Other Forestry and Forest Sciences Commons^™

The Ecological Significance Of The Herbaceous Layer In Temperate Forest Ecosystems, Frank Gilliam

Frank S. Gilliam

Despite a growing awareness that the herbaceous layer serves a special role in maintaining the structure and function of forests, this stratum remainsan underappreciated aspect of forest ecosystems. In this article I review and synthesize information concerning the herb layer’s structure,composition, and dynamics to emphasize its role as an integral component of forest ecosystems. Because species diversity is highest in the herb layeramong all forest strata, forest biodiversity is largely a function of the herb-layer community. Competitive interactions within the herb layer candetermine the initial success of plants occupying higher strata, including the regeneration of dominant overstory tree species. Furthermore, …

Effects Of Experimental Freezing On Soil Nitrogen Dynamics In Soils From A Net Nitrification Gradient In A Nitrogen-Saturated Hardwood Forest Ecosystem, Frank S. Gilliam, Adam Cook, Salina Lyter

Frank S. Gilliam

This study examined effects of soil freezing on N dynamics in soil along an N processing gradient within a mixed hardwood dominated watershed at Fernow Experimental Forest, West Virginia. Sites were designated as LN (low rates of N processing), ML (moderately low), MH (moderately high), and HN (high). Soils underwent three 7-day freezing treatments (0, –20, or –80 °C) in the laboratory. Responses varied between temperature treatments and along the gradient. Initial effects differed among freezing treatments for net N mineralization, but not nitrification, in soils across the gradient, generally maintained at LN < ML ≤ MH < HN for all treatments. …

Response Of The Herbaceous Layer Of Forest Ecosystems To Excess Nitrogen Deposition, Frank Gilliam

Frank S. Gilliam

• 1 This review brings into focus what is known about the response of the herbaceous layer of forest ecosystems to increasing nitrogen deposition. The emphasis on forests in general is important for two reasons. First, forests often occupy areas receiving high rates of atmospheric deposition of N. Second, compared with herb-dominated communities, about which much is known regarding response to excess N, forests generally display greater biological and structural complexity. The more specific focus on the herbaceous layer – here defined as all vascular (herbaceous and woody) plants ≤ 1 m in height – is warranted because most of the …

A Reexamination Of The Eastern Collared Lizard (Crotaphytus Collaris Collaris) In Arkansas, Ashley A. Grimsley

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Loss of suitable habitat is a threat to species worldwide. Habitat destruction, including loss, change, and fragmentation of habitat, is the leading cause of species extinction. Eastern collared lizards (Crotaphytus collaris collaris) are habitat specialists on glades. Both C. c. collaris and glade habitats are rare and of special concern in the state of Arkansas. Many glade populations have already been extirpated in the Ozarks of Arkansas and Missouri. Increasing knowledge of the distribution, habitat structure, and population dynamics of C. c. collaris is important to ensure the survival of this species in Arkansas.

A literature review of …

Herbaceous 2012 (June 3), Amy L. Myers, Julia I. Chapman, Ryan W. Mcewan

Data Files: Drew Woods Permanent Plots

Herbaceous vegetation data collected in 2012 at Drew Woods State Nature Preserve in Darke County, OH. Data key is provided in a supplemental file.

Wildland Urban Interface Assessment Of San Luis Obispo, California, Brian Hanson, Stephen Kadash, Nicholi Mackewicz

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

The purpose of this report is to provide a wildland fire hazard assessment of communities in the city of San Luis Obispo, California, and to identify prescriptions designed to prevent property damage and loss of life in the event of a wildfire. These prescriptions are adopted from established Shelter-In-Place communities who practice fire wise community wildfire prevention.There are eight communities that were identified as being fire prone. Each community had its own set of fire hazard, for example, flammable vegetation against a home, tall dead grass behind structures, or overhanging trees that would prevent an engine from passing. Once the …

Herbaceous 2012 (May 19), Amy L. Myers, Julia I. Chapman, Ryan W. Mcewan

Data Files: Drew Woods Permanent Plots

Herbaceous vegetation data collected in 2012 at Drew Woods State Nature Preserve in Darke County, OH. Data key is provided in a supplemental file.

Herbaceous 2012 (May 5), Amy L. Myers, Julia I. Chapman, Ryan W. Mcewan

Data Files: Drew Woods Permanent Plots

Herbaceous vegetation data collected in 2012 at Drew Woods State Nature Preserve in Darke County, OH. Data key is provided in a supplemental file.

Sub-Pixel Classification Of Forest Cover Types In East Texas, Joey Westbrook, I-Kuai Hung, Daniel Unger, Yanli Zhang

Faculty Publications

Sub-pixel classification is the extraction of information about the proportion of individual materials of interest within a pixel. Landcover classification at the sub-pixel scale provides more discrimination than traditional per-pixel multispectral classifiers for pixels where the material of interest is mixed with other materials. It allows for the un-mixing of pixels to show the proportion of each material of interest. The materials of interest for this study are pine, hardwood, mixed forest and non-forest. The goal of this project was to perform a sub-pixel classification, which allows a pixel to have multiple labels, and compare the result to a traditional …

Chemical Responses Of Two Deciduous Trees After 10-Years Of Exposure To Free Air Co2 Enrichment, Keonhee Kim

Masters Theses

Globally, the mean atmospheric carbon dioxide level has risen steadily since pre-industrial times, which is largely attributable to human activities such as increased emissions from fossil fuel burning, and clearing of forests. Numerous research efforts have been made to understand responses of trees in higher atmospheric carbon dioxide levels in short term, small-scale experiments. To overcome the limitations of these experiments and understand the response of trees in a natural environment, the Free Air Carbon dioxide Enrichment (FACE) project was proposed. FACE is a global project that involves experimentally enriching carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of terrestrial ecosystems. The FACE …

Examining Methodologies To Assess Abrasion In Tree Crowns, Tyler Matt Lynn Brannon

Masters Theses

New methodologies were explored to determine if crown abrasion affects shoot elongation of preformed and sustained growth form species during stand development. Bud growth form differences can influence which species’ buds are abraded or broken upon impact with adjoining crowns affecting crown growth. Analysis of branch elongation, apical bud toughness and tree sway were investigated in this study. Branch elongation was measured on crowns where growth was inhibited by crowns of adjacent trees and on crowns where growth is uninhibited. Bud mass was also measured. Bud toughness by species’ shoot growth form was evaluated using a pendulum impact tester for …

Herbaceous 2012 (April 21), Amy L. Myers, Julia I. Chapman, Ryan W. Mcewan

Data Files: Drew Woods Permanent Plots

Herbaceous vegetation data collected in 2012 at Drew Woods State Nature Preserve in Darke County, OH. Data key is provided in a supplemental file.

Herbaceous 2012 (April 9), Amy L. Myers, Julia I. Chapman, Ryan W. Mcewan

Data Files: Drew Woods Permanent Plots

Herbaceous vegetation data collected in 2012 at Drew Woods State Nature Preserve in Darke County, OH. Data key is provided in a supplemental file.

Herbaceous 2012 (March 25), Amy L. Myers, Julia I. Chapman, Ryan W. Mcewan

Data Files: Drew Woods Permanent Plots

Herbaceous vegetation data collected in 2012 at Drew Woods State Nature Preserve in Darke County, OH. Data key is provided in a supplemental file.

Investigation Of Compliance With The Ansi Z133.1 - 2006 Safety Standard In The New England Tree Care Industry, Alexandra K. Julius

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

Arborists are exposed to many occupational hazards and experience more than three times the overall fatality rate of all U.S. workers. Investigations into fatal incidents lead to a better understanding of industry dangers. However, this knowledge does not extend to how tree workers operate when an injury or fatality does not occur. Current research regarding fatal and nonfatal injuries does not include the accreditation status of the company at which the worker was employed, nor whether certified arborists were on staff. Given the highly skilled nature of the work involved, certification and accreditation might ensure a minimum level of demonstrated …

Control And Passive Treatment Of Runoff From Horse Muck Storage Structures Using Rain Gardens, Hillary K. Otte

Theses and Dissertations--Forestry and Natural Resources

Runoff from livestock operations may contain a variety of pathogens and high levels of nutrients and other harmful contaminants, and is of particular concern in central Kentucky as watersheds are threatened by waste generated from a high concentration of equine activity. Rain gardens are a type of stormwater management tool used to capture and passively treat runoff. This project aimed to incorporate rain gardens into the horse muck storage structures at a thoroughbred facility in the Canr Run watershed in Lexington, Kentucky. Water quality data from soil water within two rain garden muck pads and two control pads, and grab …

Etpprp Accomplishments - Fall 2012, The East Texas Pine Plantation Research Project, Arthur Temple College Of Forestry And Agriculture

Accomplishments and History

"The ETPPRP is a long-term comprehensive research program investigating the factors affecting the management of loblolly and slash pine plantations in East Texas. The Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture at Stephen F. Austin State University conducts the ETPPRP in coordination with private landowners, primarily Timber Investment Management Organizations (TIMOs) and Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)."

The Mapping Of Composite Pollen From Point Sampled Data And Cartographic Generalization, Peter P. Siska, I-Kuai Hung, Vaughn M. Bryant Jr.

Faculty Publications

Pollen grains are microgametophytes produced by angiosperm and gymnosperm plants. They are responsible for transporting genetic material and carrying out fertilization. The study of pollen has numerous practical applications such as plant biodiversity, paleoclimatology, archaeology, allergy studies, the study of nectar sources in honey (melissopalynology), searching for sources of petroleum, and more recently, using pollen as a trace evidence component in forensics. Once pollen grains become airborne, their dispersal is controlled by a number of physical factors that determine the deposition distance from their source area. The purpose of this work is to study spatial pattern of composite pollen in …

6th Lone Star Regional Native Plant Conference, Trey Anderson, David Creech, Greg Grant, Matthew W. Mcbroom, James Van Kley, Hans M. Williams

Lone Star Regional Native Plant Conference

No abstract provided.

The Mcintire-Stennis Cooperative Forestry Research Program: The Driving Force Of Sustainable Forestry, Steven H. Bullard

Faculty Presentations

The McIntire-Stennis (M-S) Cooperative Forestry Research Program has provided fundamental support for creating and strengthening forestry research and graduate training efforts at colleges and universities across the nation for nearly 50 years. M-S funding has helped produce thousands of forestry scientists and other research professionals, and M-S–supported research has provided critical basic understanding and applied solutions to extend the benefits that flow from forests and related rangelands across the nation over time. The 1962 legislation that created the M-S program authorized funding of up to one-half of the funds appropriated for federal forestry research conducted directly by the USDA. Throughout …