Understory 2014

“Art is the struggle to be, in a particular sort of way, virtuous.” —Iris Murdoch Indeed, when we embark on any creative adventure it is with the purpose of conveying a certain truth; an emotion, an idea that brings us together and reminds us of the innate consciousness that dwells within. Understory is emblematic of this; where individuals intent on honing their craft can join others to become a part of something greater, their work immortalized to become a time capsule. Decades from now a volume of Understory may be discovered on a dusty bookshelf in some forgotten corner and the lucky explorer who finds it shall be enlightened by pages of gold. We, as editors of Understory 2014, have worked very hard this year to put together a journal that showcases the very best of the University of Alaska Anchorage undergraduate student work. We hope you enjoy your journey through this issue as much as we have enjoyed ours. Thank you to the English and Art Departments, for the staff and faculty’s unerring support of our club; to Provost Baker, for seeing and believing in the vision of Understory; and to our club’s faculty advisor, Douglass Bourne, for his guidance and tireless assistance. Finally, thank you to the wonderful students who submit such excellent work each year. Without your passion for the arts, we would not be here.Staff / Letter from the Editors / Glass Blower / Writing / Obsolete Evolution / Permafrost / Phoenix / Untitled / Ratio / Tripping / Abiogenesis / My Heart Beats for You / Meeting of the Fingerprint Lines / You Are No Stranger / Nightmare Fuel / Cane-Sugar / Gossamer Strands / Panthera Gold / Butterfly / A Mantis Too Far / Long and Winding Road / Chasing Shadows / Merisunas / Chequer Grove / Modzilla / Beans / Little Red and Mr. Wolf / In Memoriam, Joel Fletcher Armstrong / Glance / Courage / Uranium Waltz / Danger / Journey to the West / Antumbra / Roaring Like a Lion / Pre-boarding / Untitled / How Do You Say a Word / Fishing for Doom/ Contributor

Site Factors Influence on Herbaceous Understory Diversity in East Texas Pinus palustris savannas

Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) savannas were once dominant across the southeastern U.S., including East Texas and parts of western and central Louisiana. The diverse understory associated with these historical savannas may occasionally be seen today, but not often in longleaf pine ecosystems. This project aimed to define east Texas site characteristics that are necessary to support these ecosystems with a dense and diverse herbaceous understory with little to no midstory cover. Fifty-nine plots across three study sites were established to evaluate the influence of overstory cover, basal area, aspect, elevation, and slope on the number of plant genera present. Forest structure and site characteristics had significant effects on the number of plant genera found. The number of genera increased with higher elevation and slope; as elevation increased, there was a decline in basal area and overstory cover, leading to a more diverse, understory layer. In order to re-establish and maintain a diverse, herbaceous understory in longleaf pine savannas, sites with more open canopies and on slopes with the most solar exposure should be given priority, particularly when planting desired understory species

Biomass estimations of invasives Yaupon, Chinese Privet and Chinese Tallow in east Texas Hardwood and Pine Ecosystems

Forest understory fuels can have profound effects on fire behavior and crown fire initiation. Accurate fire behavior prediction in understory fuels is an essential component for estimating fire intensity and severity during wildfire and prescribed fire events. This study focused on estimating temporal and seasonal changes in fuel loading parameters associated with the expansion of invasive yaupon (Ilex vomitoria), Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense), and Chinese tallow (Triadica sebifera) in East Texas pine and hardwood ecosystems. Fuel loading data of invasive species infested sites indicated significant increases in understory biomass when compared to 1988 estimates, suggesting a clear need to revise regional fuel models. Multiple and simple regression biomass prediction equations were developed for all three-invasive species to facilitate fuel load estimates. These improved prediction equations will enhance fire management efforts as well as invasive species mitigation efforts in east Texas

Vertical stratification of selected Hymenoptera in a remnant forest of the Po Plain (Italy, Lombardy) (Hymenoptera: Ampulicidae, Crabronidae, Sphecidae)

Communities of the canopy of temperate forests are still relatively unexplored. Furthermore, very little is known on how vertical stratification for some insect groups is related to biological strategies. In this study, we investigated the community composition of both canopy and understory of the families Ampulicidae, Crabronidae and Sphecidae (Hymenoptera) of the Natural Reserve of "Bosco della Fontana", a remnant lowland forest in northeastern Italy. Observed patterns in vertical stratification have been related to species foraging habits. Our study reveals that the bulk of the community of Spheciformes of the understory consists of species predating dipterans and spiders, while species associated with the canopy are mainly predators of sap-sucking honeydew producers and epiphyte grazers, like aphids, thrips, and barkflies. Comparing the communities of canopy and understory may lead to a better understanding of species ecology and provides useful information to forest managers

Effects of Ponderosa Pine Ecological Restoration on Forest Soils and Understory Vegetation in Northern Arizona

The human exclusion of wildfire and overgrazing by livestock since settlement have caused dramatic changes in ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl ex Laws) forest ecosystems. These changes include increased numbers of tree stems, reduced understory cover and diversity, and the introduction of invasive, non-native understory species. This study evaluated the coverage and species composition of understory vegetation present in the “cool-season” (late spring and early summer) in a ponderosa pine forest on grazed and ungrazed plots that had undergone restoration treatments on three different soil/geologic parent material types near Flagstaff, Arizona, twelve years after tree thinning and grazing exclosure treatments were applied. Several measured soil properties, such as soil respiration and temperature, were also evaluated in this study. Species richness of “cool-season” vegetation was influenced more by grazing practices than restoration treatments. Differences could be less or greater when vegetation that is active later in the season is measured. Vegetative cover was significantly influenced by restoration treatments (9.3% cover under open canopies and 6.5% under dense canopies), probably due to differences in competition for light and other resources (i.e. soil moisture and nutrients). Unlike finding by Abella et al. (2015), who studied “warm-season” vegetation, “cool-season” understory cover was not influenced by soil parent material type in this study, which might suggest that differences in understory cover due to soil properties are only seen shortly after restoration treatments are applied, or the time of year vegetation is evaluated may play a role in the differences seen. Soil respiration was highest on limestone soil parent material type (3.3 g C-CO2 m-2 day-1), and soil temperature was lowest under closed canopy treatments (15°C)

Effects of forest fragmentation on the vertical stratification of neotropical bats

Vertical stratification is a key component of the biological complexity of rainforests. Understanding community- and species-level responses to disturbance across forest strata is paramount for evidence-based conservation and management. However, even for bats, known to extensively explore multiple layers of the complex three-dimensional forest space, studies are biased towards understory-based surveys and only few assessments of vertical stratification were done in fragmented landscapes. Using both ground and canopy mist-nets, we investigated how the vertical structure of bat assemblages is influenced by forest fragmentation in the experimentally fragmented landscape of the Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project, Central Amazon, Brazil. Over a three year-period, we captured 3077 individuals of 46 species in continuous forest (CF) and in 1, 10 and 100 ha forest fragments. In both CF and forest fragments, the upper forest strata sustained more diverse bat assemblages than the equivalent understory layer, and the midstory layers had significantly higher bat abundance in fragments than in CF. Artibeus lituratus and Rhinophylla pumilio exhibited significant shifts in their vertical stratification patterns between CF and fragments (e.g. R. pumilio was more associated with the upper strata in fragments than in CF). Altogether, our study suggests that fragmentation modulates the vertical stratification of bat assemblages

The effects of stand characteristics on the understory vegetation in Quercus petraea and Q. cerris dominated forests

The shelterwood system used in Hungary has many effects on the composition and structure of the herb layer. The aim of our study was to identify the main variables that affect the occurence of herbs and seedlings in Turkey oak-sessile oak (Quercus cerris and Q. petraea) stands. The study was carried out in the Bükk mountains, Hungary. 122 sampling plots were established in 50-150 year old oak forests, where we studied the species composition and structure of the understorey and overstorey. The occurence of herbs was affected by canopy closure, the heterogenity and patchiness of the stand, the slope and the east-west component of the aspect. The composition of saplings was significantly explained by the ratio of the two major oak species in the stand and the proximity of the adult plants. An important result for forest management was that sessile oaks were able to regenerate almost only where they were dominant in the overstorey

Effect of a major ice storm on understory light conditions in an old-growth Acer-Fagus forest: Pattern of recovery over seven years

We evaluated the effects of a major ice storm on understory light conditions (%PPFD, photosynthetic photon flux density) in an old-growth Acer-Fagus forest in Quebec, based on pre- and post-disturbance light measurements taken until the seventh growing season after the event (which occurred in January 1998). Before the ice storm, most microsites received between 2 and 4%PPFD. Following the ice storm, the stand-level mean %PPFD increased four- to five-fold, ranging from 13.8 to 20.5%PPFD, from 0.3 to 4 m aboveground. Despite its magnitude, the post-ice storm increase in light transmission was short-lived. By 1999 (2-year+), the mean light levels had decreased by half, and recovery to pre-storm conditions occurred within 3-7 years, depending on height. The decrease in light transmission during the post-disturbance years followed an inverse J-shape trend, indicating more dynamic changes early after disturbance. By 2004 (7-year+), light levels at ≤2 m had become slightly but significantly lower than before the ice storm, with most microsites receiving <2%PPFD. The ice storm led to a synchronized increase of the light levels at almost all understory locations, which might allow a high proportion of the advanced regeneration to experience a release. However, due to the rapid recovery of the light conditions to levels similar or lower than before the ice storm, this disturbance should be more advantageous to shade-tolerant species

Kelp bed variability and fish population dynamics in Kachemak Bay, Alaska

Thesis (M.S.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2004Understanding interactions between kelp beds and fishes is essential because anthropogenic changes and natural variability in these beds (composition, density, and distribution) may affect available habitat for fishes. In Alaska, little is known about the annual and seasonal variability of macroalgal cover in kelp beds and corresponding changes in associated fish populations. This study investigated natural variability using monthly SCUBA surveys in Kachemak Bay, Alaska from May 2002 to September 2003. Ten shallow (approximately 7m water depth) nearshore kelp beds with varying degrees of macroalgal cover were surveyed visually for fishes and kelp, and measurements of environmental variables were collected. These kelp beds had a persistent, perennial-dominated understory with sporadic, sparse populations of annual canopy kelp. Understory and canopy kelps had affinities with greater bottom structure, and annual kelp density was greatest during periods with higher temperatures. Hexagrammids, especially kelp greenlings, existed year-round in the more structurally complex beds and were typically more abundant during periods with higher temperatures, and at sites with denser annual kelp populations. Most other fishes were transient and generally present only during summer months. Monthly changes in kelp and fish communities reflected a strong seasonal component