Master of Science (MS), Wright State University, 2021, Earth and Environmental Sciences

The non-native invasive shrub Amur honeysuckle, Lonicera maackii (Rupr.) Herder (Gorchov and Trisel, 2003), is one of the most prolific invasive plant species across Midwestern and Northeastern landscapes of the United States. The locations of 2,095 individual Amur honeysuckle stems were geolocated using handheld GPS units in the understory of mixed growth forests at two study sites located approximately 5 km apart in northwestern Greene County, OH. Each site has undergone different levels of anthropogenic disturbance through time. The stem position data was used to measure the spatial clumping distribution and the density of Amur honeysuckle. The spatial clumping of Amur honeysuckle stems was measured using the fractal box counting method at each study site without regard for streams, trails, or elevation. The density of Amur honeysuckle (number of stems per square meter) was measured in zones as a function of the horizontal distance perpendicular to the edge of streams, trails, and within elevation (area between contour lines). Amur honeysuckle density is found to be uncorrelated with its proximity to streams, trails, and elevation. The density of Amur honeysuckle as a function of distance from streams and trails does not reveal an edge effect. The fractal dimension (scaling exponent) was computed to be ~1.5 at each of the two sites which means that the spatial clustering is the same for actively managed (partial Amur honeysuckle removal) and unmanaged sites. These results suggest that the invasion potential of Amur honeysuckle is robust, and its distribution may not be constrained in riparian forests by the variables included in this study.

Committee: Christopher Barton Ph.D. (Advisor); David Peterman Ph.D. (Committee Member); Ryan McEwan Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Biology; Earth; Ecology; Environmental Science

Master of Environmental Science, Miami University, 2009, Environmental Sciences

Working in conjunction with Five Rivers MetroParks, I developed a potential trail layout with optional educational destinations for the Great Miami Mitigation Bank. The feasibility study took AASHTO shared use path guidelines, physical site characteristics, professional opinions, and observational study into account. A funding guide consisting of twenty different financial options was also created to assist Five Rivers MetroParks efforts toward park financing. A packet of deliverables consisting of two final maps, a disk of model park photos, a flash drive of GIS data, and two copies of the funding guide was delivered to Five Rivers MetroParks to be used at their discretion on August 7, 2008.

Committee: Dr. Sandra Woy-Hazleton PhD (Committee Chair); Dr. James Rubenstein PhD (Committee Member); Dr. David Prytherch PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Environmental Science