Graduate Thesis Or Dissertation
 

Riparian forest health on the northern Great Plains

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  • River impoundment by dams, along with other human driven changes, has threatened the health of riparian forests in the northern Great Plains for much of the last century. Two major concerns in the region are the impediment of natural recruitment of plains cottonwood (Populus deltoides Marsh. subsp. monilifera (Ait.) Eckenw.) following dam construction on the Missouri River, and the impact of pathogens on stressed or weakened trees. Two independent studies were performed to look at these forest health issues. In one study, methods of establishing plains cottonwood were compared along the Missouri River in North Dakota. Three treatments: tree planting, planting with five-foot tree shelters, and planting with five-foot tree shelters and weed barrier fabric, all proved to be effective after two years. As a general trend, height, height to live crown, and caliper increased with treatment complexity, suggesting improved vigor and growth rate with more intensive treatments. In the second study, riparian woodlands in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska were surveyed to determine the ecological role of a prevalent root disease-causing fungus, Armillaria. The fungus was present in 78 of 101 surveyed stands, and was observed in a pathogenic role (i.e. caused root disease) 71% of the time. Results of logistic regression suggested that the odds of observing a pathogenic interaction were greater at sites that had clearly flooded; the same was true with increases in percent clay and basal area ha-1. Host DBH, the presence of competitive grasses, and stumps and snags hectare-1 had no significant effect on the ecological role of Armillaria in surveyed stands.
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