Animal Conservation In St. Louis, 2024 University of Missouri, St. Louis
Animal Conservation In St. Louis, Kate O'Sullivan
Undergraduate Research Symposium
St. Louis has a multitude of organizations involved in the natural sciences. But how many of them actually contribute towards animal conservation? The St. Louis Zoo is an organization that focuses a lot of its effort on presentation, so how does that impact the funds that go towards actually saving the animals? I plan to dive into the different animal-based organizations in St. Louis and its surrounding areas, as well as discuss the positives and negatives of each organization. Furthermore, I will provide examples from several sources that I have been reviewing all year to support my claims. I plan …
Regeneration Response To Salvage Logging Following Tornado Disturbance, 2023 University of Maine
Regeneration Response To Salvage Logging Following Tornado Disturbance, Colby K. Bosley-Smith
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
In an era of increasing natural disturbances, successful tree regeneration has grown more difficult to achieve. Salvage logging, a common management response to disturbance, may further impede regeneration success, although published literature currently remains inconclusive. In 2013, a rare tornado in northcentral Maine, USA, and subsequent salvage operation created three clear ‘treatments’ for evaluation of post-disturbance regeneration: blowdown, blowdown followed by salvage logging and an undisturbed control. In the summers of 2022 and 2023, (nine and ten) years post-tornado, we revisited this site to examine regeneration outcomes.
During the summer of 2022, we evaluated stand structure and regeneration success of …
A Small Forest Owner's Engagement With A Carbon Sequestration Effort In Northeastern U.S., 2023 University of Vermont
A Small Forest Owner's Engagement With A Carbon Sequestration Effort In Northeastern U.S., Frederick Pond
University Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications
In 2023, a small forest landowner in central Vermont enrolled 140 acres in the Family Forest Carbon Program[FFCP], engaging his local forestland in combating global warming.
FFCP is a collaboration of The Nature Conservancy and American Forest Foundation, developed to offer small landowners the opportunity to engage their asset in carbon sequestration locally.
This poster presents the experience of a small forest owner's process in entering a twenty year contract to manage a small woodlot under the direction of FFCP while enrolled with the state UVA program, also known as Current Use.
Challenges to the process, advantages/downsides, future perspectives are …
Germination Trends Of American Chaffseed, Schwalbea Americana L., And Factors Affecting First-Year Seedling Development, 2023 Clemson University
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 …
Phenology Of Asian Longhorned Beetle (Anoplophora Glabripennis, Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) In South Carolina, U.S.A., 2023 Clemson University
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 …
Welcome, 2023 Wright State University - Main Campus
Welcome, Audrey E. Mcgowin
Runkle Woods Symposia
The introduction to the 6th Annual Runkle Woods Symposium given by Audrey McGowin.
Woods Symposium 2023 Program, 2023 Wright State University
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 Discovery Of A Novel Bacteria From A Large Co-Assembly Of Metagenomes, 2023 University of Massachusetts Amherst
The Discovery Of A Novel Bacteria From A Large Co-Assembly Of Metagenomes, Matthew Finkelberg
Masters Theses
In the summer of 2022, a co-assembly of metagenome was created using the microbes found at Barres Woods in Harvard Forest. 14 samples were taken, and sample was split into the organic and mineral layer, which totals 28 Bulk MAGs. Within this Co-assembly, 4 different genomes were found which were designated with the phylum of FCPU426. Three of which were considered medium quality and one being assigned high quality. The novel phyla first appeared in NCBI and GTDB databases in June 2018. The name FCPU426 dates to 2010 and was named based on the 16s amplicon sequencing.
The novel phylum …
The Effect Of Disturbances On Biodiversity In A Forest, 2023 VCU
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.
Bryophyta Sensu Stricto Presence And Function In The Epiphytic Ecosystems Of The Tropical Montane Cloud Forests Of El Valle De Anton, 2023 SIT Study Abroad
Bryophyta Sensu Stricto Presence And Function In The Epiphytic Ecosystems Of The Tropical Montane Cloud Forests Of El Valle De Anton, Teaghan Duff
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
Bryophyta sensu stricto, colloquially known as moss, is often found growing epiphytically in cloud forest ecosystems. Under these conditions, moss may fulfill a secondary foundational species (FS) role, supporting increased habitat for other organisms while remaining dependent on the primary FS host tree. Exploring the dual relationship of moss as both a dependent and supportive organism allows for better understanding of its connective role within ecosystems. Research in the cloud forests of El Valle de Anton focused on relative abundance, environmental surroundings, morphology, and microclimate of mosses to offer baseline data on these connections. Mosses along four different trails within …
Variation Of Carbon Stock Of Boca Del Drago Mangrove Forests Based On Salinity And Seaward Proximity, 2023 SIT Study Abroad
Variation Of Carbon Stock Of Boca Del Drago Mangrove Forests Based On Salinity And Seaward Proximity, Fiona Wyrtzen
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
Mangrove forests, at the intersection of land and sea, are considered one of the most important marine environments for their variety of ecosystem services and their ability to sequester large amounts of carbon in their biomass and adjacent soils. With a changing climate, many of the abiotic and biotic factors influencing mangroves will begin to shift, potentially impacting resilience, growth capacity, and distribution of mangroves worldwide. This study aimed to examine the influence of changing salinity on the carbon stock capacity for Rhizophora mangle and Laguncularia racemosa forests, and the distribution of biomass in each species relative to salinity in …
Bryophyte (Sl) Growth And Environmental Factors Along An Altitudinal Gradient On Cerro Gaital, El Valle, Coclé, Panamá, 2023 SIT Study Abroad
Bryophyte (Sl) Growth And Environmental Factors Along An Altitudinal Gradient On Cerro Gaital, El Valle, Coclé, Panamá, Julian Grace-Martin
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
Research on bryophytes (SL) in the tropics has been lacking compared with the high number of species found there and the potential benefit of bryophytes (SL) as indicators of pollutants and other forms of human disturbance. This study investigated whether or not bryophyte (SL) growth patterns showed relation when compared with environmental factors on the mountain Cerro Gaital in El Valley, Panamá. Whether or not bryophytes (SL) are present, extent of the area covered by their growth, and height of their growth are all aspects of bryophyte (SL) growth that were used. In this study, these three aspects are compared …
Climate Interactions Drive Tree Physiology And Growth In A Northeastern Forest Ecotone, 2023 University of Maine
Climate Interactions Drive Tree Physiology And Growth In A Northeastern Forest Ecotone, Alexandra M. Barry
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Climate change is a threat to global forest ecosystems. In the northeastern United States, forest trees are facing rising temperatures and increasingly inconsistent moisture regimes. In addition to long-term changes in climate conditions, there is concern about the potential for more frequent and intense climate extremes, which can have severe and rapid negative effects on tree physiology and growth. Further, climate extremes may co-occur to produce a greater magnitude of effect than the sum of their parts, with a prominent example being hot droughts, which are increasing in occurrence and severity. The impact of these and other extreme climate interactions …
A Four-Pronged Approach To Addressing A Wild Pig Invasion In A Bottomland And Upland Forested Landscape, 2023 Mississippi State University
A Four-Pronged Approach To Addressing A Wild Pig Invasion In A Bottomland And Upland Forested Landscape, Tyler Scott Evans
Theses and Dissertations
Among exotic species that are capable of invading, establishing, and reaching pest status, few pose the range of impacts to biotic (e.g., competition with native species, predation, herbivory, introduction of other exotics) and abiotic (e.g., soil, hydrology) ecosystem components that can be attributed to the wild pig (Sus scrofa). Despite the presence of wild pigs throughout the southeastern United States for centuries, new invasions continue to occur in previously uninhabited and often under-investigated landscapes, including bottomland and upland forests. The recent invasion of the Sam D. Hamilton Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge (hereafter, NNWR) in east-central Mississippi represents an …
Modeling The Effect Of Neighborhood Competition On Tree Diameter Growth In The Pacific Northwest Coast Range, 2023 Mississippi State University
Modeling The Effect Of Neighborhood Competition On Tree Diameter Growth In The Pacific Northwest Coast Range, Htet Lin Naing
Theses and Dissertations
Trees compete for various resources such as sunlight, water, and nutrients, which can be expressed as numerical terms, called competition indices (CI). Competition between individual trees is correlated with their growth and mortality. Therefore, CIs are used as independent variables to develop, improve and modify growth and yield models. This study was conducted to test the effect of neighborhood competition on tree diameter growth among Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco), western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg) and red alder (Alnus rubra Bong.), in the Pacific Northwest Coast Range, USA. After testing seven distance-independent CIs and three distance-dependent …
Gene Expression Effects On Productivity And Stress Tolerance In Polyclonal Plantings Of Populus Deltoides, 2023 Mississippi State University
Gene Expression Effects On Productivity And Stress Tolerance In Polyclonal Plantings Of Populus Deltoides, Macy Gosselaar
Theses and Dissertations
Polyclonal plantings of Populus deltoides are expected to display increased site resource use, productivity, and tolerance to stress through plasticity changes leading to niche differentiation (i.e changes to crown/canopy structures). In the present study, P. deltoides Clones S7C8, 110412, and polyclonal plots were tested for differentially expressed genes and enriched biological pathways between planting schemes. Transcriptomic analysis of leaves revealed upregulation of an active growth gene and gene family members that play important roles in plant stress and stress tolerance in polyclonal plantings. A gene associated with oxidative stress was upregulated in polyclonal plantings across all treatments. Secondary metabolic pathways …
The Impact Of Soil Disturbance On Soil Bacterial Community Composition, 2023 Southern Adventist University
The Impact Of Soil Disturbance On Soil Bacterial Community Composition, Marie A. Rodriguez, Mark Peach, Timothy D. Trott
Research in Biology
Soil bacterial communities are an important part of terrestrial ecosystems due to their roles in biogeochemical cycling processes. Consequently, understanding how soil disturbance affects the soil bacterial diversity is vital to understanding the entire ecosystem. In this study we examined the effects of soil disturbance (by mining) on the soil bacterial community composition from three sites on Bauxite Ridge in Southeast Tennessee compared to three undisturbed sites in a nearby location. The soil bacterial community was analyzed by 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing of total DNA extracted from the soil samples collected from each of the six sites. Characterization of the …
Advancing Natural White Oak (Quercus Alba.) Reproduction Through A Midstory Removal, 2023 The University of Tennessee Knoxville
Advancing Natural White Oak (Quercus Alba.) Reproduction Through A Midstory Removal, Canaan Jeffrey Dugger
Masters Theses
In recent decades, there has been an alarming decline in white oak (Quercus alba.) regeneration and recruitment occurring within eastern forests. Historically, the frequency and the intensity of anthropogenic disturbances was dynamic over the landscape. However, over just the last century a major compositional shift has occurred from this change in disturbance regimes. Eastern forests are now promoting the regeneration of mesic species that obstruct white oaks’ ability to compete successfully and establish in the upper canopy.
The majority of successful white oak regeneration and recruitment is now occurring on the average to more xeric sites. Limited studies …
Patterns And Drivers Of Wiregrass Gap Longleaf Pine (Pinus Palustris Mill.) Woodland Succession As Part Of Restoration Efforts, 2023 Clemson University
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 …
Evidence Of Competitive Release Following Overstory Mortality In A Semi-Arid Piñon-Juniper Woodland, 2023 University of New Mexico
Evidence Of Competitive Release Following Overstory Mortality In A Semi-Arid Piñon-Juniper Woodland, Corrie D. Gonzalez
Biology ETDs
Extreme temperatures and severe drought events have led to widespread tree mortality worldwide. In semi-arid regions of the Southwest United States, these events pose a significant threat to piñon-juniper (PJ) woodlands. We studied the effects of piñon and juniper mortality on the growth and physiology of existing saplings in PJ woodlands by analyzing water status, photosynthetic activity, and tissue chemistry to gain insights into these impacts. Juniper saplings exhibited improved water status and water use efficiency in response to overstory mortality, whereas piñon saplings did not. Additionally, both piñon and juniper saplings exhibited increased photosynthetic rates, increased photosynthetic capacity, and …