@mastersthesis {911, title = {Restoring Ponderosa Pine Forests in the Black Hills, South Dakota}, volume = {Master of Science}, year = {2001}, pages = {50}, school = {University of Arizona}, address = {Tucson}, abstract = {

Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Laws.) forests have changed considerably during the past century, partly because recurrent fires have been absent for a century or more. In dense stands of ponderosa pine in the Black Hills of South Dakota, a layer of pine needles has replaced inderstory vegetation. I examined the disturbance history, soil seed bank, and effects of prescribed burning and overstory reduction on understory vegetation in a ponderosa pine stand in the northern Black Hills. Cessation of fires, prolific ponderosa pine regeneration, and logging led to a dense, even-aged stand with very little understory vegetation and few viable seeds in the soil seed bank. Understory vegetation did not respond to the restoration treatments the first growing season, but did respond the second growing season. Paucity of viable seeds in the soil seed bank does not appear to constrain recruitment of understory vegetation in dense ponderosa pine forests of South Dakota.

}, keywords = {black hills, fire history, overstory, pinus ponderosa, ponderosa pine, prescribed fire, restoring, soil seed bank, south dakota, stand age, understory}, author = {Wienk, Cody Lee} } @mastersthesis {585, title = {Reconstruction of historical fire regimes along an elevation and vegetation gradient in the Sacramento Mountains, New Mexico}, volume = {MS}, year = {1997}, school = {University of Arizona}, abstract = {The purpose of this study was to reconstruct historical fire regimes along an elevation and vegetation gradient in the Sacramento Mountains, NM. I cross-dated fire-scarred specimens to reconstruct the fire history within two mixed-conifer, four ponderosa pine, and two pinon-juniper stands. Prior to Euro-American settlement, historical fire intervals were estimated at 6 years in ponderosa pine, 10 years in mixed-conifer, and 27 years in pinon-juniper forests. To evaluate whether Native Americans may have influenced historical fire regimes, I cross-dated scars from peeled trees found within the study area. Comparison between scar dates, historical records, and variations in fire frequencies did not show a regional effect on historical fire regimes by Mescalero, but suggested that they may have had a local impact on fire frequencies of the late 1700{\textquoteright}s. Following Euro-American settlement (ca. 1880) fire was nearly absent from the study area due to livestock grazing and fire suppression.}, url = {http://ezproxy.library.arizona.edu/login?url=http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=738180921\&sid=4\&Fmt=2\&clientId=43922\&RQT=309\&VName=PQD}, author = {Wilkinson, Margot Carolina} } @mastersthesis {538, title = {Reconstruction and Interpretation of Historical Patterns of Fire Occurrence in the Organ Mountains, New Mexico}, volume = {Master of Science}, year = {1996}, pages = {144}, school = {University of Arizona}, address = {Tucson}, abstract = {

The purpose of this research was to reconstruct and interpret the history of fire in the Organ Mountains, New Mexico. I used dendrochronological techniques to date fire scars on 90 trees comprising ten sites within the Fillmore Canyon watershed. Two fire regimes were identified during the pre-settlement period. Fire Regime I, 1650-1805, was characterized by a high fire frequency (ca. once every two years) and a predominance of patchy fires. Fire Regime II, 1805-1874, was characterized by a lower fire frequency (ca. once every 3.5 years) and a predominance of widespread fires. During the post-settlement period fire was virtually non-existent. I hypothesize that Apache use-of-fire influenced patterns during the pre-settlement period, while Euro-American land use activities influenced patterns during the post-settlement period. Fire-precipitation associations suggest that low fuel moisture levels were a pre-condition for widespread fires.

}, keywords = {dendrochronology, fillmore canyon, fire, Geography, historical, new mexico, organ mountains, reconstruction}, author = {Morino, Kiyomi Ann} } @mastersthesis {664, title = {Reflected-light image analysis of conifer tree rings for dendrochronological research}, volume = {Phd}, year = {1995}, school = {University of Arizona}, abstract = {

The primary objective of this dissertation research is to use reflected-light image analysis to measure brightness of standard samples of conifer rings and then use brightness in dendrochronological research as a substitute for density. I developed an imaging system that ensures identical configuration of all components and measuring steps for all rings of a sample so that subsequent comparison of brightness between rings would be valid. From a mesic New England tree-ring site, I measured ring brightness of cores that had been previously measured using X-ray densitometry. Latewood brightness and density both correlate with April-May temperature such that they reconstruct that climate variable equally well. From a semiarid Southwest tree-ring site, I measured ring brightness of cores with severe extraneous color--mostly due to heartwood-sapwood color differences. Bleaching and organic extraction of cores did not overcome the problem of extraneous color, but autoregressively modeling brightness index series did. Various brightness and width variables combined to model July-October precipitation, a climate variable not usually reconstructed by Southwest tree-ring sites. From a stand of trees affected by a past earthquake, I measured ring brightness of one tree that responded to surface deformation with an apparent change in latewood density. Absolute latewood brightness did not change per se after the earthquake, but the amount of latewood relative to the total ring increased dramatically. Although technical and paleoenvironmental issues remain for future research, this study indicates that reflected-light image analysis is an excellent tool in dendrochronological research for increasing our understanding paleoenvironmental processes of the latest Holocene. The secondary objective of this dissertation research is to demonstrate a method for identifying low-frequency variation of tree-ring chronologies and/or past climate as reconstructed using tree-rings. This method provides confidence intervals with which to judge the significance or importance of low-frequency departures in tree-ring data as well as a visual basis for determining whether or not low-frequency variation is robustly estimated. This method is a re-ordering of the individual steps commonly used in constructing tree-ring chronologies or reconstructions.

}, url = {http://ezproxy.library.arizona.edu/login?url=http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=742087251\&sid=3\&Fmt=2\&clientId=43922\&RQT=309\&VName=PQD}, author = {Paul Sheppard} } @mastersthesis {665, title = {The Russian Molokan Colony at Guadalupe, Baja California: Continuity and change in a sectarian community}, volume = {PhD}, year = {1992}, school = {University of Arizona}, abstract = {Migration, ethnicity and cultural pattern are reviewed. The research questions how accurately the prehistoric archaeologist can interpret migration and ethnicity by means of a review of the modern migration of a group of Russian sectarians to Baja California, Mexico. Excavations undertaken in seven households at different levels of assimilation with their Mexican and Indian neighbors suggests that material culture does reflect ethnicity under these best of all archaeological circumstances. A methodology for the determination of prehistoric migrations is suggested. It concludes that "cultural pattern" is a more useful concept than "ethnicity" in the determination of archaeological migrations.}, keywords = {Mexico}, url = {http://ezproxy.library.arizona.edu/login?url=http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=746278161\&sid=4\&Fmt=2\&clientId=43922\&RQT=309\&VName=PQD}, author = {Therese Muranaka} } @mastersthesis {692, title = {Rethinking methods and paradigms of ceramic chronology}, volume = {PhD}, year = {1991}, school = {University of Arizona}, abstract = {Methods of ceramic chronology building are based on certain assumptions concerning the pattern of stylistic change in ceramics. These assumptions are, however, not necessarily identical in different methods. Also, the general applicability of the assumptions in each method is not endorsed by solid empirical observations of stylistic change in ceramics and theoretical considerations concerning processes producing stylistic change in ceramics. The inapplicability of assumptions of a method undermines the reliability of ceramic chronology created by the method. In order to evaluate the reliability of existing ceramic chronologies, (1) theoretical considerations were made concerning processes producing stylistic change in ceramics and (2) empirical observations were made concerning aspects of stylistic change in ceramics in a well-controlled archaeological setting, i.e., stylistic change of Tusayan White and Gray Wares in the American Southwest between A.D. 850 and 1150 where tree-ring dating is available as an independent means of temporal control. As a result, it was revealed that (1) substantial temporal overlap can be present in the manufacture of successive styles of ceramics, (2) continuity criteria of the typological method are not necessarily applicable to stylistic change in ceramics even in a continuous population, and (3) significantly large time lags can be present in the diffusion of manufacturing frequencies of styles even within an area in which the styles are shared. In light of these findings, the typological method cannot be accepted as a method of ceramic chronology building. Occurrence and frequency seriations are, on the other hand, acceptable methods. However, for reliable chronological seriation attention must be paid to potential errors caused by contemporaneous variation of stylistic compositions among assemblages due to time lags in diffusion and variation in generational composition of individuals who produced assemblages. }, keywords = {Anasazi, Tusayan}, url = {http://ezproxy.library.arizona.edu/login?url=http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=744130961\&sid=3\&Fmt=2\&clientId=43922\&RQT=309\&VName=PQD}, author = {Yasushi Kojo} } @mastersthesis {520, title = {Radial Growth Patterns of Tree Species in Relation t Environmental Factors}, volume = {PhD}, year = {1988}, school = {Yale University}, abstract = {To develop a more sensitive model of tree diameter growth, this study compared time series of annual ring increments with a selection of measured and derived environmental variables. The more commonly used monthly climatic variables (e.g., temperature, precipitation) do not adequately explain the year-to-year variations in tree growth, especially in view of current interests in partitioning the role of atmospheric pollutants in reducing tree growth in the northeastern U.S. Daily mean temperature and predicted daily soil moisture content for the last 29 years were used as the basis for the environmental variables used to {\textquotedblleft}explain{\textquotedblright} the growth of four species of northern hardwoods: white ash (Fraxinus americana L.), American beech (Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.), sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.), and yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis Britton). Daily soil moisture content was estimated using the BROOK hydrologic model as calibrated by a subset of actual measured soil moisture data for the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest. The general patterns of tree growth were analyzed and annual growth of each species was evaluated by applying an autoregression model (lag 1) to linearly detrended index series derived from the ring-increment measurements. After changing patterns of the environmental factors were described, new variables were quantified on the basis of a newly proposed tree growth period. The relationships between tree growth fluctuation and the environmental factors were analyzed by applying the correlation analysis, simple linear regression analysis, factor analysis, and principal component analysis. Generally, the species showed diverse growth responses under similar environmental conditions and some stress related variables significantly explained tree growth fluctuation either positively or negatively. In addition, environmental conditions of late summer of the previous year were important in determining tree growth of the current year. Highly variable soil moisture regime seems to be more responsible for the diversity in growth responses of the species than temperature regime. The multivariate analysis permitted a description of the environmental responses of the four tree species, thus aiding a comparative analysis of how ecological niches of the trees differ. Use of biologically relevant environmental variables in dendroecological studies should both permit a better understanding of natural controls on tree growth, and also increase the sensitivity of our current techniques to evaluate anthropogenic stress in natural ecosystems.}, url = {http://ezproxy.library.arizona.edu/login?url=http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=745587501\&sid=3\&Fmt=2\&clientId=43922\&RQT=309\&VName=PQD}, author = {Kim, Eunshik} } @mastersthesis {488, title = {Reconstructing the Flow of the Sacramento River Since 1560}, volume = {MS}, year = {1986}, school = {University of Arizona}, abstract = {Tree-ring width time series have been shown to be useful in conjunction with regression techniques for extending instrumental records of climate variables such as precipitation, drought severity and annual streamflow. This study uses tree-ring data derived fro 17 sites in northern California and eastern Oregon to develop reconstructions of annual Sacramento River streamflow for the period 1560-1980.}, author = {Earle, Christopher J.} } @mastersthesis {475, title = {Reconstruction of North Pacific Surface Pressure Anomaly Types from Alaskan and Western Candian Tree-ring Data}, volume = {MS}, year = {1981}, school = {University of Arizona}, abstract = {Spatial anomaly patterns of sea level pressure over the North Pacific sector of the Northern Hemisphere are statistically calibrated with principal components of arctic tree growth. Principal component weights of tree growth prior to 1900 are substituted into the calibration equation to construct the occurrence of past pressure anomaly types in the 19th century. The success of the constructions is statistically tested against independently derived reconstructions of the same pressure anomaly types from a grid of 65 tree-ring sites in western North America and against an independently derived temperature reconstruction for Fairbanks, Alaska. Of the 30 initial regression models developed only two passed enough verification tests against independent data to be considered reasonable reconstructions. The two chosen models were both reconstructing the same pressure anomaly type and were averaged to form a final reconstruction. Climatic conditions inferred from the arctic tree data are an anomalous strengthening of the summer North Pacific High, in the period 1920 to 1940, with associated anomalously cold summer temperatures at Fairbanks summer temperatures as occurred in the early 20th century (1920 to 1938). Based upon this work, recommendations are made for future study.}, author = {Cropper, John Philip} } @mastersthesis {586, title = {Relationships Among Climate, Tree-Ring Widths and Grass Production on the Santa Rita Experimental Range}, volume = {MS}, year = {1976}, school = {University of Arizona}, abstract = {A relationship between tree-ring widths from a site in the Santa Rita mountains and yearly perennial grass production on pasture 1 of the Santa Rita Experimental Range is investigated{\textellipsis}}, author = {Winter, C. Larrabee} } @mastersthesis {513, title = {The Response of Flooding in the Upper Mississippi Valley to Twentieth Century Climatic Fluctuations 1925-1969}, volume = {MS}, year = {1975}, school = {University of Wisconsin}, author = {Hirschboeck, K.} } @mastersthesis {510, title = {Relationship Between Douglas Fir Latewood and Some Environmental Factors}, volume = {MF}, year = {1962}, school = {University of British Colombia}, author = {Hall, Gavin Siegmund} }