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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Reviewing Fire, Climate, Deer, And Foundation Species As Drivers Of Historically Open Oak And Pine Forests And Transition To Closed Forests, Brice B. Hanberry, Marc D. Abrams, Mary A. Arthur, J. Morgan Varner May 2020

Reviewing Fire, Climate, Deer, And Foundation Species As Drivers Of Historically Open Oak And Pine Forests And Transition To Closed Forests, Brice B. Hanberry, Marc D. Abrams, Mary A. Arthur, J. Morgan Varner

Forestry and Natural Resources Faculty Publications

Historically open oak and pine savannas and woodlands have transitioned to closed forests comprised of increased numbers of tree species throughout the eastern United States. We reviewed evidence for and against a suite of previously postulated drivers of forest transition focused on (1) change in fire regimes, (2) increased precipitation, (3) increased white-tailed deer densities, and (4) loss of American chestnut. We found that fire and fire exclusion provide a parsimonious mechanism for historical dominance by open forests of fire-tolerant oak and/or pine species and subsequent transition to closed forests with fire-sensitive tree species that fill the vertical profile. Based …


Phytophthora Cinnamomi Colonized Reclaimed Surface Mined Sites In Eastern Kentucky: Implications For The Restoration Of Susceptible Species, Kenton L. Sena, Kevin M. Yeager, Tyler J. Dreaden, Christopher D. Barton Apr 2018

Phytophthora Cinnamomi Colonized Reclaimed Surface Mined Sites In Eastern Kentucky: Implications For The Restoration Of Susceptible Species, Kenton L. Sena, Kevin M. Yeager, Tyler J. Dreaden, Christopher D. Barton

Forestry and Natural Resources Faculty Publications

Appalachian forests are threatened by a number of factors, especially introduced pests and pathogens. Among these is Phytophthora cinnamomi, a soil-borne oomycete pathogen known to cause root rot in American chestnut, shortleaf pine, and other native tree species. This study was initiated to characterize the incidence of P. cinnamomi on surface mined lands in eastern Kentucky, USA, representing a range of time since reclamation (10, 12, 15, and 20 years since reclamation). Incidence of P. cinnamomi was correlated to soil properties including overall soil development, as indicated by a variety of measured soil physical and chemical parameters, especially the …


Evaluating The Use Of Tree Shelters For Direct Seeding Of Castanea On A Surface Mine In Appalachia, Christopher Barton, Jarrod Miller, Kenton L. Sena, Patrick Angel, Michael French Oct 2015

Evaluating The Use Of Tree Shelters For Direct Seeding Of Castanea On A Surface Mine In Appalachia, Christopher Barton, Jarrod Miller, Kenton L. Sena, Patrick Angel, Michael French

Forestry and Natural Resources Faculty Publications

American chestnut (Castanea dentata), once a primary constituent of the eastern hardwood forest ecosystem, was nearly extirpated from the forest canopy by the accidental introduction of chestnut blight (Cryphonectria parasitica). An intensive breeding program has sought to breed blight resistance from Chinese chestnut into American chestnuts, while maintaining as much of the desirable American chestnut phenotypes as possible. Previous studies suggest that these blight resistant American chestnuts, termed “restoration chestnuts”, are capable of thriving on reclaimed surface mines. We direct seeded pure Chinese, pure American, and three backcross lines into brown sandstone minesoil on a mine …


Reforesting Ohio Using A Historical Legend: Blight-Resistant Chestnut Hybrids As A Coal Mine Restoration Tree, Jenise Bauman Apr 2011

Reforesting Ohio Using A Historical Legend: Blight-Resistant Chestnut Hybrids As A Coal Mine Restoration Tree, Jenise Bauman

College of the Environment on the Peninsulas Publications

The American chestnut (Castanea dentata) once occupied twenty-five percent of the eastern forests in the United States. Its massive size and prolific nut production made this species ecologically and economically important. At maturity, this species could top over 100 feet with immense, wide-spreading canopies. As a nut crop, the American chestnut tree was plentiful and considered one of the most important protein sources for wildlife such as squirrels, wild turkeys, deer, black bears, and many others. The lumber produced was extremely rot resistant and used for the construction of cabins, …