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Theses/Dissertations

2020

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Full-Text Articles in Forest Sciences

The Future Of Maine's Forests Under Alternative Socioeconomic, Climate And Conservation Pathways, Jianheng Zhao Dec 2020

The Future Of Maine's Forests Under Alternative Socioeconomic, Climate And Conservation Pathways, Jianheng Zhao

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Maine is a historically important timber supply region in North America and understanding the potential change in forestlands and their product industries affected by climate change and various socio-economic conditions can better improve the forest healthy and sustain a sustainable product industry. A statistical harvest choice model for the state of Maine was developed in chapter 1. It was estimated using a multinomial logit model of two products, under varying management intensities, and ownership classifications across varying market conditions. Results indicate that stumpage prices have a significant effect on forest landowners' harvest decisions and that the expansion of conservation land …

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Variation In Personality Among Semi-Wild Myanmar Timber Elephants, Sateesh Venkatesh Dec 2020

Variation In Personality Among Semi-Wild Myanmar Timber Elephants, Sateesh Venkatesh

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines two personality traits: exploration and neophobia, which could influence human-elephant conflicts. Thirty-one semi-wild elephants were tested over two trials using a custom novel puzzle tube containing three tasks and three rewards. Our studies show that elephants do vary significantly between individuals in both exploration and neophobia.

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Microsite Requirements For Successful Regeneration In Lowland Northern White-Cedar (Thuja Occidentalis) Forests, Jeanette Allogio Dec 2020

Microsite Requirements For Successful Regeneration In Lowland Northern White-Cedar (Thuja Occidentalis) Forests, Jeanette Allogio

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Declines in stands of northern white-cedar (Thuja occidentalis L., hereafter cedar) have been observed as both shifts in species composition and reductions in cedar densities, particularly those stands in lowland sites (Curtis 1946, Boulfroy 2012). While several factors inhibiting cedar regeneration have been identified, a thorough understanding of the conditions that best promote regeneration is lacking. Our objectives for the first chapter were to characterize the site conditions associated with successful regeneration in lowland cedar stands and to describe how spatial patterns of various cedar size classes relate to site preference and to regeneration dynamics. These objectives were achieved …

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Root Phosphomonoesterase As A Vital Component Of Increasing Phosphorus Availability In Tropical Forests, Kristine Grace Manno Cabugao Dec 2020

Root Phosphomonoesterase As A Vital Component Of Increasing Phosphorus Availability In Tropical Forests, Kristine Grace Manno Cabugao

Doctoral Dissertations

Tropical forests, relative to other terrestrial ecosystems, exchange the largest amount of carbon with the atmosphere and also constitute a significant carbon sink. However, nutrient limitation, particularly of phosphorus (P), could limit growth of tropical forests and their function with the global carbon cycle. Thus, understanding root mechanisms to acquire P is necessary to representing the P cycle and corresponding interactions with plant growth. A large portion of total soil P in tropical forests occurs in organic forms, only accessible through root and microbial production of phosphatase enzymes. These phosphatase enzymes mineralize organic P into orthophosphate, the form of P …

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From Drones To Soil Cores: Comprehensive Ecological Assessments For Enhancing Conservation Management Of Urban Forested Natural Areas, Mia T. Wavrek Dec 2020

From Drones To Soil Cores: Comprehensive Ecological Assessments For Enhancing Conservation Management Of Urban Forested Natural Areas, Mia T. Wavrek

Masters Theses

Urban natural areas are vegetated areas within cities that exhibit characteristics of non-urban natural areas in that they have relatively high levels of self-regulation (low or no level of management) of natural ecosystem processes and exhibit high taxonomic, genetic, and structural diversity. When these areas take the form of urban parkland, they are often managed for their social benefits to urban residents, while their ecological potential remains underutilized. Growing interest in enhancing biodiversity conservation in cities has highlighted the importance of improving the ecological planning and management of urban natural areas, particularly forested natural areas. For the variety of agencies …

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Conservation Of Terrestrial Salamanders Through Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Management In Eastern Hemlock Forests Within Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Jonathan Lawrence Cox Dec 2020

Conservation Of Terrestrial Salamanders Through Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Management In Eastern Hemlock Forests Within Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Jonathan Lawrence Cox

Masters Theses

Hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae; HWA), an invasive aphid-like arthropod, was first documented on the east coast of the United States in the 1950s. HWA is an herbivore which primarily feeds at the needle base of hemlock tree species (Pinaceae: Tsuga). With no evolutionary defenses and few biotic controls, the eastern and Carolina hemlock (Tsuga canadensis and Tsuga carolinensis) serve as the primary diet of HWA in eastern North America. The invasive pest began to spread rapidly throughout the hemlock’s range causing defoliation and death of the trees within 4 – 10 years. With the …

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Past, Current, And Future Potential Distributions Of Red Spruce And Fraser Fir Forests In The Southern Appalachians: Interpreting Possible Impacts Of Climate Change, Danika Mosher Dec 2020

Past, Current, And Future Potential Distributions Of Red Spruce And Fraser Fir Forests In The Southern Appalachians: Interpreting Possible Impacts Of Climate Change, Danika Mosher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Spruce-Fir forests are relicts from the Pleistocene and can only be found within the Southern Appalachians. Analyzing the relationships between species distribution, climatic parameters, topography, and biotic interactions through ecological niche modeling creates prediction maps for conservation efforts. Maxent, Boosted Regression, and Random Forest were utilized to compare which model and variable combinations best approximate the unique mountain forest environment. Maxent with a bias file produced optimal results and was used to examine distributional changes that may occur in the future and how these changes compare to paleo-environmental distributions. Fraser fir has shown evidence of being influenced by changing climates …

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Assessment Of Factors Influencing Migratory Landbird Use Of Forested Stopover Sites Along The Delmarva Peninsula During Autumn Migration, J. Andrew Arnold Dec 2020

Assessment Of Factors Influencing Migratory Landbird Use Of Forested Stopover Sites Along The Delmarva Peninsula During Autumn Migration, J. Andrew Arnold

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Autumn migration is a time when billions of birds move from breeding grounds in North America to wintering grounds in Central and South America, with many individuals relying on stopover habitats en route for resting and refueling purposes. These stopover sites are critical to the survival of the hundreds of species of migratory landbirds that migrate annually, and thus identifying important stopover sites is a high priority for conserving such taxa. The Delmarva Peninsula; a coastal region of Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia along the mid-Atlantic flyway; consists of forested habitats with ample food and shelter that likely serves as quality …

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Discerning Competitive Vs. Facilitative Relationships Of Weeds On Forest Restoration Efforts At La Sal Del Rey, Tx, Mylen A. Arias Dec 2020

Discerning Competitive Vs. Facilitative Relationships Of Weeds On Forest Restoration Efforts At La Sal Del Rey, Tx, Mylen A. Arias

Theses and Dissertations

Dryland ecosystems need effective restoration strategies to address severe degradation. It is often assumed that voluntary forb weeds either compete with or have no effect on native seedlings. In contrast, theory and empirical work suggest a potential facilitative role for such forb weeds. We conducted a manipulative weed exclusion experiment at a semi-arid site in South Texas targeted for large scale forest restoration and subsequently dominated by early successional forb weeds to discern the net effect of these weeds on the growth and survival of target thornscrub tree and shrub seedlings. Overall, weed presence did not significantly affect seedling mortality …

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Native Plant Allelopathy: A Potential Approach To Limit Invasive Grass Encroachment In Thorn Forest Restoration, Emily A. Mullins Dec 2020

Native Plant Allelopathy: A Potential Approach To Limit Invasive Grass Encroachment In Thorn Forest Restoration, Emily A. Mullins

Theses and Dissertations

Less than 5% of the Tamaulipan thorn forest remains in the United States. For this reason, there have been many attempts at restoration of this ecosystem. Oftentimes these attempts are unsuccessful due to the high prevalence of invasive African grasses that outcompete the seedlings. In an effort to improve the efficacy of these restoration efforts, native plant allelopathy has been examined for its ability to exclude invasive guineagrass. Native species were surveyed and selected species were tested for allelopathy in laboratory bioassays. The species that exhibited allelopathy in the laboratory were then evaluated in pot experiments for their ability to …

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Inoculum Potential Of Pinus Edulis-Associated Ectomycorrhizal Fungi Across A Forest Extirpation Chronosequence, Annie M. Montes Nov 2020

Inoculum Potential Of Pinus Edulis-Associated Ectomycorrhizal Fungi Across A Forest Extirpation Chronosequence, Annie M. Montes

Biology ETDs

Few studies have examined inoculum potential of ectomycorrhizal fungi (EMF) in the absence of plant hosts, yet persistence of these fungi may be paramount to resilience of Pinus edulis and other mycorrhizal plant species. We conducted a study in which seven sites were selected in northwestern New Mexico with known dates of P. edulis extirpation and a lack of regeneration. Age classes included: two sites extirpated 10-20 years ago, two extirpated 55-65 years ago, two extirpated 500+ years ago, and one extirpated 11,000+ years ago. At each site, two plots were paired: an extirpated plot and the nearest live adult …

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Airborne Hyperspectral Data Application In Stress Detection Of Blueberry Fields And Ash Trees, Catherine Chan Aug 2020

Airborne Hyperspectral Data Application In Stress Detection Of Blueberry Fields And Ash Trees, Catherine Chan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Water management and irrigation practices are persistent challenges for many agricultural systems. Changing seasonal and weather patterns impose a greater need for understanding crop deficiencies and excesses (e.g. water, sunlight, nutrients) for optimal growth while allocating proper resources for prompt response. The wild blueberry industry is at heightened susceptibility due to its unique growing conditions and uncultivated nature. Early detection of stress in agricultural fields can prompt management responses to mitigate detrimental conditions including drought and disease. Remote sensing has provided timely and reliable information covering large spatial extents, while novel applications in hyperspectral data and imaging spectroscopy have shown …

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Fostering Climate Change Resilience: A Socio-Ecological Forest Systems Approach, Alyssa R. Soucy Aug 2020

Fostering Climate Change Resilience: A Socio-Ecological Forest Systems Approach, Alyssa R. Soucy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As climate change continues to impact socio-ecological systems, those that rely on natural resources are highly sensitive to climatic changes. Maine’s forest industry provides for the economic and social well-being of many residents and is especially vulnerable to climate change impacts. Changes in growing season length and timing, forest health threats imposed by insects and pathogens, extreme weather events, shifting forest composition, and changes in natural disturbance severity and frequency have already begun, and are projected to continue, to impact forest systems in the Northeastern U.S. While climate change presents a threat to forest systems, opportunities also arise due to …

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Foliage Type Controls Mercury Input, Storage, And Release In The Boreal Forest, Madelaine J R Anderson Aug 2020

Foliage Type Controls Mercury Input, Storage, And Release In The Boreal Forest, Madelaine J R Anderson

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Mercury (Hg) is a naturally occurring element with a complex biogeochemical cycle. Forests act as net sinks for both carbon (C) and Hg as foliage accumulates Hg with time. Litterfall represents a main input of C and Hg into forest soils. My aim was to investigate how foliage type (coniferous, deciduous) governs the input of Hg into forests with a field-based study that measured Hg accumulation over a growing season, and then investigate the storage and release of Hg from foliar tissues into soil with a laboratory-based incubation experiment. Results from the field-based study demonstrate deciduous leaves have more linear …

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Exploring The Social Effects Of Increased Hiker Use At The Northern Terminus Of The Appalachian Trail, Leah Beck Aug 2020

Exploring The Social Effects Of Increased Hiker Use At The Northern Terminus Of The Appalachian Trail, Leah Beck

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The increase of tourism and outdoor recreation popularity has produced a field of research revolved around the social and environmental impacts of visitors. Past research has shown that understanding visitor use and behavior is essential for influencing management strategies. This study focused on understanding the crowding perceptions and experiences of hikers who summit Maine’s tallest mountain, Mount Katahdin. Katahdin is designated as the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail (AT) which has seen a notable increase in use from long distance hikers in the last 25 years. Increased long-distance AT hikers, and documented issues with hiker behavior in Baxter State …

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The Influence Of Environmental Variables On The Height Growth Of Loblolly Pine (Pinus Taeda) In The Western Gulf, Osakpamwan Edo-Iyasere Aug 2020

The Influence Of Environmental Variables On The Height Growth Of Loblolly Pine (Pinus Taeda) In The Western Gulf, Osakpamwan Edo-Iyasere

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Understanding the effects of environmental factors on stand growth is important in optimizing forest management plans. This study investigated the effects of soil and climate factors on the height growth (site index) of loblolly pine (Pinus Taeda L.) using data collected from permanent plots established in intensively-managed plantations across East Texas and Western Louisiana. The Chapman-Richards model was selected as the base model to describe the height-age relationships and important soil and climate variables were incorporated into the models as model parameter coefficient adjustors. Our results showed that the most important factors for predicting site index were nitrogen …

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The Impacts Of Prescribed Burning And Mechanical Thinning On Insect Communities In The Arkansas Ozarks, Aaron P. Tormanen Aug 2020

The Impacts Of Prescribed Burning And Mechanical Thinning On Insect Communities In The Arkansas Ozarks, Aaron P. Tormanen

Theses and Dissertations from 2020

Insects are important in woodland ecosystems due to their role as pollinators and as prey for bats. My research investigated the relationships between forest management, vegetation, and insects in the Ozark National Forest in Arkansas. I selected 30 stands burned at varying frequencies in the last 12 years. Twelve of these stands were burned and mechanically thinned, 12 were only burned, and 6 were untreated. I deployed blacklight traps and malaise traps in each stand monthly from mid-March to mid- November 2019. Over 42,391 insects were collected, and Lepidoptera was the most abundant order. Insects were dried, weighed, and identified …

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Carbon Sequestration In A Restored West Michigan Oak Savanna: Implications For Management Practices, Jeffrey A. Heise Aug 2020

Carbon Sequestration In A Restored West Michigan Oak Savanna: Implications For Management Practices, Jeffrey A. Heise

Masters Theses

The savanna system is an ecosystem (i.e. a transitional ecosystem) that lies between forest and grassland ecosystems. They occur across the world in various forms, but in the North American Midwest they are specifically oak savannas: systems where the open overstory is dominated by various species of oak (Quercus spp.) and the understory consists of carbon-rich prairie grasses and forbs. This ecosystem is a highly degraded ecosystem and has lost almost 99% of its former range due to agriculture and fire suppression. Since savannas are fire-evolved systems, they are maintained by and require fire as a regular disturbance to …

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Optimizing Species Selection For Forest Restoration In The Lower Rio Grande Valley, Faeqa Mohsin Aug 2020

Optimizing Species Selection For Forest Restoration In The Lower Rio Grande Valley, Faeqa Mohsin

Theses and Dissertations

Over the past four decades, the Lower Rio Grande Valley has been reforested with over 3.3 million native thornscrub plants in old agricultural land through transplanting native species. However, assessments of LRGV forest restoration efforts are scarce, and to address the knowledge gap, this study examined species-specific responses to restoration interventions (RIs) aimed at minimizing seedling mortality for optimizing species selection. A critical period for forest restoration in old croplands is the seedling stage, where high mortality occurs due to the interactive effects of abiotic stress, compromised soil nutrient status from intensive agriculture, and mammalian herbivory. So, we evaluated seedling …

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Variability In Historical Fire Patterns Of A Moist Mixed-Conifer Forest In The Northern Blue Mountains Of Oregon, Laura Marie Platt Jul 2020

Variability In Historical Fire Patterns Of A Moist Mixed-Conifer Forest In The Northern Blue Mountains Of Oregon, Laura Marie Platt

Dissertations and Theses

High variability in historical fire patterns characteristic to mixed-severity fire regimes is expected to have contributed to a structurally heterogeneous landscape throughout much of the forested ecosystems of the western United States. After more than a hundred years of fire exclusion in the region, many forests have shifted to a more homogeneous structure, which raises concern regarding these forests' ability to sustain expected increases in fire activity with a warming climate. The shift is not uniform across the west, however, and differences in historical disturbance patterns and changes due to land management are not well characterized in forests across a …

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Interacting Effects Of Climate And Biotic Factors On Mesocarnivore Distribution And Snowshoe Hare Demography Along The Boreal-Temperate Ecotone, Alexej P. Siren Jul 2020

Interacting Effects Of Climate And Biotic Factors On Mesocarnivore Distribution And Snowshoe Hare Demography Along The Boreal-Temperate Ecotone, Alexej P. Siren

Doctoral Dissertations

The motivation of my dissertation research was to understand the influence of climate and biotic factors on range limits with a focus on winter-adapted species, including the Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis), American marten (Martes americana), and snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus). I investigated range dynamics along the boreal-temperate ecotone of the northeastern US. Through an integrative literature review, I developed a theoretical framework building from existing thinking on range limits and ecological theory. I used this theory for my second chapter to evaluate direct and indirect causes of carnivore range limits in the northeastern US, …

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The Ecological Value Of Spruce Plantations In Massachusetts, Calvin Ritter Jul 2020

The Ecological Value Of Spruce Plantations In Massachusetts, Calvin Ritter

Masters Theses

The establishment of monoculture plantations of exotic tree species is common practice for supplementing native timber stocks. Such plantations typically provide inferior habitat for wildlife compared to native forest, which may result in a net reduction in biodiversity. However, some studies report that plantations may increase net biodiversity at the landscape scale by introducing novel habitats or supplementing existing natural forests. Using point count surveys, I examined six mature Norway spruce (Picea abies) plantations in western Massachusetts in 2016 and 2017 to evaluate bird use of these habitats relative to native forest stands. Count data were analyzed using …

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Floodplain Forest Regeneration Dynamics In The Lower Mississippi River Alluvial Valley, Whitney Anne Kroschel Jul 2020

Floodplain Forest Regeneration Dynamics In The Lower Mississippi River Alluvial Valley, Whitney Anne Kroschel

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Floodplain forest species diversity is driven, in part, by variation in disturbance regime. Flood patterns create heterogeneity in microsite quality from small differences in elevation across a floodplain which, in turn, influence flood timing and duration. Differences in species’ regeneration niches in relation to hydrologic patterns can account for long-term coexistence of various species. In the past century floodplain forests have exhibited a wide range of changes in stand development and species composition as a result of altered hydrology in rivers and floodplains. I evaluated the role of regeneration in floodplain forest systems of the Lower Mississippi River Alluvial Valley …

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A Framework For Incorporating Benefits From Urban Forests Into Planning For Livable Cities: A Case Study Of Forest Park, Carole Hardy Jul 2020

A Framework For Incorporating Benefits From Urban Forests Into Planning For Livable Cities: A Case Study Of Forest Park, Carole Hardy

Environmental Science and Management Professional Master's Project Reports

Urban forests provide an escape from the noise and chaos of cities. Other services can be overlooked and under-valued. Urban forests cool and filter the air, sequester carbon, filter water removing toxins and sediments from urban runoff, provide habitat for wildlife and improve human health and well-being. Commonly urban forests in the United States (US) lack funds for restoration and research because there is lack of understanding of the need to actively manage what are perceived as wild lands. Generally urban forests are highly disturbed and novel ecosystems that require ongoing active management to remove invasive species, replant native species …

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Coastal Taxodium Distichum Growth Responses To Marine Influences And Stand Density, Stephanie Moothart Jun 2020

Coastal Taxodium Distichum Growth Responses To Marine Influences And Stand Density, Stephanie Moothart

LSU Master's Theses

Ecological processes controlling transition areas of coastal wetlands between marshes (not forested) and swamps (forested) are poorly understood, despite important ecosystem services provided and strong interest in managing for ecosystem structure and function. The objective of this work was to identify how soil chemistry and stand density control individual-tree growth of the important coastal species baldcypress (Taxodium distichum (L.) Rich.) and pondcypress (Taxodium distichum var. imbricarium (Nutt.) Croom) along a coastal salinity gradient. Tree cores, soil samples, and stand density measurements were collected for sixty cypress trees at the coastal Joyce Wildlife Management Area, Louisiana, which is a …

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Simulated Mine Land Reclamation Impact On Biomass Partitioning And Nutrient Contents In Loblolly Pine, Osarumen Egharevba May 2020

Simulated Mine Land Reclamation Impact On Biomass Partitioning And Nutrient Contents In Loblolly Pine, Osarumen Egharevba

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Forest productivity on reclaimed mine land is hindered by soil compaction. Different techniques have been used to alleviate the effect of compaction to various degrees of success. The Forestry Reclamation Approach (FRA) was developed in the Appalachians and has been used to improve forest productivity on reclaimed mines in this region. The FRA provides a step by step method designed to reduce compaction, control erosion, provide land stabilization and accelerate forest succession. This method had not been evaluated in the Gulf Coastal Plain, where the pan scraper reclamation method is commonly used. However, using pan scrapers increases mine soil compaction …

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The Relationship Between Forest Fires And Forest Dynamics In California’S North Coast Bioregion: How Altered Fire Regimes Have Affected The Vegetative Outcomes Of Oak Woodlands And Mixed Conifer Forests, Max Bencomo May 2020

The Relationship Between Forest Fires And Forest Dynamics In California’S North Coast Bioregion: How Altered Fire Regimes Have Affected The Vegetative Outcomes Of Oak Woodlands And Mixed Conifer Forests, Max Bencomo

Master's Projects and Capstones

Wildfire is a necessary part of ecosystem function in California, but fire suppression and the spread of invasive species have endangered many ecosystems. The North Coast bioregion of California has seen dramatic shifts in forest ecology and vegetative density, largely due to the disruption of historic fire regimes. Historic fire regimes were previously maintained through indigenous land management, but the arrival of European settlers in the 1850’s initiated the changes reflected in current fire regimes. Not only is the North Coast bioregion the hotbed of recent fire activity, it is experiencing decreased counts of heterogeneity within forests while also seeing …

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Post-Fire Changes In Interior Alaska's Vegetation Composition, Jannike E. Allen May 2020

Post-Fire Changes In Interior Alaska's Vegetation Composition, Jannike E. Allen

University Honors Theses

Global warming is altering the fire regime of interior Alaska, which may have cascading effects on the prevalence of forest types and species dominance across this region. Our objective was to investigate the relationship between vegetation composition and fire in the boreal forest of interior Alaska. We utilized data from over 700 plots sampled across the landscape designated as the Tanana region by the US Forest Service for Forest Inventory Analysis (FIA), as well as fire history records. We compared biomass and stem density of conifer and hardwood forest types, as well as individual tree species, across a gradient of …

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A Comparison Of Fuel Reduction Methods For Wildfire Risk Management And Climate Change Resiliency In Mixed Conifer Forests In The Sierra Nevada, Heather Navle May 2020

A Comparison Of Fuel Reduction Methods For Wildfire Risk Management And Climate Change Resiliency In Mixed Conifer Forests In The Sierra Nevada, Heather Navle

Master's Projects and Capstones

Wildfires in the mixed conifer forests of California’s Sierra Nevada have been a common and natural disturbance for thousands of years, historically occurring every 3 to 30 years. The flora and fauna of the mixed conifer forest have evolved to depend on low to moderate severity wildfires for reproduction, foraging, and habitat. However, the Sierra Nevada has experienced dramatic environmental changes over the past ~150 years as a result of three main factors: wildfire suppression, climate change, and habitat loss. Because of the threat wildfires pose to human lives, property and timber harvest, they have been suppressed to an extent …

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Effect Of Fire Suppression On Aquatic Invertebrates In Ephemeral Wetlands Embedded In Longleaf Pine Forests, Hailey E. Baker May 2020

Effect Of Fire Suppression On Aquatic Invertebrates In Ephemeral Wetlands Embedded In Longleaf Pine Forests, Hailey E. Baker

Honors College Theses

It has been established for many years that longleaf pine forests require the ecological disturbance of fire in order to maintain a balanced ecosystem. However, a crucial part of these forests has become nearly excluded from prescribed burning. Ephemeral wetlands embedded within longleaf pine forests are a unique and dynamic seasonal habitat that provide homes, refuge, and breeding grounds for a large array of taxa. Past research suggests that fire suppression around ephemeral wetlands is causing harm to many species of amphibians and other herpetofauna, especially threatened species like the flatwoods salamander. However, other species have not been as well …

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