Digital Commons Network^™

A Rapid Site Selection Assessment As An Indicator Of Stony Coral Microfragment Outplant Success, John J. Alfirevich

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Microfragmentation of massive stony coral species is a technique being utilized to propagate corals asexually to help restore coral reefs. Microfragmentation consists of cutting corals into 3 cm diameter or less fragments, which boosts growth rates. However, in some locations the size of microfragments make them vulnerable to parrotfish predation and benthic overgrowth, reducing survival. As such, a method to identify key site characteristics which promotes microfragment outplant success, particularly one that can be performed quickly across multiple areas is needed. A rapid site assessment conducted prior to microfragment outplanting was performed at 12 randomly selected sites within the Kristin …

The Influence Of Watershed Restoration Initiative Habitat Treatments On Mule Deer Relative Use And Fawn Production In Utah, Jaylin Solberg

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Multiple factors could be the cause of mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) population decline across the West such as an increase in non-native vegetation, human expansion, climate change, or a combination of these. Populations of mule deer generate substantial revenue for local communities and hold ecological, cultural, and social value. Therefore, wildlife researchers are increasing their efforts in improving environmental conditions that support mule deer growth. The Utah Department of Natural Resources and partners have taken proactive measures through the Utah Watershed Restoration Initiative (WRI) to improve mule deer habitats by restoring these environments to improve their quality for …

Coral Restoration: Comparisons In Space, Time, Impacts, And Costs, Allison Fargo

Honors College

Seventy-five percent of coral reefs globally face crisis due to anthropogenic disturbances, prompting heightened global coral restoration initiatives to preserve these vital ecosystems. Various regions employ diverse active coral restoration methodologies, including coral gardening, transplantation, micro-fragmentation, artificial reefs, and sexual propagation. Of these methods, coral gardening stands out as one of the most common and highly successful methods, alongside widespread transplantation practices. Restoration efforts predominantly focus on acroporids due to their relatively rapid growth and asexual fragmentation; however, a diverse range of coral species, including large, slow-growing varieties, is also employed in these endeavors. Costs vary significantly, ranging from $10,000 …

Incorporating Biodiversity-Ecosystem Function Relationships Into Models And Conservation Planning, Sarah R. Weiskopf

Doctoral Dissertations

Unsustainable use of nature and climate change are leading to unprecedented biodiversity declines. These declines have cascading impacts on ecosystem function and ecosystem services, and ultimately on human well-being. International agreements have been adopted that aim to address both crises. The Paris Agreement, adopted in 2015, set global emission reductions targets. In 2022, most countries agreed to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). The GBF sets 23 ambitious targets for 2030 ranging from reducing threats to biodiversity, meeting people’s needs through sustainable use and benefit sharing, and solutions for implementation. Although adopting global goals and targets is an important first …

Larson2023_Slow Release Of Ga3_Data, Alexandra J.S. Larson, Maureen Cartwright, Whitney D. Jones, Katrina Luce, Mei Chen, Kate Petersen, Shannon V. Nelson, David J. Michaelis, Matthew D. Madsen

ScholarsArchive Data

This file contains the data description for the Larson2023_Slow-release of GA3 Hormone… Supplementary File.

The excel file contains four worksheets: 1) Palmer’s germination, 2) Palmer’s biomass, 3) germination other species, 4) biomass other species. Blank cells indicate either no coating was used or there was no plant.

1) “Palmer’s germination” and “germination other species” A) Temp (o C): germination chamber temperature setting B) Species: common name of penstemon species tested (“germination other species” only) C) Treatment: seed coating treatment D) Final Germination percentage: percent of seed that germinated. E) FGP: final germination percent in decimal form F) Time to 50% …

Pollinator Communities At The Onu Biological Sanctuary Relative To Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, Stephanie Clark

Pence-Boyce STEM Student Scholarship

Many species of pollinators around the world have seen a population decline in recent years. Causes of these declines have been linked to several factors such as climate change, pesticide usage, and habitat loss. While previous Olivet Nazarene University research has analyzed the bee community at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie and some of the savanna areas in Northeast Illinois surrounding Olivet, little is known about the new Swanberg Biological Sanctuary, owned by Olivet, or what butterflies are present in this region of Illinois. We utilized the 13 established transects throughout Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie as well as six new transects …

The Detectability Of Atlantic Salmon (Salmo Salar) Microsatellite And Mitochondrial Environmental Dna, Simone N. Miklosi

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Little is known about what information can be gathered from microsatellite eDNA. It is important to gain a deeper understanding of the detectability and analysis of microsatellite eDNA because it could provide information about population size that mitochondrial eDNA cannot. Water samples were collected from tank and river experiments, and rivers known to contain Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and analyzed for Atlantic salmon mitochondrial and microsatellite eDNA. Mitochondrial eDNA was detected from all the tank experiments and 10 out of 15 rivers known to contain Atlantic salmon. Microsatellite eDNA was detected from all the tank experiments and none …

Gibberellic Acid Data, Amber Johnson

ScholarsArchive Data

This dataset contains plant emergence and survival data collected from a field study which focused on overcoming seed dormancy. Seed dormancy can present a challenge within a restoration scenario where rapid establishment is required. Soaking seeds in gibberellic acid (GA₃) can overcome dormancy and increase germination but this treatment may not be effective outside the laboratory. An easier and potentially more effective method to apply this hormone is to coat seeds with a GA₃-impregnated polymer, which provides a slow release of GA₃. Seed dormancy can also be mitigated by creating a favorable microsite with …

Effects Of Large Wood Additions On Basal Resources, Macroinvertebrates, And Ecosystem Processes In The Narraguagus River, Maine, Val Watson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ecological restoration is an increasingly common practice across ecosystems, and current practices aim to restore the biological and physical processes underlying ecosystem function, often for the sake of endangered higher-level consumers. Studies of restoration outcomes often report few or inconsistent ecological changes, and monitoring of restoration projects rarely measures ecological processes. Monitoring also usually measures outcomes at a single scale, despite the prevalence of scale- dependent phenomena across ecosystems. My thesis uses measurements of ecological processes to assess restoration response and evaluates responses across multiple scales. I focus here on a long-term large wood addition project on the Narraguagus River …

Influence Of Abiotic Drivers And Plant Community Interactions On Bald Cypress (Taxodium Distichum) Seedlings: Implications For Restoration, Victoria Ellis

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Forested freshwater wetlands are valuable ecosystems that provide habitat for numerous species, sequester carbon, and act as sinks for excess water and nutrients. Historically, these ecosystems have been heavily degraded by anthropogenic activities leading to loss of ecosystem services and a desire to restore freshwater forested wetland habitat. Thus, science-backed approaches for the restoration of freshwater forested wetlands are necessary to ensure restoration goals are met. This body of research employed the Stress Gradient Hypothesis to test whether a multi-species planting approach using Juncus effusus (L.) (soft rush) could facilitate the survival of Taxodium distichum (L.) Rich. (bald cypress) seedlings …

Overcoming Barriers To Aquatic Plant Restoration: Addressing Gaps In Species Identification And Planting Techniques In The Intermountain West, Kate A. Sinnott

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Aquatic ecosystems provide many critical and economically valuable benefits, including drinking water, food, recreational opportunities, and water supply for irrigation and agriculture. However, the health of these systems has been severely impacted by human activities such as pollution, land conversion, and introductions of harmful species. Restoring native aquatic plants can help reverse this damage and reestablish benefits, though it is not a common practice. With an objective to increase capacity for aquatic plant restoration in the Intermountain West, I identified and addressed two major barriers: 1) a lack of confidence in aquatic species identification among wetland professionals, and 2) underdeveloped …

An Evaluation Of Stress Tolerance In Restoration Plant Species In Response To Fire, Drought, And Invasive Plants Through The Lens Of Functional Traits, Adam M. Clifford

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Sagebrush communities in the Great Basin face many threats. Cheatgrass, a winter annual from Eurasia, has invaded these communities, increasing wildfire and lowering species diversity. Additionally, climate models project warmer and drier conditions throughout much of the Great Basin, likely increasing drought, cheatgrass invasion, and wildfire. Intact stands of native and introduced perennial grasses have been shown to limit invasion by cheatgrass and restore ecosystem functions. The objective of this research was to identify the functional traits and growth characteristics needed by restoration species to survive periods of drought and to evaluate varieties of commonly used restoration species for establishment, …

Vegetation Survey Data For Spring Run Experimental Site, Valerie N. Thurston, Ryan Mcewan, Anna R. Pallone, Mary C. Lloyd

Data Files: Ecosystem Restoration Following Industrial Agriculture

This spreadsheet is the percent cover of each species surveyed in the Spring Run experimental restoration site (39° 46 '42.2"N, 84° 20' 52.5"W) collected at the quadrat level.

Patterns And Drivers Of Wiregrass Gap Longleaf Pine (Pinus Palustris Mill.) Woodland Succession As Part Of Restoration Efforts, Armin Weise

All Theses

Longleaf Pine (Pinus palustris) communities are widespread throughout the Southeastern United States with a dominant understory vegetation of wiregrass (Aristida spp.) in most of its range. A small area in central South Carolina that is naturally free of wiregrass is called the “Wiregrass Gap”. Here, the understory vegetation is dominated by bluestems grasses (Andropogon spp. and Schizachyrium spp.) which drive the disturbance regime of frequent low-intensity fire. The successful establishment of these grasses is key for longleaf pine woodland restoration efforts in this region, but few resources detail the ecological drivers at play that enable successful restoration in these longleaf …

A Watershed Prioritization Model For Community-Centered Riparian Forest Restoration In Tennessee, Madison Johnson

Masters Theses

Riparian forests are unique ecosystems that act as transitional areas between land and water that are a vital part of a healthy and functional stream ecosystem. Due to the rapidly changing landscape, riparian forests are increasingly threatened by urban development, agriculture, and invasive species, which contributes to a trend of degrading water quality in Tennessee. To address declining riparian forest quality in the face of land-use changes, the purpose of this study was to develop a simple watershed prioritization model that identifies areas that are highly susceptible to poor water quality, and where riparian plantings would be most beneficial. This …

Influence Of Woody Vegetation Composition And Structure On Fuels And Prescribed Fire In Mountain Longleaf Restoration, Collin J. Anderson

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

Longleaf pine (LLP) ecosystems have experienced a widespread ecological state shift largely due to fire exclusion which has allowed mesophytes, i.e., shade-tolerant, often fire-sensitive species to encroach, reducing flammability and biodiversity through a process known as “mesophication.” Although prescribed fire is commonly used to reverse mesophication, fire behavior, and thus prescribed fire utility for this purpose, is poorly characterized in mixed pine-hardwood stands with mesophyte encroachment. This study aimed to identify mechanisms by which tree composition, structure, and fuels contribute to fire behavior, focusing on the understudied mountain longleaf pine (MLLP) ecoregion in northwest Georgia. I hypothesized that woody vegetation …

Comparisons Of Above- And Below-Ground Carbon Storage In A Northeastern Illinois Urban Forest Following Rhamnus Cathartica And Fraxinus Spp. Removal, River Sanchez-Dudik, Elene Drosos

DePaul Discoveries

This study focused on quantifying potential differences in ecosystem services (carbon storage, soil organic matter, macroarthropod density) in a small, partially restored urban forest in order to determine if common buckthorn and standing dead ash removal effects can be detected while restoration is on-going. We calculated aboveground carbon storage (tons/total area) using whole tree biomass equations and compared this to i-Tree Canopy estimations. We collected SOM through loss-on-ignition and collected macroinvertebrates by pitfall trapping to determine differences along transects. Aboveground carbon storage, soil organic matter, and macroinvertebrate total results for this study were found to be statistically not significant, indicating …

A Review Of Propagation And Restoration Techniques For American Beech And Their Current And Future Application In Mitigation Of Beech Bark Disease, Andrea L. Myers, Andrew J. Storer, Yvette L. Dickinson, Tara Bal

Michigan Tech Publications

The American beech (Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.) has been impacted by the beech bark disease (BBD) complex throughout the northeastern United States for over 100 years, but the disease has been present in the Great Lakes region only for around 20 years, requiring acknowledgement of the evolving context surrounding F. grandifolia. This disease threatens to remove a foundational tree species which is especially important ecologically for wildlife habitat and mast, and as a climax successional species. We review advances in propagation techniques of F. grandifolia with the goal of addressing their use in the rehabilitative restoration of forests affected by BBD. …

Temporal Changes In Biological Community Structure In Response To Wetland Restoration: A Study Based On Amphibians And Reptiles, Kayla Keith

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Wetland degradation is a serious environmental concern worldwide. In the United States, over half of the wetland ecosystems have degraded since 1780, which can have numerous, lasting consequences with negative outcomes on ecosystems and human society alike. Ecological restoration can regain both the lost wetland acreage and functions. Both global and national scale interests in ecological restoration have trickled down, which has kindled the local and regional natural resource managers and conservation authorities to invest in restoration. Consequently, large-scale wetland restoration projects are now underway in southeastern Massachusetts, which has coincided with a decline in commercial cranberry farming in the …

Long Term Monitoring Of Grand Ravines Park Restoration: An Authentic Research Opportunity For Jenison High School Students And Beyond, Karina C. White

Culminating Experience Projects

Access to authentic research is limited at the 7-12 science education level. At the same time, many local restoration projects would benefit from, but don’t have access to a long-term system of monitoring. This project seeks to unite those two needs by developing a protocol for 7-12 classrooms to be able to participate in authentic research through long-term monitoring of a local restoration project. The protocol developed in this project was used by Jenison High School students at Grand Ravines Park. Grand Ravines Park is a recently acquired Ottawa County park with a history of anthropogenic disturbances. Shortly after the …

Creating A Mass-Balanced Food Web Model For A Generalized Restored Estuary In Puget Sound, Penelope Johnson

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

Historical anthropogenic modifications have been documented to have negative effects on the estuarine environments of Puget Sound. Over the last three decades there has been an increase in efforts to restore these estuarine environments through both passive and active means. This increase in restoration has been predicted to have positive effects on survival of juvenile Chinook salmon, which is an ecologically and culturally important species in the Salish Sea. The goal of this project was to use Ecopath with Ecosim to create a mass-balanced food web model of a generalized restored estuary to help further understanding of the potential effects …

Acclimation And Hardening Of A Slow-Growing Woody Species Emblematic To Western North America From In Vitro Plantlets, Peggy Martinez, Marcelo Serpe, Rachael Barron, Sven Buerki

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Premise: Determining the tolerance of plant populations to climate change requires the development of biotechnological protocols producing genetically identical individuals used for genotype-by-environment experiments. Such protocols are missing for slow-growth, woody plants; to address this gap, this study uses Artemisia tridentata, a western North American keystone shrub, as model.

Methods and Results: The production of individual lines is a two-step process: in vitro propagation under aseptic conditions followed by ex vitro acclimation and hardening. Due to aseptic growth conditions, in vitro plantlets exhibit maladapted phenotypes, and this protocol focuses on presenting an approach promoting morphogenesis for slow-growth, woody species. …

Developing Improved Water Catchment Systems To Benefit Rangeland Restoration, Ethan Ostraff, Kevin Steele, Ezekiel Jensesn, Matthew Madsen

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2023

1st place open house

Restoring damaged and disturbed lands can be difficult and expensive with increasing drought and changing climatic conditions. Wicking boxes or other irrigation forms can improve restoration efforts' success. These technologies provide a consistent water supply, which often enhances seedling growth and survival in dry conditions. However, current water catchment technologies are limited and often difficult to use. Factors such as production costs, size, and labor needed to install these devices typically make current water catchment technologies inefficient for large-scale use.

Invasive Annual Grasses—Reenvisioning Approaches In A Changing Climate, David Archer, David Toledo, Dana M. Blumenthal, Justin Derner, Usda Ars Burns, Oregon, Kirk Davies, Erik Hamerlynck, Roger Sheley, Pat Clark, Fred Pierson, Charlie Clements, Beth Newingham, Brian Rector, John Gaskin, Carissa L. Wonkka, Kevin Jensen, Tom Monaco, Lance T. Vermeire, Stephen L. Young

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

For nearly a century, invasive annual grasses have increasingly impacted terrestrial ecosystems across the western United States. Weather variability associated with climate change and increased atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) are making even more difficult the challenges of managing invasive annual grasses. As part of a special issue on climate change impacts on soil and water conservation, the topic of invasive annual grasses is being addressed by scientists at the USDA Agricultural Research Service to emphasize the need for additional research and future studies that build on current knowledge and account for (extreme) changes in abiotic and biotic conditions. Much research …

Land Use History And The Build-Up And Decline Of Species Richness In Scandinavian Semi-Natural Grasslands, O. Eriksson, S. A. O. Cousins, R. Lindborg

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Scandinavian semi-natural grasslands have an exceptionally high small-scale species richness. In the past, these grasslands covered extensive areas but they have declined drastically during the last century. How species richness of semi-natural grasslands was built up during history, and how species respond to land use change, are discussed. The agricultural expansion from the late Iron Age was associated with increasing grassland extent and spatial predictability, resulting in accumulation of species at small spatial scales. Although few species directly depend on management, the specific composition of these grasslands is a product of haymaking and grazing. Grassland fragmentation initially has small effects …

Comparing Pollinator Communities: Onu’S Swanberg Sanctuary V. Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, Stephanie Clark

Pence-Boyce STEM Student Scholarship

Pollinators play a key role in both ecosystem diversity and agricultural productivity [1]. Declines for pollinators have been seen across the globe and have been linked to agriculture and urbanization [2]. Several species in Illinois have declined so severely, they are now endangered or of significant conservation concern [1]. Past ONU students have collected data on the bees in Northeast IL. However, there is no data for what species are at the Sanctuary. This study will provide baseline data for future studies and by comparing with Midewin, a mature restoration, we can gain an understanding of distinctiveness.

Soil And Compost Tea: A New Restoration Technique?, Carol E. Day

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Historically, prairie restorations have lacked the plant diversity seen in remnant prairies. Most restoration practices focus on reestablishing the plant community but overlook the soil microbial community even though microbes are critical to habitat functioning. Developing techniques that increase soil microbes in prairie restorations is critical to ensuring diverse restored habitats. We compared how microbial communities differed between remnant and restored prairie sites. We also investigated if soil and compost teas could be used to reintroduce microbes to restored prairie soil and if the teas affected native plant establishment. We found significant differences in the levels of bacterial taxa between …

Field Assessment Of The Pervious Oyster Shell Habitat: Enhancement Of Intertidal Habitat For The Eastern Oyster And Associated Nekton In Northeast Florida, Hunter Mathews

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A dramatic global decline in oyster reef habitat has led to widespread deployment of oyster restoration projects. Efforts are underway to move away from polluting methods like plastic mesh bags in oyster deployments. Additionally, increasing pressure on our estuaries from recreational boat wakes and intensified storms requires more robust structures for shoreline protection. The “Pervious Oyster Shell Habitat” (POSH) is a novel artificial reef structure composed of oyster shell bound by a thin layer of Portland cement, into the shape of a dome. The structure’s makeup greatly reduces its environmental impact, while providing quality substrate for provision of oyster reef …

The Role Of Machine Learning And Network Analyses In Understanding Microbial Composition In An Experimental Prairie, Ali Eastman Oku

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Machine learning and network analyses are powerful modern tools can process and map out connections between large amount of ecological data from complex environmental communities. Random forests, an ensemble machine learning algorithm, are particularly powerful as they can capture complex patterns in data while remaining easily interpretable. These tools are specifically useful in experimental settings where different types of data are collected. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the utility of machine learning models and network analyses at analyzing diverse ecological data from dynamic plant-soil microbial communities in a prairie ecosystem. Our experimental system is an experimental prairie …

Seasonal Growth, Movement, And Survival Of Juvenile Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus Kisutch) Utilizing Restored Rearing Habitat, Monica S. Tonty

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The Scott River supports the most robust population of threatened Coho Salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch remaining in the Klamath River basin. Even in the Scott River, low quality and restricted extent of juvenile rearing habitat limits the Coho Salmon population to a small fraction of historic abundance. To support persistence and recovery of Scott River Coho Salmon, the Scott River Watershed Council (SRWC) has constructed a portfolio of restoration projects to improve juvenile rearing habitat, including beaver dam analogs (BDAs). The Scott River BDAs were the first implemented anywhere in California. This study compares juvenile Coho Salmon responses associated with production …