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Full-Text Articles in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Linkind Deadwood Inhabiting Fungi To Carbon Dioxide Flux Of Decomposing Coarse Woody Debris, Elyse Daub
Linkind Deadwood Inhabiting Fungi To Carbon Dioxide Flux Of Decomposing Coarse Woody Debris, Elyse Daub
Honors College
The decomposition of wood is driven by a combination of abiotic and biotic factors, the most influential of them all are fungi. These decomposer fungi use the wood for food, digesting woody material to absorb nutrients and release carbon dioxide. Fungi are the primary drivers of decomposition in most terrestrial ecosystems; thus, the rate and degree of decomposition are greatly dependent on the community of fungi found on woody debris. However, little is known about which fungi decompose woody debris most efficiently. This study aims to investigate the decomposer fungi in the Bear Brook Watershed via molecular techniques and quantify …
Seed Dispersal Effectiveness In The Penobscot Experimental Forest, Gabrielle Link
Seed Dispersal Effectiveness In The Penobscot Experimental Forest, Gabrielle Link
Honors College
Previous studies have shown that scatter-hoarding small mammals increase seed germination success through the process of collecting and caching seeds throughout the forest. This study seeks to explore this further by examining how specific cache microsite preferences among these small mammals impacts the germination and growth of northern red oak (Quercus rubra). Seeds were planted in six different microsites across three forest treatments. Germination, seedling height, and herbivory were then monitored over time. We found that microsite did not have a significant effect on germination or height, however microsite did impact herbivory probability, and open microsites made seedlings more vulnerable …