Master of Landscape Architecture, The Ohio State University, 2013, Landscape Architecture

An increase in the understanding of anthropogenic impacts related to our waterways has spurred much interest in ecological stream restoration. Billions of dollars are entering this field as societal and regulatory pressures are exerted upon municipalities and developers. Research suggests that stream restoration projects only consider aesthetics and economic growth as key goals rather than thinking of how the stream functions holistically or ecologically. Additionally, research suggests that these funds are greatly misused, funding only stream restoration projects where space, politics, and infrastructure allow (Nilsson et al 2003, and Niezgoda and Johnson 2005). These projects cater toward a naturalized condition. A variety of techniques and strategies are deployed to achieve both project goals and objectives. These techniques and strategies support the notion of a naturalized stream condition through their effective use and aesthetics. Furthermore, research shows that goals and objectives for these projects can be lumped in to four main categories: bank stabilization, erosion control, stormwater management, and re-vegetation (Bernhardt and Palmer 2007). However, little is being done by way of research and design study in the most severely degraded portions of these streams—those that are concretized. The goal of this study is to show how restoration might occur in concretized waterways where a naturalized condition cannot fully accommodate the degree of changes and demands that have been placed on the watershed by urbanization. Objectives within this study focus on improvements to water quality and in-stream habitat as well as accessibility and connectivity for communities. Through the review of traditional stream restoration techniques, their hybridization, and deployment in concretized streams this project shows how a highly degraded stream condition can be augmented to perform similarly, ecologically, to its naturalized counterpart. A catalo (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Jacob Boswell (Committee Chair); Deborah Georg (Committee Member) Subjects: Landscape Architecture

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2020, Biology

Soil microbial organisms are known to be important determinants of natural plant community composition and productivity. The role of soil microbes in structuring restored plant communities, however, is less described. Nonetheless, a variety of methods aimed at manipulating soil microbial communities have been proposed and/or implemented in recent decades. These methods include the application of commercially produced microbial inoculums or the addition of soil collected from a reference ecosystem to plant material during planting. Each method intends to introduce beneficial microbes that might be absent or present in low densities at disturbed restoration sites. My dissertation is an examination of how these different methods of soil microbial community manipulation influence the establishment of temperate tree species and the microbial communities with which they associate. I implement molecular methods to describe fungal and/or bacterial communities associated with different methods of microbial manipulation. Using a common garden experiment with three tree species (Quercus rubra, Liriodendron tulipifera, Prunus serotina), I describe how inoculation with commercial inocula and reference soils resulted in the formation of different fungal communities. These communities correlated with differences in soil and foliar nutrient content, suggesting that manipulated fungal communities are functionally distinct. Inoculation with reference soils was also shown to increase arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) colonization in Liriodendron and Prunus. This increased colonization coincided with reduced above ground growth in Liriodendron. Using this same experiment, we implemented high-throughput sequencing methods to describe soil fungal community structure. A diversity of fungi was recovered from our restoration site, with inoculation method being a significant determinant of fungal community structure in two of the three study species. A separate common garden experim (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Jean Burns Ph.D. (Advisor) Subjects: Biology; Ecology; Plant Sciences

Doctor of Philosophy in Regulatory Biology, Cleveland State University, 2017, College of Sciences and Health Professions

Disturbance regimes, i.e. frequent fires, historically maintained oak barrens until European settlement patterns, and eventually, Smoky the Bear and the fire suppression campaign of the U.S. Forest Service snuffed out the periodic flames. In the absence of a disturbance regime, ground layer floral composition at many historical oak sand barrens will change predominantly because of a buildup of leaf litter and shading of the soils. Termed mesophication, this process of ecological succession will drive Black Oak Sand Barrens to an alternate steady state. A survey conducted on Singer Lake Bog in Green, Ohio, demonstrated that succession shifted the community to red maple-black cherry woodlands more typical of a dry southern forest. In an attempt to revive disturbance, three restoration techniques were applied at ten degraded northeast Ohio oak barrens to contrast their effectiveness in restoring black oak sand barren flora. The three restoration treatments were select canopy tree reduction favoring 5% to 30% tree canopy cover, forest floor leaf litter removal, and prescribed fire. Vegetation responses to manipulations were monitored prior to and following treatment applications, and were compared against both baseline data from before-treatment surveys and paired control sites adjacent treated areas. Imposing disturbance successfully increased species diversity and abundance above that found across Singer Lake Bog compared to sampling made prior to and adjacent to treated areas. Select canopy tree removal exhibited the largest floral responses from targeted barrens species, i.e. graminoids. A forest floor invertebrate family (Carabidea: Coleoptera) was measured for species richness and abundance pre and post treatment, where a noticeable shift occurred away from woodland obligate ground beetles toward open grassland species. Replicating oak barren structure, prior to replicating disturbance processes, is the first step in the ecological restoration of these systems.

Committee: Robert Krebs Ph.D. (Advisor); Joe Keiper Ph.D. (Committee Member); Cathi Lehn Ph.D. (Committee Member); Terry Robison Ph.D. (Committee Member); Michael Walton Ph.D. (Committee Member); Emily Rauschert Ph.D. (Other); Scott Heckathorn Ph.D. (Other) Subjects: Botany; Climate Change; Conservation; Ecology; Environmental Management; Experiments; Forestry; Natural Resource Management

MA, University of Cincinnati, 2016, Arts and Sciences: Anthropology

This paper examines how ecological restoration and redevelopment efforts impact community members' diverse sense(s) of place in a small urban neighborhood in Cincinnati, Ohio. The purpose of this study was to understand sense of place, with an emphasis on crucial differences between white and black residents, as well as implications for future place-making in the neighborhood. By employing sense of place and the closely related term place identity as theoretical “tools”, this thesis unveils a hidden politics of place in the context of ecological restoration, a highly normative human-ecological goal that often escapes a critical lens. Qualitative research methods including semi-structured interviews were the primary source of information for this study. Secondary methods consisted of more creative methodology such as walking interviews including photographic documentation performed by participants. Results found that current senses of place and place meanings for many white residents and community members in South Fairmount emanate from remembered personal and community engagements with the physical and social landscape of the neighborhood in the past. In contrast, current sense of place and place meanings for many black residents emanate from current engagements with the physical and social landscape of South Fairmount and the underlying structural poverty, neglect, and alienation that undermine their ability to form ties and reservoirs of memory from which to envision future landscapes.

Committee: Daniel Murphy Ph.D. (Committee Chair); C. Jeffrey Jacobson Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Social Research

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2014, Geography

Once a dominant canopy tree in Appalachian forests, the American chestnut (Castanea dentata) was rendered functionally extinct by an invasive blight fungus (Cryphonectria parasitica) in the early twentieth century. A century after the arrival of the fungus, blight-resistant chestnuts are now being produced through backcross breeding and genetic transformation, with the ultimate aim to restore the species to its former dominance in eastern North America. Despite restoration's goal of reinvigorating an historic species, nothing about the chestnut's demise and resurgence can be considered purely natural but is instead socioecological all the way down, forged through power relations among human and nonhuman actors, from fungal pathogens to plant geneticists, and from biotechnology corporations to hypoviruses. This dissertation problematizes and contextualizes ongoing efforts to save the American chestnut from functional extinction, explicitly challenging the view of ecological restoration as a straight-forward process by which ecosystems are returned to an ideal or improved state. Drawing on ethnographic and archival research, I argue that the restoration of the American chestnut is a biopolitical project in which the species is divided, bred, modified, immunized, and made to live through racialized technologies and discourses. Efforts to protect and restore the American chestnut are not—and indeed were never—solely about the conservation or improvement of species and ecosystems but are also about the construction and defense of national natures. This research also finds that what counts as ecological restoration and biodiversity conservation are under radical revision, driven by novel biotechnologies as well as by the widespread recognition that we live in the Anthropocene—a new epoch in which humankind is a dominant earth system force. In identifying key areas of friction within chestnut restoration, I argue that the `messiness' of the movement is emblematic of (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Becky Mansfield (Advisor) Subjects: Geography

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2014, Environment and Natural Resources

It is widely recognized that headwater stream ecosystems are intimately associated with riparian forests. Riparian forests trap sediment, filter nutrients, provide shading, and are sources of allochthonous energy for stream food webs. Reciprocally, streams fuel riparian consumers via aquatic-to-terrestrial fluxes of aquatic emergent insects. The widespread clearing of forests in agricultural landscapes, however, has led to a decoupling of forest-stream dynamics. Patches of forest in these landscapes are often small and isolated, but may retain important functional forest-stream linkages that are otherwise absent in the surrounding agricultural landscape matrix. In this dissertation I report on a series of studies with the goal of assessing the influence of forest patches on reciprocal linkages between forests and streams in agricultural landscapes. To address this goal, I surveyed both larval and adult (emergent) aquatic invertebrate communities and estimated various physicochemical parameters in streams that exhibit abrupt transitions in land cover – agriculture-forest and agriculture-forest-agriculture – in agricultural landscapes of central Ohio, USA. My results provide evidence for threshold changes in larval aquatic invertebrate communities that were associated with strong changes in physical habitat, temperature, and nutrient concentrations primarily occurring between the forest edge and 324 m into forest patches. Similarly, I found that community composition of aquatic emergent insects exhibited strong shifts near the upstream edge of forest patches and a subsequent shift was observed within 139 m of edges at the downstream end of forest patches. Aquatic-to-terrestrial fluxes of aquatic emergent insect biomass also strongly responded to forest patches, exhibiting particularly strong variation as a function of distance from the center of forests. At two of the three study streams, total emergence biomass was highest near the forest center and syste (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Charles Goebel (Advisor); Mazeika Sullivan (Advisor); Peter Curtis (Committee Member) Subjects: Ecology; Environmental Science

Master of Science in Environmental Science, Youngstown State University, 2011, Department of Physics, Astronomy, Geology and Environmental Sciences

Phalaris arundinacea (reed canarygrass) is a grass species native to Eurasia and the Pacific Northwest of the U.S. By nature it is an aggressive species and particularly invasive in areas with abundant light and nutrient resources. Repeated introduction of cultivars to the U.S. for purposes of feedstock and soil stabilization particularly around farmlands from the 1850s onward allowed cross-pollination with native cultivars to occur. This resulted in more aggressive phenotypes capable of forming monotypic stands. The susceptibility of wetland areas to invasion has become particularly problematic in the Pacific Northwest and the Midwest. One widely recognized method of control for reed canarygrass growth and establishment is the use of shade. This study proposed the use of artificial shade in combination with the planting of native grass species in an attempt to diversify a wet meadow dominated by reed canarygrass. Three-way ANOVAs were utilized to analyze shade, disturbance patch size, and mowing as treatment levels. Results showed reed canarygrass to be noticeably impacted by shading while one native grass species successfully established itself under the same conditions. Given a sufficient length of time, diversity of this area could potentially be increased both aboveground and in the seed bank.

Committee: Felicia Armstrong PhD (Advisor); Ian Renne PhD (Committee Member); Carl Chuey PhD (Committee Member); Harry Bircher MS (Committee Member) Subjects: Ecology

MCP, University of Cincinnati, 2009, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning : Community Planning

Ecological restoration is a growing field of study designed to holistically assess damage to ecological integrity, as well as identify scientific, social, economic, and politicalstrategies to remediate these negative impacts, and reconcile human and broader ecosystem needs. While significant advancement has been made on the scientific end, other aspects are lagging. Ecological restoration is promising in its intrinsically inclusive and multi-dimensional approach to improving environmental quality and providing tangible socio-economic value through healthy ecosystem services, however for it to truly be effective it must be integrated into governmental decision-making and action. The goal of this thesis is to inform planners and policy-makers about the relationship of ecosystem health to human prosperity to drive restoration priorities, about the unavoidable task of ecological restoration, and about how existing planning tools can be used to achieve positive results.

Committee: Menelaos Triantafillou PhD (Committee Chair); Michael Miller PhD (Committee Co-Chair); Larry Falkin (Committee Member) Subjects: Environmental Science; Urban Planning

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2004, Arts and Sciences : Biological Sciences

Ecological restoration of hazardous waste sites is a potential remediation strategy that has not been well documented. Here, we assessed natural plant community development and soil remediation on an aged petroleum refinery land treatment unit (LTU) containing recalcitrant environmental pollutants. Preliminary assessment of phytotoxicity using bioassays (Lactuca sativa L. and Solidago canadensis L.) indicated that some tolerant phenotypes would grow on LTU soil. Fourteen permanent plots (37 m²) were then established onsite to assess actual plant succession and remediation: 11 for study of natural succession and 3 to act as a control by removal of vegetation. Two soil cores were removed annually from each plot, analyzed for edaphic factors and then sequentially extracted for metals and PAHs. Analysis of contaminants indicated a 50% reduction of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in surface soil of vegetated and unvegetated plots after three years. There were no significant changes in total metal loadings. Metal content in plant root and shoot tissue was highly variable between species, but still low relative to soil levels, verifying the low bioavailability estimated from soil extracts. Plots were subsampled (1 m²) monthly for cover and abundance during the growing season, and for biomass at the end of the season. Monthly measurements of plant variables indicated that species richness increased from 28 to 57 species, cover increased from 33 to 79%, and biomass increased by a factor of four over three years. Plant growth was correlated to spatial and microclimatic factors, but contaminant loading showed no correlation. In fall of the following year, both LTU and a nearby unpolluted plant community of comparable size and successional stage were sampled as before: cover and abundance were measured in triplicate subplots (1 m²) within eleven plots. There were no significant differences in richness and percent cover between the (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Dr. Jodi Shann (Advisor) Subjects:

Master of Landscape Architecture, The Ohio State University, 2012, Landscape Architecture

Under current recommendations for ecological restoration by the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER- b, 2004), the critical elements of post construction monitoring and management are all but eliminated. This study addresses the question: Can monitoring inform management actions in to support of restoration viability, using existing resources? “Comprehensive criteria for biodiversity evaluation in conservation planning“ (Regan et al, 2007), shows that restoration landscapes are not valued highly or rated as ecologically viable landscapes, as most restorations do not achieve full biological diversity. Another factor is the degradation which often continues, limiting the ability to achieve fully restored biological function. Monitoring and Management (M & M) were integral parts of restoration process until 2002; however, monitoring and management are no longer supported as part of scope of services included in implementation of restoration designs. M & M services are expected to be provided by the owner agency without any plan for the ongoing monitoring and management necessary to support the full restoration of the ecosystem (Higgs, 2003). Goebel (2011) claims that restored ecosystems should be capable of being self-maintaining and should be self-sustaining. Until such a condition exists, restorations need monitoring and management to continue mitigation of the degradation forces that damaged the original ecosystem. This investigation applies the standards for monitoring and management to a case study of the existing Phase 1 riparian restoration at Clover Groff Ditch, Columbus, Ohio completed in 2010 by City of Columbus Recreation and Parks funded by an OEPA grant. The restored area is constructed using vegetative and structural restoration treatments; however, there is no active monitoring or management plan in place to assess and mitigate continuing degradation forces. This study provides guides and methods for monitoring by volunteers to inform the owner of ne (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Deborah Yale Georg RLA (Advisor); Jason Kentner MLA (Committee Member) Subjects: Landscape Architecture

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2012, Environmental Science

Biosolids are produced in large quantities each year (7.1 million tons in 2004), with 55% being land applied. As the quality of biosolids continues to improve, alternative uses of this material become paramount. This study considers performance of biosolids used in ecological restoration as compared to vegetative compost (VC). Biosolids treatments were applied alone, and in combination with a water treatment residual (WTR) and biochar (BC) in a “dream treatment” (DT), in storm water runoff plots. Evaluation of storm water runoff, soil quality and biological endpoints were measured. After installation, plots were planted in a native prairie seed mix, and species diversity and plant tissue quality were evaluated. Finally, soil was collected and transferred to a laboratory controlled earthworm bioassay to measure biological endpoints. Findings were that biosolids contributed to offsite runoff of phosphorus and nitrogen species as compared to VC treatment, with the majority coming from sediment loss that could be controlled by addition of cellulosic cover immediately after soil disturbance. Soluble P continued to be released over time, whereas N species declined after the first year. Addition of WTR to biosolids reduced soluble P compared to biosolids alone. Runoff soluble metals concentrations were below U.S. EPA Water Quality Acute Criterion and Calumet Ecotoxicology Protocol (CEP) lowest observable effect (LOAEL) concentrations and declined below detect limits after the first flush runoff. Microconstituents occurred in concentrations of ng L-1, except ibuprofen, which occurred at 1.76 µg L-1, and all levels were below no predicted effect concentrations (NPEC) listed in the literature. Loading of metals were below USEPA part 503c limits, with most levels below USEPA ecological soil screening levels (Eco-SSLs). Soil was improved by additions of biosolids, which added 67.4 g kg-1 TOC in the DT as compared to 55.3 g kg-1 added by the VC treatment. Benefits to plant commu (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Nicholas Basta PhD (Advisor); Richard Dick PhD (Committee Member); Roman Lanno PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Environmental Science

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2005, Natural Resources

Large wood jam (LWJ) abundance and structure reflect hierarchical processes. Understanding relationships between LWJ and stream-corridor geomorphology is important for ecological restoration of streams. I identified four geomorphic settings of approximately 1 km channel length in an old-growth landscape of Northern Michigan, based on stream gradient and valley constraint. Redundancy analysis indicated greater similarity of LWJ at reach scales (300 m) within geomorphic study sections than among geomorphic sections. The size of pieces of wood in LWJ, the number of pieces in LWJ, and the volume of loose pieces of large wood (LW) appeared to be greater in stream reaches of old-growth than second-growth forest. LWJ and LW piece size appeared to correspond similarly with environmental factors, but LWJ abundance related inversely with LW abundance. Linear K-function analysis revealed random spatial distribution of LWJ at all scales (from 5 m to several km) within most geomorphic study sections, contrary to predictions. Aggregated patterns occurred, however, in each case when LWJ distribution was considered in contiguous geomorphic sections because LWJ clustered in low or mid-gradient sections. Uniform spacing was also apparent in two of four cases (at scales of 5 m and more than 1 km) when LWJ spanning more than 50% of the channel were evaluated in contiguous geomorphic sections. LWJ abundance, the number of LWJ spanning the entire channel, and the number of smallest LWJ (2-5 pieces) corresponded significantly with geomorphic setting, with most geomorphically-defined variance related to stream width, sinuosity, and the presence of rock-plane bedding. Patchy stream-corridor geomorphology corresponded with patchy LWJ characteristics, supporting stream restoration practices that fit amounts and types of LWJ to stream-corridor setting. The functional effect of LWJ on fish assemblages in geomorphic patches remains, however, equivocal. Variability was high in the abundance of fi (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: P. Goebel (Advisor) Subjects: Biology, Ecology

BA, Oberlin College, 2008, Biology

In order to characterize water quality, plant community diversity, and invasive species management at a restored wetland, I have analyzed data collected from June 2004 to August 2007 at the George Jones Memorial Farm in New Russia Township, Ohio. The Jones wetlands site is comprised of six emergent, herbaceous marshes that were restored on an old-field site in 2003. The six cells were constructed using a uniform physical restoration treatment, managed uniformly for invasive species, and replanted using three planting treatments. Each planting treatment was applied to two wetlands; treatments included two designer plantings of native taxa and one self-designing control. Water quality data was collected weekly during the growing seasons of 2004-7 and plant diversity data was collected each summer. Restoration at the Jones wetlands has engendered the development of six stable, diverse marshes. Wetlands planted with native species have higher macrophyte diversity than unplanted wetlands and may show signs of different ecosystem functioning. Phalaris arundinacea displaced cattail (Typha sp.) as the most troublesome invasive taxon, although management of invasive taxa was progressively less time-consuming each year of the study. Continued post-restoration monitoring at the Jones wetlands is of great importance. Additional management recommendations are also offered.

Committee: John Petersen (Committee Chair); Roger Laushman (Committee Member); David Benzing (Committee Member) Subjects: Ecology

Master of Environmental Science, Miami University, 2012, Environmental Sciences

This paper reports on my experience as Restoration Ecology Research Intern Leader at The Wilds in Cumberland, Ohio during a 6 month internship. This internship was in partial fulfillment of the Master of Environmental Science Degree at the Institute for the Environment and Sustainability. My primary responsibility included collecting and organizing data on the Miller Valley Wetland in order to determine success of the recent restoration. Using data from bird, amphibian, macroinvertebrate and vegetation surveys, I was able to provide an overall assessment of the health of the restored wetland. Of the numerous parameters considered, most have improved since restoration providing a higher quality habitat to wildlife. In addition to the wetland monitoring, I initiated a cattail control study, led undergraduate summer interns and participated in all projects of the Restoration Ecology Department. This internship exposed me to a variety of biological survey methods, land management techniques and first-hand experiences that prepared me for a career in the field of ecological restoration.

Committee: Carolyn Keiffer PhD (Advisor) Subjects: Ecology; Environmental Science

Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, 2010, Botany

Ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi form mutualistic symbioses with woody trees and shrubs allowing for an increase in water and nutrient uptake. The absence of these microbes may contribute to seedling mortality and the arrested succession observed in barren landscapes and grasslands in Ohio. The central objective of this dissertation was to develop planting methodologies to accelerate succession by woody tree establishment; specifically by maximizing the effectiveness of ECM root colonization. American chestnut and chestnut hybrids were used to describe host response to root colonization in both abandoned and reclaimed mine sites in central Ohio. A set of experiments was designed to test the influence existing vegetation, site selection, soil modification, and the addition of ECM inoculum may have on seedling establishment in former mine sites. I investigated the influence existing vegetation had on germination and survival of chestnut in an abandoned mine site. Three areas were assessed: center, areas that had monoculture plantings of Pinus virginiana, and forest edges. Small monoculture plantings of pines had a greater facultative effect on the germination and survival of deciduous hardwood seedlings than did the forest edge; presumably by alleviating negative density-dependent factors. Importantly, pine and chestnut shared ECM symbionts. This provided an ECM propagule source to chestnut and resulted in an increase in seedling biomass, which may have contributed to the increase in survival after two years. In reclaimed mines, heavy equipment and the use of exotic species as cover crops have resulted in severely compacted soils with aggressive herbaceous canopies. I evaluated surface soil treatments, which included deep ripping and traditional plow and disking, as ways to remediate these mine lands in arrested succession. These methods were very successful in alleviating compaction and disturbing the aggressive herbaceous canopy, thereby promoting chestnut seedling e (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Carolyn Keiffer Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Nicholas Money (Committee Co-Chair); David Gorchov (Committee Member); Richard Moore (Committee Member); Thomas Crist (Committee Member) Subjects: Botany

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

This paper reports on the development of data management and analysis techniques at the Fernald Preserve. Under the Department of Energy, The Fernald Preserve is a former uranium enrichment plant that underwent remediation and subsequent ecological restoration and is today an undeveloped park comprised of wetland, forest, and prairie habitats. As ecosystems continue to develop, the importance of tracking changes becomes necessary in making management decisions. This practicum first consolidated historical data into a single searchable database and then used the vegetation data to track ecosystem development over the last decade. The statistical program `R' was used to analyze the data. Analysis was done on prairie habitat areas as an initial look into current site conditions and management techniques. The analyses conducted are also intended to serve as an example of how the coding that was developed can be used in the future to answer numerous additional management questions.

Committee: Thomas Crist PhD (Advisor) Subjects: Ecology