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Full-Text Articles in Forest Sciences
Natural Regeneration Dynamics And Survival Influenced By Abiotic And Biotic Factors In A Bottomland Hardwood Forest, Lydia J. Voth Rurup
Natural Regeneration Dynamics And Survival Influenced By Abiotic And Biotic Factors In A Bottomland Hardwood Forest, Lydia J. Voth Rurup
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Riparian ecosystems are vital to the landscape, providing critical services including water filtration and purification, flood and erosion control, carbon sequestration, biodiversity support, and aesthetic value. Bottomland hardwood forests, however, are threatened by invasive species, land loss/conversion, inconsistent or absence of harvesting disturbances, and altered hydrological patterns, leading to reduced success of desired, native species. This research assessed regeneration dynamics and one-year survival in a seasonally-flooded bottomland hardwood forest at Boggy Slough Conservation Area in East Texas to identify abiotic and biotic factors important for successful establishment of native regeneration. Areas sampled included two that were previously treated with herbicide …
Influence Of Silvicultural Treatment, Site Characteristics, And Land Use History On Native And Nonnative Forest Understory Plant Composition On The Penobscot Experimental Forest In Maine, Elizabeth Bryce
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This study investigates forest understory plant diversity and composition in managed and unmanaged stands within the context of a long-term silvicultural experiment in the Acadian Forest of Maine. I examined the effects of silvicultural intensity and past land use on understory plant species diversity and composition. Silvicultural treatments include three variants of the selection system, three variants of the shelterwood system, modified and fixed diameter-limit cutting, and an unregulated harvest. Two types of unmanaged stands were studied: a continuously forested natural area and secondary forest stands on old fields. Chapter 1 presents analysis of understory plant diversity and composition in …
Relative Fitness And Behavioral Compensation Of Amphibians In A Managed Forest, Sean Michael Blomquist
Relative Fitness And Behavioral Compensation Of Amphibians In A Managed Forest, Sean Michael Blomquist
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Habitat loss and degradation are two of the most important factors leading to the imperilment of species worldwide including amphibians, but mechanisms underlying these changes are poorly understood. To understand the fitness potential of harvested forests, I conducted studies of a forest specialist, Rana sylvatica (Wood Frogs) and compared these results with those from identical studies with an open canopy specialist, R. pipiens (Northern Leopard Frogs) in response to an unharvested control and three forest harvesting treatments: clearcutting (with removal of all merchantable timber > 10 cm diameter), clearcutting with coarse woody debris retention, and partial harvesting with removal of < 25% canopy cover. First, I used radio-telemetry data collected on 72 adult R. …
Forest Disturbance History And Stand Dynamics Of The Coweeta Basin, Western North Carolina, Sarah Marie Butler
Forest Disturbance History And Stand Dynamics Of The Coweeta Basin, Western North Carolina, Sarah Marie Butler
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Understanding the patterns of past disturbance allows further insight into the composition, structure, and function of today’s forests. Disturbance history may also influence how forests will react to future stresses and disturbances. The disturbance histories of the mixed-oak forests at the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory (a 2,185 ha long-term research site with some history of harvesting) and the Joyce Kilmer Wilderness (a 6,805 ha old-growth forest with no known harvesting) located in southwestern North Carolina were studied using dendroecology. Dendroecology uses increment cores to determine tree ages and patterns of radial growth. In addition to evaluating the history of these two …