Forest Sciences Commons^™

Nh Dfl - 25 Years Of Hwa - Peterborough_2026_Aug_11, Ryan Crandall

UNH Cooperative Extension

No abstract provided.

Quaking Aspen On Cedar Mountain, Utah: Status And Update, Jaycee Cappaert, Larissa L. Yocom, Paul C. Rogers, Darren J. Mcavoy, R. Justin Derose

Wildland Resources Student Research

Quaking aspen forests are important communities in the western United States where they provide preferential food and habitat for animals, limit wildfires from spreading, and have favorable aesthetics, among other things. Their putative decline is an issue for ecology and management. We remeasured the aspen population on Cedar Mountain, Utah, to assess changes to its condition since it was originally measured in 2008 and laid the groundwork for continued aspen monitoring on Cedar Mountain. Our objectives were to compare current metrics of stand structure and composition, mortality, crown dieback, bole damage, regeneration, and recruitment, to those of the original inventory. …

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, Molly A. Cavaleri, Et Al.

Michigan Tech Publications

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 and Maria (2017). The realized warming …

Height Does Not Impair The Hydraulic System Of The Tallest Tropical Dipterocarp Trees, Paulo Bittencourt, Arne Scheire, Palasiah Jotan, Jehova Lourenço-Junior, Lindsay F. Banin, Mohd. Aminur Faiz Bin Suis, David Frp Burslem, Bradley O. Christoffersen, David Coomes, Peter Groenendijk

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications

Half of the aboveground biomass in forests is stored in a disproportionately small number of very tall trees. These giants are predicted to be more vulnerable to drought-induced damage because height impairs their hydraulic system. We evaluated whether the hydraulic system of world’s tallest tropical tree species—Southeast Asian dipterocarps—are negatively affected by their height. The more negative xylem pressures caused by tree height were fully compensated for through adjustment of vessel anatomy and leaf hydraulic traits, and the trees suffered no height-related loss in growth during a severe drought. Therefore, height does not make the hydraulic systems of the world’s …

Decoupled Carbon Assimilation And Growth Responses To Aridity In Temperate Deciduous Oaks, Mukund Palat Rao, Arturo Pacheco-Solana, Rong Li, Bar Oryan, Johanna E. Jensen, Milagros Rodriguez-Caton, Steve L. Voelker, Et Al.

Michigan Tech Publications

The magnitude of the terrestrial carbon sink remains a key uncertainty in future climate projections, in part due to poorly understood links between carbon uptake and its allocation to woody biomass in vegetation. Here, in this study, we show that photosynthesis and aboveground growth occur asynchronously across diel to seasonal scales in eight North American oak species. Across 137 tree ring sites, current-year annual growth was insensitive to climate variability after midsummer despite 26 to 36% of annual gross primary productivity (GPP) occurring during this period. Hourly GPP flux and growth measurements at four sites spanning seven site years further …

Effects Of Chronic Experimental N Deposition On Northern Hardwood Forests Fade After Cessation Of N Additions, Eileen C. Reeves, Andrew Burton, Katherine E. Higdon, Jennifer R. Eikenberry

Michigan Tech Publications

Background: Anthropogenic nitrogen (N) deposition has the potential to affect forest ecosystem carbon (C) storage and sequestration both positively and negatively. Effects on aboveground biomass increment seem to be largely positive, but the impact of elevated N inputs on soil microbial systems in forests is often negative, reducing microbial biomass and soil respiration rates. Twenty-four years of experimental N deposition at a rate of 3 g N m⁻² y⁻¹ broadly suppressed soil microorganisms across four northern hardwood forest sites. To assess responses to reductions in chronic N inputs, soil and sugar maple root samples from the study sites …

Influences On Growth And Survival Of Seedlings Planted In Black Ash Stands Of Northern Michigan And Wisconsin, Seth W. Davenport, Dustin R. Bronson, Kathryn L. Hofmeister, Randall K. Kolka, Grady J. Boyle, Fengjing Liu

Michigan Tech Publications

The invasive emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) is a threat to all North American ash (genus Fraxinus) trees, but wetland ecosystems dominated by black ash (F. nigra) are of particular concern to land managers. The rapid and extensive death of black ash on the landscape causes unprecedented ecological and hydrological impacts to cascade through the ecosystem. A strategy to combat such impacts and maintain these wetlands as forested is to underplant these stands with seedlings of alternative species that are capable of maturing into canopy trees. This study planted seedlings of seven non-ash tree species in black ash wetlands across …

Toward A Synthetic Theory Of Tolerance For Carnivores: Learning From A Half-Century Of Research On Attitudes Toward Wolves, Jeremy T. Bruskotter, John A. Vucetich, Lisa Naughton-Treves, José Vicente López-Bao, Benjamin Ghasemi, Nicole D. Sintov, Tara L. Teel, Neil H. Carter, L. Mark Elbroch, Adrian Treves

Michigan Tech Publications

Human intolerance is a critical factor limiting both the distributions and populations of large carnivores. Using gray wolves as a case study, we synthesize a half-century of scholarship with the aims of clarifying the conceptual foundations of “tolerance” and integrating insights from across the social sciences. Specifically, we review longitudinal studies of attitudes toward wolves and show how trends vary across the populations examined. We then identify and discuss three complementary theories that help explain variation in tolerance across individuals, social groups, and societies: (1) Risk–benefit theories illuminate how perceptions of risks, benefits, and controllability shape individuals’ tolerance of carnivores; …

Satellite-Based Forest Structure Metrics As A Predictive Tool For Biodiversity In Hyperdiverse Tropical Forests: A Test Of The Habitat Heterogeneity Hypothesis In The Tropics, David Luther, Marconi Campos-Cerqueira, Aline Medeiros, Aidan Mccarthy, Emilia Roberts, Xiaoxuan Li, Paulo Bobrowiec, Jared Wolfe, Gabriel Augusto Leite, Tomaz Nascimento De Melo, José W. Ribeiro, Thiago Bicudo, Konrad Wessels

Michigan Tech Publications

Tropical forests hold the most species yet face the greatest threats and knowledge gaps. To improve tropical biodiversity knowledge we combined satellite-based LiDAR with in situ bird, mammal, and acoustic soundscape data, via camera and audio recorders, at the Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project in the Amazon rainforest and tested the habitat heterogeneity-diversity hypothesis as a predictor of alpha diversity in tropical forests. GEDI spaceborne LiDAR was used to assess the predictive power of vertical forest structure on acoustic diversity and species diversity in lowland tropical forests. In 4 months, we detected 201 bird and 35 mammal species representing …

Planting Oak Seedlings For Forest Regeneration, Ryan Bohannon

Forestry and Natural Resources

Oaks are an important component of forests across the Southeast and are favored for a variety of objectives, including the provision of wildlife habitat and timber. Planting oak seedlings can be an effective practice for promoting successful oak regeneration in managed forests. This publication provides forest landowners and managers with practical recommendations for oak enrichment planting, including species and seedling selection, seedling care, planting techniques, and post-planting practices to promote survival and growth.

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 …

Evolving Conservation: The Role Of Unconventional Approaches To Restore Contemporary Vertebrate Populations And Genomic Biodiversity, Bridgett M. Von Holdt, Matt James, Stephen J. Gaughran, Alexandra L. Decandia, Klaus-Peter Koepfli, Dan Flores, Nucharin Songsasen, Kristin Brzeski, Evelyn L. Jensen

Michigan Tech Publications

Conservation biology and restoration ecology are two essential yet distinct disciplines that address the growing challenge of biodiversity loss. Traditionally, these fields have relied on ecological principles and management practices aimed at protecting or reestablishing natural systems. The crisis is no longer just ecological it is evolutionary and genomic. The accelerating pace of environmental change has outstripped the capacity of conventional approaches, creating a pressing need for innovative solutions. Biotechnology offers potentially transformative tools that can enhance the effectiveness and precision of both conservation and restoration efforts, especially for species where conventional conservation approaches have proven insufficient. Techniques such as …

Basics Of Forest Certification: A Primer For Forest Owners, Miah Maye Pormon, Joan U. Ureta, Marzieh Motallebi, Barry Graden

Forestry and Natural Resources

Forest certification promotes sustainable forest management, enhances market access for forest products, and improves ecosystem services. This article addresses forest owners’ hesitations in certifying their forest lands by providing information on the importance and requirements of the three biggest certification systems in the Southern U.S. This study can serve as a resource to raise awareness towards forest certification systems and encourage greater participation among forest landowners.

Psychometric Framework For Coexistence With Large Carnivores, Benjamin Ghasemi, Gerard Kyle, Tara Teel, Rebeca Niemiec, Kevin Crooks, Jenny Anne Glikman, Neil H. Carter, John A. Vucetich, Michelle L. Lute, Stewart Breck, Beatrice Frank, Dana Hoag, Jonathan Salerno, Lily M. Van Eeden, Jeremy T. Bruskotter

Michigan Tech Publications

Human–carnivore coexistence is essential for biodiversity conservation, yet measuring the attitudes and behaviors that support it remains methodologically challenging. We developed psychometric scales to assess willingness to coexist with carnivores and the underlying beliefs of this coexistence through an iterative expert elicitation process grounded in risk perception theory and moral psychology to ensure strong content validity. The scales measure willingness to coexist and encompass individual and collective behaviors and their cognitive antecedents: perceived positive consequences, perceived negative consequences, and ethical considerations. We validated the scales based on three representative samples of Colorado residents (n = 434, 442, 433) focused on …

Simulation Of Post-Tensioned Clt Rocking Wall And Platform Structure Response Under Earthquake Lateral Loads With Simplified Equivalent Model, Yunxiang Ma, Qingli Dai, Da Huang, Miaomiao Li, Xiang Zhao

Michigan Tech Publications

The post-tensioned cross-laminated timber (CLT) rocking wall is a recently developed resilient CLT lateral force-resisting system with a self-centering feature. The structural responses of the systems with different designs need to be determined and evaluated efficiently to promote the development and standardization of industrial applications. This study developed a computationally efficient, component-assembled numerical model for post-tensioned cross-laminated timber (PT CLT) rocking walls that captures decompression, post-tension self-centering, and energy dissipation within a framework. The single wall model was assembled using nonlinear zero-length springs for the compression at the CLT bottom, truss bar element for the PT tendon, and elastic shell …

A Preliminary “Then And Now” Look At 70+ Years Of Historic Landscape Photos From Roan Mountain, Nc-Tn, James T. Donaldson, Charles F. Warden, Jennifer Bauer

Faculty Open Access Works

PowerPoint originally presented at the 18th Annual SAMAB Conference, Carnegie Hotel, Johnson City, TN (October 22-24, 2007).

Updated in 2015, 2023, 2026 (reformatted and clarified).

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 …

Clethra Alnifolia: A Fact Sheet For Seed Transfer Considerations, Taylor Houggy

Plant Science Articles

Clethra alnifolia is a highly prized fragrant deciduous shrub, often found in many home gardens across Eastern North America. Despite its popularity in the landscape industry, there is little research comparing C. alnifolia's natural habits in the wild to its habits as a landscaped cultivar. Information such as flowering phenology, genetic diversity, and growth habits have the potential to change considerably depending on C. alnifolia's location. Because of this, it is important that landscape growers as well as forest conservationists have access to ecological fact sheets in order to make informed decisions when transferring seed to different areas. In this …

Great Graminoids! Quantifying Vegetation On Roan’S Western Balds Over The Last 80 Years (1936, 1956, 2016), James T. Donaldson

Faculty Open Access Works

PowerPoint originally presented at Friends of Roan Mountain Winter Naturalists' Rally 11 Feb. 2017.

Grant funding from Friends of Roan Mountain for resampling historic transects from Carvers Gap to Grassy Ridge. Revised 2021, 2022, & 2023 (technical features and diversity); edited for clarity 2026 (for written rather than oral presentation & added references slide).

From Time-Series Generation And Model Selection To Transfer Learning: A Review And Comparative Analysis Of Pixel-Wise Approaches For Large-Scale Crop Mapping, Judy Long, Tao Liu, Sean Alexander Woznicki, Miljana Marković, Oskar Marko, Molly Sears

Michigan Tech Publications

Accurate and timely large-scale crop mapping is essential for crop management and food security. Over the past decade, a wide range of pixel-wise crop classification approaches have emerged for workflow elements including image preprocessing, sampling methods, feature selection, model architectures, and transfer learning strategies. To guide users in constructing robust workflows, we reviewed methods for supervised and transfer-learning-based workflow elements and propose selecting a crop-mapping workflow based on target-site sample size and domain shift from a sample-abundant source site. To comprehensively evaluate the reviewed approaches, we systematically analyzed how different time-series construction strategies, training sample sizes, variable sets, model architectures, …

Replacing Exams With Project-Based Assignments, Patrick Hiesl

Land-Grant Press — Teaching Section

This brief provides an example of project-based learning that was applied to the FOR 3410 – Wood Procurement Practices in the Forest Industry undergraduate course. After teaching this course for 4 years, it was determined that project-based learning aligned well with the learning outcomes and activities the students would encounter in their professional careers, resulting in better student engagement in the course and higher retention of the concepts.

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 …

Priority Research Questions In Global Peatland Science, Alice M. Milner, Michelle M. Mckeown, Monika Ruwaimana, Angela Gallego-Sala, Julie Loisel, Johanna Menges, Rodney Chimner, Et Al.

Michigan Tech Publications

Peatlands are among Earth’s largest terrestrial carbon stores and are crucial for climate regulation, biodiversity conservation, and water security. Yet peatlands worldwide are deteriorating under pressures from climate change and human disturbance. Strategic, globally coordinated research is urgently needed to protect, restore and manage peatlands so they can continue to deliver essential ecosystem services. To meet this challenge, here we present a global research prioritisation for peatland science, based on a two-stage online survey and expert voting exercise involving 467 participants from 54 countries. We identify 50 priority research questions spanning carbon dynamics, climate impacts, restoration and management, technological innovation, …

Expanding The Convergence Canon: Indigenous Knowledge Systems And Place-Based Convergence Research In Lake Superior’S Keweenaw Bay, Usa, Melissa Baird, Valoree Gagnon, Judith Perlinger, Noel Urban, Larissa A. Juip, Kelly Kamm, Evelyn Ravindran, Caren Ackley, Cassandra M. Reed-Vandam

Michigan Tech Publications

This study presents results from an NSF-funded convergence research project conducted in partnership with the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC) in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, USA. While convergence research frameworks often emphasize deep integration, we argue that participatory, place-based, and community-led convergence requires maintaining an integrity of difference. Through a systematic literature review, surveys and semi-structured interviews, we examined how team members operationalized convergence research and the Tribal Landscape System (TLS) framework. Across these data sources, convergence emerged as a negotiated practice shaped by distinct roles, institutional responsibilities, and long-term partnership commitments. Our findings demonstrate that ethical engagement, adaptive collaboration, and …

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 …

Hydrologic History Regulates Microbial Biofilm Diversity And Ecosystem Function, Allison R. Rober, Leah C. Reese, Shawn P. Brown, Katherine D. Mcmahon, Stilianos Louca, Jillian Cieslik, Evan Kane, Merritt R. Turetsky, Kevin H. Wyatt

Michigan Tech Publications

Aquatic biofilms are an understudied component of northern peatlands and are expected to play a more prominent role in ecosystem processes in areas where aquatic habitat is expanding. The goal of this study was to investigate how hydrologic history influences biofilm diversity and functional genes. This study was conducted in a long-term water table manipulation that simulates drought (lowered water table treatment) and flooding (raised water table treatment) conditions relative to a control treatment (no manipulation). We used a combination of metabarcoding and metagenomic approaches to (1) examine the diversity of eukaryotic algae, cyanobacteria, bacteria and fungi within the biofilm …

Unraveling Hydrologic And Hydrochemical Processes Based On Long-Term Concentration–Discharge Analysis In The Green Lake 4 Catchment, Colorado Front Range, Usa, Fengjing Liu

Michigan Tech Publications

Concentration–discharge (C-Q) relationships were analyzed over decadal, annual, and seasonal timescales from water years 1982 to 2020 to understand hydrologic and hydrochemical processes in the Green Lake 4 catchment, Green Lakes Valley, Colorado Front Range. Geogenic solutes, along with the magnitude of stable isotopes, were dominated by a strong (p < .05) C-Q power law (C = aQ^b, where a and b are constants from the curve fitting, with b usually termed the b-coefficient) and consistent patterns over various timescales. The b-coefficients of geogenic solutes were negative, suggesting that those solutes primarily originated from groundwater with higher concentrations and diluted by shallow source waters with lower …

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 …

Humin-Based Bioadhesives For Manufacturing Particleboard Panels, Papiya Bhowmik, Reza Hosseinpourpia

Michigan Tech Publications

This study focused on a novel approach to combine humin, derived from fructose-based biorefinery processes, with two-dimensional graphene nanoparticles and glyoxal, a bio-based crosslinker, to formulate functional bioadhesives for manufacturing particleboards. Five different single-layer 8 mm particleboard panels were prepared using the developed humin-based adhesive formulas with and without graphene and tested by means of their mechanical properties and thickness swelling in accordance with the EN 310 and EN 319standards. The results were compared with panels bonded with commercial melamine-urea-formaldehyde (MUF), showing that the mechanical properties of particleboards bonded with humin reinforced with graphene nanoparticles were almost comparable to those …