Life Sciences Commons^™

Ectomycorrhizal Fungi Associated With Pinus Species Of California's Northwestern Coast, Monika Audrey Richardson

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi are vital for increasing host plant uptake of nutrients and stress tolerance within ECM forest ecosystems. The species assemblage of ECM fungi can vary locally in response to numerous biotic and abiotic environmental factors. In California’s northwestern coast the occurrence of three Pinus species, along with a disjunction between populations of Pinus muricata in Mendocino and Humboldt Counties, offer a unique opportunity to investigate the spatial and host effects on pine-associated ECM fungi. Ectomycorrhizal fungal community structure was quantified from host tree roots and sequenced sporocarps occurring at the same sites to create a project specific ITS …

Applied Forest Restoration And Conservation In Michigan: Advancing American Beech Restoration And Documenting A Historical Insect Collection, Thomas E. Panella

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Forest restoration and conservation require both practical management approaches and the preservation of biological resources that support future research. This dissertation presents applied research conducted in Michigan that advances American beech (Fagus grandifolia) restoration in response to beech bark disease (BBD) while documenting an important historical entomological resource. Chapters 1–3 focus on overcoming practical barriers to American beech restoration. Restoration protocols were developed and refined for identifying BBD-resistant trees, graft propagation, rootstock collection, container production, and the field establishment of grafted BBD-resistant trees. A greenhouse experiment evaluated the influence of growing media and fertilization on container stock quality, …

Study Of Fire Regimes In Southwestern Australia Using Geospatial Techniques, Ana Do Carmo Carvalho

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The Northern Jarrah Forest in Southwestern Australia (SWA), part of a global biodiversity hotspot, is home to fire-sensitive tree species such as marri (Corymbia calophylla) and jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata). As climate change intensifies drought and extreme fire events, understanding the drivers of fire severity is increasingly critical. This thesis analyses fire regimes within the Mundaring drinking water catchment to better understand the spatiotemporal complexity of fire severity in relation to fire history and environmental factors.

The thesis commences with a review of three Fire History Databases (FHDs) used in SWA, highlighting significant inconsistencies and data gaps across time and space. …

A Frog, A Toad, And A Salamander Walk Into A Forest: How Timber Harvest And Environmental Conditions Impact Amphibian Species Abundance In The White Mountain National Forest, William T. Brandenburg

Honors Theses and Capstones

Balancing the needs of humans and wildlife is one of the primary goals of conservation. Understanding how species respond to resource extraction is essential to achieve long-term population stability. This is especially relevant for amphibians, which are particularly sensitive to environmental disturbances due to habitat loss and degradation. As such they are often used as indicator species. This study leverages 20-years of amphibian abundance data from surveys in different silvicultural treatments to understand how American toads (Anaxyrus americanus), wood frogs (Lithobates sylvaticus), and red-backed salamanders (Plethodon cinereus) respond to changes in forest structure, weather, …

Government Agencies In The United States Are Obstructing Native Species Restoration, Creating Regulatory Pits For Wildlife, Jeremy T. Bruskotter, L. Mark Elbroch, John Vucetich

Michigan Tech Publications

No abstract provided.

Demographic Response Of Rana Uenoi To Land Use Near Breeding Sites: A Case Study From The Gayasan Region, South Korea, Hyun Kim, Hyun Tae Kim, Na Yeong Kim, Soo Dong Lee, Jared Wolfe

Michigan Tech Publications

Amphibians are highly sensitive to habitat disturbance because of their permeable skin and reliance on both aquatic and terrestrial environments. To evaluate how human-driven land-use change affects a forest-stream amphibian, we analysed long-term population dynamics of Rana uenoi in the Gayasan region of South Korea, with a focus on breeding habitats. Between 2007 and 2023, annual egg-mass surveys were conducted at 14 breeding sites, and land-use composition was extracted each year within a 500 m buffer from national geospatial databases. Land-use categories were reclassified into ecologically relevant groups (breeding, high-quality, low-quality and non-living/high-mortality habitats) and their areas were quantified for …

Restoring The Wild East: Predicting Public Support For Cougar And Red Wolf Reintroduction In The Eastern United States, Benjamin Ghasemi, Jeremy T. Bruskotter, John A. Vucetich, L. Mark Elbroch, Robyn S. Wilson, Neil H. Carter, Axel Moehrenschlager, Shelby Perry, Joseph W. Hinton

Michigan Tech Publications

Restoring large carnivores to human-dominated landscapes remains ecologically and socially contentious, though reintroduction may offer important benefits where coexistence is possible. Yet, efforts to reintroduce cougars (Puma concolor) and red wolves (Canis rufus) in the Eastern U.S. face major challenges, largely due to human-caused mortality and opposition. We employed the hazard acceptance model and structural equation modeling to investigate the socio-psychological drivers of public support for reintroduction. Survey data were collected from residents of the Eastern U.S. for cougars (n = 2665) and red wolves (n = 3825). For both species, support was positively associated with perceived personal and societal …

Green Connectivity In Metropolitan Jabodetabek: Climate Change And The Challenge Of Urban Forest, Safira Maharani Putri, Hendricus Andy Simarmata

CSID Journal of Infrastructure Development

Urban areas in Indonesia, particularly the Greater Jakarta metropolitan region (Jabodetabek), are increasingly experiencing the adverse effects of climate change, such as the Urban Heat Island (UHI) phenomenon. Rapid urbanization has contributed significantly to rising greenhouse gas emissions and deteriorating environmental quality. Urban forests are one of the key solutions to mitigate these impacts; however, their spatial distribution in Jabodetabek remains suboptimal and poorly connected. This study uses NDVI as a proxy for urban forest density, where “urban forest” refers to vegetated areas within cities as defined by Presidential Regulation No. 60/2020. The research addresses the following question: How has …

Baseline Assessment Of Insect Biodiversity And Distribution In La Salle Botanical Gardens, Pampanga, Philippines, Amir Lyndon Gavriell C. Beup, Kaleela Euan G. Jayson, Alyssa Ira Z. Tan, Ronielle Elisha S. Pascual, Alexi Gabrielle S. Henson, Esperidion Josef P. Ladao Iii, Juan Carlo T. Gumangan

Sinaya: A Philippine Journal for Senior High School Teachers and Students

Insects are crucial for ecosystem functions, such as pollination and food web maintenance. This study aims to assess insect biodiversity in La Salle Botanical Gardens (LSBG) in Porac, Pampanga, focusing on its grassland and forestland areas. Using rapid biodiversity assessment, this study provides baseline data on insect diversity, abundance, dominance, and evenness for conservation. Sampling employed transect line intercept and quadrat methods. Specimens were collected using different collection and preservation techniques. Insects (n = 184) were collected from August to October 2024, with specimens (n = 46) belonging to seven insect orders in the grassland and specimens (n = 138) …

Utilization Of Phytogenic Silver Nanoparticles And Bacterial Agents For The Management Of Citrus Canker Disease, Zainab Jamil, Tariq Mukhtar, Muhammad Usman Raja, Muhammad Shahbaz, Jaya Seelan S. Seelan, Muhammed Tatar, Amjad Ali, Noor Fatima, Rahma Bejaoui, Ayşe Usanmaz Bozhüyük

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Citrus is one of the most important and widely cultivated fruit crops globally. However, its productivity is increasingly threatened by various diseases, with bacterial infections being particularly the most destructive. Among these, citrus canker, caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri (Xac), poses a significant challenge, requiring effective management strategies. Traditional approaches have shown limited success, but nanotechnology has emerged as a promising alternative for disease control. In this study, Xanthomonas spp. was isolated from two locations: Koont Farm and the National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC) citrus orchards in Islamabad, Pakistan. The isolates were identified through morpho-biochemical methods. Moreover, three Bacillus …

Optimizing Cultivated Land Productivity Through Integrated Fertilization Strategies And Uav-Assisted Management, Kejun Wang

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

This study investigates the impact of long-term fertilization modes on crop health and productivity using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-assisted monitoring and a Q-learning-based approach for optimized fertilization strategies. An approximate state-matching Q-learning algorithm was developed to improve the efficiency of agricultural UAVs in fertilization tasks. The spatiotemporal patterns of cultivated land productivity under different fertilization regimes were analyzed in a long-term experiment. An evaluation system for cultivated land health productivity was established. The results indicated that the Q-learning algorithm enabled UAVs to achieve efficient task completion. QLASM outperformed traditional methods on all metrics. QLASM achieved a 92% task completion rate …

Jujubenet: A Dual-Stage Spectral Reconstruction Network For Rapid Jujube Moisture Content Estimation, Yalei Xu, Yang Li, Jing Nie, Jingbin Li

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Spectral analysis methods can nondestructively assess the quality of agricultural products but are limited by imaging speed and equipment costs. Therefore, they have not yet been fully integrated into engineering practices. This paper presents JujubeNet, a two-stage hyperspectral reconstruction model for detecting moisture content in jujubes. The first stage utilizes a generative pretrained Pix2Pix generative adversarial network (GAN) to generate RGB images of jujubes that mimic real camera styles and are pixel-to-pixel aligned with hyperspectral images. The second stage uses a transformer-based spectral reconstruction model to achieve hyperspectral reconstruction. Additionally, we developed a moisture content detection model based on hyperspectral …

Effect Of Nettle (Urtica Dioica L.) Seed Powder Supplementation On Some Important Quality Characteristics Of Cakes, Esra İrem Can, Kadi̇r Çebi̇

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

The nutritional adjustment of food products has gained popularity in recent years as consumer interest in healthy eating has increased. Cake is a widely consumed cereal-based product containing such key nutrients as carbohydrate, fat, protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. In the present study, crust and crumb color, specific volume, microstructure, antimicrobial activity, total phenolic content, antioxidant activity, and sensory analyses were evaluated in four cake groups: a control cake (IT0) and cakes supplemented with 1% (IT1), 3% (IT2), and 5% (IT3) nettle seed powder. The addition of nettle seed powder to the cakes significantly reduced the crust (L*, a* and …

Mango Leaf Disease Detection And Classification Using A Federated Learning Based Lightweight Vision Transformer Model, Vinay Gautam, Prabhjot Kaur, Anand Muni̇ Mishra, Achyut Shankar, Laxman Singh

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

The detection and management of horticultural crop diseases is crucial for enhancing productivity, reducing costs, and promoting environmentally sustainable practices. Recently, various techniques have been developed for managing crop-related issues, including leaf diseases and pest control. A centralized control approach has been implemented for disease detection. This centralized system faced significant challenges, including concerns over data privacy and the costs associated with data migration. This study addressed the problems with centralized solutions through a federated learning approach enhanced by the attention mechanism of the vision transformer (ViT). We investigated the key features of the federated learning method and propose a …

Effects Of Different Perfluoroalkyl Substances On Rice Morphology, Physiology, And Biochemistry, Maryam M. Alomran, Muhammad Aqeel, Noreen Khalid, Noreen Akhter, Muhammad Kashif Irshad, Suliman Mohammed Suliman Alghanem, Fahad Mohammed Alzuaibr, Saher Nawaz, Omar Mahmoud Alzoubi, Muhammad Usman Akbar, Ali Noman

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are synthetic organic compounds that have not been extensively studied in natural environments. The current study aimed to explore how PFASs, including perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS), perfluorohexanoate (PFHxA), perfluorotetradecanoate (PFTeDA), and perfluorobutanoate (PFBA), affect rice plants and influence their metabolism. These substances had a notable impact on root and shoot growth, reducing fresh and dry weights across various treatments compared to the control. These attributes were the least affected by PFOS treatment. PFBA treatment had significant adverse effects on chlorophyll a, b, and total chlorophyll levels, followed by the effects of PFHxA and PFTeDA. …

Exploring Bioactive Components Of Sugar Bean With Some Data Mining Algorithms: Relationships Between Antioxidants, Enzyme Inhibitors, And Minerals, İrem Ayran Çolak

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Sugar bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is a legume of notable nutritional and functional value, and its genotypes have substantial variation in bioactive compounds, antioxidant activity, mineral composition, and enzyme inhibition properties. This study aimed to comprehensively evaluate the biochemical and functional diversity of 10 sugar bean genotypes using data mining algorithms to identify superior candidates for functional food and nutraceutical development. Associations between the phytochemical profiles of sugar bean genotypes and their bioactivity, antioxidant capacity, and enzyme inhibition were modeled with classification and regression trees (CART), random forests (RF), and multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS), while one-way ANOVA quantified varietal …

A New Longidoridae Member, Xiphinema Brevicolle, From Citrus Orchards In Türkiye, Adem Özarslandan, Ayşenur Aslan, Lerzan Öztürk

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Individuals of the genus Xiphinema were recovered from soil samples collected during citrus surveys in south-eastern Türkiye. Morphological examination using light microscopy identified the species as X. brevicolle. The female individuals measured 2000–2050 μm in length, and displayed a slightly flattened lip region, an amphidelphic reproductive system with two well-developed branches, and a short conoid tail ending in a rounded tip. These morphometric and morphological features were consistent with those of previously described X. brevicolle specimens. For molecular confirmation, the D2–D3 segment of the 28S rDNA was amplified using the D2AD3B primer pair, and sequenced; the resulting sequence has been …

Effects Of Different Mixing Ratios Of Common Vetch And Oats On Forage Yield And Quality, Meli̇h Okcu, Sedat Severoğlu, İbrahi̇m Kavuncu

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

This study investigates the optimal mixing ratios of common vetch (Vicia sativa L., CV) and oats (Avena sativa L., O) for enhanced forage yield and quality in the ecological conditions of Erzurum Province. The research was conducted over two growing seasons with three replications in a randomized complete block design (RCBD). Specifically, three common vetch cultivars (Gülhan, Albayrak, Kubilay) and one oat cultivar (Kupa) were evaluated by sowing as sole crops and in different ratios (25% vetch + 75% oat, 50% vetch + 50% oat, 75% vetch + 25% oat). The analyzed parameters included hay forage yield (HFY), dry matter …

Some New Ecological Aspects Of The Lesser Sunda Endemic Drepanosticta Berlandi (Odonata: Zygoptera: Platystictidae), Muhammad Zulhariadi, Muhammad Setyo Nugroho, Nurul Hidayani

Makara Journal of Science

Drepanosticta berlandi is an endemic damselfly in the Lesser Sunda region of Indonesia, which was first recorded on Lombok Island in the 19th century. Albeit recognized for a century, information on its ecology is still lacking; hence, this study aims to reveal its distribution and habitat preferences. The research was conducted at the Tibu Ijo Waterfall tourist area in West Lombok Regency using line transects combined with field survey in the Kekait River and on footpaths on both sides of the river. Vegetation density, topography, and land survey temperature (LST) were measured at the sampling area using ArcGIS 10.4.1 software. …

Developing A Tool To Measure Resistance To Sustainable Food Choices: A Pilot Study In Ireland And The Netherlands, Kate Flanagan, Bart Sinteur, Patricia J. Bulsing, John M. Kearney

SURE Journal: Science Undergraduate Research Experience Journal

Consumer uptake of a sustainable diet is critical for addressing environmental challenges and promoting public health. Understanding why consumers resist adopting sustainable eating habits can inform targeted interventions and policies. This pilot study examines whether a newly developed scale can effectively detect consumer resistance to a sustainable diet. Currently, there is a lack of research on a tool to measure consumer resistance to a sustainable diet, highlighting the need for a reliable instrument.

The aim of this study is to develop a scale, based on existing literature, to measure consumer resistance to a sustainable diet. Additionally, the study aims to …

Editorial-Sure Journal Volume 7, Issue 2, Geraldine M. Dowling, Eva Campion, Sinead Loughran, Ariane Perez-Gavilan, Josephine Treacy

SURE Journal: Science Undergraduate Research Experience Journal

No abstract provided.

Substantial Contribution Of Woody Components To Rainfall Interception In Chinese Forests: Insights From A Refined Analytical Model, Zhi-Ang Chen, Zhi-Yun Jiang, Wei He, John T. Van Stan Ii, Et. Al.

Biological, Geological, and Environmental Faculty Publications

Assessing rainfall interception (I-R) is a critical yet uncertain aspect in hydrological cycle, particularly the quantification of relative contributions from leaves and woody components (e.g., branches, stems, and trunks) to I-R. Nevertheless, the role of woody components in I-R estimation remains largely unexplored and thereby has been constantly overlooked. This study addressed this challenge and refined the widely-used Gash model to distinguish woody interception (I-W) from leaf interception (I-L). We incorporated the spatial variability of vegetation traits alongside satellite data in 2019 into the refined model, and spanned China's major forest types. The refined model showed a strong agreement with …

Contrasting Pathways To Tree Longevity In Gymnosperms And Angiosperms, Roel J. Brienen, Giuliano Maselli Locosselli, Stefan Krottenthaler, Emanuel Gloor, Robyn Wrigley, Steve L. Voelker, Jan Altman, Nela Altmanova, Leander D. Anderegg, Michele Baliva, Deepak Barua, Vaclav Bazant, Bryan Black, Peter M Brown, Gregorio Ceccantini, R Justin Derose, Jose Villanueva Diaz, Alfredo Di Filippo, Jiri Dolezal, Louis Duchesne, Christopher Earle, Pavel Fibich, Hardy Griesbauer, Samuli Helama, Stefan Klesse, Kirill Korznikov, David Lindenmayer, Shuhui Liu, Lidio Lopez, Maurizio Mencuccini, Thomas A. Nagel

Michigan Tech Publications

Tree longevity is thought to increase in growth-limiting, adverse environments, but a quantitative assessment of drivers of global variation in tree longevity is lacking. We assemble a global database of maximum longevity for 739 tree species and analyse associations between longevity and climate, soil, and species' functional traits. Our results show two primary pathways towards long lifespans. The first is slow growth in resource-limited environments, consistent with the "adversity begets longevity" paradigm. The second pathway is through relief from abiotic constraints in productive environments. Despite notable exceptions, long-lived gymnosperms tend to follow the first path through slow growth in cold …

Disentangling Complex Relationships And Disjunctions In Western Camassia: Integrating Multiple Criteria To Resolve Taxonomic Boundaries, Susan R. Kephart, Theresa M. Culley, Jenny K. Archibald, Robert Tunison, Kathryn E. Theiss, James E. Kephart

Michigan Tech Publications

Premise: Understanding genetic and morphological variability helps efforts to sustain landscapes and develop effective species concepts for resolving difficult groups. To unravel puzzling relationships and range disjunctions, we applied morphometrics, phenology, phylogenetics and population genetics in Camassia species with cultural, ecological, and conservation value, asking: Do the unusual Camassia populations in northeastern California represent previously unrecognized, disjunct C. howellii? Do C. howellii, C. leichtlinii, and C. quamash maintain diagnostic features in allopatry or sympatry? Are C. quamash subsp. breviflora and subsp. linearis taxonomically distinct?. Methods: We evaluated 34 Camassia populations in situ for morphometric traits, phenology, and habitat type, collecting …

Temperature Predicts Myotis Lucifugus Declines And Persistence After White-Nose Syndrome Introduction, Tanner M. Barnes, Jared D. Wolfe, Allen Kurta, Steve M. Smith, John E. Depue

Michigan Tech Research Data

No abstract provided.

Environmental Identities Of College Students Reveal Potential Conflicts And Common Ground For Wildlife Conservation, Richard Von Furstenberg, Lincoln R. Larson, M. Nils Peterson, Kangjae Jerry Lee, Victoria R. Vayer, Kathryn Stevenson, Stacy A.C. Nelson, Jeremy Bruskotter, Adam A. Ahlers, Christine Anhalt-Depies, Taniya Bethke, Chris Chizinski, Brian Clark, Kiley M.D. Fryman, Ashley A. Dayer, Benjamin Ghasemi, Larry Gigliotti, Alan Graefe, Samuel J. Keith, Matt Kelly, Gerard Kyle, Elizabeth Metcalf, Wayde Morse, Mark D. Needham, Neelam C. Poudyal, Michael Quartuch, Shari L. Rodriguez, Chelsie Romulo, Ryan L. Sharp, William Siemer, Matt Springer

Michigan Tech Publications

“Conservationist” and “environmentalist” are two prominent environmental social identities often perceived as conflicting, particularly on wedge issues like hunting. While these groups may hold differing philosophies, their beliefs could overlap, revealing opportunities for collaboration in conservation. We examined environmental identities among U.S. college students across 22 states (n = 17,203) from 2018 to 2020, assessing identity, wildlife values, and positions on polarizing issues. Students were classified into four groups: conservationists (8 %), environmentalists (9 %), pluralists (59 %) who expressed both identities, and eco-agnostics (24 %) who expressed neither. Environmentalists, the most diverse group demographically, exhibited mutualistic wildlife value orientations, …

Performance Enhancement For Rufa: Rapid Urban Forest Assessment, Nicholas Tan

Master's Theses

Urban forests are crucial to the livability and resilience of cities, offering critical ecosystem benefits such as air quality enhancement, temperature regulation, and biodiversity. Managing said urban forests is essential to ensure their sustainability and adaptability to rapidly changing environmental and climate conditions. The Rapid Urban Forest Assessment (RUFA) tool was developed to address the need for a standardized approach to evaluating and comparing urban and community forestry programs. By analyzing and aggregating tree-specific data across California, such as canopy cover, tree counts, and diversity scores, RUFA assigns a comprehensive urban forestry score for each city. This score allows for …

Reproduction And Larval Development Of The Invasive Asian Longhorned Beetle In South Carolina, Lindsey A. Stone

All Theses

The Asian longhorned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis Motschulsky; ALB) is a major threat to forest health due to the damage done by larval feeding in host trees. In 2020, ALB was discovered in Charleston County, South Carolina, which presents a novel climate for this invasive pest in North America. I investigated the reproductive biology and larval development of ALB to support detection and management efforts. By exposing 19 host trees to mated pairs of adults, I was able to determine rates of oviposition success (55%), egg viability (55%), and early larval survival (56%). On average, females chewed nearly 1 egg …

The Ecology Of Arthropod Rain In A Tropical Forest., Andrew Robert Seiler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Tropical forests are structured by complex vertical linkages and nutrient exchanges between canopy and understory habitats. These linkages include the downward flux of organisms, the movement of canopy fauna, and the recycling of nutrients through litter and organic matter deposition. This dissertation investigates arthropod rain and its role in connecting the canopy and forest floor processes in a lowland tropical forest in Panama. Chapter 2 quantifies “arthropod rain”, the fall of canopy arthropods into the understory. Using pan and pole traps, I measured the composition, abundance, and biomass of arthropods falling from the canopy and assessed environmental drivers of the …

Mountain Communities During A Time Of War: A Case Study Of The Hutsul Region In The Carpathian Mountains Of Ukraine, Pavlo Rybaruk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the ethno-ecological technologies employed by the Hutsul people within the highland agrarian economy of the Carpathian Mountains. Over centuries, the Hutsuls have developed ethno-ecological technologies that maintain ecological integrity while supporting community livelihoods.

The study addresses three primary research questions: What are the most important ethno-ecological technologies of the Hutsul highland economy? How might these traditional ethno-ecological practices be applied to economic, agricultural, and tourism development in the Hutsul region? How might these traditional ethno-ecological practices be combined with contemporary approaches to encourage sustainable development in the region?

The research explores the devastating impact of the Russian …