Theses and Dissertations

Issuing Body

Mississippi State University

Advisor

Fan, Zhaofei (Joseph)

Committee Member

Ulyshen, Michael Darragh

Committee Member

Varner, Julian Morgan

Date of Degree

12-13-2014

Document Type

Graduate Thesis - Open Access

Major

Forestry

Degree Name

Master of Science

College

College of Forest Resources

Department

Department of Forestry

Abstract

Recent and anticipated global change has focused concern on the role of forests in ecosystem functioning and carbon sequestration. Of key importance is identifying relevant factors that drive carbon and nutrient dynamics and the consequences of changes in these processes. Systems undergoing invasion by invasive woody species are particularly prone to changes. This study examined the branch and crown biomass and decay dynamics for the invasive Chinese tallow tree in Mississippi, USA as well as the influences of stand and site conditions on biomass modeling and arthropod contributions to fine woody debris decay. Coupling biomass and decay models presents a method for modeling carbon sequestration and nutrient turnover rates at the stand level. These predictions will aid our understanding of the consequences of ecosystem change, especially those driven by invasive species.

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11668/20376

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