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Articles 31 - 60 of 513

Full-Text Articles in Forest Sciences

Individual Tree And Stand-Level Carbon And Nutrient Contents Across One Rotation Of Loblolly Pine Plantations On A Reclaimed Surface Mine, Hannah Z. Angel, Jeremy S. Priest, Jeremy P. Stovall, Brian P. Oswald, Hans M. Williams Jan 2019

Individual Tree And Stand-Level Carbon And Nutrient Contents Across One Rotation Of Loblolly Pine Plantations On A Reclaimed Surface Mine, Hannah Z. Angel, Jeremy S. Priest, Jeremy P. Stovall, Brian P. Oswald, Hans M. Williams

Faculty Publications

While reclaimed loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) plantations in east Texas, USA have demonstrated similar aboveground productivity levels relative to unmined forests, there is interest in assessing carbon (C) and nutrients in aboveground components of reclaimed trees. Numerous studies have previously documented aboveground biomass, C, and nutrient contents in loblolly pine plantations; however, similar data have not been collected on mined lands. We investigated C, N, P, K, Ca, and Mg aboveground contents for first-rotation loblolly pine growing on reclaimed mined lands in the Gulf Coastal Plain over a 32-year chronosequence and correlated elemental rates to stand age, stem …

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Forest Measurements, Yuhi Weng Jan 2019

Forest Measurements, Yuhi Weng

Faculty Publications

Forest measurements, one of the cornerstones in the foundation of forestry, is the art and science of providing the quantitative information about trees and forest stands necessary for forest management, planning, and research. The updated edition (sixth edition) of this longstanding classic textbook, Forest Measurements, provides new and complete coverage of conventional and current measurement practices and technological applications that link the role of forest measurements with management of forest resources.

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Resin Flow In Loblolly And Shortleaf Pines Used By Red-Cockaded Woodpeckers, David L. Kulhavy, W G. Ross, J H. Sun, Daniel Unger, I-Kuai Hung, Richard N. Conner Jan 2019

Resin Flow In Loblolly And Shortleaf Pines Used By Red-Cockaded Woodpeckers, David L. Kulhavy, W G. Ross, J H. Sun, Daniel Unger, I-Kuai Hung, Richard N. Conner

Faculty Publications

We measured resin flow in loblolly (Pinus taeda L.) and shortleaf (Pinus echinata Mill.) pines in stands used by red-cockaded woodpecker, Picoides borealis (Vieillot), in the Angelina and Davy Crockett National Forests in eastern Texas. We also measured resin flow in a mature loblolly pine stand not used by the woodpeckers. Resin flow varied by study area, species, and stand position. In woodpecker stands, pines experiencing low levels of competition seemed better able to tolerate the continual resin drainage associated with red-cockaded woodpecker resin well pecking. In the Angelina National Forest, all new cavity trees excavated during the study were …

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A New Site Index Model For Intensively Managed Loblolly Pine (Pinus Taeda) Plantations In The West Gulf Coastal Plain, Kynda R. Trim, Dean W. Coble, Yuhi Weng, Jeremy P. Stovall, I-Kuai Hung Jan 2019

A New Site Index Model For Intensively Managed Loblolly Pine (Pinus Taeda) Plantations In The West Gulf Coastal Plain, Kynda R. Trim, Dean W. Coble, Yuhi Weng, Jeremy P. Stovall, I-Kuai Hung

Faculty Publications

Site index (SI) estimation for loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) plantations is important for the successful management of this important commercial tree species in the West Gulf Coastal Plain of the United States. This study evaluated various SI models for intensively managed loblolly plantations in the West Gulf Coastal Plain using data collected from permanent plots installed in intensively managed loblolly pine plantations across east Texas and western Louisiana. Six commonly used SI models (Cieszewski GADA model, both Chapman-Richards ADA and GADA models, both Schumacher ADA and GADA models, and McDill-Amateis GADA model) were fit to the data and compared. …

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Radial Growth Responses Of Upland Oaks Following Recurrent Restoration Treatments In Northern Mississippi, Kathryn R. Kidd, J. Morgan Varner, J. Stephen Brewer Jan 2018

Radial Growth Responses Of Upland Oaks Following Recurrent Restoration Treatments In Northern Mississippi, Kathryn R. Kidd, J. Morgan Varner, J. Stephen Brewer

Faculty Publications

Fire exclusion over the past century has substantially altered composition, structure, and fuel dynamics in upland oak-hickory (Quercus-Carya) forests in the Southeastern United States. Numerous restoration efforts have been made to re-establish historical disturbance regimes into these altered forests. However, our understanding of the implications of restorative disturbances on stand dynamics has primarily been limited to shifts in species composition and post-disturbance regeneration. Therefore, we examined annual radial growth responses of dominant upland oaks following a combination of prescribed fires (2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, and 2014) and thinning (starting in 2004) treatments (thin+burn) in stands which had previously been …

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Integrating Drone Technology With Gps Data Collection To Enhance Forestry Students Interactive Hands-On Field Experiences, Daniel Unger, I-Kuai Hung, Yanli Zhang, David Kulhavy Jan 2018

Integrating Drone Technology With Gps Data Collection To Enhance Forestry Students Interactive Hands-On Field Experiences, Daniel Unger, I-Kuai Hung, Yanli Zhang, David Kulhavy

Faculty Publications

Undergraduate students pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Forestry (BSF) at Stephen F. Austin State University (SFA) within the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture (ATCOFA) attend an intensive 6-week hands-on instruction in applied field methods. The second week of field station is focused on land measurement activities to introduce students to practical, hands-on, and technology based ways to survey forest boundaries. On Monday of the second week students are introduced to the concepts of how to use a handheld compass to navigate from point to point, use a consumer-grade handheld Global Positioning System (GPS) unit for collecting the …

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Site Factors Influence On Herbaceous Understory Diversity In East Texas Pinus Palustris Savannas, Brooke Mccalip, Brian Oswald, Kathryn R. Kidd, Yuhi Weng, Kenneth Farrish Phd Jan 2018

Site Factors Influence On Herbaceous Understory Diversity In East Texas Pinus Palustris Savannas, Brooke Mccalip, Brian Oswald, Kathryn R. Kidd, Yuhi Weng, Kenneth Farrish Phd

Faculty Publications

Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) savannas were once dominant across the southeastern U.S., including East Texas and parts of western and central Louisiana. The diverse understory associated with these historical savannas may occasionally be seen today, but not often in longleaf pine ecosystems. This project aimed to define east Texas site characteristics that are necessary to support these ecosystems with a dense and diverse herbaceous understory with little to no midstory cover. Fifty-nine plots across three study sites were established to evaluate the influence of overstory cover, basal area, aspect, elevation, and slope on the number of plant genera present. Forest …

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Accuracy Of Unmanned Aerial System (Drone) Height Measurements, Daniel Unger, I-Kuai Hung, David Kulhavy, Yanli Zhang, Kai Busch-Peterson Jan 2018

Accuracy Of Unmanned Aerial System (Drone) Height Measurements, Daniel Unger, I-Kuai Hung, David Kulhavy, Yanli Zhang, Kai Busch-Peterson

Faculty Publications

Vertical height estimates of earth surface features using an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) are important in natural resource management quantitative assessments. An important research question concerns both the accuracy and precision of vertical height estimates acquired with a UAS and to determine if it is necessary to land a UAS between individual height measurements or if GPS derived height versus barometric pressure derived height while using a DJI Phantom 3 would affect height accuracy and precision. To examine this question, height along a telescopic height pole on the campus of Stephen F. Austin State University (SFASU) were estimated at 2, …

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Integrating Unmanned Aircraft Systems To Measure Linear And Areal Features Into Undergraduate Forestry Education, Reid Viegut, David Kulhavy, Daniel Unger, I-Kuai Hung, Brian Humphreys Jan 2018

Integrating Unmanned Aircraft Systems To Measure Linear And Areal Features Into Undergraduate Forestry Education, Reid Viegut, David Kulhavy, Daniel Unger, I-Kuai Hung, Brian Humphreys

Faculty Publications

The use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in undergraduate forestry education continues to expand and develop. Accuracy of data collection is an important aspect of preparation for "society-ready" foresters to meet the complex sustainable environment managing for ecological, social and economic interests. Hands-on use of a DJI Phantom 4 Pro UAS by undergraduates to measure the length and area of 30 linear features and areal features on Earth's surface were estimated. These measurements were compared (measured within the ArcMap 10.5.2 interface) to hyperspectral Pictometry imagery measured on the web-based interface and the Google Earth Pro interface. Each remotely estimated measurement …

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Surface And Subsurface Tillage Effects On Mine Soil Properties And Vegetative Response, H. Z. Angel, Jeremy Stovall, Hans Michael Williams, Kenneth W. Farrish, Brian P. Oswald, J. L. Young Jan 2018

Surface And Subsurface Tillage Effects On Mine Soil Properties And Vegetative Response, H. Z. Angel, Jeremy Stovall, Hans Michael Williams, Kenneth W. Farrish, Brian P. Oswald, J. L. Young

Faculty Publications

Soil compaction is an important concern for surface mine operations that require heavy equipment for land reclamation. Excessive use of rubber-tired equipment, such as scraper pans, may cause mine soil compaction and hinder the success of revegetation efforts. However, information is limited on management strategies for ameliorating the potential compacting effects of scraper pans, particularly during site preparation for loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) plantations. Three forms of tillage and one control were replicated five times on surface mined land in the west Gulf Coastal Plain: no tillage (NT), disking (D), single-ripping + disking (R+D), and cross-ripping + disking …

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Food Habits Of Sympatric Pitvipers From The West Gulf Coastal Plain, Usa, Christopher M. Schalk, Toni Trees, Joshua B. Pierce, D. Craig Rudolph Jan 2018

Food Habits Of Sympatric Pitvipers From The West Gulf Coastal Plain, Usa, Christopher M. Schalk, Toni Trees, Joshua B. Pierce, D. Craig Rudolph

Faculty Publications

Widespread species that occupy multiple communities exhibit geographic variation in their natural history due to the ecological context of the local community. An animal’s food habitats are a central component to understanding its natural history and ecological role within its community—information that is critical to understanding resource needs of a species, mechanisms of species coexistence, and energy flow in food webs (Litvaitis 2000; Schalk et al. 2014). This information is also crucial for predicting the response of populations to changes in resource availability and, if necessary, inform mitigation strategies (Holycross and Mackessy 2002)

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Biomass Estimations Of Invasives Yaupon, Chinese Privet And Chinese Tallow In East Texas Hardwood And Pine Ecosystems, Mike Tiller, Brian P. Oswald, Alyx Frantzen, Warren Conway, I-Kuai Hung Sep 2017

Biomass Estimations Of Invasives Yaupon, Chinese Privet And Chinese Tallow In East Texas Hardwood And Pine Ecosystems, Mike Tiller, Brian P. Oswald, Alyx Frantzen, Warren Conway, I-Kuai Hung

Faculty Publications

Forest understory fuels can have profound effects on fire behavior and crown fire initiation. Accurate fire behavior prediction in understory fuels is an essential component for estimating fire intensity and severity during wildfire and prescribed fire events. This study focused on estimating temporal and seasonal changes in fuel loading parameters associated with the expansion of invasive yaupon (Ilex vomitoria), Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense), and Chinese tallow (Triadica sebifera) in East Texas pine and hardwood ecosystems. Fuel loading data of invasive species infested sites indicated significant increases in understory biomass when compared to 1988 estimates, suggesting a clear need to revise …

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Initial Development Of Surface Fuel Models For The Netherlands, Brian P. Oswald, Nienke Brouwer, Ester Willemsen Sep 2017

Initial Development Of Surface Fuel Models For The Netherlands, Brian P. Oswald, Nienke Brouwer, Ester Willemsen

Faculty Publications

Estimating the spread of wildland fire is growing concern in the Netherlands, where fire events at the wildland urban interface is a growing concern with a changing climate. A multi-year project was initiated in 2012 to obtain field-based fuel measurements to be used to estimate wildland fire spread for surface fire. The overall objective was to develop either custom fuel models or utilize existing Northern American fuel models to fuel conditions in some of the hazardous vegetation in the Netherlands. Over a four-year period, 96 plots were established, a wide variety of fuel parameters measured, and ANOVA (p ≤ 0.1) …

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Assessing The Vegetative Diversity Of An East Texas Golf Course Using Principles Of Landscape Ecology, Brian P. Oswald, Penny G. Lanham, Hans M. Williams, David Kulhavy Aug 2017

Assessing The Vegetative Diversity Of An East Texas Golf Course Using Principles Of Landscape Ecology, Brian P. Oswald, Penny G. Lanham, Hans M. Williams, David Kulhavy

Faculty Publications

The objectives of this study was to determine the vegetative diversity and the effects of the edge between fairways (introduced patches) and out-of-bounds areas (remnant patches) to determine if such management activities influence plant diversity. This study was conducted at the Pineywoods Country Club in the Pineywoods Region of East Texas near Nacogdoches, TX, USA by assessing the spatial distribution of these matrices and patches and their influence on edge effect composition and structure in the matrix; and, if species diversity and composition differed between these edges and interior of the matrices. Nested plots were placed along transects and canopy …

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Reconstruction Of Piñon-Juniper Forest Structure To Examine Historic Wildlife Habitat Characteristics In The Davis Mountains, Usa, Brian P. Oswald, John R. Lanham, James C. Kroll, Mohammed M. Bataineh, Yanli Zhang Aug 2017

Reconstruction Of Piñon-Juniper Forest Structure To Examine Historic Wildlife Habitat Characteristics In The Davis Mountains, Usa, Brian P. Oswald, John R. Lanham, James C. Kroll, Mohammed M. Bataineh, Yanli Zhang

Faculty Publications

Changes in piñon-juniper (Pinus spp., Juniperus spp.) communities across the southwestern United States have often decreased ecological diversity of the understory and increases of exotic species. Reconstructing age and establishment patterns provides essential understanding to guide treatments and management for anthropogenically-altered forests. The goal of this study was to determine how patterns of piñon and juniper growth in the Davis Mountains, Texas, varied over time and how this pattern influenced wildlife habitat of several indicator species. Establishment patterns and basal area growth progression were identified, canopy cover estimates regressed from pre-developed canopy regression equations to re-construct historic forest stand …

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Response Of East Texas Mid-Rotation Loblolly Pine Plantations To Poultry Litter And Chemical Fertilizer Amendments, Brian P. Oswald, Micah-John Bieirle, Hans M. Williams, Kenneth W. Farrish, I-Kuai Hung Aug 2017

Response Of East Texas Mid-Rotation Loblolly Pine Plantations To Poultry Litter And Chemical Fertilizer Amendments, Brian P. Oswald, Micah-John Bieirle, Hans M. Williams, Kenneth W. Farrish, I-Kuai Hung

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

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Vegetative Comunitiy Development Over 30 Years Within Pine Plantations On Reclaimed Mine Land In East Texas., Christy Christian, Brian P. Oswald, Hans M. Williams, Kenneth W. Farrish Mar 2017

Vegetative Comunitiy Development Over 30 Years Within Pine Plantations On Reclaimed Mine Land In East Texas., Christy Christian, Brian P. Oswald, Hans M. Williams, Kenneth W. Farrish

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

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Seasonal Survival Of Adult Female Mottled Ducks, Jena A. Moon, David A. Haukos, Warren C. Conway Jan 2017

Seasonal Survival Of Adult Female Mottled Ducks, Jena A. Moon, David A. Haukos, Warren C. Conway

Faculty Publications

The mottled duck (Anas fulgivula) is a non‐migratory duck dependent on coastal habitats to meet all of its life cycle requirements in the Western Gulf Coast (WGC) of Texas and Louisiana, USA. This population of mottled ducks has experienced a moderate decline during the past 2 decades. Adult survival has been identified as an important factor influencing population demography. Previous work based on band‐recovery data has provided only annual estimates of survival. We assessed seasonal patterns of female mottled duck survival from 2009 to 2012 using individuals marked with satellite platform transmitter terminals (PTTs). We used temperature and …

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Responses To Prescribed Fire At Big Thicket National Preserve, Texas, Usa, B. P. Oswald, D. M. Boensch, H. M. Williams, I-Kuai Hung Jan 2017

Responses To Prescribed Fire At Big Thicket National Preserve, Texas, Usa, B. P. Oswald, D. M. Boensch, H. M. Williams, I-Kuai Hung

Faculty Publications

US Federal land managers have utilized hand ignited prescribed fire at Big Thicket National Preserve in efforts to restore the structure and diversity of the longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) forest. A fire ecology study was initiated by Rice University in the early 1990’s and the National Park Service has continued monitoring the plots. Ordination was applied to species abundance data to examine changes in vegetation communities from a variety of prescribed fire treatments and controls. The vegetation data was separated by size class to include overstory, small tree, large sapling and seedling data. Across the size classes and treatments, the …

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Digital Preservation And Access Of Natural Resources Documents, David Kulhavy, R Philip Reynolds, Daniel Unger, Steven H. Bullard, Matthew W. Mcbroom Jan 2017

Digital Preservation And Access Of Natural Resources Documents, David Kulhavy, R Philip Reynolds, Daniel Unger, Steven H. Bullard, Matthew W. Mcbroom

Faculty Publications

Digitization and preservation of natural resource documents were reviewed and the current status of digitization presented for a North American university. It is important to present the status of the digitation process for natural resources and to advocate for increased collections of digital material for ease of reference and exchange of information. Digital collections need to include both published documents and ancillary material for research projects and data for future use and interpretation. The methods in this paper can be applied to other natural resource collections increasing their use and distribution. The process of decision making for documents and their …

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Mechanisms Of Chinese Tallow (Triadica Sebifera) Invasion And Their Management Implications – A Review, Lauren S. Pile, G. Geoff Wang, Jeremy P. Stovall, Evan Siemann, Gregory S. Wheeler, Christopher A. Gabler Jan 2017

Mechanisms Of Chinese Tallow (Triadica Sebifera) Invasion And Their Management Implications – A Review, Lauren S. Pile, G. Geoff Wang, Jeremy P. Stovall, Evan Siemann, Gregory S. Wheeler, Christopher A. Gabler

Faculty Publications

Ecosystems are under increasing stress from environmental change, including invasion by non-native species that can disrupt ecological processes and functions. Chinese tallow [Triadica sebifera (L.) Small] is a highly invasive tree species in southeastern US forests, prairies, and wetlands, and effectively managing this invasive species is a significant challenge for scientists and land managers. In this review, we synthesize the literature on invasion ecology and management of Chinese tallow. Our review suggests that the invaded range of Chinese tallow is currently limited by dispersal in many areas and by low temperatures and low soil moisture, and by high soil …

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A Comparison Of Tree Growth In Loblolly Pine (Pinus Taeda) Plantations And Silvopasture Settings In East Texas, B. P. Oswald, Y. Weng, K. W. Farrish, J. Grogan, W. Kruckeberg, T. Barton Jan 2017

A Comparison Of Tree Growth In Loblolly Pine (Pinus Taeda) Plantations And Silvopasture Settings In East Texas, B. P. Oswald, Y. Weng, K. W. Farrish, J. Grogan, W. Kruckeberg, T. Barton

Faculty Publications

A desire by landowners to diversify potential income sources has resulted in an increased interest in silvopasture. This intensive land management option allows for the production of timber, livestock and/or forage on the same land base. With traditional plantation systems featuring loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) common in the western gulf coast region of the southeastern United States, comparisons of tree growth are needed to justify the use of silvopasture. This study evaluated the height, diameter and volume growth 13 years post-establishment of loblolly pine in both silvopasture and plantation spacings on a single site in east Texas. Individual trees in …

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Site Index Prediction For Willow And Cherrybark Oaks In East Texas Bottomland Forests, B. P. Oswald, Y. Weng, G. D. Kronrad Jan 2017

Site Index Prediction For Willow And Cherrybark Oaks In East Texas Bottomland Forests, B. P. Oswald, Y. Weng, G. D. Kronrad

Faculty Publications

Estimating site quality for a specific tree species is an important tool in forest management. While intensively managed pine species are often the focus of site quality studies using site index, hardwood species found in bottomland hardwood sites are often lacking in quality growth prediction equations. Two valuable hardwood species, willow oak (Quercus phellos) and cherrybark oak (Q. pagoda), are of interest for forest managers of east Texas bottomland sites. The objective of this study was to develop site index prediction equations and curves for these two species. Using height and age data from 267 cherrybark oaks and 460 willow …

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Historical Fire In Longleaf Pine (Pinus Palustris) Forests Of South Mississippi And Its Relation To Land Use And Climate, Charles Raymond White, Grant L. Harley Nov 2016

Historical Fire In Longleaf Pine (Pinus Palustris) Forests Of South Mississippi And Its Relation To Land Use And Climate, Charles Raymond White, Grant L. Harley

Faculty Publications

We characterized historical fire regimes in Pinus palustris (longleaf pine) forests of southern Mississippi with regard to global and regional coupled climate systems (e.g., El Niño–Southern Oscillation) and past human activity. The composite fire chronology spanned 1756–2013 with 132 individual scars representing 89 separate fire events. The mean fire interval was 2.9 yr, and mean intervals were significantly different between identified time periods (e.g., settlement period vs. management period). Evidence of biannual fire activity (up to three fires occurring within a 12‐ to 15‐month period) was found coeval with a peak in livestock grazing and logging from the 1850s through …

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Accuracy Assessment Of Pictometry® Height Measurements Stratified By Cardinal Direction And Image Magnification Factor, Daniel Unger, David Kulhavy, I-Kuai Hung, Yanli Zhang Jan 2016

Accuracy Assessment Of Pictometry® Height Measurements Stratified By Cardinal Direction And Image Magnification Factor, Daniel Unger, David Kulhavy, I-Kuai Hung, Yanli Zhang

Faculty Publications

The aim of this project was to ascertain if Pictometry® estimated height could be used in lieu of field-based height estimation. Height of a light pole measured with a telescopic height pole was compared to Pictometry® hyperspatial 4-inch (10.2 centimeters) multispectral imagery estimated light pole height on the campus of Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, Texas. Average percent agreement between light pole height and Pictometry® estimated light pole height summarized by Pictometry® image magnification factors at 100%, 125%, 150%, 200%, and 300% magnification were within 98% of light pole height with percent disagreement ranging from …

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Expansion Of The Manage Database With Forest And Drainage Studies, Daren R. Harmel, Laura E. Christianson, Matthew W. Mcbroom, Douglas R. Smith, Kori D. Higgs Jan 2016

Expansion Of The Manage Database With Forest And Drainage Studies, Daren R. Harmel, Laura E. Christianson, Matthew W. Mcbroom, Douglas R. Smith, Kori D. Higgs

Faculty Publications

The “Measured Annual Nutrient loads from AGricultural Environments” (MANAGE) database was published in 2006 to expand an early 1980s compilation of nutrient export (load) data from cultivated and pasture/range land at the field or farm scale. Then in 2008, MANAGE was updated with 15 additional studies, and nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) concentrations in runoff were added. Since then, MANAGE has undergone significant expansion adding N and P water quality along with relevant management and site characteristic data from: (1) 30 runoff studies from forested land uses, (2) 91 drainage water quality studies from drained land, and (3) 12 additional …

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Quality And Yield Of Seven Forages Grown Under Partial Shading Of A Simulated Silvopastoral System In East Texas, J. Hill, K. Farrish, B. Oswald, L. Young, A. Shadow Jan 2016

Quality And Yield Of Seven Forages Grown Under Partial Shading Of A Simulated Silvopastoral System In East Texas, J. Hill, K. Farrish, B. Oswald, L. Young, A. Shadow

Faculty Publications

The goal of this project is to evaluate the growth and nutritional characteristics of seven forages, including various warm season native grasses, grown under simulated partial shading (50 percent typical of a loblolly pine silvopastoral system in east Texas. The results are from year two of a three year study. In order to meet the overall objective, individual, slatted shade structures were constructed that simulate the quantity, quality, and overall light regime found beneath loblolly pine stands arranged for silvopasture. The forages selected for the study include ‘Tifton 9’ bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum), ‘Tifton 85’ bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon), ‘Alamo’ switchgrass (Panicum …

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Habitat Use And Avoidance By Foraging Red-Cockaded Woodpeckers In East Texas, John N. Macey, Brent Burt, Daniel Saenz, Richard N. Conner Jan 2016

Habitat Use And Avoidance By Foraging Red-Cockaded Woodpeckers In East Texas, John N. Macey, Brent Burt, Daniel Saenz, Richard N. Conner

Faculty Publications

Picoides borealis (Red-cockaded Woodpecker) is an endangered bird endemic to the Pinus (pine) ecosystems of the southeastern US. Mature pine savannahs with a minimal midstory and lush herbaceous groundcover represent high-quality habitat. This study examines the foraging-habitat patterns of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers in East Texas. We present a logistic regression model that best differentiates between foraged and non-foraged habitat. Increases in hardwood-midstory basal area have the greatest negative impact on the probability of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers selecting a habitat patch for foraging. Five additional variables negatively impact foraging probability: shrub height, diameter at breast height (DBH) of pine midstory, canopy closure, density …

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Forage Yields In Turkey Hill Wilderness In East Texas For White-Tailed Deer, Brian P. Oswald, Kenneth W. Farrish, Bret Gentzler Jan 2016

Forage Yields In Turkey Hill Wilderness In East Texas For White-Tailed Deer, Brian P. Oswald, Kenneth W. Farrish, Bret Gentzler

Faculty Publications

Wilderness areas are often considered quality areas where natural processes occur without human activity. It is often assumed that these unmanaged areas will provide and support quality wildlife habitat. The objective of this study was to evaluate the forage production and stocking potential of an unmanaged wilderness area in east Texas. Four different community types were evaluated for forage yield, forage availability, and browse utilization for white-tailed deer. Results show that although a wide range of forage yields were measured in the spring, summer forage yield did not differ among the various communities. Availability also differed between community types, but …

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Vegetative Community Development Over 30 Years Within Mixed Pine-Hardwood Mine Reclamation Sites In East Texas, Christy Christian, Brian P. Oswald, Hans M. Williams, Kenneth W. Farrish Jan 2016

Vegetative Community Development Over 30 Years Within Mixed Pine-Hardwood Mine Reclamation Sites In East Texas, Christy Christian, Brian P. Oswald, Hans M. Williams, Kenneth W. Farrish

Faculty Publications

The practice of mine reclamation aims to balance the energy needs of society with proactive environmental restoration of degraded land, and long-term studies of vegetative community development on reclaimed mine land have been invaluable in developing effective reclamation practices. This study investigated vegetative community characteristics (composition, richness, species importance)over a 30 year time frame in planted mixed pine-hardwood areas on reclaimed surface coal mine land in East Texas,United States. Reclaimed sites werecompared vegetatively to unmined reference forests. A chronological pattern wasshown for reclaimedcommunity developmentin both understory and overstorystrata. Understory community development exhibitednatural patterns, while theoverstory community varied with different groups …

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