Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Keyword
-
- Biological sciences (14)
- Earth sciences (5)
- Shortleaf pine (4)
- Dendrochronology (3)
- Health and environmental sciences (3)
-
- Ozarks (3)
- Arkansas (2)
- Biodiversity (2)
- Bioinformatics (2)
- Dendroclimatology (2)
- Ecology (2)
- Fungal diversity (2)
- Glade (2)
- Invasive species (2)
- Ion Torrent (2)
- Latewood (2)
- Monochamus (2)
- Northwest Arkansas (2)
- Abundance (1)
- Adjusted latewood (1)
- Afforestation (1)
- Agricultural Economics (1)
- Allelopathy (1)
- Aquatic Ecology (1)
- Assessment (1)
- Baldcypress (1)
- Bark beetles (1)
- Biogeochemistry (1)
- Biomass (1)
- Canopy height (1)
Articles 1 - 30 of 37
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Age, Size, And Composition Of Selected Old-Growth Shortleaf Pine Stands In The Upper Buffalo River, Arkansas, Willa Avery Thomason
Age, Size, And Composition Of Selected Old-Growth Shortleaf Pine Stands In The Upper Buffalo River, Arkansas, Willa Avery Thomason
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata) approaches the westernmost limits of its range in the Arkansas Ozarks. Despite heavy logging of shortleaf pine throughout its range during the 19th and 20th centuries, the species was not easily accessible for harvest and transportation in the most rugged areas of the Boston Mountains and, as a result, there are a few extant stands of old-growth shortleaf pine in the region. The shortleaf pine stands in the interior Boston Mountains are unusual in that they exist primarily above bluff lines at topographic breaks in the hardwood canopy and are not disturbed by fire as frequently …
Delineating Field Variation Using Apparent Electrical Conductivity In An Ozark Highlands Agroforestry System, Shane Reid Ylagan
Delineating Field Variation Using Apparent Electrical Conductivity In An Ozark Highlands Agroforestry System, Shane Reid Ylagan
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Little to no work has been conducted assessing field variability using repeated electromagnetic induction (EMI) apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) surveys in agroforestry (AF) systems within regions similar to the Ozark Highlands. The objectives of this thesis were to identify i) spatiotemporal ECa variability; ii) ECa-derived soil management zones (SMZs); iii) correlations among EMI-ECa and in-situ, sentential-site soil properties; iv) whether fewer, EMI-ECa surveys could be conducted to capture similar ECa variance as mid-monthly EMI-ECa surveys; v) correlations between ECa and forage yield, tree growth, and terrain attributes based on plant (forage and tree) species, and fertility treatments, and ECa-derived SMZs, …
Multi-Trophic Biodiversity Increases With Increasing Structural Complexity Of Forest Canopy, Ayanna St. Rose
Multi-Trophic Biodiversity Increases With Increasing Structural Complexity Of Forest Canopy, Ayanna St. Rose
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Understanding the effects of forest canopy structural complexity on multi-trophic diversity is critical for conserving biodiversity and managing land sustainably. But multi-trophic diversity is often ignored when making decisions about land management due to lack of cost- and time-effective methods to evaluate it. Here, we explored a new method based on widely available remote sensing data to quantify canopy structural complexity and its relationships with multi-trophic biodiversity at landscape scale using 32 forested sites of the National Ecological Observatory Network. We investigated the influence of vertical and horizontal structural complexity of forest canopy on multi-trophic (primary producers, herbivores (beetles), omnivores …
Habitat Assessment Of Ozark Glades Using Selected Epigeal Predatory Arthropods, Austin Key Jones
Habitat Assessment Of Ozark Glades Using Selected Epigeal Predatory Arthropods, Austin Key Jones
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Epigeal predatory arthropods were collected with pitfall-style traps in nine sandstone glades of varying ecological stages, and management histories, in the Ozarks of Northern Arkansas over three years. These sites were categorized into three Site Types; Intact, high quality glades; Degraded, forest-encroached glades, and Restored glades which had received woody vegetation removal and burning. Collections of ground spiders (Gnaphosidae), predatory ground beetles (Carabidae), and the sole species of scorpion present in the Ozarks, Centruroides vittatus, were reported on as well as the applicability of arthropod collection methods for glade habitat assessment. Habitat characteristics were recorded for each site and analyzed …
Survey Of Ticks And Tick-Borne Pathogens Associated With Feral Swine (Sus Scrofa) In Arkansas, Haylee Campbell
Survey Of Ticks And Tick-Borne Pathogens Associated With Feral Swine (Sus Scrofa) In Arkansas, Haylee Campbell
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Feral hogs (Sus scrofa L.) are an invasive species throughout the southeast United States and found in every Arkansas county. As feral hogs invade new habitat, they can disrupt ecosystems, damage agriculture systems, and bring ticks and tick-borne pathogens with them. There are no surveys of the tick species parasitizing the Arkansas feral hog populations or the pathogens they carry. This is a public health concern because feral hogs occupy often same geographical regions as humans and livestock and can harbor over 45 animal diseases and parasites. The ticks carried by feral hogs can carry tick-borne pathogens that can cause …
A Comparative Ecological Study Of Limestone And Dolomite Glades In The Ozark Mountains Of Northwest Arkansas, Brittney Booth
A Comparative Ecological Study Of Limestone And Dolomite Glades In The Ozark Mountains Of Northwest Arkansas, Brittney Booth
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Glades are one of the many habitats that exist in the Arkansas Ozarks and contribute to the overall biodiversity of the state of Arkansas. For this study, five dolomite glades and five limestone glades in the Ozarks of northwest Arkansas were studied from March to October in the years 2017 and 2018 to determine the similarities or differences that might be present. One hundred and fifteen vascular plant taxa were documented in the dolomite glades and one hundred and three vascular plant taxa were documented in the limestone glades. Forty-six vascular plant taxa were unique to the dolomite glades and …
A Comparative Taxonomic And Diversity Study Of Litter-Associated Fungi In Northwest Arkansas Forests, Rajaa Abdulrazzaq Abbas Al Aanbagi
A Comparative Taxonomic And Diversity Study Of Litter-Associated Fungi In Northwest Arkansas Forests, Rajaa Abdulrazzaq Abbas Al Aanbagi
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Fungi are taxonomically the most species-rich group of organisms on the earth, ecologically occupy distinctive niches and interact with diverse other organisms throughout their biogeographic distributions and functionally play key roles through their various lifestyles. Plant litter, in particular, is a keystone component in ecosystems and provides heterogeneous microhabitats for the often overlooked litter-decomposing fungi and other organisms on the floor of temperate deciduous forests. Litter fungi involve indirect interactions with the plant, soil and whole food web network. However, the community structure and functions of litter-associated fungi as well as patterns of species richness distributed across various litter microhabitats …
Observable Persistent Effects Of Habitat Management Efforts In The Ozark Highlands After 10 Years, Maxwell Carnes-Mason
Observable Persistent Effects Of Habitat Management Efforts In The Ozark Highlands After 10 Years, Maxwell Carnes-Mason
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
I investigated the lasting impacts of a management plan designed to improve oak regeneration and benefit wildlife in the Ozark Highlands in Madison, Co., AR. To assess the efficacy of the management plan, I used variables relevant to the success and establishment of oak trees. Controlled burns and selective logging were used to thin the canopy, increase ground level productivity, and increase the abundance of small mammals. I used measurements of overstory and understory densities, light availability, and the density of mice in the genus Peromyscus across time to look at the lasting impacts of management. Different treatment plots were …
Optimized Production And Evaluation Of Cellulose Nanocrystals Derived From Pre-Extracted Kraft Pulp Of Different Wood Species, Gurshagan Kandhola
Optimized Production And Evaluation Of Cellulose Nanocrystals Derived From Pre-Extracted Kraft Pulp Of Different Wood Species, Gurshagan Kandhola
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Production of nanocellulose from a variety of naturally abundant, locally available and industrially significant wood species provides an opportunity for diversifying the portfolio of traditional pulp and paper industries. The U.S. has a prolific forest products industry with a well-established infrastructure that could be utilized for optimized and customized production of cellulose nanomaterials. However, to achieve that, it is important to a) understand how biorefining strategies for complete fractionation of biomass affect the downstream processing of pulp into nanocellulose, b) maximize the yields of cellulose nanocrystals and nanofibers (CNCs and CNFs) from pretreated raw materials, and c) evaluate if the …
Cost Effectiveness Of Greenhouse Gas Reductions Through Afforestation Of Agricultural Land In The Arkansas Delta, Karli A. Moore
Cost Effectiveness Of Greenhouse Gas Reductions Through Afforestation Of Agricultural Land In The Arkansas Delta, Karli A. Moore
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Sequestration of atmospheric carbon in forested lands offsets carbon emissions from other industries. Conversion of private lands, particularly agricultural tracts in marginal areas, to forests can bolster carbon abatement. The United States government agencies administer some voluntary, incentive-based programs to encourage landowners to adopt production practices with positive environmental outcomes. This policy stream can be used to increase transition of marginal agricultural land to forests, thereby creating new carbon sinks. We analyze an eleven-county study area in the Arkansas Delta to determine feasibility for a subsidy focused on carbon abatement through afforestation. This study area is significant for two reasons: …
The Effect Of Prescribed Burning On Wood-Decay Fungi In The Forests Of Northwest Arkansas, Nawaf Ibrahim Alshammari
The Effect Of Prescribed Burning On Wood-Decay Fungi In The Forests Of Northwest Arkansas, Nawaf Ibrahim Alshammari
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Prescribed burning is defined as the process of the planned application of fire to a predetermined area under specific environmental conditions in order to achieve a desired outcome such as land management. This project used both morphological and molecular methods to identify and characterize the wood-decay fungi associated with the forests of northwest Arkansas—Pea Ridge National Military Park, Devil’s Den State Park, and the Buffalo National River—through frequent visits made between February 2018 and February 2019. In addition, in order to assess the effects of prescribed burning, incubation chambers were used to compare the growth of fungi from both unburned …
Analysis And Conservation Of Native Forests At Kessler Mountain Fayetteville, Arkansas, Alan James Edmondson
Analysis And Conservation Of Native Forests At Kessler Mountain Fayetteville, Arkansas, Alan James Edmondson
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Kessler Mountain in Fayetteville Arkansas has long been recognized for its beauty and natural resources. Parts of Kessler Mountain have been homesteaded and developed in the past, but most of the mountain has remained relatively undisturbed. The planned development of over 4,000 housing units to cover Kessler Mountain stimulated controversy and consideration of other management alternatives. A twist of fate involving an economic recession, a dedicated group of outdoor recreation enthusiasts, and environmental conservationists led to the permanent protection of 384 acres in the Kessler Mountain Regional Park. To help evaluate the natural resources at Kessler Mountain, forest composition, structure, …
Daily To Seasonal Moisture Signals Present In Sub-Annual Tree-Ring Data, Ian Howard
Daily To Seasonal Moisture Signals Present In Sub-Annual Tree-Ring Data, Ian Howard
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
In recent decades, there has been an increase in the development of sub-annual earlywood (EW) and latewood (LW) width tree-ring chronologies that have been used to make long-term inferences about discrete seasonal moisture variability for different regions of North America. This doctoral research developed a new network of EW, LW, and adjusted latewood (LWa) tree-ring chronologies from the western Great Plains. These chronologies were used to reconstruct 300+ years of spring and summer moisture variability over the northern and southern Plains. The reconstructions document new information about the long-term seasonal climate history of the Great Plains, including the unusual nature …
Amphibian And Reptile Community Responses To Forest And Riparian Disturbance, Jacquelyn Christine Guzy
Amphibian And Reptile Community Responses To Forest And Riparian Disturbance, Jacquelyn Christine Guzy
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Riparian zones are transitional, semi-terrestrial areas regularly influenced by freshwater. These areas serve as dispersal corridors for many animal and plant species and ultimately function as important reservoirs of biodiversity in altered landscapes. While much of the riparian habitat in the United States has been affected by anthropogenic activities, management actions may mitigate potentially negative influences of these activities. For example, Streamside Management Zones (i.e., riparian buffers; SMZs) are commonly implemented within managed forests to protect water quality, but may also provide habitat for riparian-associated wildlife. Yet, little research has rigorously addressed the value of SMZs for wildlife, particularly cryptic …
Cool And Warm Season Climate Signals In Tree Rings From North America, Max Carl Arne Torbenson
Cool And Warm Season Climate Signals In Tree Rings From North America, Max Carl Arne Torbenson
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Earlywood (EW) and latewood (LW) ring-width chronologies have become an increasingly important proxy in paleoclimate reconstructions. These subannual variables can provide estimates of past hydroclimate variability for seasonal windows that total ring-widths cannot resolve. The strength of the relationship between EW and LW series may influence what type of paleoclimate information is embedded within the tree-ring series. High correlations (> 0.70) between EW and LW are recorded for much of the continent but the magnitude of correlation varies greatly across space and species boundaries. Using four LW chronologies from shortleaf pine, the North American conifer species displaying the lowest EW-LW …
Importance Of Forests Outside Protected Area Networks For Large-Seeded Tree Species And Their Large-Bodied Avian Frugivores--A Study In Vazhachal Reserve Forest, India, Aditi Achyut Lele
Importance Of Forests Outside Protected Area Networks For Large-Seeded Tree Species And Their Large-Bodied Avian Frugivores--A Study In Vazhachal Reserve Forest, India, Aditi Achyut Lele
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Western Ghats, the mountain chain running along the west coast of India, is one of eight global hotspots of biodiversity and is particularly notable for its endemic flora and fauna. Yet only 10% of this land enjoys the protected status. Vast forested lands exist outside the protected network of national parks and wildlife sanctuaries in the form of reserve forests, community forests, and private lands. The present study sought to understand the role of such forests in the context of ecological system involving large-seeded tree species that depend on large-bodied avian frugivores for seed dispersal. I conducted a study over …
Spatio-Temporal Reconstruction Of Remote Sensing Observations, Kamrul Khan
Spatio-Temporal Reconstruction Of Remote Sensing Observations, Kamrul Khan
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
The USDA Forest Service aims to use satellite imagery for monitoring and predicting changes in forest conditions over time within the country. We specifically focus on a 230, 400 hectares region in north-central Wisconsin between 2003 - 2012. The auxiliary data collected from the satellite imagery of this region are relatively dense in space and time and can be used to efficiently predict how the forest condition changed over that decade. However, these records have a significant proportion of missing values due to weather conditions and system failures. To fill in these missing values, we build spaciotemporal models based on …
Flow Regime Influences On Stream And Riparian Soil Carbon Dynamics In The Ozark Highlands And Boston Mountains Of Arkansas, Allyn Dodd
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
The natural flow regime exerts primacy over lotic ecosystem patterns and processes. However, little work has examined the influence of flow regime on instream and riparian carbon (C) dynamics in minimally-impacted, temperate forested systems. To date, most research efforts have focused on characterizing C movement and transformations across biomes and land use categories; however, flow regime represents an overlooked, finer level of detail that may drive differences in ecosystem function. My dissertation objective was to measure C fixation and movement within and across multiple environmental spheres (e.g. within stream channels, between stream surfaces and the atmosphere, and from riparian soils …
Fungi Of Forests: Examining The Diversity Of Root-Associated Fungi And Their Responses To Acid Deposition, Donald Jay Nelsen
Fungi Of Forests: Examining The Diversity Of Root-Associated Fungi And Their Responses To Acid Deposition, Donald Jay Nelsen
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Global importance of forests is difficult to overestimate, given their role in oxygen production, ecological roles in nutrient cycling and supporting numerous living species, and economic value for industry and as recreational zones. Fitness of the forest-forming trees strongly depends on microbial communities associated with tree roots. In particular, fungi impact tree fitness: mycorrhizal species provide water and nutrients for the trees in exchange for C, endophytic fungi play key roles in host defense against pathogenic organisms, and saprotrophic fungi decompose dead organic matter and facilitate nutrient cycling. In addition, pathogenic fungal species strongly affect forest fitness. Despite their importance, …
Population Dynamics Of Ouachita Dusky Salamanders (Desmognathus Brimleyorum) In A Managed Forest Landscape, Kelly Marie Halloran
Population Dynamics Of Ouachita Dusky Salamanders (Desmognathus Brimleyorum) In A Managed Forest Landscape, Kelly Marie Halloran
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
With anthropogenic alteration of landscapes increasing world-wide, managed forests are increasingly important as providers of ecosystem services including habitat for numerous wildlife species. It is crucial to maintain a balance between timber production and conservation of biodiversity on managed landscapes. Salamander populations can play key roles in the function and diversity of temperate forest ecosystems. Several studies have reported negative effects of forestry on terrestrial plethodontid salamanders, but less research has focused on stream-dwelling species, evaluated mechanisms driving observed shifts in abundance, or described the dynamics of populations residing in managed forests. Using a Before-After-Control-Impact design, we examined the effects …
Flight Activity, Oviposition Pit Distribution, And Emergence Densities Of Monochamus Titillator And M. Carolinensis In The Ozark-St. Francis National Forest In Arkansas, Jake Bodart
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Monochamus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) are a genus of longhorn beetles commonly known as pine sawyers. They have a worldwide distribution coincident with pines (Pinaceae) and are vectors of the pinewood nematode (Bursaphelenchus xylophilus). In the United States, there are eight known Monochamus species and they have a sympatric distribution with at least one other Monochamus species throughout their range. Monochamus are known to attack stressed, dead, and dying conifers especially pines. In the Ozark- St. Francis National Forest in Arkansas, there are two species of pine sawyers and they share this sympatric distribution observed throughout the United States, M. titillator (southern …
The Cytotoxic And Antimicrobial Properties Of Pine Essential Oils: A Characterization And Comparison, Richard Sakul
The Cytotoxic And Antimicrobial Properties Of Pine Essential Oils: A Characterization And Comparison, Richard Sakul
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
In the forestry industry, the pine tree species are important because of their durable timber and fast growth. In Arkansas, trees such as the loblolly pine compose almost a third of the timberland, seven million acres. In addition to the lignocellulosic biomass, pine bark and needles potentially have industrial importance as a waste stream from which high value (e.g., pharmaceutical, cosmetics) chemicals could be extracted, which could potentially increase the profit margin of forestry operations. In this research, the possibility that pine needles harvested from industry processed pine tree residues could be used as an antibacterial or cytotoxic chemical agent …
Eucalyptus In Kenya; Impacts On Environment And Society, Brandy M. Garrett Kluthe
Eucalyptus In Kenya; Impacts On Environment And Society, Brandy M. Garrett Kluthe
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Eucalyptus trees were introduced to Kenya a little over a century ago. European colonization along with the development of a railway system increased the demand for a fast growing wood source. The expansion of the tree across the fertile lands in Kenya raises concerns about the environmental impact on ecosystems where it has been introduced. These concerns include degraded soils, loss of water resources, co-introduction of ectomycorrhizal species, and allelopathy. Economic benefits to local landowners were also explored as well as the potential for large Eucalyptus woodlots to maximize the sequestration of CO₂ from the atmosphere. This was examined through …
Emergence Phenology And Nematode Associates Of The Woodwasp, Sirex Nigricornis F. (Hymenoptera: Siricidae), In Arkansas And Mississippi Forests, Jessica Ann Hartshorn
Emergence Phenology And Nematode Associates Of The Woodwasp, Sirex Nigricornis F. (Hymenoptera: Siricidae), In Arkansas And Mississippi Forests, Jessica Ann Hartshorn
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Sirex nigricornis F. (Hymenoptera: Siricidae) is a native woodwasp in eastern North America that inhabits dead and dying pine trees during its univoltine development. Sirex noctilio is native to Eurasia and North Africa and was discovered in the northeastern United States in 2004 after a century of accidental introductions across the Southern Hemisphere. Since then, it has spread to seven states and southern Ontario. There is concern about its potential to negatively affect the multi-billion dollar pine timber industry of the southeastern United States. Effective monitoring tools are necessary to track the spread and establishment of S. noctilio. Deladenus siricidicola …
Southeastern Monochamus And Their Interactions With Healthy Shortleaf Pine Trees And Associated Ips Grandicollis Bark Beetles, Matthew Walker Ethington
Southeastern Monochamus And Their Interactions With Healthy Shortleaf Pine Trees And Associated Ips Grandicollis Bark Beetles, Matthew Walker Ethington
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Insects in the genus Monochamus are medium to large-sized, wood-boring beetles whose primary hosts in the Northern Hemisphere are pine trees. These beetles interact with both conifer hosts and associated insects throughout their life history. Past research has demonstrated that Monochamus are saprophagic, but recent findings show that they may colonize healthy pine trees. To determine if southeastern Monochamus could colonize healthy pines, adult Monochamus were attracted to healthy shortleaf pine trees from May to September, 2014, using host volatiles, Ips bark beetle kairomones, and congeneric pheromones. Subsequent development of oviposited eggs from 18 host trees was monitored. The results …
Lidar And Machine Learning Estimation Of Hardwood Forest Biomass In Mountainous And Bottomland Environments, Bowei Xue
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Light detection and ranging (lidar) has been applied in various forest applications, such as to retrieve forest structural information, to build statistical models for identification of tree species, and to monitor forest growth. However, despite significant progress in these areas, the choice of regression approach and parameter tuning remains an ongoing critical question. This study focused on choosing the right spatial generalization level to transform lidar point clouds to 2D images which can be further processed by mature image processing and pattern recognition approaches. It also compared the prediction ability of popular machine learning algorithms applied to aboveground forest biomass …
Is Chir Pine Displacing Banj Oak In The Central Himalaya? Socioeconomic Implications For Local People And The Conservation Of Oak Forest Biodiversity, Ankush Nautiyal
Is Chir Pine Displacing Banj Oak In The Central Himalaya? Socioeconomic Implications For Local People And The Conservation Of Oak Forest Biodiversity, Ankush Nautiyal
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Various studies have suggested that chir pine (Pinus roxburghii) is replacing banj oak (Quercus leucotrichophora) in the Central Himalaya. Five sites with three different types of forests (banj oak, chir pine and mixed oak-pine) were sampled to compare the diversity of their vegetation and to assess the impact of this ongoing conversion on biodiversity. Soil samples collected from oak and pine forests were analyzed and compared. In addition, dendrochronology was used to obtain age estimates of chir pine and to understand the growth response of this species to precipitation. Also, samples of ectomycorrhizal fungi were collected in the form of …
Monitoring Abundance Of Ips Bark Beetles And Determining Related Tree Mortality In Arkansas And Texas, Chandler Stefan Barton
Monitoring Abundance Of Ips Bark Beetles And Determining Related Tree Mortality In Arkansas And Texas, Chandler Stefan Barton
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
The abundance of the southern pine engraver beetles, Ips avulsus (Eichhoff), I. grandicollis (Eichhoff), and I. calligraphus (Germar), was monitored with pheromone-baited traps in 2012 and 2013 in Arkansas and eastern Texas. Additionally, vehicle-based and comprehensive ground-based surveys were used to estimate and confirm the amount of dead and fading trees in each trapping site. Pine engraver beetles have historically been recognized as secondary invaders of healthy trees, but observations of pine mortality in Texas and Arkansas appeared to correspond with high population densities of Ips spp. Forest sites exhibiting subjectively high or low incidence of Ips-associated mortality in Arkansas …
Mapping Ancient Baldcypress Forests For Conservation At Black River, North Carolina, Jordan Nichole Burns
Mapping Ancient Baldcypress Forests For Conservation At Black River, North Carolina, Jordan Nichole Burns
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
A few ancient baldcypress-bottomland hardwood forests survive across the southeastern United States in a mosaic of remnant old-growth stands left untouched by extensive logging during the early 20th century. Uncut stands in the Southeast that survived centuries of disturbance following European settlement tended to be too senescent and non-commercial to justify logging. Remnant ancient baldcypress forests at Black River, North Carolina, appear to contain the oldest living trees in eastern North America and The Nature Conservancy has protected several of these stands. However, the full extent of ancient bottomland forests along Black River is not known and many valuable tracts …
The Economic Viability Of Cocoa Crop Insurance In Ghana, Justin D. Mckinley
The Economic Viability Of Cocoa Crop Insurance In Ghana, Justin D. Mckinley
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
This study was motivated by the fact that Ghanaian cocoa producers face lower yields than other main cocoa producing counties which in turn increases food insecurity for smallholder producers. In addition, low yields experienced by Ghanaian producers is a driving factor for forest degradation and deforestation as cocoa producers encroach further into previously undisturbed forests in efforts to increase their incomes. There are currently production methods to achieve higher yields readily available in Ghana; however, many producers choose not to adopt these methods because they are seen as too risky, or simply cannot adopt them due to financial/credit constraints. A …