MFA, Kent State University, 2018, College of Communication and Information / School of Visual Communication Design

With low Millennial visitation rates to Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP), this study set out to employ design thinking to explore the surrounding cities' Millennial generation. This was to aid in evaluating and understanding how and in what ways CVNP could better connect with this target audience. Secondary and primary research created an abundance of Young Millennial data. This information was then used to find potential inclusion tactics, as well as to communicate strategies for building and strengthening CVNP's relevancy with this demographic. Young Millennial data reflected how the lack of audience segmentation negatively affected CVNP's Millennial visitation rate within the park. After discovering what CVNP's greatest needs and desires were, further insight directed development of a segmented social media marketing strategy and visual guide. The solutions served as successful functional tools, adequate for aiding toward building relevant content, choosing appropriate distribution channels, analyzing metrics and implementing creative tactics toward virality. Using the iterative design thinking process of inspiration, synthesis, ideation and implementation proved to successfully guide in acquiring crucial Young Millennial data, as well as creating a progressive solution aimed at bridging audience segmentation gaps.

Committee: Sanda Katila (Advisor); Jessica Barness (Committee Member); Danielle Coombs (Committee Member); Ken Visocky O’Grady (Committee Member) Subjects: Communication; Design; Environmental Management; Marketing; Recreation

Bachelor of Arts (BA), Ohio University, 2023, Environmental Studies

This paper compares the process and outcomes from the reclassification of Carlsbad Caverns and White Sands from national monuments to national parks. Carlsbad was initially established as a national monument in 1923 and then redesignated as a national park in 1930. White Sands, however, was created as a national monument in 1933, but did not obtain national park status until 2019. This article reconstructs the sequence of events and decisions that led to the creation and redesignation of these two National Park Service (NPS) units, paying close attention to the significant difference in time separating their establishment as national monuments and eventual redesignation to national parks. To accomplish this, historical data relevant to these NPS units was analyzed from the University of New Mexico and New Mexico State University archives, including congressional and gubernatorial records, newspaper accounts, and personal correspondences. Budget and visitation statistics for the parks are also included, where relevant, to highlight the tangible impacts of redesignation.

Committee: Geoffrey Buckley (Advisor) Subjects: Environmental Studies; Geography; History; Natural Resource Management

Bachelor of Science (BS), Ohio University, 2022, Journalism

Spread Out! is a podcast about the pandemic, the national parks and people's place in nature. Weaving together interviews with National Park Service employees and other experts, extensive research and the author's personal experience, each episode illustrates how visitors have both impacted and been impacted by national parks throughout the course of the pandemic. The four-part series visits parks from the Great Smoky Mountains to the Grand Canyon to Denali National Park, including an entire episode about the newest national park: New River Gorge. Outdoor recreation increased substantially during the initial stages of the pandemic and overall park service visitation has been growing consistently since 2016. Spread Out! discusses why these changes matter and how we can take better care of the parks – while squeezing in more than a few fun facts and stories along the way.

Committee: Geoffrey Buckley (Advisor); Bernhard Debatin (Advisor) Subjects: Environmental Studies; Journalism

Bachelor of Arts (BA), Ohio University, 2021, Geography

Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP), located in northeastern Ohio between Cleveland and Akron, attracts more than 2.2 million visitors annually (National Park Service 2020). The typical park visitor is white, highly educated, and older. Like many of the units in the National Park System, CVNP is failing to attract visitors who reflect the diversity of the United States. Drawing from archival data and interviews, this research takes a broad look at CVNP's efforts since the park's inception to attract and welcome diversity, with a focus on African American patrons. While the park's management has dedicated considerable time and resources to diversity, outreach, and inclusion programs, challenges remain.

Committee: Geoffrey Buckley (Advisor); Geoffrey Dabelko (Advisor) Subjects: Environmental Justice; Geography; Natural Resource Management; Sustainability; Urban Planning

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2007, Natural Resources

Natural areas around the world are being planned, designed and promoted as ecotourism destinations. International organizations such as the United Nations have advocated for sustainable development through sound environmental practices that include the implementation of tourism initiatives within protected natural areas. Though not universally endorsed as truly sustainable, ecotourism is being incorporated nonetheless into the development plans of many countries around the world. The management plan for the Central Balkan National Park (CBNP) in Bulgaria has called for ecotourism development within the park and surrounding communities. Protecting the biological integrity of natural areas within the park and successfully managing those same areas for ecotourism development requires congruency between the image that visitors have of the park as an ecotourism destination and the strategized image that the park planners have envisioned. Creating and managing an appropriate destination image is important for effective positioning of the park as an ecotourism site. This study examines the ecotourism destination image held by visitors to the CBNP and provides a baseline measurement and assessment of the CBNP's destination image. Purpose of the study was to describe the visitors to the park and to explore whether destination image is mediated by visitors' demographic profile and experience within the park. Specifically, the study explored the independent variables that might influence a visitor's evaluation of the park attributes defining destination image as an ecotourism site. The survey instrument was a questionnaire available in either the Bulgarian or English languages. Participants were convenienced sampled and participation was voluntary (n=195). Study results showed weak association between destination image and the independent variables investigated. Only visit frequency and salience of ecotourism attributes were found to be statistically significant. This suggests (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Ted Napier (Advisor) Subjects:

Master of Arts (MA), Ohio University, 2003, Geography (Arts and Sciences)

In January 1997 a 100-year flood destroyed buildings, campgrounds, roadways, and bridges in Yosemite Valley, the most visited part of Yosemite National Park. The advent of the flood gave park managers an opportunity to rethink the built environment of Yosemite and create a new approach to managing the park by drafting environmental plans and utilizing partnerships with cooperating associations. This thesis uses historical documents, current data, and illustrations to trace the management of Yosemite since it was founded in 1890. This study is the first to report on the growth of cooperating associations operating within the national park system, which originated in Yosemite. Over time, these associations have become more intimately involved with the operation of Yosemite. The study proves that without cooperating associations park staff cannot operate Yosemite National Park and serve the public according to the NPS mission statement as outlined by the 1916 Organic Act.

Committee: Geoff Buckley (Advisor) Subjects:

Master of Environmental Science, Miami University, 2013, Environmental Sciences

In fulfillment of the Masters of Environmental Sciences (M.En.) at Miami University, Ohio, I completed a seven month internship with the National Park Service (NPS) at Acadia National Park in Maine. I was able to participate in a wide variety of projects ranging from falcon and eagle banding to monitoring Common Loon nesting sites. All of the projects served to fulfill the NPS mission to preserve the parks natural beauty and wildlife for future generations.

Committee: David Russell PhD (Committee Chair); Robbyn Abbitt (Committee Member); Sandra Woy-Hazelton PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Environmental Science

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2019, Environmental Studies (Voinovich)

Canyonlands National Park was established in 1964 during a time of change in American recreation and for the National Park Service. The area proposed for inclusion in the park provided economic benefits to local Utahns via mineral extraction, hunting, and livestock grazing. Traditionally, national park designation would prohibit such uses, but the Canyonlands bills presented by Utah congressional delegates provided for continued multiple uses in the park. Supporters of the multiple-use concept cited increasing material and recreational needs for Americans and urged allowance of commercial development on protected lands. Preservationists refuted that all national parks would be jeopardized if Canyonlands National Park was established with provisions for multiple commercial uses. I analyzed 359 newspaper articles and nine congressional hearing testimonies, which revealed important themes including conflict between preservation and utilitarian values, state and local desires for autonomous land management and economic development, and the need for diversifying recreational opportunities offered by federal land management agencies. The story of establishing Canyonlands is illustrative of the pervasive challenges confronting many National Park Service units, especially those in the desert Southwest.

Committee: Geoff Buckley (Committee Chair); Geoff Dabelko (Committee Member); Steve Scanlan (Committee Member) Subjects: Environmental Studies; Geography; Natural Resource Management

Master of Arts (MA), Ohio University, 2010, Film (Fine Arts)

This article situates the three films of Park Chan-wook's, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002), Oldboy (2003), and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (2005) within recent South Korean history and offers a historicized analysis of the films' substantial use of violence. Through contextual analysis that looks to the films as well as the history and society that produced them, this article discovers that the violence is an allegorical tool which serves to convey social commentary pointed at the processes of democratization and capitalism in South Korea.

Committee: Louis-Georges Schwartz Ph.D (Committee Chair); Julie Turnock Ph.D (Committee Member); Michelle Brown Ph.D (Committee Member) Subjects: Fine Arts; Mass Media

BA, Oberlin College, 2006, History

The origins of America's national park movement lay in the intellectual and political milieu of the 19th century, when American artists, writers and politicians, conscious of a relatively short national history, longed for tangible symbols of a unique national identity. Historian Louis Warren argues, for example, that: "Whereas the English, French, and Italian peoples could point to ancient ruins, cathedrals that were hundreds of years old, and traditions of arts and letters that went back almost to the dawn of Christianity, American culture was, by comparison, very new. Many found the material to fill this gap in America's monumental landscapes, the huge mountains and the craggy peaks which dominated parts of the country, particularly in the West." Exactly, what ought to be done on a national scale to ensure the perpetuation of such landscapes remained debatable. The conservation movement, with its call for rational management of public lands, and the first national parks, Yellowstone and Yosemite, arose contemporaneously. The national park system grew rapidly; there were five national parks by the end of the 19th century and seventeen by the end of the second decade of the 20th century. My thesis traces the way in which the relationship between competing and intermixed spatial factors (public, private and sacred), expressed through the agency of individuals and groups, influenced the creation of two specific national parks in two distinct historical eras. I adopt a case study approach in my thesis so that I can examine the changing emphases and proportions of these factors historically. Tracing the histories of the creation of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) in 1934 and the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area (CVNRA) (now Cuyahoga Valley National Park) in 1974, I show how changing justifications for park creation and development reflect a shift from an emphasis on generalized Romantic views of nature, regional development and recreation primar (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Gary Kornblith (Advisor) Subjects: American History; Conservation; Environmental Management; Land Use Planning

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2005, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects:

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2023, Biological Sciences (Arts and Sciences)

Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes ) are a large-bodied, highly adaptable great ape species, characterized by remarkable across-and-within-population variation in habitat use, behavior, and feeding ecology. Chimpanzees are found across the forested mid-region of Africa, occupying a variety of habitat types, though they are frequently described as a rainforest-dwelling species (McGrew, 1979; Russak & McGrew, 2008). Research, however indicates that chimpanzees inhabit a wide range of ecotypes, such as primary and secondary moist lowland forests, swamp forests, submontane and montane forests, savanna woodlands, and occasionally farmland areas (Humle et al., 2016a; Russak & McGrew, 2008). A robust literature derives from chimpanzee field studies conducted in sites across Africa, documenting an array of site-specific strategies for everything from resource extraction to ranging patterns and even patterns of social interactions (Boesch, 2012; Goodall, 1986; Gruber et al., 2012; Herbinger et al., 2001; Matsuzawa et al., 2011; McGrew, 1983). It is thought that many of these behavioral and ecological differences reflect strategies specific to differences in resource availability on different landscapes (Chapman, Chapman, Ghai, et al., 2010; Chapman & Lambert, 2000; Koops, 2011; Krief et al., 2014; Potts, 2008; Potts et al., 2011; Watts et al., 2012). In this dissertation I investigate the interactions of behavior and ecology of a newly habituated chimpanzee community, the Buraiga community, in Kibale National Park in southwestern Uganda. The Buraiga community is estimated to number over 100 individuals, occupying the region with the largest remaining population of eastern chimpanzees, yet one experiencing unprecedented habitat loss due to human population expansion. I characterize habitats within the Buraiga community's range and assess resource availability within these habitats. I document the degree of habituation across Buraiga individuals, examining habitat and diet preferenc (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Nancy Stevens (Advisor); Sabrina Curran (Committee Member); Viorel Popescu (Committee Member); Susan Williams (Committee Member) Subjects: Animals; Behavioral Sciences; Biology; Conservation; Ecology; Geographic Information Science; Wildlife Conservation

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2022, Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology

Desert plant communities throughout the arid Southwest are being impacted by a rapidly changing climate. In the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts, severe drought, linked to global climate change, is causing widespread mortality of long-lived species. Biotic interactions, both competitive and facilitative, mediate plant responses to stressful conditions. Consequently, the spatial pattern of plants on the landscape, which determines the intensity of interactions between individuals, is a legacy of past conditions, a moderator of present drought mortality, and a driver of future community change. To better understand how interactions between adjacent individuals affects the rates of growth, survival, and mortality of desert shrubs in a changing climate, in Chapter One I investigated the spatial demography of the numerically dominant species, Ambrosia dumosa (Asteraceae), using a size and neighbor-classified matrix model parameterized with twenty years of data from a permanent one-hectare site in Joshua Tree National Park that spanned periods of historically average climate and extreme drought. I classified 9,215 Ambrosia individuals into six size classes and two neighbor states. Differences in the demography of isolated and neighbored population subsets of this species shifted with drought, illustrating how spatial pattern mediates the impact of climate change. High interannual and intra-annual variability in rainfall challenges desert shrub seedlings with a tradeoff between drought tolerance and competitive ability. I hypothesized that Ambrosia seedlings can acclimate to wetter or drier conditions by modifying their proportion of roots and leaves, based on early-life moisture cues. In Chapter Two I performed a greenhouse experiment to investigate how root/shoot allocation of Ambrosia was affected by variation in the timing of water availability. Seedlings received the same total quantity of water, differing only in the timing of water delivery. Seedlings lacking wa (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Maria Miriti (Advisor); Stephen Hovick (Committee Member); G. Matthew Davies (Committee Member); Elizabeth Marschall (Committee Member) Subjects: Biostatistics; Conservation; Demography; Ecology

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2022, Environment and Natural Resources

Western paradigms have long dominated natural resource management discourse. Since the advent of national parks in the United States (U.S.), the removal of Indigenous peoples from these spaces has led to a disregard of Indigenous Knowledge, lack of communication between Western and Indigenous stakeholders, and jurisdictional fragmentation of ecosystems. As other countries have welcomed and institutionalized the significance of Indigenous peoples and knowledge in natural resource management, it is unknown where the United States stands in attempts to reconcile Indigenous and Western ontologies. The purpose of this research, through boundary work theory and perspectives of collaborative management, is to examine the foundations of U.S. national parks' potential collaboration with Indigenous peoples using qualitative content analysis and multi value qualitative comparative analysis to code. Data originated from publicly available foundation documents, or general management plans published for the 2016 National Park Service Centennial. Though primarily informed by non-Indigenous perspectives, this research explores Western/Indigenous dichotomies, and, ultimately, how Indigenous interests can be better presented in U.S. natural resource management.

Committee: Alia Dietsch (Advisor); Matthew Hamilton (Committee Member); Jeremy Brooks (Committee Member) Subjects: Natural Resource Management

Master of Arts, University of Toledo, 2021, Geography

On February 15th, 2019, Indiana Dunes was elevated to the designation of a U.S. National Park. Along with this designation belongs the credo of the U.S. National Park Service, to conserve such places that are deem naturally, historically, or in so many words ecologically important by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations. In 2019, the water level in Lake Michigan was trending above the long term recorded average, and as a result several locations in the National Park sustained damage due to erosion and inundation. Current water levels are receding, but predictions suggest that fluctuations from low to high periods will becomes more frequent and more severe. Acknowledging that this may be a certain outcome, requires a great understanding of the shoreline morphology within the National Park, especially considering such namesake features as the shoreline dunes. This study uses LiDAR data from an era of below average to a period of elevated water level for five areas of interest within Indiana Dunes National Park, to categorize levels of change in the near shore and beach regions, as well as quantify metrics of beach width change. Resulting in several Areas of Interest containing mixed values of dune elevation loss with some gain. Importantly identifying that Mount Baldy and Central Avenue Beach have majorly experienced dune elevation loss where iv gains were not seen based on dune migration. Additional findings include the massive inundation of beach area and substantial loss of foredunes at Portage Beach and the token area of Beach width gain at Beverly Shores (East).

Committee: Patrick Lawrence (Committee Chair); Kevin Czajkowski (Committee Member); Ricky Becker (Committee Member) Subjects: Geography; Geomorphology; Remote Sensing

BS, Kent State University, 2021, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Biological Sciences

Mine reclamation practices under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1979 often resulted in minimal natural succession due to changes in soil physical characteristics. As part of the reclamation process, industrial rollers were used to compact the soil, and grasses were seeded to stop nutrient runoff and prevent further pollution downstream. Although this brought herbaceous plants back to the sites, the resulting soil conditions made it nearly impossible to grow larger woody plants due to high soil bulk density and an inability to spread roots. To counteract this problem, new methods are designed to reverse reclamation effects on soil bulk density by soil ripping - dragging large shanks sunk one meter into the ground in a 2x2 meter grid pattern, followed by tree-planting at rip intersections. To assess the effectiveness of soil ripping at two former mines managed by Cuyahoga Valley National Park, we measured near-surface and profile soil bulk density in non-ripped areas, within rips, and at cross-rips. Additionally, we measured soil pH, C:N ratio, and plant-available nutrients. The mines we studied showed higher bulk densities of surface soil in the rips than in the non-rips, in contrast to our expectations. However, at depths between 20cm and 60cm, the bulk densities were lower in the rips than in the non-rips. This suggests that, immediately after ripping, soils were lower in bulk density, but erosion washed fine clay particles into the surface of the rips. Soil chemistry differed after ripping, but only for some of the elements we measured. These short-term results are beneficial for determining the next steps of restoration at the reclaimed surface mines. We hope this ripping process will have a lasting positive effect on survival and growth of our trees.

Committee: Christopher Blackwood Ph.D. (Advisor); Anne Jefferson Ph.D. (Committee Member); Lauren Kinsman-Costello Ph.D. (Committee Member); Elda Hegmann Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Biogeochemistry; Biology; Ecology; Environmental Science; Geology

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2020, Arts and Sciences: Geography

The saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea [Engelm.] Britton and Rose) is a long-lived, columnar cactus and a keystone species in Sonoran Desert ecology. The saguaro is an iconic symbol of the U.S. American Southwest with a long and deep ethnobotanical history. In the northern Sonoran Desert, saguaro research is focused on two primary domains: the influence of climate on growth and reproduction and the anthropogenic impacts of human activity on the species and to the landscape. Saguaro growth and establishment are strongly influenced by the timing and amount of summer precipitation, and winter minimum temperature is an additional control. Anthropogenic historic land uses in the Southwest significantly altered ecosystem function and vegetation community type and structure throughout the region. Understanding the changes in community form and process provides a basis for ecological restoration. Saguaro National Park (SNP) is comprised of two districts on the east and west sides of Tucson, Arizona, and contains historic plots that have been monitored for more than 80 years. This dissertation utilizes some of the oldest demographic data available for the species to examine the physical geographic, anthropogenic, and climatic conditions and processes that affect saguaro growth and establishment at multiple spatial and temporal scales. The stratified plot-based approach utilized in this dissertation captures the response of the saguaro to climatic and landscape settings in different vegetational communities and across gradients of slope, aspect, and elevation within SNP. Additionally, much of the data collected for this dissertation are publicly available and serve as the latest snapshot in time of the saguaro population for the work of a next generation of researchers and public land stewards. This dissertation is presented in journal article format. Chapter 2 analyzes the demographic change over 75 years within a population of saguaros in an area of SNP that has a legacy o (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Nicholas Dunning Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Richard Beck Ph.D. (Committee Member); Kevin Raleigh Ph.D. (Committee Member); Vernon Scarborough Ph.D. (Committee Member); Susanna Tong Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Geography

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2020, Biological Sciences (Arts and Sciences)

There are inherent challenges to monitoring bat populations in the Rocky Mountain West of North America, due in part to the apparent scarcity of large hibernacula that facilitate population assessments via abundance counts, and to the expansive, difficult or impassable terrain that can thwart data-collection efforts. The use of bioacoustic monitoring equipment and techniques provides a viable option to overcome these challenges and to provide much needed and otherwise sparse population ecology data. The studies within the following chapters employ various acoustic monitoring strategies with the goals of providing baseline data on bat populations in Yellowstone National Park, comparing two popular acoustic survey frameworks, and tracking changes in bat activity patterns following habitat disturbance caused by wildfire. In an effort to provide baseline data on bat populations in Yellowstone, I deployed 32 ultrasonic acoustic bat detectors for single-season occupancy analysis coupled with per-night activity level assessments over the summer of 2018. This project design focused on identifying habitat characteristics that explain current distributions in occupancy and loci of activity. Habitats were selected for consideration based on their documented use by bats for foraging, roosting, and as water sources, and were represented on two spatial scales. This analysis produced results for habitat associations that were diverse and species-specific, emphasizing the disparate strategies and habitat requirements represented within the Yellowstone bat population at large. To compare the results of mobile acoustic transect and point station survey frameworks, I performed 12 acoustic transects in the summer of 2018. The resultant data was compared to a subset of sites deployed for the occupancy and analysis study selected for their proximity to transect routes. I found that point stations recorded significantly more bats and documented greater species richness than mobile (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Joseph Johnson (Advisor); Viorel Popescu (Committee Member); Willem Roosenburg (Committee Member) Subjects: Animal Diseases; Animal Sciences; Animals; Biology; Climate Change; Conservation; Ecology; Environmental Management; Environmental Science; Environmental Studies; Wildlife Conservation; Wildlife Management

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2019, Atmospheric Sciences

The arid, high-elevation regions of the American Southwest are home to critical water resources and numerous species of plants and animals. Understanding the climatological controls in these complex environments, especially in the face of a changing climate, is critical for future planning and mitigation. This research utilizes an innovative, high-resolution Embedded Sensor Network (ESN) to investigate small-scale climatological conditions in Great Basin National Park (GBNP). The ESN, put in place in 2006 and maintained for over a decade, is comprised of 29 Lascar sensors. These sensors log hourly observations of near-surface temperature, dewpoint and relative humidity at locations spanning multiple topographic, hydrological, and ecological gradients within the park. From a maximum altitude of ~4000 m atop Wheeler Peak, the sensor locations run along a multi-mountain ridgeline spanning ~2000 m vertically, follow along two watersheds, and encompass multiple ecological environments including sub-alpine forests, alpine lakes, sagebrush meadows, and a rock glacier. Using this long-term dataset, a preliminary climatology for GBNP has been developed and analyzed. From 2006 to 2018, GBNP experienced an average near-surface lapse rate of –5.81°C/km, 0.7°C weaker than the commonly accepted alpine lapse rate of –6.5°C/km. Results also indicate that, on average, daily minimum temperatures in GBNP have increased by 2.06°C over the last decade. Variability is present, both temporally and geographically, in average temperatures, ground lapse rates and diurnal temperature ranges. These results indicate that courser-scale weather stations, such as the Wheeler Peak SNOTEL site, alone cannot account for the small-scale variability found in GBNP. This study offers an alternative, low-cost methodology for observing long-term conditions in mountainous environments at fine resolutions. In upcoming decades, climate change may continue to alter conditions in GBNP. In a region with critical (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Bryan Mark (Advisor); Steven Quiring (Committee Member); James DeGrand (Committee Member) Subjects: Atmospheric Sciences; Climate Change; Earth; Meteorology; Physical Geography

MS, Kent State University, 2017, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Biological Sciences

An inventory of mammals in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Five methods were compared for their utility and their inherent biases including; Sherman trapping, pitfall trapping, raptor pellet analysis, camera trapping, and a roadkill survey. Camera and road methods were complimentary in surveying medium and large mammals, while Sherman trapping and pitfall trapping methods were complimentary for surveying small mammals. Raptor pellets were capable of detecting nearly all small mammal species. Microhabitat and macrohabitat preferences for small mammals were assessed and two common rodent species were found to be sympatric in middle successional stages (young forests). Microhabitat characteristics including canopy openness, herbaceous cover, and small woody stems were important for predicting presence of Microtus pennsylvanicus and Peromyscus leucopus. Method assessments and identified data gaps will be useful for future inventories.

Committee: Oscar Rocha (Advisor); Patrick Lorch (Committee Member); Mark Kershner (Committee Member) Subjects: Biology; Ecology