Other Forestry and Forest Sciences Commons^™

Evaluation Of Palatability And Nutrient Composition Of Terminalia Brownii (Fresen) Leaves Grown In Farm Land In Southern Ethiopia, Bayisa Bekele, Mohinder Singh Hooda, Asmelash Tesfaye

Journal of Bioresource Management

Fodder trees and shrubs are important diet and they can provide huge amount of nutrient for grazing animals specifically in areas where less amount of forage is found. The current study was conducted during the year of 2020-2021 at Southern Ethiopia with the objectives of evaluating the palatability and nutrient composition of Terminalia brownii leaves grown in farmland. Survey was conducted in the study area with a 5 % of the total HHs through selecting randomly from the kebeles resident list. Five samples from each management practice i.e. lopping, pollarding and pruning were taken and analyzed in the laboratory for …

Quemando Leña En Guatemala: Salud, Sostenibilidad Y Costumbres, Sydney Underhill

World Languages and Cultures Senior Capstones

In the Central American country of Guatemala, firewood is an important fuel source. Eighty-eight percent of households in rural areas use wood stoves and open fires to cook and heat their homes. This tradition has fundamental roots in the culture and customs of Guatemala. Unfortunately, these methods contribute to air pollution. Consequently, it also results in smoke inhalation, which causes health problems. Additionally, the massive agriculture of other crops decreases the amount of firewood available to these households, affecting the sustainability of the resource. Some communities resist changing their use of firewood due to the profound nature that firewood holds …

Identification Of Rnai-Related Genes And Transcriptome Assembly Of Loblolly Pine (Pinus Taeda, L.) Seedlings Exposed To Insect-Specific Dsrna, Zachary Bragg, Lynne K. Rieske

Entomology Faculty Publications

Considerable research has focused on gene silencing in tree-feeding insects, but how trees recognize and process double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) engineered to target plant pests is unknown. We performed transcriptomic assembly, preliminary differential expression analysis, and in silico annotation on loblolly pine (Pinus taeda, L.) seedlings exposed to southern pine beetle-specific dsRNA. This pilot study sought to elucidate the baseline response of seedlings challenged with insect-specific dsRNA. Treated and untreated seedlings were sequenced and following transcriptome assembly 20 RNAi-related proteins (RRPs) were annotated. Differential gene expression analysis conducted using DESeq2 followed by pathway enrichment revealed 7131 differentially expressed transcripts, of which …

Effects Of Treated Effluent Discharge On Tree Water Use And Growth In A Cypress Swamp., Devin Schexnayder

LSU Master's Theses

Inundated baldcypress (Taxodium distichum) trees generally respond to secondarily-treated and disinfected municipal effluent additions with increased growth rates and reduced mortality. Yet, the effects of effluent additions on the water-use and functional traits of inundated mature baldcypress are poorly understood. Because increased tree growth is associated with increased water use, effluent additions may affect the water budget in coastal swamps by increasing water uptake from the rhizosphere due to increased tree transpiration. I used sap flux density (f_d) measurements to assess water-use traits and tree-level daily transpiration (E) in seven mature inundated baldcypress trees that had …

Susceptibility Assessment Of Human–Wildlife Conflict In Hirpora Wildlife Sanctuary Western Himalayas, Kashmir Using Geospatial Techniques, Tariq Ahmad Bhat, Syed Tanveer, Khursheed Ahmad

Journal of Bioresource Management

Managing human-wildlife conflict requires a spatial understanding, but this is hindered by a lack of spatially explicit data. The present research was conducted in the Hirpora Wildlife Sanctuary (HWS) in Kashmir, India, with the aim of investigating possible geospatial connections between animal attacks on humans between 2019 and 2021. The patterns and drivers of human-wildlife conflicts around HWS were investigated using spatially-implicit data collected from 2019–2021. There were significant differences in attack patterns across the months, and majority of the attacks occurred outside the park. Most of the attacks occurred within 1 km of the buffer zone forests and croplands. …

Automated Tree Mortality Detection Using Ubiquitously Available Public Data, Michael T. Huggins

Master's Theses

Understanding the dynamic interplay between fire severity, topography, and tree mortality, is crucial for predicting future forest dynamics and enhancing resilience against climate change-induced wildfire regimes. This thesis develops a multi-sensor approach for automated estimation of tree mortality, then applies it to examine trends in tree mortality over a six-year period across a fire affected study site in the Trinity River basin in Northern California. The Random Forest model uses publicly available USGS 3D Elevation Program Lidar (3DEP) and NAIP imagery as inputs and is likely to be easily adaptable to other landscapes. The model had a Receiver Operating Characteristic …

Sense Of Place In Natural Resource Recreation And Tourism: An Evaluation And Assessment Of Research Findings.

The International Journal of Ecopsychology (IJE)

No abstract provided.

Environmental Biology Masters Capstone, Antonio Gonzalez-Pita

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

Human wildlife interactions (HWI) pose a complex challenge for wildlife managers. Human encroachment into wildlife habitat and the growing number of outdoor recreationists are increasing the frequency of contact and conflict, especially in regions such as the Front Range of Colorado. Geographic information systems (GIS), which use a combination of remote sensing and environmental survey data, allow for predictive spatial analyses of where human wildlife interactions are likely to occur. I used publicly reported observations of moose to create spatial predictive maps in a species distribution model framework. Slope and elevation were shown to be the strongest predictors of HWI, …

Short-Term Impacts Of Biochar And Mycorrhizal Inoculation For Pinus Echinata Reforestation On Strip-Mined Soils, Casey Iwamoto, Courtney Siegert, Joshua J. Granger, Adam Polinko, Krishna P. Poudel, Zachary Freedman

FWRC Publications

Coal strip mining has left widespread degraded soils throughout the southeastern US. These soils tend to have low pH, high bulk density, impacted hydrologic processes, and an accumulation of heavy metals that limit revegetation efforts. Shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata) is an ideal species for these reforestation efforts as it can tolerate the poor conditions on post-mined sites and has the largest native pine range in the southeastern US, overlapping with many post-mined areas. However, limited empirical field studies have been conducted on the success of soil amendments for soil physical, chemical, biological properties and tree growth. To fill …

Forensic Archaeology Protocols For Wildfires And Fire Related Scenes, Erik Schulz

Nebraska Anthropologist

Forensic Archaeology Protocols for Wildfires and Fire-Related Scenes

Forensic archaeology is a relatively new area of study and focuses on the medical legal aspects of archaeology. This paper will focus on how forensic archaeology should be used for wildfire and other fire-related fatalities or investigations, what happens to bone when exposed to heat, what protocols should be in place and how an excavation should look, and finally the challenges of fire-related investigations. This report will focus on the larger scale of the investigation and will be using several sources from different wildfire and fire fatality reports.

Surface Mining Interacts With Timber Harvesting To Facilitate The Invasion Of Woody Invasive Species In A Temperate Forest Of Central Appalachia, Usa, William Wittenbraker

Theses and Dissertations--Forestry and Natural Resources

Appalachian forests are subjected to various short- and long-term anthropogenic disturbances. Surface mining is among the most potent drivers of land use change in the Appalachian region, reducing native forest cover and causing landscape fragmentation. Furthermore, the ecological footprint of surface mining could be expanded to adjacent forests, and such spill-over effects may be exacerbated by in-situ forest disturbances such as timber harvesting. However, it remains elusive how these two disturbance agents may be compounded to degrade forest health and landscape integrity. One of the major threats to forest health in the Appalachian forests is the invasive species. Many woody …

Measuring And Modeling Riparian Wetland Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity, Nutrient Concentrations And Shallow Groundwater Dynamics In An Appalachian Mixed Land Use Catchment, Bidisha Faruque Abesh

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The paucity of research on accurate predictions of saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat), spatiotemporal analysis of nutrient concentrations relative to water source types (stream and shallow groundwater (SGW)), water flow directions, and land use in riparian wetlands of Appalachian mixed land use catchments underscored the need for this study. Additionally, the lack of SGW flow simulations and stream-SGW interactions using three-dimensional (3D) numerical models (i.e., MODFLOW) in these riparian wetlands further highlighted the research gap. Observed data including soil properties, Ksat, surface water (SW) and SGW levels, and nutrient concentrations, including nitrate (NO3-N), nitrite (NO2-N), ammonium (NH4-N), orthophosphate (PO43-P), total nitrogen …

Important Factors Contributing To The Burn Severity Of The 2021 Wooroloo Bushfire, Jarrad Mckercher, Eddie Van Etten, David Blake

Research Datasets

Increases in consecutive days that meteorological, climatic and biophysical variables combine to influence fire is projecting an increase in fire size and intensity. This prompts investigation into the severity of recent fires to gain a better understanding of the factors that influence fire severity. Using a highly accurate spectral index, a geospatial analysis was undertaken to identify key variables that control the variability in fire severity of the 2021 Wooroloo Bushfire. Random Forest regression and General Additive Model (GAM) were utilised to determine variable importance in modelling fire severity and to create parsimonious models. Elevation and the Soil Dryness Index …

The Role Of Neighborhood Effects In Maintaining The Hardwood-Hemlock Mosaic, Adam Z. Milenkowic

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Neighborhood effects are processes mediated by canopy trees that influence the ability of a species to replace itself following canopy mortality. Sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) and eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carr.) are the dominant trees in old-growth northern hardwood forests of Upper Michigan and have been observed to form monodominant patches in the region. Few studies have independently evaluated the demographic and ecological mechanisms that lead to the compositional stability of hemlock and sugar maple patch development. Tree demography data from eight long-term 0.5 ha old-growth plots in Upper Michigan indicate neighborhood effects are playing a …

Development And Application Of Functional Immune Assays To Understand Disease In Wild Smallmouth Bass Populations, Cheyenne R. Smith

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Over recent decades, the scientific community has observed a disconcerting trend – a decline in the health and stability of smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) populations across the Chesapeake Bay watershed with growing economic and ecological implications. Disease, declines, and death have been observed in multiple locations, particularly in the Susquehanna and Potomac drainages with the adults disproportionately affected in the Potomac River basin and young-of-year in the Susquehanna River basin. There has not been a single or consistent cause to the declines or mortality events. More likely, it is believed immunosuppression relating to a complex mixture of stressors has been …

Stabilization Of Pfas-Contaminated Soil With Sewage Sludge- And Wood-Based Biochar Sorbents, Erlend Sørmo, Clara Benedikte Mader Lade, Julie Zhang, Alexandros G. Asimakopoulos, Geir Wold Åsli, Michel Hubert, Aleksandar I. Goranov, Hans Peter H. Arp, Gerard Cornelissen

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Sustainable and effective remediation technologies for the treatment of soil contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are greatly needed. This study investigated the effects of waste-based biochars on the leaching of PFAS from a sandy soil with a low total organic carbon content (TOC) of 0.57 ± 0.04% impacted by PFAS from aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) dispersed at a former fire-fighting facility. Six different biochars (pyrolyzed at 700–900°C) were tested, made from clean wood chips (CWC), waste timber (WT), activated waste timber (aWT), two digested sewage sludges (DSS-1 and DSS-2) and de-watered raw sewage sludge (DWSS). Up-flow column …

Longevity Of Prescribed Fire Effectiveness In Mixed-Evergreen Forests Of The Klamath Mountains, Kaily M. Fineran

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Prescribed fire is a common management tool used across the western United States to create wildfire-resilient ecosystems and communities. The Klamath Mountains of northern California, USA has experienced numerous, large wildfires in recent years. This is due in part to a combination of highly flammable fuels, uncharacteristic weather events, and high fuel accumulations as a result of fire exclusion and forest management practices. Within the last decade, local land management organizations and the Karuk Tribe have begun re-introducing prescribed fire in low elevation, mixed evergreen forests. While the long-term effects of fuel treatments are not well-known, these efforts provided a …

Post-Fire Persistance Of Sequoia Semperviens In A Secondary Forest: Examining Drivers Of Basal Resprouting Response, Jackson T. Carrasco

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Historically frequent-fire forest ecosystems are now facing increased size, frequency, and severity of fires attributed to climate change, intensive forest management, and fire exclusion. Understanding post-fire resilience in forest ecosystems is critical amidst escalating challenges posed by recent increases in fire activity. This study examined the basal resprouting response of coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) in a secondary forest two years after the CZU Lightning Complex fire on the central coast of California. Robust allometric equations were developed to quantify redwood resprout biomass and leaf area, revealing strong explanatory power for biomass equations (R² > 0.85). Probability of …

Bioenergy Cropping Systems Established On Marginal Lands: Effects Of Land Use, Energy Crop, And Fertility Amendments On Soil Health, Mica M. Keck

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Bioenergy crops offer a promising strategy for renewable energy production, accompanied by carbon (C) storage benefits when managed sustainably. Utilizing marginal lands for energy feedstock production presents an opportunity for bioenergy generation and concurrent climate mitigation without competing with food crops. However, achieving optimal yields requires strategies to restore soil fertility, which require increased understanding of the interactive effects of prior land use, energy crop species, and fertility amendments available. This study, conducted as part of the Mid-Atlantic Sustainable Biomass (MASBio) Consortium, investigated the effects of biochar incorporation—a C-rich charcoal derived from biomass, intended for soil enhancement—on bioenergy cropping systems …

Characterizing Prescribed Fire With Terrestrial Lidar In The New Jersey Pine Barrens, Samuel Rhule Stockton

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Prescribed burning has become a commonly used tool in the mitigation of wildfire, though monitoring the way it changes ecosystems has historically been a time-intensive process. Rapid change across ecosystems has necessitated advancements in remote sensing technologies to quantify the changes taking place. Single-scan terrestrial LiDAR scanning is one such method of monitoring these changes through the quantification of ecosystem structural characteristics. Acute disturbance events such as fire can transform the structure of an ecosystem, and by extension, change the way that ecosystem functions. The purpose of this study is to analyze the changes in vegetation density and distribution following …