Master of Landscape Architecture / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Anne E. Beamish / The purpose of this research was to develop a mobile sensory garden to help children with Sensory Integration Disorders. Sensory Integration (SI) is how an individual processes sensory information. Issues with sensory integration can lead to behavioral disorders, which can cause difficulties with social-emotional skills, gross motor skills, fine motor skills, play skills, and self-help skills. The goal of the project was to develop a mobile sensory garden to help alleviate or reduce the negative aspects of Sensory Integration Disorders. The research involved qualitative research, projective design, and evaluative research on a mobile sensory cart that was used in an elementary school in Topeka, Kansas. Methods included: interviews, design/build, and observation. The current sensory room was inventoried in Williams Science & Fine Arts Elementary Magnet School in Topeka, Kansas, and the children who used were observed. The faculty at the school, including the principal, teachers whose students use the current sensory room, counselors, and other support faculty, were interviewed. Once the observations were analyzed, a mobile sensory garden cart was designed and built. The new cart was brought to the elementary school and placed in the sensory room. A second phase of observation assessed how the children interacted with the new mobile sensory garden cart. During the second phase of observation the children showed intense interest in the mobile sensory garden cart. Some of this can be attributed to it being a new item in the sensory room. Some of the most popular items included the zen garden, wood slices on the wooden dowel, and the plants. In the second week children transitioned to using both the sensory garden cart and the original items in the sensory room. When an item on the sensory garden cart best suited their needs, that item was chosen and when their needs were best suited by other items in the room then that item was chosen. Overall the mobile sensory garden cart was beneficial to the school and the children. It can be easily replicated and modified to fit the individual needs of the children and school.

Head lettuce, Lactuta sativa var. capitata, is susceptible to a number of economically important diseases, the most frequent being russet spot, rib discoloration, and vascular browning (28), which have been shown by Ceponis and Friedman (7) to be caused by Pseudomonas marginalis. Pseudomonads are common plant pathogens and cause such diseases as halo blight in beans (20), bacterial blight in soybeans (20), and bacterial wilt of the bird-of-paradise (27) and tobacco (24). Plants that develop symptoms similar to russet of lettuce are oats, infected by Pseudomonas cichorii, and tobacco infected with Pseudomonas tobaci (34). In general, russet symptoms include few to numerous yellow, pink, brown, olive brown or dark brown irregular specks ranging in diameter from 1/16 to 1/8 inch (28). In tobacco these lesions are thought to result from a necrotizing toxin, diamino-dicarboxylic acid, beta-hydroxy-alpha, epsilon-aminopimelic acid, produced by the bacteria (34). In lettuce these lesions result from the bacterial enzymes, protopectinase and pectin depolymerase (7). The red discoloration of lettuce often encountered in grocery stores and home refrigerators has been given the name russet spot, rib discoloration, and tipburn, depending upon where the discoloration occurs (26). These terms are sometimes used interchangeably in the literature. This investigation was initiated for two purposes: to determine factors which could be responsible for the symptoms which diseased market lettuce develops; and to investigate a preservation procedure that would best control the incidence of this disease.

Marken är en viktig faktor att ta hänsyn till i dagens hårda klimat för våra stadsträd. Allra helst för de träd som skall stå i det mest utsatta delarna av staden, så som på torg, längs med tungt trafikerade vägar eller omringade av bara hårdgjorda ytor. En lösning är skelettjord som används i många städer i Sverige men även i andra länder. I ett projekt i Stockholm testas just nu en vidareutveckling av skelettjordar där AMA-jorden har bytts ut mot biokol. Fördjupningen i denna uppsats kommer därför att handla om hur biokol används rent praktiskt i trädens växtbäddar och vilka effekter detta har på trädens utveckling.   Syftet med denna uppsats är att få en inblick i hur biokol i stadsträdens växtbäddar används med exempel från Stockholm Biochar Project. Syftet är också att undersöka vilka parametrar som används för att mäta biokolets effekt på trädens tillväxt, samt att bedöma vilka effekter biokol har på träd.   Arbetet har genomförts som en intervjustudie som sedan kompletterats med faktasökning i vetenskapliga artiklar och böcker. Intervjupersonen är verksam inom området och arbetar som trädspecialist på trafikkontoret Stockholm stad och är delaktig i Stockholm Biochar Project. Fakta har sökts i olika databaser där sökorden biochar, biokol, terra preta, urbana stadsträd och trädinventering har använts.   Uppbyggnaden av växtbädden med biokol i Stockholm stad har visat sig vara snarlik den gamla modellen men skillnaden kan ses i att AMA-jorden har blivit utbytt mot biokol och även att dimensionerna på makadamen i skelettjorden är något ändrade.   De parametrar som används i Stockholm stad för att mäta trädets tillväxt är stamomkrets. Det finns andra parametrar som går att användas för att bedöma träds tillväxt och dessa skulle även kunna appliceras för att undersöka biokolets effekt på träd.   I en jämförelse av träds tillväxt, där träd av samma art hade växt i liknande förhållanden men i tre olika växtbäddar, visade resultatet att träden som planterats i biokol inte hade den största tillväxten. / The ground is an important factor to consider in today's tough climate for our urban trees. Especially for the trees that shall live in the most vulnerable parts of the city, such as the square, along heavily trafficked roads or surrounded by only paved surfaces. One solution is structured soils which is used in many cities in Sweden but also in other countries. An interesting new development of structured soils where AMA-soil has been replaced with biochar is now being tested in a project in Stockholm. The focus in this paper will therefore be on how biochar is used practically in the tree plant beds and the effects this has on the trees' development.   The purpose of this paper is to get an insight on how biochar in urban tree plant beds are used with examples from Stockholm Biochar Project. And also to examine the parameters used to measure the effect biochar have on tree growth, and to assess the impact of biochar has on the trees.   The work of this paper was carried out as an interview study and was then also combined with research in scientific books and articles. The interviewee is active in the area and works as a tree specialist at the traffic office,Stockholm city and complicit in Stockholm Biochar Project. Researched have been done in various databases where the keywords biokol, biochar, terra preta, urban city trees and tree inventory have been used.   The construction of the plant bed with biochar in Stockholm city has proved to be similar to the old model, but it differs in that the AMA-soil has been exchanged for biochar and also in that the dimensions of the macadam instructured soil is changed.   The parameters used in the Stockholm city to measure tree growth are stem circumference. But there are also other parameters that could be used to measure growth and these could also be applied to assess effect of the biochar on the tree.   In a comparison of tree growth, where tree of the same species had grown in similar conditions but in three different types of plant beds, the results showed that the trees planted in biochar did not have the best growth.

Despite substantial consumer demand and willingness to pay premium prices for organically grown fruit, apple growers in Vermont and other New England states have been slow to adopt certified organic practices. Barriers cited in the past to increased adoption of organic apple production in the region include susceptibility of traditionally grown cultivars to apple scab, lack of effective insect pest management materials, and few available effective options for fruit thinning. Recent changes in apple cultivar plantings in the region, introduction of new insect pest management materials, and advances in crop thinning justified an evaluation of organic apple production systems containing cultivars identified as important to the future of the apple industry. In 2006, two apple orchards were established at the University of Vermont Horticulture Research and Education Center in South Burlington, VT to comprehensively evaluate the five commercially-important apple cultivars of `Ginger Gold', `Honeycrisp', `Liberty', `Macoun', and `Zestar!' over eight growing seasons in two organically-managed orchard production systems, including a newly-planted high-density orchard (Orchard 1) and in an existing, medium-density orchard which was top-grafted to the new cultivars (Orchard 2). Parameters for tree growth and survival, crop yield, disease and arthropod pest incidence on foliage and fruit, and long-term economic return, including a twenty-year projection of net present value (NPV) of each cultivar in the two systems were evaluated in this study. `Ginger Gold', despite high incidence of some diseases on foliage and fruit, performed the best in both orchard systems overall. The cultivar was among the cultivars with the highest measurements of tree growth. `Ginger Gold', along with `Honeycrisp', had the highest cumulative net crop yield per tree in Orchard 1 and the highest in Orchard 2. Notably, apple scab on `Honeycrisp' foliage and fruit and `Zestar!' fruit in both orchards was at a level that was not significantly different from `Liberty', a scab-resistant cultivar on which no scab was observed. However, `Honeycrisp' had the highest incidence of fruit rots in both orchards, but it was not significantly different than `Zestar!' in Orchard 1. Management of lepidopteran pests of fruit was a major challenge on all cultivars over the years of the study. For most of the tree growth parameters and cumulative net crop yield, `Liberty' was among the lowest group of cultivars in both orchards. Cumulative net crop yield of both `Macoun' and `Zestar!' were also among the lowest in both orchards with the top-grafted `Macoun' and `Zestar!' trees having significant tree death compared to the other cultivars in Orchard 2. Harvested fruit were graded to commercial standards and cumulative gross and net income calculated from grade distribution, crop yield, and fruit price data. In Orchard 1, `Ginger Gold' and `Liberty' had greater cumulative gross income per hectare from 2006-2013, in excess of US$40,000, compared to `Liberty'. However, after management costs were deducted, all cultivars in Orchard 1 had negative cumulative net income of $-77,892 or less. In Orchard 2, all cultivars had positive cumulative net income for 2006-2013, and `Ginger Gold' had the highest at $109,717/ha. The twenty-year projected NPV was negative for all cultivars in Orchard 1, but in Orchard 2, all cultivars had positive NPV with `Ginger Gold' having the highest among the cultivars.

Disease management in organic apple orchards in Vermont is focused on controlling diseases with sulfur fungicides. The objective of this two year study was to evaluate the target and non-target effects of an organic disease management system containing agricultural biostimulants compared to two sulfur-based systems on foliar and fruit diseases, pest and beneficial arthropods, tree growth, yield and fruit quality on four cultivars, `Ginger Gold', `Honeycrisp' and `Liberty' and `Zestar!'. Trees were arranged in a complete randomized design of five three-tree replications in a certified organic orchard. The two sulfur-based systems differed in the number of applications; in the third system, sulfur was replaced with biostimulants including pure neem oil, liquid fish, an activated microbial inoculant plus equisetum and stinging nettle teas. Each biostimulant application also included kelp meal, unsulfured organic molasses and yucca extract emulsifier. The biostimulant system did not successfully manage apple scab and rust diseases as well as the sulfur-based fungicide systems, and had variable results with other diseases. No differences were observed among the three systems in tree growth parameters; however, the length of the study may not have been sufficient to determine effects. Differences in the incidence of disease among the three systems were reflected in extrapolated figures for gross income per hectare which takes into account fruit yield and quality. In the higher fruit-bearing year of the study, it was estimated that the gross income per hectare of the biostimulant system would be significantly lower than the reduced-sulfur system and the full-sulfur system by at least $5,800 and $12,000, respectively. In that same year, it is estimated that the full-sulfur system would have generated approximately $6,500 more gross income per hectare than the reduced-sulfur system suggesting the number of sulfur sprays can influence fruit quality and income. The use of the agricultural biostimulants had very limited non-target effects and when present, they were beneficial in suppressing insect pest incidence and/or damage on foliage compared to one or both of the sulfur-based fungicide systems. However, many insect pests or their damage were not observed on the foliage or had incidence of less than 1% in any of the systems. The biostimulant system did appear to suppress European red mites in both years compared to both sulfur-based systems when data were averaged across cultivars. On fruit, no differences in non-target impacts on arthropod pests were observed among the three systems except for surface-feeding Lepidoptera and San Jose scale damage. In a separate phytophagous mite study on the cultivar `Zestar!' leaf samples were evaluated for the number of motile phytophagous mites every 14 days from 1 July through 26 August each year. When there were differences, the biostimulant system had less mite incidence per leaf than one or both of the sulfur-based systems in both years. The difference in the number of sulfur sprays did not have a major effect on the mite populations. In summary, the use of the biostimulant system resulted in insufficient disease management which led to lower estimated gross income compared to the sulfur-based systems. These results show more research and further evaluation of new organic disease management tools, including the use of agricultural biostimulants, are necessary before growers consider replacing the use of standard sulfur fungicides for disease management in Vermont orchards.

The demand for locally sourced hops from Northeastern microbreweries began the recent resurgence in local hop production. The farming community has increased acreage and improved the quality of hops grown and processed in the Northeast region over the past five years. There was a sharp increase in the number of Northeast hop producers from six in 2009 to over 175 in 2014. Hop growers in the Northeast are new to the crop and have limited experience with pest identification and management. This dissertation encompasses three research projects that were conducted over the 2012-2014 growing seasons. These projects were the first critical steps taken to develop arthropod integrated pest management (IPM) tactics for Northeastern hop growers. First, the arthropod community in seven Vermont hop yards was evaluated. The objectives of Chapter 2 are to 1) present current hop pest biology and management strategies, 2) report the phenology of arthropod pests observed over three growing seasons, 3) report abundance and peak date for each pest, and 4) document natural enemy abundance in Vermont hop yards. The survey indicates that in cool, wet seasons hop aphid (Phorodon humuli Schrank) is expected to be a pest of concern. Two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae Koch) is expected to be a pest of concern in hot, dry conditions. Potato leafhopper (Empoasca fabae Harris) is an unpredictable pest of special concern for first year hop plants. When hop aphid or potato leafhopper are sprayed for with broad-spectrum insecticide, two-spotted spider mite secondary outbreak can be expected. Second, the abundance of major arthropod pests and their natural enemy groups were evaluated under drive row flowering cover crop treatments. The objectives of this study were to 1) measure the effect of cover crops on natural enemy group abundance, 2) measure the effect of cover crops on the three major Northeastern hop pests, and 3) measure the effect of cover crop presence on hop yield and quality. Natural enemy groups and pests were positively correlated yet cover crop treatments had no significant effect on natural enemy abundance. Red clover cover crop treatments served as a trap crop for potato leafhopper. No significant difference in hop yield or quality was observed between flowering cover crop treatments. Finally, potato leafhopper is a documented but understudied regional pest of hops. The objectives of this study were to 1) measure the physiological response of eight hop cultivars to adult potato leafhopper feeding and 2) measure hop leaf recovery from potato leafhopper injury. Gas exchange (net photosynthesis and transpiration) and chlorophyll content were measured to quantify injury by adult potato leafhopper to first year hop leaves in field and greenhouse studies. Cultivars did not vary significantly in their physiological response to potato leafhopper feeding. Injury significantly reduced gas exchange measures in the field (P < 0.05) and greenhouse (P < 0.05) and when leafhoppers were removed, gas exchange was restored.

Syftet med denna rapport är att sammanställa fakta kring hur åtgärder före och efter trädflytt kan påverka trädets etablering. Rapporten behandlar även vilken inverkan rotbeskärning har på träd och hur nybildning av rötter kan främjas. Rapporten besvarar frågor kring hur ett träd reagerar på att bli flyttat och hur trädart, växtplats och tidigare åtgärder kan påverka resultatet av en trädflytt. Rapporten besvarar även frågor angående vilka åtgärder som kan genomföras, innan och efter trädflytt, för att förbättra trädets etablering på sin nya växtplats, vilken inverkan rotbeskärning har på det flyttade trädet och hur nybildning av finrötter kan främjas. Rapporten är skriven som en traditionell akademisk rapport och är baserad på litteratur som har samlats in från vetenskapliga artiklar, böcker och uppslagsverk. Vid trädflytt förlorar ett träd stora delar, cirka 90 procent, av sitt rotsystem och drabbas av stressymptom. Ett friväxande, sådd i naturen och icke-rotbeskuret, träd kan förlora ännu större delar av sitt rotsystem. Det är viktigt att undersöka om det är ett plantskoleträd eller ett friväxande träd och även vilken trädart som ska flyttas då det kan ha betydelse för hur lyckad trädflytten blir. Genom att utföra rotbeskärning skapas ett kompakt rotsystem som ger en minskad rotförlust. Rotbeskärning främjar även tillväxten av finrötter i rotklumpen, vilket gynnar trädet vid etablering och ger minskad vattenstress. Ofta genomförs en kronreducering för att reducera obalansen mellan krona och rötter. En måttlig kronreducering, mellan 10 och 30 procent, kan gynna trädet. Om trädet ska kunna etablera sig och överleva flytten måste det övervinna stressymptomen. Om ett träd ska kunna bilda nya rötter och ha tillväxt av grenar och skott behöver trädet ha god vitalitet. Bevattning spelar en essentiell roll för trädets överlevnad och etablering. Mulch kan ge god tillväxt av finrötter och bidra till en förbättrad etablering. Rapportens slutsats är att både förberedande åtgärder och efterskötsel har inverkan på trädets etablering och hur väl trädet klarar av att bli flyttat. En korrekt genomförd rotbeskärning bör utföras, en måttlig kronbeskärning av 10-30 procent av kronan bör utföras, träd ska flyttas under sin viloperiod och träd som flyttas bör ha hög vitalitet. Nybildning av rötter främjas av god markfukt, varm jord, jämn bevattning och att mulch läggs på. / The purpose of this report was to put together facts regarding how the measures before and after tree transplanting can affect the establishment of the tree. The report also dealt with the impact that root pruning might have on trees and how regeneration of roots can be promoted. The report answers questions concerning how tree transplanting affects a tree and how tree species, locality and previous measures can influence the effect of a tree transplanting. The reports also answers a question concerning which measures could be performed, before and after tree transplanting, to improve the tree’s establishment in it’s new locality. The last question that this report answers is what impact root pruning has on the tree and how regeneration of fine roots can be favoured. The report is written as a traditional academic report and is based on literature that was collected from scientific articles, books and encyclopedias. A tree loses a large amount, approximately 90 percent, of its root system during the tree transplanting. This causes stress symptoms in the tree. A tree, sown and grown in nature, that has never been root pruned will lose even larger amounts of its root system when it’s transplanted. It’s important to do investigations before tree transplanting. Investigations should be done before tree transplanting to determine what kind of tree, nursery-grown or grown in nature, and what species is about to be transplanted. Both of these aspects may have an influence on how successful the transplanting is. Root pruning can make the root system more compact which reduces root loss during transplanting. Root pruning also increases the amount of fine roots in the root ball which is beneficent during establishment and also reduces water stress. The high amount of root loss causes an imbalance between crown and roots. The crown is often reduced to correct this imbalance and in this report it was proven that a moderate crown reduction is beneficial for the tree. The tree must overcome the stress symptoms to be able to survive and to establish itself. Trees need good vitality to be able to regenerate roots, shoots and branches. Irrigation plays an important part in the establishment and the survival of the tree. Mulch can promote regeneration of fine roots and contribute to an improved establishment. The conclusion of the report is that both preparatory measures and after care has an impact on the establishment and on how successful the transplanting of a tree will be. A correctly executed root pruning and a moderate crown pruning (10 to 30 percentage of the crown) should be carried out. Trees should be transplanted during their dormant season and trees, that are going to be transplanted, should have high vitality. Regeneration of roots is promoted by having good soil moisture, warm soil, even watering and applying mulch.

Master of Science / Department of Horticulture, Forestry, and Recreation Resources / Jason Griffin / The Midwest and southern Great Plains regions of the United States are known for historic and severe droughts. However, short-term recurring drought events are more common and can limit tree survival in landscape and production settings. The pressure of environmental stress combined with numerous diseases and pests are decimating existing Pinus L. spp. (pine) plantings and driving the effort to identify alternative species. Four species of conifer were grown in a pine bark substrate and subjected to recurring moderate to severe drought in a controlled environment glass greenhouse as well as field planted to observe root and shoot growth during the initial 12 months after transplant. The species utilized were Abies nordmanniana (nordmann fir), Cupressus arizonica (Arizona cypress), Picea engelmannii (engelmann spruce), and Thuja x ‘Green Giant’ (‘Green Giant’ arborvitae). Results indicate that C. arizonica exhibited extraordinary growth after establishment and was able to maintain growth and photosynthesis following several drought cycles. Thuja x ‘Green Giant’ exhibited significant increase in root and shoot growth after transplant. Under conditions of moderate and severe drought, only minimal reductions in height and shoot dry weight were observed while root growth and photosynthesis were unchanged. Abies nordmanniana experienced minimal increases in root and shoot growth throughout the growing season and was unaffected by drought. In contrast, P. engelmannii had only modest increases in root dry weight after transplant, while shoot growth was non-existent. Under conditions of severe drought, photosynthesis was reduced. Cupressus arizonica, a known drought tolerant species, with its ability to establish quickly and endure drought may have an advantage when establishing in harsh climates such as the Midwest and southern Great Plains. Thuja x ‘Green Giant’ is known to be a rapid grower, however, it established slowly during the current study and may require additional time before resuming rapid growth and maximum drought tolerance. Slow establishing species such as A. nordmanniana and P. engelmannii may require greater attention to season of planting to coincide with rapid root growth. However, P. engelmannii may not be a suitable choice for the Midwest due to the inability to maintain photosynthesis during periods of drought.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Horticulture, Forestry, and Recreation Resources / Sunghun Park / Plants are continuously exposed to numerous abiotic stresses, which adversely affect plant growth, development, and yield. Plants have developed different signaling pathways to cope with abiotic stresses, and some of the pathways converge to help plants tolerate simultaneous stresses. Here, we report ectopic expression of an Arabidopsis glutaredoxin AtGRXS17 that confers tolerance to multiple abiotic stresses in tomato plants. In yeast assays, AtGRXS17 co-localized with yeast ScGrx3 in the nucleus and suppressed the sensitivity of yeast grx3grx4 double mutants to oxidative stress and heat shock. In plants, GFP-AtGRXS17 fusion proteins initially localized in the cytoplasm but migrated to the nucleus during heat stress. Ectopic expression of AtGRXS17 in tomato plants minimized photo-oxidation of chlorophyll and reduced oxidative damage of cell membrane systems under heat stress. Furthermore, expression of the heat shock transcription factor (HSF) and heat shock protein (HSP) genes was up-regulated in AtGRXS17-expressing tomato plants during heat stress when compared to wild-type controls. Under cold, drought, and oxidative stress conditions, AtGRXS17-expressing tomato plants also displayed more vigorous growth and less physiological damage than those of the wild-type control plants. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis indicated that expression of AtGRXS17 alters multiple stress defense signaling pathways, including the Abscisic Acid (ABA) and C-Repeat Binding Factors (CBF) pathways. The results revealed a conserved function for a glutaredoxin protein in abiotic stress adaptation, and manipulation of AtGRXS17 may be a useful approach to improve crop stress tolerance and understand plant signaling under abiotic stress conditions. Deregulated expression of an Arabidopsis H[superscript]+/Ca[superscript]2[superscript]+ antiporter (sCAX1) in agricultural crops increases total calcium (Ca[superscript]2[superscript]+) but may result in yield loses due to calcium-deficiency like symptoms. Here we demonstrate that co-expression of a maize calreticulin (CRT, a Ca[superscript]2[superscript]+ binding protein located at endoplasmic reticulum) in sCAX1-expressing plants mitigated these adverse effects while maintaining enhanced Ca[superscript]2[superscript]+ content. Co-expression of CRT and sCAX1 could alleviate the hypersensitivity to ion imbalance in tobacco plants. Furthermore, blossom-end rot (BER) in tomato may be linked to changes in CAX activity and enhanced CRT expression mitigated BER in sCAX1 expressing lines. These findings suggest that co-expressing Ca[superscript]2[superscript]+ transporters and binding protein at different intracellular compartments can alter the content and distribution of calcium within the plant matrix.

Master of Science / Department of Horticulture, Forestry, and Recreation Resources / Charles Barden / Riparian forests are more effective than other land cover types at stabilizing stream banks during high water events. Tree trunks and roots can slow flood-waters, thus retaining sediment deposition within riparian areas instead of downstream in reservoirs. This project is part of a larger, multi-agency study on reducing sedimentation of federal reservoirs. Between August 2010 and May 2012, riparian forests were assessed in the watersheds of three northeast Kansas lakes: Atchison County, Banner Creek, and Centralia City. The predominant land use in those watersheds is agricultural, with Atchison and Centralia watersheds dominated by cropland and Banner dominated by grassland. Plot dimensions were 50ft by 30ft (1500 ft[superscript]2) measured from the top of the streambank outward to the extent of the predetermined active channel width (ACW). Forty-four plots were assessed across the three watersheds. Data collected in each plot were used to determine the basal area (BA) in ft[superscript]2 per acre, trees per acre (TPA), tree height by crown class, and quadratic mean diameter (QMD) by species. Results showed some trends in BA and TPA among the three watersheds, however differences were not significant. The average BA of trees in riparian woodlands in the Centralia watershed was 155 ft[superscript]2 (dominated by cottonwood (Populus deltoides) with some honeylocust (Gleditsia triacanthos)); the Atchison and Banner watersheds showed an average BA of 120 ft[superscript]2. The Atchison watershed was dominated by honeylocust and walnut (Juglans nigra) but the Banner watershed was dominated by bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa) and hackberry (Celtis occidentalis). However, the Atchison watershed had the most TPA (194), as well as the tallest trees of the three watersheds. The Atchison watershed had the highest QMD in oak, whereas the Banner and Centralia watersheds had the highest QMD in cottonwood. Banner watershed had more plots with seedlings, whereas Atchison watershed had more plots with saplings. Overall, forest regeneration primarily comprised hackberry seedlings and saplings, with hickory saplings more common in the Banner watershed. For each watershed, the composition and structure of riparian vegetation differed but not significantly.