Treesearch

Cellulose nanofibril (CNF) and epoxy nanocomposites with high visible light transmittance and low watersensitivity were manufactured by laminating thin layers of epoxy resin onto CNF films prepared through,pressurized filtration in combination with oven drying. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) studiessuggest that the resin component bonded to the CNF substrate well. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM)observation reveals that the resin lamination led to smoother film surface, which helped enhance UV–vistransmittance. The addition of epoxy resin had little effect on the static and dynamic...

In the semi-arid Loess Plateau of China, black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) was widely planted for soil conservation and afforestation purposes during the past three decades. Investigating biophysical controls on canopy transpiration (Ec) of the plantations is essential to understanding the effects of afforestation on watershed hydrology and regional water resources. In addition to monitoring of micrometeorology and soil water content, sap flux densities (Fd) of six representative trees in a 27-year stand were continuously measured using thermal dissipation probes during the growing...

The combined effects of herbivory and water stress on growth and reproduction of mile-a-minute weed (Persicaria perfoliata (L.) H. Gross) were investigated in greenhouse trials over two years, with well-watered or water-limited plants either exposed or not exposed to herbivory by the mile-a-minute weevil (Rhinoncomimus latipes Korotyaev). Moisture limitation and weevil herbivory significantly reduced the number of seeds produced by P. perfoliata, with the fewest seeds produced when both factors were present. Seed weight was reduced by moisture limitation and weevil herbivory the second...

Cerambycid beetles are abundant and diverse in forests, but much about their host relationships and adult behavior remains unknown. Generic blends of synthetic pheromones were used as lures in traps, to assess the species richness, and phenology of cerambycids in forest fragments in northern Delaware. More than 15,000 cerambycid beetles of 69 species were trapped over 2 yr. Activity periods were similar to those found in previous studies, but many species were active 1–3 wk earlier in 2012 than in 2013, probably owing to warmer spring temperatures that year. In 2012, the blends were tested...

Food and nutrient limitation can have negative effects on survival, fecundity, and lifetime fitness of individuals, which can ultimately limit populations. Changes in trophic dynamics and diet patterns, affected by anthropogenic environmental and landscape change, are poorly understood yet may play an important role in population regulation. We determined diets of Wood Thrushes (Hylocichla mustelina), a Neotropical migratory songbird species sensitive to urbanization, and explored how brood parasitism by Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater) may be related to Wood Thrush nestling diets....

Sites containing winter browse species utilized by moose on the Copper River Delta of south-central Alaska were mechanically treated (hydraulic-axed) to counteract possible earthquake related increases in less-preferred forage species, and to measure treatment effects on biomass, height, nutritional quality (crude protein, lignin, and tannin), utilization, and snow burial on preferred (willow [Salix spp.]) and less-preferred forage species (sweetgale [Myrica gale], cottonwood [Populus trichocarpa], and alder [Alnus viridis sinuata]) within 3 winter scenarios (mild, moderate, and severe)....

Managing forest lands for the sustainability of ecosystem functions and services by developing and implementing sound silvicultural methods through site-specific practices is a core concept in ecosystem management. In this study, we used long-term data collected at the extensive plots of the Missouri Forest Ecosystem Project (MOFEP) in the southeastern Missouri Ozarks (USA) to study the changes in aboveground biomass (AGB) under three silvicultural treatments: even-aged management sites (EAM), uneven-aged management sites (UAM), and non-harvested management sites (NHM). Treatments changed...

Recent upward trends in acres irrigated have been linked to increasing near-surface moisture. Unfortunately, stations with dew point data for monitoring near-surface moisture are sparse. Thus, models that estimate dew points from more readily observed data sources are useful. Daily average dew temperatures were estimated and evaluated at 14 stations in Southwest Georgia using linear regression models and artificial neural networks (ANN). Estimation methods were drawn from simple and readily available meteorological observations, therefore only temperature and precipitation were considered...

While it is currently challenging to use prescribed burning in chaparral and other southwestern shrub fuel types due to many constraints, any such activities require smoke management planning. Information on fuels and emissions from chaparral were limited and based on older sampling systems. The DoD SERDP program funded a project to measure fuels and smoke emissions in the laboratory and field. In February 2009, 49 dry, compact fuel beds from six chaparral fuel types, two Emory oak fuel types, and masticated mesquite were burned at the Missoula Fire Sciences Lab and smoke emissions were...

Spatial distribution of forests relative to other habitats in a landscape may influence nest success of songbirds. For example, nest predation in mature forests increases as the percentage of clear-cut land in the surrounding matrix increases (Yahner and Scott 1988). Blake and Karr (1987) noted that birds breeding in forest fragments may incorporate adjacent habitats, such as second growth forests, into their territories. In the southeastern United States, many hardwood 48 THE ORIOLE vol. 80 • 3 – 4 forests exist as small stands in association with extensive pine forests, the dominant...