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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Evidence Of Competitive Release Following Overstory Mortality In A Semi-Arid Piñon-Juniper Woodland, Corrie D. Gonzalez
Evidence Of Competitive Release Following Overstory Mortality In A Semi-Arid Piñon-Juniper Woodland, Corrie D. Gonzalez
Biology ETDs
Extreme temperatures and severe drought events have led to widespread tree mortality worldwide. In semi-arid regions of the Southwest United States, these events pose a significant threat to piñon-juniper (PJ) woodlands. We studied the effects of piñon and juniper mortality on the growth and physiology of existing saplings in PJ woodlands by analyzing water status, photosynthetic activity, and tissue chemistry to gain insights into these impacts. Juniper saplings exhibited improved water status and water use efficiency in response to overstory mortality, whereas piñon saplings did not. Additionally, both piñon and juniper saplings exhibited increased photosynthetic rates, increased photosynthetic capacity, and …
Competition And Herbivory Influence The Survival, Growth, And Physiology Of Native Tree Seedlings In The Kentucky Inner Bluegrass Savanna-Woodland, James D. Shaffer
Competition And Herbivory Influence The Survival, Growth, And Physiology Of Native Tree Seedlings In The Kentucky Inner Bluegrass Savanna-Woodland, James D. Shaffer
Theses and Dissertations--Biology
Terrestrial plant communities are shaped by competition for resources, herbivory, and abiotic processes. Savanna systems represent a dynamic coexistence of contrasting life forms (grasses and trees) shaped by competition and disturbance. The Kentucky Inner Bluegrass Savanna-Woodland (KIBSW) is described as an open woodland of shade intolerant species; however, climatic, and edaphic conditions can support closed-canopy forest. After European pioneer settlement (c1750-1800), over 99% of “savanna-woodlands” have been lost. KIBSW remnants are experiencing a recruitment failure, leading to a dominance shift in tree communities. I researched how tree-grass competition and mammalian herbivory influence KIBSW regeneration and maintenance. The KIBSW does not …
Above- And Below-Ground Functional Trait Coordination In The Neotropical Understory Genus Costus, Eleinis Ávila-Lovera, Gregory R. Goldsmith, Kathleen M. Kay, Jennifer L. Funk
Above- And Below-Ground Functional Trait Coordination In The Neotropical Understory Genus Costus, Eleinis Ávila-Lovera, Gregory R. Goldsmith, Kathleen M. Kay, Jennifer L. Funk
Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research
The study of plant functional traits and variation among and within species can help illuminate functional coordination and trade-offs in key processes that allow plants to grow, reproduce and survive. We studied 20 leaf, above-ground stem, below-ground stem and fine-root traits of 17 Costus species from forests in Costa Rica and Panama to answer the following questions: (i) Do congeneric species show above-ground and below-ground trait coordination and trade-offs consistent with theory of resource acquisition and conservation? (ii) Is there correlated evolution among traits? (iii) Given the diversity of habitats over which Costus occurs, what is the relative contribution of …
Conifer Encroachment And Removal In A Northern California Oak Woodland: Influences On Ecosystem Physiology And Biodiversity, Gabriel S. Goff
Conifer Encroachment And Removal In A Northern California Oak Woodland: Influences On Ecosystem Physiology And Biodiversity, Gabriel S. Goff
Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects
Oregon white oak (Quercus garryana) woodlands across their range are becoming increasingly threatened by encroaching Douglas-fir encroachment (Pseudotsuga menziesii) as a result of fire exclusion. Using water potential (Ψ), stomatal conductance (gs), xylem water stable isotopes (dD), and three metrics of biodiversity, this study investigates the effects of conifer encroachment and removal at the ecosystem-scale. The study was set in an Oregon white oak woodland in northern California and compared three levels of encroachment before and after conifer removal. Findings indicate that heavily encroached stands have the least amount of water stress and gas …
Effect Of Atmospheric Co2 Enrichment On Root Growth And Carbohydrate Allocation Of Phaseolus Spp., Katrina J. Salsman, Dean N. Jordan, S. D. Smith, D. S. Neuman
Effect Of Atmospheric Co2 Enrichment On Root Growth And Carbohydrate Allocation Of Phaseolus Spp., Katrina J. Salsman, Dean N. Jordan, S. D. Smith, D. S. Neuman
Life Sciences Faculty Research
A glasshouse experiment was conducted with plants of Phaseolus grown in liquid culture. Root growth parameters (biomass, diameter, length, growth rate, zone of cell division), root rheological components (wall extensibility, water potential yield threshold, water potential), shoot growth, carbon allocation, and abscisic acid (ABA) concentration were measured in Phaseolus acutifolius A. Gray at ambient (550 μmol mol−1) and elevated (700 μmol mol−1) atmospheric CO2 concentrations. For contrast, measurements of above‐ and belowground growth were conducted on Phaseolus vulgaris L. in the same treatments. Under nonlimiting conditions of water and nutrients, elevated CO2 increased root and shoot growth of P. acutifolius …