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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Vegetation Community Changes In Two National Forests In The Pineywoods, East Texas, Trisha L. Williams
Vegetation Community Changes In Two National Forests In The Pineywoods, East Texas, Trisha L. Williams
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Despite extensive research into forest succession, little research has been directed to long-term studies. The fundamental properties of succession remain unclear and further research into terrestrial vegetation and an accounting of drivers in specific ecosystem types is required. This study addresses change in plant communities from five ecosystem types in two east Texas National Forests over a 20-year period. An analysis of 30 sample stands yields results due to various ecosystem drivers of vegetation change and uncovers plant community responses in multiple ecosystem types over this period. This research provided three key results: 1) that vegetation composition change occurs more …
Phenotypic Plasticity Of Native And Invasive Cool-Season Grasses In Response To Frequency Of Moisture Availability, Ming-Yu Stephens
Phenotypic Plasticity Of Native And Invasive Cool-Season Grasses In Response To Frequency Of Moisture Availability, Ming-Yu Stephens
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Phenotypic plasticity, the ability of an individual to alter its growth in response to environmental conditions, is an attribute that is considered a likely invader attribute, as it provides the opportunity to expand its ecological niche breadth. Adaptive phenotypic plasticity can affect not only the ability to establish in a new environment, but also the ability to outperform the existing vegetation over time. Bromus inermis (smooth brome) and Poa pratensis (Kentucky bluegrass) are invasive species in tall- and mixed-grass prairie ecosystems. The objectives of this two-part study were to quantify the adaptive plasticity of biomass accumulation and tiller production in …
Cultivating Ecological Literacy And Rethinking Our Connections To Nature, Sean Fretwell
Cultivating Ecological Literacy And Rethinking Our Connections To Nature, Sean Fretwell
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
In this dissertation I explore the complex, often contested, relationships between humankind and nature. I consider the changing state of these relationships as they are influenced by factors rooted in science, technology, and economics. I also examine these relationships as they relate to human activities with agriculture. Considering the present state of environmental crisis and the abundance of evidence indicating the deleterious activities of humankind as primary causes for the many global calamities, I argue for revising industrially-driven ideologies; particularly those driven by the economic paradigm of capitalism and self-interest. Additionally, I submit that a return to kinship with nature …