Forest Sciences Commons^™

Wildfire And Fuel Treatments In Utah: A Practical Guide And Outcomes From An Oak-Maple Ecosystem, Annie E. Prescott

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Wildfire is a natural part of Utah’s landscapes, but as wildfires become more extreme and communities continue to expand into wildland areas, it is increasingly important to understand how wildfires behave and how their negative effects can be mitigated. One way to reduce wildfire risks and protect life, property, and ecosystem services is through fuel treatments — actions that reduce the amount and arrangement of flammable vegetation through mechanical removal, wildland fire, or other methods.

Information on wildfire behavior and fuel treatments is abundant but often scattered, ecosystem-specific and difficult to access. In addition, most research in the Western U.S. …

New Paradigm Of Forestry And Grassland Research Driven By Artificial Intelligence, Zhang Huaiqing, Jiaojun Zhu, Yang Liu, Tingdong Yang, Tian Gao, Jing Zhang, Xueyan Zhu, Yan Chen, Xian Jiang, Zeyu Cui, Jingwei Tan, Kexin Lei

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Addressing the current limitations in forestry and grassland research, particularly in cross-scale system cognition, complex process mechanism representation, and multi-scenario simulation, this study proposes an artificial intelligence-driven paradigm reconstruction framework, to shift the research model from experience-oriented approaches toward data- and intelligence-driven integration. On this basis, the study systematically establishes a multidimensional mapping between artificial intelligence and forestry and grassland research across research objects, processes, and objectives, and clarifies their intrinsic coupling mechanisms and technical pathways. Furthermore, it develops a foundational capability system to support the new paradigm from four key dimensions: data, computing power, models, and applications. By examining …

Exploring The Relationship Between Tree Dbh And Lichen Cover On Coast Redwood, Grace M. Personeus, Sierra Gittleman, Alisa A. Zarattini

IdeaFest: Interdisciplinary Journal of Creative Works and Research from Cal Poly Humboldt

We investigated the relationship between Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) and lichen cover on coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) to see if larger trees had higher percentages of cover. We measured cover using 10 cover classes on the southeastern and southwestern sides of trees in a secondary growth forest. We found a significant relationship between DBH and cover, yet no significant difference between the two sides measured. We suggest that further research with a larger sample size and more varied age classes will provide further insight into the relationship.

Effects Of Warming On Growth And Leaf Colonization By Litter Mat-Forming Fungi In A Wet Tropical Forest In Puerto Rico, Ari E. Puentes, D. Jean Lodge, Deyaneira A. Ortiz-Iglesias, Tatiana Barreto-Vélez, Laura C. Rubio-Lebrón, Hieu Chu, Christine S. O'Connell, Sasha C. Reed, Tana E. Wood

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Wet tropical forests are experiencing rising temperatures and increased frequency and intensity of extreme climatic events, such as cyclones, which can increase rates of soil erosion and surface runoff. Fungal litter mats, formed by agaric decomposer fungi, play a crucial role in stabilizing slopes, preventing erosion, and aiding nutrient cycling; however, little is known about how warming affects litter mat growth and function. We investigated two litter mat-forming fungi, Gymnopus johnstonii and Marasmius aff. crinis-equi, in warmed (+4°C above ambient) and control plots in the Luquillo Experimental Forest, Puerto Rico. Growth and time-to-leaf colonization were monitored over 6 weeks …

Lowland Tropical Forests Remain A Methane Sink Under Warming And Long-Term Hurricane Disturbance Recovery, Gabriele Larocca Conte, Lucia Zuvela, Rachel Cruz-Pérez, Tatiana Barreto-Vélez, Nibia Becerra-Santillan, Sophia F. Campbell, Hieu P. Chu, Trung Dam, Iana F. Grullón-Penkova, Miriam Kleit, Deyaneira A. Ortiz-Iglesias, Laura C. Rubio-Lebrón, Molly A. Cavaleri, Sasha C. Reed, Debjani Sihi, Tana E. Wood, Christine S. O'Connell

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Methane (CH₄) is a potent greenhouse gas, and tropical forests account for roughly one–third of global atmospheric CH₄ uptake by soils. Projected warming and more frequent hurricanes in these ecosystems may alter soil CH₄ sink strength, as warmer and wetter soils enhance methanogenesis activity. We measured soil CH₄ and CO₂ efflux during the calendar summer months of 2023 and 2024 alongside continuous records of soil moisture, soil and air temperature, and precipitation in an in–situ warming experiment (TRACE) located in a lowland tropical forest in Puerto Rico, six to seven years after Hurricanes Irma …

Deforestation Dynamics In The Amazon: Impacts, Socio-Environmental Drivers And Restoration Pathways, Maria Natalia Rodriguez

Master's Projects and Capstones

The Amazon, which is the largest tropical rainforest in the world, experienced 542,581 km² of forest loss between the years 2000 and 2020. The process of deforestation endangers the ecological system results which maintain ecosystem connectivity and the Earth's climate system. The Amazon rainforest supplies essential ecological services which include maintaining soil fertility, storing carbon, purifying water and climate stability. The fundamental ecosystem of this area faces new threats because of increasing forest destruction. The research study adopts a combined methodology that uses Geographic Information Systems (GIS) with a comprehensive literature review to study Amazon deforestation patterns and its driving …

Emaldi Ms And Oligonucleotide Analysis, Manoj Perera, Yipeng Yin, Reed Arneson, Fakhira Razzaq, Rishabh Awasthi, William Wittstock, Yinan Yuan, Shiyue Fang

Michigan Tech Publications

Enhanced matrix assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry (eMALDI MS) refers to MALDI MS in which the efficacy of desorption and ionization is enhanced by heat, volatile species, or both, generated from chemical decomposition of additives in the sample of analyte under MALDI conditions. MALDI MS has been widely used for oligonucleotide (ON) analysis. However, two challenges, limited ability to analyze long ONs and low tolerance to trace salts, significantly restrict its applications. We recently proposed the ion pair thermal model for the gas phase ion formation mechanism of MALDI MS. This model predicts an exponential increase in ion yield …

Dendroclimatic Response Of The Wet Miombo Woodland Species: A Case Study Of Mufulira District, Copperbelt Province, Zambia, Collins Chibuye Malubeni

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Zambia is a tropical, landlocked country that lies in the South-Central part of Africa. The climate in Zambia includes distinct dry and rainy seasons, mainly influenced by the north-south movement of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), which shifts seasonally. This research is focused on understanding the relationship between tree growth and climate using dendrochronology. Forty-nine tropical species, including Julbernardia paniculata, Brachystegia longifolia, and Pericopsis angolensis, were analysed for dendroclimatic potential, and 70% showed clear ring formation, indicating that trees in this locality produce distinct annual ring boundaries. For the single species chronology, thirteen cores from eight trees that were initially …

Integrating Incentive Design And Spatial Prioritization For Climate-Smart Forestry Adoption In South Carolina, United States, Miah Maye Pormon

All Dissertations

Forests provide essential ecosystem services, including carbon sequestration, water regulation, timber production, and habitat provision. However, increasing development pressures and land-use changes threaten forest persistence and long-run ecosystem service provision. Climate-smart forestry (CSF) practices, such as improved forest management and extended rotation, offer opportunities to enhance carbon storage, forest resilience, and economic livelihoods. The effectiveness of these practices depends on forest owners’ participation and the strategic allocation of financial resources or incentives. This dissertation develops an integrated framework that combines behavioral economic analysis and mapping to improve the design of current incentive programs. The first chapter employs the Contingent Valuation …

Ai-Driven Multispectral Drone Monitoring For Afforestation In Arid Environments, Hesham Morgan, Ali Elgendy, Brandon Tran, Tamer Ismail, Mohamed M. Moursy, Yehya Kh. Shehadeh, Ahmed Elgharib, Ahmed Abdullah Al-Dughairi, Ali El Mubarak, Khaled Allam Harhash, Hesham El-Askary

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Monitoring large-scale afforestation projects in arid and semi-arid environments requires accurate, high-resolution, and repeatable methods to assess tree survival and growth. In this study, we integrated unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) multispectral imaging with an advanced object detection framework to evaluate vegetation establishment in the Shuayb Al-Budai afforestation site, part of the Imam Turki bin Abdullah Royal Natural Reserve, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Multispectral datasets were acquired using a MicaSense Altum-PT sensor and processed through a masked Region-based Convolutional Neural Network (RCNN) with two backbone architectures: ResNet-101 and VGG19-BN. The Mask R-CNN–ResNet-101 model achieved superior performance, with an overall accuracy …

High Germinability Can Facilitate Recovery Of Adelia Vaseyi (Euphorbiaceae), An Imperiled Tamaulipan Thornscrub Shrub, Saroj Dhakal, Bashira Chowdhury, Alejandro Fierro-Cabo

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

While critical to maintaining dryland biodiversity and drought resilience, reforestation has been limited in subtropical dry forests because of knowledge gaps in seed biology that must be filled to upscale seedling production and ensure recovery of imperiled endemic plants. We characterized seed germination, dormancy, and storage needs for Adelia vaseyi, a threatened endemic shrub commonly included in planting mixes to restore Tamaulipan thornscrub, an imperiled subtropical forest spanning South Texas and Northeastern Mexico. We found A. vaseyi seeds have high germinability (82.0%) and a short mean germination time (3.04 ± 0.08 days). A delia vaseyi seed does not appear …

Use Of Basal Tree Cavities By Sylvilagus Aquaticus In Central Arkansas, Heath R. Williams

ATU Scholars Symposium

Basal tree cavities are hollow structures at the base of tree trunks utilized by many wildlife species, including small mammals, furbearers, and bats. Dumyahn and Zollner (2010) demonstrated that swamp rabbits (Sylvilagus aquaticus) use basal tree cavities and speculated that they may be used for thermoregulation at the northern limits of their geographic range or as alternative escape routes. To further investigate swamp rabbit use of basal tree cavities, we placed camera traps approximately 1 m from the entrance of the cavities (n = 43) in various Wildlife Management Areas in central Arkansas. Along with control sites without cavities (n=25), …

Testing The Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis On Anthropogenic Pressure In Central Alabama, Gavin Terrell

Theses

Biodiversity is fundamental to maintaining ecosystem structure and function globally. Prior to the late 20th century, ecological theory generally predicted that biodiversity would be highest in systems experiencing minimal disturbance. However, Joseph H. Connell challenged this view with the Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis (IDH), which posits that species diversity peaks at intermediate levels of disturbance and declines under conditions of both low and high disturbance. Although widely cited, the applicability of the IDH to natural systems remains debated, particularly in the context of anthropogenic disturbances and when diversity is measured beyond species richness alone.

This study evaluated the predictions of the …

The Effects Of Affordability And Quality Of Care On Utilization Of Primary Healthcare Among Rural Residents In Twifo Ati-Morkwaa District, Ghana: A Qualitative Study, Peter Ansah Boakye, Francis Tei-Nartey, Gideon Owusu

Michigan Tech Publications

Objective: This qualitative study examines how affordability and quality of care influence the utilization of primary healthcare (PHC) services among rural residents in the Twifo Ati-Morkwaa District, Ghana. While Ghana has implemented policies such as CHPS and NHIS to improve access, subjective experiences of rural residents regarding total costs of care and perceived quality remain underexplored. Methods: We conducted a qualitative cross-sectional study between April and September 2024 using purposive and snowball sampling. Ten gender-segregated focus group discussions (FGDs; n = 90 residents) and six in-depth interviews (IDIs) with PHC providers were conducted. Data were collected in Twi, transcribed and …

Factors Influencing Tree Vigor And Structural Failure Along Powerline Corridors In Northern California: A Multi-Species Analysis, David Justin Dorval

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Tree failures (e.g., stem breakage, uprooting, or branch drop) can pose significant risks to public safety, particularly along powerline corridors for the risk of power outages and wildfire ignitions. In California, tree-related powerline failures have led to severe ecological and human costs in recent years. Despite extensive research on tree failure in urban environments and post-disturbance contexts, comparatively little empirical work has examined where powerlines intersect largely unmanaged stands. This study evaluates tree failure trends across multiple forest types in Northern California by examining how tree-level characteristics influence recent growth and failure occurrence in regionally dominant tree species. Specifically, the …

Early Successional Response To Stream Daylighting In Redwood National And State Parks, Orick, California, Rylee Rawson

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

In-channel stream restoration projects can act as both disturbance and recovery mechanisms, disrupting existing conditions to reestablish the hydrologic and ecological processes that sustain stream ecosystems. These interventions initiate successional trajectories in which channel form and biological communities reorganize over time. In Redwood National and State Parks (California, USA), the Redwoods Rising initiative restores buried headwater channels by recontouring legacy logging roads and daylighting streams buried by Humboldt crossings. Using the National Park Service Klamath Network wadable stream monitoring protocol, I evaluated nine restored reaches spanning one to five years post-restoration, alongside old-growth reference reaches and available pre-treatment data. I …

Soil Respiration Drivers And Challenges In A Changing Environment, Olivia Rae Haas

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This study aims to understand post agricultural forested soils (sandy loam, silt loam, and loam) and the influences that drive carbon sequestration and soil respiration flux. Duke Farms in Hillsborough NJ, has historically been utilized as an agricultural zone for farming a variety of crops. Currently the area is protected with a focus on environmental conservation and restoration of the land. This includes getting a better understanding of the forested portions of the property. Understanding the quality of forested areas is vital as they have the potential to act as a carbon sink which can mitigate the effects of climate …

Urban Trees In The Urban Hydrology Cycle, Jorge R. Vera

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

In urban forestry, trees provide numerous economic, ecological, and aesthetic benefits to the surrounding community. One of their key roles is intercepting stormwater runoff, reducing flooding risk, and improving water quality. Chapter 1 of this thesis characterized the ecological and economic contributions of urban trees on the Marshall University campus and provides guidance on their management and conservation in the future. Chapter 2 examined how urban tree species modify the urban hydrology cycle by altering the volume and timing of precipitation delivery. In Chapter 1, we inventoried 114 acres of Marshall University's main campus in Huntington, WV, from June 28 …

Impacts Of Native And Nonnative Plant Species On Avian Community Diversity, Matty John Mackay, Steven Van Dang, Brandon Lee Corn

SPARK Symposium Presentations

Avian communities play an essential role in maintaining a healthy ecosystem dynamic by regulating insect populations, assisting in plant pollination, and seed dispersal. These contribute to the overall health of natural ecosystems and mitigate ecological disruptions that would arise in their absence. However, the introduction of non-native invasive plant species can interrupt the balance avian communities bring to ecosystems by reducing availability of food sources, altering habitat structures, increasing competition among individuals, and disrupting ecological relationships through rapid invasion of ecological spaces. Point count observations of birds at Shelby Bottoms Park, Nashville, Tennessee in areas dominated by non-native privet and …

Assessing Radio Transmitter Weight Effect And Evaluation Of Northern Bobwhite Chick Survival In Coastal North Carolina, Autumn S. Randall, Theron M. Terhune Ii, Matthew T. Springer, Darin J. Mcneil

Forestry and Natural Resources Faculty Publications

Studies on the earliest life stages are essential to our ecological understanding of avian demography; however, monitoring technologies that allow tracking of small birds are still limited in a variety of ways. One critical limitation, until recently, has been the development of methods for attaching transmitters to young birds with precocial development (e.g., Galliformes, Charadriiformes, etc.). The modified suture technique offers a means to attach transmitters to precocial chicks while accommodating rapid growth characterized by birds with precocial young. Although the sutured transmitter method was developed for northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) chicks, there remain key unknowns regarding best …

Aggregation Bias In Multi-Industry Economic Contribution Analysis: The Case Of Kentucky Forest Sector, Domena A. Agyeman, Thomas Ochuodho, Omkar Joshi

Forestry and Natural Resources Faculty Publications

Closely related industries are often aggregated in US forest sector economic contribution analysis, yet the choice of aggregation scheme can influence results. The Impact Analysis for Planning (IMPLAN) system is the most widely applied input–output model for forest economic contribution analysis in the US. In IMPLAN, the level of industry aggregation determines which inter-industry transactions are restricted, thereby influencing the magnitude of estimated indirect and induced effects. Although IMPLAN practitioners can model individual industries to avoid aggregation bias, they must still decide whether to analyze forest industries as a single group, as traditional subsectors, or individually. This decision can alter …

Effects Of Headwater Wetland Restoration On The Demography, Fecundity And Ecology Of The U.S. Federally Threatened White Fringeless Orchid (Platanthera Integrilabia) In The Cumberland Plateau Of Kentucky, Tara R. Littlefield, Catherine Hoy, Christopher Barton

Forestry and Natural Resources Faculty Publications

Wetland habitats represent a critical component of biodiversity hotspots that support numerous rare species, including terrestrial orchids. In North America, over half of all terrestrial orchids are found in wetlands, more than a quarter of which are now threatened with extinction (G1–G3). This concerning trend is exacerbated by a lack of information on effective restoration strategies aimed at orchids and other species that inhabit these areas. The white fringeless orchid, Platanthera integrilabia (Correll) Luer, the subject of this study, is restricted to mostly shaded wetland habitats along the Cumberland Plateau of the Appalachian Mountains and has suffered widespread declines due …

Balancing Wood And Food: Assessing The Drivers And Spatiotemporal Conflicts Of Eucalyptus Plantation Expansion In Guangxi, China, Wen H. Cai, Qiuxia Huang, Jian Yang, Le Yu, Yuanzheng Yang, Jiaxing Zu, Jiali Wang, Zhenxian Li

Forestry and Natural Resources Faculty Publications

Eucalyptus has become one of the most widely cultivated tree genera in subtropical China, generating significant economic returns but raising land-use conflicts with agriculture. Understanding the driving mechanisms behind this expansion is crucial for sustainable land-use management. To inform strategies for balancing wood production and agricultural stability, we investigated the spatiotemporal expansion dynamics and predicted the potential suitable habitat distribution of Eucalyptus plantations using a Boosted Regression Tree (BRT) model. Our analysis revealed three distinct spatiotemporal expansion phases. Crucially, this expansion has progressively shifted from marginal sloped terrain onto flat valley bottoms, intensifying the agriculture-forestry conflict in the region. Climatic …

Assessing Forest Health And Small Mammals After A Limited Suppression Wildfire In Colville National Forest, Samantha J. Kennel

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

In the face of a wildfire crisis, there is a growing need to expand the pace and scale of forest treatments, including the strategic use of wildfire as a management tool. However, ecological outcomes remain uncertain in forests shaped by more than a century of fire suppression. The 2022 Thor Fire, a managed wildfire in the Colville National Forest, Washington, provides an opportunity to evaluate forest health in a relatively understudied system. Using a control–impact design, I established 100 monitoring plots in burned and adjacent unburned forests to assess how wildfire and fire severity influence forest structure, fuels, and tree …

Climate And Environmental Controls On Forest Soil Organic Matter Cycling, Genevieve Goebel

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Climate change factors act on the soil environment in complex ways, known to disturb soil organic carbon (C). Rising global temperatures and alterations to regional precipitation and nitrogen deposition regimes may contribute to the intensification of global change by accelerating the rate of biological decomposition and CO2 efflux to the atmosphere. The magnitude and endurance of the disturbance to soil organic C across landscapes and throughout time that climate change factors may pose to soil C cycling are not comprehensively understood. These knowledge gaps in our field make it challenging to anticipate how soil environments and the vast ecosystems that …

Anuran Occupancy Of Created Wetlands Within Reforested Legacy Surface Mines In Kentucky And West Virginia, Jillian C. Newman, Steve Price, Jacquelyn C. Guzy, Joshua Castle, John J. Cox, Jeffery L. Larkin, Christopher D. Barton

Forestry and Natural Resources Faculty Publications

Restoration of habitat is an important component of wildlife management. Surface coal mining has altered forest cover in the Central Appalachians, and most reclamation activities on previously mined lands result in non-native grasslands or shrub lands. The Forestry Reclamation Approach (FRA), which emphasizes non-native vegetation removal, soil decompaction, planting of native trees and shrubs, and, in some cases, wetland creation represents an alternative to grassland-based reclamation that may promote forest-associated wildlife on legacy surface mines. We used automated recording units to evaluate the response of anurans to created wetlands and the FRA in Kentucky and West Virginia, USA. We used …

Ovipositional Behavior Of The Twig Girdler (Cerambycidae: Oncideres Cingulata) On Stems Of Mockernut Hickory (Carya Tomentosa) In Arkansas, R. Tumlison, L. Serviss

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

The Twig Girdler (Cerambycidae: Oncideres cingulata) is a long-horned beetle that girdles stems of certain species of trees to prepare a habitat for its offspring. The stems eventually die, break, and fall from the tree, but the beetle usually had already laid its eggs within the stems. Eggs are laid singly, almost always at growth rings or leaf bases. Because the space for the young to develop is finite, laying too many eggs could cause reproductive failure and too few eggs would be suboptimal. We hypothesized that the female laying eggs should be able to evaluate the stem and …

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. …

The Conservation Value Of Silvicultural Systems For Breeding And Post-Fledging Bird Communities In Northeastern North America, Christopher Andrew Liazos

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Forest bird community decline in the eastern United States is partly due to the lack of early-and-late-successional forests stemming from historic land use. Silviculture can create underrepresented forest age classes and structures to support avian communities during the breeding and post-fledging periods. In southwestern New Hampshire, we conducted a case study evaluating avian conservation value indices across silvicultural systems. Our goal was to observe how avian conservation value indexes and abundance differed between recently managed and unmanaged stands. We surveyed 215 breeding and 118 post-fledging points across 22 sites using point counts and vegetation surveys. Conservation values in the breeding …

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 …