Forest Biology Commons^™

Trends In Nectar Production And Concentration Of Hummingbird-Pollinated Flowers: An Investigation Of Three Flowers Of The Ecuadorian Cloud Forest: Palicourea Demissa, Mezobromelia Capituligera, And Kohleria Affinis, Grace Palmer

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Nectar concentration and sugar production both impact and are impacted by pollinator activity through a complex system of coevolution. Additionally, a variety of morphological and environmental factors influence the nectar properties of animal-pollinated flowering plants. Nectar concentration and nectar production rate (NPR) of three hummingbird-pollinated plants, Palicourea demissa, Mezobromelia capituligera, and Kohleria affinis, were measured. These flowers occur and were studied in the southern section of the Chocó-Andean subtropical montane rainforest, in the Pichincha province of Ecuador. Flowers were bagged for 24 hours and sampled at approximate two-hour time intervals for 12 or 24 hours. Nectar concentration and sugar production …

Hillslope Hydrology In Global Change Research And Earth System Modeling, Y. Fan, M. Clark, D. M. Lawrence, S. Swenson, L.E. Band, S. L. Brantley, P. D. Brooks, W. E. Dietrich, A. Flores, G. Grant, J.W. Kirchner, D. S. Mackay, J. J. Mcdonnell, P. C. D. Milly, P. L. Sullivan, C. Tague, H. Ajami, N. Chaney, A. Hartmann, P. Hazenberg, J. Mcnamara, J. Pelletier, J. Perket, E. Rouholahnejad‐Freund, T. Wagener, X. Zeng, E. Beighley, J. Buzan, M. Huang, B. Livneh, B. P. Mohanty, B. Nijssen, M. Safeeq, C. Shen, W. Van Verseveld, J. Volk, D. Yamazaki

United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Earth System Models (ESMs) are essential tools for understanding and predicting global change, but they cannot explicitly resolve hillslope‐scale terrain structures that fundamentally organize water, energy, and biogeochemical stores and fluxes at subgrid scales. Here we bring together hydrologists, Critical Zone scientists, and ESM developers, to explore how hillslope structures may modulate ESM grid‐level water, energy, and biogeochemical fluxes. In contrast to the one‐dimensional (1‐D), 2‐ to 3‐mdeep, and free‐draining soil hydrology in most ESM land models, we hypothesize that 3‐D, lateral ridge‐to‐valley flow through shallow and deep paths and insolation contrasts between sunny and shady slopes are the top …

Phylogenetic And Biogeographic Controls Of Plant Nighttime Stomatal Conductance, Kailiang Yu, Gregory R. Goldsmith, Yujie Wang, William R. L. Anderegg

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

The widely documented phenomenon of nighttime stomatal conductance (g_sn) could lead to substantial water loss with no carbon gain, and thus it remains unclear whether nighttime stomatal conductance confers a functional advantage. Given that studies of g_sn have focused on controlled environments or small numbers of species in natural environments, a broad phylogenetic and biogeographic context could provide insights into potential adaptive benefits of g_sn.

We measured g_sn on a diverse suite of species (n = 73) across various functional groups and climates‐of‐origin in a common garden to study the phylogenetic and biogeographic/climatic controls …

Agroforestry Strategic Framework, Fiscal Years 2019-2024, Susan Stein

United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

America’s farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners are integrating trees with agriculture to address a variety of conservation and production goals. A unique land management approach, agroforestry provides opportunities to integrate productivity and profitability with environmental stewardship to support healthy, sustainable agriculture systems, economies, and communities.

Island Invasion: The Silent Crisis In Hawaii, Sophia Janssen

Pomona Senior Theses

Keeping out invasive species may, upon first review, seem like a trivial environmental cry from ecologists and deep environmentalists; a belated wish to return to an undeveloped world where nature was pristine. However invasive species create problems that impact all of us and can have far more severe consequences than changing a stunning landscape. These problems are heightened in islands like Hawaii, where the fragile ecosystems have developed over centuries of evolution and adaptation. The introduction of a disease-carrying mosquito can put the people of Hawaii at risk to many vector-born illnesses and create an epidemic, taking human life. The …

Application Of Short Tandem Target Mimic (Sttm) Technique For Functional Analysis Of Micro-Rna396 In Transgenic Poplar Trees, Surattana Boonsai

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Short Tandem Target Mimic (STTM) is a commonly technique used for functional studies of a number of genes in several plant model systems. However, very little is known about application of STTM technique in tree species. In this study, STTM was applied to knock down microRNA396 (miR396) in transgenic poplar trees for the first time. STTM396 expression resulted in dramatic decrease in miR396 expression levels leading to taller plants with larger leaves and larger leaf cell size. Additionally, an expression analysis of growth regulating factor genes (GRFs) that are members of miR396 target gene family showed up-regulation of GRF07 gene …

Testing The Competition-Colonization Trade-Off And Its Correlations With Functional Trait Variations Among Subtropical Tree Species, Yue Bin, Guojun Lin, Sabrina E. Russo, Zhongliang Huang, Yong Shen, Honglin Cao, Juyu Lian, Wanhui Ye

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

The competition-colonization trade-off, by which species can partition spatial niches, is a potentially important mechanism allowing the maintenance of species diversity in plant communities. We examined whether there was evidence for this trade-off among tree species in a subtropical forest and how it correlated with eight functional traits. We developed and estimated a metric for colonization ability that incorporates both fecundity and seed dispersal based on seed trap data and the sizes and distributions of adult trees. Competitive ability was estimated as survival probability under high crowding conditions based on neighborhood models. Although we found no significant relationship between colonization …

The Impact Of Tree Species, Elevated Nitrogen Deposition, Stand Age, And Environmental Factors On Herbaceous Plant Communities In A Central Appalachian Hardwood Forest, Lacey J. Smith

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Although the herb layer represents less than 1% of the biomass of temperate forests, this layer may contain up to 90% of the plant species in the forest and can contribute up to 20% of the foliar litter, thus playing an essential role in forest biodiversity and nutrient cycling. The objectives of this study were to investigate the differences in cover, species richness, Shannon-Wiener diversity, and evenness of herb layer plants a) under tree species associated with contrasting soil nitrogen levels and b) in watersheds that vary in nitrogen deposition, stand age, and watershed aspect at the Fernow Experimental Forest …

Biological Aspects Of Mountain Pine Beetle In Lodgepole Pine Stands Of Different Densities In Colorado, Usa, Jose Negron

United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Research Highlights: The biology of mountain pine beetle (MPB), Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins, in Colorado’s lodgepole pine forests exhibits similarities and differences to other parts of its range. Brood emergence was not influenced by stand density nor related to tree diameter. The probability of individual tree attack is influenced by stocking and tree size. Findings have implications for understanding MPB as a disturbance agent and for developing management strategies. Background and Objectives: MPB causes extensive tree mortality of lodgepole pine, Pinus contorta Douglas ex Loudon, across the western US and Canada and is probably the most studied bark beetle in North …

Understory Community Assembly Following Wildfire In Boreal Forests: Shift From Stochasticity To Competitive Exclusion And Environmental Filtering, Bo Liu, Han Y. H. Chen, Jian Yang

Forestry and Natural Resources Faculty Publications

Understory vegetation accounts for the majority of plant species diversity and serves as a driver of overstory succession and nutrient cycling in boreal forest ecosystems. However, investigations of the underlying assembly processes of understory vegetation associated with stand development following a wildfire disturbance are rare, particularly in Eurasian boreal forests. In this study, we measured the phylogenetic and functional diversity and trait dispersions of understory communities and tested how these patterns changed with stand age in the Great Xing'an Mountains of Northeastern China. Contrary to our expectation, we found that understory functional traits were phylogenetically convergent. We found that random …

Improving Ecological Restoration To Curb Biotic Invasion—A Practical Guide, Qinfeng Guo, Dale G. Brockway, Diane L. Larson, Deli Wang, Hai Ren

United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Common practices for invasive species control and management include physical, chemical, and biological approaches. The first two approaches have clear limitations and may lead to unintended (negative) consequences, unless carefully planned and implemented. For example, physical removal rarely completely eradicates the targeted invasive species and can cause disturbances that facilitate new invasions by nonnative species from nearby habitats. Chemical treatments can harm native, and especially rare, species through unanticipated side effects. Biological methods may be classified as biocontrol and the ecological approach. Similar to physical and chemical methods, biocontrol also has limitations and sometimes leads to unintended consequences. Therefore, a …

Short Communications: First Tracking Of Individual American Robins (Turdus Migratorius) Across Seasons, Alex E. Jahn, Susannah B. Lerman, Laura M. Phillips, Thomas B. Ryder, Emily J. Williams

United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

The American Robin (Turdus migratorius) is one of the most widespread, common bird species in North America; yet, very little is known about its migratory connectivity, migration timing, and migratory routes. Using archival GPS tags, we tracked the movements of 7 individual robins from 3 breeding populations in the United States. Four robins captured in Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska, overwintered in Texas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Montana, up to 4,500 km from the capture location. One robin captured in Amherst, Massachusetts, overwintered in South Carolina 1,210 km from the capture location, whereas 2 robins captured in Washington, D.C., spent …

Tamm Review: Reforestation For Resilience In Dry Western U.S. Forests, Malcolm P. North, Jens T. Stevens, David F. Greene, Michelle Coppoletta, Eric E. Knapp, Andrew M. Latimer, Christina M. Restaino, Ryan E. Tompkins, Kevin R. Welch, Rob A. York, Derek J.N. Young, Jodi N. Axelson, Tom N. Buckley, Becky L. Estes, Rachel N. Hager, Jonathan W. Long, Marc D. Meyer, Steven M. Ostoja, Hugh D. Safford, Kristen L. Shive, Carmen L. Tubbesing, Dana Walsh, Chhaya M. Werner, Peter Wyrsch, Heather Vice

United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

The increasing frequency and severity of fire and drought events have negatively impacted the capacity and success of reforestation efforts in many dry, western U.S. forests. Challenges to reforestation include the cost and safety concerns of replanting large areas of standing dead trees, and high seedling and sapling mortality rates due to water stress, competing vegetation, and repeat fires that burn young plantations. Standard reforestation practices have emphasized establishing dense conifer cover with gridded planting, sometimes called 'pines in lines', followed by shrub control and pre-commercial thinning. Resources for such intensive management are increasingly limited, reducing the capacity for young …

Perma/Culture: Imagining Alternatives In An Age Of Crisis By Molly Wallace And David Carruthers, Bryant Scott

The Goose

Review of Molly Wallace and David Carruthers' Perma/Culture: Imagining Alternatives in an Age of Crisis.

Oaks (Family: Fagaceae) Diversity From Moist Temperate Forests Of Lesser Himalayas, Pakistan, Sher Wali, Kishwar Sultana, Fida Muhammad Khan

Journal of Bioresource Management

A detailed survey was conducted in five national parks and game reserves of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan to assess the biodiversity of family Fagaceae. Identification of the species was done using literary sources and comparison of samples with herbaria from Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad and Pakistan Museum of Natural History, Islamabad, Pakistan. A total of eight different species belonging to two genera were identified, including Quercus spp., Castanea sativa, Quercus glauca, Quercus baloot, Quercus incana, Quercus velutina, Quercus alba and Quercus dilatata. The greatest biodiversity was found in Banjosa Game Reserve (BGR) and Tolipir National Park (TNP), while Pir …

Guide To Usda Agroforestry Research Funding Opportunities

United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

This guide is intended for researchers and academics pursuing funding opportunities for research in agroforestry - the intentonal integration of trees and agriculture. The guide provides an overview of external agroforestry research funding opportunities offered by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) agencies.

This publication was created for serveral reasons. Agroforestry is not always clearly identified in announcements about research funding opportunities. In addition, research on agroforestry can require a longer time horizon than research on annual systems, so awareness of multiple funding sources or multi-year funding opportunities can be useful. Last, though USDA offers grants that can support …

Herbaceous 2018, Julia I. Chapman, Margaret E. Maloney, Ryan W. Mcewan

Data Files: Drew Woods Permanent Plots

Herbaceous vegetation data collected in 2018 at Drew Woods State Nature Preserve in Darke County, OH. Data key is provided in a supplemental file.

Mitigating Bioiversity Loss Of Native Plants, Jamie Ana Grigonis

Student Theses 2015-Present

Growing up harvesting from my own vegetable garden and going from nursery to nursery with my mother, it has been extremely evident that plant biodiversity is more than just privet along driveways and carnations in window boxes. Plant biodiversity is often overlooked but crucial to having a healthy and thriving environment. Without certain plants, our ecosystems will crumble and this needs to be addressed now while it’s still at a level we can grow from. In my internship I am working alongside the director of the Thain Family Forest at the New York Botanical Gardens in order to get a …

Comparative Study Of Photosynthesis Rates Between Native Red Maple And Invasive Norway Maple In The Eastern Deciduous Forest, Evan M. Bourtis, Lindsey R. Heckman

The Review: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Research

Invasive species, such as the Norway Maple, are often able to outcompete native species, such as the Red Maple by performing more efficiently in the environment compared to the native species. In this study, we examined if the Norway maple was able to outcompete the Red Maple in the Eastern Deciduous Forest because the Norway Maple had a higher rate of photosynthesis. The study found that the Norway Maple leaves had a slightly higher rate of carbon dioxide consumption than Red Maple leaves and that the Red Maple leaves had a higher rate of oxygen production compared to the Norway …

On-Road Emissions Of Ammonia: An Underappreciated Source Of Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition, Mark E. Fenn, Andrzej Bytnerowicz, Susan L. Schilling, Dena M. Vallano, Erika S. Zavaleta, Stuart B. Weiss, Connor Morozumi, Linda H. Geiser, Kenneth Hanks

United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

We provide updated spatial distribution and inventory data for on-road NH₃ emissions for the continental United States (U.S.) On-road NH₃ emissions were determined from on-road CO₂ emissions data and empirical NH₃:CO₂ vehicle emissions ratios. Emissions of NH₃ from on-road sources in urbanized regions are typically 0.1– 1.3 t km⁻² yr⁻¹ while NH₃ emissions in agricultural regions generally range from 0.4–5.5 t km⁻² yr⁻¹, with a few hot spots as high as 5.5–11.2 t km⁻² yr⁻¹. Counties with higher vehicle NH3 emissions than from agriculture …

Ecological-Economic Assessment Of The Effects Of Freshwater Flow In The Florida Everglades On Recreational Fisheries, Christina Estela Brown, Mahadev G. Bhat, Jennifer S. Rehage, Ali Mirchi, Ross Boucek, Victor Engel, Jerald S. Ault, Pallab Mozumder, David Watkins, Michael Sukop

United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

This research develops an integrated methodology to determine the economic value to anglers of recreational fishery ecosystem services in Everglades National Park that could result from different water management scenarios. The study first used bio-hydrological models to link managed freshwater inflows to indicators of fishery productivity and ecosystem health, then link those models to anglers' willingness-to-pay for various attributes of the recreational fishing experience and monthly fishing effort. This approach allowed us to estimate the foregone economic benefits of failing to meet monthly freshwater delivery targets. The study found that the managed freshwater delivery to the Park had declined substantially …

Agroforestry Standards For Regenerative Agriculture [Review], Craig R. Elevitch, D. Niki Mazaroli, Diane Ragone

United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Agroforestry is increasingly being recognized as a holistic food production system that can have numerous significant environmental, economic, and social benefits. This growing recognition is paralleled in the USA by the budding interest in regenerative agriculture and motivation to certify regenerative practices. Current efforts to develop a regenerative agriculture certification offer an opportunity to consider agroforestry’s role in furthering regenerative goals. To understand this opportunity, we first examine how agroforestry practices can advance regenerative agriculture’s five core environmental concerns: soil fertility and health, water quality, biodiversity, ecosystem health, and carbon sequestration. Next, we review a subset of certification programs, standards, …

Bankfull Width, Kevin W. Custer, Eric B. Borth, Julia I. Chapman, Ryan W. Mcewan

Data Files

No abstract provided.

Overstory, Erin C. Rowekamp, Eric B. Borth, Julia I. Chapman, Ryan W. Mcewan

Data Files

No abstract provided.

Herbaceous Vegetation: April, Julia I. Chapman, Margaret E. Maloney, Erin C. Rowekamp, Mitchell J. Kukla, Sean D. Mahoney, Eric B. Borth, Ryan W. Mcewan

Data Files

April

Macroinvertebrates, Mitchell J. Kukla, Corey Kuminecz, Margaret E. Maloney, Joseph Murphy, Taylor M. Buskey, Jenea I. Adams, Michelle N. Little, Eric B. Borth, Taylor M. Sparbanie, Sean D. Mahoney, Kevin W. Custer, Julia I. Chapman, Ryan W. Mcewan

Data Files

No abstract provided.

Conventional Method Comparison Data (Ves And Hess), Margaret E. Maloney, Eric B. Borth, Julia I. Chapman, Ryan W. Mcewan

Data Files

No abstract provided.

Herbaceous Vegetation: June, Julia I. Chapman, Margaret E. Maloney, Erin C. Rowekamp, Mitchell J. Kukla, Sean D. Mahoney, Eric B. Borth, Ryan W. Mcewan

Data Files

June

Lonicera Maackii Leaf Feeding Tests: Survival, Growth, Loss Of Leaf Mass, Kevin W. Custer, Julia I. Chapman, Ryan W. Mcewan

Data Files

Lymnaea stagnalis, Hyalella Azteca, and Allocapnia spp.

Lonicera Maackii Leaf Leachate Toxicity: Physicochemical Data, Eric B. Borth, Kevin W. Custer, Julia I. Chapman, Ryan W. Mcewan

Data Files

Lymnaea stagnalis and Hyalella azteca