Forest Management Commons^™

Asserting Indigenous Identity To Substantiate Customary Forest Claims: A Case Study Of The Dayaks Of West Kalimantan, Indonesia, Charlotte Reinnoldt

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis examines Dayak identity constructions and how they have been and are currently being used to assert customary land rights in forested areas of West Kalimantan, Indonesia. The Indonesian state has required that customary land claims include proof that communities have maintained their indigenous institutions. Drawing from government and NGO reports, academic research, and Indonesian law, a few questions thus are explored: What aspects of identity must be maintained in order to be sufficient to claim customary land rights under Indonesian law? How has recent Dayak mobilization fed into a resurgence in Dayak identity and pride, and vice versa? …

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 …

Through The Eyes Of Locals: A Changing Climate In Bolivia, Jacob D. Rex

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Deforestation and Agricultural Land-Use Change in Bolivia as a Function of Socio-Economic Realities.

This research combines semi-structured interviews of key informants and local participants, as well as field observations, which were conducted between January and April of 2019 in the Departments of Santa Cruz & Chuquisaca.

Spatial And Temporal Patterns Of Invasive Exotic Plant Species In Response To Timber Harvesting In A Mixed Mesophytic Forest Of Eastern Kentucky, Benjamin Christopher Rasp

Theses and Dissertations--Forestry and Natural Resources

Invasive exotic species (IES) responses to silvicultural treatments eight years after timber harvesting were examined and compared to one-year post-harvest IES survey in University of Kentucky’s Robinson Forest. The temporal effects of harvesting were further compared between harvested and non-harvested watersheds. Analyses were performed to identify IES spatial distribution and determine the relationships between IES presence and disturbance effects, biological, and environmental characteristics. IES prevalence was higher in the harvested watersheds and was influenced by canopy cover, shrub cover and disturbance proximity. Ailanthus altissima and Microstegium vimineum presence in the study area has decreased over time. Comparing to the 1-yr …

Multi-Camera Surveillance System For Time And Motion Studies Of Timber Harvesting Operations, Rafael Luiz Santos De Freitas

Theses and Dissertations--Forestry and Natural Resources

Timber harvesting is an important activity in the state of Kentucky; however, there is still a lack of information about the procedure used by the local loggers. The stump to landing transport of logs with skidders is often the most expensive and time-consuming task in timber harvesting operations. This thesis evaluated the feasibility of using a multi-camera system for time and motion studies of timber harvesting operations. It was installed in 5 skidders in 3 different harvesting sites in Kentucky. The time stamped video provided accurate time consumption data for each work phase of the skidders, which was used to …

Holocene Fire History Reconstruction Of A Mid-Evaluation Mixed-Conifer Forest In The Eastern Cascades, Washington, Zoe Rushton

All Master's Theses

Fire histories of mid-elevation mixed-conifer forests (MEMC) are uncommon, particularly in the eastern Cascades of Washington. As a result, fire regimes and the effects of 20th century fire suppression in these forests are not well understood. In the summer of 2014 a 7.80 meter-long sediment core was extracted from Long Lake, located approximately 45 km west of Yakima, WA, which exists in a grand fir-dominated mixed-conifer forest. Fire activity for the Long Lake watershed was reconstructed using macroscopic charcoal analysis and pollen analysis was used to reconstruct vegetation change through time. Charcoal results show low fire activity in the early …

Community-Centered Sustainable Conservation And Ecotourism Planning In The Bossou Forest Reserve, Guinea, West Africa, Destina Samani

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Ecotourism management has evolved over the years towards responsible conservation of the natural environment, sustaining the well-being of local people, enriching personal experiences and increasing environmental awareness. The development of a forest reserve is characteristic of the management–visitor–host community interface and the attendant competing interests in the face of new challenges, ideas and theories. In particular, host community participation in the conservation of the forest space tends to breakdown under weak ecotourism management, partly evident by the imbalanced exploitation of ecosystem services resulting in wildlife and society’s inability to cope effectively with the changes (Walker et al., 2016).

The Bossou …

Fire And Road Disturbance Impacts On Forest Plant Species And Seed Rain In Table Mountain Fire Arai, Kittitas County, Washington, Jonathan A. Betz

All Master's Theses

Forest communities are in a constant state of change. Disturbance events can alter the physical landscape and create conditions favorable to some species while negatively impacting others. Fire has been a natural, reoccurring source of disturbance in Pacific Northwest forests. Over the past centuries the fire paradigm has changed in favor of fire suppression. Forest roads permit access provide greater access but further fracture forest community’s continuity. The 2012 Table Mountain Fire and road influence have altered the plant community’s seed rain and vegetation. This study measured dispersed seeds and understory vegetation cover as functions of roads and fire intensity. …

Competition, Climate, And Drought Effects On Tree Growth In An Encroached Oak Woodland In Northern California, Jill J. Beckmann

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Oregon white oak (Quercus garryana Douglas ex Hook.) is experiencing increasing competition from Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) across its range at the same time as climate models are predicting increasing climate variability, including drought. Management recommendations that consider competition dynamics between these species under a changing climate are therefore needed for oak woodlands, but we do not currently understand the combined effects of competition, climate, and drought in this ecosystem. This research examines radial tree growth and drought response in Oregon white oak and Douglas fir in an encroached oak woodland near Kneeland, California. Stem maps …

Four-Fold Increase In Solar Forcing On Snow In Western U.S. Burned Forests Since 1999, Kelly E. Gleason, Joseph R. Mcconnell, Monica M. Arienzo, Nathan Chellman, Wendy M. Calvin

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Forest fires are increasing across the American West due to climate warming and fire suppression. Accelerated snow melt occurs in burned forests due to increased light transmission through the canopy and decreased snow albedo from deposition of light-absorbing impurities. Using satellite observations, we document up to an annual 9% growth in western forests burned since 1984, and 5 day earlier snow disappearance persisting for >10 years following fire. Here, we show that black carbon and burned woody debris darkens the snowpack and lowers snow albedo for 15 winters following fire, using measurements of snow collected from seven forested sites that …

Estimating The Present Value Of Carbon Sequestration In U.S. Forests, 2015–2050, For Evaluating Federal Climate Change Mitigation Policies, Robert T. Haight, Randall Bluffstone, Jeffrey D. Kline, John D. Coulston, David N. Wear, Kate Zook

Economics Faculty Publications and Presentations

We demonstrate an application evaluating carbon sequestration benefits from federal policy alternatives. Using detailed forest inventory data, we projected carbon sequestration outcomes in the coterminous 48 states for a baseline scenario and three policy scenarios through 2050. Alternatives included (1) reducing deforestation from development, (2) afforestation in the eastern United States and reforestation in the western United States, and (3) reducing stand-replacing wildfires. We used social cost of carbon estimates to evaluate the present value of carbon sequestration benefits gained with each policy. Results suggest that afforestation and reforestation would provide the greatest marginal increase in carbon benefit, far exceeding …

Influence Of Climate Change And Prescribed Fire On Habitat Suitability And Abundance Of The High-Elevation Endemic Cow Knob Salamander (Plethodon Punctatus), Carl David Jacobsen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Amphibians are facing global declines due to climate change, loss and degradation of habitat, invasive species, and disease. The Appalachian region of the eastern USA is a global biodiversity hotspot for salamanders, which are considered keystone species that influence nutrient dynamics in terrestrial and aquatic food webs. There are high rates of salamander endemism in the Appalachian region, with many species restricted to isolated, high elevation areas. The Cow Knob Salamander (Plethodon punctatus) is one such species. It is only found at elevations >675 m (most populations are above 900 m) on Shenandoah Mountain, North Mountain, and Nathaniel …

Nitrogen Self-Doped Activated Carbons Derived From Bamboo Shoots As Adsorbent For Methylene Blue Adsorption, Bingbing Mi, Jingxin Wang, Hongzhong Xiang, Fang Liang, Jianfei Yang, Zixing Feng, Tao Zhang, Wanhe Hu, Xianmiao Liu, Zhijia Liu, Benhua Fei

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Bamboo shoots, a promising renewable biomass, mainly consist of carbohydrates and other nitrogen-related compounds, such as proteins, amino acids and nucleotides. In this work, nitrogen self-doped activated carbons derived from bamboo shoots were prepared via a simultaneous carbonization and activation process. The adsorption properties of the prepared samples were evaluated by removing methylene blue from waste water. The factors that affect the adsorption process were examined, including initial concentration, contact time and pH of methylene blue solution. The resulting that BSNC-800-4 performed better in methylene blue removal from waste water, due to its high specific surface area (2270.9 m2 g−1), …

An Ecological Survey Of Forest Succession In A Northeast Ohio Ecosystem Following An Emerald Ash Borer Infestation, Joseph Haas

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This paper will be an ecological survey of a selected 28 acre piece of land in northeast Ohio impacted by the Emerald Ash Borer. This invasive species arrived in North America in 2002 and has since spread throughout the country wreaking havoc on the ash tree population. The purpose of this study is to determine what tree species are replacing the native ash trees in the succession of the forest. In order to achieve this goal, a section of the selected land will be blocked off and subdivided into manageable sections to facilitate data collection, namely the location of the …

Crown-Level Mapping Of Tree Species And Health From Remote Sensing Of Rural And Urban Forests, Fang Fang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Tree species composition and health are key attributes for rural and urban forest biodiversity, and ecosystem services preservation. Remote sensing has facilitated extraordinary advances in estimating and mapping tree species composition and health. Yet previous sensors and algorithms were largely unable to resolve individual tree crowns and discriminate tree species or health classes at this essential spatial scale due to the low image spectral and spatial resolution. However, current available very high spatial resolution (VHR) remote sensing data can begin to resolve individual tree crowns and measure their spectral and structural qualities with unprecedented precision. Moreover, various machine learning algorithms …

Aspect Influence On Productivity When Applying The Deferment Harvest Method In Mixed-Oak Hardwood Forests In West Virginia, Breanne Held

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The deferment harvest method is a new forest management treatment in central Appalachian hardwood forests. It is intended to primarily improve aesthetics by leaving select residual trees in the forest stand beyond the establishment of the regeneration cohort. However, there are concerns with residual tree quality due to the development of epicormic branches and if the presence of forest canopy influences the species composition and development of the regeneration. Topographic aspect can influence differences in productivity in both the residual and regeneration cohorts. This study examined if residual tree quality for timber value and a desirable species composition of the …

Effectiveness Of Snap And A24-Automated Traps And Broadcast Anticoagulant Bait In Suppressing Commensal Rodents In Hawaii, Aaron B. Shiels, Tyler Bogardus, Jobriath Rohrer, Kapua Kawelo

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Commensal rodents (invasive rats, Rattus spp.; house mice, Mus musculus) are well established globally. They threaten human health by disease transfer and impact economies by causing agricultural damage. On island landscapes, they are frequent predators of native species and affect biodiversity. To provide managers with better information regarding methods to suppress commensal rodent populations in remote island forests, in 2016 we evaluated the effectiveness of continuous rat trapping using snap-traps, Goodnature^®A24 self-resetting rat traps, and a 1-time (2-application) hand-broadcast of anticoagulant rodenticide bait pellets (Diphacinone-50) applied at 13.8 kg/ha per application in a 5-ha forest on Oahu, …

Converting Coast Redwood/Douglas-Fir Forests To Multiaged Management: Residual Stand Damage, Tree Growth, And Regeneration, Robert Thomas Muma

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

There is increased interest in multiaged management as a silvicultural and restoration tool in redwood forests of California. The effect of varying residual densities and spatial arrangements on residual stand damage, tree growth and regeneration was studied in a multicohort silviculture experiment on Jackson Demonstration State Forest. Four treatments varying in residual stand density or spatial arrangement were replicated at four sites. The experiment provided 4-year periodic growth measurements of residual trees and annual measurements of redwood and tanoak sprout height increments. Residual trees were more likely to sustain bole scarring when retained at higher densities. Crown damage was more …

Tree Squirrels And Fishers In Northern California: The Effects Of Masting Hardwoods On Stand Use, Andria M. Townsend

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

In western North America, tree squirrels such as western gray (Sciurus griseus) and Douglas squirrels (Tamiasciurus douglasii) are potentially important prey for fishers (Pekania pennanti). Western gray squirrels in particular may be highly ranked due to their large body size. Masting trees including black oak (Quercus kelloggii) and tanoak (Notholithocarpus densiflorus) produce an important food source for tree squirrels; therefore, forest stands containing these trees may be useful to foraging fishers. I hypothesized that; 1) the abundance of western gray and Douglas squirrels in a stand is influenced by the …

Evaluating Post-Fire Plantation Restoration In A Mixed Conifer Forest In The Sierra Nevada, Iris C. Allen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Forests in the western United States have experienced a shift from historical disturbance regimes in the past century. Many of these changes were induced by European settlers logging the forests and suppressing fires. In the past, the dry mixed conifer forests of California’s Sierra Nevada mountains experience frequent, low to mixed severity fires. This fire regime helped maintain a heterogeneous landscape comprised of groups of trees and openings. However, due to fire suppression and high grading logging, forest structure has changed; there are less openings and more small, fire-intolerant trees that can carry a fire into the forests crown. The …