Biology subjects

Matthes, J. H.

Publications and source records attributed to Matthes, J. H..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Internal decay in living trees: a quantitative tomography framework and its application in a temperate forest

Internal decay in living trees is an important component of carbon and nutrient cycling as well as species and structural diversity maintenance in forest ecosystems. We used sonic and electrical resistance tomography to evaluate and compare the prevalence and severity of stem decay in 57 living trees among four common species (Acer rubrum L., Nyssa sylvatica Marsh., Quercus rubra L., and Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carriere)) with overlapping and non-overlapping distributions across wetland and upland habitat types at the Harvard Forest in Petersham, MA, USA. Independent of tree size, site identity best explained variation in the prevalence of decay across trees sampled, whereas species identity best explained the severity of decay. We categorized trees as having no decay, incipient decay, active decay, or cavities based on combined sonic and electrical resistance metrics, the latter generated by a custom image analysis application. About 31% of wetland trees exhibited incipient decay (compared to 11% in the upland), whereas about 32% of upland trees exhibited active decay (compared to 10% in the wetland). Our study highlights a new quantitative framework for decay categorization through normalized principal component analysis (PCA) and decay analysis software that complements dual tomographic methodology for future investigations of ecological drivers of decay presence and susceptibility.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2026

Contrasting controls on tree methane emissions in upland and wetland forests

Trees can produce, consume, transport, and emit methane (CH), yet the environmental controls and mechanisms underlying these fluxes remain poorly understood. We combined 1,640 stem-chamber observations (2023-2025) with tower-based meteorology, soil moisture and temperature networks, water table monitoring, and non-destructive tomography to test how hydrology, energy balance, species identity, and internal wood condition regulate stem CH flux. Wetland trees emitted approximately 40-fold more CH than upland trees (1.96 vs. 0.05 nmol m-{superscript 2} s-{superscript 1}). At the wetland, a three-way interaction between soil temperature, water table depth, and species explained 65% of flux variance, consistent with soil-derived CH transport through stems. The wetland specialist Nyssa sylvatica emitted an order of magnitude more CH than co-occurring generalists, likely reflecting flood-tolerance adaptations that enhance gas transport. In contrast, upland fluxes showed minimal environmental control (R{superscript 2} < 9%), with most variance occurring as unexplained temporal variation within individual trees--a pattern suggesting competing methanogenic and methanotrophic processes operating near equilibrium. Internal wood condition, assessed via acoustic and electrical resistance tomography, had opposite effects across sites: decay increased emissions in upland trees, likely by creating anaerobic microsites for in situ production, while decay decreased net emissions in wetland trees, likely by impairing transport of soil-derived CH more than it enhanced in situ production. Together, these results indicate that the dominant controls on tree CH flux differ fundamentally between wetland and upland forests, underscoring the need to represent hydrologic setting, species composition, and tree condition when scaling forest CH contributions to regional budgets.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2024

pnetr: An R package for the PnET family of forest ecosystem models

O_LIEcosystem models offer a rigorous way to formalize scientific theories and are critical to evaluating complex interactions among ecological and biogeochemical processes. In addition to simulation and prediction, ecosystem models are a valuable tool for testing hypotheses about mechanisms and empirical findings because they reveal critical internal processes that are difficult to observe directly. C_LIO_LIHowever, many ecosystem models are difficult to manage and apply by scientists who lack advanced computing skills due to complex model structures, lack of consistent documentation, and low-level programming implementation, which facilitates computing but reduces accessibility. C_LIO_LIHere, we present the pnetr R package, which is designed to provide an easy-to-manage ecosystem modeling framework and detailed documentation in both model structure and programming. The framework implements a family of widely used PnET (net photosynthesis, evapotranspiration) ecosystem models, which are relatively parsimonious but capture essential biogeochemical cycles of water, carbon, and nutrients. We chose the R programming language since it is familiar to many ecologists and has abundant statistical modeling resources. We showcase examples of model simulations and test the effects of phenology on carbon assimilation and wood production using data measured by the Environmental Measurement Station (EMS) eddy-covariance flux tower at Harvard Forest, MA. C_LIO_LIWe hope pnetr can facilitate further development of ecological theory and increase the accessibility of ecosystem modeling and ecological forecasting. C_LI

ecology↗