<p> The Sunken Forest, located on Fire Island National Seashore, is a critically imperiled habitat and is one of only two known old-growth maritime holly forests in the world. Analysis of a dataset that dates back to nearly half a century has helped to identify major drivers influencing changes within the forest. These major drivers include; white-tailed deer herbivory, erosion, sea level rise, increased storm events, and canopy-gap dynamics. As of 2013, the Sunken Forest canopy is still analogues of 1967, but over the last 35 years vegetation recruitment within the forest has become limited due to white-tailed deer (<i>Odocoileus virginianus</i>) herbivory. The bayside of the Sunken Forest has also been eroding. Erosion with added pressure from sea-level rise is causing mortality of trees/understory vegetation, limiting seedling and herb recruitment, and shifting vegetation toward the bayside and low elevation areas within the interior of the forest.</p>

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2007. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-11, Section: B, page: 7071. Adviser: Patrick J. Weatherhead. Includes bibliographical references. Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, School of Public Environmental and Affairs, 2008. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Jul 28, 2009). Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 69-12, Section: B, page: 7386. Adviser: James C. Randolph.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2006. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 67-11, Section: B, page: 6131. Advisers: Gary L. Rolfe; Jeffrey O. Dawson. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 233-242)

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, Dept. of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Studies, 2009. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Jul 19, 2010). Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 70-12, Section: B, page: 7286. Adviser: Doug Knapp.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2009. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 70-06, Section: B, page: 3399. Adviser: George Z. Gertner. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 170-209) Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2006. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 67-11, Section: B, page: 6167. Adviser: Jeffrey D. Brawn. Includes bibliographical references. Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2006. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 67-07, Section: B, page: 3552. Adviser: Patrick J. Weatherhead. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 137-162) Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2006. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 67-11, Section: B, page: 6131. Advisers: Gary L. Rolfe; Jeffrey O. Dawson. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 233-242) Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.

This study examines the importance of short-term climate variability when simulating forest succession using ecological process models. A version of the FORSKA2 forest gap model was modified for use with daily climate data and applied along a transect of sites crossing the boreal region in central Canada, including the aspen-parkland and forest-tundra ecotones where impacts of climatic change on forest ecosystems could be particularly significant. The model's sensitivity to forcing with daily climate observations compared to monthly mean and long term averages of monthly mean climate data was investigated. Inclusion of daily climate (minimum and maximum temperature and total precipitation) improved the simulations of key characteristics of present-day forest along the transect, and was particularly important at the ecotones. The results demonstrate that changes in variability associated with future change in mean climate are likely to be important when trying to predict boreal forest responses to projected future climate change. Ideally, the use of projected daily climate data or data based on the statistical characteristics of daily climate is highly recommended for future impact studies. A number of approaches to further improve the functioning of the model are also presented.