Forest Sciences Commons^™

Characteristics Of Earthworms In Selective Forest Types In Michigan-Illinois Region, Xiaoyong Chen

Research Days

Both invasive exotic and native earthworms have undesirable ecological effects on the structure, function, and biodiversity of forest ecosystems in the Great Lakes area. Understanding the biological parameters and distribution patterns of these earthworms is crucial for their life cycle and their impacts on ecological processes such as nutrient biogeochemistry cycling and carbon sequestration in forests, as well as for informing forest management practices. In this study, abundance, distribution, and mass-length relation of earthworms were investigated in selective typical forest types along a Michigan-Illinois latitudinal gradient. These forest types include Hemlock-White pine-Maple (HWM) forests in Huron Mountains of Michigan, White …

National Wildlife Federation Habitat Certification: A Collaboration With Fairborn?, Alexis Knick, Amanda Taylor

Runkle Woods Symposia

Mandy Taylor and Alexis Knick from the Fairborn Environmental Advisory Board discuss their mission to draft environmental sustainability and resilience plans and how Wright State can help contribute and partner with their mission.

Keynote Address: Seasonal Changes In The Avian Community Of The Wright State Woods, Jeffrey L. Peters

Runkle Woods Symposia

Dr. Jeffrey Peters is a Professor of Biological Sciences at Wright State University. He earned his B.S. in Biology at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. For his M.S. in Applied Ecology and Conservation Biology at Frostburg State University in Maryland, Dr. Peters used DNA analyses to examine mating strategies in a species of duck, the Gadwall. Continuing his genetics research, he studied geographic variation in ducks for his Ph.D. in Biology at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Dr. Peters continued this work at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, as a post-doctoral researcher, and at Wright State University. During his career, …

The Insult Of Road Salt, Rebecca N. Tuttle, Benson Sparkman, Landon Shackleford, Audrey E. Mcgowin

Runkle Woods Symposia

Wright State students Abby Tuttle, Benson Sparkman, and Landon Shackleford present their undergraduate research on the high chloride levels in the Wright State Woods, it's soil and water, caused by the use of winter road salt.

Pawpaws: Ohio’S State Fruit, Don Cipollini

Runkle Woods Symposia

Dr. Don Cipollini presents his episode on Pawpaws from his show The Naturalist followed by a Q&A.

Dr. Cipollini takes us on a walk through the Wright State University Woods and his own backyard to talk about Ohio's state fruit, the Pawpaw and the trees that grow it. He discusses how to grow pawpaw, the biology of the tree, and how you can use and eat the fruit it produces.

Economics Of Conservation And The Application To The Runkle Woods, Indigenous American Cultural Student Association, Brad Kerry, Eliza Hendrix, Mateo Bush, Ryan Diza

Runkle Woods Symposia

Student Eliza Hendrix presents a brief history of local Native American culture to give context to Adjunct Professor Brad Kerry's portion of the presentation focusing on conservation through an economic lens.

Welcome, Audrey E. Mcgowin

Runkle Woods Symposia

The introduction to the 6th Annual Runkle Woods Symposium given by Audrey McGowin.

Woods Symposium 2023 Program, Wright State University

Runkle Woods Symposia

The program for the 6th annual Wright State University Runkle Woods Symposium that took place on November 17, 2023

The Effect Of Disturbances On Biodiversity In A Forest, David Chan, Benjamin S. Ramage

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Environmental Factors Affecting Coleoptera Biomass In The Ozark Mountain Range In Arkansas, Hayley J. Springsteen

ATU Research Symposium

Abstract:

Terrestrial invertebrates including species of Coleoptera (beetles) play an important role in many ecosystem services including soil formation and fertility, pollination, decomposition and nutrient turnover, population regulation of other organisms through predation. Coleoptera are often vital in determining biodiversity and conservation techniques. The purpose of this study is to contribute to the knowledge of how environmental factors and different management practices are affecting Coleoptera populations and further assist ecologists in improving management techniques in the future. The insect data in this study was collected over the course of two weeks in the Arkansas portion of the Boston Mountain range. …

Contrasting Orthophotos By Height, Overlap, And Drone, Edward Ironsmith

Graduate Research Conference

Drones have recently become a mainstay for surveying and modeling of small areas of land in a cost-efficient manner. Yet there are many variables that affect the time, quality, and cost of capturing and generating such products. We look at several of these parameters and discuss the alternatives to minimize cost over a series of projects. The parameters in question include height, overlap, sensor resolution, processing time, drone costs, computer costs, processing costs, time in the field, storage, drone endurance and the likelihood of costly delays. A series of flights using different drones and flight parameters were then used to …

Demography Of Alligator Snapping Turtles (Macrochelys Temminckii) Across A Fishing Pressure Gradient, Luke Micek

Graduate Research Conference

Demographic data are necessary to predict population responses to environmental and anthropogenic stressors and inform conservation efforts for declining species (Weimerskirch 2018, J.Wildl. Manag.).

The western alligator snapping turtle (Macrochelys temminckii; hereafter AST; Fig. 5) is the largest species of freshwater turtle in North America and is being considered for Federal listing as a Threatened Species under the Endangered Species Act (Federal Register 2021). Notably, there is a lack of demographic data of AST in Texas.

Passive fishing gear (i.e., trotlines) have been identified as a pervasive threat to AST populations, although this threat has yet to be quantified inTexas …

Linking Soil Properties To Originally Wooded And Afforested Areas, Ashton A. Crowe, Matthew Laun

Posters-at-the-Capitol

Linking Soil Properties to Originally Wooded and Afforested Areas

Matthew Laun, Ashton Crowe

Mentor: I. P. Handayani

Hutson School of Agriculture Murray State University, KY, USA

Abstract

Afforestation, adding an artificial forest to a piece of land that has been barren of trees for a significant amount of time, has some seriously huge impacts on the environment. These effects can be seen as an increase in the soil organic matter, a decrease in compaction, and enhancement of porosity. Therefore, the soil can support more diverse microbes and fungal communities leading to better micro and macro nutrient transfers between plants. This …

Chronic Wasting Disease In Deer And Elk Herds In Arkansas, Baker Kendrick

Scholars Day Conference

This presentation gives a broad introduction to Chronic Wasting Disease. It goes over what the disease is and its history, symptoms, how it works on a molecular level, effects on the hunting industry, host range, management and regulation, transmission, treatment, and research.

Landscapes Are Cornerstones Of Sustainability Programs, Don Spence

Sustainability Conference

Typical American landscapes are not sustainable in an economic or biological framework. The essence of the idea of sustainable growth and development are centered on the idea that those activities are not degrading natural resources or that they are outstrip budgets. A significant piece of any sustainable management plan is tied to how we manage our landscapes, how we use plants; specifically, how much grass there is, and how many native plants there are. Sustainable landscapes should require less chemical and financial inputs, which in the end, saves money and increases the biological value of the land and creates a …

Halfway: The Legacy Of Civilian Conservation Corps Company #704, Maxibillion Thompson

Student Academic Conference

Civilian Conservation Corps Company #704 began operations in 1933 approximately 10 miles southeast of Ely, MN, based at the site known as Halfway Camp F-1. This presentation explores some of the legacy they left in the region in the form of ecological projects and recreational structures, as well as the few remaining signs of their former camp on the shores of Birch Lake.

Comparing Allelochemicals Of ​English Ivy And Native Georgia Plants​, Rebecca Senft

Symposium of Student Scholars

English Ivy (Hedera helix L.) is a common invasive plant causing biodiversity losses across the southeast and parts of the northwestern US. The mechanisms by which Ivy invades native ecosystems are not well understood but may include allelopathy, a process through which one species produces biochemicals that disrupt competitors. These biochemicals are often produced and exuded by roots into soil, making them difficult to isolate. This study used a soil-less hydroponic system and gas-chromatography mass spectroscopy to examine differences in the chemicals produced by roots of native Georgia plants and English Ivy. Our results suggest there are differences in the …

Interpolating Missing Data And Comparing Performance Of Common Interpolation Techniques From A 30-Year Water Quality Dataset, Wako Bungula, Danelle M. Larson Dr., Killian Davis, Richard Erickson Dr., Amber Lee, Casey Mckean, Frederick Miller, Alaina Stockdill, Enrika Hlavacek

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Biocontrol Of The Emerald Ash Borer: An Adapted Nicholson-Bailey Model, Michael Kerckhove, Shuheng Chen

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Basal Sprout Centered Management Of Vector-Borne Tree Diseases, Kelly Buch

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Towards The Identification Of The Soil Fungal Microbiome Community Associated With Longleaf Pine, Joshua Inneh, Grace Krueger, Ian Thomasson, Fletcher Moon, Geoffrey Eger

Symposium of Student Scholars

This project is part of a larger study looking at the restoration of the Longleaf Pine (LLP) ecosystem in certain Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) in Northwest Georgia. Our long-term aim is to look for potential associations between the aboveground and belowground community structures as the complex system of feedback mechanisms between the soil microbiome, the rhizosphere, and the plant communities is not yet understood.

Soil samples were collected from a total of six plots in the Sheffield WMA located in Paulding County. The samples were collected from north or south facing hillside plots except for in the savanna sites (an …

Pine Habitat Characteristics Associated With Variation In Chuck-Will’S-Widow Communities, Hannah E. Beckett

Undergraduate Research Conference

This study explores the potential impact of variation in forest habitats and management on Chuck-will’s-widow density.

B10: Controlling Saltwater Intrusion: Aiding The Recovery Of Freshwater Ecosystems, Willem Maniago, Stefanie Whitmire, Dan Hitchcock

Annual Research Symposium

As sea levels rise, it is imperative to understand the effects of saltwater intrusion on freshwater ecosystems. This is especially true in the coastal wetlands of the SE US, where freshwater forests are dying from exposure to salinity. One management strategy that could prevent salinity intrusion in surface waters are water control structures (WCS). The Great Reserve, located outside of Georgetown, SC, represents a biodiverse freshwater forested wetland affected by saltwater intrusion from the adjacent tidal Black River. Several years ago, scientists and landowners observed the degradation of the ecosystem. The owners of the property installed a WCS at the …

Pheonolgy And Climate Change In The Tw Daniel Experimental Forest Meadow, Elise Riley

Student Research Symposium

As the earth’s climate warms many plant species are experiencing phenological stages (the timing of their seasonal life cycle events) earlier than they previously have. Dangers of phenological stages occurring earlier in the year include a greater risk of frost kill and the possibility of the speciation of already small populations, both of which could make species more susceptible to extinction. This research focused on determining if meadow forb species within Utah State University’s TW Daniel Experimental Forest (TWDEF) have experienced earlier phenology -specifically, earlier flowering dates- over the past 52 years. Historical phenological data was obtained from journals kept …

Do Aspen Stands Reduce Fire Severity And Stop Fire Spread?, Elyse Doty

Student Research Symposium

Aspen stands are widely thought to behave as fire breaks, reducing fire severity and preventing fire spread. However, this prevailing belief has not been well studied. With larger more intense fires in recent decades and further projected changes in fire behavior for the future, having a better understanding of how aspen trees and stands interact with fire would be valuable for forecasting how our forests will respond to climate change and disturbance in the future. In addition, forest managers in Utah and other regions of the Intermountain West conduct aspen restoration treatments for multiple objectives, including fire mitigation. To quantify …

Does Installation Method Affect Snake Entanglement In Erosion Control Blankets?, Nicholas C. Schiwitz, Kasey L. Jobe, Krista J. Ward

Undergraduate Research Conference

Erosion control blankets (ECBs) are installed at construction sites to mitigate against soil loss and promote plant growth. Wildlife, particularly snakes, are prone to becoming entangled in ECBs that contain fixed‐intersection, small‐diameter polypropylene mesh with multiple layers (Ebert et al. 2019 Wildl. Soc. Bull.; Fig. 1).

The majority of ECBs on the Texas Department of Transportation’s Approved Product List contain fixed-intersection mesh, which pose a risk to snakes.

Snake entanglements often occur at the edge of an ECB where the snake often passes between the multiple mesh layers (Ebert et al. 2019 Wildl. Soc. Bull.)

Burying the edge of an …

Mediterranean House Geckos Exploit Novel Resources In A Recipient Lizard Assemblage, John M. Arnett, Connor S. Adams, Carmen G. Montana

Undergraduate Research Conference

A species’ ecological niche represents the environmental conditions needed for an individual to replace itself and is comprised of multiple resource axes (Pianka 2000 Evol. Ecol.).

One mechanism of establishment of non-native species is via exploitation of novel resources in recipient ecosystems through their unique functional traits (Schalk et al. 2018 Biol. Invas.).

Mediterranean House Geckos (Hemidactylus turcicus) are an exotic species introduced in urban areas across Texas, yet little is known about their resource use relative to native lizards.

We hypothesized that H. turcicus would exhibit low overlap in resource use in their habitat, dietary, and isotopic niches compared …

On The Diversity Of Erosion Control Products: Implications For Snake Entanglement, Kasey L. Jobe, Nicholas C. Schiwitz, Krista Ward

Undergraduate Research Conference

After a road construction project, Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) mandates that erosion control products (ECPs) are installed to prevent soil loss and promote plant growth. However, their presence on the landscape pose negative consequences to wildlife via entanglement.

TxDOT provides an Approved Products List (APL) of ECPs meeting soil erosion prevention and plant growth standards. In Texas, multiple types of ECPs are produced with a range of materials and attributes to decrease the erosion potential on multiple soil types and slopes. Certain attributes are more likely to lead to snake entanglement (Ebert et al. 2019 Wildl. Soc. Bull.; Fig. …

Photogrammetric Measurement Of Hardwood Species At A Stand Level Using Rgb Images From Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (Uav), Aishwarya Chandrasekaran

Purdue GIS Day

Nowadays, for many remote sensing applications, drones are employed for gathering data, as it provides low cost image acquisition with minimal human intervention. Drone remote sensing has an extensive use in forestry for maintaining inventories, mapping canopy structure and monitoring forest fires. Maintaining a Forest inventory database is a crucial task as it is the only means of keeping a record of the trees. This study aims to explore UAV based image acquisition (consumer-grade sensor) and analysis for forest studies using structure from motion technique.The main objective is to derive a methodology for computing tree parameters such as tree height, …

Panel 1 Paper 1.3: Le Paysage Rural Patrimonial, Outil Et Projet Au Service De La Lutte Contre Le Réchauffement Climatique, Régis Ambroise

ISCCL Scientific Symposia and Annual General Meetings // Symposiums scientifiques et assemblées générales annuelles de l'ISCCL // Simposios científicos yy las Asambleas Generales Anuales

Cette intervention fait référence au paragraphe de la résolution19GA 2017/30 du Conseil International des Monuments et des Sites indiquant que « la 19° Assemblée générale de l’ICOMOS… salue l’adoption de l’accord de Paris et encourage tous les membres de l’ICOMOS à renforcer leurs efforts pour appuyer sa mise en œuvre et identifier les réponses qui s’appuient sur le patrimoine ou les paysages culturels… ». Elle prend l’exemple de la façon dont les paysages de terrasses ont été abordés ces dernières années dans trois situations différentes : en France, dans le Guizhou en Chine et dans le Priorat en Espagne.

En …