Seasonal Flammability Comparisons Of Native And Exotic Plants In The Post Oak Savannah, Blackland Prairie, And Pineywoods Ecoregions Of Texas,
2021
Stephen F. Austin State University
Seasonal Flammability Comparisons Of Native And Exotic Plants In The Post Oak Savannah, Blackland Prairie, And Pineywoods Ecoregions Of Texas, Michael Tiller
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
East Texas’ diverse landscape can present year-round wildfire seasons that can be influenced by seasonal and regional differences in climate and physiography. Greater insight into the fundamental thermal behavior of wildland fuels can aid in fire behavior prediction and development of fire-resistant plant lists. This study focused on estimating seasonal and regional flammability characteristics of five evergreen species: yaupon (Ilex vomitoria), Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense), greenbrier (Smilax spp.), eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana), and escarpment live oak (Quercus fusiformis); and two deciduous species: Chinese tallow (Triadica sebifera) and southern …
Identification And Characterization Of Forest Fire Risk Zones Leveraging Machine Learning Methods,
2021
Southern Methodist University
Identification And Characterization Of Forest Fire Risk Zones Leveraging Machine Learning Methods, Joshua Balson, Matt Chinchilla, Cam Lu, Jeff Washburn, Nibhrat Lohia
SMU Data Science Review
Across the United States, record numbers of wildfires are observed costing billions of dollars in property damage, polluting the environment, and putting lives at risk. The ability of emergency management professionals, city planners, and private entities such as insurance companies to determine if an area is at higher risk of a fire breaking out has never been greater. This paper proposes a novel methodology for identifying and characterizing zones with increased risks of forest fires. Methods involving machine learning techniques use the widely available and recorded data, thus making it possible to implement the tool quickly.
Elevated Growth And Biomass Along Temperate Forest Edges,
2021
Boston University
Elevated Growth And Biomass Along Temperate Forest Edges, Luca L. Morreale, Jonathan R. Thompson, Xiaojing Tang, Andrew B. Reinmann, Lucy R. Hutyra
Publications and Research
Fragmentation transforms the environment along forest edges. The prevailing narrative, driven by research in tropical systems, suggests that edge environments increase tree mortality and structural degradation resulting in net decreases in ecosystem productivity. We show that, in contrast to tropical systems, temperate forest edges exhibit increased forest growth and biomass with no change in total mortality relative to the forest interior. We analyze > 48,000 forest inventory plots across the north-eastern US using a quasi- experimental matching design. At forest edges adjacent to anthropogenic land covers, we report increases of 36.3% and 24.1% in forest growth and biomass, respectively. Inclusion of …
Field Durability Test Of Clt Wall Envelope Using Physical Barriers Against Termites And Structural Performance Of Nailed Hold-Down Brackets Connected To Fungus-Exposed Clt Walls,
2021
Mississippi State University
Field Durability Test Of Clt Wall Envelope Using Physical Barriers Against Termites And Structural Performance Of Nailed Hold-Down Brackets Connected To Fungus-Exposed Clt Walls, Kamal Neupane
Theses and Dissertations
The effectiveness of using commercial polyethylene flashing and stainless-steel mesh in CLT wall systems as the termite barriers were evaluated in a short-term field test. American Wood Protection Association (AWPA) E21's visual ratings ranged from 10 to 9 in the specimens showing little damage when no physical barriers were used. Termites were able to crawl beyond the physical barriers in few specimens showing the necessity of further research on height and installation method of physical barriers. On the second part, the effect of decay caused due to Postia placenta, a brown-rot fungus, on the structural performance of hold-down brackets connected …
Log Proximity And Moss As Indicators Of Conifer Seedling Abundance In Old-Growth Douglas-Fir/ Hemlock Forests,
2021
Utah State University
Log Proximity And Moss As Indicators Of Conifer Seedling Abundance In Old-Growth Douglas-Fir/ Hemlock Forests, Isabella Wetzler
Fall Student Research Symposium 2021
It is increasingly essential to develop a comprehensive understanding of forest processes so that we may better conserve and maintain our old-growth forests in the face of climate change. In the Pacific Northwest, logs might elevate and remove conifer seedlings from light competition with moss and herbs, but seedlings growing on the forest floor may benefit from log shade. Moss can retain moisture which may result in higher water availability for seedlings, but in droughty conditions the desiccated moss might leave seedlings ‘high and dry’. Logs increase mircrosite heterogeneity, providing cool, moist microclimates for seedlings and protecting them from droughty …
Smokejumper Obituary: Howells, Dan M. (Mccall 1974),
2021
Eastern Washington University
Smokejumper Obituary: Howells, Dan M. (Mccall 1974), National Smokejumper Association
Smokejumper Obituaries
No abstract provided.
Smokejumper Obituary: Hall, Dann Jay (Anchorage 1972),
2021
Eastern Washington University
Smokejumper Obituary: Hall, Dann Jay (Anchorage 1972), National Smokejumper Association
Smokejumper Obituaries
No abstract provided.
Soil Microbial Community Dynamics In Response To Prescribed Extreme Fires Following Juniperus Virginiana Invasion In The Loess Canyons Of Nebraska,
2021
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Soil Microbial Community Dynamics In Response To Prescribed Extreme Fires Following Juniperus Virginiana Invasion In The Loess Canyons Of Nebraska, Julie A. Fowler
School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
In Nebraska and other regions of the Great Plains, the conifer Juniperus virginiana (eastern redcedar) is converting grasslands to dense woodlands. This is driven by the interacting drivers of fire suppression, altered grazing regimes, climate change and other anthropogenic factors, impacting the provisioning of ecosystem services. This vegetation state transition modifies water resource regulation and biogeochemical cycles leading to altered edaphic properties including soil microbial community composition. To restore these grasslands and control J. virginiana spread, prescribed extreme burns are implemented as a management tool through local prescribed burn associations. We hypothesized that the alternative state transition to dense J. …
Smokejumper Obituary: Anderson, Gary T. (Missoula 1963),
2021
Eastern Washington University
Smokejumper Obituary: Anderson, Gary T. (Missoula 1963), National Smokejumper Association
Smokejumper Obituaries
No abstract provided.
Pitch Canker In The Año Nuevo Monterey Pine Stand: A Retrospective Analysis,
2021
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Pitch Canker In The Año Nuevo Monterey Pine Stand: A Retrospective Analysis, Davis Harrison
Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects
Monterey pine (Pinus radiata) is a closed cone conifer tree native to California. Although it is an ecologically and economically valuable tree, there are only five remaining native populations, including, the Año Nuevo stand along California’s central coast. All the remaining native populations have faced threats to their survival, none more than the non-native disease pitch canker (Fusarium circinatum). This fungal infection causes lesions, dead branches, tree top death, and can be potentially fatal to infected trees. This paper is a continuation of a study beginning in 2001, aimed at evaluating the impact of silvicultural management practices on pitch canker …
Post-Czu Lightning Complex Regeneration In The Año Nuevo Monterey Pine Stand,
2021
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Post-Czu Lightning Complex Regeneration In The Año Nuevo Monterey Pine Stand, Allison Trutna
Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects
Climate induced increases in fire frequency and severity along with years of fire suppression and drought are predicted for California. The recent CZU Lightning Complex, a high severity wildfire, burned in the Santa Cruz Mountains on California’s central coast and affected an assortment of vegetation, including the survival and recovery of the native Año Nuevo Monterey pine (Pinus radiata (D. Don)) stand. This stand is partially located in Cal Poly’s Swanton Pacific Ranch and has been monitored for over 20 years for the presence of pitch canker (Fusarium circinatum) fungal disease. This study characterized the survival and initial recovery of …
Habitat Assessment Of Ozark Glades Using Selected Epigeal Predatory Arthropods,
2021
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Habitat Assessment Of Ozark Glades Using Selected Epigeal Predatory Arthropods, Austin Key Jones
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Epigeal predatory arthropods were collected with pitfall-style traps in nine sandstone glades of varying ecological stages, and management histories, in the Ozarks of Northern Arkansas over three years. These sites were categorized into three Site Types; Intact, high quality glades; Degraded, forest-encroached glades, and Restored glades which had received woody vegetation removal and burning. Collections of ground spiders (Gnaphosidae), predatory ground beetles (Carabidae), and the sole species of scorpion present in the Ozarks, Centruroides vittatus, were reported on as well as the applicability of arthropod collection methods for glade habitat assessment. Habitat characteristics were recorded for each site and analyzed …
The Effect Of Green Biobased Binder On Structural, Mechanical, Liquid Absorption And Wetting Properties Of Coated Papers,
2021
Rochester Institute of Technology
The Effect Of Green Biobased Binder On Structural, Mechanical, Liquid Absorption And Wetting Properties Of Coated Papers, Bilge N. Altay, Charles Klass, Ting Chen, Alexandar Fleck, Cem Aydemir, Arif Karademir, Paul D. Fleming
Articles
Synthetic styrene-butadiene (SB) and styrene-acrylic (SA) latex binders used in paper coating formulations are common and based on unsustainable petroleum sources. Today's papermaking industry turns towards sustainable substitutes that do not compromise quality, and reduce carbon emission, toxic substance release and waste disposal concerns related to fossil fuel sources. In this study, colloidal starch-based latex nanoparticles that do not require cooking were used for pigment coating and coated on the paper surfaces. The effects of these new biobased binders on the structural and mechanical strength properties, liquid absorption, wetting and surface topography of the paper were investigated and compared with …
Wood City: Timberizing The City’S Building Blocks,
2021
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Wood City: Timberizing The City’S Building Blocks, Stephen Luoni
Community Design Center Faculty Publications and Presentations
"Wood City" applies mass timber engineering to the 19 building categories that essentially shape our built environments, otherwise financialized as real estate products by Wall Street. Suburban offices, fast-food restaurants, metal warehouses, big-box grocers, garden apartments, single-family houses, hotels, self-storage facilities, assisted living facilities, strip-shopping centers, etc. constitute 75% of the built environment. Given that the US will double its built environment in just one generation coupled with the urgency to develop low-carbon futures, what if cities were built from the only construction system sequestering carbon and engineered to be “energy positive” – wood? Real estate value chains are undergoing …
Global Forces Of Change: Implications For Forest-Poverty Dynamics,
2021
The Nature Conservancy
Global Forces Of Change: Implications For Forest-Poverty Dynamics, Priya Shyamsundar, Laura Aileen Sauls, Jennifer Zavaleta Cheek, Kira Sullivan-Wiley, J.T. Erbaugh, P. P. Krishnapriya
Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications
This article examines global trends likely to influence forests and tree-based systems and considers the poverty implications of these interactions. The trends, identified through a series of expert discussions and review of the literature, include: (i) climatic impacts mediated through changes in forests, (ii) growth in commodity markets, (iii) shifts in private and public forest sector financing, (iv) technological advances and rising interconnectivity, (v) global socio-political movements, and (vi) emerging infectious diseases. These trends bring opportunities and risks to the forest-reliant poor. A review of available evidence suggests that in a business-as-usual scenario, the cumulative risks posed by these global …
Estimating And Modeling Transpiration Of A Mountain Meadow Encroached By Conifers Using Sap Flow Measurements,
2021
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Estimating And Modeling Transpiration Of A Mountain Meadow Encroached By Conifers Using Sap Flow Measurements, Simon Joseph Marks
Master's Theses
Mountain meadows in the western USA are experiencing increased rates of conifer encroachment due to climate change and land management practices. Past research has focused on conifer removal as a meadow restoration strategy, but there has been limited work on conifer transpiration in a pre-restoration state. Meadow restoration by conifer removal has the primary goal of recovering sufficient growing season soil moisture necessary for endemic, herbaceous meadow vegetation. Therefore, conifer water use represents an important hydrologic output toward evaluating the efficacy of this active management approach. This study quantified and evaluated transpiration of encroached conifers in a mountain meadow using …
Post-Fire Tree Mortality And Regeneration Patterns As Proxies Of Conifer Forest Resilience,
2021
Portland State University
Post-Fire Tree Mortality And Regeneration Patterns As Proxies Of Conifer Forest Resilience, Sebastian Upton Busby
Dissertations and Theses
Shifting wildfire patterns and climate conditions, magnified by anthropogenic climate change, are threatening the resilience of conifer forests in North America and more specifically, the western US. If native conifer species are functionally maladapted to novel fire patterns and post-fire climate conditions, large-scale shifts in conifer forest structure, composition, and extent may occur as warming intensifies. Forest resilience in the context of fire and climate can be understood and quantified by the survival of trees through fire events and success of trees to regenerate post-fire and maintain population levels. In this dissertation, I use field observations and remote sensing to …
Natural Regeneration Dynamics And Survival Influenced By Abiotic And Biotic Factors In A Bottomland Hardwood Forest,
2021
Stephen F Austin State University
Natural Regeneration Dynamics And Survival Influenced By Abiotic And Biotic Factors In A Bottomland Hardwood Forest, Lydia J. Voth Rurup
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Riparian ecosystems are vital to the landscape, providing critical services including water filtration and purification, flood and erosion control, carbon sequestration, biodiversity support, and aesthetic value. Bottomland hardwood forests, however, are threatened by invasive species, land loss/conversion, inconsistent or absence of harvesting disturbances, and altered hydrological patterns, leading to reduced success of desired, native species. This research assessed regeneration dynamics and one-year survival in a seasonally-flooded bottomland hardwood forest at Boggy Slough Conservation Area in East Texas to identify abiotic and biotic factors important for successful establishment of native regeneration. Areas sampled included two that were previously treated with herbicide …
Assessing Freezing Effect On Kiwifruit Cultivars And Mapping Suitable Areas For Growing The Crop In Eastern Texas,
2021
Stephen F Austin State University
Assessing Freezing Effect On Kiwifruit Cultivars And Mapping Suitable Areas For Growing The Crop In Eastern Texas, Lais De Oliveira Machado
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Kiwifruit is a perennial vine originating from China where it has been grown for centuries. In the United States, green kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa) is primarily produced commercially in California. They are fuzzy, green fleshed and well known in the marketplace. Kiwifruit plants require low to moderate soil pH, adequate winter chilling and adequate precipitation to guarantee plant development and good fructification. Actinidia chinesis or golden kiwifruit are smooth skinned, feature golden flesh and are a more recent introduction into the global market. Kiwifruit crops have attributes that favor production in east Texas, including low pest problems, current long …
Monitoring Fine-Scale Forest Health Using Unmanned Aerial Systems (Uas) Multispectral Models,
2021
University of New Hampshire
Monitoring Fine-Scale Forest Health Using Unmanned Aerial Systems (Uas) Multispectral Models, Benjamin T. Fraser, Russell G. Congalton
Faculty Publications
Forest disturbances—driven by pests, pathogens, and discrete events—have led to billions of dollars in lost ecosystem services and management costs. To understand the patterns and severity of these stressors across complex landscapes, there must be an increase in reliable data at scales compatible with management actions. Unmanned aerial systems (UAS or UAV) offer a capable platform for collecting local scale (e.g., individual tree) forestry data. In this study, we evaluate the capability of UAS multispectral imagery and freely available National Agricultural Imagery Program (NAIP) imagery for differentiating coniferous healthy, coniferous stressed, deciduous healthy, deciduous stressed, and degraded individual trees throughout …
