The impact of in vitro ozone and sulfur dioxide fumigation on pollen from two Fraser fir populations was examined. Populations were located at Mt. Rogers, Va, and Mt. Mitchell, S.C.. Two age groups "young" (less then 30 years old) and "old" (more then 40 years old) were examined within each population. No statistically significant age group differences in pollen germination percentage or pollen tube length were found. Mt. Mitchell pollen had a higher germination percentage than Mt. Rogers population. The statistically significant differences in pollen germination between populations were most probably due to the confounding effect of collection practices, and environmental conditions during 1986 pollen collection, rather than actual differences between populations. In vitro pollen fumigation with sulfur dioxide had no impact on pollen germination while fumigation with ozone decreased pollen germination percentage but did not change pollen tube length. Most of the variation in pollen germination percentage, and pollen tube length was due to genotype of the pollen parent tree. The phenotypic expression of six isozymes (previously correlated with resistance to air pollutants) in pollen was studied using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The pattern of isozyme distribution among pollen phenotypes confirmed results from pollen germination studies. There was a difference between locations but no difference between age groups. None of isozyme phenotypes was correlated with a "resistance" to pollen fumigation with ozone or sulfur dioxide. / Master of Science

The Black Mountain range of western North Carolina supports some of the most extensive, but threatened high elevation forests in the southern Appalachians. Of particular note, the insect pathogen, balsam woolly adelgid (Adelges piceae Ratzeburg) has been present on Mt. Mitchell for over fifty years. In anticipation of potential changes in forest composition, vegetation surveys were first conducted in 1966 on nine one-acre plots near the summit of Mt. Mitchell. These plots were re-surveyed in 1978, 1985 and 2002. The purpose of this study was to re-census those plots and use those data to analyze long-term trends in forest composition for fir, spruce-fir, and spruce-fir-hardwood forest types. Since the 1960s and 1970s, all three forest types have experienced a transition away from an understory with a preponderance of Fraser fir (Abies fraseri (Pursh) Poir.) seedlings and saplings, to forests with higher densities of canopy and sub-canopy fir. Canopy red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.) has similarly increased in density in the fir and spruce-fir types but declined in the spruce-fir-hardwood forest type. In all types, there has been a sharp decline in hardwood seedlings/saplings since a hardwood seedling explosion in 1978. The current analyses indicate that fir and spruce-fir forests have regenerated since the most severe die-offs and that each forest type will experience future impacts from balsam woolly adelgid but these will occur in a non-synchronous pattern.

Thesis (M.S.)--Michigan State University. Dept. of Forestry, 2008. / "Major professor, Dr. Pascal Nzokou"--Acknowledgements. Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on July 30, 2009) Includes bibliographical references. Also issued in print.