Forest Sciences Commons^™

Changes In Understory Vegetation Of A Ponderosa Pine Forest In Northern Arizona 30 Years After A Wildfire, Amanda L. Bataineh, Brian P. Oswald, Mohammad M. Bataineh, Hans M. Williams, Dean W. Coble

Faculty Publications

Wildland fires can cause shifts in understory species composition and production. Many studies have examined short-term changes in understory vegetation following a wildfire; however, very few long term studies are available. The objective of this study was to examine changes in understory (herb and shrub) species composition and production since the 1972 Rattle Burn wildfire on the Coconino National Forest near Flagstaff, Arizona. Understory species composition and production were originally sampled in 1972, 1974, and 1980 and were re-sampled during July and August of 2002 and 2003 on 30 plots in each of four sites: high severity burn, low severity …

Response Of The Herbaceous Layer Of Forest Ecosystems To Excess Nitrogen Deposition, Frank S. Gilliam

Biological Sciences Faculty Research

• 1 This review brings into focus what is known about the response of the herbaceous layer of forest ecosystems to increasing nitrogen deposition. The emphasis on forests in general is important for two reasons. First, forests often occupy areas receiving high rates of atmospheric deposition of N. Second, compared with herb-dominated communities, about which much is known regarding response to excess N, forests generally display greater biological and structural complexity. The more specific focus on the herbaceous layer – here defined as all vascular (herbaceous and woody) plants ≤ 1 m in height – is warranted because most of the …

Blanding’S Turtle (Emydoidea Blandingii): A Technical Conservation Assessment, Justin D. Congdon, Douglas A. Keinath

USDA Forest Service / UNL Faculty Publications

Blanding’s turtles (Emydoidea blandingii) are secure in Nebraska, and they range from being vulnerable to threatened, or endangered throughout most of the rest of their distribution. In Region 2, they have not been reported from Kansas, they are extremely rare in South Dakota, and they occupy wetlands in the northern half of Nebraska. The largest population known within the range of Blanding’s turtles is at Valentine National Wildlife Refuge, Nebraska.

The core habitat of Blanding’s turtles has an aquatic component that consists of a permanent wetland and a suite of other, usually smaller and more temporary, wetlands such …

Conservation And Restoration Of The Pinus Palustris Ecosystem, Frank S. Gilliam, William J. Platt

Biological Sciences Faculty Research

The well-documented decline of the Pinus palustris ecosystem has resulted from several anthropogenic influences, such as forest clearing (e.g. pine plantation forestry, agriculture) and urban development, both of which are closely related to increases in human populations. Other impacts have arisen from alterations in disturbance regimes responsible for maintaining the structure and function of these ecosystems. Restoration and management of degraded pine savanna ecosystems is critical. Identification of ecological processes that determine the structure and function of the intact system are important because successful restoration efforts should be based on sound scientific understanding. In this paper, we introduce this special …

Natural Disturbances And The Physiognomy Of Pine Savannas : A Phenomenological Model, Frank S. Gilliam, William J. Platt, Robert K. Peet

Biological Sciences Faculty Research

Abstract. Question: The decline of the Pinus palustris ecosystems has resulted from anthropogenic influences, such as conversion to pine plantation forestry, agriculture and land development, all of which are closely related to increases in human populations. Other effects, however, have arisen from alterations in disturbance regimes that maintain the structure and function of these ecosystems. How have alterations of the disturbance regime altered the physiognomy of ‘old-growth’ stands, and what are the implications for ecosystem conservation and restoration?

Methods: In contrast to models that emphasize close interactions among the vertically complex strata, we develop a conceptual phenomenological model for the …

Dynamics Of Forest Structure Under Different Silvicultural Regimes In The Acadian Forest, Michael R. Saunders

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research plots in many long-term studies of forest ecosystems often cannot be used for spatial modeling because of their small scale and nested inventory design. This has been unfortunate as these plots represent some of the best records of structural development as affected by forest management. I developed methodologies to reconstruct both tree height growth and spatial pattern in these types of plots from historical inventory records and stem-mapped data, and then retrospectively investigated 3-dimensional structural development as affected by five silvicultural and harvesting treatments (unmanaged natural area, commercial clearcut, fixed-diameter limit, 5-year selection, and 3-stage shelterwood— with and without …

Effects Of Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition On The Herbaceous Layer Of A Central Appalachian Hardwood Forest, Frank S. Gilliam, Anne W. Hockenberry, Mary Beth Adams

Biological Sciences Faculty Research

Additions of nitrogen (N) have been shown to alter species diversity of plant communities, with most experimental studies having been carried out in communities dominated by herbaceous species. We examined seasonal and inter-annual patterns of change in the herbaceous layer of two watersheds of a central Appalachian hardwood forest that differed in experimental treatment. This study was carried out at the Fernow Experimental Forest, West Virginia, using two adjacent watersheds: WS4 (mature, second-growth hardwood stand, untreated reference), and WS3. Seven circular 0.04-ha sample plots were established in eachwatershed to represent its full range of elevation and slope aspect. The herbaceous …

Bats In A Human-Made Forest Of Central Nebraska, Keith Geluso

The Prairie Naturalist

Increases in wooded habitats have led to expansion in distributions of woodland mammals in the Great Plains. Herein, I report on the occurrence of bats in a human-made forest consisting of over 8,000 hectares in central Nebraska. The forest consisted of monocultures of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa), eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana), and jack pine (Pinus banksiana). Individuals of the eastern red bat (Lasiurus borealis) and hoary bat (L. cinereus) were captured in coniferous plantations during summer, and females of both species bore and raised young in the area. …

Invasion Of Exotic Earthworms Into Ecosystems Inhabited By Native Earthworms, P. F. Hendrix, G. H. Baker, M. A. Callaham Jr., G. A. Damoff, C. Fragoso, G. Gonzalez, S. W. James, S. L. Lachnicht, T. Winsome, X. Zou

Faculty Publications

The most conspicuous biological invasions in terrestrial ecosystems have been by exotic plants, insects and vertebrates. Invasions by exotic earthworms, although not as well studied, may be increasing with global commerce in agriculture, waste management and bioremediation. A number of cases has documented where invasive earthworms have caused significant changes in soil profiles, nutrient and organic matter dynamics, other soil organisms or plant communities. Most of these cases are in areas that have been disturbed (e.g., agricultural systems) or were previously devoid of earthworms (e.g., north of Pleistocene glacial margins). It is not clear that such effects are common in …

Winter Food Habits And Preferences Of Northern Bobwhites In East Texas, Donald R. Dietz, R. Montague Whiting Jr., Nancy E. Koerth

Faculty Publications

During late winter, 1994 and 1995, we investigated food habits and preferences of northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus; hereafter, bobwhites) collected on forested lands in east Texas. Crops for bobwhites were collected from areas under 3 management regimes, namely intensively managed for bobwhites (QMA) (i.e., tree basal area reduced, annually burned, numerous multi-stage food plots, etc.), extensively managed for timber and wildlife (NBS) (i.e., burned every 3-5 years, scattered 2-stage food plots with corn feeders), and unmanaged for wildlife (i.e., burned every 5-7 years). With years pooled, partridge pea (Cassia fasciculata), Hercules club (Zanthoxylum clava-herculis), and pine (Pinus spp.) seeds, and …

Food For Early Succession Birds: Relationships Among Arthropods, Shrub Vegetation, And Soil, Richard N. Conner, Daniel Saenz, Brent Burt

Faculty Publications

During spring and early summer, shrub- and herbaceous-level vegetation provides nesting and foraging habitat for many shrub-habitat birds. We examined relationships among arthropod biomass and abundance, foliage leaf surface area and weight, vegetation ground cover, soil characteristics, relative humidity, and temperature to evaluate what factors may influence arthropod food resources for birds. Relative humidity was inversely associated with arthropod biomass; as humidity increased biomass decreased (r = -0.44, P = 0.004). We failed to detect any relationships between deciduous foliage (surface area and weight) and arthropod biomass or abundance. However, both arthropod abundance (r = 0.30, P = 0.06) and …

A Comparison Of Presettlement Vegetation And Fire Regimes With Current Patterns In Oak Woodlands And Shrublands Of Sw Oregon, Patricia S. Muir Dr., Paul Hosten Dr.

JFSP Research Project Reports

Fuel reduction efforts on BLM lands in southwestern Oregon are motivated by the need to reduce fire hazard and restore and rehabilitate ecosystems. Successful ecosystem restoration depends, in part, on understanding the target: what ecosystem model is considered natural and healthy for a given area? Oak (Quercus garryana) woodlands and shrublands are two of the most characteristic ecosystems in interior valleys of southwest Oregon, and extensive acreages within these systems are treated annually for fuel reduction. However, these are also two of the least understood ecosystems in the region. We know little about their presettlement attributes, responses to disturbance, or …

An Internet Based Portal For Fire Science And Management In The Southern Region

JFSP Research Project Reports

Task 1 – Organize a technical advisory team and host an initial workshop to explore methods for integrating FRAMES, TTRS, and ESFS websites.

Task 2 – Identify and acquire data, tools, and publications from funded JFSP and NFP projects working with the JFSP and NFP project databases and principal investigators. Also, when possible identify and acquire data and tools used and created by others in the wildland fire community including state agencies, educational institutions, and non-governmental organizations.

Task 3 – Develop and post online FGDC metadata records for all datasets from funded JFSP and NFP projects as well as key …

Influence Of Nutrient Availability, Stand Age, And Canopy Structure On Isoprene Flux In A Eucalyptus Saligna Experimental Forest, Jennifer L. Funk, Christian P. Giardina, Alexander Knohl, Manuel T. Lerdau

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Eucalyptus plantations occupy approximately 10 million ha of land in the tropics and, increasingly, afforestation and reforestation projects are relying on this genus to provide rapid occupation of degraded sites, large quantities of high-quality wood products, and high rates of carbon sequestration. Members of the genus Eucalyptus are also very high emitters of isoprene, the dominant volatile organic compound emitted by trees in tropical ecosystems, which significantly influences the oxidative capacity of the atmosphere. While fertilization growth response of these trees has been intensively studied, little is known about how fertilization and tree age alter isoprene production from plantations of …

Five Years Of Change In An Old-Growth Pine-Hardwood Remnant In Ashley County, Arkansas, Don C. Bragg

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

The Levi Wilcoxon Demonstration Forest near Hamburg, Arkansas is an industrially-owned remnant of old-growth pine and hardwoods. Some of the loblolly (Pinus taeda L.)and shortleaf (Pinus echinata Mill.)pine in this stand are over 200 years old, and numerous individuals exceed 90 cm in diameter and 30 m in height. A2000 survey of a portion of this tract found that 27 tree species contributed an average of387.5 live stems/ha and 31.8 m2 /ha of basal area. An inventory of the same plots in2006 yielded noticeable declines in density (now down to 342.5 stems/ha) and basal area (now 28.2 m2 /ha). Much …

Acidification And Nutrient Cycling, Mary Beth Adams, William T. Peterjohn, Frank S. Gilliam

Biological Sciences Faculty Research

Additions of acid anions can alter the cycling of other nutrients and elements within an ecosystem. As strong acid ions move through a forest, they may increase the concentrations of nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S) in the soil solution and stream water. Such treatments also may increase or decrease the availability of other anions, cations and metal ions in the soil. A number of studies in Europe and North America have documented increases in base cation concentrations such as calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) with increased N and S deposition (Foster and Nicolson 1988, Feger 1992, Norton et al. 1994, …

Vegetation And Acidification, David R. Dewalle, James N. Kochenderfer, Mary Beth Adams, Gary W. Miller, Frank S. Gilliam, Frederica Wood, Stephanie S. Odenwald-Clemens, William E. Sharpe

Biological Sciences Faculty Research

In this chapter, the impact of watershed acidification treatments on WS3 at the Fernow Experimental Forest (FEF) and at WS9 on vegetation is presented and summarized in a comprehensive way for the first time. WS7 is used as a vegetative reference basin for WS3, while untreated plots within WS9 are used as a vegetative reference for WS9. Bioindicators of acidification impacts that will be considered include several measures of tree and stand growth rates, foliar chemistry, bolewood chemistry, and herbaceous species composition and diversity. These studies enhance our understanding of the inter-relationships of changes in soil conditions caused by the …

Soil Chemical Response To Experimental Acidification Treatments, Mary Beth Adams, David R. Dewalle, William T. Peterjohn, Frank S. Gilliam, William E. Sharpe, Karl W.J. Williard

Biological Sciences Faculty Research

One of the conclusions reached during the Congressionally mandated National Acid Precipitation Program (NAPAP) was that, compared to ozone and other stress factors, the direct effects of acidic deposition on forest health and productivity were likely to be relatively minor. However, the report also concluded “the possibility of long-term (several decades) adverse effects on some soils appears realistic” (Barnard et al. 1990). Possible mechanisms for these long-term effects include: (1) accelerated leaching of base cations from soils and foliage, (2) increased mobilization of aluminum (Al) and other metals such as manganese (Mn), (3) inhibition of soil biological processes, including organic …

A Physiological Examination Of The Age-Related Decline In Photosynthesis In Picea Rubens, Stephanie L. Adams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Numerous conifer species undergo predictable age-related changes in productivity, photosynthesis and foliar morphology and anatomy. While these phenomena have been demonstrated for many species, the physiological mechanisms controlling them are not well understood. In order to better understand this issue, we examined four possible controls of the age-related decline in photosynthesis in red spruce: stomatal limitation, a decline in investment into photosynthetic capacity, nutrient limitations and a demand-side decline in sink: source relations. We investigated these age-related trends in physiology for juvenile, mid-age and old (mean age ~13, ~54 and ~128 years old) red spruce trees in a multi-cohort stand …

Regeneration Strategies Of Japanese Barberry (Berberis Thunbergii Dc.) In Coastal Forests Of Maine, Jennifer D'Appollonio

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii DC.) has become invasive in forests of the northeast since its U.S. introduction as an ornamental shrub in 1875. This non-native invasive species can occupy a wide range of environmental conditions, has a longer growing season than most native species, multiple methods of reproduction, and forms thickets under which few other plants can persist. Effective control strategies and management of invaded forest stands would be improved by knowledge of how Japanese barberry regenerates in the forest, whether it forms a seed bank, and to what extent it impacts other plant species. This study focused on the …

Soil Community Structure And Litter Decomposition Under Irrigated Eucalyptus Globulus In South Western Australia, Derek J. Swarts

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Plantations provide a range of benefits, including the potential to ameliorate salinity and soil erosion, enhance biodiversity, and provide timber and wood chips. They are increasingly important because of their role in carbon sequestration (Adolphson, 2000; Anonymous, 2005; Jones et al. , 2005; Kozlowski, 2002; Paul and Polglase, 2004). Recent research has highlighted the connection between plantation health and soil fertility (Johnston and Crossley Jr, 2002). Within an Australian context there is little published data on the composition of the soil and litter fauna and their contribution to litter decomposition under plantation systems (Adolphson, 2000). The Albany Effluent Irrigated Tree …