Forest Biology Commons^™

Territory Inheritance And The Evolution Of Cooperative Breeding In The Acorn Woodpecker, Walter D. Koenig, Joseph Haydock, Hannah L. Dugdale, Eric L. Walters

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

There are two main hypotheses for why offspring in cooperatively breeding taxa delay dispersal and remain on their natal territory rather than disperse. First, ecological constraints may force offspring to remain on their natal territory until a reproductive opportunity presents itself in an otherwise saturated habitat. Alternatively, delaying dispersal and helping kin may increase an offspring's inclusive fitness. One means by which offspring might enhance their direct fitness by delaying dispersal is by inheriting breeding status on their natal territory. Such territory inheritance regularly occurs in acorn woodpeckers, Melanerpes formicivorus, a species whose social groups consist of a cooperatively …

Competition And Herbivory Influence The Survival, Growth, And Physiology Of Native Tree Seedlings In The Kentucky Inner Bluegrass Savanna-Woodland, James D. Shaffer

Theses and Dissertations--Biology

Terrestrial plant communities are shaped by competition for resources, herbivory, and abiotic processes. Savanna systems represent a dynamic coexistence of contrasting life forms (grasses and trees) shaped by competition and disturbance. The Kentucky Inner Bluegrass Savanna-Woodland (KIBSW) is described as an open woodland of shade intolerant species; however, climatic, and edaphic conditions can support closed-canopy forest. After European pioneer settlement (c1750-1800), over 99% of “savanna-woodlands” have been lost. KIBSW remnants are experiencing a recruitment failure, leading to a dominance shift in tree communities. I researched how tree-grass competition and mammalian herbivory influence KIBSW regeneration and maintenance. The KIBSW does not …

Modeling Growth And Stress Factors For Converted Silvopasture Systems In The Missouri Ozarks, Bailee N. Suedmeyer

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Silvopasture systems are becoming increasingly popular among sustainable agriculture ranchers, due to the increase in knowledge of benefits to the cattle and ability to grow cool season grasses beneath the canopy. This project focuses on the forest crop aspect of silvopasture systems from monitoring of the health of the trees over time to recommendations for thinning management to keep it functioning as viable silvopasture. The study site consists of five acres of upland hardwood forest area in Southern Missouri with 18 monumented fixed area plots. Arial and ground data was collected at each plot throughout the growing season, along with …

Response Of Running Buffalo Clover (Trifolium Stoloniferum Muhl Ex. A. Eaton) To Herbaceous Competition And Transplanting In Monongahela National Forest, Ruben E. Sabella

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Running buffalo clover (RBC) is a rare perennial plant that grows throughout the American Midwest and the Appalachian Mountains. It requires disturbed forests to establish and proliferate. It has been suggested that, in the past, these conditions were created by buffalo; now logging operations maintain RBC populations. However, forest managers have been looking for ways to create suitable habitat for RBC that do not involve harvesting practices. This could help create new populations in areas that cannot be logged. Once established, competing vegetation might influence RBC abundance and flowering. This study seeks to quantify this influence by measuring the vegetation …

The Effects Of Weather On Facilitating The Intensification And Collapse Of Bark Beetle Outbreaks In Ponderosa Pine Forests Of The Northern Rocky Mountains And The Black Hills, Jordan T. Lestina

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Bark beetles are a diverse family of insect herbivores, of which the most aggressive species can cause significant tree mortality, and are integral components of disturbance regimes in conifer dominated forests of North America. Recent drought events across the western U.S. have been broadly associated with the initiation of multiple bark beetle outbreaks in ponderosa pine forests during the last two decades. Changing weather conditions, such as those observed during the onset of drought, affect outbreak progression through their influence on bark beetle physiology and life history traits and the overall vigor and defensiveness of host trees. This study used …

Effects Of Prescribed Fire Regimes On White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus) Browse, Forage, And Nutrient Availability In The Pineywoods Ecoregion Of Texas, Wyatt L. Bagwell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Fire is a management tool for white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) habitat, influencing browse availability, herbaceous production, and nutrient content. In 2020 and 2021, this study utilized 46 plots across East Texas to assess these habitat components. A stem count index survey method was used to assess browse utilization prior to April in both years, and preferred browse species were clipped and analyzed for nutrient availability, and herbaceous production was also measured. Additionally, white-tailed deer population data, browse survey data, and recent fire history were obtained from five different wildlife management areas to examine their relationship. Deer had preferences …

Timber Talk, Vol. 60, No. 4, December 2022

Timber Talk: Nebraska Forest Industry Newsletter

Lumber market reports

Hardwood lumber prices

U.S. Biochar Initiative webinar highlighting NRCS Soil Carbon Program

Marketing Your Timber, a new NFS publication

Timber sales

The Trading Post

Follw us on social media

Callery Pear Allelopathy Study, Michaela J. Woods, Jonathan T. Bauer, Dena Schaeffer, Ryan W. Mcewan

Five Rivers MetroParks Collaboration Data Archive

No abstract provided.

Assessing Turgor Loss Point In Bottomland Hardwood Trees Using Leaf Spectroscopy, Alexandra M. Eisley

LSU Master's Theses

Climate change is expected to radically alter our planet’s forests, with higher frequencies of drought- and flood-induced mortality events posing a challenge for forest managers and biologists. Research into the factors underlying plant tolerance to environmental stressors is therefore gaining popularity for incorporation into projective and earth system modeling using remote sensing measures. Leaf turgor loss point (TLP) is a key trait associated with drought tolerance among plants and is defined as the water potential at which leaf turgor pressure reaches zero, causing wilting. Here, I investigated patterns of TLP across the landscape and its role as an indicator of …

Effect Of Canopy Competition On Tree Growth And Development In Pine Hardwood Mixtures, Jacob Alexander Olichney

LSU Master's Theses

Mixed species forests may benefit from the reduction in intraspecific competition, although the benefit of species mixing has been shown to vary depending on mixture composition and environmental conditions. This study sought to test the effect of species composition in mixed forest stands on canopy development and growth of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), cherrybark oak (Quercus pagoda), and sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua). Even-aged, grid planted monoculture and mixed species forest plots were established with hardwood monoculture plots at a 741 Trees Per Hectare (TPH), and pine monoculture and mixed species plots established at 1482 TPH. …

Observational Study Of Woolly Monkey Behavior And Vocalizations: Behavioral Time Allotment And Vocalization Habits Of A Small Population Of Poeppig’S Woolly Monkey (Lagothrix Lagotricha Poeppigii) In The Ecuadorian Amazon, Marina Smith-Hanke

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Poeppig’s woolly monkey (Lagothrix lagotricha poeppigii), a species of primate native to the Amazonian regions of western Brazil, eastern Ecuador, and northeastern Peru, is classified as endangered by the IUCN. These large, frugivorous primates are threatened by habitat loss and climate change as a result of human interference. Deforestation, hunting, petroleum mining, and illegal trafficking are all huge threats to this species. As a result of these pressures, their populations have decreased by at least 30% over the past three generations. However, as keystone seed dispersers, they are essential for Amazonian ecosystem health; without their seed dispersal services, a loss …

Afforestation And Biodiversity: Bryophyte Richness Changes Between Icelandic Forest Types, Kian Mcdonough

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Forest-dwelling bryophytes (mosses, liverworts, hornworts) greatly contribute to biodiversity and ecosystem function but are largely under-studied in comparison to vascular plants. With Iceland’s large-scale afforestation efforts there is a need to understand how different afforestation species are affecting biodiversity, including bryophyte diversity. This study looked at differences in ground-floor bryophyte richness across Sitka spruce, lodgepole pine, and downy birch forests and found that bryophyte richness was highest in the Sitka spruce forests and lowest in downy birch forests. While this suggests a negative correlation between bryophyte richness and light availability, since the conifer species have the densest copy cover, other …

Laguncularia Racemosa Top-Layer Sediment Microorganism Makeup In Relation To Differing Levels Of Perceived Anthropogenic Impact In Bocas Del Drago, Bocas Del Toro, Panama, Gabrielle Glendening

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

As mangrove forests are destroyed by human factors across the earth, many crucial ecological processes that take place in these systems of trees are obstructed. One of the most important roles played by mangroves is their ability to sequester carbon in the sediment, as this storage of carbon helps diminish atmospheric warming. Many sediment microorganisms help in this process of carbon sequestration and play various other vital roles in mangrove ecosystems. Microorganisms in marine sediments can be used to assess the health of the surrounding environment. Past research has found significant differences in sediment microorganism composition, abundance, and diversity in …

The Role Of Frugivorous Birds As Seed Dispersers: Feeding Selection And Preference Of Madagascar’S Avian Frugivores In Analamazaotra Forest, Thaddeus Bashaw

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Madagascar is a country rich in floral and faunal diversity. However, anthropogenic habitat destruction and climate change increasingly threaten its biodiversity. Endozoochorous plants that dependent on frugivory for seed dispersal are under threat due to increasing rates of localized extinctions of frugivorous lemurs, the primary seed dispersers of the island. While lemurs are the islands most abundant frugivores, other frugivorous vertebrates like birds and bats likely play a significant role in seed dispersal, although this role is still poorly understood. This study, conducted in Analamazaotra forest, compares the rates of visitation and consumption of six endemic fruiting tree species by …

Wetlands In Our Backyard: A Review Of Wetland Types In Virginia State Parks, Kirsten Bauer, Benjamin K. Campbell

Virginia Journal of Science

Wetlands constitute a significant component of Virginia’s natural resources and heritage. Though historically they have been discounted—and often denigrated—the exceptional value of wetlands is currently growing in recognition and appreciation. In addition to the value provided by extracted resources and ecological regulation, wetlands also offer people the opportunity to enrich themselves through cultural, educational, and recreational pursuits. The state parks of Virginia provide access to a variety of ecosystems, including a wide array of wetland types. In this review, we document the diversity of wetlands in Virginia State Parks through a typology that groups wetland systems into the three principal …

The Specific Richness Of Forest Cockroach Communities In The Region Of Aflou (Laghouat; Algeria), Fatiha Masna, Siham Bounadji, Saliha Benhissen, Zakaria Hedjouli, Abdelmadjid Yagoub Asloum, Sarra Habbachi, Waffa Habbachi

Journal of Bioresource Management

Forest cockroaches are among the insects that play an important and effective role in forest formations, they are insects with incomplete metamorphosis belonging to the order of Blattodea. This work is a contribution to the knowledge of Blattoptera species existing in the forest environments of Aflou’s region (Laghouat; Algeria).The inventory was carried out monthly in the El-Khnegue Forest (Aflou) from February 2019 to May 2019. It revealed the presence of six species of forest Cockroaches, which belongs to 4 genera of the Blattelidae family. After identification, it was demonstrated that, these species were: Dziriblatta nigriventris (Chopard, 1936), Dziriblatta stenoptera (Chopard, …

The Effects Of Drought And Shade On Bottomland Hardwood Regeneration, Charles Joseph Pell

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Floodplain forests support a high diversity of tree species adapted to regenerate under fluctuating water and light availability. Regeneration regulates species composition, and shade and flood tolerance influence the likelihood of regeneration. Regeneration failure of shade-intolerant and flood-tolerant tree species commonly occurs in southcentral and southeastern floodplain forests of the United States, also known as bottomland hardwoods (BLHs). In many BLHs reduced flooding has resulted in a dryer floodplain. These changes in flooding are linked to recent shifts in species composition. The mechanisms controlling regeneration in BLHs and these composition shifts are poorly understood. In a controlled germination experiment, I …

Flora Of Doe Mountain Recreation Area, Johnson County, Tennessee, Benjamin Mccullough

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A botanical inventory of Doe Mountain Recreation Area (DMRA) in northeastern Tennessee was conducted to help guide conservation-based management. A total of 484 species were found in DMRA, comprising 94 families, and 285 genera, 10 species listed in the state rare plant list, and 76 exotic species. Two species, Liatris virgata and Lycopodiella inundata, were new state records. Water in the Lycopodiella seep was an order of magnitude more acid than at other sites. An analysis of the wildland-urban interface showed that only 13% of the area was classified as uninhabited. The inventory-invasion index, introduced to quantify the relative …

Evaluating The Functional Traits Of The Pioneering Species: Insights To Forest Restoration, Rovana Mansul Jawani, Nomar Ali Ramoncito, Gretchen Quimson

Journal of Environmental Science and Sustainable Development

The influence of plant traits on interspecific demographic rates to growth and mortality has recently received an increasing attention because it allows understanding of the underlying determinants of species success especially in open degraded areas. This study examined the trait-based approach in selecting potential species for forest restoration. Five (5) native/indigenous pioneer species were evaluated for functional traits such as plant height, branching architecture, leaf dry matter content, specific leaf area, stem density, and bark thickness. All samples were collected from healthy and well grown mature trees growing in secondary forest of Central Mindanao University. The range of values for …

Soil Quality Indicators And Vegetation Responses Following Ecological Restoration Thinning Of Ponderosa Pine On Three Soil Parent Material Types Under Grazing And Non-Grazing In Northern Arizona, Christopher Macdonald

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research was performed in a northern Arizona ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa P. & C., Lawson) forest. The objectives were to a) increase understanding of long-term vegetation responses to ecological restoration treatments on three soils types, with and without grazing, b) evaluate the responses soil physical, chemical, and biological properties to restoration treatments, with and without grazing, c) determine the utility of measured soil quality indicators to informing risks to sustainable soils management in southwestern ponderosa pine forests.

There were no significant differences in soil bulk density by soil type, treatment type, or grazing treatment. No significant differences …