Life Sciences Commons^™

Investigating Meter Scale Topographic Variation As A Factor Of Monterey Pine (Pinus Radiata) Growing Conditions At Kenneth Norris Rancho Marino Reserve, Cambria, Ca, William J. Meyst

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

Endemic Monterey pine (Pinus radiata) is limited to three locations in California due to its unique ecological requirements. This project was conducted to investigate spatial growth patterns ofMonterey pine over complex ground surfaces. The coastal hills of Rancho Marino Reserve, Cambria, were surveyed using four 150-m transects to quantify and record ground surface features and growing conditions ofMonterey pine. Changes in elevation of each transect were measured using an Abney level. Linear ground surfaces were found at 86% (344 of 400) of survey nodes. Convex ground surfaces were found at 10.5% of survey nodes (42 of 400). Of …

Project Proposal And Development Plan For A New Security Gate At Swanton Pacific Ranch, K. Morgan Perry

Agricultural Education and Communication

The purpose of this project was to develop a prototype gate for Cal Poly’s Swanton Pacific Ranch in Santa Cruz, CA. Swanton Pacific Ranch requested that the author design and build a 21’x5’ single-retractable gate for Swanton Pacific Ranch to help decrease the security issues that have recently arisen at the facility. The design and format of this project are focused towards the desires and goals set forth by Swanton Pacific Ranch and the Operations Manager, Steve Auten in order to obtain a certain outcome. This project provides an outline of what needs to be done in order to produce …

Evaluation Of Red Alder Mortality In The Little Creek Watershed Following The 2009 Lockheed Fire, Dylan Robert Theobald

Master's Theses

Five hundred eighty red alder along a 2.16 km portion of the Little Creek riparian zone were assessed for mortality following the 2009 Lockheed Fire near Davenport, California. The study area was divided into burn severity zones and every red alder within the riparian zone was observed and assessed for mortality. Height, diameter at breast height (DBH), and age were collected on selected trees. An estimation of red alder large woody debris (LWD) input to Little Creek since a 2010 LWD survey (Smith, 2010) was calculated using average red alder tree dimensions applied to Smalian’s formula (MLNRO, 2011). The mean …

The Influence Of Hydrogeomorphology, Soil Redox Conditions, And Salinity On The Spatial Zoning Of Saltgrass, Salt Rush, And Cattails In Scotts Creek Marsh, Swanton Pacific Ranch, Ca, Mark D. Gormley

Master's Theses

Scotts Creek Marsh (SCM) is a small coastal wetland ecosystem in Davenport, CA. The vegetation of SCM is dominated by three halophytic zones comprised of saltgrass, salt rush, cattails. The objectives of the study were (i) to investigate the variables that influence the zoning of the three dominant halophyte communities in SCM and (ii) to the test the effectiveness of Indicator of Reduction in Soil (IRIS) tubes to indicate the reduction of S. The study examined the following parameters from April 6 to July 21, 2013: (i) the HGM of Scotts Creek Marsh, (ii) soil oxidation and reduction (redox) conditions, …

Evaluation Of The Brock Center For Agricultural Communication, Jennifer Ray

Agricultural Education and Communication

The author of this project currently serves as one of the Student Associates of the Brock Center for Agricultural Communication and the Editor-in-Chief of both Ag Circle and PolyCulture magazines. This past year, she served as the student representative on the Advisory Council for the Agricultural Education and Communication Department. Additionally the author has served as the Cal Poly Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow (ACT) Chapter President and currently serves as the National Second Vice President of the organization. The author’s experience with all of these aspects of the Cal Poly Agricultural Communication program has guided in producing this report. The …

Testing Subspecies Limits In Monardella Villosa, Taylor Mclaughlin Crow

Master's Theses

Several subspecies of Monardella villosa (California Coyote Mint) have been distinguished on the basis of leaf thickness, shape, and trichome characteristics, yet many intermediates are known. We investigated morphological differences in natural populations of two subspecies (M. v. subsp. villosa and M. v. subsp. franciscana) in the Scott Creek watershed, north of Davenport, in Santa Cruz County, CA. Monardella villosa subsp. franciscana grows in coastal scrub in gulches and ocean terraces whereas subsp. villosa grows at more protected inland sites. Morphological difference between subspecies may be adaptations to these different habitats. I grew plants in a common garden at Cal …

Post-Fire Response Of Little Creek Watershed: Evaluation Of Change In Sediment Production And Suspended Sediment Transport, Andrew Wood Loganbill

Master's Theses

The Little Creek watershed was assessed to identify changes in event-based suspended sediment export and determine the factors contributing to sediment production the first year following the Lockheed Fire in 2009. The amount and volume of near-stream sediment sources were found to decrease, while an increase in hillslope sediment production was documented. High intensity, short duration rainfall (up to 87 mm/hr for 10 minute duration) initiated extensive rilling and minor channel-derived debris torrents originating from the upper south facing slopes. Rainfall simulations, hillslope erosion plots, and soil infiltration tests indicated that fire produced soil water repellency, the lack of ground …

Effects Of Silvicultural Management On Coast Redwood Forest Composition, Density And Structure In Santa Cruz And San Mateo Counties, Michael J. Papa

Master's Theses

The multiple-objective exploratory study investigates effects of various silvicultural management regimes commonly applied to coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens [D. Don] Endl.) forests in Santa Cruz and San Mateo Counties, California, USA. A temporary forest inventory was installed in 24 harvest origin stands and 4 natural origin stands throughout the study area (sample area = 1189 acres). Data from the systematic sample of 233 one-quarter acre nested cluster plots (sample intensity = 4.9%) rendered overall forest descriptions in terms of species composition, density, and structure. The common forestry measures of trees per acre (TPA), basal area per acre (BA), and …

Mortality Assessment Of Redwood And Mixed Conifer Forest Types In Santa Cruz County Following Wildfire, Steve R. Auten

Master's Theses

On August 12, 2009, the Lockheed Fire ignited the west slope of the Santa Cruz Mountains burning approximately 7,819 acres. Foresters and other land managers were left with challenging decisions on how to evaluate tree mortality. Big Creek Lumber Company, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly)’s Swanton Pacific Ranch (SPR), and other resource professionals familiar with this region teamed up to develop a method for evaluating damage and thereby mortality for redwood, California nutmeg, live oak, tanoak, California bay, Pacific madrone, big leaf maple, Douglas-fir, Monterey pine, and knobcone pine. Quantitative damage criteria were used to design …

Post-Fire Mortality And Response In A Redwood/ Douglas-Fir Forest, Santa Cruz Mountains, California, Garren M. Andrews

Master's Theses

We investigated how fire severity impacts the survival and response (sprouting/seeding) of multiple species in the Santa Cruz Mountains of coastal California, including coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), tanoak (Lithocarpus densiflorus), and Pacific madrone(Arbutus menziesii). During August 2009 the Lockheed Fire burned nearly 3,160ha of mixed-conifer stands with variable severity. Data from 37 Continuous Forest Inventory (CFI) plots were collected immediately before and for 2 successive years following the 2009 Lockheed Fire.

This research entails three objectives. First, we quantified post-fire mortality of trees that vary in species, size, and …

Sustainable Agriculture, Charlene Mills

Social Sciences

This paper is about sustainable agriculture and how we can strive to achieve it. It discusses what is wrong with our food system today and how we can go about changing that. It incorporates Geography and Anthropology while discussing different issues around the world.

Utilization Of Geographic Information System For Research, Management, And Education In The Natural Resources Management Department At California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, David In Yun

Master's Theses

Geographic Information System (GIS) is “an organized collection of computer hardware, software, geographic data, and personnel designed to efficiently capture, store, update, manipulate, analyze, and display all forms of geographically referenced information” (ESRI, 1997a). The Natural Resources Management Department at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California, hereafter NRM, was one of the early users of GIS technology. Although GIS was primarily used as an educational tool, it was also used for cataloging and displaying resource information for management planning and research projects. As the computing technology advanced, GIS became more powerful and easier to use. NRM faculty and …

Evaluation And Utilization Of The Continuous Forest Inventory System At Swanton Pacific Ranch, Dominic Ali, Reid Cody

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

Five Continuous Forest Inventories (CFI) and one Senior Project Inventory (Piper et al. 1989) at Swanton Pacific Ranch in Davenport, CA were compiled and standardized to be formatted for input into Forest and Stand Evaluation Environment (FORSEE) growth and yield modeling software. Data from field books and Excel spreadsheets located on the Cal Poly Natural Resources Management Department hard drive was transcribed into a Microsoft Excel database. Data sources and authenticity were verified by cross-referencing plot data from multiple sources, associated senior project reports, and location on the Swanton grid system. An additional summary spreadsheet was made to help users …

Fire: Ecology & Prevention, Justin R. Frey

Social Sciences

No abstract provided.

Management Strategies For Pitch Canker Infected Año Nuevo Stands Of Monterey Pine, Valerie A. Loe

Master's Theses

The future resilience of Pinus radiata D. Don (Monterey pine) is dependent upon the development of a silviculture program inclusive of either preventative or management techniques for the potentially fatal pitch canker disease (Fusarium circinatum Nirenberg and O’Donnell [=F.subglutinans (Wollenw. & Reinking) Nelson et al. f. sp. Pini). As an ecologically and commercially valued species, a myriad of factors threaten the genetic resources of the geographically limited natural range. This study evaluated the effectiveness of uneven-aged forest management for regeneration success in the native, pitch canker infected Año Nuevo stand at Swanton Pacific Ranch in Davenport, California. Seedling survival and …

A Comparison Of Lidar Generated Channel Features With Ground-Surveyed Channel Features In The Little Creek Watershed, Ryan M. Hilburn

Master's Theses

Detecting change in stream channel features over time is important in understanding channel morphology and the effects of both natural and anthropogenic influences. Channel features historically, and now currently, are being measured using a variety of ground survey techniques. These surveys require substantial time commitments and funding to complete. Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) is an airborne laser mapping technology that holds promise to provide an alternative to ground-based survey methods. For this study, ground surveys were used to verify the accuracy of data collected using airborne LiDAR. Fifty nine cross-sectional profiles were surveyed in the Little Creek watershed at …

Accuracy Of Forest Road And Stream Channel Characteristics Derived From Lidar In Forested Mountain Conditions, Russell Alan White

Master's Theses

Forest roads and stream channels are mapped using a variety of remote sensing and ground-based techniques. In densely forested areas, conventional remote sensing methods provide limited terrain information, while ground-based surveys can be time-consuming, difficult, and expensive. Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) is an airborne remote sensing technology used to create high-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) of the earth’s surface. This study tests the accuracy of forest road and stream channel features mapped using LiDAR in the steep, forested terrain of California’s Santa Cruz Mountains. A conventional total station survey was used to determine centerline position and elevations along a …

Analysis Of A Pinus Radiata Seed Stock Field In The Native Año Nuevo Stand In California, Christina Brassey

Master's Theses

This study was a part of the international collaborative IMPACT project, which aims to address the potential threat that the pitch canker disease poses to the use of Pinus radiata D. Don in plantations in New Zealand, Australia, and Chile. A field trial of 264 seedstocks was planted adjacent to a native stand of pitch canker infected P. radiata on the central coast of California, and disease symptom development was recorded over a period of 3 years. The results did not correlate with a greenhouse study of the same seedstocks inoculated with Fusarium circinatum Nirenberg & O'Donnell, the causal agent …

Development Of A Laboratory Protocol For The Micropropagation Of Monterey Pines (Pinus Radiata), Año Nuevo Stand, Karen E. Wells

Master's Theses

Monterey pine (Pinus radiata), a native tree to California and two Mexican islands, is important both ecologically and economically. Outside native stands, Monterey pines are grown for landscaping in California and on plantations around the world. Pitch canker, a disease caused by the fungus Gibberella circinata Nirenberg & O’Donnell (Fusarium circinatum Nirenberg and O'Donnell) is threatening the survival of Monterey pines. The disease currently affects Monterey pines in many parts of the world including the native stands. No effective chemical or biological control is available but some Monterey pines show resistance to the disease. The purpose of this project was …