Thesis (Ph. D.)--Oregon State University, 1990. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the World Wide Web.

Thesis (M.S.)--Marshall University, 2008. / Title from document title page. Includes abstract. Document formatted into pages: contains 64 p. : ill. Includes bibliographical references (p. 60-64).

Thesis (MS)--Montana State University--Bozeman, 2009. / Typescript. Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Gary Brester. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 57-60).

Photocopy of typescript. / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

Many species of wildlife use roadside vegetation as habitat. The ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) utilizes roadsides for all types of cover. Because pheasants are nonmigratory and generally live their entire lives within a 1- to 2-mile radius, pheasants are excellent indicator species to predict both quantity and quality of roadside wildlife habitat. Pheasants were introduced to Utah in the late 1800's. Populations climbed until pheasant habitat occupied 2-4 percent of the total land area in Utah. Populations began to decrease in the 1950's. Since 1962, pheasant populations in Cache County, Utah have dropped 2.71 percent annually. Experts believe the decline in pheasants is directly related to decreased habitat. They attribute the decrease to land use changes. Cache County roadsides currently support 3,643 acres of wildlife habitat and have the potential to support over 15,000 acres. To evaluate roadside habitat in Cache County, a roadside vegetation inventory was conducted. This was done by conducting a windshield survey of Cache County roadsides in agricultural areas. Next, vegetation density was measured along roadside transects using a Daubenmire frame and vertical profile board. The results showed Cache County roadsides did not support quality wildlife habitat. The exception was wetlands that contained significant stands of cattail. The evaluation found current maintenance practices of mowing and spraying roadside vegetation has degraded the plant communities and created dense monocultures of a few grass species. A questionnaire was completed by county weed supervisors throughout the state of Utah as well as Utah Department of Transportation personnel and other people associated with the managment of roadside vegetation. The questionnaire provided information about current roadside maintenance practices and attitudes. As a result of the roadside vegetation data and the questionnaire, the study determined that healthier roadside plant communities are possible if current maintenance practices and standards are modified. These modifications should include 1) spot spraying herbicide to eradicate weed species, 2) mowing only 10% of the right-of-way, which will provide more residual nesting cover in the unmowed areas, and 3) allowing woody vegetation along the backs! ope of ditches and other areas where motorist safety is not compromised. By modifying maintenance practices and implementing diverse seed mixes, roadside plant communities will support quality wildlife habitat.

The purpose of this creative project was to derive and present recommendations for the reclamation of an Indiana sand, gravel, and stone quarry from barren land to productive wildlife habitat. Existing knowledge and technology in the fields of wildlife ecology and land reclamation were explored and applied to a case study site near Muncie, Indiana. The component features of good wildlife habitat were defined, and methods of analyzing the site for habitat quality were devised. Strategies for creating optimum conditions for wildlife on a site devastated by aggregate mining were developed. The final product of the study was a site plan showing recommended development for productive floral and faunal communities. All methods, processes, and decisions were documented in written and graphic form. / Department of Landscape Architecture

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Tennessee, 2007. / Cover title. Includes bibliographical references. Also available via Internet.

As urbanization grows wildlife habitat is displaced and fragmented. Vegetative roofs offer an innovative alternative to provide animal food and habitat in urban environments. This research study investigates how wildlife needs in a green roof ecosystem are interpreted through children’s visual perception. A visual preference survey was administered to fourth-grade students in Starkville, Mississippi which offered paired photographs displaying basic vertebrate and invertebrate needs. The responses from 85 students (n=85) were compared to identify preferences for legible habitat components. The results of this survey showed that fourth-grade students could readily identify the basic habitat needs for birds but were less able to with insects. Students were intrigued with utilizing a green roof for learning and play. Green roofs have potential to be designed as innovative teaching tools to enhance science education in K-12 schools.

The effects of two forms of mid-rotation release on thinned, fertilized loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) plantations in Virginia were examined: aerial imazapyr and basal triclopyr application. Imazapyr measurement plots were installed in nine Piedmont and twelve Coastal Plain plantations operationally released with imazapyr, and triclopyr measurement plots were installed within a controlled fertilization/release study spanning both regions. No differences in volume were detected following triclopyr release. All release dates combined, Piedmont released areas averaged 0.06 m3/tree (18%) greater than the control and Coastal Plain released areas averaged 0.05 m3/tree (14%) greater than the control. Reductions in hardwood basal area, stem density, and shrub stratum cover were observed for both forms of release. Reductions in shrub stratum richness and diversity were also documented for imazapyr release; however, trends indicate that richness and diversity, as well as stem density and shrub stratum cover, may recover to pre-treatment levels. Herbaceous vegetation was increased on triclopyr sites, which was reflected in an elevated turkey (Meleagris gallopavo sylvestris L.) food/brood index. Following imazapyr release, habitat suitability index (HSI) values for pine warblers (Dendroica pinus L.) and black-capped chickadees (Parus atricapillus L.) increased due to reductions in canopy hardwoods and increases in snags. Reduced shrub stratum density resulted in a lower bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus L.) cover index on imazapyr-released areas. / Master of Science

Knowledge of land cover is important in a variety of natural resources applications. This knowledge becomes more powerful within the spatial analysis capabilities of a geographic information system (GIS). This thesis presents a digital land cover map of Virginia, produced through interpretation of 14 Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) scenes, circa 1991-1993. The land cover map, which has a 30m pixel size, was produced entirely with personal computers. Hypercluster aggregation, an unsupervised classification method, was used when hazy and mountainous conditions were not present. A haze correction procedure by Lavreau (1991) was used, followed by a supervised classification on coastal areas. An enhanced supervised classification, focusing on topographic shading, was performed in the mountains. Color infrared photographs, digital maplets, expert knowledge, and other maps were used as training data. Aerial videography transects were flown to acquire reference data. Due to the spatial inaccuracies inherent in the videography reference data, only homogeneous land cover areas were used in the accuracy assessment. The results of the overall accuracy for each scene determined the ordering of scenes within the statewide land cover mosaic (i.e., scenes with higher accuracy had a higher proportion of area represented). An accuracy assessment was then performed on the statewide land cover mosaic. An overall accuracy of 81.8% and a Kappa statistic of 0.81 resulted. A discussion of potential reasons for land cover class confusion and suggestions for classification improvements are presented. Overall deciduous forest was the most common land cover in Virginia. Herbaceous areas accounted for 20% of the land area, which was the second largest. Mixed forest and coastal wetlands were the cover types with the least area, each under 3%. / Master of Science