Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

Quantifying Losses Of Understory Forage In Aspen Stands On The Dixie And Fishlake National Forests, Barton R. Stam

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The West has lost up to 60% of its historic aspen stands over the last century, probably as a result of the successional tendency of aspen to be replaced by coniferous species in the absence of periodic fires. One of several major impacts of this change is the loss of understory forage as conifer canopy cover increases. I measured understory biomass in aspen stands ranging from 0% to 81 % absolute conifer cover in the canopy and found that understory production declines exponentially as conifers replace aspen. I also did an economic analysis to determine the value of the forage …

Long-Term Environmental Effects Of Conifer Removal To Achieve Aspen Release In Near-Stream Areas Within The Northern Sierras, Kenneth W. Tate, Bobette Jones, Melanie Mcfarland, Tom Rickman, Al Vasquez

Aspen Bibliography

The advanced state of conifer encroachment in aspen stands in the Sierra Nevada and southern Cascades is retarding aspen regeneration, putting an estimated 70 plus percent of stands at immediate risk of extinction with a significant percentage of stands already lost.

Executive Summary The Role Of Ungulate Herbivory And Management On Ecosystem Patterns And Processes: A Problem Analysis, John G. Kie, Martin Vavra

Aspen Bibliography

No abstract provided.

Identification Of Spatial And Temporal Patterns Of Secondary Succession Changes In Altamira, Brazil: Integrating Remote Sensing And Gis Technology, Hui Li

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There has been extensive use of remote sensing to study secondary succession of moist tropical forests in the Amazon Basin. However, scientists have not totally understood the dynamic processes of secondary succession of Amazon forests. A lack of consensus remains about what is the best approach for biomass estimation in the Amazon Basin using remotely sensed data. It is not clear which spectral wavelength bands have the best relationship with biomass values and what are the specific relationships between biomass and TM satellite radiance. The strategies in this research, based on analysis of detailed ground-based data and satellite TM image …

Identification Of Spatial And Temporal Patterns Of Secondary Succession Changes In Altamira, Brazil: Integrating Remote Sensing And Gis Technology, Hui Li

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There has been extensive use of remote sensing to study secondary succession of moist tropical forests in the Amazon Basin. However, scientists have not totally understood the dynamic processes of secondary succession of Amazon forests. A lack of consensus remains about what is the best approach for biomass estimation in the Amazon Basin using remotely sensed data. It is not clear which spectral wavelength bands have the best relationship with biomass values and what are the specific relationships between biomass and TM satellite radiance. The strategies in this research, based on analysis of detailed ground-based data and satellite TM image …

Some Environmental Relationships Of Undergrowth Species In Aspen Communities Of The Intermountain West, W F. Mueggler

Aspen Bibliography

This analysis results from an opportunity to explore plant-environmental relationships from data collected for a different purpose. Origin of the data is a study designed to develop an aspen community-type classification for southern Idaho, western Wyoming, Utah, and Nevada which resulted in the publication "Aspen Community Types of the Intermountain Region" GTR INT-250 by W.F. Mueggler (1988).

Conservation And Restoration Of Pine Forest Genetic Resources In México, C. Sáenz-Romero, Amy E. Snively, R. Lindig-Cisneros

Student Published Works

Deforestation rates in México are about 670,000 ha/year. This threatens the richness of forest genetic resources in México, causing the disappearance of locally adapted populations and rare and endangered pine species. México is one of the six megadiverse countries in the world, with half of the world’s Pinus species. Pinus is one of the most economically and ecologically important forest genera in México. We suggest that delineation of seed zones and the establishment of a network of Forest Genetic Resource Conservation Units (FGRCUs), linked with forest management and ecological restoration programs will protect this valuable resource. We estimate that FGRCUs …

Utah Forest Health Report : A Baseline Assessment 1999 - 2001, Colleen Keyes, Paul Rogers, Leon Lamadeleine, Vick Applegate, Dave Atkins

The Bark Beetles, Fuels, and Fire Bibliography

This report addresses forest health in two ways: by discussion of forest-related issues and by data summaries in several appendices. FHM is a long-term monitoring program and therefore, the data presented in this report must be viewed in that light. This report presents a first-time, or baseline summary. Subsequent reports will address changes over time as plots and other detection surveys are conducted and re-measured.

Good Intentions May Doom Aspen Groves, James R. Fazio

Aspen Bibliography

If there were a Guiness Book of World Records for trees, quaking aspen would be in it - not once but probably several times.

Compositional Trends And Spatial Patterns Over A Quarter Century: Forest Dynamics Of Dobbs Park, Indiana, Nancy Hoalst Pullen

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Thirty-five permanent plots were reexamined to identify and describe the spatial and temporal characteristics of Dobbs Park, an isolated old-growth forest stand in westcentral Indiana. The 3.6 ha stand was resurveyed in summer 2000, with all stems greater than 10 cm dbh measured, and accessions and deaths recorded. The results are compared to original data collected in summer 1974, with compositional and spatial patterns identified via GIS and spatial analysis. The stand has declined slightly in density from 342 stems/ha to 333.15 stems/hectare (-2.6%) while basal area (dominance) for the stand has increased from 23.6 m2/ha to 25.8 m2/ha (+8.8%) …

Decomposition Dynamics In Restored And Naturally Recovering Atlantic White Cedar (Chamaecyparis Thyoides) Wetlands, Edward Ratcliffe Crawford

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Restoration efforts and ecologically based management practices for Atlantic white cedar wetlands have recently focused on soil organic matter sequestration and aggradation as critical ecosystem functions in the maintenance of this imperiled community type. This work addresses how developmental stage, litter quality and environmental conditions influenced above ground leaf litter and below ground root decay in naturally regenerating and restored Atlantic white cedar wetlands. Using standard litterbags for leaf litter and a modified litterbag technique for roots, decay dynamics of naturally regenerating and restored Atlantic white cedar stands were measured to compare ecosystem development trends with restoration conditions. Effects on …

Ecology Of Treeline Whitebark Pine (Pinus Albicaulis) Populations In Central Idaho: Successional Status, Recruitment, And Mortality, And A Spring Temperature Reconstruction From Whitebark Pine Tree Rings, Dana Lee Perkins

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This research investigated the successional status of treeline whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) populations on 14 stands in central Idaho and used empirical statistical models to determine the principal factors affecting recruitment and mortality. The longest lived whitebark pines from four additional high-elevation sites were used to develop a tree-ring chronology to reconstruct over 1,000 years of average April-May temperature.

The assessment of stand structures using size-frequency distributions generally provides evidence that treeline whitebark pine populations are currently self-sustaining in areas of low to nonexistent incidence of white pine blister rust (Cronartium ribicola). However the presence of …

Patterns Of Avian Productivity Indices At Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge (1995–1999), Tina Louise Gallegos

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

I examined demographic parameters at Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, 1995–1999 utilizing Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship protocol. The Olive Sparrow was the species most frequently captured. The capture rate of adult and young birds remained fairly steady over the years and no significant linear trends were observed. Productivity was highest in 1997, which influenced the number of adults captured in 1998, and was significantly related to annual rainfall. Mean total capture rates were higher at the Highland station than the Resaca station. Demographic comparisons between mist nets and point counts were variable, suggesting that both sampling techniques have their …

Comparison Of Rodent Communities Of Native Brushland, Replanted, And Secondary Succession Sites In The Lower Rio Grande Valley Of Texas, Mitchell Allen Sternberg

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

I compared small mammal communities between mature brushlands, replanted brushlands, and secondary succession sites from November 1998 to December 1999 to evaluate revegetation efforts in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas. I determined rodent community characteristics of the three habitat types. The mature brushland and replanted habitats had similar species diversities and both were significantly higher than the secondary succession habitat. Species diversity was highest at the replanted edge grid during Winter. The current replanting method provides a more diverse rodent community than does natural succession from fallow fields. Wildlife monitoring should be extended to other taxonomic guilds so …

Determining Differences In The Spatial Distribution Of Forest Structure On The Kaibab Plateau: Implications For Forest Management And The Northern Goshawk, Ryan S. Miller

Other Publications in Wildlife Management

The Kaibab Plateau, in North Central Arizona, has undergone extensive change in the last 100 years due to land management practices such as logging, road building, and fire suppression. The northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) has been a center of controversy, due to the potential effects of silvicultural practices on goshawk breeding habitat (Reynolds-1983, Bloom et al 1986, Kennedy 1989, Crocker-Bedford 1990). Current and past research efforts on the Kaibab Plateau have mapped Goshawk nesting territories and temporal change in nesting behavior and success. However, these research efforts have not determined how long-term spatial changes in land-use activities that have influenced …

Tiger Restoration In Asia: Ecological Theory Vs. Sociological Reality, Ronald Tilson, Philip J. Nyhus, Neil Franklin

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Climate Change And Forest Disturbances, V. H. Dale, L. A. Joyce, S. Mcnulty, R. P. Neilson, M. P. Ayres, M. D. Flannigan, P. J. Hanson, L. C. Irland, A. E. Lugo, C. J. Peterson, D. Simberloff, F. J. Swanson, B. J. Stocks, B. M. Wotton

The Bark Beetles, Fuels, and Fire Bibliography

No abstract provided.

Bald Hills Region And Lyons Family, Susie Van Kirk

Susie Van Kirk Papers

Susie Van Kirk's reference notes and research on the Bald Hills Region and the Lyons Family. Newspaper references date from 1856-1997.

The Effect Of Aspen Wood Characteristics And Properties On Utilization, Kurt H. Mackes, Dennis L. Lynch

Aspen Bibliography

This paper reviews characteristics and properties of aspen wood, including anatomical structure and characteristics, moisture and shrinkage properties, weight and specific gravity, mechanical properties, and processing characteristics. Uses of aspen are evaluated: sawn and veneer products, composite panels, pulp, excelsior, post and poles, animal bedding, animal food supplements, fuel applications, and novelties. Aspen is a preferred species for paneling, veneer products including matchsticks and chopsticks, waferboard and oriented strandboard (OSB), fiberboard, pulp, excelsior, research animal bedding, animal food supplements, and tourist or gift items.

Final Environmental Impact Statement - Iron Point Exploraton License - Iron Point Coal Lease Tract - Elk Creek Coal Lease Tract, Volume 2, United States Department Of Agriculture -- Forest Service, United States Department Of The Interior -- Bureau Of Land Management

Environmental Assessments (CO)

This appendix documents BLM and Forest Service activities to involve and consult with other government agencies and the public in the preparation of the Final EIS for the potential leasing of the Iron Point and Elk Creek Coal lease tracts, as well as the issuance of a coal exploration license for an area within and surrounding the Iron Point Coal lease Tract.

Final Envrionmental Impact Statement: Iron Point Exploration License -- Iron Point Coal Lease Tract -- Elk Creek Coal Lease Tract, Volume 1, United States Department Of Agriculture -- Forest Service, United States Departement Of The Interior -- Bureau Of Land Management

Environmental Assessments (CO)

The Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) describes the physical, biological, social, and economic resources that would be potentially affected by leasing of the Iron Point and Elk Creek Coal Lease tracts as well as issuing an exploration license for an area within and surrounding the Iron Point Coal Lease Tract. The federal decisions to be made involve the approval or disapproval of coal leasing (the Iron Point and Elk Creek tracts) and of an exploration license. Some of the key issues for these proposed actions include: the potential effects of transporting over 19 million tons of coal per year from …

Effects Of Diameter-Limit And Two-Age Timber Harvesting On Songbird Populations On An Industrial Forest In Central West Virginia, Cathy Ann Weakland

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Many studies examining forest fragmentation effects on songbirds have been conducted in landscapes significantly altered by urbanization or agriculturalization rather than forested landscapes. There is some evidence that forest fragmentation due to timber harvesting has different effects on bird abundance than fragmentation from other land uses. It is unknown how songbirds respond to different forms of timber harvesting as fragmentation events. Also, it is unclear if microhabitat-level or landscape-level characteristics are more important predictors of breeding bird occurrence in the central Appalachians. The objectives of my study were to determine the short-term effects of diameter-limit and two-age timber harvesting on …

Ecology Of The Malay Civet (Viverra Tangalunga) In A Logged And An Unlogged Forest In Sabah, East Malaysia, Christina P. Colon

Publications and Research

Malay civets in a dipterocarp rain forest were studied from December, 1995, through June, 1997, in the Ulu Segama Forest Reserve in Sabah, East Malaysia. To investigate the basic ecology of this species and explore the potential impact of selective logging, data on home range, activity and diet were collected on study animals in an unlogged and a selectively logged forest, and comparisons made.

Density in the unlogged forest was 1/0.46 km² , and 1/1.07 km² in the logged forest. Mean home range size based on a 95% minimum convex polygon was 110 ha. and did not differ …

Acorn Foraging As A Means To Explore Human Energetics And Forge Connections To Local Forests, Jeffrey J. Gerwing, Pamela Lockwood, Christopher Uhl

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Jeffrey Gerwing, Pamela Lockwood, and Christopher Uhl describe a rather unusual ecology laboratory/field exercise that utilizes abundant oak habitats of central Pennsylvania. For those readers not blessed with an abundant supply of oaks nearby, perhaps other species could be substituted. The exercise is unusual in two ways. It offers a new undergraduate ecology activity, and it offers opportunities for students to relate other disciplines to their science course.

In "the good old days" of higher education each discipline offered its menu of courses and expected students to make appropriate connections among the courses of their major, minor, and general education. …

Functional Success Of Six Constructed Bottomland Hardwood Forests In Central And Western Kentucky, Ryan W. Mccall

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Science and Technology Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science by Ryan W. McCall on January 25, 1999.

Green Canyon Recreation Management Plant, Jesse Evans, Erin Haddock, Todd Tibbetts, Lindsey Topham

Green Canyon Environmental Research Area, Logan Utah

The purpose of this plan is to look at the way Green Canyon is currently being managed and make recommendations for management based on our findings. Prior to this document, a Landscape Assessment was conducted on Green Canyon. This plan incorporates that assessment but focuses on the recreation management of the canyon. We will discuss history, current management, social conditions, purpose and need, as well as methods we used to go about gathering information. The focus is to identify key issues and concerns within the canyon. Management recommendations will be made based on the issues and concerns identified.

The Effect Of Proximity On Landmark Use In Clark’S Nutcrackers, Kristy L. Gould-Beierle, Alan Kamil

Avian Cognition Papers

Clark’s nutcrackers, Nucifraga columbiana, store thousands of pine seeds during the autumn and retrieve them throughout the winter. It has been shown that these birds are able to use visual cues to relocate hidden food in the laboratory. In this set of experiments, we trained three groups of Clark’s nutcrackers to find a hidden food goal that was placed in the same spatial location relative to the testing room. During training, the location of two local cues in relation to the goal differed between the three groups. Group 1 learned the task with the cues closest to the goal, group …

Patterns Of Movement And Orientation During Caching And Recovery By Clark’S Nutcrackers, Nucifraga Columbiana, Alan Kamil, Russell P. Balda, Sally Good

Avian Cognition Papers

Clark’s nutcrackers regularly store large numbers of pine seeds and remember the locations of the cached seeds. Although they are very accurate, they do make some errors during recovery. In an attempt to determine whether any behaviours during caching predicted the occurrence of errors during recovery, we videotaped Clark’s nutcrackers while they cached and recovered seeds under laboratory conditions. We used the videotapes to develop complete, quantitative descriptions of caching and recovery behaviour, with an emphasis on body orientation and directions of movement. During caching, the birds showed the greatest change in their orientation and direction following cache creation. During …

How Do They, Indeed? A Reply To Biegler Et Al., Alan Kamil, Juli E. Jones

Avian Cognition Papers

We trained Clark’s nutcrackers, Nucifraga columbiana, to search halfway between two landmarks while varying the distance between the landmarks (Kamil & Jones 1997). We found that the birds learned the problem readily and generalized to novel interlandmark distances within the range of distances used during training. Unlike some other studies in which responses to proportional distance were obtained (e.g. O’Keefe & Burgess 1996; Tommasi et al. 1997), the nutcrackers showed very precise search and maintained this precision during the transfer test. The distributions of digging locations around the central position were concentrated within ±1–2 cm of the central location …

Deforestation In The Tropics: Reconciling Disparities In Estimates For India, Shaily Menon, Kamaljit S. Bawa

Peer Reviewed Publications

Here we examine recent disparate estimates of deforestation obtained for India. We discuss the sources of disparity and the implications of inaccurate estimates and suggest ways in which future attempts at estimating deforestation might reconcile the disparity. Despite the importance of deforestation and its consequences, no attempt has been made to reconcile the different estimates obtained for India.