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Full-Text Articles in Forest Sciences
Designing A Serious Game To Simulate Ecological Processes On A Post-Eruption Mount St. Helens Landscape, Parker Maynard
Designing A Serious Game To Simulate Ecological Processes On A Post-Eruption Mount St. Helens Landscape, Parker Maynard
Masters Theses
Developing strategies to successfully manage landscapes to meet ecological, economic, and social goals is an increasing concern in a world experiencing anthropogenic global changes. The 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens in Washington state provided a major learning opportunity in managing resource effectively after a major disturbance. This information is explored through Resilience: After The Eruption: a serious game developed as part of this thesis that synthesizes research about ecological recovery and resource management following the eruption of Mount St. Helens. The digital game allows players to take on the role of four different stakeholders performing landscape-based operations while …
Environmental Biology Masters Capstone, Antonio Gonzalez-Pita
Environmental Biology Masters Capstone, Antonio Gonzalez-Pita
Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)
Human wildlife interactions (HWI) pose a complex challenge for wildlife managers. Human encroachment into wildlife habitat and the growing number of outdoor recreationists are increasing the frequency of contact and conflict, especially in regions such as the Front Range of Colorado. Geographic information systems (GIS), which use a combination of remote sensing and environmental survey data, allow for predictive spatial analyses of where human wildlife interactions are likely to occur. I used publicly reported observations of moose to create spatial predictive maps in a species distribution model framework. Slope and elevation were shown to be the strongest predictors of HWI, …
Is Context Dependency Imperative To Understanding The Impacts Of Invasive Plants?, Brendan B. Haile
Is Context Dependency Imperative To Understanding The Impacts Of Invasive Plants?, Brendan B. Haile
Masters Theses
Introduced exotic species have a tendency to become invasive and impact local biological communities. Invasions often impact community attributes such as cover and species richness, but these factors may also regulate patterns of invasion. In such cases, impacts may be dependent on the invasion context. We used data from the Buell-Small Succession Study, a long-term permanent plot study in the piedmont region of New Jersey, to document context dependency in invasion. To do this, we analyzed the factors that affected the colonization and growth of four invasive species, Alliaria petiolata, Lonicera japonica, Microstegium vimineum and Rosa multiflora, as well …
Investigating The Ecology Of A Rare Species On St. John, Usvi: Reintroducing Solanum Conocarpum In Light Of Climate Change, Cecilia Rogers
Investigating The Ecology Of A Rare Species On St. John, Usvi: Reintroducing Solanum Conocarpum In Light Of Climate Change, Cecilia Rogers
Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019
Approximately two thirds of St. John is National Park territory. However, the land has been threatened with tourism and development, greatly impacting island biodiversity. One species that may become extinct due to this degradation is Solanum conocarpum. S. conocarpum is a rare shrub, endemic to the dry tropical forests of St. John, USVI. This plant is a species of conservation concern and is one of very few native and endemic plants on this island. Very little is known about the ecology and reproduction of S. conocarpum. Most plants are found on the southern half of the island. Recent observations …
Experimental Greenhouse And Field Trials On American Ginseng, Panax Quinquefolium: Implications For Restoration In Appalachia, Emily Thyroff
Experimental Greenhouse And Field Trials On American Ginseng, Panax Quinquefolium: Implications For Restoration In Appalachia, Emily Thyroff
Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019
Panax quinquefolium, American ginseng, is one of the more valuable non-timber forest products, NTFPs, providing economic, cultural, and ecological ecosystem services in forests. Although ginseng has a broad distribution range, it is not abundant anywhere due to overharvesting and deer browse. This study included experimental field and greenhouse trials to determine optimal growing conditions given inconsistencies regarding aspect and soil. Three soil series and two aspects (represented by soil moisture in the greenhouse) were manipulated in a factorial design. We hypothesized that there would be significant differences in ginseng performance (germination, survival, leaf area, and height) due to soil and …
Provisioning And Its Effects On The Social Interactions Of Tibetan Macaques (Macaca Thibetana) At Mt. Huangshan, China, Brianna I. Schnepel
Provisioning And Its Effects On The Social Interactions Of Tibetan Macaques (Macaca Thibetana) At Mt. Huangshan, China, Brianna I. Schnepel
All Master's Theses
The dispersal patterns of food resources has a significant effect on the composition of primate groups and social interactions within those groups. Humans often alter the dispersal of food. Non-humans often use affiliative behaviors to elicit tolerance or support from other group members. I investigated whether provisioned food resources alter the social interactions and group dynamics of Macaca thibetana. All-occurrence sampling and scan sampling were used for data recorded by camera traps. Trail-cameras were placed at six locations that contain natural and human food resources and recorded 60-second videos. Social behavior and proximity of the monkeys were recorded. I …
Quantifying Carbon Allocation To Mycorrhizal Fungi By Temperate Forest Tree Species Across A Nitrogen Availability Gradient, Shersingh Joseph Tumber-Davila
Quantifying Carbon Allocation To Mycorrhizal Fungi By Temperate Forest Tree Species Across A Nitrogen Availability Gradient, Shersingh Joseph Tumber-Davila
Honors Theses and Capstones
Terrestrial ecosystems make up the largest carbon pool with a major portion of that being forests. With carbon being a major concern due to global climate change, being able to make accurate models is increasingly important. Studies have shown that trees may allocate up to 50% of their photosynthetically fixed carbon underground; however these values haven’t been accurately quantified and underground carbon allocation has been historically overlooked. Mycorrhizal fungi may be a large portion of underground carbon allocation, as they have a symbiotic relationship with trees where they provide the plant with water and nutrients in return for sugars (carbon). …
Effects Of Diameter-Limit And Two-Age Timber Harvesting On Songbird Populations On An Industrial Forest In Central West Virginia, Cathy Ann Weakland
Effects Of Diameter-Limit And Two-Age Timber Harvesting On Songbird Populations On An Industrial Forest In Central West Virginia, Cathy Ann Weakland
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
Many studies examining forest fragmentation effects on songbirds have been conducted in landscapes significantly altered by urbanization or agriculturalization rather than forested landscapes. There is some evidence that forest fragmentation due to timber harvesting has different effects on bird abundance than fragmentation from other land uses. It is unknown how songbirds respond to different forms of timber harvesting as fragmentation events. Also, it is unclear if microhabitat-level or landscape-level characteristics are more important predictors of breeding bird occurrence in the central Appalachians. The objectives of my study were to determine the short-term effects of diameter-limit and two-age timber harvesting on …