The long-term effects of prescribed fire on floral abundance and bumble bee abundance in mixed-oak forests of southeastern Ohio

Pollinators are declining due to climate change and habitat loss driven by agriculture and urbanization. In fire-adapted ecosystems, fire promotes the biodiversity of plants by creating space, reducing competition, and increasing light and nutrient availability. However, little is known regarding the effects of fire on floral abundance of plants used by Bombus. The overall goal of this project was to assess the long-term effects of fire on floral abundance and Bombus abundance. Our specific questions were: (1) How does fire frequency influence floral abundance?, (2) How does fire frequency influence floral abundance of species specifically utilized by bumble bees?, and (3) How does fire frequency influence bumble bee abundance? We hypothesized that plots with more frequent fire will tend to have a higher abundance of floral resources for pollinators. Vegetation surveys were conducted in 22 plots in the Wayne National Forest, Ohio. These plots are part of a fire experiment conducted from 1995 to 1999 with three treatments: frequent fire (annual), periodic fire (every 3 years), and control plots (no fire). Since the end of the experiment, periodic and frequent fire plots continued to experience burning, with sequential fires occurring in 2004, 2015, 2019. In each plot, all vascular plants species were identified, and all flowers,inflorescences, buds, and fruits were counted in 16 2 m2 quadrats (36 m2 ). Non-lethal surveys were conducted using a net to quantify Bombus abundance. Floral and Bombus surveys were conducted twice between May and September of 2022 to capture bees with different life histories. We determined which plants in our plots were considered to be focal species utilized by bumble bees and we calculated the total floral abundance of these species from our floral abundance counts. To understand what factors might be related to floral abundance, we identified predictor variables a priori (species richness, fire frequency, total cover (%), forb cover (%), woody cover (%), clay (%), sand (%), silt (%), canopy openness (%), pH, and IMI) and used model selection using corrected Akaike Information Criterion (AICc) to identify top models for total floral abundance and bumble bee host plant floral abundance. We used generalized linear models with a negative binomial distribution for each predictor variable with floral abundance separately because all predictors were significantly correlated. Model selection using AICc suggested that fire frequency and species richness, total cover (%), forb cover (%), woody cover (%), clay (%), sand (%), and silt (%) are significant predictors of total floral abundance. Total floral abundance was significantly higher in periodically and frequently burned plots relative to unburned plots. Fire enhanced the floral abundance of bumble bee host plants, especially in frequently burned plots sampled during late summer. However, total floral abundance between periodically burned and frequently burned plots did not differ and bumble bee abundance was relatively similar between no fire, periodically, and frequently burned plots. These results imply that an increase in fire frequency enhances floral abundance for bumble bees in our mixed oak forest plots

League of Women Voters of the Huntington Area E-mail Bulletin, May, 2024

The Bulletin is published by the League, which is a nonpartisan political organization that encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government and influences public policy through education and advocacy.https://mds.marshall.edu/lowv_newsletter_2020-2029/1044/thumbnail.jp

20240426: Marketing, 2000-2023

These items include materials from the College of Business at Marshall University from 2000-2023. Items were received in 2024 and include notable materials from or about the university via Marshall Newsletters, Marshall Magazine, and Marshall University College of Business Impact Reports,letters from president about the new Marshall Logo and development, and We Are Marshall movie showings. This is not an exhaustive list. Please download the finding aid for a full list of contents

Review of Porst, Broadcasting Hollywood

A review of the book Broadcasting Hollywood: The Struggle Over Feature Films on Early TV, by Jennifer Pors

Review of Beltran, Latino TV

A review of Latino TV: A History, by Mary Beltra

Introduction Issue 2: Humanities in the time of ChatGPT and other forms of AI

Introduction to this Special Issue on Artificial Intelligence and Pedagogy

Freehof User Guide

The User Guide for the Library of Appalachian Preaching is a Google Sheet that can be searched, sorted, and downloaded for offline use. This part of the Guide provides information about Freehof\u27s lectures. It includes the title, scripture text, date and place the address was delivered (if known), and so on. This information is available in the master list of sermons as well.https://mds.marshall.edu/freehof_solomonbennett/1001/thumbnail.jp

20240320: John Deaver Drinko Academy Materials, 1984-2007

These items include materials from the office of the John Deaver Drinko Academy at Marshall University. Items were received in 2024 via Dr. Monsterrat Miller regarding historic information about John Marshall, as well as information about faculty members\u27 John Marshall Scholars Award Interviews. Please download the finding aid for a full list of contents

Rural Hospital Closures Unraveling the Socioeconomic, Healthcare Access, and Community Impact on Local Communities

This study aimed to analyze the effects of rural hospital closures on employment level, economic indicators, and availability of care for communities. The research showed that rural hospital closures negatively impacted community economies and access to healthcare