Emerging interests in wildland fire behavior and risk, bioenergy utilization, carbon sequestration, and wildlife conservation increasingly rely on accurate assessments of the amount and location of biomass within the dominant plants on the landscape, often at finer scales than traditional methods have provided. At the tree scale, current studies often distribute biomass uniformly through simple volumes (e.g., cones and cylinders). However, biomass is heterogeneous at a variety of scales from needle clusters to groups of trees. This thesis presents techniques for using terrestrial laser scanning data to define crown profiles and describe within-crown heterogeneity in Pseudotusga menziesii, Pinus ponderosa, and Abies lasiocarpa of the Interior Northwest. Crown profiles were modeled using parametric curves applied to crown-length normalized laser point clouds, dimensioned by height above ground and distance from bole-centroids. A crown-base metric was derived from the laser data and compared to conventional field measurements. For all species, a modified Weibull curve fit crown points with significantly smaller error than a beta curve, cone, or cylinder; crown profile Weibull curves were species-specific and not interchangeable without producing signifcantly greater error. Within-crown patterning was described using a 3-D form of the Ripleys K function. Ripleys K analysis detected maximum clustering occuring at scales of 1.25 2.50 percent of crown length (e.g., 25-50 cm radius clusters in a 20 meter crown). P. ponderosa demonstrated clustering over the largest range of scales and to the greatest degree, while A. lasiocarpa exhibited clustering over the smallest range of scales. The scale of clustering did not change when points roughly corresponding to branchwood were excluded from the analysis. This study provides groundwork for predicting the spatial distribution of biomass with tree crowns. Limitations of the work include uncertainty regarding the impacts of occlusion of inner crowns and the relationships between laser points and foliage-branch elements, and the lack of spatial explicitness inherent to Ripleys K. Future work should examine these issues with an eye toward refinement of predictive models linking traditional biomass allometry with spatial arrangement of canopy material.

This paper is designed to give the reader basic in-sight to the different attitudes and perception that local residents have in regards to the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program and the Southwestern Collaborative's ability to accomplish their mission.

Montanas forest products industry has been experiencing declining production levels during the last two decades, with many mills struggling to survive due to declining harvest levels over the last two decades and the current low domestic demand. By diversifying wood product sales into new international markets, Montana wood product manufacturers would have an opportunity to increase their current production levels. To determine the potential export opportunities for Montana manufacturers in the Chinese wood product import market, a strategic analysis was conducted. The purpose of the strategy formulation for this research was to identify the position that Montana wood product manufacturers should take, in order to achieve the best possible sustainable competitive advantage for exporting their products to China. To facilitate this process, Montanas forest industry core competencies were identified and aligned with Chinese wood product import market opportunities to highlight strong growth prospects for the Montana wood products industry. It was found that the Montanas log supply strengths primarily exist in the Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine, and lodgepole pine species, with the majority of the volume existing in small size classes (7.0-14.9 diameter at breast height). The wood products that provided the best fit with Chinese import demands are dimensional lumber (2x4s), of these species. The predominant Chinese uses of these products are for concrete forms and furring strips, which are key components in concrete housing construction. The recommended target markets that Montana wood product manufacturers should pursue are the 2nd and 3rd tier lumber distributors that are located in the 2nd and 3rd tier cites of the Shandong province. It is believed that this market provides an opportunity for future growth and decreased competition from industry rivals. The best opportunity to increase total export volumes of Montana wood products is through the creation of a wood product export coalition, licensed as an export trading company. The creation of this coalition increases the total chance of export success for Montanas wood product industry, while reducing the marketing cost and risk for individual manufacturers.

Fuelbed depth and loading are fundamental parameters for predicting fire behavior and effects. This thesis considers the application of Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) for characterizing the structure, measuring depth and mass in a grassland fuelbed. It examines whether TLS can be used to quantify the vertical structure of a bunchgrass community in terms of bunch and seed head, and to describe spatial variability in height and fuel mass at fine grain (0.25m2). In the experiment, fuels are mechanically manipulated to enhance variability. Height and mass are modified independently at three levels using a randomized design. Results show that vertical strata (bunches and seed head) are measurable within the TLS height profile and changes in height due to treatments can be detected. There are statistically significant but small absolute differences (± 1-6cm) between TLS-derived and field-measured heights with no systematic bias observed. TLS-derived height measurements have a higher precision than field-measured heights, but the accuracy of measurements is uncertain given ambiguity in field measurements. In the untreated grassland, fuel mass is associated with TLS-derived bunch height and standard deviation of height; a linear model using these metrics explains ~30 percent of the variability in biomass. In the treated grassland, a linear model using median height and standard deviation of height accounts for ~40 percent of the variability in biomass. In the biomass-only treatment, bunch height and canopy cover are the best combination of explanatory variables for biomass accounting for ~ 42 percent; median height and standard deviation of height account for 24 percent of biomass variability in the height-only treatment. Collectively, these results suggest that TLS can be used to quantify the spatial variability in heights (and hence, volumes) occupied by fuels in a grassland where biomass is concentrated in distinct strata. However, prediction of biomass leaves room for improvement, with the most substantial gains likely to be made with better cover/density metrics. Even with improved density metrics, improvements are likely to be modest because variability in the bunchgrass system is low and the TLS is not very sensitive to small changes in cover.

The accurate estimation of forest attributes at many different spatial scales is a critical problem. Forest landowners may be interested in estimating timber volume, forest biomass, and forest structure to determine their forest's condition and value. Counties and states may be interested to learn about their forests to develop sustainable management plans and policies related to forests, wildlife, and climate change. Countries and consortiums of countries need information about their forests to set global and national targets to deal with issues of climate change and deforestation as well as to set national targets and understand the state of their forest at a given point in time. This dissertation approaches these questions from two perspectives. The first perspective uses the process model Biome-BGC paired with inventory and remote sensing data to make inferences about a current forest state given known climate and site variables. Using a model of this type, future climate data can be used to make predictions about future forest states as well. An example of this work applied to a forest in northern California is presented. The second perspective of estimating forest attributes uses high resolution aerial imagery paired with light detection and ranging (LiDAR) remote sensing data to develop statistical estimates of forest structure. Two approaches within this perspective are presented: a pixel based approach and an object based approach. Both approaches can serve as the platform on which models (either empirical growth and yield models or process models) can be run to generate inferences about future forest state and current forest biogeochemical cycling.

Gully rejuvenation (GR) following wildfire influences landform evolution and generates flooding and debris that alters aquatic habitat and threatens human activities. Fire severity, defined as the degree of vegetation loss by wildfire, is a hypothesized control on this erosion response. I investigated three related aspects of the relationship between fire severity and GR: The capacity of vegetation disturbance to explain the occurrence or non-occurrence of GR; the spatial structure of burn mosaics relative to post-fire erosion; and the relationship between fire severity and threshold conditions required for channel initiation. I surveyed 269 burned catchments and mapped 111 cases of GR across sites in Montana and Idaho. I created the Vegetation Disturbance Index (VDI) derived from LANDSAT images to quantify fire severity and implemented geospatial and statistical analysis to quantify relationships between VDI and post-fire erosion response. Vegetation disturbance strongly explained GR with additional influences from upslope geometry and pre-fire shrub cover. As fire severity increased, the percent of the catchment area covered by continuous patches of high severity burn increased non-linearly. Trends in patch structure defined a threshold of fire severity after which the probability of GR was strongly correlated with the development of large, continuous severely burned patches. Fire severity systematically influenced the relationship between source area and steepness. Threshold conditions for channel initiation, specifically source area steepness and curvature, decreased as vegetation disturbance increased. These results provide inferential evidence that vegetation disturbance exerts first-order controls over post-fire erosion processes. The results of the patch-pattern analysis suggest that progressive loss of vegetation due to wildfire leads to critical thresholds of hydrologic connectivity after which runoff and erosion accelerate. The source area analysis suggests that forces of convergent flow are not fully expressed until a significant proportion of vegetation has been consumed such that flow resistance is minimized. The VDI as a continuous metric of vegetation disturbance may contribute to improved quantitative analysis of landform evolution relative to vegetation disturbance, ecological effects of fire, and ecosystem response to climate change. The assessment methodology outlined herein provides a first step towards a systematic quantification of the potential for GR following wildfire.

Recently, it has been shown that the high species richness in western Amazonia is related to habitat heterogeneity. Some habitats are rapidly disappearing or deteriorating as a result of anthropogenic activities, resulting in loss of species. One such unique habitat is white-sand forest (hereafter WSF), which is patchily distributed and restricted to a few areas in the northern Peruvian Amazonia. Although it is known that these unique forests are rich in endemic plants, very few studies of the fauna or ecology of these habitats have been conducted. I evaluated and determined the species composition of the avifauna of the white-sand forests at five localities in the region. I sampled the surrounding habitats and determined that a group of birds is restricted to white-sand habitats. Thirty-two bird species, belonging to thirteen families, were found to have some degree of specialization on white-sand forests: nine were classified as "obligate" white-sand forest specialists, thirteen as "near-obligate" white-sand forest specialists, and ten as "facultative" white-sand forest users. I also documented patterns of local distribution of Zimmerius villarejoi and Percnostola arenarum within distinguishable types of WSF and demonstrated that both species are restricted to certain types of white-sand forests in which two species of plants, a palm and a leguminous tree, are dominant. The assessment of the uniqueness and restricted distribution of the WSF avifauna will facilitate the determination of the biological importance of this habitat and will help to promote conservation and management measures.

Compositions of wintering waterbird communities are dependent upon food accessibility (via water depth), biomasses and sizes of their invertebrate prey, which in turn are influenced by the hydrology and sediments of wetland habitats. The hydrology and sediments of marsh ponds on the Gulf Coast Chenier Plain probably are affected by structural marsh management (levees, water control structures and impoundments; SMM) and salinity; therefore, SMM and salinity ultimately may affect wintering waterbird communities. Accordingly, I measured sediment and hydrologic variables, biomasses and sizes of common aquatic invertebrates, and densities of common wintering waterbird species in ponds of impounded freshwater (IF), impounded oligohaline (IO), impounded mesohaline (IM), and unimpounded mesohaline (UM) marshes during winters 1997-1998 to 1999-2000 on Rockefeller State Wildlife Refuge, near Grand Chenier, Louisiana. SMM affected sediment and hydrologic variables, which negatively affected biomasses of Nematoda and secondarily increased those of Ostracoda. However, few waterbird species possess the capacity to capture these small prey; consequently, I predicted that avian species that consume invertebrates would not be among those differentiating waterbird communities between ponds of IM and UM marshes. Comparisons of waterbird densities provided inconsistent results with this prediction because some shorebird and waterfowl species that feed heavily on invertebrates were those that primarily differentiated waterbird communities between ponds of IM and UM marshes. My comparison of IF, IO, and IM marsh ponds indicated that, except for salinity, they differed little in sediment and hydrologic variables. Accordingly, these marshes only differed in biomass of Oligochaeta; consequently, I predicted that avian species that consume invertebrates would not be among those differentiating waterbird communities among ponds of IF, IO, and IM marshes. Accordingly, their waterbird communities primarily differed in densities of waterbird species that feed on vegetation. In conclusion, some waterbird species exclusively used ponds of UM marshes rather than ponds of IM marshes, and most species had highest densities in IF marshes when water depth favored those that maximized their densities. Consequently, My results suggest that marsh managers should focus on the preservation of UM and IF marshes for the conservation of wintering waterbird populations of the Gulf Coast Chenier Plain.

The goals of this thesis were to: 1) induce tetraploidy in zebrafish; 2) characterize single-female spawning in Nile tilapia for egg collection; 3) design and construct hatching systems for tilapia eggs; 4) induce tetraploidy in Nile tilapia. Tetraploidy was induced in zebrafish Danio rerio, by applying a 41 C heat shock to eggs for 2 min at 11, 13, 15, 17, or 20 min after fertilization (AF). A trend of increasing percent tetraploid yield occurred the later the shocks were applied. Shocks applied at 11 min AF yielded 1% tetraploidy and shocks applied at 20 min AF yielded 10%. There were no significant differences (P = 0.20) in induction among treatments. This is the first report on induction of tetraploidy in zebrafish. Stocking of single-female Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus in ten 80-L aquaria yielded a reliable supply of eggs for polyploidy research conducted in this study. In one year, 72 spawns were recorded, yielding ~90,000 eggs. Peak spawning occurred in summer. The two egg hatching systems for artificial incubation of tilapia eggs proved to be effective, with 75% of control fish surviving to hatch. Methylene blue and ultraviolet sterilization reduced losses of eggs to disease and use of glass test tubes as hatching vessels allowed for constant rolling of the eggs and easy viewing and access. The systems occupied little space (< 1 m²) and could accommodate up to 30 treatments of eggs. The use of egg baskets allowed for rapid and uniform heat shocking of multiple treatments of Nile tilapia eggs for polyploidy induction experiments. Tetraploidy and triploidy were induced by application of 42.8 ± 0.2 C heat shocks to eggs for 3 min at 22, 24, 26 and 28 min AF. Shocks applied at 24 min AF resulted in the highest tetraploid yield (10%) while shocks applied at 22 min AF resulted in the highest triploid yield (7%). This is the first study to report the simultaneous induction of tetraploidy and triploidy in Nile tilapia within treatments from a single spawn and raises questions about technical, maternal and genetic effects on synchrony of zygotic development in this species.

The two biggest flocks of Sandhill Cranes (Grus canadensis) wintering in Louisiana are located in Cheneyville and Holmwood, LA. Resident Sandhill Cranes were once located in Louisiana, but because of habitat loss and over harvest these residents were extirpated from Louisiana in the early 1900s. In the 1960s, migrating Sandhill Cranes had returned to LA and were wintering in Cheneyville. Observations and habitat characteristics were conducted on these two flocks in the winter of 2002 and 2003 because of the lack data on these flocks. The two flocks contained about 1,300 individuals with four other known flocks throughout Louisiana ranging from 16-400 individuals. There were an estimated 2,200 Sandhill Cranes wintering in Louisiana. Morphometric measurements for eight birds fell within the range of the Greater Sandhill Crane (G. c. tabida) subspecies. Middle toe imprint measurements in the winter of 2003 showed no difference in size of cranes in the two flocks during January and February, however there was a difference in middle toe size in December. One radio-marked bird was radio tracked to Cheneyville and Holmwood. Cranes selected roost sites in rice fields with water less than 20 cm deep. Cranes feeding in Cheneyville selected rice fields and corn fields, while the Holmwood birds used rice fields and pastures. Fecal analysis showed that nutsedge tubers (Cyperus spp.), rice (Oryza sativa), and corn (Zea maize) were the major foods consumed in Cheneyville, while the Holmwood birds used mostly nutsedge tubers and rice. Rice was found in feces earlier in the winter and nutsedge was found more frequently later in the winter.