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Volunteer pruning programs are becoming an important tool in helping municipal arborists manage the urban forest. To find if volunteers can learn to prune trees well, the ability of volunteers to prune small trees after receiving training was assessed in three different ways, a written exam, a pruning prescription assessment, and a pruning cut assessment. Volunteers were assigned to either an indoor, lecture-based training or an outdoor, hands-on training session. After the training volunteers were asked to complete a written exam to gauge their understanding of the curriculum. Volunteers were then asked to perform a pruning prescription on small street trees indicating where they would prune to remove structural issues and branches growing into signs and walkways. Finally, volunteers were asked to make a removal cut and reduction cut using hand pruners. Volunteers who received indoor training performed significantly better on the written exam. Both training groups performed well on the pruning prescription assessment. At each location, volunteers who received the outdoor training scored significantly higher than the indoor group on their pruning prescription. The type of training received did not affect a volunteer’s ability to make good pruning cuts. These results indicate that, given proper training, volunteers can learn to prune small trees to the satisfaction of an arborist.

Engaging persons with dementia in meaningful activities supports well-being; however care staff are challenged to identify activities that are developmentally and generationally appropriate in a group setting. In this study, I compared a randomly assigned treatment group (HT) to a comparison group (traditional activities) on outcome variables, including engagement, affect, and problem behaviors. HT programming was implemented twice weekly at four treatment sites for six weeks, while traditional activities were observed at four comparison sites during that time period. A mixed method assessment was undertaken to examine the processes and outcomes that influenced the observed outcomes and the interrelationships between these dependent variables. Data was gathered from a variety of sources using a range of methods, including structured observational assessments, semi-structured interviews, and a focus group session. Informants included persons with dementia, traditional activity facilitators from the comparison sites, and observational research team members. Nonparametric Mann Whitney-U analyses were used to compare the treatment and comparison groups on behavioral and affective domains, while multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) was used to examine the interrelationships between these outcome variables. Analytic induction and constant comparison enabled the researchers to identify factors that affected the implementation of the intervention and its subsequent impact on the participants. Mann Whitney-U results revealed no statistical differences between the HT and traditional groups on the three affective domains; however, levels of adaptive behavior did differ between the two groups, with the treatment group demonstrating significantly higher levels of active, passive, and other engagement, and the comparison group demonstrating significantly higher levels of self-engagement. MCA analyses indicated that individuals who exhibited high level of active engagement were also likely to display high levels of pleasure and low levels of non-engagement, further supporting the value of active engagement in activities to optimize well-being. Qualitative findings highlighted the importance of simultaneously capturing the participants' responses as well as indicators of the social and physical environment to gain a holistic understanding of the intervention and associated outcomes. Results demonstrated that while HT programming results in positive outcomes for participants, facilitation of therapeutic activities for persons with dementia is a critical element influencing the targeted outcomes. / Ph. D.

The horticulture industry is facing limited water resources and public pressure to reduce non-point source pollution. In some circumstances, recapturing and recycling of irrigation water in horticultural nurseries can generate significant savings relative to the costs of alternative water sources and potentially reduce non-point source pollution. However, obtaining these savings may also incur substantial risk and capital cost outlays. Disease risk may increase in nurseries that implement recapturing and recycling if recycled water is not properly treated. These added costs must be compared with costs of alternative sources of water, such as municipal or well water. This study employed partial budgeting to compare irrigation water being extended or supplemented through recapturing and recycling against the most feasible alternative. On-site visits were conducted to obtain information for partial budgets and to clarify the reasoning of nurseries choosing to recycle irrigation water. The partial budgets were supplemented with sensitivity analysis with regard to the extraction cost of water and opportunity cost of land used for recapture of water. Six of eight nurseries obtained water from recapturing and recycling at a lower cost compared to a feasible alternative source. The regrading of land for maximum recapture, opportunity cost of land dedicated to a recapture pond, and the cost of municipal water were parameters that were critical to the irrigation choice. Sensitivity analysis indicated that water price and land cost had little effect on the least cost option. Irrigation recycling could be incentivized to motivate further water conservation within the horticulture industry. / Master of Science

A self-instructiona1 kit identifying seventy-three indoor plants, their cultural requirements, and uses was prepared. The kit consisted of seventy-eight slides of the plant material and a forty-fife minute taped narration. The botanical and common names of each plant along with its moisture, temperature, and light requirements were superimposed on each slide. Each plant's unique characteristics and uses were described by the script of the tape which averaged approximately thirty seconds per plant. / Master of Science

It is believed that an effective way of reducing levels of juvenile delinquency is to implement preventative programs for young children. This research explored the use of a youth gardening project as a preventative program by examining the effects on self-concept. The study involved two groups of inner city youth participating in a Department of Parks and Recreation summer program. The test group participated in gardening activities while the control group did not. Self-concept was evaluated using the Self Perception Profile for Children in a pre- and post-test format to measure any change through participation in the program. Participants were also asked to draw a picture of a garden and the test group completed a questionnaire on their gardening experience. Results indicate an increase in self-concept in the gardening group. A comparison of drawings from the two groups suggests that the gardeners have a better understanding of plant anatomy and diversity. Questionnaire responses indicate that students enjoyed gardening, felt and behaved better when gardening, and thought they learned through the garden. Many difficulties greatly reduced sample sizes for this research. Future research must find ways to overcome these issues. A survey was conducted to explore common difficulties associated with research on the benefits of horticulture programs for youth. Findings from this survey are discussed, including suggestions for improving research and directions for future studies. / Master of Science

The attitudes of Virginia explorers and colonists toward the land and its resources and how these attitudes informed their treatment of them was investigated. The effect of the expectation that Virginia was a newly discovered Garden of Eden on plant cultivation was explored, in terms of agriculture and domestic utilitarian and pleasure gardens. It was determined that the expectation of an Eden in Virginia resulted in the exploitation of Virginia's resources and the creation of formal gardens as a symbol of control over the land. Garden designs and plants used during specific periods in Virginia history were described. In Part II of this thesis, this information was used to determine historical gardens for Airfield Conference Center in Sussex County, Virginia. / Master of Science

The objective of these studies was to observe the effects of LED lighting treatments on physiological parameters of lettuce and microgreens. Four different lighting treatments; 1) Physiospec (white), 2) Red, 3) DR9 (25:75 Blue:Red), and 4) Anthospec (at 20/80 Blue:Red); were used in this experiment. Two experiments were conducted: 1) Examining the effects of LED lights on lettuce yield and photosynthetic activity and 2) The effects of switching lighting regiments halfway through the growth cycle on Kale microgreen yield and color. Physiospec lighting was found to promote the highest yield and photosynthetic activity among the four treatments for lettuce. It was found that changing from Physiospec lighting to Red lighting increased the fresh mass and stem height of kale microgreens. This also made the microgreens alighter shade of green.