The hypothesis that habitat restoration will provide for community reestablishment and the creation of habitat heterogeneity was examined with regards to the herpetofauna of longleaf pine sandhills in northwest Florida. The herpetofaunal response to restoration was examined in fire-suppressed, hardwood-dominated areas treated with (1) spring fire; (2) felling or girdling; or (3) a granular form...

UNLABELLED PREMISE OF THE STUDY Effects of drought stress and media type interactions on growth of Pinus ponderosa var. scopulorum germinants were investigated. • METHODS AND RESULTS Soil properties and growth responses under drought were compared across four growth media types: two native soils (dolomitic limestone and granite), a soil-less industry standard conifer medium, and a custom-m...

• The primary objective of this study was to determine if gradually increasing levels of atmospheric CO 2 , as opposed to ‘step’ increases commonly employed in controlled studies, have a positive impact on radial growth rates of ponderosa pine ( Pinus ponderosa ) in natural environments, and to determine the spatial extent and variability of this growth enhancement. • We developed a series of t...

Question: How are the effects of mineral soil properties on understory plant species richness propagated through a network of processes involving the forest overstory, soil organic matter, soil nitrogen, and understory plant abundance? Location: North-central Arizona, USA. Methods: We sampled 75 0.05-ha plots across a broad soil gradient in a Pinus ponderosa (ponderosa pine) forest ecosystem. W...

The primary objective of this study was to determine if gradually increasing levels of atmospheric CO2, as opposed to 'step' increases commonly employed in controlled studies, have a positive impact on radial growth rates of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) in natural environments, and to determine the spatial extent and variability of this growth enhancement. We developed a series of tree-ring...

Recent research demonstrates how the occurrence of a preemptive competitor (Tamiasciurus) gives rise to a geographic mosaic of coevolution for crossbills (Loxia) and conifers. We extend these studies by examining ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa), which produces more variable annual seed crops than the conifers in previous studies and often cooccurs with tree squirrels in the genus Sciurus that ...

Alterations in under-canopy resource availability associated with elevated ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl.) abundance can negatively influence understory vegetation. Experimental evidence linking under-canopy resource availability and understory vegetation is scarce. Yet this information would be beneficial in developing management strategies to recover desired understory species. We tes...

Lindgren funnel traps baited with aggregation pheromones are widely used to monitor and manage populations of economically important bark beetles (Coleoptera: Scolytidae). This study was designed to advance our understanding of how funnel trap catches assess bark beetle communities and relative abundance of individual species. In the second year (2005) of a 3-yr study of the bark beetle communi...

We examined forest structure, tree recruitment, and spatial pattern over a 130-year period on cinder soils in northern Arizona. Data were collected from a 3.24 ha permanent, stem-mapped plot established in 1909. This site is unique in that it represents ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Laws. var. scopulorum Engelm.) growing on black cinder soils, which are of limited extent in the Southwest. Tre...

Fuel-reduction/forest restoration treatments that consist of thinning followed by prescribed burning are becoming increasingly important land management actions that likely affect various wildlife species. To assess potential effects on bark-gleaning birds, we compared the foraging patterns of five cavity-nesting species in thinned and burned ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forest sites and co...