Forest Sciences Commons^™

Phenology Of Asian Longhorned Beetle (Anoplophora Glabripennis, Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) In South Carolina, U.S.A., Lena Schmitt

All Theses

A new population of the Asian longhorned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis Motschulsky, hereafter ALB), an invasive species in the United States since 1996, was discovered in Charleston County, South Carolina in 2020. This population is the furthest south ALB has been found in North America and provides an opportunity to examine the phenology of this beetle in a novel climate. I collected 1009 eggs, larvae, pupae, and adult beetles from the federal quarantine zone in South Carolina and used larval head capsule widths to determine the rate of development and voltinism of ALB in South Carolina’s coastal climate. With this …

Logging In The Southeastern Us: Facing Challenges, Finding Opportunities, Shubhechchha Khadka

All Theses

The logging businesses, a crucial component of the wood supply chain, face shifting dynamics with various challenges and opportunities. Focusing on North and South Carolina, this study analyzes surveys and interviews to explore the logging business challenges and pathways to sustainable growth in the Southeastern United States.

In South Carolina, our findings indicate a shift towards more medium-sized businesses with a decrease in small and large logger, the entry of some younger loggers in the industry, and a notable rise in educational qualifications among loggers. Simultaneously, there is a decrease in the intergenerational transfer of logging businesses, coupled with escalated …

Developing Rapid Indicators To Detect Micropollutants In Coastal Blackwater Rivers In South Carolina, Lydia Winn

All Theses

Micropollutants in water sources are found in higher concentrations in areas with high levels of urban and agricultural land. These pollutants can be introduced into water sources during storms and rain events, through water treatment outputs, and commercial or residential waste. These events increase the levels of both nutrients and micropollutants in these water sources. With increasing levels of micropollutants in rivers, this study’s goal was to develop an alternative detection method or an indicator test for the levels of micropollutants in water. We first proposed the use of amicrobial fuel cell (MFCs) operating as a biosensor could be utilized …

Germination Trends Of American Chaffseed, Schwalbea Americana L., And Factors Affecting First-Year Seedling Development, Trenton Miller

All Theses

Following centuries of exploitation and fire suppression, longleaf pine systems are now the focus of many conservation efforts. Efforts to restore populations of Schwalbea americana L. in longleaf pine savannas have been met with frustratingly low recruitment. While past studies have briefly quantified germination rates for Schwalbea, there have not been any studies yet that truly investigate this plant’s germination requirements. Additionally, there has been little research into characterizing the parasitic relationship between Schwalbea and its various host species. We conducted a germination study in a growth chamber that investigated Schwalbea’s germination rate and time to germinates as …

Study Of Morphological And Physiological Properties And Pollinators Of The Invasive Callery Pear, Prabina Sharma

All Theses

Callery pear is an invasive tree in 15 states of United States and is currently present in 37 states. Its management has challenged landowners and land managers. Despite being listed as a noxious weed in four states, its study is limited. The accurate estimation of Callery pear biomass will give a clearer picture of the level of invasion and help land managers develop different strategies to control its population. Similarly, identifying possible pollinators of Callery pear is essential to have some insights on pollinators associated with this tree. Hence, the objectives of this study are 1) to calculate total above-ground …

Patterns And Drivers Of Wiregrass Gap Longleaf Pine (Pinus Palustris Mill.) Woodland Succession As Part Of Restoration Efforts, Armin Weise

All Theses

Longleaf Pine (Pinus palustris) communities are widespread throughout the Southeastern United States with a dominant understory vegetation of wiregrass (Aristida spp.) in most of its range. A small area in central South Carolina that is naturally free of wiregrass is called the “Wiregrass Gap”. Here, the understory vegetation is dominated by bluestems grasses (Andropogon spp. and Schizachyrium spp.) which drive the disturbance regime of frequent low-intensity fire. The successful establishment of these grasses is key for longleaf pine woodland restoration efforts in this region, but few resources detail the ecological drivers at play that enable successful restoration in these longleaf …

Investigation Into The Load Transfer Mechanism Of Trees To Develop An Innovative Foundation Configuration Using 3d Finite Element Modeling, Kaleb Boland

All Theses

This study was inspired by a tree’s reliance on its root system that enables it to withstand a natural disaster, such as an extreme hydroclimatic event or hurricane. This curiosity has led to an investigation into what makes this possible, developing a new and innovative foundation configuration for infrastructure systems, and a new possible construction material and method. This study provides results on a material that does not have conventional testing procedures or standards: a tree root. The trees studied are common to the upstate of South Carolina, which are Pine, Sweetgum, and White Oak. According to the results, on …

Top Down Effects And Resource Selection By Coyotes In South Carolina, Alex Jensen

All Dissertations

Top predators play important roles in functioning ecosystems, including regulating the populations of prey species and competing with other predators. However, in the face of global change, many top terrestrial predators have declined in both range and abundance, making room for some smaller predators to expand into new niches. Coyotes (Canis latrans) in North America are a prime example of this – they have rapidly expanded their range in the last 120 years, raising concerns about their impacts on both domestic and wild species. In eastern North America, research has centered around their effects on white-tailed deer ( …

Assessing Recreational User Impacts, Motivations, And Knowledge On The Spread Of Invasive Plant Species In A Managed, Multiple-Use Forest Ecosystem, Crystal Strickland

All Theses

The spread of invasive plants is ecologically and economically detrimental to native ecosystems, animals, and humans. Recreation is one factor that may influence plant dispersal. The impacts of recreation on invasive plant spread are multifaceted and include the physical act of spreading and transporting seeds and vegetation to new areas on clothes, pets, and equipment, as well as the social aspect of outreach and education. Therefore, I used a multifaceted approach to assess the impact of human trafficked areas where recreational activities frequently occur on four known invasive plant species in the Clemson Experimental Forest (CEF) in South Carolina: Microstegium …

Immediate Response Of Bats To Prescribed Fire And Impact Of Experiences On Women's Self-Image In Natural Resources Professions, Zebria Hicks

All Theses

To inform use of prescribed fire management practice in the southeastern US, we studied its impact on bats, which are important and at-risk species. We evaluated if prescribed fire had a positive, neutral, or negative effect on bat activity in the two weeks following the burns. We recorded bat activity after prescribed burns in February and March 2022 in northwestern South Carolina in select hardwood and pine stands and control sites ≥ 500 m from burn boundaries. We measured insect abundance, canopy cover, basal area, and understory density at each site. We recorded 687 passes during our 45-day study period. …

If You Give A Beetle A Maple: Anoplophora Glabripennis Habitat Selection Patterns On An Island In South Carolina, Meredith Bean

All Theses

At the epicenter of the Asian longhorned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis Motschulsky) quarantine zone in South Carolina, a small island containing an actively growing subpopulation of A. glabripennis had not completely killed its 37 host trees in 2020. Before these trees were removed and destroyed according to the USDA Eradication Program protocols, I performed an observational study to examine the microhabitat selection tendencies of the invasive A. glabripennis within this satellite infestation. After cataloging >14,000 oviposition sites and >1,600 exit holes created by A. glabripennis, I found dispersal trends according to a host’s stem status (single or multi-stemmed), vertical …

Effects Of Prescribed Fire Seasonality On Forest Structure And Bird Populations In The Southern Appalachians, Allison Melcher

All Theses

Decades of fire suppression have contributed to the loss of historical ecosystems and to the decline of wildlife populations throughout the Southern Appalachian region. Recognizing the importance of fire in enhancing habitat and wildlife diversity, forest managers in recent years have begun implementing fire as a management tool to recover traditional disturbance regimes. Most of these burns take place during the dormant season, but some research has indicated dormant season burns are not effective in restoring ecosystem heterogeneity, and there has been a push to expand the use of fire into the growing season. However, much is still unknown about …

Water Use And Nutrient Retention In Black And Red Mangroves In Southwest Florida, Haley Miller

All Theses

Eutrophication is a major threat to mangroves, exposing these ecosystems to an excess surge of nutrients from either natural or human-influenced events. In addition to causing water quality issues, this phenomenon could alter some ecosystem processes, including tree physiology. In order to understand how increased nutrients affect mangrove water use on a whole forest scale, we fertilized red (Rhizophora mangle L.) and black (Avicennia germinans [L.] L.) mangrove plots with inorganic forms of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). Sap flow data were collected over two growing seasons and one winter dry season and used to model outer sapwood …

Accounting For Soil Inorganic Carbon In The Ecosystem Services Framework For United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, Garth Raymond Groshans

All Theses

Soil inorganic carbon (SIC) is currently not included in the list of key soil properties related to ecosystem services (e.g., provisioning, regulating, cultural, and supporting services). Soil inorganic carbon is a dynamic key soil property used in soil classification, taxonomy and fertility, therefore its inclusion in the framework of ecosystem services is important. With soils rapidly changing due to human use and climate change, the soil ecosystem services framework should not include only soil organic carbon (SOC), but SIC as well since it is of global importance to soil fertility and the long-term carbon cycle, especially in semiarid and arid …

Chinese Tallow Invasion In Maritime Forests: Understand Invasion Mechanism And Develop Ecologically-Based Management, Lauren Susan Pile

All Dissertations

Invasion by highly aggressive, non-native, invasive plants is a significant threat to management and conservation priorities as these plants can transform ecosystem functions and processes. In this study, I investigated the non-native, invasive tree, Chinese tallow (Triadica sebifera (L.) Small) in the maritime forests of Parris Island, South Carolina. I studied the role of land-use history and modern forest disturbance in facilitating the invasion of Chinese tallow. I found that stands previously cleared for agriculture and reforested with slash pine (Pinus elliottii Englem.) since the 1970s had significantly more Chinese tallow stems than stands that remained forested since …

Adaptation Of Soil Judging To Northeast China, He Yun

All Theses

Soil Judging teaches students important skills for field identification of soil types, properties, and interpretations for use. The adaptation of Soil Judging in Northeast China can be beneficial to students as well as government agencies and the private sector. The objective of this study was to adapt Soil Judging to the Northeast region of China by a graduate student from China, who was trained using an undergraduate course in Soil Judging and a regional Soil Judging competition. Unlike the U.S., China has 14 soil orders, with six soil orders somewhat similar to the ones found in the Southeast region of …

Post-Hurricane Fuel Dynamics And Forest Regeneration Of Coastal Pine Stands In Southeast United States, Shanyue Guan

All Theses

Hurricanes have long been powerful and recurring disturbances in many coastal forest ecosystems. Intense hurricanes often produce a large amount of dead fuels within their affected forests, but how post-hurricane fuel complex changes with time, due to decomposition and management such as salvage, and the fire behavior affected by the changed fuel load remains largely unknown. To better understand the fuel and regeneration dynamics, field measurement and modeling were conducted within undamaged stands and hurricane damaged stands, including salvaged and unsalvaged stands in southern pine forests impacted by hurricane Hugo (1989), Opal (1995), Katrina (2005), and Ike (2008). We found …

Ecohydrological Function Of Lower Coastal Plain Bioretention Cells In South Carolina, Jessica Palazzolo

All Theses

Flooding and stormwater control is a critical issue in coastal South Carolina because of shallow water table elevation, topography and rapid urbanization in the region. A best management practice (BMP) using low impact design (LID) principles known as a bioretention cell (BRC) is gaining popularity for stormwater management. Five BRCs in four landscape positions (well-drained uplands, tidal-proximal, poorly-drained-uplands, and floodplain) were instrumented for microclimate, soil moisture, and water table elevation for hydraulic efficiency and for water quality measurements. Three BRCs did not have an overflow outlets, one BRC (floodplain) employed an underdrain system, and one BRC (tidal proximal) had an …

Growth Responses Of Genetically Improved Open Pollenated, Full-Sibling, And Clonal Loblolly Pine To The FlexstandTm Silvicultural System, Patrick Ma

All Theses

ABSTRACT Loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) is often listed as the most commercially important timber species in the southeastern United States and is subject to genetic improvement via breeding programs to increase sawtimber yield, stem quality, and disease resistance. ArborGen has trademarked the FlexStand^TM Silvicultural System (a method of interplanting rows of genetically improved trees with less expensive biomass trees) as a more economical solution to growing Loblolly pine. Two studies were conducted to in order to assess the FlexStand^TM Silvicultural System. The first study assessed seedling mortality and growth of four different genetic combinations were assessed in the …

Use Of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (Uav) For Urban Tree Inventories, Brian Ritter

All Theses

In contrast to standard aerial imagery, unmanned aerial systems (UAS) utilize recent technological advances to provide an affordable alternative for imagery acquisition. Increased value can be realized through clarity and detail providing higher resolution (2-5 cm) over traditional products. Many natural resource disciplines such as urban forestry will benefit from UAS. Tree inventories for risk assessment, biodiversity, planning, and design can be efficiently achieved with the UAS. Recent advances in photogrammetric processing have proved automated methods for three dimensional rendering of aerial imagery. Point clouds can be generated from images providing additional benefits. Association of spatial locational information within the …

Socioeconomic Indicators Of Family Forest Owner Use Of Federal Income Tax Provisions, John Hatcher

All Dissertations

Family forest owners control a majority of the South's forest land and nearly half of its growing stock. These owners are a diverse group with widely varied objectives for ownership and management. Many family forest owners manage their holdings for timber production objectives and thus, are concerned with issues such as reforestation incentives and tax treatment of timber revenues. Their actual knowledge of the tax aspects of timber management varies, with some owners unaware of the federal income tax provisions that apply to timber. This study uses econometric techniques to establish socioeconomic predictors of family forest owner use of seven …

Comparing Mechanical Mastication, Herbicide Application, And Prescribed Fire Within An Established Longleaf Pine (Pinus Palustris Mill.) Ecosystem, Brett Moule

All Dissertations

Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) forests once dominated the landscape throughout the Southeast and much of its success could be attributed to ecological disturbances such as fire. However, the use of fire as a management tool may be at risk due to a growing human population, negative impacts resulting from smoke production, and the imposition of restrictive federal and state laws, policies, and standards. This study was designed to determine whether alternative silviculture treatments such as herbicide or mechanical mastication can be used as surrogates to prescribed fire. We applied three commonly used silviculture treatments (prescribed burning, mechanical mastication, …

Temporal Analysis Of Field, Ssurgo, And Lidar Derived Site Indices In The Southeastern U.S., Steven Ham

All Theses

Sustainable forest management requires accurate information about site index (SI, tree height at a base age). The objectives of this study were to compare site indices from field inventory data (2008-2009), Soil Survey Geographic Database (SSURGO), and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR, 2008), and to determine the uncertainty in the site indices from the southern part of the Clemson Experimental Forest. When LiDAR derived analysis were used to compare to SSURGO there were statistical differences for site indices for all of the tree species in this study: loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), scarlet oak (Quercus coccinea), shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata), white …

Fuel Dynamics In Southern Pine Beetle-Killed Stands And Their Implication To Fire Behavior, Jennifer Evans

All Theses

The increase in both southern pine beetle (SPB) (Dendroctonus frontalis Zimm) outbreak and wildfire occurrence in recent decades has resulted in a growing concern regarding possible interactions. Few studies have quantified fuel characteristics of SPB-killed stands, and none has studied the dynamics of this fuel complex over time. Moreover, how changes in these fuels affect fire behavior remains unknown. To address this lack of empirical data, field measurements and modeling were combined to study fuel dynamics and potential fire behavior within control and post-outbreak loblolly pine-dominated forest stands across a chronosequence ranging from 0 to 8 years since outbreak. Fuels …

Developing Silvicultural Protocols For Longleaf Pine (PinusPalustris) Restoration In Loblolly Pine (P. Taeda ) Stands, Benjamin Knapp

All Dissertations

Throughout the southeastern United States, upland pine sites that were once dominated by longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) have been converted to faster growing species such as loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.). This study was designed to determine optimal silvicultural techniques for restoring longleaf pine in existing loblolly pine stands while retaining canopy trees and enhancing desirable characteristics of the ground layer vegetation. We applied seven harvesting treatments to six loblolly pine stands at Fort Benning, GA, with treatments including four that created uniform canopy distribution (Control: uncut, with basal area > 14 m2/ha; MedBA: residual basal area of ~ 9 …

Sassafras Tea: Using A Traditional Method Of Preparation To Reduce The Carcinogenic Compound Safrole, Kate Cummings

All Theses

The purpose of this research is to quantify the carcinogenic compound safrole in the traditional preparation method of making sassafras tea from the root of Sassafras albidum. The traditional method investigated was typical of preparation by members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and other Appalachian peoples. Sassafras is a tree common to the eastern coast of the United States, especially in the mountainous regions. Historically and continuing until today, roots of the tree are used to prepare fragrant teas and syrups. These traditional uses can be found across cultures throughout its range. Products made from sassafras are banned …

Effects Of Canopy And Cultural Treatments On Fine Fuel Production, Fire Behavior, And Short-Term Fire Effects In Loblolly Pine (>I/I< L.) Stands Being Restored To Longleaf Pine (>I/I< Mill.), Carsyn Tennant

All Theses

Across the southeastern United States, anthropogenic factors such as land conversion and fire suppression have resulted in the prevalence of loblolly pine in areas historically occupied by longleaf pine. Compared to longleaf pine forests, loblolly stands often contain a substantial broad-leaved midstory and lack the ground layer that contributes fuels essential for the frequent, low intensity surface fire regime necessary to sustain the longleaf ecosystem. Currently, there is considerable interest in restoring longleaf pine habitats to areas occupied by loblolly pine. The retention of mature canopy trees is often necessary to maintain ecosystem function, to preserve habitat features, and to …

Restoring Longleaf Pine (Pinus Palustris) In Loblolly Pine (P. Taeda) Stands On The Coastal Plain Of North Carolina, Huifeng Hu

All Dissertations

To support the development of silvicultural protocols for restoring longleaf pine (LLP; Pinus palustris Mill.) and its characteristic herbaceous understory in loblolly pine (LBP; P. taeda L.) stands, a three-year study was conducted on moderately well- and well-drained soils in Onslow County, North Carolina. A replicated field experiment was conducted to test the effects of selected silvicultural treatments on planted LLP seedlings, understory vegetation, and plant resources. Seven canopy treatments included four uniform canopy density treatments defined by target residual basal area [Control, MedBA (9 m2/ha), LowBA (4.5 m2/ha), and Clearcut] and three circular gap treatments defined by area [LG …

Characterization Of Piedmont Prairie Sites In North And South Carolina, James Benson

All Dissertations

Grassland habitats have essentially disappeared from the Piedmont. This study was conducted to determine which site characteristics in remnant Piedmont prairie sites could be used as indicators of suitable sites. Eight prairie remnant sites located in the Piedmont of North and South Carolina were evaluated based on soil series, slope, aspect, landform index, temperature, and precipitation. Geographic Information System technology was used to create layers of these characteristics to predict potential restoration sites throughout the North and South Carolina Piedmont. It was found that southern aspects, slopes generally less than 15%, upper slope positions, and occurrence on Enon (Fine, mixed, …

Ecosystem Responses To Fuel Reduction Treatments In Stands Killed By Southern Pine Beetle, Aaron Stottlemyer

All Dissertations

Heavy fuel loads were created by multiple southern pine beetle (Dendroctonus frontalis Ehrh.) outbreaks throughout the southern Piedmont between 1999 and 2002. Prescribed burning and mechanical mastication are proposed to reduce fuel loading in beetle-killed pine (Pinus L. spp.) stands in the upper South Carolina Piedmont, but their ecological impacts are unknown. Prescribed burning reduced fuelbed continuity by consuming litter (Oi) and fine (1- and 10-hr timelag size classes) woody fuels immediately after the treatment. Duff (Oe + Oa) layer thickness also decreased and mineral soil was exposed in some areas. Mastication resulted in a thick, continuous layer of shredded …