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Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
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    Assessment of the Rocky Mountain National Park Breeding Bird Monitoring Program
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2008-10-30) Meyer, Kristen, author
    The Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory collected 10 years of data throughout the state of Colorado using similar distance-sampling methods to those employed by the Park and will continue these monitoring efforts into the future. In order to assess if RMBO data could be used for management planning in the Park, annual densities were estimated for each year from 2000 to 2006 for the Park and compared to breeding bird data collected for the state of Colorado by the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory. Trends in annual density estimates were not evident in the RMNP data for all of the species because the confidence intervals overlapped across many of the years. There were also no clear differences between the RMNP and RMBO data for most species in most habitat types due to overlapping confidence intervals between the two datasets. Four species in high-elevation riparian habitat showed different densities in the park data than the statewide data, while seven species in ponderosa pine habitat had larger densities in the RMNP data than the statewide data. Although a distinct comparison between the two datasets was inconclusive, the results of this study provided information to make future monitoring recommendations for optimum time intervals, targeting indicator species, increasing sample sizes, and improving data quality.
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    Biomass allocation response of sitanion hystrix to soil water stress
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 1986) McDonell, M. Laurie, author
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    Comparing the effects of fuel treatment layouts in fragmenting large contiguous fuel patches under different fire duration assumptions
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2007-2017) Long, Yehan, author
    Fuel treatment is an important component of wildland fire management. Fuel treatments can fragment large and contiguous fuel patches with high fire intensity potentials. This research applied a mathematical programming model to compare the effects of different fuel treatment layouts in fragmenting fuel patches, and controlling the future fire sizes under different fire durations assumptions. Analyses suggested that fuel treatment aimed at controlling fires of longer duration could effectively lower the risk of fires with shorter duration. However, fuel treatment layouts aimed at shorter fire durations might not perform well when the future fire duration is much longer. Fuel treatment layout designed under the assumption of infinite fire duration can effectively fragment high fire hazard fuel patches and provide reasonable support for future fire control.
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    Grazing managment for wildlife benefits: a planning framework using integrated ecological tools for development of wildlife-oriented grazing strategies
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2010-01-23) McFarland, Stuart C., author
    Many traditional rangeland and domestic livestock management guidelines have focused on uniform livestock distribution, often causing simplification of heterogeneous landscapes, with a goal of improvement/maintenance of rangeland function at "climax" conditions. Often it is assumed that proper rangeland management parallels proper management of the wild animals utilizing rangeland habitat. However, wildlife benefits derived from the ecological conditions created by various grazing strategies are typically limited and largely coincidental. This paper will examine 1) the concept of spatiotemporal heterogeneity and its value to wildlife, 2) how existing tools could be integrated to support wildlife‐oriented rangeland planning, 3) how these concepts and tools could be applied with a planning framework, and 4) recognition of some limitations with possible opportunities for refinement and future research.
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    Sustainable woody bioenergy: a new organizational foundation for forestry in the intermountain west
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2009-03-29) Jensen, Jay, author
    The intermountain west region is experiencing a foundational change in the way it approaches forestry. Sustainable woody bioenergy is playing a central role in the reshaping as old organizing approaches no longer work. The lens in which we view forestry is moving from one dominated by government control, timber and a strong private industry to one with a mix of private sector and civic sector entities stepping up to meet declining public sector capacities and investments. A "sweet spot" is forming around collaborative community-scaled woody bioenergy which enables agreement between communities, industry, stakeholders and government. Public policy intervention is needed and single policy tool solutions will not be able to navigate these multi-variable fields. Successful sustainable woody bioenergy development will require a system and combination of new and existing tools. This paper explores many of these tools by integrating perspectives from around the intermountain west to form a regional outlook.