Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 3 of 3
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Reconciling Niches And Neutrality In A Subalpine Temperate Forest, Tucker J. Furniss, Andrew J. Larson, James A. Lutz
Reconciling Niches And Neutrality In A Subalpine Temperate Forest, Tucker J. Furniss, Andrew J. Larson, James A. Lutz
Wildland Resources Faculty Publications
The Unified Neutral Theory of Biodiversity has been put forth to explain species coexistence in forests worldwide, but its assumption of species equivalence has been met with much debate. Theoretical advancements have reconciled the opposing concepts of neutral and niche theories as two ends of a continuum, improving our understanding of global patterns in diversity and community assembly. However, the relative importance of niche and neutral processes remains understudied in temperate forests. To determine the balance of niche and neutral processes in climatically limited subalpine temperate forests, we established the Utah Forest Dynamics Plot, a 13.64-ha plot comprising 27,845 stems …
The Influence Of Aspen Chemistry And The Nutritional Context On Aspen Herbivory, Kristen Y. Heroy
The Influence Of Aspen Chemistry And The Nutritional Context On Aspen Herbivory, Kristen Y. Heroy
All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023
Consumption of aspen by herbivores is one major force causing aspen decline in North America. In this Dissertation, I aimed to determine why herbivores prefer browsing on certain aspen stands over others, and why they prefer consuming aspen that contains chemical defenses over understory forages like grasses, forbs, and shrubs. I explored the influence of nutrients and chemical defenses within aspen on aspen intake and preference by lambs in pen experiments. I also explored drivers of aspen preference on the landscape by looking at relationships between aspen herbivory, indicators of aspen health, amount of nutrients available in the understory, and …
Can Carbon Fluxes Explain Differences In Soil Organic Carbon Storage Under Aspen And Conifer Forest Overstories?, Antra Boča, H. Van Miegroet
Can Carbon Fluxes Explain Differences In Soil Organic Carbon Storage Under Aspen And Conifer Forest Overstories?, Antra Boča, H. Van Miegroet
Wildland Resources Faculty Publications
Climate- and management-induced changes in tree species distributions are raising questions regarding tree species-specific effects on soil organic carbon (SOC) storage and stability. Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) is the most widespread tree species in North America, but fire exclusion often promotes the succession to conifer dominated forests. Aspen in the Western US have been found to store more SOC in the mineral soil than nearby conifers, but we do not yet fully understand the source of this differential SOC accumulation. We measured total SOC storage (0–50 cm), characterized stable and labile SOC pools, and quantified above- and belowground …