Life Sciences Commons^™

Assessment Of Control Charts For Evaluating Dynamic Accuracy Of Forest Growth Models, Richard Raymond Cristan

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine if control charts are an effective tool to identify trends in forest growth and yield model accuracy. Accurate forest growth and yield models are important for projecting future forest composition. However, environmental factors have the potential to make forest growth models created from historic data inaccurate. Control charts in this study determine if forest growth predictions fall within confidence limits established for historic growth at a number of points in time. Two data sets were used in this study: the first was a Continuous Forest Inventory (CFI) from three tracts at the …

Soil Moisture Profiles And Root Growth Of Hardwood Trees Planted In Different Groundcovers On The Steep Slopes Of Reclaimed Mine Sites, Elizabeth Anne Aubuchon

Masters Theses

Surface mining is a major industry in eastern Tennessee that removes much of the native forest. To restore the forest, reclamation practices are used. These include planting a ground cover species with native hardwoods. Competition between the ground cover and tree species for soil resources could hinder growth and decrease survival of the trees. Northern red oak (Quercus rubra) was used for this study to examine the possible effects of this competition and the relationships between root growth and soil moisture through a field and a greenhouse experiment.

A field experiment was designed using four different ground cover treatments (Soldiago …

Applied Ecosystem Services In Working Forests: A Direct Market Valuation, Darin Stuart Hale

Masters Theses

Ecosystem services, or the benefits humans obtain from natural ecosystems, have long been recognized as critical to human health. Efforts have been taken by many to determine the non-market values of these services but few have offered a direct market valuation. Increasing awareness, scarcity, and regulation have fostered transactions, and markets are emerging that can allow for direct valuation and could provide landowners the opportunity to merchandise this natural capital. This paper provides a valuation and comparison, as a case study, of a traditional management scheme, including the marketing of fiber and recreational leases, and an ecosystem services management scheme, …

Competitive Interactions Between Appalachian Hardwoods And Different Groundcovers On Reclaimed Mine Sites, Adam David Klobucar

Masters Theses

Coal mining is a significant industry in Appalachia. Herbaceous groundcovers are commonly planted to reduce soil erosion and protect water quality during mine reclamation, but many groundcovers may be too competitive to be compatible with trees. The objectives of this research were to investigate the performance of trees planted within different groundcovers and to measure how different groundcovers influence resource availability, specifically soil moisture and light

Two studies were performed; one in a greenhouse and the other on 3 mine sites in east Tennessee where seedlings were planted and grown in competition with different groundcovers. Growth, biomass, leaf area, and …

Steps Toward Butternut (Juglans Cinerea L.) Restoration, Sunshine L. Brosi

Doctoral Dissertations

Butternut (Juglans cinerea L.), a lesser-known relative of black walnut (Juglans nigra L.), is a native tree species beneficial for wildlife, valuable for timber, and part of the great diversity of species in the eastern forests of North America. Populations of butternut are being devastated by butternut canker disease, caused by the fungus Sirococcus clavigignenti-juglandacearum (V.M.G. Nair, Kostichka, & Kuntz), which is thought to be introduced to North America. The disease causes multiple branch and stem cankers that eventually girdle trees. Small population sizes, lack of sprouting, and shade intolerance exacerbates the disease and results in permanent losses of butternut …

Microstegium Vimineum Spread Rate In Relation To Two Different Leaf Litter Disturbances And An Evaluation Of Aboveground Biomass Accumulation And Photosynthetic Efficiency In Response To Four Light Treatments, John Andrew Hull

Masters Theses

Microstegium vimineum is a non-native invasive plant species classified as an annual, shade-tolerant C4 grass. There is limited research regarding variables affecting the spread of M. vimineum. Two studies were conducted to investigate the spread of M. vimineum. A field study was undertaken in 2009 to determine how M. vimineum spreads in relation to litter disturbance. In 2010, a greenhouse study was conducted to determine the impact light has on M. vimineum aboveground biomass, height growth, and photosynthetic efficiency.

The field study consisted of three treatments, Undisturbed (Control), Stirring, and Removal of leaf litter, employed along the boundary of existing …

The Effects Of Mercury Contamination On Tree, Fungal, And Soil Composition Along East Fork Poplar Creek, Anderson And Roane Counties, Tennessee, Sharon Jean-Philippe

Doctoral Dissertations

The Oak Ridge Reservation established under The Atomic Energy Commission was the site for uranium enrichment and the construction of the atomic bomb during the early 1950’s and 60’s. Unfortunately, large quantities of “heavy metals” such as mercury, uranium, technetium, plutonium and fission products that were produced were dumped into unlined landfills, settling ponds and surface streams. One such creek affected was East Fork Poplar Creek, whose head water begins at the Y-12 Facilities located on the Oak Ridge Reservation, and was once used as an industrial drainage ditch for runoff, which included mercury and other heavy metals.

The release …

Comparative Ecophysiology Of American Chestnut Under Different Planting Treatments On Reclaimed Mine Sites, Christopher Ryan Miller

Masters Theses

American chestnut was once an abundant species that dominated the Eastern U.S. deciduous forests. Although this species is currently functionally extinct due to the chestnut blight, researchers are working on blight-resistant hybrids in hopes of restoring the species. As one potential vector for chestnut reintroduction and dispersal, the reclamation of mine sites are being considered. Recent research has found that reforestation efforts on these reclaimed mine sites provide productive tree growth while also complying with mine-reclamation laws. Understanding how American chestnut performs physiologically on mine sites will aid in the restoration of this species and reclamation of mine sites.

The …

Sp570 Drought-Tolerant Trees, The University Of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service

Forestry, Trees, and Timber

Late-season droughts are common in southeastern landscapes. Many trees are stressed by prolonged periods of hot, dry weather. Selecting trees that use water efficiently without the need for frequent watering or irrigation is one way to make your landscape more resistant to droughts. With impending water shortages in many urban areas leading to prohibitions of irrigation or watering, planting trees that are more tolerant to drought conditions is the best long-term solution to a healthier, low-maintenance landscape.

W179 Wood Products Information - Moisture Content Of 'Seasoned' Firewood, The University Of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service

Forestry, Trees, and Timber

The most important property of good firewood is moisture content. Firewood should be fully seasoned (to below 20 percent moisture content) before being burned. Because it can be difficult to ensure that purchased firewood is properly seasoned, the best approach is to buy and stack firewood well before it is needed. There is no danger in over-seasoning wood – drier is better.

W158 Wood Products Information - A Test Of Water-Repellent Coatings For Wood, The University Of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service

Forestry, Trees, and Timber

Water-repellent coatings slow the uptake of liquid water and are used to improve the appearance and longevity of exterior wood surfaces. By reducing the periodic wetting of wood, water-repellent coatings can reduce the swell-and-shrink cycles that contribute to the checking and weathering of exposed wood such as decking boards.

Many different water-repellents, varying widely in price, are available from a number of manufacturers. A test conducted at the University of Tennessee Forest Products Center compared some of these products.

W020 Developing A Target Market For Hardwood Lumber: Results Of A Woodworker Survey, The University Of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service

Forestry, Trees, and Timber

Understanding the preferences and buying habits of potential buyers is essential in the development and evaluation of markets for value-added wood product enterprises. Surveying various woodworkers to determine their lumber usage, buying preferences, preferred delivery method and most effective methods of communication can help enhance the effectiveness of marketing plans of lumber producers and lumber sellers. Survey participants were identified through a variety of sources, including woodworker guilds, associations and related organizations in the Southeast.

Sp547 Common Tree Borers In Tennessee, The University Of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service

Forestry, Trees, and Timber

Many types of insect and mite pests can attack trees in home landscapes. Although feeding damage from most of these pests is aesthetically displeasing, it does not cause severe damage to the tree. Even after total defoliation by caterpillars, most trees will put out a new flush of foliage. Several consecutive years or more of defoliation are needed to cause a serious decline or death of most trees. Also, defoliation late in the growing season is much less detrimental to tree health than that occurring in spring or early summer.

Conversely, some pests can routinely cause significant damage and even …

Sp482 The Southern Pine Beetle, The University Of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service

Forestry, Trees, and Timber

The Southern Pine Beetle (SPB) inhabits Tennessee forests, and as forest landowners, we should be prepared to deal with the insect. Each year SPB causes thousands of dollars worth of damage to stands of Southern yellow pines, e.g., Loblolly, shortleaf and Virginia pines. Landowners living near or on their property can reduce losses to SPB by knowing the symptoms of a SPB attack, what to do about it and how to prevent it.

Sp290-Y Greenstriped Mapleworm, The University Of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service

Forestry, Trees, and Timber

The greenstriped mapleworm Dryocampa rubicunda (F.) is found throughout most of the eastern United States. This insect pest prefers maples; however, it has been reported feeding on various oaks and boxelder.

Sp290-U Nantucket Pine Tip Moth, The University Of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service

Forestry, Trees, and Timber

The Nantucket pine tip moth, Rhyacionia frustrana (Comstock), is a pest of pines in the Eastern, Central and Southern states. Host trees attacked include Scotch, Austrian, Virginia, red, loblolly and shortleaf pines. Longleaf, slash and eastern white pines are rarely attacked.

During recent years, the Nantucket pine tip moth has become an increasingly destructive and abundant pest because of the increase in acreage of pine plantations and seed orchards. Larvae of this moth kill and deform shoots of infested trees. This damage results in a reduction in height, forking or crooking of main stems and, occasionally, death of the tree. …

The Study Of Plant Cell Walls Deconstruction Using Electron Beams Irradiation, Jetana Kittisenee

Masters Theses

Plant cell walls compose the largest source of sugars on earth and are a potential source after conversion for liquid transportation fuels. However, the crystalline region of cellulose and the lignin that incases it present significant obstacles for enzymes to digest. This lowers the sugar yield, which ultimately decreases the production efficiency of bioethanol. A pretreatment that could help lowering the amount of crystallinity; meanwhile, breakdown the matrix of lignin and polysaccharides that cover cellulose fibers would be ideal. Here we propose a physical pretreatment strategy of electron beam irradiation that could potentially decrease cellulose crystallinity as well as unzip …