This dissertation investigated potential ecological limitations to seedling regeneration in young, seasonally dry, evergreen forest restoration plantations in northern Thailand. We explored whether recruitment of colonizing tree species in the restoration plantations can be attributed to seed dispersal mode (i.e. abiotic or animal dispersal) and seed size. We did this...
This is a Ph.D. dissertation for a study conducted at OSU/Horticulture. The main objective of this study was dissecting the genetic background for white mold resistance in common (snap) bean. Tow main approaches were followed to achieve the goal. The first approach was using the classical quantitative trait loci (QTL)...
Global biodiversity decline is primarily driven by habitat loss. Deforestation, the primary driver of terrestrial habitat loss, is increasing worldwide, with the most significant impact in the world biodiversity hotspots. Sadly, specific knowledge of such impacts in biodiversity-rich but data-poor countries are still unknown, and many national and regional narratives...
Carbon sequestration in tropical secondary forests growing in all climates must be quantified to understand their potential role in adaptation and mitigation strategies of global climate change. Total aboveground biomass (TAGB), soil carbon, and total ecosystem carbon (TEC) were measured in 54 secondary forests growing along a broad bioclimatic gradient...
Understanding the processes controlling organic matter (OM) stocks in upland soils, and the ability to management them, is crucial for maintaining soil fertility and carbon (C) storage as well as projecting change with time. OM inputs are balanced by the mineralization (oxidation) rate, with the difference determining whether the system...
Dust deposition provides rock-derived nutrients such as phosphorus (P) to terrestrial ecosystems. Over pedogenic timescales, as bedrock sources of P are depleted, dust sources of P may support productivity in certain ecosystems, but controls on the spatial variability of dust in montane forested systems are largely unknown. Here, we use...
Loss of native vegetation cover is thought to be a major driver of declines in pollination success worldwide. However, it is not well known whether reducing the fragmentation of remaining vegetation can ameliorate these negative effects. We tested the independent effects of composition vs. configuration on the reproductive success of...
STEMRUST_G, a simulation model for epidemics of stem rust in perennial ryegrass grown to maturity as a seed crop, was validated for use as a heuristic tool and as a decision aid for disease management with fungicides. Multistage validation had been used in model creation by incorporating previously validated submodels...
Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women worldwide with human papillomavirus (HPV) being the main cause of the disease. Currently available treatment methods are limited and emphasize the need for discovery of new therapies that improve patient outcome. Chromosomal amplifications have been identified as a source of...