropogenic) sources and mercury occurring naturally in place. In the Mercury Experiment to Assess Atmospheric Loading In Canada and the United States (METAALICUS), stable isotopes of Hg were applied to both the lake and watershed as a tool for identifying key processes that control the environmental fate of Hg. These isotopic techniques have provided the first direct evidence of a whole lake and whole watershed response to "new" atmospheric inputs of Hg. The study takes place at the Canadian Experimental Lakes Area (ELA), located just north of the Minnesota-Ontario border. Two of the major goals of the project are to determine the fate and transport of the new Hg through the watershed (for example, how quickly the added Hg is transformed and bioaccumulated in fish), and to assess the watershed recovery time due to reductions in atmospheric Hg deposition. The specific goal of the work funded through the Environmental Research Program of Wisconsin Focus on Energy is to determine the timing and magnitude of the in-lake response. In particular, our work measures: (a) the speciation (chemical form), (b) partitioning (physical location), and (c) mobility (transport, transformation and bioaccumulation) of Hg within the lake - with special emphasis on the role of the sediment water interface as a removal mechanism for Hg. INTERIM REPORT Biodiversity in Selected Natural Communities Related Climate Change (August 2006)
Craig Anderson, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Inventory This is an interim project report, in PowerPoint format, delivered to the Association of State Wetlands Managers in August of 2006. If you don't have Microsoft PowerPoint, you may be able to view the slides by using PowerPoint viewer, available for free download at: Viewer download
Carbon and Greenhouse Gas Budgets for WI Forests and Forest Product Chains (August 2006)
Dr. Stith T. Gower; Dr. Douglas E. Ahl; Wisconsin Department of Forest Ecology and Management, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Carbon sequestration has the potential to assist in alleviating the rising levels of CO2 in the earth's atmosphere. Plants, trees and other vegetation can absorb and store excess carbon. In order to use this strategy, however, we need to know more about existing carbon levels in forested areas. This project simulates forest carbon budgets using a modified version of the ecosystem process model, BGC. The team incorporates cutting-edge forest ecosystem net CO2 exchange responses from results obtained by the Free Air CO2 Exchange (FACE) and forest ecosystem warming studies. The study has a number of objectives. First, it quantifies the carbon content in forest vegetation, detritus, and mineral soil for forests in Wisconsin. It then models and evaluates the carbon budgets for three model forests, and conducts life cycle analyses of forest product chains to identify management and industrial processes that can be modified to mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and/or increase carbon sequestration. Finally, it expands previous analyses to include all forests in Wisconsin, and incorporates ecophysiological elevated CO2 and warming mechanisms into an ecosystem process model and simulate forest C budgets and forest product chains for future environmental conditions. Measuring Vertical Fluxes of Gaseous Elemental Mercury in Wisconsin (November 2005)
Mark K. Allen, William Adamski, David Grande, and Michael R. Olsen - Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Increasing mercury concentrations in the environment have resulted in concern for fish- eating animals and humans. Fish consumption advisories for mercury are now common place. Most of the mercury in lakes and rivers originates in emissions to the air. Efforts to reduce the mercury in the environment will first require a better understanding of how mercury moves from the point of emission to the point of impact. The better we understand this the easier it will be to create models for predicting how mercury travels and collects. The computer models can then be used to test control strategies. Most pollution monitoring has focused on measuring pollutants traveling horizontally with the prevailing winds, to find the compass direction of the pollution source. This new project looks at improving our knowledge of the vertical (up and down) movement of mercury, or mercury flux. Mercury flux is a measure of the net difference between the up and down mercury movement at the monitoring site. Among other results, the study has provided a good initial database of measurements of both mercury concentrations and three dimensional wind measurements. INTERIM REPORT Use of yellow perch to determine mercury trends in lakes 1992-2003 (October 2005)
Candy Schrank and Paul Rasmussen - Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources This interim report is preliminary to completion of the final research project titled Mercury in Selected Fish Species over Time, anticipated in 2007. Lichen Bioaccumulation & Bioindicator Study near Alliant WPL Columbia Energy Ctr (October 2005)
Susan Will-Wolf, Dept of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison Lichens are actually algae and fungi living together to form symbiotic communities. They are known worldwide as excellent indicators of air pollution effects. Tolerant lichens accumulate pollutants in their tissues and sensitive lichens decline with pollution, thus changing lichen community composition. Forest lichen communities are also studied to determine the general conditions in their ecosystem, which vary with the general environment and with the tree species composition of the forest. For this project, researcher Susan Will-Wolf and DNR collaborator Martha Makholm returned to sites Will-Wolf studied in 1974 and 1978 where she had surveyed forest lichen communities to assess the impact of the Alliant Columbia coal-fired electric power generating facility built in 1975 near Portage, Wisconsin. In 2003, her team repeated the surveys to assess the long-term impact of the facility on these lichen communities. Objectives for the new project included mathematical modeling of modern and historical concentrations of SO2 from the Alliant Columbia Facility pollution point source (DNR collaborator John Roth), measurement of lichen species presence and abundance in communities, and measurement of mercury, sulfur, and heavy metals concentrations in tissue of selected lichen species at most of those same sites. This project provided the opportunity to assess long-term impact of pollution from Columbia on nearby lichen communities, assess long-term changes at "background" sites farther from the facility, and evaluate biological responses in light of relative pollution levels indicated by modeling and lichen tissue element concentrations. The team found that while effects of the Alliant Columbia Facility on lichens are detectable, most changes in lichen communities since the earlier studies appear to be linked to changes in the forests themselves rather than to pollution. Link to Executive Summary
Link to Full Report (low resolution) Link to Full Report (high resolution) Back to Top Population-Based Methylmercury Exposure Assessment (August 2005)
Lynda Knobeloch, Research and Toxicology Supervisor; Henry Anderson, Chief Medical Officer; Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services, Division of Public Health, Bureau of Environmental and Occupational Health. Fishing is a popular pastime in Wisconsin and many people enjoy eating the fish they catch in lakes and rivers around the state. However, eating large amounts of fish could mean ingesting high levels of mercury, a heavy metal that can affect the nervous system. The Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services works with the Department of Natural Resources to develop the fish consumption guidelines for locally-caught fish. These Departments continue to refine their knowledge of how much fish people eat and how often they do so. This new study was designed to evaluate fish consumption patterns and mercury body burdens among a representative cross section of Wisconsin's adult population. Dr. Knobeloch's study identifies subpopulations in Wisconsin that consume fish several times a week and populations that had elevated levels of mercury in their bodies. More than 2,000 volunteers completed questionnaires and provided hair samples for analysis. Comparison of hair mercury levels with the types and quantities of fish they consumed provides important information on dietary exposure to methylmercury. Hair mercury and fish consumption data from this study provide a baseline for future mercury exposure assessments. Toxicity of Secondary Coal Combustion Emissions in Wisconsin (July 2005)
Dr.Annette Rohr, Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI); Dr. Petros Koutrakis, Harvard School of Public Health; Dr. John Godleski, Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health An important form of pollution is particulate matter suspended in the air. "Fine particulate matter" (PM2.5) is the category of particles smaller than 2.5 microns that is of particular concern for certain health and environmental reasons. Fine particulate matter is a complex mixture of materials from a number of emissions sources. Some PM is "primary", emitted directly by traffic, industrial operations, and other sources. "Secondary" particles form through complex reactions between certain gaseous pollutants with other substances in the atmosphere. Dr. Rohr's project expands our knowledge of particulate sources and components responsible for adverse health effects, specifically as these relate to the type of coal burned by power plants in Wisconsin. The project involves exposing laboratory rats via inhalation to atmospherically transformed power plant and mobile source emissions to help determine the relative toxicity of these PM sources. This project is important because it evaluates secondary particles from coal-fired power plants. Past studies of coal combustion-derived PM have focused on examining the toxicity of primary PM emissions. However, the installation of control measures on power plants in the United States has resulted in a dramatic decrease in emissions of this material. This research examines the toxicity of the secondary particles that form downwind of power plants from the oxidation of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), and provides insight into the effects of atmospheric conditions on the formation and toxicity of secondary particles by simulating different atmospheric conditions. The research uses a novel and innovative experimental design. Project researchers needed to develop new experimental techniques for this study in order to be certain they were recreating real-life atmospheric conditions as closely as possible. This involved development of reaction chambers in which "aging" of emissions was carried out. This project is part of a larger research effort, TERESA (Toxicological Evaluation of Realistic Emissions of Source Aerosols). TERESA includes fieldwork and assessment of health effects at three power plants in different parts of the country that burn different types of coal. A second component of the project will assess the toxicity of mobile source emissions (traffic emissions), and will be funded from other sources (Harvard-EPA Particulate Matter Research Center). Mercury in Power Plant Combustion Products (June 2005)
Ken Ladwig, Research Manager, Electric Power Research Institute, Palo Alto, California Efforts to develop environmentally friendly practices in one media can sometimes conflict with environmental protection of another media, seemingly reducing the positive impact of both. Federal and state initiatives to reduce mercury in power plant emissions were designed to benefit air quality and reduce deposition of mercury to lakes and streams, but an unintended consequence may be increased potential for environmental impacts at fly ash landfills. In addition, these controls might make recycling of coal-combustion products (CCPs) less acceptable, sending a considerably greater amount of material back to the landfill. Theoretically, mercury collected by more stringent air emissions controls before it left the stack would end up accumulating in the fly ash left from combustion of the coal for electricity generation. Would this additional mercury content make the ash unsafe to recycle in concrete and road building materials? Would it leach out to pollute the soil and ground water? Would the mercury interact with other pollutants in the ash making it more volatile? The goal of this project was to establish mercury concentrations in field leachates at CCP sites in Wisconsin, evaluate mercury leaching in the presence of ammonia from NOx control technologies, and develop laboratory data on volatilization of mercury from fly ash samples. Laboratory studies suggest that ammonia from NOx controls and enhanced mercury capture with powdered activated carbon will not significantly increase the mercury release from fly ash. Analysis of Fin Clips: Eval as a Non-lethal Method for Monitoring Mercury in Fish (February 2005)
Kristofer R. Rolfhus, Mark B. Sandheinrich and James G. Weiner, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, River Studies Existing approaches for monitoring mercury content in sport fishes involve the dissection of sampled fish and the subsequent analysis of axial muscle tissue or edible filets. The purpose of this new study was to determine if an alternative, non-lethal, non-invasive sampling technique would yield accurate results. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse River Studies Center examined whether analysis of methylmercury in a pelvic fin clip is a suitable substitute for the determination of total mercury content in filets. The researchers evaluated and compared fin and filet tissue from northern pike and walleye, two popular game fish. They collected samples from 16 lakes in northern Wisconsin and northern Minnesota. Linear regression was used to determine the relation between concentrations of mercury in pelvic fins and filets. The slopes of the regression equations were compared to determine if the relations were constant among lakes and fish species, and to evaluate the utility of pelvic fins in the determination of total mercury content in resident sport fish. Findings indicate the fin clip technique is potentially useful for identifying lakes where fish are close to the advisory guideline. Fin clip analysis is a promising technique, particularly for testing endangered species and for making mercury monitoring in fish populations easier and more economical. Ecological Effects of Fragmentation Related to Transmission Line Rights-of-way
A Review of the State of the Science Susan Tikalsky, Resource Strategies, Inc. What do we know about the effect of transmission lines on the ecology of the local environment, particularly in Wisconsin? For the past fifty years, scientists have been exploring this topic and have produced a significant body of research. Now, Susan Tikalsky has synthesized this existing work into a summary that establishes relationships to current issues in Wisconsin, highlights the limitations of the research and offers recommendations for further research. Additionally, Ms. Tikalsky has complemented her summary with a critical analysis from interviews with scientists involved in current research. Much of the existing research on the environmental impact of transmission lines focuses on the issue of habitat fragmentation from right-of-way (ROW) corridors. These long, narrow corridors through the landscape "fragment" the wildlife habitat. This fragmentation may limit some species' freedom of movement and isolate them while expanding the territory for other species. "Understanding Transmission Lines in the Environment" is a comprehensive account of the "state of the science" of ecosystem fragmentation, its effects on species diversity and invasive species, particularly in the Midwest, and how this fragmentation relates to transmission-line ROWs. The report also outlines issues needing further research. This report is a critical resource for all parties involved with routing activities, and is a valuable resource for policy makers, scientists and interested citizens as Wisconsin addresses the growing need for more transmission capability. Quantifying Carbon Storage in Wisconsin Forests (April 2004)
Principal Investigator: Jerald Schnoor, Center for Global and Regional Environmental Research Addressing climate change is a challenge that will call on many disciplines. The Center for Global and Regional Environmental Research (CGRER) at the University of Iowa has completed a project funded by the Environmental Research Program that adds an important tool to the battle against climate change. This project marries geographic information systems (GIS) technology with techniques from soil and forestry science to provide important information for climate policy. CGRER has developed a method for quantifying the carbon stored in Wisconsin's 16 million acres of forested land. This method uses data collected by the USDA and the Wisconsin DNR to produce an estimate of carbon stored in forest soils and biomass. CGRER found that around 288 million metric tons of carbon are stored in Wisconsin forest soils, and that about 700,000 metric tons of carbon are taken up by these soils every year. Forest biomass - leaves and tree trunks - store about 350 million metric tons of carbon and add around 4 million metric tons to this total yearly. Combined, this equals about 13 percent of the greenhouse gas emitted by Wisconsin utilities each year. Why does this matter? Strategies to address climate change will not only include techniques to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases but also those that increase the use of natural mechanisms to store carbon. The CGRER model helps to make better estimates of the role that forest management can play in reducing the effects of climate change. And, having developed and tested the model for Wisconsin, it can be rapidly and inexpensively adapted to other forest environments. This model improves our ability to estimate the carbon storage capacity of forests, and will be of interest to anyone concerned with climate change or forestry management policy. |
