Other Forestry and Forest Sciences Commons^™

Forest Overstory Mortality & Recruitment Patterns Eight Years Following Wildfire In The Southern Appalachians, Ruth Cumberland

All Theses

In this study, we investigated patterns of forest overstory mortality and recruitment eight years after wildfire in a large wildfire site the Southern Appalachians, a topic that has not been thoroughly investigated to date. With evidence that pre-fire drought promotes post-fire mortality through impaired physiological function and increased fuel consumption, unknown patterns following wildfire are important to study under shifting climate and land-use conditions. In Chapter 1, three areas of interest were investigated: (a) functional group mortality response to wildfire effects, (b) temporal differences in early (1-3 years) and late (5-8 years) periods of delayed forest overstory mortality patterns following …

Soil-Based Emissions And Context-Specific Climate Change Planning To Support The United Nations (Un) Sustainable Development Goal (Sdg) On Climate Action: A Case Study Of Georgia (Usa), Davis G. Nelson

All Theses

Soil-based emissions from land conversions are often overlooked in climate planning. The objectives of this study were to use quantitative data on soil-based greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for the state of Georgia (GA) (USA) to examine context-specific (temporal, biophysical, economic, and social) climate planning and legal options to deal with these emissions. Currently, 30% of the land in GA has experienced anthropogenic land degradation (LD) primarily due to agriculture (64%). All seven soil orders were subject to various degrees of anthropogenic LD. Increases in overall LD between 2001 and 2021 indicate a lack of land degradation neutrality (LDN) in GA. …

Effects Of The Sea Level Rise And Hurricanes In The Coastal Forest Of South Carolina, Siddhartha Regmi

All Theses

Accessing the mortality of the trees following any disturbances is of great interest to researchers in forestry science. This thesis project assessed topographic factors to explain the patterns of tree mortality after Hurricane Hugo in 1989 and investigated continuous tree mortality in relationship to important covariates using long-term data. Aerial photographs were taken one year after Hurricane Hugo, and long-term monitoring plots were set up five years after the hurricane to collect multi-year data. Analysis and visualization showed higher mortality in concave areas near the marsh at approximately 1-2m elevation and 120-180m far from streams after Hurricane Hugo. A model …

Logging In The Southeastern Us: Facing Challenges, Finding Opportunities, Shubhechchha Khadka

All Theses

The logging businesses, a crucial component of the wood supply chain, face shifting dynamics with various challenges and opportunities. Focusing on North and South Carolina, this study analyzes surveys and interviews to explore the logging business challenges and pathways to sustainable growth in the Southeastern United States.

In South Carolina, our findings indicate a shift towards more medium-sized businesses with a decrease in small and large logger, the entry of some younger loggers in the industry, and a notable rise in educational qualifications among loggers. Simultaneously, there is a decrease in the intergenerational transfer of logging businesses, coupled with escalated …

Germination Trends Of American Chaffseed, Schwalbea Americana L., And Factors Affecting First-Year Seedling Development, Trenton Miller

All Theses

Following centuries of exploitation and fire suppression, longleaf pine systems are now the focus of many conservation efforts. Efforts to restore populations of Schwalbea americana L. in longleaf pine savannas have been met with frustratingly low recruitment. While past studies have briefly quantified germination rates for Schwalbea, there have not been any studies yet that truly investigate this plant’s germination requirements. Additionally, there has been little research into characterizing the parasitic relationship between Schwalbea and its various host species. We conducted a germination study in a growth chamber that investigated Schwalbea’s germination rate and time to germinates as …

Investigation Into The Load Transfer Mechanism Of Trees To Develop An Innovative Foundation Configuration Using 3d Finite Element Modeling, Kaleb Boland

All Theses

This study was inspired by a tree’s reliance on its root system that enables it to withstand a natural disaster, such as an extreme hydroclimatic event or hurricane. This curiosity has led to an investigation into what makes this possible, developing a new and innovative foundation configuration for infrastructure systems, and a new possible construction material and method. This study provides results on a material that does not have conventional testing procedures or standards: a tree root. The trees studied are common to the upstate of South Carolina, which are Pine, Sweetgum, and White Oak. According to the results, on …

Patterns And Drivers Of Wiregrass Gap Longleaf Pine (Pinus Palustris Mill.) Woodland Succession As Part Of Restoration Efforts, Armin Weise

All Theses

Longleaf Pine (Pinus palustris) communities are widespread throughout the Southeastern United States with a dominant understory vegetation of wiregrass (Aristida spp.) in most of its range. A small area in central South Carolina that is naturally free of wiregrass is called the “Wiregrass Gap”. Here, the understory vegetation is dominated by bluestems grasses (Andropogon spp. and Schizachyrium spp.) which drive the disturbance regime of frequent low-intensity fire. The successful establishment of these grasses is key for longleaf pine woodland restoration efforts in this region, but few resources detail the ecological drivers at play that enable successful restoration in these longleaf …

If You Give A Beetle A Maple: Anoplophora Glabripennis Habitat Selection Patterns On An Island In South Carolina, Meredith Bean

All Theses

At the epicenter of the Asian longhorned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis Motschulsky) quarantine zone in South Carolina, a small island containing an actively growing subpopulation of A. glabripennis had not completely killed its 37 host trees in 2020. Before these trees were removed and destroyed according to the USDA Eradication Program protocols, I performed an observational study to examine the microhabitat selection tendencies of the invasive A. glabripennis within this satellite infestation. After cataloging >14,000 oviposition sites and >1,600 exit holes created by A. glabripennis, I found dispersal trends according to a host’s stem status (single or multi-stemmed), vertical …