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The Impacts Of Maple Syrup Production On The Herbaceous Layer In Appalachian Hardwood Forests, Logan Scott Ferguson
The Impacts Of Maple Syrup Production On The Herbaceous Layer In Appalachian Hardwood Forests, Logan Scott Ferguson
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
Vegetation data were collected from eight maple syrup farms (sugarbushes) and eight undeveloped maple-dominated sites to examine potential differences in understory plant communities due to disturbance effects. Understory plants were identified to the species level and percent cover of aboveground leaf-area for each species was estimated within 600 total quadrats. Overstory data and environmental data were collected to help determine if they had any effect on herbaceous-layer plant communities. Species richness, Shannon diversity, and Pielou’s evenness were calculated, with the analysis showing no significant differences between the site types. The absolute cover of plant functional groups was also compared between …
Factors Influencing Brook Trout Population Dynamics And Resilience In Central Appalachian Headwater Streams, Christopher W. Schwinghamer
Factors Influencing Brook Trout Population Dynamics And Resilience In Central Appalachian Headwater Streams, Christopher W. Schwinghamer
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
Central Appalachia has a unique history of human perturbation due largely to its historical economic reliance on extractive industry and timber harvest. Legacy impacts from these historic disturbances along with contemporary stressors in the form of continued industry, changing climates, altered land use, habitat fragmentation, and introduced species can present great threats to the region’s aquatic ecosystems. Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis are a species that has recreational and economic importance to the communities of central Appalachia but declines in size and abundance have been observed. Given the disturbances that threaten Brook Trout populations, understanding how their populations will respond to …
Anthropogenic Disturbance Regimes Impact The Microbial And Chemical Composition Of Soils And Sediments Across Ecosystems, Gregory D. Martin
Anthropogenic Disturbance Regimes Impact The Microbial And Chemical Composition Of Soils And Sediments Across Ecosystems, Gregory D. Martin
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
Human activities have led to profound changes in the climate and environment, fundamentally changing global carbon and nitrogen cycles. Ongoing conversion of wildland for human use and the intensification of agricultural systems have dire consequences for biodiversity and the ecosystem services that support society. While natural disturbance regimes are important for the long-term maintenance of native biodiversity and ecosystem function, many disturbances are becoming increasingly frequent due to anthropogenic activities. Increasing the frequency, intensity, or duration of disturbances can prevent ecosystems from returning to their previous equilibria. Disturbance-induced changes to the local environment shape microbial communities, which in turn govern …