2 v. (xxiii, 627 p.): ill., maps. A print copy of this title is available through the UO Libraries under the call number: KNIGHT E78.O6 E53 1994 / A major concern of Columbia Plateau archaeology has been the development of the ethnographic "Plateau pattern." Observed during historic times, this lifeway focused on permanent riverine winter villages and intensive use of anadromous fish, with ephemeral use of interior tributaries and uplands for hunting and root gathering. Constrained by a salvage-driven orientation, past archaeological research on the Plateau has been biased towards major rivers, leaving aboriginal lifeways in the interior to be interpreted on the basis of ethnographic analogy, rather than archaeological evidence. The present study utilizes museum collections from the Pine Creek basin, a small tributary of the John Day River, to provide information on prehistoric lifeways in a non-riverine Plateau setting. Cultural assemblages and features from two sites, 35WH7 and 35WH14, were described, classified, and analyzed with regard to temporal distribution, spatial and functional patterning, and regional ties. At 35WH14, evidence of semisubterranean pithouses containing a rich and diverse cultural assemblage suggests long-term and repeated residential occupation of this site by about 2600 B.P. This contrasts with the ephemeral use predicted for the area by ethnographic accounts. Faunal remains identified from 35WH7 and 35WH14 show a persistent emphasis on deer, and little evidence for use of fish; this non-riverine economic base represents a further departure from the ethnographic "Plateau pattern." At both 35WH14 and 35WH7, large pithouses are not evident in components dating after 900 B.P., reflecting a shift to shorter sojourns at these sites. Use of the Study Area as a whole persists, however, and is marked by a proliferation of radiocarbon-dated occupations between 630 and 300 B.P. Clustering of radiocarbon dates from ten sites in the Study Area shows correlations with regional environmental changes. Both taphonomic and cultural factors are discussed. Reduced human use of the area after 300 B.P. is reflected in an abrupt decline in radiocarbon-dated occupations and the near-absence of Euroamerican trade goods. The role of precontact introduced epidemics is considered. Further consideration of spatial and temporal variability in Late Archaic Plateau prehistory is urged. / Committee in charge: Dr. C. Melvin Aikens, Co-chair; Dr. Don E. Dwnond, Co-chair; Dr. Ann Simonds; Dr. Patricia F. McDowell

The life history and reproductive ecology of the pygmy rattlesnake, Sistrurus miliarius barbouri was studied from January, 1984 to June, 1987 at Long Pine Key, Everglades national Park. This sample exhibits no sexual dimorphism except for relative to hail lengths; mean adult size was about 47 cms. Females do however comprise the majority of the snakes over 50 cms. S.m. barbouri show no habitat preference between the four habitat types. They are active year-round theater clearly second half of the year snakes. The species activity peak is in October which marks the end of the wet season and the climax and water table level. In addition, gravid females are active in February and March. While wise and juveniles also show a small peak of activity in May, the onset of the wet season. In the fall ovary length and egg size is small where is the test's size is large suggesting meeting in the fall. Eggs are yoked and enlarged in February and March but are still in the ovaries. Birth of the young occurs in July. Sperm retention is suggested. Mean hatchling size is larger than that cited by Klauber (1956). Growth rate in the first year of life is estimated to be approximately 82% Age of sexual maturity is estimated to be three years.

The global paleoclimate archive is lacking in tropical dendrochronology studies as a result of limitations from inconsistent tree-ring production imposed by precipitation-driven seasonality. The slash pine, Pinus elliottii Engelm. var. densa, is the dominant canopy species of Big Pine Key (BPK) rocklands and has been shown to produce complicated, but distinct, ring structures; however, traditional dendrochronology studies have not established correlations between ring width measurements and major climate drivers controlling South Florida precipitation. My study utilized the carbon (δ13C) and oxygen (δ18O) isotope records in the α-cellulose component of tree-rings to extract information about the physiological responses of trees to climate and tropical cyclone activity. The δ13C measurements in the earlywood and latewood of four P. elliottii var. densa trees were used to build a chronology (1922-2005) and to distinguish annual growth from intra-annual density fluctuations (IADFs). Empirical orthogonal functions were used to determine individual response to precipitation, El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), and the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO). There is a distinct relationship between the δ13C values of cellulose and ENSO; however the nature (direct vs. inversely correlated) is temporally controlled by the prevailing phase of the AMO. The appearance of some IADFs coincide with the timing of El Niño winters occurring during the cool AMO phase, resulting in enriched δ13C values. The additional precipitation may encourage tree growth, but subsequent dry periods may slow growth and cause the tree to employ water-conservation strategies. Tree growth is influenced by the major climate drivers and the control they exert over the timing of precipitation; however, growth is ultimately controlled by the microenvironment surrounding individual trees. The δ18O and δ13C values of the latewood cellulose were compared to tropical cyclone activity occurring within a 100km radius of BPK. Tropical storms and depressions appeared as anomalously depleted values in the δ18O residual record, reflecting large amounts of tropical rain. The effects of hurricanes varied by storm; however, many of the major hurricanes (category 3-5) were preserved as an enrichments in the δ13C value of the following earlywood season. The application of stable isotope analyses greatly increases the breadth of paleoclimate information available from the trees.

Cyclamens are deemed an essential cold season crop for supplementing the income of commercial growers during winter. However, cyclamens have the reputation of being a demanding commercial crop mainly due to difficulty in successful crop cultivation, lengthy production time and production costs. The economic and environmental landscape in South Africa dictates that careful consideration be given to reducing production time and costs, but still improving the quality of the commercial crop for market readiness. Growth medium are considered an important factor contributing significantly to the quality of commercially grown container cyclamens in a controlled environment. The focus of this study was on establishing the most suitable growth medium for commercially grown cyclamens in a South African environment in order to improve the quality of the commercial crop. Only one F1 variety of cyclamen was used as the sample population with a sample size of five plants per growth medium mixture planted according to a randomised block design in a specified area within a greenhouse. Seven commercially available growth medium mixtures, five locally available and two imported, were subjected to a typical production cycle of commercial cyclamens in a controlled greenhouse. The growth medium mixtures for comparison were Cyclamen Mix; 45 Mix; 50% Cyclamen Mix - 50% 45 Mix; 49 Mix; 7 Mix; coarse coir; Klasmann base 4 Substrate mix . The measuring instrument used in the study was adapted from existing instruments used in the comparison of cyclamens and growth medium. It included various measurements and observations: Plant height, plant diameter, plant weight, number of leaves, leaf width, foliage fresh weight, number of flowers, diameter of tuber and root fresh weight. The results obtained in the comparison determine the most suitable growth medium for container cyclamens for South African circumstances. The physical properties of peat retain water for a longer time which is beneficial for the production of container cyclamen. The results of this study therefore indicate that growth mediums containing peat performed better than mediums containing no peat. / Agriculture and  Animal Health / M.Sc. (Ornamental Horticulture)

To evaluate the compression wood response in eastern white pine (Pinus strobus L.) following a severe ice storm in 1994, 47 trees were felled in 2007 and cross-sectional samples were collected at 0.5 (±0.2) m stem height. The disks were sanded and digitally scanned, and the cross-sectional area (mm2) of compression wood within each tree-ring was quantified using image analysis software. Topographic data (slope, aspect, and elevation) were also recorded for each P. strobus tree, along with a modified competition index. Wood anatomical features were also quantified in the three years before and after the storm along a tree diameter gradient. Although tree age was relatively constant in this stand, tree size was influenced by topographic position; larger trees grew in the valley while smaller trees were found growing in thin soils at the mid-slope position. When the cohort was about 25 years old, ice deposition caused a heterogeneous compression wood response which was highly related to tree size. In the thirteen years following the ice storm, the 6 – 9 cm (2007) diameter class formed significantly more compression wood area than any other, followed by the 10 – 13 cm (2007) diameter class. The tree diameter range that formed the most post-storm compression wood was 4 – 8 cm at the time of the storm, suggesting that this diameter range was most affected by 8.5 cm of ice loading in P. strobus. Trees > 18 cm in 1994 did not form any compression wood after the storm, but many experienced a growth release to fill canopy gaps. Topographic variables did not influence compression wood formation directly, but only one plot was sampled so these results are tenuous. However, topography did influence tree size which was the most important predictor in compression wood. There was no relationship between compression wood area and competition index. Due to compression wood formation after the ice storm, cell wall thickness and cell circularity were significantly higher in the 1994 tree-ring than in other rings examined (1991 – 1993, 1995, and 1996). Tracheid and lumen diameters were significantly smaller in compression wood cells (30.5 and 19.5 μm, respectively) than in normal wood (36.8 and 28.4 μm, respectively); opposite wood cells were intermediate in size (32.4 and 24.4 μm, respectively). Due to small tracheid size, compression wood contained significantly more cells mm⁻¹ (33) than normal wood (27), but no significant differences in cell wall area. Therefore, cumulative cell wall area occupied 47% of the cross-section in compression wood tissue on average, compared to 31% in normal wood. Dispersing tree weight across a greater surface area may help compression wood to prop up a bent tree, but reduced lumen area may also impact hydraulic conductivity in the stem. / Master of Science

A system of loblolly pine growth and yield models was developed which used database files as input. Using database files as direct input created a compatible link between the growth and yield models and a Geographic Information System (GIS). Since growth and yield models can be used to update forest inventories and a GIS is a common method for maintaining forest inventory data, this compatibility provided a method to rapidly update past forest inventory records. This system was used to evaluate four different loblolly pine growth and yield models. The growth and yield models examined were: a whole stand, a diameter distribution - parameter prediction, a diameter distribution - parameter prediction, and an individual tree. Three different validation approaches were used to create fitting and validation data sets from permanent plot remeasurement data, and evaluate each of the four growth and yield models at varying projection periods. The periods used were zero, three, six, and nine years. Evaluations were based solely on the capability of each to model to predict merchantable volume. In terms of root mean square error of prediction, the individual tree and whole stand models performed superior than the diameter distribution models. At shorter projection periods the individual tree model performed better than the whole stand model, but the whole stand was superior at the nine year period. The parameter recovery models performed better for shorter periods than the parameter prediction model, but this difference diminished with longer periods. / Master of Science

Children heading their households are not a new phenomenon in South Africa. Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) has been the number one cause behind the emergence of many child-headed households in sub-Saharan Africa. This qualitative research inquiry was guided by an interpretivist epistemology. Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory was used as the theoretical framework that guided this study. A case study design was used with un-structured interviews being the primary method of data collection. Participatory task-based methods in the form of metaphors and story writing, informal observations, questionnaires and field notes augmented the data generation process. Purposive sampling procedures were used and two participants were chosen for this study. Thematic analysis of data generated the themes and sub-themes which provided insight into the lives of children in the role of parents. Findings of this study reveal that orphaned and vulnerable children in the role of parents have the task of taking care of their siblings by providing food, washing their clothes, sending them to school and helping with their homework. They also have the added task of making decisions in the home and providing parental guidance to their younger siblings in the absence of their parents. Children in this study also experienced poverty and faced stigma and discrimination from relatives, peers, neighbors and members in the community / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Guidance and Counselling)

Children heading their households are not a new phenomenon in South Africa. Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) has been the number one cause behind the emergence of many child-headed households in sub-Saharan Africa. This qualitative research inquiry was guided by an interpretivist epistemology. Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory was used as the theoretical framework that guided this study. A case study design was used with un-structured interviews being the primary method of data collection. Participatory task-based methods in the form of metaphors and story writing, informal observations, questionnaires and field notes augmented the data generation process. Purposive sampling procedures were used and two participants were chosen for this study. Thematic analysis of data generated the themes and sub-themes which provided insight into the lives of children in the role of parents. Findings of this study reveal that orphaned and vulnerable children in the role of parents have the task of taking care of their siblings by providing food, washing their clothes, sending them to school and helping with their homework. They also have the added task of making decisions in the home and providing parental guidance to their younger siblings in the absence of their parents. Children in this study also experienced poverty and faced stigma and discrimination from relatives, peers, neighbors and members in the community / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Guidance and Counselling)

I evaluated effects of 5 intensive pine plantation establishment regimes during years 1 – 5 post-establishment on vegetation communities, loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) growth, nutritional carrying capacity for white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), habitat values for northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus), and projected financial viability in the Lower Coastal Plain of Mississippi. Treatments were combinations of mechanical site preparation (MSP), chemical site preparation (CSP), and herbaceous weed control (HWC) designed to reflect the range of operational intensities on industrial forest lands in the southeastern U.S. Results should inform plantation management decisions throughout the region. Pine growth increased with greater treatment intensity. At age 5, trees in the most intensively managed treatment were 1.5 m taller than those in the least intensive treatment. Mechanical site preparation improved growth by alleviating soil physical problems. Growth and yield projections indicated that increased fiber yield may not justify investment in more intensive regimes; financial analysis favored the least expensive treatment, though all regimes produced potential internal rates of return > 9% when managed to financial maturity. Use of MSP with banded HWC yielded abundant low-quality deer forage sufficient for body maintenance; nutritional needs for lactating does were better served by CSP with banded HWC. Broadcast HWC reduced biomass of high-quality forbs. In this region of limited soil nutrients and abundant low-quality forages, the optimal combination of maintenance-level and lactation-level nutrition was provided by CSP or CSP and MSP combined with banded HWC. I evaluated vegetation communities for nesting, loafing, brood-rearing, and fall and winter food suitability for northern bobwhite. No treatment provided brood-rearing habitat due to combined lack of bare ground and forb coverage. Fall and winter feeding, nesting, and loafing cover were best produced by MSP and CSP combined with banded HWC. However, lack of brood-rearing cover may reduce or eliminate usable space in all treatments. Differences between vegetation communities were caused by use of CSP, which eliminated many residual woody and vine species, and by differences in broadcast versus banded HWC. Herbicide use decreased plant diversity and species richness, and impacted successional trajectory. Community differences persisted through year 5.

This thesis details my applied thesis project and experience in the evaluation of a workforce development through sustainable construction program. It describes the need of my client, Sweet Grass Consulting and their contractual partner, the Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation, in the evaluation of Thunder Valley CDC's Workforce Development through Sustainable Construction Program. My role involved the development of an extensive evaluation package for this program and data analysis of evaluation materials to support Thunder Valley CDC's grant-funded Workforce Development Program. I place the efforts of Thunder Valley CDC in the context of their community, the Pine Ridge Reservation of the Lakota People, and within an historical and contemporary context to highlight the implications of the efforts of Thunder Valley CDC. Using the theoretical frameworks of cultural revitalization and community economic development, I attempt to highlight two important components of Thunder Valley CDC's community development efforts - cultural revitalization for social healing, and development that emphasizes social, community and individual well-being. Thunder Valley CDC's Workforce Development through Sustainable Construction Program is still in its early stages, and so this first year of implementation very much represented a pilot phase. However, while specific successes are difficult to measure at this point, general successes are viewable in the daily operations of Thunder Valley CDC that exemplify their stated mision and goals. These successes include initiatives that holistically address community needs; relevancy in the eyes of the community they serve; support for the community and for Program participants' unique challenges; and a cultural restoration and revitalization emphasis that underlies and strengthens all of this. The program thus has the potential to provide a model for community development by challenging dominant "development" paradigms and utilizing community resources and assets for community development that reflects the community's values and worldviews.