This report presents a nested gauging study of streamflow variability from three sub-catchments (150-200 ha in area) of the Burns Creek catchment (565 ha) in the Entiat Experimental Forest of central Washington State. We test and reject the hypothesis that headwater catchments of this size are composed of physically and...
Understanding how the interactions and feedbacks between plant function, climate, and soils ultimately affects the terrestrial water balance and subsurface flow processes is major challenge in scientific hydrology. This dissertation summarizes the findings of a manipulative climate warming experiment, an observational field study that utilized stable-isotope tracers, and associated modeling...
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JeffreyJ. McDonnell
Understanding how the interactions and feedbacks between plant
This dissertation integrates a process-based hydrological investigation with an
ongoing paired-catchment study to better understand how forest harvest impacts
catchment function at multiple scales. We do this by addressing fundamental questions
related to the stocks, flows and transit times of water. Isotope tracers are used within a
top-down catchment intercomparison...
Bedrock groundwater dynamics in headwater catchments are poorly understood and
poorly characterized. Direct hydrometric measurements have been limited due to the
logistical challenges associated with drilling through hard rock in steep, remote and
often roadless terrain. Here we develop and use an inexpensive, portable bedrock
drilling system to explore bedrock...
This dissertation re-examines the now standard perceptual model of hillslope
hydrological response to rainfall, which includes the growth of a saturated wedge at the soil-bedrock interface or impeding layer. It also challenges the notion of bedrock impermeability and the assumption that the pattern of subsurface stormflow is determined by the...
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JeffreyJ. McDonnell
This dissertation re-examines the now standard perceptual model of
The age, or residence time of water is a fundamental descriptor of catchment hydrology, revealing information about the storage, flow pathways and source of water in a single integrated measure. While there has been tremendous recent interest in residence time to characterize catchments, there are few studies that quantify residence...
The specific objectives of this dissertation are to determine subsurface flow
behaviors across different antecedent wetness conditions from a top-down perspective
and to mechanistically assess the hydrological controls on DOC and N transport at the
hillslope and catchment scale. The study area is a small catchment where hillslopes
issue directly...
The physical controls of snowmelt in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) are poorly
understood. While there have been numerous field and modeling investigations at the
plot and watershed scale, few studies have identified how the snow energy balance
(EB) components vary in importance both spatially and temporally. The identification
of how...
Rainfall interception is a primary control over the moisture input to a forested ecosystem through the partitioning of precipitation into throughfall, stemflow, and an evaporated component (i.e. the interception loss). Rainfall interception is a spatially and temporally varying process at multiple scales, but heterogeneity in interception processes are poorly understood...
Stream discharge is a key water balance component and important factor in global change evaluations. Nevertheless, the mechanisms for streamflow generation are poorly understood. Near- stream surface saturation during precipitation events is one of the most iconic, visible indicators of rapid runoff production in upland humid catchments around the world....
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JeffreyJ. McDonnell
Stream discharge is a key water balance component and important factor in
The dominant controls on flow generation in steep, forested hillslopes are poorly understood. This dissertation examined the dominant flow processes operating at the hillslope scale, using a combined macroscale measurement and model development and analysis framework. Irrigation experiments at two steep forested hillslopes were conducted to isolate individual hillslope flow...
Members of the family Sciomyzidae, known as snail-killing or marsh flies, are unique amongst insects in that the vast majority of reared species feed exclusively on mollusks and as a result their biological control potential has been well documented in the scientific literature. However, in North America there is a...
The links between forests, streamflow, and climate are poorly understood. Despite hundreds of studies over the past 60 years, fundamental questions of forests' effects on the hydrologic cycle remain unanswered. The hydrological cycle involves mutually-dependent biological and physical processes that operate at multiple scales of time and space, and this...
Fungi are the primary biological agents of wood deterioration and cause major economic losses of wood products globally. Wood in outdoor applications tends to remain wet for extended time periods, making it susceptible to fungal attack. Understanding the factors involved in fungal colonization of wood is important for developing improved...
Chlorpyrifos (CPF) is a widely used broad-spectrum organophosphate insecticide. Following exposures, CPF and its more toxic oxon metabolite (CPFO) elicit neurotoxic effects by inhibiting the activity of the acetylcholinesterase enzyme (AChE), resulting in altered fitness and death at high doses. Following exposure, organisms bioactivate CPF to CPFO through the Cytochrome...
This research examined the potential for using peanut husk as a fiber alternative to wood in the production of melamine-formaldehyde (MF) particleboard. MF resin was used to produce panels with one, three, six, nine or 12 percent resin contents. Modulus of Rupture (MOR), Modulus of Elasticity (MOE), Internal Bond (IB)...
The sustainable use of wood for rail ties requires chemical treatment to increase service life and maintain structural integrity. Treatment can only be applied after lengthy air-seasoning to reduce moisture content in wood, but seasoning leaves ties exposed to attack by decay fungi for up to a year. One factor...
The vast majority of U.S. farm bill spending goes to nutrition assistance, on the one hand, and farm safety net programs, on the other. Although these programs are a major part of federal government expenditures, controversial and governed by a common bill, they have rarely been quantitatively analyzed together. To...
Boron and boron compounds have been long used for pressure treatment, dip-diffusion, and remedial treatments of wood because of their proven efficacy against fungi and insects. These materials are especially attractive because their high water solubility promotes deeper penetration into wood. Other useful properties of boron include its neutral pH,...
Pacific Northwest and California freshwater resources are key elements in the life history and ecology of Pacific salmon and steelhead listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Risk to listed Pacific salmonid species can be assessed by evaluating the spatial and temporal co-occurrence of salmonid species at...
Small manufacturing firms often serve a domestic market but would like to expand their sales overseas. It is difficult for a small firm to develop overseas contracts and relationships, however, in part because of their small size, and because the advantages of their products may not always be obvious. The...
Resistance to moisture uptake is an important attribute of some wood preservatives and can help reduce moisture cycling that leads to the development of deep checks. While the potential for preservative treatments to help improve wood/moisture interactions is acknowledged, there are no tests that specifically evaluate this performance parameter. Checking...
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JeffreyJ. Morrell
Resistance to moisture uptake is an important attribute of some wood
Copper is the most common ingredient in waterborne preservatives and provides excellent activity against most fungi and insects. However, issues associated with copper migration from treated wood have created increasing concerns about potential risks to non-target organisms in surrounding environments, especially those in sensitive aquatic environments. Various Best Management Practices...
Both red (Trifolium pratense L.) and white (Trifolium repens L.) clover
seed yields can be highly variable and low in western Oregon. The objectives of
this study were to: i) determine crop water requirements and supplemental
irrigation timing, and ii) quantify the effects of soil and water status on
inflorescence...
Kura clover (Trifolium ambiguum M. Bieb.) is slow to establish and
has low seed yields the year after establishment. Intercropping a cereal
grain during clover seed field establishment could provide additional
revenue to seed growers, provided that intercropping did not jeopardize
future clover seed yields. Factorial combinations of spring- and...
Birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.) is a popular perennial, non-bloating forage legume used for pasture, hay and silage throughout the temperate regions of Europe, Asia Minor, North Africa and North and South America. It is regarded as the most morphologically and biochemically variable species in the genus. Research investigating the...
There is no information available on water management of birdsfoot
trefoil grown for seed. Information is also not available describing how to
minimize seed losses due to shattering in order to obtain consistently high
birdsfoot trefoil seed yields. The objectives of this research are to: (i) quantify
crop water use,...
Volatile loss rates of pesticides from turfgrass were measured using the Backward-Time Lagrangian Stochastic Dispersion model (Flesch et al., 1995). Solar radiation, ambient temperature, surface temperature, relative humidity, wind direction, and wind speed were monitored continuously. Growth regulator was applied to the turf plot several days before pesticide application to...
Postmenopausat women on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) have been reported to be stronger when compared to women who are not using HRT. The first goal of this study was to investigate whether muscle morphology was altered in women who use HRT when compared to women who do not use HAT....
The goals of this research were to a) characterize the protein-function relationships of skeletal muscle single fibers from the mouse hindlimb b) examine mouse-strain related differences in myosin heavy chain composition (MHC) and single fiber contractile function, and c) quantify changes in fiber size and contractile function in response to...
The purpose of this work was to determine if environmentally-relevant concentrations of chlorpyrifos and copper, two commonly detected chemicals in Western surface waters, can negatively impact the biological health of salmonids. Both compounds are highly neurotoxic to fish, but each with distinct biological target sites and mechanisms of action. We...
Resistance training is widely prescribed for rehabilitation of injuries and as a method to improve athletic performance. It is accepted that resistance training increases the maximal force production of whole muscle and it has been suggested that the velocity of shortening can increase as well. However, little is known about...
Skeletal muscle damage induced by lengthening ("eccentric" or
"pliometric") contractions cause an immediate loss in maximal tetanic force (P₀) and an increase in protein degradation by unidentified endogenous mechanisms.
We hypothesized that increased proteolysis following active lengthening injury is
mediated by the Ca²⁺ dependent protease calpain. To test this hypothesis...
The goal of this project was to develop an integrated pest management strategy
for the control of a powder-post beetle (Dinoderus minutus F.). This species causes
serious damage in Philippine bamboo. Developmental threshold and thermal constants
were examined and natural enemies and ftmgi associated with beetles were investigated.
Finally, the...
Supercritical fluid (SCF) impregnation is a promising preservative treatment method, however, the development of SCF processes has been slowed by a limited understanding of the process. Developing a better understanding of the effects of various process parameters on treatment results would allow for a more rational development of SCF impregnation....
Copper is an excellent biocide which has a long history of usage for protecting wood from deterioration, but some organisms have developed tolerance for this chemical. Copper tolerance among wood decay fungi is a poorly understood phenomenon that is gaining importance as cofactors such as arsenic and chromium are removed...
Moisture intrusion in residential structures can lead to substantial fungal decay and this damage costs billions in repair/replacement costs. The extent of damage and the rate at which it occurs are primarily dependent on the wood moisture content and temperature in the structure. Determining the risk of decay for various...
Small size wood assays were utilized to study the
effect of added nutrients to the wood on the interactions
of Trichoderma harzianum Rifai and two wood decay fungi,
Trametes versicolor (white rot) and Gloeophyllum trabeum
(brown rot). Weight losses related to time of exposure
were monitored as a measure of...
Biological stain (blue stain) reduces wood value and
prevents its use in many structural applications. Increasing
environmental concerns have restricted the chemicals
available for controlling this damage. As a result,
biological control has received more interest. The
application of these systems to wood has been limited due to
their inability...
The fungi that cause mold and stain of freshly sawn lumber result in millions of dollars in losses to the forest products industry. Stain and mold are typically prevented by either kiln drying or by application of a topical fungicide. While these treatments are effective, kiln drying is costly and...
The biocontrol potential of Trichoderma harzianum strains
B-2A, B-8A, B-4B, B-15B, and B-41 and Serratia plymuthica was
evaluated using agar plates and wood wafers of unseasoned
ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa laws). All five isolates of
Trichoderma harzianum and Serratia plymuthica could inhibit
stain fungi growth in agar plates and exhibited...
Pest control operators in Oregon were surveyed to examine the occurrence of carpenter ants and other wood destroying organisms in structures. Carpenter ants frequently occurred in the coast and Willamette valley regions of the state and were associated with wetter, mesic habitats. To examine the effects of substrate and moisture...
Two approaches to improving wood treatability include the modification of pressure
schedules during conventional liquid treatments and the use of supercritical fluids (SCFs). In
both of these techniques, pressure differences are important for transporting materials into
wood. The level of pressure and its change during SCF treatments are also important...
Basamid^R (3,5-dimethy1-1,3,5,2H-tetrahydrothiadiazine-
2-thione) is a crystalline powder used as a soil sterilant.
This fumigant acts in soil by decomposing to methylisothiocyanate
(MITC), the primary active ingredient, as well as
hydrogen sulfide, methylamine, and formaldehyde. In wood,
Basamid decomposes too slowly to be efficacious against
decay fungi unless amended with various...
Metham sodium or NaMDC is one of the four major soil
fumigants that are currently registered for controlling
internal decay of wood products in use. Fumigants are used
primarily in utility poles but are also applied to piling,
timbers and other large wood members.
NaMDC must decompose to fungitoxic compounds...
Natural and synthetic estrogenic compounds detected in surface waters have
been linked to endocrine signaling disruption in several species. Endogenous
estrogen contributes to cartilage and bone deposition during development in
vertebrates, and is susceptible to perturbation from xenoestrogens. The goals of
this work were to develop a teleost model to...
Over-the-counter (OTC) wood preservatives can provide wood with both a moisture barrier and fungicidal protection against biodeterioration, yet there is little comparative data on the performance of these preservatives. In this study, the potential of various low-toxicity, OTC preservatives was evaluated on five western wood species, western red cedar (Thuja...
In spite of the lack of accurate information about the
treatability of western wood species with waterborne wood
preservatives, consumption of these products continues to
increase. Western wood species, notably Douglas-fir, are
notoriously difficult to treat with waterborne systems, yet
there is relatively little data on the effects of wood...
Studies of physiological effects of fungicides on fungi are critical for understanding
modes of action and mechanism of resistance; however, studies are difficult to perform
on filamentous fungi because of the inability to produce homogeneous a biological
system using a mass of mycelium. Moreover, the presence of rigid cell wall...
The potential of 9 bacterial and 6 fungal isolates to
protect wood against wood staining microorganisms was
studied using small sapwood samples of unseasoned Ponderosa
pine [Pinus ponderosa Laws] sapwood. Bacillus subtilis Cohn,
isolate 733 A , Gliocladium virens J.H. Miller, J.E. Giddens
& A.A. Foster isolate H 3 and...
The biocontrol potential of Trichoderma harzianum Rifai,
Trichoderma polysporum (Link.:Pers.) Rifai, Scytalidium aurantiacum
Klingstr. et Beyer or a Penicillium sp. against Trametes versicolor
(L. :Fr.) Pilat, Neolentinus lepideus (Fr.) Redh. et Ginns, Postia
placenta (Fr.) M.Lars. et Lomb. and Irpex lacteus Fr. was evaluated
using agar plate, soil bottle and...
While microbial colonization of wood is presumed to be characterized by a myriad of interactions between numerous organisms, studying these processes is often difficult owing to the opaque nature of the wood and the inability to readily distinguish among the many species colonizing the material. One method for enhancing the...
Copper migration from treated wood has created concerns within the
environmental community because of the potential effects of this heavy
metal on aquatic organisms. Migration can be limited, to some extent, by
more controlled treatments and by post-treatment processing, but these
actions cannot completely overcome the problem. An alternative approach...
New species introductions have been associated with the movement of
people for thousands of years. For instance, horses were introduced into North
America by Spanish explorers, while pigs were introduced by the Polynesians
into many Pacific islands long before the establishment of permanent
European settlements. Both of these species introductions...
We hypothesized that calpain activity is elevated in response to muscle damage. To test this hypothesis, we examined the degradation of α-fodrin into its 150 and 145 kDa fragments following either 20 eccentric or isometric contractions. In addition, experiments were performed in the presence or absence of E-64-d, a calpain...
Muscle weakness and fatigue are debilitating symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS). Approximately 50% of muscle weakness and fatigue have been attributed to deficits within the peripheral nervous system, specifically mechanisms residing in the muscle. The goals of this study were to identify the cellular mechanisms of contraction within the muscle...
There are over 130 million wood poles supporting electrical transmission and distribution lines in the U.S. The vast majority of these poles are preservative treated to prolong their useful life. In some cases, however, the depth of treatment is relatively shallow, leaving a deep zone of moderately durable, untreated heartwood....
This study seeks to determine the feasibility of
utilizing one vaporizable copper compound - bis-[1-
(dimethylamino)-2-propanolato] copper(II) (Cu(DMAP)₂ as a
potential wood preservative. The synthesis of Cu(DMAP)₂
was conducted in accordance with a method developed by
Buhro and Dingman, Washington University, St. Louis,
Missouri. The yields of Cu(DMAP)₂ synthesis were...
China has experienced rapid economic growth in the last twenty years, accompanied by large-scale land conversion, severe environmental degradation, and rising carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions. Designing policies for sustainable development requires a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between economic growth, land-use change, carbon sequestration and emissions in China. This dissertation...
Organophosphate insecticides may produce sublethal, adverse effects on salmonid
growth, reproduction, maturation, swimming, and feeding. Chlorpyrifos, an
organophosphate insecticide, was detected by the Oregon Department of Environmental
Quality in the Hood River and tributaries during March 1999 at levels exceeding state
water quality standards in the range of 0.011-0.482 μg/L....
The goal of this study was to optimize a through-boring pattern that will provide adequate preservative penetration while minimizing the reduction in overall pole bending strength. Hole spacing was developed using longitudinal and transverse chemical penetration data from previous studies. Finite element analysis was used as a preliminary assessment tool...
It is difficult to treat the heartwood of many wood species with liquid preservatives using conventional liquid processes. Supercritical fluids (SCF) used as carriers of preservatives to impregnate refractory wood species may be an attractive alternative to conventional liquid carriers. While SCF impregnation has many potential advantages, some wood species...
Wood plays a key role in modern electrical infrastructure; crossarms and power poles utilize the high strength to weight ratio, availability and low cost of wood to facilitate the access of power to millions of Americans. However, wood presents a variety of challenges as a material. In structural applications, one...
Natural durability remains one of the most attractive characteristics of wood, and helps wood obtain a premium price. A worldwide shift towards the use of younger trees from intensively managed forests has created greater concerns about wood quality, especially the wood’s resistance to fungi and insects. Wood durability is assessed...
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JeffreyJ. Morrell
Natural durability remains one of the most attractive characteristics of
Phytophthora ramorum is a plant pathogen that was accidentally introduced to the United States. This invasive microorganism has killed over a million trees in California and Oregon, and continues to spread to new areas. Diseased areas have been nationally quarantined to prevent further spread and more than ninety countries include...
Riparian zones of Pacific Northwest forests have high species diversity and abundance and act as an important interface between the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. In addition, riparian zones comprise a significant portion of the total buffer zone established during commercial forest production to protect aquatic ecosystems from adjacent management activities....
Aquatic insects are used extensively to evaluate water quality. Despite their
widespread use as indicator organisms, relatively little is known about the
organismal characteristics that determine sensitivity differences to individual and
multiple stressors. Insects have evolved several respiratory strategies that range
from breathing atmospheric air to utilizing dissolved oxygen in...
Logging and forest thinning operations generate large amounts of residues in the form of small trees, branches and foliage that are usually left on the ground to decay or are burned. These resources are readily available, but it is uneconomical to remove them from the forest. The potential utilization of...
The Pacific Northwest is blessed with an abundance of precipitation. This rainfall, however, can have important consequences for industries that must process the resulting stormwater for proper discharge. This is particularly true of wood treatment facilities. Past management practices at wood preserving facilities located in the Western United States create...
Heartwood can have properties that are distinct from sapwood,
including resistance to insect and microbial attack. Despite the practical
importance of heartwood formation in trees, a review of the literature revealed
that little was known about the effects of environmental factors on heartwood
quality or how variations in heartwood properties...
In investigating wood treatment as a possible processing option for Alaska forest products manufacturers, the double-diffusion method using sodium fluoride followed by a copper sulfate appeared to be the most advantageous approach. Yet, little information was available as to the chemical retention after treating and its resistance to leaching. Green...
This study examined the decay resistance of the pine and maple components of wood plastic composites (WPC' s) of varying thicknesses exposed on several culture media to wood decay fungi under laboratory conditions. The ability of malt agar extract (MEA), potato dextrose agar (PDA), amended basal salts, sawdust (maple and...
My dissertation concerns two separate issues. The first issue is examined in Essay One, and the second issue is examined in Essays Two and Three.
The first essay develops an economic model of the determination of the rental rate of leased farmland in the United States. Particular attention is placed...
Participation in physical activity has important health benefits among individuals with disabilities, whereas inactive lifestyles may lead to secondary limiting health conditions. However, few people with disabilities regularly participate in the recommended amount of health-related physical activities. Low rate of participation may be related to low motivation due to interconnected...
Aquatic insects are essential components of healthy stream ecosystems, contributing to nutrient cycling, trophic dynamics and other ecological functions. Aquatic insect species, particularly those in the orders Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera (EPT taxa) are however, extremely sensitive to insecticide contamination. Given that urban and agricultural use of synthetic pyrethroid insecticides...