Land Use and Ecosystem Services in the Tropics

Photo: pasture in the La Selva region of Costa Rica. Photo credit: Ryan Niemeyer

My master’s research at University of Idaho was advised by Alex Fremier and was on the impact of land use and land cover change on saturated hydraulic conductivity in riparian areas.  It resulted in both a paper on the study, in addition to the data being used for a concept paper Dr. Fremier led on the spatio-temporal lags in ecosystem services. The findings of the first half of the study were communicated to an ecosystem services group in Belen, Nicaragua (see Outreach page).

Niemeyer, R.J., A.K. Fremier, R. Heinse, W. Chavez-Human and F.A.J. DeClerck. 2014. Woody Vegetation Increases Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity in Dry Tropical Nicaragua. Vadose Zone Journal 13:1.(link)

(Note: the photo I submitted to Vadose Zone Journal made the issue cover!)

Fremier, A.K., F.A.J. DeClerck, N.A. Bosque-Pérez, N. Estrada Carmona, R. Hill, T. Joyal, L. Keesecker, P.Z. Klos, A. Martinez-Salinas, R.J. Niemeyer, A. Sanfiorenzo, K. Welsh and J.D. Wulfhorst. 2013. Understanding Spatiotemporal Lags in Ecosystem Services to Improve Incentives. BioScience, 63(6):472-482. (link)

Photo: Carrying the guelph permeameter through some mud in Nicaragua. Photo credit: Roy Remme