Forest Biology Commons^™

Species Composition And Visitation Frequency Of Birds And Mammals At A Bait Station In Northern Minnesota, Adam Roiko

Honors Capstones

Capstone submitted as a graduation requirement for the BSU Honors program.

Allometry, Sexual Size Dimorphism, And Niche Partitioning In The Mediterranean Gecko (Hemidactylus Turcicus), James B. Johnson, Lance D. Mcbrayer, Daniel Saenz

Faculty Publications

Hemidactylus tucrius is a small gekkonid lizard native to the Middle East and Asia that is known to exhibit sexual dimorphism in head size. Several potential explanations exist for the evolution and maintenance of sexual dimorphism in lizards. We tested 2 of these competing hypotheses concerning diet partitioning and differential growth. We found no differences in Average meal size (volume) or in any single dimension of prey size for similarly sized males and females. allometric patterns of increases in head size also were measured in males and females. We found that males exhibited a mixture of isometric and positively allometric …

Visualizing Food And Farm, 2005 Joint Meetings Of The Agriculture, Food, And Human Values Society (Afhvs) And Association For The Study Of Food And Society (Asfs): Program And Abstracts, Jane Adams, Lorna Michael Butler, Richard P. Haynes, Laura B. Delind

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

Visualizing Food and Farm

2005 Joint Meetings of the Agriculture, Food, and Human Values Society (AFHVS) and Association for the Study of Food and Society (ASFS)

Program and Abstracts

June 9-12, 2005, Portland, Oregon, United States

The Story Of Natural Change From An Abandoned Corn Field (1967) To A Young Forest Thirty-Nine Years Later (2005), Chester County, Pennsylvania, William Overlease, Edith Overlease

William Overlease Plant Succession Study Documents

No abstract provided.

Characterizing Moisture Regimes For Assessing Fuel Availability In North Carolina Vegetation Communities, Roberta A. Bartlette, James Reardon, Gary M. Curcio

Joint Fire Science Program Research Project Reports

In the southeastern United States prescription burning, fire danger rating and wildfire suppression strategies are constrained by limited knowledge of the influence of moisture content in live vegetation, organic soils, water table and weather. The interactive influence of these factors on fire behavior is not well studied. The 3+ year long study reported here was conducted to gain direct empirical understanding of seasonal fuel and soil moisture dynamics in shrub-dominated pocosin communities, in coastal Virginia and North Carolina, mixed hardwoods communities containing significant laurel and rhododendron understory fuels in western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee, and longleaf pine communities in …

Fuel Reduction And Restoration Of Pine/Hardwood Ecosystems Severely Impacted By The Recent Southern Pine Beetle (Dendroctonus Frontalis) Epidemic In The Southern Appalachians, James M. Vose, Katherine J. Elliott

Joint Fire Science Program Research Project Reports

As a result of this most recent SPB epidemic (1999-2003), thousands of hectares of dead pine trees have created wildfire-hazard conditions in the southern Appalachians. One of the challenges for land managers is how to return fire to these ecosystems after (1) nearly a decade of exclusion, and (2) the more recent SPB mortality enhanced fuel loads. Higher fuel loads have the potential to increase fire intensity and severity. At the extremes, fires of high intensity and severity can have a large effect on ecosystem structure and function. The objectives of our research were: (1) to quantify fuel load reduction …

Presettlement Pinus Tadea Mississippi Valley Alluvial Plain Of The Monroe County, Arkansas Area, Don C. Bragg

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Grassland And Woodland Bird Occurrence And Habitat Selection In The Prairie-Forest Transition Zone Of Minnesota, Thomas Robert Cooper

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Numerous species of woodland and grassland nesting birds have experienced population declines in the midwestern United States. Habitat loss and habitat fragmentation are suspected to be two of the underlying causes for the population declines of woodland and grassland birds. The Minnesota Valley Wetland Management District (WMD) covers 14 counties in southeastern Minnesota in the transition zone between forested and prairie ecoregions. Little information is available relative to which birds are using grassland or woodland habitat within the WMD and how their presence or absence is related to the available habitat conditions. Therefore, my study objectives were to: 1) determine …

Crown Radius And Diameter At Breast Height Relationships For Six Bottomland Hardwood Species, Brian Roy Lockhart, Robert C. Weih Jr., Keith M. Smith

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

The relationship between a tree's crown radius and diameter at breast height (DBH) has a variety of uses including forest competition studies, tree crown densities, spacing and stocking relationships, wildlife habitat suitability models, and tree volume estimations. Estimating DBH from mean crown radius (MCR) is of interest to natural resource managers because MCR can be estimated from high resolution digital imagery using remote sensing techniques. DBH is a common tree dimensional characteristic that is used to quantify tree and stand structure. This research presents MCR/DBH and DBH/MCR relationships for boxelder (Acer negundo L.), sweet pecan (Carya illinoensis (Wang) K.Koch), sugarberry …

Manejo De Cipós Na Amazônia, Jeffrey J. Gerwing, Edson Vidal

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Levantamentos florestais revelam que os cipós vêm se tornando cada vez mais abundantes em toda a Amazônia, tanto em florestas intactas quanto nas afetadas por atividades humanas, como a exploração de madeira. Nessa atividade, é recomendado o corte dos cipós ligados à árvore escolhida, para reduzir os danos às demais durante a queda. Conhecer a ecologia desse grupo de plantas e seu adequado manejo é essencial para entender as conseqüências do seu corte e para cumprir as metas de conservação da biodiversidade incluídas nos projetos de manejo de florestas tropicais.

Variation In Isoprene Emission From Quercus Rubra: Sources, Causes, And Consequences For Estimating Fluxes, Jennifer L. Funk, Clive G. Jones, Dennis W. Gray, Heather L. Throop, Laura A. Hyatt, Manuel T. Lerdau

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Isoprene is the dominant volatile organic compound produced in many forest systems. Uncertainty in estimates of leaf level isoprene emission rate stems from an insufficient understanding of the patterns and processes controlling isoprene emission capacity in plant leaves. Previous studies suggest that variation in isoprene emission capacity is substantial; however, it is not known at what scale emission capacity is the most variable. Identifying the sources of variation in emission capacity has implications for conducting measurements and for model development, which will ultimately improve emission estimates and models of tropospheric chemistry. In addition, understanding the sources of variation will help …

The Last Plant Standing - Ecosystem Assessment And Response To Human Disturbance In The Gordon Natural Area, West Chester University, Chester County, Pennsylvania, Katie Mohn, Frank Mcsherry, Rob Stabs, Michael Mcgeehin, Kristen Noble

Gordon Natural Area Forest Restoration Project Documents

No abstract provided.

Physiological And Growth Responses Of Midrotation Loblolly Pine To Treatments Of Fire, Herbicide, And Fertilizer, Emily J. Goodwin, Lisa M. Marino, Hans H. Williams, Brian P. Oswald, Kenneth W. Farrish

Faculty Publications

The objectives of this study were to examine the effects of fertilizer and understory vegetation control (herbicide and prescribed fire) on mature tree physiology and to link observed physiological responses with tree growth. Photosynthetic rate (photosynthesis), transpiration, stomatal conductance, stem diameter, and crown area were measured in two midrotation loblolly pine plantations in East Texas. Rates of photosynthesis, E and gs for the midsummer measurements were significantly reduced by fertilizer treatments on both sites. Drought in east Texas during the last 3 years may have influenced this result. Trees receiving fire at the site with a comparatively more dense live …

Greening Connecticut Cities And Towns, Managing Public Trees And Community Forests, Glenn D. Dreyer, Robert M. Ricard

Other Publications and Reports

No abstract provided.

Influence Of Habitat And Number Of Nestlings On Partial Brood Loss In Red-Cockaded Woodpeckers, James R. Mccormick, Richard N. Conner, D. Brent Burt, Daniel Saenz

Faculty Publications

Partial brood loss in red-cockaded woodpeckers (Picoides borealis) was studied during 2 breeding seasons in eastern Texas. The timing of partial brood loss, group size, number of initial nestlings, number of birds fledged, and habitat characteristics of the group's cavity-tree cluster were examined for 37 woodpecker groups in loblolly- (Pinus taeda) shortleaf (P. echinata) pine habitat and 14 groups in longleaf (P palustris) pine habitat. Partial brood loss occurred slightly more in the loblolly-shortleaf pine habitat than in the longleaf pine habitat, largely because nests in loblolly-shortleaf habitat initially contained more nestlings. …

Daily Movements Of Female White-Tailed Deer Relative To Parturition And Breeding, Christopher E. Comer

Faculty Publications

To assess how white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) herd demographics influence reproductive behaviors, we examined 24-h diel movements of female whitetailed deer relative to parturition and breeding in a low-density population with a near even sex ratio at the Savannah River Site (SRS), South Carolina. We conducted a series of intensive, 24-h radio-tracking periods of 13 females during spring and fall 2002. We compared daily range (ha), rate of travel (m/h), and distance between extreme daily locations (m), among the periods of pre-parturition and post-parturition and pre-, peak-, and post-rut. From pre-parturition to post-parturition, we observed decreases in diel range size …

Fire In Southern Appalachians: Fuels, Stand Structure And Oaks, David L. Loftis, Mary A. Arthur, Rex Mann, Jeffrey Lewis

Joint Fire Science Program Research Project Reports

Managers responsible for maintaining the diversity and productivity of Southern Appalachian forests are increasingly turning to prescribed fire as an important management tool in oak dominated forests. The decision to use fire with increasing frequency and spatial extent is based, in part, on an emerging sense of the prehistoric significance of fire in this landscape and its potential to control the proliferation of fire-sensitive competitors in contemporary forests. While it is well documented that fire has been an important ecological force in Southern Appalachian forests for a very long time, there has been little research to demonstrate that prescribed fire …

Effects Of Silvicultural Practices On Soil Carbon And Nitrogen In A Nitrogen Saturated Central Appalachian (Usa) Hardwood Forest Ecosystem, Frank S. Gilliam, David A. Dick, Michelle L. Kerr, Mary Beth Adams

Biological Sciences Faculty Research

Silvicultural treatments represent disturbances to forest ecosystems often resulting in transient increases in net nitrification and leaching of nitrate and base cations from the soil. Response of soil carbon (C) is more complex, decreasing from enhanced soil respiration and increasing from enhanced postharvest inputs of detritus. Because nitrogen (N) saturation can have similar effects on cation mobility, timber harvesting in N-saturated forests may contribute to a decline in both soil C and base cation fertility, decreasing tree growth. Although studies have addressed effects of either forest harvesting or N saturation separately, few data exist on their combined effects. Our study …

Historical Reflections On The Arkansas Cross Timbers, Don C. Bragg

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Kiichler's original map of potential natural vegetation suggested that the eastern-most extension of the "Cross Timbers" oak-dominated woodland reached into extreme western Arkansas. Recent investigations have found possible old-growth Cross Timber communities in narrow strips along steep, rocky sandstone and shale ridges near Fort Chaffee and Hackett. However, many decades of Euroamerican intervention have altered vegetation composition and structure in west-central Arkansas, making field evaluation difficult. Fortunately, historical accounts of the area provide considerable supporting documentation. General Land Office surveyors, for instance, traversed this portion of western Arkansas before 1850. They reported many ridges and slopes dominated by grassy, stunted …

Diel Activity Patterns Of The Louisiana Pine Snakes (Pituophis Ruthveni) In Eastern Texas, Marc J. Ealy, Robert R. Fleet, D. Craig Rudolph

Faculty Publications

This study examined the diel activity patterns of six Louisiana pine snakes in eastern Texas using radio-telemetry. snakes were monitored for 44 days on two study areas from May to October 1996. Louisana pine snakes were primarily diurnal with moderate crepuscular activity, spending the night within pocket gopher burrows or inactive on the surface. During daylight hours, snakes spent approximately 59% of their time underground within gopher burrows, burned out/rotten stumps, or nine-branded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) burrows. Remaining time was spent on the surface either close to subteranean refuge, or in long distance movements that generally terminet at …

Growth Trends And Water Use Efficiency Of Pinus Pinaster Ait. In Response To Historical Climate And Groundwater Trends On The Gnangara Mound, Western Australia, Lindsay Bourke

Theses : Honours

In Western Australia, groundwater accounts for about 57% of Perth's water supply. The majority of this is from the Gnangara Mound, the largest superficial aquifer on the Swan Coastal Plain. Prior to the mid 1970's groundwater of the superficial aquifer reached a semi-steady state, however since this period levels have been steadily falling. This decline coincides with a dramatic change in Perth's climate, groundwater abstraction and maturation of pine plantations. The influence of pine plantations upon groundwater recharge is well understood, however there is paucity of information about groundwater use, in particular whether pines directly access shallow groundwater resources. This …

Planning For Population Viability On Northern Great Plains National Grasslands, Fred B. Samson, Fritz L. Knopf, Clinton W. Mccarthy, Barry R. Noon, Wayne R. Ostile, Susan M. Rinehart, Scott Larson, Glenn E. Plumb, Gregory L. Schenbeck, Daniel N. Svingen, Timothy W. Byer

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

Broad-scale information in concert with conservation of individual species must be used to develop conservation priorities and a more integrated ecosystem protection strategy. In 1999 the United States Forest Service initiated an approach for the 1.2 x 106 ha of national grasslands in the Northern Great Plains to fulfill the requirement to maintain viable populations of all native and desirable introduced vertebrate and plant species. The challenge was threefold: 1) develop basic building blocks in the conservation planning approach, 2) apply the approach to national grasslands, and 3) overcome differences that may exist in agency-specific legal and policy requirements. Key …

Accelerated Hatching Of Southern Leopard Frog (Rana Sphenocephala) Eggs In Response To The Presence Of A Crayfish (Procambarus Nigrocinctus) Predator, Daniel Saenz, James B. Johnson, Cory K. Adams, Gage H. Dayton

Faculty Publications

Phenotypic plasticity, such as morphological and behavioral changes in response to predators, is common in larval anurans. Less is known about inducible defenses in the embryonic stages of development. We investigated the predation risk imposed by crayfish (Procambarus nigrocinctus) on southern leopard frog (Rana sphenocephala) eggs aud whether crayfish presence induces a change in the timing of hatching of R. sphenocephala eggs. We found that crayfish significantly reduce the hatching success of R. sphenocephala eggs by eating them and that eggs hatch significantly faster in the presence of crayfish than when crayfish are not present. We …

The Influence Of Predator Threat On The Timing Of A Life-History Switch Point: Predator-Induced Hatching In The Southern Leopard Frog (Rana Sphenocephala), James B. Johnson, Daniel Saenz, Cory K. Adams, Richard N. Conner

Faculty Publications

We tested the hypotheses that potential egg predators, crayfish Procambarus nigrocinctus and dytiscid Cybister sp. larvae, would accelerate the timing of hatching and that a larval predator, dragonfly naiad Anax junius, would delay hatching in the southern leopard frog (Rana sphenocephala). We also tested the hypothesis that differences in response would be proportional to predator lethality. Our results indicate that our hypotheses were partially supported. The presence of an efficient egg predator (crayfish) induces hatching faster than a less efficient predator (dytiscid larvae). However, the presence of a larval predator (naiads) did not delay hatching. Eggs that …

Utah Forest Health Report : A Baseline Assessment 1999 - 2001, Colleen Keyes, Paul Rogers, Leon Lamadeleine, Vick Applegate, Dave Atkins

The Bark Beetles, Fuels, and Fire Bibliography

This report addresses forest health in two ways: by discussion of forest-related issues and by data summaries in several appendices. FHM is a long-term monitoring program and therefore, the data presented in this report must be viewed in that light. This report presents a first-time, or baseline summary. Subsequent reports will address changes over time as plots and other detection surveys are conducted and re-measured.

Fire Climate Interactions And Predicting Fire Season Severity In The Mediterranean Climate Areas Of California, Southern Oregon, And Western Nevada, Alan H. Taylor, Carl N. Skinner, Andrew M. Carleton, Scott L. Stephens, Valerie Trouet, Bernd Haupt, Andrew Pierce

Joint Fire Science Program Research Project Reports

• We identified annual area burned for 37 National Forests in Washington, Oregon, and California between 1929 and 2004 from annual fire reports. Variation in area burned each year on National Forest lands is strongly related (r2 = 0.87) to total area burned in California. This indicates area burned in National Forests is a good indicator of total area burned in a state. • Four large groups of National Forests were identified that had similar temporal patterns of fire extent. Three of these groups were spatially coherent and included mainly: 1) Washington and northern Oregon; 2) northern California and California …

Quantifying Forest Ground Flora Biomass Using Proximal Sensing, Paul F. Doruska, Robert C. Weih Jr., Matthew D. Lane, Don C. Bragg

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Current focus on forest conservation and forest sustainability has increased the level of attention given to measures of ground flora in forest ecosystems. Traditionally, such data are collected via time- and resource-intensive methods of field identification, clipping, and weighing. With increased focus on community composition and structure measures of forest ground flora, the manner in which these data are collected must change. This project uses color and color infrared digital cameras to proximally sense forest ground flora and to develop regression models to predict green and dry biomass (g/m^) from the proximally sensed data. Traditional vegetative indices such as the …

The Composition Of Cryptophytes (Geophytes) And Other Plants In The Northern Jarrah Forest Of Western Australia: An Analysis Of Logged And Old Growth Forest, Conrad C. Slee

Theses : Honours

Forests are decreasing globally and there are pressing requirements for ecologically sustainable forest management to be implemented at all scales. There has been some criticism of the public managers for forests and the processes used to select reserve systems and silvicultural methods used. Limited research has been conducted on the effects of logging on the plants of the northern Jarrah forest of south western Australia, While fire is a major disturbance event, disturbance during logging operations may remove non-commercial trees, understorey shrubs and change soil conditions. Some plants that regenerate from below ground storage organs such as Cryptophytes (Geophytes) may …

Pre-Logging Liana Cutting Reduces Liana Regeneration In Logging Gaps In The Eastern Brazilian Amazon, Jeffrey J. Gerwing, Christopher Uhl

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

The cutting of all lianas prior to logging is a reduced-impact logging technique that is predicted to reduce liana proliferation in logging gaps. This study compares liana abundance and species composition in gaps created during conventional and reduced-impact logging in a forest of the eastern Brazilian Amazon. Logging treatments were conducted in side-by-side plots. Shortly following logging, 50-m² plots were located in the approximate centers of four single treefall and four multiple treefall gaps in each logging area. Six years following logging, there were ∼40% fewer climbing lianas in reduced-impact gaps than in conventional logging gaps. In both logging …

Longevity Record For A Wild Allegheny Woodrat (Neotama Magister) In West Virginia, Michael T. Mengak, Steven B. Castleberry, W. Mark Ford, Nikki L. Castleberry, Jane L. Rodrigue

Virginia Journal of Science

The Allegheny woodrat (Neotoma magister) is found throughout much of the central and southern Appalachians and adjacent portions of the Interior Highlands. Allegheny woodrats have declined in the northern portions of their range and are state-listed as threatened, endangered or sensitive species of concern in every state where they occur. Until recently, biologists have had to rely on biological data collected from the closely related eastern woodrat (N. floridana) because of limited research on the Allegheny woodrat. We have been studying the ecology and natural history of woodrats in Virginia and West Virginia since 1990. On …