ScholarWorks

ScholarWorks is an open access repository for the capture of the intellectual work of Montana State University (MSU) in support of its teaching, research and service missions. MSU ScholarWorks is a central point of discovery for accessing, collecting, sharing, preserving, and distributing knowledge to the Montana State University community and the world.

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Scholarship & Research

Recent Submissions

Wildfire Severity and Post-Fire Treefall Dynamics: Insights from Long-Term Trail Crew Records in the Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness
(2025-12)
Smith, Amelia Blair
Wildfire severity and frequency are increasing across the Northern Rockies, reshaping forest structure and management needs in wilderness landscapes. When fires cause extensive tree mortality, treefall can obstruct trail systems for years, creating sustained maintenance challenges where the use of mechanized tools is prohibited. Therefore, in this study I use long-term U.S. Forest Service trail crew records from the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness in Montana to quantify post-fire treefall dynamics and evaluate their relationship to burn severity, vegetation type and density, and topographic setting. Trail logs from three study areas serve as the basis for analysis: the Anderson Ridge Trail (Wicked Creek Fire, 2007), the Wallace Pass and Passage Creek Trails (Passage Falls and Wicked Creek Fires, 2006 and 2007), and the South Fork Deep Creek Trail (Pine Creek Fire, 2012). I standardize these records for trail length and maintenance interval to produce annualized treefall rates. I then integrate these data with spatial summaries from the Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity (MTBS) project, Landsat-derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), LANDFIRE Existing Vegetation Type (EVT), and U.S. Geological Survey digital elevation models (DEM). Treefall rates increase sharply following fire across all study areas, with sustained onsets detected within five to seven years after fire and peaks occurring ten to thirteen years after fire. Across these sites, the timing and magnitude of post-fire increases generally track burn severity and canopy loss, while topographic factors show limited influence. High-severity burns with large NDVI declines tend to experience faster and more concentrated treefall, whereas mixed-severity burns exhibit slower, more prolonged responses. These results suggest that trail-crew records can capture meaningful patterns of post-fire snag fall and forest change in remote wilderness areas. By linking operational maintenance data with satellite-derived fire and vegetation metrics, this study demonstrates a transferable approach for anticipating long-term trail-clearing needs and informing wilderness management after fire.
Engineering Ecosystems: The Role of Bison in Montana’s Northern Great Plains
(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 2025-12)
Skartved, Ashley Maire
;
Felton, Andrew J.
The American bison (Bison bison, hereafter referred to as bison) was rapidly extirpated in North America during the 19th century. The ecological impact of removing and replacing bison, a large native herbivore, with non-native livestock remains uncertain across their historical range.The ecological impacts of bison rewilding have not been well studied in Northern Great Plains mixed grass prairies. Therefore, to assess the effects of bison behaviors on plants and soils, namely grazing and wallowing, I surveyed plant communities and collected soil samples during the 2023, 2024, and 2025 growing seasons in northeastern Montana prairies. I investigated the effects of bison grazing on plant community composition and aboveground biomass due to selective grazing pressures. I hypothesized that bison wallowing behaviors will alter plant biodiversity and species richness along a spatial and temporal disturbance gradient aligning with the Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis (IDH). Additionally, I hypothesized that the effects of bison grazing on plant communities would increase plant diversity and species richness in areas with greater grazing activity. Physical and chemical soil properties were further expected to bealtered along a disturbance gradient due to trampling and urine/feces deposition at the wallow site. Results indicate that the intensity of bison use was a strong driver of plant community composition or aboveground biomass, but only in areas of recent (<1 year) reintroduction. Although bison wallowing effects were strongest at the wallow’s center, the effect decreased farther away from the wallow’s center. Time within the plant growing season was found to be a stronger driver of plant biodiversity and species richness than wallowing disturbance effects.Physical soil properties, such as bulk density, were dependent upon the location within the wallow, indicating a disturbance effect. Achieving restoration objectives through bison rewilding is dependent on ecosystem traits and local management practices. Policy decisions influence the implementation of rewilding bison in North America.
A Review and Analysis of Noise Levels and Artificial Light Disturbances from Motorsport Events on Wildlife
(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 2025-12)
Kindle, Haven Raine
;
Powell, Scott L.
Motorsport is a growing automotive sector continuously expanding during a time when human activities are increasing noise and light pollution. Anthropogenic noise and artificial light at night can alter an animal’s behavior, communication, and physiology. However, research on the impact of anthropogenic noise and artificial light from motorsport on local wildlife is limited. Therefore, my goal was to provide a critical analysis of the effect of anthropogenic noise and artificial light at night from motorsport events on wildlife. I accomplished this goal through a literature review and two case studies on Albert Park in Melbourne, Australia, and the Singapore Grand Prix. I then synthesized published evidence of wildlife responses to light and noise with motorsport noise and lighting data through a discussion to draw conclusions about the effect of motorsport on wildlife. I found that although motorsport is not a sector as large as other sporting industries or other transportation industries such as aviation, the noise level and light intensity are far higher. The noise level and artificial light emitted from motorsport exceeds the minimum level for behavioral and physiological responses in terrestrial wildlife and it is highly likely that surrounding wildlife exhibit behavioral and physiological responses, though responses may vary by species. It is crucial to increase research efforts that address knowledge gaps associated with motorsport’s impact on wildlife. The variability among circuit types, locations, and racing categories makes definitive research on the overall impact of motorsport on wildlife difficult, however this variability can be overcome by integrative track-specific research focused on the surrounding wildlife and habitat at each venue.
Importance of Site Preparation and Prescribed Fire on Tallgrass Prairie Reconstructions
(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 2025-12)
Crownhart, Rachel Ann
Prairie ecosystems have experienced dramatic declines in species diversity due to habitat loss, the introduction of invasive species, and the suppression of fire. Historically, fire was a key ecological process in shaping the tallgrass prairie, promoting the dominance of native grasses and forbs while preventing the spread of woody vegetation. Without fire, many prairies shift toward lower biodiversity, with invasive plants such as smooth brome (Bromus inermis) and Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) outcompeting native species like big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) and Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans). My study addresses the importance of site preparation in prairie reconstructions, and how fire can be used to maintain these ecosystems and reduce non-native species abundance. I analyzed field data from prairie reconstructions on the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community land. Vegetation surveys were conducted on prairies where prescribed fire was used as a management tool. Total number of species and their abundance were recorded before and after the burn to compare native species regeneration andchanges in diversity. These data were compared against prairies where no management took place between vegetation surveys. Species richness and alpha diversity were stable or slightly declined in the unburned prairies and increased in the burned prairies. Contrary to expectations, the percentage of native species decreased moderately in both the burned and unburned prairies. This pattern suggests that something beyond the fire treatment is shaping community composition, possibly drought stress, pressure from disturbance-tolerant species, or larger landscape-level shifts that neither treatment could fully counteract. A similar trend appears in the changes in overall plant height, reinforcing the idea that broader environmental factors were likely driving vegetation responses during this period.
International Effects and Impacts of Selenium, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus on the Kootenai River System
(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 2025-12)
Cochran, Fay R.
;
Kleindl, William J.
The Kootenai River watershed, a transboundary system shared between British Columbia (Canada) and Montana and Idaho (United States), has been increasingly affected by nutrient and selenium pollution associated with historic and ongoing coal mining in the Elk River Valley. Elevated concentrations of selenium, nitrogen, and phosphorus have raised both ecological and policy concerns within this transboundary system. Therefore, my study analyzed nutrient and pollutant data collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) from 2019 to 2023 at three sampling sites: the Kootenai River below Libby Dam, near Libby, Montana; the Fisher River, near Libby, Montana; and the Yaak River, near Troy, Montana. I evaluated pollution trends of spatial and temporal nutrient loading patterns with simple linear regressions and single-factor ANOVA. My results indicate that the Kootenai River below Libby Dam exhibited the highest frequency and concentration of selenium samples, indicating upstream and dam-related influences. The Yaak River sampling site showed limited nutrient activity reflecting low monitoring effort on some monitoring stations and reduced anthropogenic impacts. Across the sampling sites, selenium was recorded more than the nitrogen and phosphorus, highlighting policy significance and the ongoing impacts of coal mining discharges entering Lake Koocanusa. Overall, my analysis supports the conclusion that selenium remains the most persistent transboundary pollutant of concern. Nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations suggest potential for trophic shifts toward mesotrophic or eutrophic conditions. Effective long-term management of the Kootenai watershed will require coordination between the governments of the United States and Canada. This includes stable USGS funding for consistent monitoring and policies that address both mining and agricultural nutrient pollution within the transboundary Kootenai watershed