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Full-Text Articles in Forest Sciences
Investigating Within-Canopy Variation Of Functional Traits And Cellular Structure Of Sugar Maple (Acer Saccharum) Leaves, Adam P. Coble
Investigating Within-Canopy Variation Of Functional Traits And Cellular Structure Of Sugar Maple (Acer Saccharum) Leaves, Adam P. Coble
Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open
Patterns of increasing leaf mass per area (LMA), area-based leaf nitrogen (Narea), and carbon isotope composition (δ13C) with increasing height in the canopy have been attributed to light gradients or hydraulic limitation in tall trees. Theoretical optimal distributions of LMA and Narea that scale with light maximize canopy photosynthesis; however, sub-optimal distributions are often observed due to hydraulic constraints on leaf development. Using observational, experimental, and modeling approaches, we investigated the response of leaf functional traits (LMA, density, thickness, and leaf nitrogen), leaf carbon isotope composition (δ13C), and cellular structure to light availability, height, and leaf water …
Carbon In The Peatlands In The Great Lakes Region, Cassandra A. Ott
Carbon In The Peatlands In The Great Lakes Region, Cassandra A. Ott
Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open
Peatlands cover only ~3% of the global land area, but store ~30% of the worlds' soil carbon. There are many different peat types that store different amounts of carbon. Most inventories of carbon storage in northern peatlands have been conducted in the expansive Sphagnum dominated peatlands. Although, northern white cedar peatlands (NW cedar, Thuja occidentalis L.) are also one of the most common peatland types in the Great Lakes Region, occupying more than 2 million hectares. NW cedar swamps are understudied, due in part to the difficulties in collection methods. General lack of rapid and consistent sampling methods has also …
Spatial And Temporal Patterns In Ungulate-Ecosystem Interactions, Bryan D. Murray
Spatial And Temporal Patterns In Ungulate-Ecosystem Interactions, Bryan D. Murray
Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open
Ungulates are important components of a variety of ecosystems worldwide. This dissertation integrates aspects of ungulate and forest ecology to increase our understanding of how they work together in ways that are of interest to natural resource managers, educators, and those who are simply curious about nature. Although animal ecology and ecosystem ecology are often studied separately, one of the general goals of this dissertation is to examine how they interact across spatial and temporal scales. Forest ecosystems are heterogeneous across a range of scales. Spatial and temporal habitat use patterns of forest ungulates tend to be congregated in patches …
Nitrogen Deposition Effects On Production And Decomposition Of Coarse Woody Debris, Bethany Jeanne Lyons
Nitrogen Deposition Effects On Production And Decomposition Of Coarse Woody Debris, Bethany Jeanne Lyons
Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open
Atmospheric nitrogen deposition has the potential to impact forest productivity, microbial associations, nutrient cycling, decomposition and stand dynamics. However, among the least studied aspects of these processes are the production and decomposition of dead woody biomass, or coarse woody debris (CWD). Coarse woody debris is made up of dead woody material on the ground called down dead wood (DDW) and dead standing trees which are often referred to as snags. Observed reductions in decomposition of CWD have been linked to substrate quality and microbial communities. If the decomposition effect is ubiquitous among litter types, CWD density, C:N, and biomass are …