Life Sciences Commons^™

Assessing Quaking Aspen (Populus Tremuloides) Decline On Cedar Mountain In Southern Utah Using Remote Sensing And Geographic Information Systems, Chad M. Oukrop

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) is the most widespread deciduous tree species in North America and aspen ecosystems are highly valued for multiple use, being noted for forage production, understory diversity, wildlife habitat, timber, hydrological assets, and aesthetics. However, aspen communities in the Intermountain Region of the western United States are in evident decline, with certain areas experiencing rapid mortality over the past decade. One location of special interest is the quaking aspen on Cedar Mountain in Southern Utah, USA, an isolated population in the southwestern portion of aspen's geographic range.

Lacking critical information on the location, extent, and …

Object-Based Segmentation And Classification Of One Meter Imagery For Use In Forest Management Plans, W. Kevin Wells

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This research developed an ArcGIS Python model that extracts polygons from aerial imagery and assigns each polygon a vegetation type based on a modified set of landcover classes from the Southwest Regional Gap Analysis Project. The model showed an ability to generate polygons that accurately represent vegetation community boundaries across a large landscape. The model is for use by the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands to assist in the preparation of forest management plans. The model was judged useful because it was easy to use, it met a designated 50% threshold of useable polygons, and it met …

Modeling Bark Beetle Outbreak And Fire Interactions In Western U.S. Forests And The Invasion Potential Of An Invasive Puerto Rican Frog In Hawaii Using Remote Sensing Data, Simon A. Bisrat

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

I used Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) imagery to answer two ecological questions. In the first project, I investigated the interactions between bark beetle-caused tree mortality and fire occurrence in western U.S. forests. I used remotely sensed fire data detected by MODIS satellite and bark beetle-caused tree mortality data. I tested the hypothesis that there is an increased probability of fire incidence in bark beetle-damaged forests compared to healthy forests using conditional probability modeling across the national forests of the western U.S. regardless of forest type. My results did not show a consistent pattern (increase or decrease of conditional probability of …

Estimating Relative Distribution Of Raccoons, Opossums, Skunks, And Foxes Using Animal Control Data, Christine Klinkowski-Clark, Michael J. Kutilek, John O. Matson, Paula Messina, Kevin Earley, Shannon M. Bros-Seemann

Human–Wildlife Interactions

We used indices of animal control reports per capita and areas of land covers to assess the relative habitat-use of raccoons (Procyon lotor), opossums (Didelphis virginiana), skunks (Spilogale putorius and Mephitis mephitis), and foxes (Vulpes vulpes and Urocyon cinereoargenteus). We used confirmed (hereafter, verified) calls made to Brevard Animal Services, Florida, and assessed potential human demographic influences associated with unconfirmed (hereafter, unverified) reports where it was uncertain whether or not an animal was present. To estimate habitat use, we performed quadrat sampling using a geographic information system (GIS) and obtained areas of …