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New England: Land Cover and Forest Ecology
 At
the Woods Hole Research Center, we are studying how the forests
and land cover of New England are changing.
In southeastern Massachusetts
and on Cape Cod, we quantify rates of forest clearing and other
changes in land use with satellite data and GIS data. We also
look at the expansion of impervious surfaces, and their impact on
water flow and water quality.
In Massachusetts and Maine, we study how climate
and disturbance (e.g. nitrogen deposition and forest management)
influence the exchange of carbon dioxide between the atmosphere
and the forest. This research helps quantify the contribution of
New Englands’ forests to the global carbon budget, and how this
contribution might change in the future.
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New England Forest Ecology
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Forests provide valuable services to society, including recreation,
wood products, wildlife habitat, and clean air and water. Forests
also influence the accumulation of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse
gas, in the atmosphere. In spite of their importance to society,
forests throughout New England are continuously under pressure
for commercial and residential development. They are also exposed
to other disturbances, including forest management, nitrogen deposition,
and hurricanes. To better understand whether forests will continue
to provide their key services to society in the future requires
that we understand how they respond to disturbances today, and
how quickly they are disappearing. Learn
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Cape Cod: Land Cover and Ecology
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We study the environment of Cape Cod not only as a location
of ecosystems unique to the New England region, but also because
it is changing rapidly - more rapidly than any other region in
New England. Moreover, as ecologists we must be good stewards of
our own local resources if our research and advocacy are to ring
true. Learn More»
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Southeastern Massachusetts Land Cover Change
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Southeastern Massachusetts is experiencing intense development
pressures as the housing market continues to be strong, as the cranberry
industry struggles, and as developers become aware of the large
amount of remaining open space in Plymouth and Bristol Counties.
We've taken an in-depth look into Land Cover change in this area
over the past few decades. Learn
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