Forest Sciences Commons^™

Tree Canopy Cover Influences Habitat Use Of Breeding Birds At Jack Mountain Wildlife Management Area, Kaleigh Thomas

Honors Theses

Across the United States, bird populations have declined due to habitat loss. To better understand habitat use by birds, researchers observed populations at Jack Mountain Wildlife Management Area in southwest Arkansas. Students at Ouachita Baptist University surveyed 94 point count locations to estimate species diversity (total number of species observed) and species abundance (total number of individuals observed). At each point, students recorded the percentage of tree canopy cover, ground cover, midstory cover, and shrub cover. These variables were used as explanatory variables in multiple regression analyses to determine which variables were influential in explaining variation in species diversity and …

Air Pre-Heat System Optimization For Flash Dryers, Sophia Louden

Honors Theses

Primient, a leading producer of food and industrial ingredients made from plant-based, renewable sources is the industrial sponsor for this project. The company is currently using Plate & Frame Heat exchangers to heat up a 40% by-weight glycol and water solution that is then used to preheat the incoming ambient air. Glycol is being added to reduce the risks of freezing in the system during the winter season. It is important to highlight that this fact affects the heat transfer properties of the liquid overall. Since air heating is a highly energy-demanding process, an outlet stream of hot water produced …

Bird Diversity And Abundance In Relation To Habitat Complexity At Jack Mountain Wildlife Management Area, Grace Tidwell

Honors Theses

Since 1973, North America has lost 2.9 billion birds due to habitat loss and fragmentation. To assess the effects of habitat complexity on bird diversity and abundance, 96 locations were surveyed at Jack Mountain Wildlife Management Area (WMA) using ten-minute point counts. All birds seen and heard at each point were documented, and habitat complexity was assessed by examining the percentage of ground coverage, shrub coverage, midstory tree layer, and canopy coverage at each point. A habitat complexity index was generated from these plant surveys. Previous research at Jack Mountain has shown that habitats dominated by pine trees had the …

Species Diversity And Growth Rates Of Overstory Vegetation Over 25 Years In Response To Physical And Chemical Properties In Long-Term Monitoring Plots At The University Of Mississippi Field Station, Mitchell Tharp

Honors Theses

Overstory vegetation for twenty-two long-term monitoring plots (LTMPs) was sampled from 1996 to 2021 to study the changes in vegetation due to natural and human disturbance. From the fall of 2020 through the fall of 2021, the overstory of the 22 LTMPs was resampled and soil samples were collected from each plot. The circumference at breast height (CBH) and species diversity were recorded and compared to previous years’ data. The objectives of this study were to: (1) document changes in the overstory species of the LTMPs, (2) measure growth rates of surviving trees, (3) survey how elevation and slope impact …

Investigation Of The Effects Of Resveratrol And Epigallocatechin Gallate On Woodsmoke-Induced Inflammation, Sarenna Naomi Enright

Honors Theses

Until a few years ago, most scientific investigations related to the health effects of air pollution focused on outdoor air pollutants. But in recent years, the concerns over indoor air pollution has increased. People can spend up to 90% of their time in indoor environments, especially their homes, even more so since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The concentrations of some air pollutants are five times higher than what is found outdoors.

Indoor air pollution exposure remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Approximately half of the global population is exposed to abnormally high concentrations of household …

Effects Of Prescribed Fire On Soil Respiration In A Longleaf Pine Forest., Caroline E. Paxton

Honors Theses

Prescribed fire is a common tool used to increase the herbaceous diversity in longleaf pine forest understories and to eliminate competition from undesirable mid-canopy species. Little is known about the effects of these fires on the soil respiration rates within these forests. A study of the effects of prescribed fire on soil respiration was conducted within a longleaf pine stand at the Lake Thoreau Environmental Center to examine soil respiration across seasons and before and after a prescribed fire. Soil CO₂ efflux rates were measured using a LICOR LI-8100A gas flux system with long-term chambers from October 2020 to …

A Baseline Documentation Report For The Delta Wind Birds Sky Lake Nature Reserve, James Dubberly

Honors Theses

The purpose of this baseline documentation is to conduct a report on our subject property and discuss the findings. A conservation easement is established by upholding a certain standard of a property’s current condition which makes a baseline documentation necessary for an easement to be enacted. Baseline documentation reports are used as a resource to monitor and enforce the legal agreements of the conservation easement. The subject property is currently owned by the Delta Wind Birds organization. In our scenario, this documentation report will serve to aid in the conversion of our subject property into a conservation easement in which …

A Baseline Documentation Report For The Delta Wind Birds Sky Lake Nature Reserve, Preston T. Perkins, J Hays Dubberly, Michael J. Thomas

Honors Theses

The purpose of this baseline documentation is to conduct a report on our subject property and discuss the findings. A conservation easement is established by upholding a certain standard of a property’s current condition which makes a baseline documentation necessary for an easement to be enacted. Baseline documentation reports are used as a resource to monitor and enforce the legal agreements of the conservation easement. The subject property is currently owned by the Delta Wind Birds organization. In our scenario, this documentation report will serve to aid in the conversion of our subject property into a conservation easement in which …

Population Genetics Of A Recent Range Expansion By The Southern Pine Beetle, Dendroctonus Frontalis, Into The Northeastern United States, Megan Stubbs

Honors Theses

Population genetics as a field of study aims to determine the genetic variation among individuals in a population, and differences among populations. Certain population genetic analyses can provide such information and be used to better understand the biological aspects to a species’ expansion beyond its native range. The southern pine beetle (SPB), Dendroctonus frontalis, has become an invasive pest to pine forests in northeastern United States with its recent range expansion. Nine microsatellite loci were first developed and then used in analyses. To determine what the genetic variation is among individuals in SPB populations across its entire range, including …

Canopy Openness As A Predictor Of Growth For Castanea Dentata Seedlings In The Cumberland Uplands Of Tennessee, Hannah Crawford

Honors Theses

Castanea dentata growth and reproduction in the forest ecosystem is limited by light. Canopy gaps could be used for restoration efforts; however, the lack of blight resistant planting material has limited what is known about the silvicultural requirements of C. dentata. I studied the survival and growth of chestnut seedlings in various sized light gaps in the Cumberland Uplands in the 2019 season. The Tennessee Chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation previously established Eagle Point Railroad (Cumberland Plateau) and the Starr Farm (Eastern Highland Rim), and I established a site near Barker Pounds trailhead (Cumberland Plateau). Results indicate that canopy …

Nature Abounds: Term Paper, Ricky Verre

Honors Theses

Nature Abounds is a non-profit organization that is working internationally to spread the word about climate change and all of its effects that we are currently experiencing. Climate change is one of the most pressing issues of our time and any chance at reversing its erratic effects requires immediate action. Nature Abounds employs numerous programs that serve to increase the general public's knowledge of the climate related issues at hand, as well as to have a positive environmental impact in order to increase global environmental health. The organization has programs that focus on biodiversity, water quality monitoring, forest preservation, and …

Interactions Of Fire And Herbivory On The Management Of Ilex Glabra In Longleaf Pine Forests, Courtney R. Filliben

Honors Theses

The longleaf pine forest is characterized by the high levels of biodiversity and species richness that give it both ecological and economical importance. Decades of clear-cutting, habitat fragmentation, and natural fire restriction have reduced this once great forest system to a mere fraction of its original range. One of the specific causes of the decline of the longleaf pine is understory domination by woody shrubs. These shrubs limit the growth of characteristic grasses and forbs that are responsible for the majority of the biodiversity. The overall purpose of this study was to identify a new longleaf pine reforestation technique that …

Ecological Predictors And Consequences Of Non-Native Earthworms In Kennebec County, Maine, Julia Rogers

Honors Theses

Non-native earthworms are found throughout much of the United States and southern Canada in areas that were glaciated during the most recent glaciation. These earthworms are changing nutrient cycling, modifying soil structure, and influencing diversity in forests throughout the Northern United States, and their invasion northward is facilitated by human activities. Although worms are present in compost piles and gardens of all Maine counties, there are no comprehensive studies of earthworms distributions in forested areas of Maine. I documented the presence and absence of earthworms in forested recreation areas in Kennebec County, Maine, and investigated ecological and landscape level variables …

The Effects Of Soil Ph And Composition On Blacklegged Tick Molting Success Avian Window Strike Mortality On Union College Campus, Kaleigh Ahern

Honors Theses

The blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) is the one of the most significant vectors of infectious disease in the world and most notorious for its ability to transmit Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. Because both the range of the blacklegged tick and the annual incidence of Lyme disease have been increasing in North America over the past several decades, it is becoming increasingly important to better understand how environmental factors contribute to blacklegged tick survival. Past studies have shown that these factors include precipitation levels, extent of groundcover, plant and animal community composition, temperature, and soil type. Because …

Family Ties: Mainstream Environmentalists' Understanding Of Radical Environmentalism In America, Zachary W. Ezor

Honors Theses

Environmentalism in the United States manifests itself in numerous ways. While American environmentalists have been grouped into broad camps over the years, observers have struggled to accurately classify the different components of the movement. Lately, environmentalists have been characterized based on their chosen modus operandi. Environmentalists who employ typical interest group tactics of policy advocacy and accept the notion of political compromise can generally be called 'mainstream.' Alternatively, those environmentalists who employ non-conventional strategies like direct action and take a no-compromise stance on environmental issues are typically described as 'radical.' Despite these distinctions, both radical and mainstream environmentalists are parts …

The Effects Of Fire And Deer Herbivory On Oak Regeneration In An Eastern Deciduous Forest, Julie La Spina

Honors Theses

In the past, oak was one of the most dominant species groups in the deciduous forests of the northeastern United States. More recently, a variety of factors, including interspecific competition, fire suppression and deer herbivory, have led to the decline of oaks. We studied how oaks regenerate and grow following a major disturbance, and how their growth interacts with deer herbivory. We measured the growth of seedlings of three tree species following the 1,200 hectare Overlook Fire that occurred in Minnewaska State Park, NY in April 2008. At each of three sites, we measured the growth of twenty Quercus prinus, …

Resistance Of Forest Community Types To Structural And Compositional Change Following Beech Bark Disease Infestation, Sarah Ann Hoskinson

Honors Theses

Pathogens change forest composition and structure by selectively eliminating susceptible individuals and species. Caused by a complex between an exotic scale insect and fungi, beech bark disease has infected mature American beech (Fagus grandifolia) trees through most of the species range. Before succumbing to the disease, infected trees generate root sprouts, transforming beech from a dominant canopy species into an abundant subcanopy species. Root sprouting can create dense beech thickets that interfere with the regeneration of other species. Exclusion of species from the understory has ecological and economic implications. This study compared forest community types for their resistance to compositional …

A Survey Of The Macroscopic Fungi Of The Lula Lake Land Trust, Jocelyn M. De Guzman

Honors Theses

I conducted a survey of the macroscopic fungi in an area designated as Chestnut Orchard #1 of the Lula Lake Land Trust from May 29, 1999 to March 8, 2000. The purpose of the survey centered on making a comprehensive list of the fleshy fungi to serve as baseline data of the fungal diversity contained on this experimental chestnut plot. The fieldwork resulted in a collection of 139 sporocarp specimens, comprising 17 families, 38 genera, 63 species and, as of yet, approximately 30 unidentified specimens. Some of the specimens collected were also determined to be edible, thus offering a possible …

The Effect Of Using Hemicellulase And Oxidase Successively As Pre-Bleaching Agents For Hardwood Kraft Pulp, Bryan R. Moore

Honors Theses

Environmental concerns have applied pressure on the paper industry to change many erstwhile processes that have traditionally remained unchallenged. One process in particular is pulp bleaching. Elemental chlorine, while effective in bleaching pulp and low in capital cost, is a major environmental threat because of the toxic chlorinated compounds and other dioxins that are generated in mill effluents. With increasing technology and demand, there has been much research devoted to the development of alternate bleaching sequences, whether Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF), which can use Chlorine Dioxide (ClO₂), or Totally Chlorine Free (TC). THe wide acceptance of these bleaching …

The Effect Of A Sheet Tension Controller On The Productivity Of A Papermachine, Timothy J. Rummel

Honors Theses

This thesis proposal outlines a project in which the efficiency of a papermachine is increased by controlling the tension through the dryer section. The controlled tension is expected to reduce wet end breaks and to decrease the steam demand of the dryer section. The experiment will be run by placing a laser positioning sensor above the open draw of a papermachine and monitoring the position of the draw until an optimum height of the paper has been determined. Then an automatic drive controller will be connected to the wet end drive to maintain a constant draw height and the machine …

Response Of The Fruittree Leafroller (Archips Argyrospila) To Salt Tolerant, Baldcypress (Taxodium Distichum) Seedlings, Rachel A. Rollason

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

The Feasibility Of Foamed Ink Use In Flexographic Printing, Anthony Malerich

Honors Theses

Flexographic and rotogravure printing are two of the three predominant printing processes; the other is offset lithography. They are very similar in that they each transfer a very fluid, low viscosity ink from an ink fountain to an engraved cylinder. Foamed ink is a completely water based liquid ink that is foamed by the introduction of air at press side, and presents numerous advantages over conventional organic solvent based and water based inks. The prime advantage is that foamed inks are a completely aqueous, environmentally safe system. Another benefit is the cost savings associated with foamed ink. Ink consumption is …