Theses and Dissertations at Montana State University (MSU)
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Item Snowshoe hare habitat use and silvicultural influences in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 2019) Kurzen, Mark Daniel; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Bok SowellSnowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) are the main prey base of the Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) and are an important food source for many forest carnivores. Snowshoe hare research in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is lacking and current research conclusions differ in regards to the types and ages of forests that snowshoe hares prefer. The US Forest Service has implemented limitations and prohibitions on silviculture in this area based on previous snowshoe hare studies. However, some research in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem suggests that regenerating lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) stands that are associated with silviculture benefit snowshoe hares. We implemented three snowshoe hare use indices in southwest Montana within a portion of the Custer-Gallatin National Forest during 1999-2012 to assess snowshoe hare use of forest cover types in Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Our study area was located in a designated US Forest Service timber management area where a history of silviculture has resulted in a heterogeneous landscape of multiple successional stages intermingled with other old growth stands. We analyzed 11 years of snowshoe hare pellet plot surveys using linear mixed models and AIC c model selection. Our results suggested that the understory conifer species was the best predictor of use and that the youngest two classes of regenerating lodgepole pine stands had the greatest snowshoe hare use. We analyzed 13 years of snowshoe hare track counts on roads within our study area using Chi-squared goodness-of-fit tests based on proportional road segment lengths and the associated cover types. We observed the greatest snowshoe hare habitat use in the youngest two classes of regenerating lodgepole pine stands. We live-trapped snowshoe hares for one winter in our study area and observed the greatest number of hares captured per night in the youngest lodgepole pine stands. The findings from our 13 year study suggest that snowshoe hare use was greatest in early successional lodgepole pine forests that were approximately 30-60 years old and associated with clear cutting and pre-commercial thinning.Item An evaluation of forest grazing in Saskatchewan(Montana State University - Bozeman, 1987) Fraser, Douglas Alexander; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Brian SindelarItem The effects of fire and grazing in the northern mixed-grass prairie : implications from the Pautre wildfire(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 2016) Gates, Emily Ann; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Clayton B. Marlow; Lance T. Vermeire, Clayton B. Marlow and Richard C. Waterman were co-authors of the article, 'Reconsidering rest following fire: northern mixed-grass prairie is resilient to spring wildfire and resistant to moderate post-fire grazing' submitted to the journal 'Rangeland ecology and management' which is contained within this thesis.; Lance T. Vermeire, Clayton B. Marlow and Richard C. Waterman were co-authors of the article, 'Season of post-fire defoliation: effects on biomass, community composition and ground cover' submitted to the journal 'Rangeland ecology and management' which is contained within this thesis.; Lance T. Vermeire, Clayton B. Marlow and Richard C. Waterman were co-authors of the article, 'Forage fiber digestibility dynamics in the northern mixed-grass prairie following spring wildfire' submitted to the journal 'Rangeland ecology and management' which is contained within this thesis.Current federal recommendations pertaining to the management of post-fire grazing on rangelands interrupts historic disturbance regimes of the North American prairies by indicating that fire and grazing should be separated by at least two growing seasons. In contrast, some scholars suggest that North American prairie evolved under a tight linkage of fire and proximate post-fire grazing and should be well adapted to these combined disturbances. The Pautre wildfire of April 2013 provided an opportunity to test the effects of post-fire grazing in the northern mixed-grass prairie. One grazing allotment, burned in its entirety, and three burned and nonburned sites spanning a north-south gradient of the fire perimeter were selected as study locations. The effects of grazing versus rest, defoliation during the first spring, summer, or fall following the fire on burned and nonburned sites and the effects of fire on forage fiber digestibility were tested. Sites grazed during the first two growing seasons following the fire were found to recover similarly to sites rested during that same time. In addition, defoliation during any season following the fire produced no negative effects when compared to nondefoliation. Increases in forage fiber digestibility peaked shortly after fire and were short-lived, diminishing by the following year. These results lend support to the theory that fire and grazing were historically linked disturbances throughout the evolution of the North American prairies, indicating that the federal recommendation of rest is unnecessary in at least the northern mixed-grass prairie ecoregion. Historic, evolutionary patterns of disturbances, such as fire and grazing, may be useful in determining the most appropriate post-fire management regimes for specific ecoregions.Item Comparison of three remote sensing techniques to measure biomass on CRP pastureland(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 2013) Porter, Tucker Fredrick; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Bok SowellBiomass from land enrolled into CRP is being considered as a biofuel feedstock source. For sustainable production, harvesting, and soil protection, technology is needed that can quickly, accurately and non-destructively measure biomass. Remote sensing of vegetation spectral responses, which tend to be highly responsive to changes in biomass, may provide a means for inexpensive, frequent, and non-destructive measurements of biomass at management relevant scales. A valuable resource for land managers would be a biomass measurement model that could non-destructively measure biomass at different phenological growth stages across multiple growing seasons. The objective of this study was to compare remote sensing-based biomass measurement models using the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and bandwise regression remote sensing techniques to determine which model best measures biomass at different phenological growth stages over multiple growing seasons on CRP pastureland in central Montana. Biomass and plant spectral response measurements were collected over the 2011 (n = 108) and 2012 (n = 108) growing seasons on an 8.1 ha CRP pasture. Measurements were stratified by phenological growth stage and growing season. Half of the data was used to build each measurement model and the other half was used to test the power of each model to measure biomass. Remote sensing-based biomass measurement models were constructed using NDVI measurements from an active ground-based sensor, NDVI measurements from Landsat images, and band combination measurements from Landsat images. All biomass measurement models showed no difference between actual and estimated biomass values (p-value > 0.05). The biomass measurement model using NDVI measurements from Landsat images had the smallest margin of difference between estimated biomass and actual biomass (22 kg/ha + or - 96 kg/ha), followed by the combination of individual spectral bands from Landsat images (128 kg/ha + or - 71 kg/ha), and NDVI measurements from a ground based sensor (182 kg/ha + or - 94 kg/ha). Results indicate remote sensing-based biomass measurement models are accurate at measuring biomass at different phenological growth stages across multiple growing seasons. Land managers can implement remote sensing-based biomass measurement models into their land management strategies to quickly, accurately, and non-destructively measure biomass across a landscape.Item The decline of a riparian gallery forest in Devils Tower, Wyoming : causation and management techniques for restoration(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 2013) Anderson, Jacob Michael; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Clayton B. MarlowDevils Tower National Monument, Wyoming, (DT) has experienced a decline in cottonwood recruitment along the Belle Fourche River, leaving the remaining riverine forest in danger of disappearing. The National Park Service has requested information about the mechanisms behind this decline and possible management methods that could be used to restore forests to the Belle Fourche riparian corridor. Previous research has indicated that cottonwood seedlings require flood-deposited sediments and high initial groundwater for survival. A dam located 12 miles upstream of Devils Tower could be impacting the recruitment success of cottonwoods because of a decrease in seasonal flooding. If this decline is due to factors that managers have little control over, other methods should be explored to increase the success of future restoration efforts. This case study examined the physical attributes of the Devils Tower riparian area in comparison to a healthy, functioning, riparian gallery forest located on the nearby Powder River (PR) to learn the complex mechanisms that help support and sustain these healthy riparian ecosystems. Soil field tests, cottonwood surveys, and measurements of local groundwater patterns were used to compare the two sites. To determine the restoration potential of cottonwood gallery forests at Devils Tower, planting trials were conducted to provide a methodology for greater seedling survival, testing effects of residual herbicide, species planted, preliminary soil preparation including disking, herbaceous understory control, and irrigation. We observed higher groundwater and greater cottonwood age class diversity at the Powder River site, in contrast to the DT site. At DT, tree health was significantly higher (p=.0003) with shallower groundwater. Tree mortality was highest among boxelder and bur oak in sites with deepest groundwater levels. At the same time, irrigation at economically feasible levels had no significant effect on tree survival. This research suggests that site potential for cottonwood re-establishment is poor along the Belle Fourche riparian corridor due to deep groundwater tables (1.7-2.2m) and regulated flow patterns with limited sediment delivery to the floodplain environment. A successional shift resulting from regulated streamflow conditions now favors green ash over any other species.Item Evaluating riparian health assessment methods for perennial streams in Montana(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 2005) Miller, Travis John; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Clayton B. Marlow.The purpose of this study was to evaluate current riparian assessment protocols and to determine if they reflect ecosystem function and/or water quality across large spatial scales, and are they congruent in their assessment of stream health. Objectives for this study include: 1) to compare three riparian assessment protocols in their agreement of evaluation of stream health, 2) to compare each protocol and a bank stability measure (Greenline) to a measure of aquatic macroinvertebrate diversity and richness, 3) to compare how well these protocols reflect water quality and instream conditions on perennial streams located in western and eastern Montana, and 4) determine how sensitive the protocols are to different geological provinces and water source. Five streams were located in western Montana where the water originated from high elevation snow pack. Five more streams were measured in eastern Montana with water originating from prairie springs. Aquatic macroinvertebrates and environmental parameters were measured along four reaches on each stream. All aquatic macroinvertebrates were keyed to family, and orders Ephemeroptera-Plecoptera-Trichoptera (EPT) were keyed to genera. Three lotic assessment protocols (Proper Functioning Condition (PFC), Riparian Assessment for Lotic systems (NRCS) and Stream Visual Assessment Protocol (SVAP)) were used at each of the reaches measured to assess riparian health. Following data analysis the Stream Visual Assessment Protocol (SVAP) was the only method that had a significant correlation with geological province and aquatic biotic integrity. The SVAP assessment could distinguish differences between western and eastern geological provinces (P < 0.01), reflected EPT diversity (R2 = 0.75), EPT richness (R2 = 0.87), and water quality (R2 = 0.80) better than the other methods. However, the PFC and NRCS assessment protocols were the most similar in stream health ratings (kappa = 0.52). Overall the SVAP most accurately reflected instream conditions across Montana. Only the SVAP reflected taxonomic distributions with a correlation coefficient > 0.90. Substrate composition, discharge (CFS), elevation, average annual precipitation, water quality, and glide habitat types were correlated (¡Ý 0.70) with macroinvertebrate taxonomic distribution and composition. Results of this study suggest that SVAP should be used when management goals are focused on perennial streams and whether or not those streams can support a particular fishery in Montana.Item Providing supplement, with or without peg, to reduce the effects of cnicin and enhance grazing of spotted knapweed by sheep and cattle(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 2006) Cheeseman, Melany; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Bret E. Olson.Spotted knapweed (Centaurea maculosa Lam.), an invasive forb from Eurasia, infests over 1.7 million hectares in Montana and costs millions of dollars in forage losses each year. Some wildlife and livestock graze this species, however, most large herbivores, including cattle and horses, avoid spotted knapweed and prefer native plants. Some herbivores may avoid or reduce their intake of spotted knapweed because the plant contains cnicin. Cnicin is a bitter-tasting sesquiterpene lactone that may cause negative post-ingestive consequences in the rumen. If an appropriate supplement and/or antitoxicant can be identified that will reduce the negative post-ingestive effects of cnicin to rumen microbes, sheep and cattle may consume more spotted knapweed and grazing may help control this invasive species. I determined the effects of cnicin, rates of an anti-toxicant (polyethylene glycol), and a nutrient/energy supplement, with or without polyethylene glycol, on sheep and cattle rumen microbial activity, efficiency, and mass using a modified in vitro system. Sheep and cattle rumen microbes were negatively affected by cnicin. Polyethylene glycol, at the rates provided, had limited effects on sheep and cattle rumen microbial response to spotted knapweed plant parts. The nutrient/energy supplement, with or without polyethylene glycol, enhanced sheep and cattle rumen microbial efficiency. Because the nutrient/energy supplement may reduce some of the negative effects of cnicin on rumen microbes, sheep and cattle may consume more spotted knapweed in the field when provided with the supplement. I hypothesized that providing a nutrient/energy supplement, with or without polyethylene glycol, would increase sheep and cattle intake and time spent consuming spotted knapweed in a drylot, and in the field in July and August. Animal behaviors were recorded by focal animal sampling. Providing a nutrient/energy supplement, with or without polyethylene glycol, did not enhance sheep and cattle intake or time spent consuming spotted knapweed in a drylot, or in the field in July and August. Therefore, supplementing sheep and cattle with the nutrient/energy supplement, with or without polyethylene glycol, provided in these trials, may not be an appropriate method for managing the spread of spotted knapweed.