Natural Resources and Conservation Commons^™

Ecosystem Services After A Major Ecological Disturbance: Did Barn Owl (Tyto Alba) Nest Box Occupancy And Hunting Habitat Selection Change In Response To Napa Valley Fires?, Allison E. Huysman

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Wine producers in Napa Valley, California install barn owl (Tyto alba) nest boxes in vineyards with the goal of reducing rodent crop damage. Previous research has shown that the probability of attracting barn owls to nest boxes and encouraging them to hunt in vineyards is strongly influenced by the design of the nest box itself and the composition of the surrounding landscape. In 2017, wildfires in the Napa area burned nearly 60,000 ha, primarily affecting urban areas, which caused human devastation, and uncultivated habitats, which barn owls are known to select. Data collected before the fires on nest …

Understory Light, Regeneration, And Browsing Effects In Irregular Structures Created By Partial Harvesting In Coast Redwood Stands, Kurt Anthony Schneider

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Regeneration of commercial species is central to long-term success of multiaged management for wood production. We used a replicated uneven-aged silviculture experiment to study regeneration by stump sprouting (Chapter 1) and planted seedlings (Chapter 2). In Chapter 1, we present relationships between understory light, varying overstory tree retention, and growth of coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) and tanoak (Notholithocarpus densiflorus) stump sprouts initiated by group selection (GS) and single-tree selection harvesting. First, we quantified understory light throughout this 20 ha experiment comparing four different silvicultural treatments repeated at four sites. Then, we related understory light to post-treatment …

Habitat Characteristics And Nesting Ecology Of Golden Eagles In Arizona, Michele J. Losee

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) have a broad range globally and in general are well-studied. However, Arizona’s Golden Eagle population remained essentially unstudied until 2011, when Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) began nest surveys for cliff nesting Golden Eagles throughout the state. As a result of this data collection, the natural history of Arizona’s Golden Eagles is finally revealing itself. This dissertation outlined a reliable description of their nesting phenology that provides a framework for timing surveys and a baseline to monitor the effects of climate change on Golden Eagles. The mean date for egg-laying was February 14 and pairs …

Environmental Policy Assessment In The Ghanaian Gold Mining Industry: Insights From Stakeholders, Francis Tuokuu

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Environmental policy assessment has been recognized by critical stakeholders (e.g., governments, local communities, academics, environmental advocacy groups, and mining companies) as an effective way of identifying and dealing with the myriad of environmental problems confronting humanity, particularly those caused by mining activities. While the gold mining sector has contributed to the economies of countries in Sub-Saharan Africa since the introduction of structural adjustment programs (SAPs) in the 1980s by the Bretton Woods institutions (the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund; IMF), the sector has also contributed to environmental degradation including water pollution, land contaminations, and generally, human health concerns …

Alpine Plant Communities Of The White Mountains Of New Hampshire: Aboveground Plant Diversity And Abundance Correlated To Belowground Factors, Timothy Maddalena-Lucey

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Alpine plant communities are fragile complex systems that may be threatened by climate change. Patterns of climate-driven soil warming are shown to have lasting effects on ecosystem nutrient cycles, alpine plant phenology, and belowground soil biotic activity. There are concerns in the alpine mycorrhizal research community as to how belowground fungal biomass will react to climate-driven soil warming. To address these concerns I asked in this study what are the correlations between belowground factors such as collective ectomycorrhizal (EcM) and ericoid mycorrhizal (ErM) percent colonization, pH, and soil depth to bedrock and aboveground plant diversity and richness. In 2018, on …

Population Health Of Spotted Salamanders (Ambystoma Maculatum) In Created Vernal Pools: An Integrative Approach, Alice R. Millikin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Habitat creation is an important tool for conservation to counteract habitat loss and degradation. Vernal pools are susceptible to destruction due to limited detection, protection, and regulation. These wetlands provide fishless breeding habitat for many amphibian species including spotted salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) in eastern North America. Determining whether created vernal pool habitat is successful is often determined by demographic data of colonizing populations. I suggest that hormone levels, population genetics, and disease prevalence can improve our understanding of population health in created habitat. The goal of this dissertation was to assess the health of spotted salamander larvae in …

Cerulean Warbler (Setophaga Cerulea) And Associated Species Response To Operational Silviculture In The Central Appalachian Region, Gretchen Emily Nareff

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In this study, I assessed the response of Cerulean Warblers (Setophaga cerulea) and 5 additional songbird species to timber harvests prescribed through operational silviculture. The research took place in relatively contiguous mature deciduous forests in 4 states in the central Appalachian region—Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia, USA.

For the first part of the study, I collected Cerulean Warbler abundance and territory data through point counts and territory mapping, respectively. I used the point count data to model Cerulean Warbler abundance pre- and post-harvest at 5 study areas (Kentucky [n=1], Virginia [n=2], West Virginia [n=2]) and post-harvest at …

Predicting Spawning Habitat For Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus Kisutch), Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha), And Steelhead (Oncorhynchus Mykiss) Using Geospatially Constructed Stream Morphology From High-Resolution Lidar-Derived Digital Elevation Model And Field Survey Data In The Indian Creek Watershed, Mendocino County, California, Justin Patrick Bissell Mr.

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Restoration of anadromous salmonid habitat is of primary importance to the economic, historical, and cultural geography of the Pacific Northwest. Derivation and use of geospatial habitat models as guides to pinpoint key areas where limited restoration funding can be cost-effectively employed is of great importance. To this purpose, 1 meter resolution lidar-derived Digital Elevation Model data was acquired for the Indian Creek and neighboring watersheds in Mendocino County, California, and used together with field-acquired geomorphic stream data to geospatially model stream widths, depths, and streambank morphology. These geospatial covariates were field-verified in selected locations and then used in conjunction with …

Distribution And Habitat Use Of A Recently Discovered Population Of Humboldt Martens In California, Holly E. Gamblin

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The Humboldt marten (Martes caurina humboldtensis) has declined from over 95% of its historic range in California, with only two populations remaining. In response to the forthcoming listing of the Humboldt marten a conservation assessment and strategy was developed to address the most important conservation needs for this species. This assessment identified an area near the California – Oregon border as the second extant population area in California based on a small number of recent detections. However little else was known of this population, and this prompted my investigation to determine 1) the distribution and potential population size …

Aba Rpte Conservation Easement Task Force Report: Recommendations Regarding Conservation Easements And Federal Tax Law, W. William Weeks

Articles by Maurer Faculty

Authors' Synopsis: In October 2015, the American Bar Association's Real Property, Trust and Estate Law (RPTE) section convened a Conservation Easement Task Force. The objective of the Task Force was to provide recommendations regarding federal tax law as it relates to conservation easements. This Report is the culmination of the Task Force's work. Part I of the Report is an Executive Summary of the Task Force's recommendations. Part II provides the background necessary to understand the Task Force's recommendations. Part III briefly sets forth the Task Force's comments on the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 as it relates …