Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

Citizen Science Project On Urban Canids Provides Different Results From Camera Traps But Generates Interest And Revenue, Neville F. Taraporevala

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

As more people live in cities, wildlife increasingly encounters people. Coyotes (Canis latrans) and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) are two carnivores that have easily adapted to urban environments causing them to come into conflict with people and their pets. Citizen science, where members of the community aid scientists in the collection of data, has emerged as a low-cost method of studying these species that can provide benefits to management agencies but may provide different results than traditional methods. We analyzed data collected by citizen scientists and data collected via motion-triggered camera traps to see how each …

Evaluating Mountain Lion Diet Before And After A Removal Of Feral Horses In A Semiarid Environment, Peter C. Iacono, Kathryn A. Schoenecker, Kezia R. Manlove, Pat J. Jackson, David C. Stoner

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Non-native species can affect ecosystems by influencing native predator-prey dynamics. Therefore, management interventions designed to remove non-natives may inadvertently lead to increased predation on native species. Feral horses are widely distributed throughout the arid parts of western North America. A growing body of research indicates that horses can be an important prey species to mountain lions in ecosystems where they overlap. In December 2020, the Bureau of Land Management removed 455 horses from the Delamar Mountains, Nevada, USA. We leveraged this management intervention to implement a before–after–control–impact study to test hypotheses about predation on horses and native ungulates. We predicted …

Collaborative Knowledge Braiding For Restoration: Assessing Climate Change Risks And Adaptation Options At Wuda Ogwa In Southeastern Idaho, United States, Sofia Koutzoukis, Will Munger, Lindsay Capito, Darren Parry, Brad Parry, Sarah C. Klain, Mark W. Brunson, Nancy Huntly, Travis Taylor

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

The restoration of culturally significant landscapes poses formidable challenges given more than 160 years of settler-colonial land use change and a rapidly changing climate. A novel approach to these challenges braids Indigenous and western scientific knowledge. This case study braids Indigenous plant knowledge, species distribution models (SDMs), and climate models to inform restoration of the Bear River Massacre site in Idaho, now stewarded by the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation. MaxEnt SDMs were used to project the future spatial distribution of culturally significant plant species under medium (SSP2-4.5) and high (SSP5-8.5) emissions scenarios. These results support Tribal revegetation priorities …

Evaluation Of Major Physical And Mechanical Properties Of Trembling Aspen Lumber, Dawei Wang, Mengyuan Zhang, Meng Gong, Ying-Hei Chui

Aspen Bibliography

Trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) is one of the major species within Populus, a predominant genus of hardwoods in North America. However, its utilization has been limited to pulp and paper or wood-based composite boards. This study aimed at evaluating the major physical and mechanical properties of trembling aspen lumber, with an ultimate objective of using this species to produce engineered wood products (EWPs). The testing materials consisted of 2 × 4 (38 mm × 89 mm) trembling aspen lumber pieces in lengths of 8, 10, and 12 feet (2.44, 3.05, and 3.66 m) with two visual grades, …

Mixing Trembling Aspen And White Spruce Increases The Understory Vegetation Cover And Improves Soil Properties But Effects Vary With Broadleaf Density, Mostarin Ara, Bradley D. Pinno, Philip G. Comeau

Aspen Bibliography

Despite the importance of species mixtures to ecosystem-based forest management, density effect of broadleaf trees in the mixture on understory vegetation and soil properties are poorly understood. In this study, we examine the effects of trembling aspen [aspen] (Populus tremuloides Michx.) -white spruce [ spruce] (Picea glauca (Moench) Vos) mixtures that vary in the proportion of aspen on understory vegetation cover, soil nutrient supply rates, and soil properties. Data were collected from an established study located in Alberta, Canada at age 20 and included the following treatments: 1. Natural regeneration of pure aspen; 2. Retaining only …

Aspen As Firebreaks At The Development Fringe, Kevin Krasnow, Paul C. Rogers

Aspen Bibliography

Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) forests are widely known and prized for their numerous values—biodiversity, habitat, forage, recreation, aesthetics, and others—including as a deterrent to wildfire. This reputation for stopping or slowing flames is explored here, alongside measures that may be taken to facilitate thriving aspen communities near human developments. It is clear that science supporting the premise of aspen as an effective firebreak is far from complete. Yet, how can we benefit from what we do know on this topic to increase the probability of preventing structural fire damage, while also encouraging the valued characteristics of aspen ecosystems?

Climate Considerations For Quaking Aspen Conservation, Douglas Shinneman, Susan Mcilroy, Paul C. Rogers

Aspen Bibliography

Human-caused climate change alters ecosystem processes ranging from local to global scales. As a consequence of climate change we should expect increased rates and intensities of disturbance events. Though we are only beginning to understand what those impacts might be to aspen forests and their diverse plant and animal assemblages, recent science suggests there may be unavoidable effects. In the face of anticipated climate-ecosystem challenges, contemporary managers are searching for guidance on preserving aspen resilience. We suggest crafting strategic yet cautious approaches to minimize effects and facilitate broad resilience. For instance, monitoring conditions in and near aspen forests will help …

Estimating Increased Transient Water Storage With Increases In Beaver Dam Activity, Konrad Hafen, Joseph M. Wheaton, Brett B. Roper, Philip Bailey, William W. Macfarlane, Bethany T. Neilson, Christopher J. Tennant

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

Dam building by beaver (Castor spp.) slows water movement through montane valleys, increasing transient water storage and the diversity of residence times. In some cases, water storage created by beaver dam construction is correlated to changes in streamflow magnitude and timing. However, the total amount of additional surface and groundwater storage that beaver dams may create (and, thus, their maximum potential impact on streamflow) has not been contextualized in the water balance of larger river basins. We estimate the potential transient water storage increases that could be created at 5, 25, 50, and 100% of maximum modeled beaver dam capacity …

Variable Drought Impacts On Stream Habitat Across The Northwestern United States, Sophia Withers

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The Western United States has been in an extended drought since 2002 which can drive negative impacts on stream habitats supporting native fish and aquatic species. Stream quality, specifically in the context of fish habitat, depends on many variables, including vegetation quality. Drought conditions affect vegetation conditions; however it is unclear how drought conditions impact stream habitat quality for fish. This study examines how stream habitat quality relates to drought across the National Forests of the Northwestern US, as well as exploring whether drought increases have had a significant impact on riparian vegetation over the past 20 years. Using a …

Chemical-Mediated Mate Attraction In Clover Root Curculio (Sitona Hispidulus F.), A Belowground Pest Of Forage Crops, Kristin Leutgeb

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Curculionid beetles are well known for their production of semiochemicals, including contact (e.g. cuticular hydrocarbons) and volatile pheromones that mediate conspecific attraction and mating. Clover root curculio (CRC; Sitona hispidulus) in particular is an emergent, soil-borne pest of significant concern to producers of alfalfa and other leguminous crops in the United States. Producers have few control options for CRC and a greater understanding of chemical-mediated attraction in this species can potentially improve the sustainability of its management. To examine which chemical cues are important for affecting the behavior of CRC and whether there are sex-based differences in response, I …

Spatiotemporal Dynamics Of Disease: Social And Environmental Drivers Of Movement, Connectivity, And Disease Transmission In Bighorn Sheep, Lauren E. Ricci

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Movement is a fundamental component of animal ecology. Animals move in order to access resources and avoid risk. Movement decisions aggregated across time determine how individuals use space, contact dynamics between individuals within a population, and connectivity across a species range. These patterns that emerge from movement decisions have downstream implications for many ecological processes and a mechanistic understanding of movement can help answer broader questions about ecology.

Disease dynamics are intrinsically tied to movement. Understanding the mechanisms that drive movement can elucidate how disease will spread and impact host populations. In this vein, I employed a suite of movement …

Top-Down Vs Bottom-Up Effects On Predator-Prey Interactions In Aquatic Communities, Catherine Mary Mcclure

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Ecology is studied at multiple scales to better understand how small changes at the individual level scale up to affect our ecosystems and global systems. These ecological scales include individuals (single organism), populations (group of organisms of the same species), communities (populations of different species interacting with each other), and ecosystems (species interacting with other species and their local environment). The research in this document is focused on the individual, population, and community scale. In particular, this research addresses questions regarding how changes in environmental conditions (i.e., predation and resources) affect species interactions which ultimately affects the composition of ecological …

Causes And Consequences Of Space-Use Behavior Under Predation Risk In A Free-Living System, Brian J. Smith

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Predators can have important ecological effects through killing and eating their prey, the so-called consumptive effect, but predators can also have a nonconsumptive effect (NCE) on their prey – this happens when the risk of predation itself causes prey to alter their behaviors or other traits and these alterations ultimately reduce prey survival, reproduction, or population size. While scientists understand the consumptive effects of predators well, we are still unsure whether NCEs are important in free-living systems. In this dissertation, I sought to better understand the potential NCEs of predators (wolves and cougars) on elk in northern Yellowstone National Park …

Movement Behavior And Habitat Selection Of Juvenile Mountain Lions (Puma Concolor) During Three Behavioral States Of Dispersal, John F. Randolph

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Juvenile dispersal, the act of moving from their natal range to the place where they eventually reproduce and establish an adult home range is hazardous. Juveniles must travel and find food across unfamiliar landscapes, where they must also cross roads, avoid harvest, and navigate developed landscapes. Despite the inherent dangers of dispersal, this demographic process is important for finding suitable mates and reducing inbreeding depression. Wildlife conservation concerns arise when individuals are unable to disperse due to a loss of connectivity, as this can negatively impact population demographics and genetic diversity. We explored the effects of hunting and human-developed landscapes …

The Effects Of Aboveground Herbivory On Root Traits And Root Decomposition, Emily A. Chavez

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Soil holds more carbon (C) than the Earth's atmosphere and vegetation combined. Soil loses carbon through soil respiration and releases CO₂ from the soil. The soil respiration rate can vary based on the chemistry of the plant litter inputs and physical factors, such as soil temperature and nutrient content. In Alaska's Yukon-Kuskokwim (YK) Delta, grazing by geese affects the chemistry of plants and the soil's physical qualities, thus altering the rate of soil respiration. Although we know that goose herbivory leads to changes in the rate of soil respiration, we know very little about how goose herbivory affects the …

Evaluating Aspen Seedling Outplanting Success Following High Severity Wildfire In The Southwest, Sarah M. Kapel

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) is an ecologically important forest species in the western U.S. Aspen forests host a variety of understory species, are critical wildlife habitat, and are considered a "natural fuel break" since they are less likely to support crown fires than conifers. Because of climate change and altered disturbance regimes, populations are declining, and innovative strategies are needed to restore aspen. Planting aspen seedlings is a solution, though not a common practice in the West and has been met with high mortality in past experiments. For aspen planting to be more broadly implemented, managers need guidance …

Experimental Nonnative Wood Addition Enhances Instream Habitat For Native Fishes And Investigating Dryland River Alterations, Benjamin J. Miller

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The rivers of the Colorado River Basin (CRB) have been degraded by human activities such flow regulation, water overallocation, and the introduction of invasive riparian vegetation (primarily tamarisk tamarix spp. and Russian olive Elaeagnus angustifolia). These stressors have resulted in widespread habitat loss and simplification, which is a major contributor to the endangerment of native fishes in the CRB.

The objectives of this study were to 1) assess the effectiveness of enhancing native fish habitat by experimentally adding cut wood from nonnative Russian olive to the San Juan River, a highly degraded dryland river, and 2) determine the …

Revegetation Strategies For Native Wetland Plant Restoration In The Face Of Phragmites Australis Reinvasion And Hydrologic Extremes, Maddie Houde

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Reestablishing native plant communities in degraded habitats through seeding or planting ("revegetation") is a necessary step to restore ecosystems and their functions (e.g., supporting biodiversity, nutrient cycling, etc.). Globally, wetlands have suffered high rates of degradation and also experience numerous invasions. Invasive species are those that cause environmental, economic, or societal harm. Phragmites australis is a widespread invasive species that outcompetes native plants and reduces habitat diversity. Reestablishing native plant communities can limit P. australis invasion, yet effective methods to do so remain somewhat untested in wetlands. Additionally, stressful environmental conditions can increase plant mortality in revegetation efforts. In semi-arid …

Mapping Quaking Aspen Using Seasonal Sentinel-1 And Sentinel-2 Composite Imagery Across The Southern Rockies, Usa, Maxwell Cook, Teresa Chapman, Sarah Hart, Asha Paudel, Jennifer Balch

Aspen Bibliography

Quaking aspen is an important deciduous tree species across interior western U.S. forests. Existing maps of aspen distribution are based on Landsat imagery and often miss small stands ( < 0.09 ha or 30 m²), which rapidly regrow when managed or following disturbance. In this study, we present methods for deriving a new regional map of aspen forests using one year of Sentinel-1 (S1) and Sentinel-2 (S2) imagery in Google Earth Engine. Using observed annual phenology of aspen across the Southern Rockies and leveraging the frequent temporal resolution of S1 and S2, ecologically relevant seasonal imagery composites were developed. We derived spectral indices and …

Sustainability And Drivers Of Populus Tremuloides Regeneration And Recruitment Near The Southwestern Edge Of Its Range, Connor D. Crouch, Nicholas P. Wilhelmi, Paul C. Rogers, Margaret M. Moore, Kristen M. Waring

Aspen Bibliography

Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) ecosystems are highly valued in the southwestern United States because of the ecological, economic, and aesthetic benefits they provide. Aspen has experienced extensive mortality in recent decades, and there is evidence that many areas in Arizona, United States lack adequate recruitment to replace dying overstory trees. Maintaining sustainable levels of regeneration and recruitment (i.e. juveniles) is critical for promoting aspen ecosystem resilience and adaptive capacity, but questions remain about which factors currently limit juvenile aspen and which strategies are appropriate for managing aspen in an increasingly uncertain future. To fill these critical knowledge gaps, …

Where Have All The Flowers Gone? A Call For Federal Leadership In Deer Management In The United States, Bernd Blossey, Darragh Hare, Donald M. Waller

Aspen Bibliography

Forests in the United States continue to lose biodiversity and many fail to regenerate due to high deer (family Cervidae) abundance. Declines in biodiversity and overall ecosystem health due to high deer populations increases prevalence of wildlife and human diseases associated with increasing tick abundances and decreases forest resilience and the ability to deliver benefits provided by healthy ecosystems. In the eastern and midwestern United States, white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are the main stressor, while in the western U.S. elk (Cervus elaphus) and black-tailed and mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) can become equally problematic. Federal …

Eurasian Aspen (Populus Tremula L.): Central Europe's Keystone Species 'Hiding In Plain Sight', Antonín Kusbach, Jan Šebesta, Robert Hruban, Pavel Peška, Paul C. Rogers

Aspen Bibliography

Knowledge of Eurasian aspen’s (Populus tremula L.) ecological and growth characteristics is of high importance to plant and wildlife community ecology, and noncommercial forest ecosystem services. This research assessed these characteristics, identified aspen’s habitat optimum, and examined causality of its current scarce distribution in central Europe. We analyzed a robust database of field measurements (4,656,130 stands) for forest management planning over 78,000 km² of the Czech territory. Our analysis we used GIS techniques, with basic and multivariate statistics such as general linear models, ordination, and classification. Results describe a species of broad ecological amplitude that has heretofore attracted …

Envisioning Transition From Open Landscapes To Forested Landscapes In The Routt National Forest, Colorado, United States, Brice B. Hanberry, Jacob M. Seidel

Aspen Bibliography

Globally, in remaining wildlands, tree densities and forested cover have increased in grasslands and open forests since European settlement. In the southern Rocky Mountains of Colorado, United States, we determined tree composition and tree cover from historical (years 1875 to 1896) surveys and compared them to current (2002 to 2011) tree composition and current (year 2016) forested land cover for 500,000 ha of the Routt National Forest. Additionally, we examined whether changes in precipitation occurred. Regarding composition, pine (primarily lodgepole pine; Pinus contorta) decreased from 65% to 32% of all trees, with increased subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa) …

Can The Impact Of Gravel Roads On Organic Layer Thickness Explain The Distribution Of Populus Tremuloides Along Road Networks In The Boreal Forest Of Eastern Canada?, Mathilde Marchais, Dominique Arseneault, Yves Bergeron

Aspen Bibliography

Roads are known to alter environmental conditions and the composition of road edge plant communities, particularly when exogenous materials are used as road surfacing. In this study, we evaluate the impact of gravel roads on the organic layer thickness (OLT) and aspen distribution in a boreal forest landscape of Eastern Canada. The OLT and aspen distribution were compared at different distances from the roads (0 m, 10 m, and >10 m) to determine whether a reduction in the OLT along the roads could explain the distribution of aspen along the road network, and in particular the role of the roads …

Oystershell Scale (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) Population Growth, Spread, And Phenology On Aspen In Arizona, Usa, Connor D. Crouch, Richard W. Hofstetter, Amanda M. Grady, Nylah N.S. Edwards, Kristen M. Waring

Aspen Bibliography

Oystershell scale (OSS; Lepidosaphes ulmi L.) is an invasive insect that threatens sustainability of aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) in the southwestern United States. OSS invasions have created challenges for land managers tasked with maintaining healthy aspen ecosystems for the ecological, economic, and aesthetic benefits they provide. Active management is required to suppress OSS populations and mitigate damage to aspen ecosystems, but before management strategies can be implemented, critical knowledge gaps about OSS biology and ecology must be filled. This study sought to fill these gaps by addressing 3 questions: (i) What is the short-term rate of aspen mortality in …

Pile Burning After Conifer Removal From Aspen Stands Affects Tree Mortality, Regeneration, And Understory Recovery, John-Pascal Berrill, Christa M. Dagley, Yoon G. Kim, J. Morgan Varner

Aspen Bibliography

Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) stands throughout the western United States provide valuable ecosystem services but can be lost via succession from aspen to conifer. Forest managers are cutting conifers, but disposal of cut wood can be challenging in remote or sensitive areas. Piling and burning is being tested within aspen stands but ecosystem responses to this treatment are understudied. We assessed aspen tree mortality, tree regeneration, and understory vegetation after forest restoration thinning followed by pile burning in seven aspen-conifer stands around Lake Tahoe, California and Nevada, USA. Pile burning was conducted after cut wood had dried (1.5–7.5 …

Aspen Recovery In Northern Yellowstone: A Comment On Brice Et Al. (2021), Luke E. Painter, Robert L. Beschta, William J. Ripple

Aspen Bibliography

Aspen sapling recruitment increased as browsing by elk decreased, following the 1995–96 reintroduction of wolves in Yellowstone National Park. We address claims by Brice et al. (2021) that previous studies exaggerated recent aspen recovery. We conclude that their results actually supported previous work showing a trophic cascade benefiting aspen.

Aspen And Spruce Densities Affect Tree Size, Future Stand Volume, And Aboveground Carbon Following Precommercial Thinning, Philip G. Comeau, Mike Bokalo

Aspen Bibliography

Data collected over a 30-year period from an experiment replicated across 21 locations in western Canada are used to explore the effects of precommercial thinning of trembling aspen to a range of densities in combination with three initial white spruce densities on tree growth and stand dynamics. Increasing differentiation amongst the 15 treatments was observed with age after thinning for both spruce and aspen responses. Spruce height and diameter declined with increasing aspen density. At age 10 spruce diameter with no aspen was 1.5× that of spruce in unthinned while it was 2.6× that of spruce in unthinned at age …

Tracing The Maternal Line In Glacial-Interglacial Migrations Of Populus Tremuloides: Finding Trees For Future Sustainable Forests By Searching In The Past, Luke R. Tembrock, Frida A. Zink, Guozhe Zhang, Andrea Schuhmann, Cuihua Gu, Zhiqiang Wu

Aspen Bibliography

Maintaining and planting sustainable forests is fundamental in perpetuating the essential functions of these ecosystems. A central aspect of managing forests for future resilience is the consideration of past migration and evolution of trees using genetic and genomic data to ensure that functionally appropriate diversity is conserved and utilized. In our study, we generated and compared genetic and genomic data from the plastome to better understand phylogeography and molecular evolution in the tree species Populus tremuloides (aspen). With these analyses, we found evidence of divergence and migration between northern and southern sites. Additionally, evidence of deep incomplete plastome sorting across …

Aspen Forest Condition Assessment And Restoration Guidance, Paul C. Rogers

Aspen Bibliography

This preliminary report is the first installment of an ongoing aspen assessment at Bryce Canyon National Park (BCNP). Over a 1.5-year period beginning in 2021, I assembled available BCNP and conducted a preliminary field survey to gain a better understanding of the quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) resource within the Park. Findings suggest a long history of vegetation mapping with mixed results in terms of highlighting aspen presence a notable species of overall low coverage as well as aspen importance, at BCNP. In brief, though this species has limited presence, it is of high biodiversity conservation value. According to …