The spread of fruiting tree species is strongly determined by the behavior and range of fruit-eating animals, particularly birds. Birds either consume and digest seeds or carry and cache them at some distance from the source tree. These carried and settled seeds provide some form of distribution which generates tree spread to the new location. Firstly, we modal seed dispersal by birds and introduce it in a dispersal model to estimate seed distribution. Using this distribution, we create a population model to estimate the speed at which juniper and pinyon forest boundaries move. Secondly, we introduce a fact that bird movement occurs based on local habitat type to receive modified dispersal model. Birds can easily move many kilometers but habitat changes on the scale of tens of meters with rapidly varying. We develop a new technique to solve the modified dispersal model and approximate the form of transported seed distributions in highly variable landscapes. Using a tree population model, we investigate the rate of forest migration in variable landscapes. We show that speeds calculated using average motility of animals and mean seed handling times accurately predict the migration rate of trees. Regional scale forest distribution models are frequently used to project tree migration based on climate and geographic variables such as elevation, and regional presence-absence data. It is difficult to accurately use dispersal models based on large-scale presence-absence data, particularly for tree species dispersed by birds. The challenge is that variables associated with seed dispersal by birds are represented only few meters while the smallest pixel size for the distribution models begins with few kilometers. Transported seed distribution estimated in the variable landscape offers a tool to make use of this scale separation. Finally, we develop a scenarios that allows us to find large scale dispersal probabilities based on small scale environmental variables.

The genus Psilochalcis, of the Family Chalcididae, was originally described in 1905 by Kieffer. Mainly considered an Old-World taxon, the first North American Psilochalcis were not identified until 1981 by Grissell and Schauff. Little is known about the species distributions, biologies and ecological relationships of these parasitic wasps. This dissertation describes research conducted in central Utah setting arrays of Malaise traps in 4 different habitat types common to the Great Basin at three separate locations. A result of this sampling revealed a high abundance of multiple species of Psilochalcis wasps, particularly from one location and two habitat types. Chapter 1 describes three new species of Psilochalcis wasps namely; P. adenticulata Petersen, P. minuta Petersen, and P. quadratis Petersen. A review of all North American Psilochalcis species explains their distribution in Utah and throughout the surrounding western United States. A taxonomic key for all North American Psilochalcis species is given. Chapter 2 examines the seasonal abundance of P. minuta and P. quadratis and their associations with two common Great Basin habitat types. Both species show their highest abundance from late June through early August. Their peak abundance is shown to change dependent on the environmental conditions of temperature and precipitation. Psilochalcis minuta is significantly associated with pinyon/juniper (Pinus edulis or P. monophylla and Juniperus osteosperma) and P. quadratis is significantly associated with cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum). Chapter 3 describes the building of species distribution models for P. minuta and P. quadratis using a maximum entropy (Maxent) approach. Ten environmental variables were used to predict areas of optimal suitable habitat for each species. Multiple predicted sites were field sampled to test each model's effectiveness. Psilochalcis minuta occurred at nearly 90% of predicted sites, and P. quadratis occurred at 50% of predicted sites. Both species occurred at some non-predicted sites in other habitat types. Model analyses and field-testing results show the P. minuta model to be reliable in predicting areas of probable species occurrence, while the P. quadratis model is much less reliable in doing so. Aspect and fire disturbance show the highest percent contribution to both species' models. Slight differences in variable percent contribution between models suggest these species have sympatric distributions. Soil and slope are more important predictors of optimal suitable habitat for each species. Maintaining integrity between model predictions and field testing gave insights into other factors contributing to probable occurrence of Psilochalcis species.

During the period of October 1974 to August 1976, a study was conducted to measure the effects of surface soil removal on plant production, plant transpiration rates, nitrate nitrogen mineralization rates, and selected hydrologic parameters (infiltration rates, potential sediment production, and chemical quality of runoff water). The treatments were incremental 7.6 centimeter soil layers to a depth of 30.5 centimeters. Plant production and transpiration ratios (or water use efficiencies) were measured in greenhouse studies using Agrogyron desertorum grown in the incremental 7.6 centimeter soil layers from five study sites throughout the state of Utah, (Blanding, Brush Creek, Milford, Huntington, and Dove Creek). Significant decreases in plant production and increases in transpiration ratios were measured for all sites at incremental depths beyond 7.6 centimeters. These changes in plant production and transpiration ratios were found to be linearly related to the nitrate nitrogen content of the soils as determined at the time the soils were collected for use in the greenhouse. Nitrogen mineralization rates for a 6 week period were measured under field conditions at Milford and Blanding for each of the 7.6 centimeter incremental soil layers. Nitrate nitrogen mineralization was linearly correlated to the organic carbon content of the soil. Decreased mineralization rates as measured in the field at both study sites were reflected in significant increases in plant water requirements and also decreases in production as measured in greenhouse studies. Hydrologic parameters were measured at each 7.6 centimeter incremental soil depth using a Rocky Mountain infiltrometer. With one exception, significant differences in infiltration capacities among treatment depths did not occur during either 1975 or 1976 at either the Blanding or Milford site. At the Blanding site a significant decrease in the infiltration capacity occurred beyond the 22.9 centimeter depth due to a hardpan development. A significant change in infiltration capacities was noted between the 1975 and 1976 field seasons as pooled over both treatment depths and study sites. There were no significant differences in potential sediment production between sites or among treatment depths within a site. In terms of runoff water quality, a significant change in phosphorus was observed only at the Blanding site between the 1975 and 1976 field seasons. Significant differences in potassium concentrations were found to exist between sites and among soil depths.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-03-26T13:51:44Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 01 - capa_abstract.pdf: 58664 bytes, checksum: 66cb47131cc46bcd2d5d263065f54c20 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-07-29 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF), Glomus clarum, multiplied monoxenically in transformed carrot roots, on the growth, survival, mycorrhizal colonization and root development of micropropagated plantlets in different stages of rooting. Inoculation was performed in vitro and ex vitro conditions. Micropropagated plantlets with 0, 14 or 21 days maintained in rooting medium, supplemented or not with 1 mg L-1 of Indolbutiric acid (IBA), were transferred to a substrate composed by sand:soil:vermiculite (1:1/2:1). The in vitro system allowed the establishing mycorrhizal association, but no stimulatory effect on the development of shoot or root by mycorrhizal inoculation was observed. The period of time and addition of IBA did not affect plant growth. In ex vitro system, the stimulatory effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal association were evident in all evaluated characteristics, except to plant height. Plants that were not submitted to rooting showed growth similar or superior to those that were maintained in the rooting media, independent of IBA addition. Inoculated plants were shown to be more efficient at nutrient absorption, especially to phosphate. The arbuscular mycorrhizal association promotes beneficial effects when inoculation is performed ex vitro and the best period for inoculation of physic nut seedlings is in the beginning of acclimatization, without in vitro rooting phase. Inoculation of physic nut with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi showed to be an important tool for micropropagated seedlings production. / O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito da inoculação do fungo micorrízico arbuscular (FMA), Glomus clarum, multiplicado monoxenicamente em raízes de cenoura transformadas, sobre o crescimento, a sobrevivência, a colonização micorrízica e o desenvolvimento radicular de plantas micropropagadas de pinhão-manso em diferentes estádios de enraizamento. A inoculação foi efetuada em condições in vitro e ex vitro. Plantas micropropagadas de pinhão-manso com 0, 14 ou 21 dias de permanência em meio de enraizamento, suplementado ou não com 1 mg L-1 de ácido indol-butírico (AIB), foram transferidas para substrato areia lavada:solo:vermiculita (1:1/2:1). O sistema in vitro utilizado permitiu o estabelecimento da associação micorrízica, mas não foi possível observar efeitos estimuladores da inoculação sobre o crescimento e desenvolvimento radicular das plantas. O tempo de permanência em meio de enraizamento e a adição de AIB também não afetaram o crescimento das plantas. No sistema ex vitro os efeitos estimuladores das micorrizas arbusculares foram evidenciados em todas as características relacionadas ao crescimento, com exceção da altura das plantas. As plantas que não foram submetidas à etapa de enraizamento mostraram crescimento semelhante ou superiores àquelas submetidas à etapa de enraizamento, independente da adição do AIB. As plantas inoculadas com G. clarum mostraram-se também eficientes na absorção de nutrientes, principalmente de fósforo. Pode-se concluir que os efeitos estimuladores das micorrizas arbusculares foram evidenciados quando foi realizada a inoculação ex vitro dessas plantas e que a melhor época de inoculação de J. curcas corresponde à fase de início da aclimatização, sem necessidade de passar pela fase de enraizamento in vitro. A inoculação com FMAs pode representar importante ferramenta para a produção de mudas micropropagadas de qualidade.

Land managers need to rapidly assess vegetation composition and bare ground to effectively evaluate, manage, and restore shrub steppe communities that have been encroached by pinyon and juniper (P-J) trees. A major part of this process is assessing where to apply mechanical and prescribed fire treatments to reduce fuel loads and maintain or restore sagebrush steppe rangelands. Geospatial technologies, particularly remote sensing, offers an efficient option to assess rangelands across multiple spatial scales while reducing the need for ground-based sampling measurements. High-spatial resolution color-infrared imagery (0.06-m pixels) was acquired for sagebrush steppe communities invaded by P-J trees at five sites in Oregon, California, Nevada, and Utah with a Vexcel Ultra CamX digital camera in June/July 2009. In addition to untreated P-J woodlands, imagery was acquired over P-J woodlands where fuels were reduced by either prescribed fire, tree cutting, or mastication treatments. Ground measurements were simultaneously collected at each site in 2009 on 0.1-hectare subplots as part of the Sagebrush Steppe Treatment Evaluation Project (SageSTEP). We used Trimble eCognition Developer to 1) develop efficient methods to estimate land cover classes found in P-J woodlands; 2) determine the relationship between ground measurements and object-based image analysis (OBIA) land cover measurements for the following classes: trees (live, burned, cut, and masticated), shrubs, perennial herbaceous vegetation, litter (including annual species), and bare ground; and 3) evaluate eCognition rule-sets (models) across four spatial scales (subplot, site, region, and network) using untreated P-J woodland imagery. At the site scale, the overall accuracy of our thematic maps for untreated P-J woodlands was 84% with a kappa statistic of 0.80. For treatments, the overall accuracy and kappa statistic for prescribed fire was 85% and 0.81; cut and fell 82% and 0.77, and mastication 84% and 0.80, respectively, each indicating strong agreement between OBIA classification and ground measured data. Differences between mean cover estimates using OBIA and ground-measurements were not consistently higher or lower for any land cover class and when evaluated for individual sites, were within 5% of each other; all regional and network OBIA mean cover estimates were within 10% of the ground measurements. The trade-off for decreased precision over a larger area (region and network scale) may be useful to prioritize fuel-management strategies but will unlikely capture subtle shifts in understory plant communities that site and subplot spatial scales often capture. Although cover assessments from OBIA differed somewhat from ground measurements, they were accurate enough for many landscape-assessment applications such as evaluating treatment success and assessing the spatial distribution of fuels following fuel-reduction treatments on a site scale.

From the Proceedings of the 1971 Meetings of the Arizona Section - American Water Resources Assn. and the Hydrology Section - Arizona Academy of Science - April 22-23, 1971, Tempe, Arizona / The development of tree-ring chronology for bristlecone pine (Pinus aristata), stretching over 8,200 years, has been used to calibrate the radiocarbon time scale. An extensive deposit of driftwood in Stanton's cave in the grand canyon was estimated to have been deposited on the cave floor about 12,000 years ago on the basis of the 4,095-year radiocarbon age of a split-twig figurine on the surface of the cave floor. However, the initial driftwood specimen gave the surprising C-14 age of 35,000 years. A tree-ring dating study was therefore undertaken on driftwood in the grand canyon in order to: (1) evaluate the driftwood deposit in Stanton's cave; (2) provide a basis for interpreting c-14 dates from canyon archaeological sites; and (3) document a technique for deriving some concept of pre-dam hydrology, especially maximum high water levels. The percentage of dated specimens found indicated that the approach was feasible. A likely interpretation of the seemingly early c-14 dates at archaeological sites is that prehistoric man used old driftwood, as does modern man in the canyon. Tree-ring dates from wood above the pre-dam high water mark indicate that maximum 100-year flood evidence can be obtained.

The influence of soil water repellency (WR) on vegetation recovery after a fire is poorly understood. This dissertation presents strategies to broaden opportunities for enhanced post-fire rangeland restoration and monitoring of burned piñon and juniper (P-J) woodlands by: 1) mapping the extent and severity of critical and subcritical WR, 2) determining the influence of WR on soil ecohydrologic properties and revegetation success, and 3) evaluating the suitability of a wetting agent composed of alkylpolyglycoside-ethylene oxide/propylene oxide block copolymers as a post-fire restoration tool for ameliorating the effects of soil WR and increasing seedling establishment. Results indicate that: • Post-fire patterns of soil WR were highly correlated to pre-fire P-J woodland canopy structure. Critical soil WR levels occurred under burned tree canopies while sub-critical WR extended out to approximately two times the canopy radius. At sites where critical soil WR was present, infiltration rate, soil moisture, and vegetation cover were significantly less than at non-hydrophobic sites. These parameters were also reduced in soils with subcritical WR relative to non-hydrophobic soils (albeit to a lesser extent). Aerial photography coupled with feature extraction software and geographic information systems (GIS) proved to be an effective tool for mapping P-J cover and density, and for scaling-up field surveys of soil WR to the fire boundary scale. • Soil WR impairs seed germination and seedling establishment by decreasing soil moisture availability by reducing infiltration, decreasing soil moisture storage capacity, and disconnecting soil surface layers from underlying moisture reserves. Consequently, soil WR appears to be acting as a temporal ecological threshold by impairing establishment of desired species within the first few years after a fire. • Wetting agents can significantly improve ecohydrologic properties required for plant growth by overcoming soil WR; thus, increasing the amount and duration of available water for seed germination and seedling establishment. Success of this technology appears to be the result of the wetting agent increasing soil moisture amount and availability by 1) improving soil infiltration and water holding capacity; and 2) allowing seedling roots to connect to underling soil moisture reserves.

Human activities are increasing the occurrence of megafires that have the potential to alter the ecology of forest ecosystems. The objective of this study was to understand the impact of a 610 km2 megafire on patterns of forest regeneration and herbivory of three forest types (aspen/fir, oak/maple, and pinyon/juniper) within the burn scar. Sapling density, meristem removal, and height were measured across a transect network spanning the area of the burn scar over three years from 2019-2021. The network consisted of 17 burned/unburned transect pairs in adjacent burned/unburned forest stands (6 aspen/fir, 5 oak/maple, and 6 pinyon/juniper). Species that regenerated through sprouting generally responded positively to fire while regeneration from seed showed very little post-fire response. Browse pressure was concentrated on deciduous tree species and tended to be greater in burned areas but the effect diminished over time. Meristem removal of sprouting species was below the critical threshold resulting in positive vertical growth across years. Our results indicate that forest regeneration within the megafire scar was generally positive and experienced sustainable levels of ungulate browsing that are likely to result in forest recruitment success. Novel fire regimes are becoming increasingly common and megafires have burned across ecotonal boundaries across multiple forest types. Plant community structure and composition may be critically affected by changing fire regimes. Our objective was to investigate how a megafire that burned across multiple forest types impacted understory plant community assembly and biodiversity. Paired vegetation transects were installed in burned and unburned areas across aspen/fir, oak/maple, and pinyon/juniper forests within the 2018 Pole Creek Megafire burn scar. Percent cover of understory plants was measured in the summer of 2022 and plants were identified to the species level. Richness and diversity indices were then calculated and analyzed using mixed effects models. Fire decreased species richness of the aspen/fir forest understory and increased plant cover in pinyon/juniper forests, while not significantly impacting oak/maple understories. The significant effects of fire were largely driven by changes in forb species. Fire decreased the richness of native plants in aspen/fir forests but increased the richness of non-native plants in oak/maple and pinyon/juniper forests. Non-native plant abundance also increased in post-fire pinyon/juniper forests. Our results suggest that forest understory communities show variable responses to megafires that burn across multiple forest types with important implications for post-fire plant community structure, diversity, and invasibility. Large mammal herbivores (ungulates) are increasing in number and spreading into novel habitats throughout the world. Their impact on forest understory plant communities is strong and varies by herbivore, plant growth form, and season. The objective of this study was to determine the individual and collective herbivory impacts of native versus domestic ungulates on the understory plant community composition of post-fire aspen forests. Four-way fencing treatments were installed in 2012 to separate ungulate species, and Daubenmire frames were used to collect percent cover estimates for each understory plant species. Vegetation data were later used to calculate richness and diversity indices. Total understory plant cover, richness, and diversity were not significantly impacted by the herbivory fencing treatment. However, woody plant species' percent cover was 90% greater in full ungulate exclusion plots than in the fenceless controls. Herbivores likely targeted woody plant species due to their high nutrient levels that last longer into the winter than those of forb or graminoid species. Herbivory treatment did not affect non-native species. Our results indicate that herbivore fencing can protect forest understory plant communities, particularly the woody species. Successful regeneration of woody species can benefit the diversity of the entire understory plant community and preserve forest structure.

Compósitos verdes são caracterizados por possuir matriz polimérica e reforço derivado de fontes naturais. Polímeros derivados do petróleo não são biodegradáveis e possuem solventes orgânicos na sua composição. Solventes orgânicos são tóxicos e poluentes. A poliuretana derivada do óleo de mamona é derivada de fonte renovável, biodegradável e não possui solventes orgânicos em sua composição. A casca de pinhão é um resíduo do pinhão, semente do pinheiro de Paraná. O objetivo desse trabalho é desenvolver e caracterizar o compósito de casca de pinhão com PU derivada do óleo de mamona. A fibra foi caracterizada quimicamente, por FTIR, TGA e MEV. A PU foi caracterizada por ensaio de resistência à flexão, FTIR e TGA e os compósitos, por testes de densidade, absorção de água, inchamento em espessura, resistência à flexão de três pontos, FTIR e TGA. A superfície da fratura foi avaliada por MEV e a homogeneidade dos compósitos por perfil de densidade e raios-X. O compósito de 35%PU apresentou resistência à flexão de 51,55 MPa, densidade de 1018 kg/m³, absorção de água em 24 horas de 7,95% e inchamento em espessura em 24 horas de 5,36%. O material apresenta propriedades mecânicas apropriadas para uso em mobiliário e artesanato. / Polymeric composites reinforced with natural fibers are denominated green composites. Polymers comes from petroleum source, a non-biodegradable material and has volatile organic compounds, VOC, in its composition. Organic solvent are toxics and pollute the environment. The Polyurethane derived from castor oil is polymer produced from renewable sources, biodegradable material and there are no VOC in its composition. Araucária pine nut shell is a residue from its Araucaria pine seed. The aim of this work is to develop and characterize composites of pine nut shell with polyurethane derived from castor oil. The fiber was chemically characterized, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). PU was characterized by flexural strength, FTIR and TGA and composites was characterizes by density test, water absorption and swelling in thickness, flexural strength, FTIR, TGA. SEM evaluated the fracture surface and X-ray and vertical density profile verified the composites homogeneity. 35%PU composites presented flexural strength of 51,55 MPa, density of 1018 kg/m³, 7,95% of 24h water absorption and 5,36% of 24h swelling in thickness of. The material exhibits properties suitable for use in furniture and handicrafts.