A fundamental principle underpinning conservation is to evaluate the condition of native vegetation relative to a reference state. Many ecological applications require vegetation condition as a spatially-explicit continuous map layer that covers broad landscape-scaled extents. T…
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This dissertation investigates spatial and temporal changes in land cover and plant species distributions on Cyprus in the past, present and future (1973-2070). Landsat image analysis supports inference of land cover changes following the political division of the island of Cypr…
Vegetation plays an important role in regulating the health of urban ecosystems (Sanders, 2004; Jim, 2004). Riparian zones, parks, nature reserves, and other forms of urban vegetation help minimize atmospheric and hydrologic pollution and reduce the urban heat island effect (Wen…
The flow characteristics in compound channels with and without vegetation on the floodplain were investigated experimentally and numerically in this thesis. Detailed measurements of velocity and boundary shear stress, using a Pitot tube and an acoustic Doppler velocimeter togeth…
Topography, vegetation, nutrient dynamics, soil features and hydroclimatic forcing are inherently coupled, with feedbacks occurring over a wide range of temporal and spatial scales. Vegetation growth may be limited by soil moisture, nutrient or solar radiation availability, and …
Marshbirds are difficult to survey due their secretive nature and association with dense wetland vegetation. Recently developed standardized survey protocols are used to monitor patterns of abundance, primarily at large spatial scales, but also can be used to assess marshbird re…
Soils provide numerous functions to support natural and human life. Soils and their functions develop over long timescales (decennia to millennia) under influence of environmental properties and drivers such as water flow, vegetation type and topography of the landscape. At the …
Plants are foundational components of ecosystems that have large effects on the composition and abundance of animal communities. The objectives of this dissertation were to synthesize the literature demonstrating effects of plants on pond-breeding amphibians and test specific me…
This thesis defines the way that roadside landscapes can become a model of sustainable landscape design along the highways of the United States. The construction and maintenance of roads and roadsides has been recognized as a cause of habitat fragmentation and pollution. Increas…
Ecological phenomena act on various spatial and temporal scales. To understand what causes animal populations to build and decline depends heavily on abiotic and biotic conditions which vary spatiotemporally throughout the biosphere. One excellent example of animal populations d…
Throughout the history of human-environmental interactions in Central America, the ancient Maya are one of the most contested regarding the extent to which their land-use strategies degraded their environment. For over 3500 years, the ancient Maya manipulated plant communities b…
The Puget Lowland of the Pacific Northwest (PNW) has a dynamic post-glacial vegetation and climate history. Vegetation structure and fire frequency may be affected by a variety of factors such as large-scale climatic change, as well as more local factors like changing natural an…