Forest Sciences Commons^™

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), …

Environmental Factors Affecting Coleoptera Biomass In The Ozark Mountain Range In Arkansas, Hayley J. Springsteen

ATU Scholars Symposium

Abstract:

Terrestrial invertebrates including species of Coleoptera (beetles) play an important role in many ecosystem services including soil formation and fertility, pollination, decomposition and nutrient turnover, population regulation of other organisms through predation. Coleoptera are often vital in determining biodiversity and conservation techniques. The purpose of this study is to contribute to the knowledge of how environmental factors and different management practices are affecting Coleoptera populations and further assist ecologists in improving management techniques in the future. The insect data in this study was collected over the course of two weeks in the Arkansas portion of the Boston Mountain range. …

Exploration Of The Food Forest Outreach Team, Victoria Bearden

Environment and Sustainability Presentations

At Whittaker Environmental Research Station, the first iteration of the Ursinus Food Forest was planted in 2019. The Ursinus Food Forest includes over 15 species of edible species and embraces lessons in urban agriculture, urban forestry, and agroforestry. The site has now been planted for over a year, and is monitored by Dr. Patrick Hurley, student researchers, and Ursinus facilities. There are two separate student research teams involved with the food forest, one focusing on stewardship of the site and the other focusing on outreach for the site. The goal of the outreach team is to build a community around …

Soil Responses To One-Season Winter Cover Crops, Mckenna Morgan, Iin Handayani

Posters-at-the-Capitol

Soil Responses to One-Season Winter Cover Crops

McKenna Morgan and I. P. Handayani

Hutson School of Agriculture Murray State University, KY, USA

Abstract

In regions like western Kentucky where wooded lots are common there is a growing interest in how to utilize them so that land profits can be maximized. The frequently poor soils in wooded areas due to erosion and lack of ground cover vegetation often cause complications in the creation of pasture areas. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the effect of growing winter cover crops on soils to prepare for pasture systems in the …

Ecological And Organic Life Safety Concerns Of Hfo-1234yf, Alberni V. Ruiz

STAR Program Research Presentations

While at NOAA my research was directed by the inquiry of whether or not HFO-1234yf, a new compound being introduced into coolant system and replacing greenhouse gases HFC, is harmful to organic life. Using the computer program Matlab I was able to develop figures that represented the concentration of HFO-1234yf (HFO) in 12 different tower locations throughout the country. Comparing and contrasting concentrations of this HFO compound at each site led me to the question the possible harmful side effects this compound could bring to organic life due to the fact that concentration levels are increasing, with one factor being …

How Does The Exploitation And Degradation Of Finite Natural Resources By Industrial Oil Producers Effect Our Future Planetary Environment?, Zachary J. King Mr.

Symposium of Student Scholars

Zachary King

Dr. Tu

26 March 2015

GEOG 3700

Abstract

The purpose of this presentation is to communicate content of the reports given by credible institution on the degradation and exploitation of finite natural resources by corporate institutions, for short term financial gain, and how it will effect the future planetary environment. Methods used in obtaining this research range from point source observation directly from oil spills in the Gulf or pipe leaks in the Mid-West, to analytical and numerical data quantifications gathered over a period of two decades. This presentation encompasses a wide scope of information concerning the way …

Tree Inventory Analysis: A Comparison Of Park Species Richness To The Surrounding Neighborhoods In Rock Island, Illinois, Kevin Root

Urban Forest Project

Urban forests (parks, right-of-way trees, yards, and remnant woodlots and semi-natural areas) are critical sources such diversity in urban areas. Diversity of urban forest is often related to the socioeconomic status, housing age, and elevation of the neighborhood. With the invasion of the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) in the last decade, conserving and enhancing the diversity of urban forests has become an important tool in increasing the resilience of such ecosystems to such devastating invasion. We assessed the diversity and composition of the forests of 17 parks in Rock Island, Illinois and examined the relationship between such diversity and the …

Mass And Nutrient Loss In Decaying Hardwood Boles At Hubbard Brook, Chris E. Johnson

Civil and Environmental Engineering - All Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Land Use As It Relates To Land Slope, James D. Plourde, Bryan C. Pijanowski

GIS Day

The goal of this project is to analyze the relationship between the slope of land and agricultural land use. The output was analyzed to determine a threshold point at which agriculture practices drop off in relation to higher slope values. Slope of the land is important to agricultural practices because it impacts drainage and net crop primary production. Agricultural land was extracted from the 2001 National Land Cover Dataset using reclassification tools in ArcGIS 9.3. The slope of the contiguous United States was derived from the United States Geological Survey National Elevation Dataset by using the slope tool in the …

Are “Quantitative” Pits Still Necessary At Hubbard Brook?, Chris E. Johnson

Civil and Environmental Engineering - All Scholarship

No abstract provided.