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Articles 1 - 6 of 6
Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Relative Resistance To Breaking Of Pinus Taeda L. And Pinus Palustris, Cory Glenn Garms
Relative Resistance To Breaking Of Pinus Taeda L. And Pinus Palustris, Cory Glenn Garms
LSU Master's Theses
Patterns from hurricane damage give an indication that longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) is more windfirm than loblolly pine (Pinus taeda). Tree windfirmess has been attributed to many factors including species and material properties like wood strength and stiffness. Because longleaf pine wood is stronger and stiffer than loblolly pine wood, this study used static winching methodology to see if these properties account for differences in windfirmness by measuring bending force required to break stems (MMAX). Stress-strain diagrams were constructed for pulled trees to explore how they behave under increasing loads. Based on these diagrams, it appears that living trees can …
Bachman's Sparrow (Peucaea Aestivalis) Population Structure Across The Southeastern Usa, Blain Annette Cerame
Bachman's Sparrow (Peucaea Aestivalis) Population Structure Across The Southeastern Usa, Blain Annette Cerame
LSU Master's Theses
Understanding gene flow and population structure in wildlife populations helps managers to protect distinct genetic lineages and genetic variation in small, isolated populations at high risk of extinction. I assessed genetic diversity in Bachman’s Sparrows (Peucaea aestivalis) to evaluate the role of natural barriers in shaping evolutionarily significant units as well as the effect of anthropogenically-caused habitat loss and fragmentation on population differentiation and diversity. Genetic diversity was assessed across the geographic range of Bachman’s Sparrow by genotyping 226 individuals at 18 microsatellite loci and sequencing 48 individuals at nuclear and mitochondrial DNA genes. Multiple analyses consistently demonstrated high levels …
Modeling Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus Polyphemus) Habitat In A Fire-Dependnent Ecosystem In North Florida, Christina Legleu
Modeling Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus Polyphemus) Habitat In A Fire-Dependnent Ecosystem In North Florida, Christina Legleu
LSU Master's Theses
Gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) populations have declined with longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) ecosystems across their historic range. The influence of gopher tortoise burrows on co-inhabiting plants and animals necessitates an understanding of how landscape features and management practices influence gopher tortoise presence, absence, and abandonment. In this study, naïve gopher tortoise burrow encounter rates from a line transect distance sampling (LTDS) pilot study were used for two methods of modeling gopher tortoise habitat. In Chapter 1, naïve encounter rates were tested for a linear correlation to a HSI model created from three ranked geographic information system (GIS) landscape variables. Initial …
Status Of Wintering Grassland Birds In A Post-Hurricane, Salvage-Logged Forest, Matthew Edward Brooks
Status Of Wintering Grassland Birds In A Post-Hurricane, Salvage-Logged Forest, Matthew Edward Brooks
LSU Master's Theses
North American grassland birds have been declining at an alarming rate. Winter habitat for grassland species in the southeastern U.S. generally occurs within forests subject to management. I studied wintering grassland bird communities in De Soto National Forest in southern Mississippi. My objectives were to: 1) Assess bird communities and vegetation structure in upland forest stands that were salvage-logged following Hurricane Katrina, in stands managed for Red-cockaded Woodpeckers (Picoides borealis, RCW), and in stands containing bogs; and 2) Determine the extent of the association between vegetation and occurrence of the common wintering grassland birds. I conducted bird and vegetation surveys …
Spatial Ecology Of Gray Foxes On A Longleaf Pine Forest And The Surrounding Landscape In Southwestern Georgia, Danielle Lolene Temple
Spatial Ecology Of Gray Foxes On A Longleaf Pine Forest And The Surrounding Landscape In Southwestern Georgia, Danielle Lolene Temple
LSU Master's Theses
In the southeastern United States, industrial agriculture dominates the landscape, and much of the native land cover is in decline. Longleaf pine forests were once a dominant ecosystem in this region, but have largely disappeared. However, little research has been conducted on how this loss affects wildlife, especially mammalian predators. With increasing restoration efforts for longleaf pine it is important to assess the impact on species that inhabit those landscapes. Gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) are native to the Southeast, but are adaptable to a wide range of habitats. Therefore, during 2002-2006 I studied a population of gray foxes on land …
Effects Of Fire On Habitat Associations, Abundance, And Survival Of Wintering Henslow's Sparrows (Ammodramus Henslowii) In Southeastern Louisiana Longleaf Pine Savannas, Erik Ivan Johnson
Effects Of Fire On Habitat Associations, Abundance, And Survival Of Wintering Henslow's Sparrows (Ammodramus Henslowii) In Southeastern Louisiana Longleaf Pine Savannas, Erik Ivan Johnson
LSU Master's Theses
The Henslow’s Sparrow (Ammodramus henslowii) is the fastest declining short-distance migrant and fastest declining grassland bird in North America. Declines in longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) savannas, its primary wintering habitat, have exceeded 97%. Other than basic habitat requirements, very little is known about its wintering ecology. I examined habitat associations of wintering Henslow’s Sparrows resulting from fire in longleaf pine savannas in southeastern Louisiana during two winters. Because it is important to understand the relative importance of habitat parameters, which include structure, species composition, and food availability, I measured these to determine their relative importance to Henslow’s Sparrow densities. I …