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VERSION:2.0
PRODID:icalendar-ruby
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
X-WR-CALNAME:Thesis Defense: Mallory Picl
X-WR-TIMEZONE:Mountain Time (US & Canada)
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260906T112918Z
UID:tag:localist.com\,2008:EventInstance_51012609599080
DTSTART:20251029T210000Z
DTEND:20251029T220000Z
DESCRIPTION:Title: Exploring the Impact of Climate Change on Western Junipe
 r Establishment Rates in a Southwestern Idaho Watershed Using a LiDAR Deri
 ved Tree Age Prediction Model\n\nProgram: Geoscience MS\n\nCommittee Chair
 : Jen Pierce\n\nCommittee Co-Chair: Megan Cattau\n\nCommittee: Jen Pierce\
 , Megan Cattau\, Dave Huber\, David Wilkins\n\nAbstract: The expansion of 
 western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis) from upper slope rocky ridges int
 o sagebrush steppe communities in lower valleys across the Pacific Northwe
 st impacts ecosystem dynamics in rangelands. The transition of these forme
 rly shrub-dominated landscapes to closed canopy woodlands alters hydrologi
 c processes and reduces available habitat and forage. Western juniper expa
 nsion is partially a result of increases in establishment rates\, which ha
 s been linked to the rapid change in disturbance regimes throughout rangel
 ands\, including fire suppression\, intensified grazing\, and changing cli
 mate. This study focuses solely on the influence of climate in order to pr
 ovide a framework to better understand climate change implications on west
 ern juniper establishment rates. The study area is Johnston Draw\, a small
  parcel of land located in Reynolds Creek Experimental Watershed in southw
 estern Idaho\, where both researchers and landowners have noted western ju
 niper expansion over the last century.\nUsing a combination of remote sens
 ing and field sampling\, we evaluate western juniper establishment rates a
 nd provide insights into the impact of seasonal climatic conditions as wel
 l as the overall annual climate impacts on the rate of establishment. Firs
 t\, we created a tree age prediction model that bridges the traditional fi
 eld-sampling method for vegetation sampling with an updated remote sensing
  approach. By utilizing 77 field-samples of western juniper tree cores\, h
 eights\, and canopy diameters to train a model\, and obtaining the tree he
 ight and canopy diameter metrics for the non-sampled western juniper from 
 Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR)\, we developed a tree age model that e
 stimated the age of >3\,600 western juniper within the study area. Second\
 , we chose the seasonal climate variables for this study a priori and iden
 tified that cooler spring and summer temperatures in the current year\, as
  well as increased winter precipitation in the previous year and spring pr
 ecipitation in the current year\, were influential climate factors on west
 ern juniper expansion. We also assessed the relative importance of annual 
 temperature versus annual precipitation on western juniper establishment r
 ates.\nOur results show that increased current year spring precipitation a
 nd overall annual precipitation promote western juniper expansion in the s
 tudy area. Using future climate model predictions\, we determined spring p
 recipitation in the Pacific Northwest to increase\, which can suggest cont
 inued expansion of western juniper in rangelands in the future. By refinin
 g the ability to measure western juniper structural metrics\, determine we
 stern juniper age\, and understand the climatic conditions that influence 
 the establishment of western juniper\, we provide a simplified\, improved 
 means for land managers to assess western juniper dynamics on the landscap
 e.
GEO:43.600767;-116.199525
LOCATION:Micron Center for Materials Research (MCMR)\, 106
SUMMARY:Thesis Defense: Mallory Picl
URL;VALUE=URI:https://events.boisestate.edu/event/thesis-defense-mallory-pi
 cl
CATEGORIES:Lectures and Presentations
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