Forest Sciences Commons^™

Farmer Land Allocation For Maize, Groundnut And Cotton Production In Chipata District, Eastern Province, Zambia, Kristina M. Denison

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Small-scale farmers in the Chipata District of Zambia rely on their farm fields to grow maize and groundnuts for food security. Cotton production and surplus food security crops are used to generate income to provide for their families. With increasing population pressure, available land has decreased and farmers struggle to provide the necessary food requirements and income to meet their family’s needs. The purpose of the study was to determine how a farmer can best allocate his land to produce maize, groundnuts and cotton when constrained by labor and capital resources to generate the highest potential for food security and …

Assessing Visual Disturbance Conditions On The Custer National Forest, Scott B. Robinson

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Assessment of soil disturbance on the Custer National Forest was conducted during two summers to determine if the U.S. Forest Service Forest Soil Disturbance Monitoring Protocol (FSDMP) was able to distinguish post-harvest soil conditions in a chronological sequence of sites harvested using different ground-based logging systems. Results from the first year of sampling suggested that the FSDMP point sampling method may not be sensitive enough to measure post-harvest disturbance in stands with low levels of disturbance. Therefore, a revised random transect method was used during the second sampling season to determine the actual extent of soil disturbance in these cutting …

Tracing The Source Of Groundwater For Three Different Coastal Peatlands Along Lake Superior, Margus Paesalu

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

The goal of this project was to investigate the influence of a large inland lake on adjacent coastal freshwater peatlands. The specific aim was to determine the source of groundwater for three differently formed peatlands located on the southern shore of Lake Superior. The groundwater study was conducted at Bete Grise, a peatland complex in a dune-swale system; Pequaming, a peatland developed in the swale of a tombolo; and Lightfoot Bay, a peatland developed in a barrier beach wetland complex.

To determine the source of groundwater in the peatlands, transects of six groundwater monitoring wells were established at each study …

The Spatial Distribution Of Copernicia Alba (Morong) In The District Of Bahia Negra, Paraguay, Michelle E. Cisz

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

The Humid Chaco of Northeast Paraguay harbors monoculture palm savannas in which Copernicia alba is the only dominant overstory species. The study’s objective was to provide the complete spatial distribution of a simple ecosystem lacking confounding factors of overstory competition and changes in slope. Palms within six, 50 x 50m plots were marked by their GPS location and measured for dbh and total stem height. The spatial distribution was individually analyzed for each plot at the local scale up to 12 m using Ripley’s K test. For the total population including juvenile and adult plants, the sample plots contained both …

The Growth Response Of Planted Red Pine (Pinus Resinosa Ait.) To Alternative Thinning Regimes, Jolanta Agnieszka Len

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Red pine (Pinus resinosa Ait.) plantations have been established in Michigan with expectations of mixed final product goals: pulpwood, boltwood and possibly sawlogs. The effects of alternative treatments on tree and stand attributes were examined in: the Atlantic Mine trial, thinned in spring 2006 with three alternatives: (1) every fifth row removal plus crown thinning, (2) every third row removal plus crown thinning and (3) every third row removal plus thinning from below; the Crane Lake trial, thinned in fall 2004 with two alternatives: (1) every third row removal and (2) every third row removal plus thinning from above; …

Variation In Carbon Content Of Tropical Tree Species From Ghana, Daniel Yeboah

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Most research on carbon content of trees has focused on temperate tree species with little information existing on the carbon content of tropical tree species. This study investigated the variation in carbon content of selected tropical tree species and compared carbon content of Khaya spp from two ecozones in Ghana. Allometric equations developed for mixed-plantation stands for wet evergreen forest verified the expected strong relationship between tree volumes and dbh (r²>0.93) and volume and dbh²×height (r²>0.97). Carbon concentration, wood density and carbon content differed significantly among species. Volume at age 12 ranged from 0.01 …

A Qualitative And Quantitative Analysis Of Risk Perception And Treatment Options As Related To Wildfires In The Usda Fs Region 3 National Forests, Ingrid M. Martin, Wade E. Martin, Carol B. Raish

United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

As the incidence of devastating fires rises, managing the risk posed by these fires has become critical. This report provides important information to examine the ways that different groups or disaster subcultures develop the mentalities or perceived realities that affect their views and responses concerning risk and disaster preparedness. Fire risk beliefs and attitudes of individuals and groups from four geographic areas in the Southwest (U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Region 3, Arizona and New Mexico) surrounding the Kaibab, Tonto, Santa Fe, and Lincoln National Forests are presented. Using both quantitative and qualitative methods, we collected information from three …

Web-Based Spatial Decision Support System And Watershed Management With A Case Study, Yanli Zhang, Matthew W. Mcbroom, J. Degroote, R. L. Kauten, P. K. Barten

Faculty Publications

In order to maintain a proper balance between development pressure and water resources protection, and also to improve public participation, efficient tools and techniques for soil and water conservation projects are needed. This paper describes the development and application of a web-based watershed management spatial decision support system, WebWMPI. The WebWMPI uses the Watershed Management Priority Indices (WMPI) approach which is a prioritizing method for watershed management planning and it integrates land use/cover, hydrological data, soils, slope, roads, and other spatial data. The land is divided into three categories: Conservation Priority Index (CPI) land, Restoration Priority Index (RPI) land, and …

Warming Alters Photosynthetic Rates Of Sub-Boreal Peatland Vegetation, Arvo Aljaste

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Boreal peatlands are important in the global carbon cycle. Despite covering only 3% of the global land area, peatlands store approximately one third of all soil carbon. Temperature is one of the major drivers in peatland carbon cycling as it affects both plant production and CO₂ fluxes from soils. However, it is relatively unknown how boreal peatland plant photosynthesis is affected by higher temperatures. Therefore, we measured plant photosynthetic rates under two different warming treatments in a poor fen in Northern Michigan. Eighteen plots were established that were divided into three treatments: control, open-top chamber (OTC) warming and infrared …

Open Top Chambers And Infrared Lamps : A Comparison Of Heating Efficacy And Co₂/Ch₄ Dynamics In A Lake Superior Coastal Peatland, Christopher P. Johnson

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Experimental warming provides a method to determine how an ecosystem will respond to increased temperatures. Northern peatland ecosystems, sensitive to changing climates, provide an excellent setting for experimental warming. Storing great quantities of carbon, northern peatlands play a critical role in regulating global temperatures. Two of the most common methods of experimental warming include open top chambers (OTCs) and infrared (IR) lamps. These warming systems have been used in many ecosystems throughout the world, yet their efficacy to create a warmer environment is variable and has not been widely studied. To date, there has not been a direct, experimentally controlled …

Understanding Michigan Nonindustrial Private Forest Landowners Attitudes And Knowledge About Forest Management, Tõnis Tõnisson

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Approximately one-fourth of the non-industrial private forestland (NIPF) owners in the state of Michigan, who collectively own approximately 50% of the private forested land, have conducted commercial timber harvest in recent years. Previous studies indicated that NIPFs preferred to manage their forest for a sustained yield of high-quality timber, but were limited to even-aged regeneration treatments or conversion for uneven-aged silviculture due to previous cuttings. Improved knowledge about NIPF’s intentions and forest management behavior could be useful for successful implementation of sustained yield management. This study’s objective was to identify more active NIPF’s attitudes towards timber management, their forest management …

Planting And Production Of Switchgrass (Panicum Virgatum L.) As A Bioenergy Crop In Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Kassidy Nikole Yatso

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is a perennial grass holding great promise as a biofuel resource. While Michigan’s Upper Peninsula has an appropriate land base and climatic conditions, there is little research exploring the possibilities of switchgrass production. The overall objectives of this research were to investigate switchgrass establishment in the northern edge of its distribution through: investigating the effects of competition on the germination and establishment of switchgrass through the developmental and competitive characteristics of Cave-in-Rock switchgrass and large crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis L.) in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula; and, determining the optimum planting depths and timing for switchgrass in …

Will Whole-Tree Harvest Of Jack Pine (Pinus Banksiana) Deplete Soil Nutrients In Low-Productivity Sand Soils?, Victoria L. Veach

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

In 2009 and 2010 a study was conducted on the Hiawatha National Forest (HNF) to determine if whole-tree harvest (WTH) of jack pine would deplete the soil nutrients in the very coarse-textured Rubicon soil. WTH is restricted on Rubicon sand in order to preserve the soil fertility, but the increasing construction of biomass-fueled power plants is expected to increase the demand for forest biomass. The specific objectives of this study were to estimate biomass and nutrient content of above- and below-ground tree components in mature jack pine (Pinus banksiana) stands growing on a coarse-textured, low-productivity soil, determine pools …

Comparing Remote Sensing And Ground-Based Methods Of Quantifying Cover Type And Carbon Storage In An Urban Forest, Christine L. Jones

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Understanding the canopy cover of an urban environment leads to better estimates of carbon storage and more informed management decisions by urban foresters. The most commonly used method for assessing urban forest cover type extent is ground surveys, which can be both timeconsuming and expensive. The analysis of aerial photos is an alternative method that is faster, cheaper, and can cover a larger number of sites, but may be less accurate. The objectives of this paper were (1) to compare three methods of cover type assessment for Los Angeles, CA: handdelineation of aerial photos in ArcMap, supervised classification of aerial …

Nitrogen Addition Shapes Soil Phosphorus Availability In Two Reforested Tropical Forests In Southern China, Xiankai Lu, Jiangming Mo, Frank S. Gilliam, Hua Fang, Feifei Zhu, Yunting Fang, Wei Zhang, Juan Huang

Biological Sciences Faculty Research

Scant information is available on how soil phosphorus (P) availability responds to atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition, especially in the tropical zones. This study examined the effect of N addition on soil P availability, and compared this effect between forest sites of contrasting land-use history. Effects of N addition on soil properties, litterfall production, P release from decomposing litter, and soil P availability were studied in a disturbed (reforested pine forest with previous understory vegetation and litter harvesting) and a rehabilitated (reforested mixed pine/broadleaf forest with no understory vegetation and litter harvesting) tropical forest in southern China. Experimental N-treatments (above ambient) …

0784: L. D. Fowler Papers, 1900-1920, Marshall University Special Collections

Guides to Manuscript Collections

The papers in this collection are both the professional and personal records of L.D. Fowler from 1900-1920 while working out of Durbin, WV. As an employee of the Pocahontas Tanning Company, L.D. Fowler’s business papers relate primarily to timber and the acquisition of bark associated with the tanning process. Among the type of materials included in the collection are correspondences (i.e. letters, telegraphs, and postcards), well-documented business transactions with a wide range of business partners, business cards, diaries, maps, popular culture items (calendars, etc.), and materials related to legal issues and political affiliations. This collection is divided into two overarching …

Coping With Forest Fragmentation: A Comparison Of Colobus Angolensis Palliatus Dietary Diversity And Behavioral Plasticity In The East Sagara Forest, Tanzania., Noah T. Dunham

Honors Projects

Habitat destruction and forest fragmentation are perhaps the largest threats to primate species around the world. While national parks, games reserves, and primate sanctuaries are instrumental in primate conservation, research suggests that some non-governmentally protected forest fragments may also serve as viable habitats for primates. Of course not all primates respond to fragmentation in the same way, but a species’ ability to survive in a fragment relates to 1) home range size 2) degree of frugivory 3) dietary flexibility and behavioral plasticity and 4) ability to utilize matrix habitats. Here I describe these variables in relation to black and white …

Ecotypic Variation And Plasticity Of Morphological And Physiological Traits Of Eucalyptus Loxophleba Ssp. Lissophloia Along A Climate Gradient In South-West Australia, Vanessa Stylianou

Theses : Honours

The adaptive capacity of plant species will be important for increasing their resilience in a changing climate. By 2070, a change in rainfall of +10 to -40 % of current mean annual rainfall and warming of between +2 to +5 ˚C in south-west Western Australia, is predicted. Plant species may cope with changing climatic characteristics through natural selection or phenotypic plasticity responses. Greater ecotypic variation in traits between stands of a single species may reduce its vulnerability in a changing climate as there is a greater selection of traits to increase fitness. Phenotypic plasticity has been highlighted as a mechanism …

Laboratory Assays Of Select Candidate Insecticides For Control Of Dendroctonus Ponderosae, Christopher J. Fettig, Christopher J. Hayes, Stephen R. Mckelvey, Sylvia R. Mori

United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: The mountain pine beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae), is the most destructive bark beetle in western North America. Dendroctonus ponderosae can be prevented from successfully colonizing and killing individual trees by ground-based sprays of insecticides applied directly to the tree bole. However, the future availability of several active ingredients, including carbarylwhich is most commonly used in thewestern United States, is uncertain. Two novel insecticides, cyantraniliprole [Cyazypyr ™-OD (oil dispersion) and Cyazypyr ™-SC (suspension concentrate)] and chlorantraniliprole (Rynaxypyr ®), and carbaryl were assayed in both filter paper and topical assays.

RESULTS: Compared with 20 000 mg L^{−1 …}

Climate Change And Forest Diseases, R. N. Sturrock, S. J. Frankel, A. V. Brown, P. E. Hennon, J. T. Kliejunas, K. J. Lewis, J. J. Worrall, A. J. Woods

United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

As climate changes, the effects of forest diseases on forest ecosystems will change. We review knowledge of relationships between climate variables and several forest diseases, as well as current evidence of how climate, host and pathogen interactions are responding or might respond to climate change. Many forests can be managed to both adapt to climate change and minimize the undesirable effects of expected increases in tree mortality. We discuss four types of forest and disease management tactics – monitoring, forecasting, planning and mitigation – and provide case studies of yellow-cedar decline and sudden aspen decline to illustrate how forest diseases …