This collection includes theses, dissertations, and professional papers from the University of Montana W. A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation. Theses, dissertations, and professional papers from all University of Montana departments and programs may be searched here.
Theses/Dissertations from 2018
Home Is Where the Food Is: Causes and Consequences of Partial Migration in Elk, Kristin Jennifer Barker
A DECADE OF GOVERNING THE BLACKFOOT COMMUNITY CONSERVATION AREA (BCCA): COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND LANDSCAPE CONNECTIVITY THROUGH PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS, Alexander A. Barton
LEWIS’S WOODPECKER NEST SUCCESS AND HABITAT SELECTION IN COTTONWOOD FLOODPLAIN VERSUS BURNED CONIFER FORESTS, William M. Blake
BIOTIC AND ABIOTIC INFLUENCES ON THE EVOLUTION OF ELEVATIONAL RANGE LIMTS AND LIFE-HISTORY STRATEGIES OF TROPICAL BIRDS, Andrew James Boyce
INVESTIGATING THE THRU-HIKING EXPERIENCE: A STUDY ON THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL, Taylor Rose Cole
THE BIOPHYSICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL IMPACTS OF FOREST DISTURBANCES ACROSS ECOSYSTEMS, Leila Ann Cooper
Knowledge Processes and the Potential for Adaptive Governance of Inshore Fisheries in the Solomon Islands, Amber W. Datta
Avian Community Responses to Bison Grazing in North American Intermountain Grasslands, Danielle A. Fagre
Integrating Fire and Forest Planning: A Review of National Forest Plan Revisions, Hailey Graf
Confronting the challenges of whale avoidance by large vessels to reduce collision risk: A quantitative approach, Jennifer E. Helm
LANDSCAPE HETEROGENEITY MODULATES ECOSYSTEM SENSITIVITY TO CLIMATE, Zachary Harwood Hoylman
THE ENDURING IMPORTANCE OF WILDNESS: SHEPHERDING WILDERNESS THROUGH THE ANTHROPOCENE, Patrick Ram Kelly
Wilderness Solitude in the 21st Century, Thomas C. Lang
AN INTER-WATERSHED COMPARISON STUDY OF BEDROCK CONTROLS ON SHALLOW SUBSURFACE FLOW AND STREAMFLOW RESPONSE, Robert Livesay
Predictive spatial modeling of wildfire occurrence and poaching events related to Siberian tiger conservation in Southwest Primorye, Russian Far East, Conor N. Phelan
INTERPRETATION AND IMPLEMENATION OF DIRECTOR’S ORDER #41, SECTION 7.2: DETERMINING BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FOR WILDERNESS CLIMBING IN THE NATIONAL PARKS, Kerry E. Sullivan
ECOLOGY, EPIDEMIOLOGY, AND EVOLUTIONARY GENETICS OF CANINE DISTEMPER VIRUS SPILLOVER IN AFRICAN LIONS, Julie Kay Weckworth
Impacts of Elephant Crop-Raiding on Subsistence Farmers and Approaches to Reduce Human-Elephant Farming Conflict in Sagalla, Kenya, Sophia Weinmann
Survival, movements, and resource selection of female white-tailed deer in Missouri, Chloe A. Wright
Theses/Dissertations from 2017
FIRE MANAGEMENT PROVISIONS IN FEDERAL WILDERNESS LAW, Erik D. Alnes
Ponderosa Pine Responses to Biochar, Fertilizer, or Mastication on the Bitterroot National Forest, USA, Haley C. Anderson
FACTORS INFLUENCING CLADOPHORA BIOMASS ABUNDANCE IN THE UPPER CLARK FORK RIVER, MONTANA., Nicholas J. Banish
Harvest and Persistence of Wolf Populations: Variable Effects of Harvest on Wolf Packs in the Rocky Mountains, Sarah B. Bassing
SPATIOTEMPORAL VARIABILITY OF HUMIDITY ACROSS THE CONTIGUOUS UNITED STATES AND SOUTHERN CANADA USING REGIONAL NETWORKS, Ruben John Behnke
LONGEVITY OF PONDEROSA PINE FUEL REDUCTION TREATMENTS: A LEGACY OF RESEARCH AT LICK CREEK DEMONSTRATION/RESEARCH FOREST IN WESTERN MONTANA, Katelynn J. Bowen
Integrated Stress and Community Perceptions: Toward an Understanding of Human-Cougar Tolerance, Lara Brenner
Stream restoration effects on hydraulic exchange, storage and alluvial aquifer discharge, Christine M. Brissette
DISPERSAL, GENETIC STRUCTURE, NETWORK CONNECTIVITY AND CONSERVATION OF AN AT-RISK, LARGE-LANDSCAPE SPECIES, Todd Bartholomew Cross
FOREST VEGETATION, FUEL, AND FIRE HAZARD DEVELOPMENT IN STANDS TREATED TO RESIST CROWN FIRE, Justin Seth Crotteau
COUPLING BIOPHYSICAL COMPLEXITY AND FOREST METABOLISM IN A FLOODPLAIN LANDSCAPE, Peter Davis
Assessing Stream Channel Restoration: The Phased Recovery Framework, Jacob M. Dyste
BREEDING HABITAT USE AND FITNESS CONSEQUENCES IN GROUNDNESTING SONGBIRDS, Karolina Fierro-Calderon
HIGH-RESOLUTION MAPPING OF HIERARCHICAL GREATER SAGE-GROUSE NESTING HABITAT: A GRAIN-SPECTRUM APPROACH IN NORTHWESTERN WYOMING, Robert T. Haynam III
Understanding patterns and drivers of Alaskan fire-regime variability across spatial and temporal scales, Tyler J. Hoecker
IMPLICATIONS OF RANCHER DECISION-MAKING PATTERNS IN DOUGLAS COUNTY, WASHINGTON FOR INCENTIVE-BASED CONSERVATION OF SAGE-GROUSE, Clancy Jandreau
Estimating the Effects of Overstory Retention, Vegetative Competition, and Site Quality on the Height Growth of Small Ponderosa Pine Trees Using Regression Quantiles, Colin P. Kirkmire
Social Justice in Social-Ecological Systems: Resilience Through Stakeholder Engagement, Frederick I. Lauer
WHAT THE GRINGOS BROUGHT: A CRITICAL EXAMINATION OF A PRIVATELY PROTECTED AREA IN CHILEAN PATAGONIA, Elena Louder
QUANTIFYING GLOBAL ANNUAL GROSS PRIMARY PRODUCTIVITY: APPLICATION OF AN IMPROVED LIGHT USE EFFICIENCY MODEL, Nima Madani
DOES TIMING OF HERBICIDE USE INFLUENCE RATES OF GERMINATION OR SEEDLING BIOMASS OF NATIVE PLANTS USED FOR RESTORATION?, Christine McManamen
DAY HIKERS AND BEAR SAFETY: AN ELABORATION PERSPECTIVE ON COMMUNICATION IN YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Zachary David Miller
New Methods to Estimate Abundance from Unmarked Populations Using Remote Camera Trap Data, Anna K. Moeller
NUTRIENT ACQUISITION STRATEGIES IN TROPICAL RAIN FORESTS: NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS INTERACTIONS THROUGH PLANTMICROBIAL MUTUALISMS, Megan Kelly Nasto
STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY AND PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF PONDEROSA PINE OVER TIME AFTER DEATH BETWEEN VECTORS OF MORTALITY, Edward J. O'Donnell
DRIVERS AND FEEDBACKS OF THE FIRE-GRAZING INTERACTION IN THE NORTHERN GREAT PLAINS, Jacob E. Powell
ASSESSING RIPARIAN ECOSYSTEM CONDITION AND MONITORING RECOVERY FROM NATURAL AND ANTHROPOGENIC DISTURBANCE, Rachel Powers
GROWTH RESPONSE OF WHITEBARK PINE (PINUS ALBICAULIS) REGENERATION TO THINNING AND PRESCRIBED BURN RELEASE TREATMENTS, Molly L. McClintock Retzlaff
ENHANCING CONSERVATION WITH HIGH RESOLUTION PRODUCTIVITY DATASETS FOR THE CONTERMINOUS UNITED STATES, Nathaniel Paul Robinson
VIRTUALIZATION OF FUELBEDS: BUILDING THE NEXT GENERATION OF FUELS DATA FOR MULTIPLE –SCALE FIRE MODELING AND ECOLOGICAL ANALYSIS, Eric Martin Rowell
LINKING LANDSCAPE PATTERN TO POPULATION PROCESSES FOR A CARNIVOROUS MAMMAL, Keith Michael Slauson
Coffee Certifications as Potential Pathways to Women’s Empowerment in Costa Rica, Laura N. Stein
EXPLAINING AND MONITORING POPULATION PERFORMANCE IN GRIZZLY AND AMERICAN BLACK BEARS, Jeffrey Brian Stetz
Response of Amphibian and Invertebrate Communities to Wetland Mitigation in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, Leah K. Swartz
THE ECOLOGY OF MONTANE BENGAL TIGERS (Panthera tigris tigris) IN THE HIMALAYAN KINGDOM OF BHUTAN, Tshering Tempa
Assessing the Character of Place to Guide Geotourism in Montana: A Case Study of Whitefish and White Sulphur Springs, Montana, Michael E. Tipton
THE INFLUENCE OF TREE HEIGHT ON LIDAR’S ABILITY TO ACCURATELY CHARACTERIZE FOREST STRUCTURE AND SPATIAL PATTERN ACROSS REFERENCE LANDSCAPES, Haley L. Wiggins
ENVIRONMENTAL DNA SAMPLING ACROSS EVOLUTIONARY AND SPATIAL SCALES, Taylor Matthew Wilcox
QUANTIFYING THE ECOLOGICAL PROCESSES UNDERLYING COLLISIONS BETWEEN LARGE BALEEN WHALES AND LARGE SHIPS TO EVALUATE RISK, Sara Halley Williams
Theses/Dissertations from 2016
Bicycle Mobility in Glacier National Park: Assessing Going-to-the-Sun Road Travelers' Attitudes, Knowledge, and Perceptions of Bicycling, Brian G. Battaglia
EVALUATION OF SOCIAL PREFERENCES FOR WOODY BIOMASS ENERGY IN THE US MOUNTAIN WEST, Robert Marshall Campbell
POLITICAL ECOLOGY OF CORDYCEPS IN THE GARHWAL HIMALAYA OF NORTHERN INDIA, Laura Bess Caplins
CORE ZONES, LIVESTOCK AND POPULATION ECOLOGY OF ARGALI IN MONGOLIA’S GOBI STEPPE, Lars Stefan Ekernas
EXPLORING PARK SUPPORT: A STUDY OF PHILANTHROPY AND OTHER SUPPORT FOR YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Geoffrey G. Havens
MULE DEER POPULATION DYNAMICS IN SPACE AND TIME: ECOLOGICAL MODELING TOOLS FOR MANAGING UNGULATES, Mark A. Hurley
PREDICTING CLIMATE-INDUCED IMPACTS ON SEASONAL STREAM TEMPERATURES IN THE CROWN OF THE CONTINENT ECOSYSTEM, Leslie Anne Jones
Synthesis of Satellite Microwave Observations for Monitoring Global Land-Atmosphere CO2 Exchange, Lucas Alan Jones
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL MEMORY OF NATURE-BASED TOURISTS: FORMATION OF PLACE ATTACHMENT AND INFLUENCES ON VISITOR BEHAVIOR, Jacob Daniel Jorgenson
AGE-SPECIFIC MORTALITY AND ITS INFLUENCE ON PARENTAL CARE AND OFFSPRING BEHAVIORS, Juan Carlos Oteyza
Human shields and redistribution of prey species complicate the utility of protected areas as ecological baselines, Wesley Sarmento
DENSITY MANAGEMENT IN YOUNG WESTERN LARCH STANDS: TREE GROWTH, STAND YIELD, AND CARBON STORAGE 54 YEARS AFTER THINNING, Michael S. Schaedel
LANDSCAPE TO LOCAL: A MULTI-SCALE EVALUATION OF VOLUNTARY EFFORTS TO REDUCE FRAGMENTATION AND ENHANCE MANAGEMENT OF RANGELANDS FOR SAGE-GROUSE, Joseph Tyler Smith
Assessing Household Drinking Water Needs: Reaching Many One Water Filter at a Time in Los Robles, Nicaragua, Erinkate E. Springer
LARGE-SCALE CAMERA TRAPPING AND LARGE-CARNIVORE MONITORING, OCCUPANCY-ABUNDANCE RELATIONSHIPS, AND FOOD-WEBS, Robin Willem Steenweg
EXPERIENCES OF AMERICAN INDIANS IN NATURAL RESOURCE DEGREE PROGRAMS, Ruth Ann Swaney
Theses/Dissertations from 2015
Groups and Mortality: Their Effects on Cooperative Behavior and Population Growth in a Social Carnivore, David E. Ausband
A Critical Examination of Private Conservation Areas on Campesino Community Lands in Peru, Megan Barnhart
Spatiotemporal Controls On Hydrologic Exchange Between Hillslopes, Valley Bottoms, And Streams From The Reach To The Watershed Scale, Anna Bergstrom
DEVALUING FUTURE AIR QUALITY, RESPIRATORY HEALTH, AND FINANCIAL OUTCOMES: A DELAY DISCOUNTING APPROACH, Meredith Steele Berry
Coevolution and cospeciation in a bark-beetle fungal symbiosis, Ryan Russell Bracewell
Vulnerable Populations' Perspectives on Climate Engineering, Wylie Allen Carr
Ecosystem succession in the earliest stages: Linking microbial community structure to ecological function, Sarah C. Castle
QUANTIFYING THE SPATIO-TEMPORAL VARIABILITY OF SUBSURFACE FLOW ACROSS THREE HILLSLOPES IN A SEMI-ARID, ALPINE FOREST, Emily N. Clark
Tribal Water Rights Settlements and Instream Flow Protection, Dylan M. DesRosier
LINKING THE EFFECTS OF RISK FACTORS ON ANNUAL CALF SURVIVAL TO ELK POPULATION DYNAMICS IN THE BITTERROOT VALLEY, MONTANA, Daniel R. Eacker
DECADAL SCALE RESPONSES OF SOIL AND ECOSYSTEM PROCESSES TO FOREST RESTORATION IN ROCKY MOUNTAIN CONIFER FORESTS, Peter Ganzlin
Assessing changes in avian communities, Jessie D. Golding
Perceptions of climate change and water governance vulnerability in the Aysén region of Chile, Michal I. Helman
Stewardship Contracting: Implementation of an Innovative Resource Management Tool by Units of the U.S. Forest Service, Cassandra J. Hemphill
Consequences of Biomass Harvesting on Forest Condition and Productivity in the Northern Rocky Mountains, Woongsoon Jang
An investigation of domestic tourists' loyalty to a nature-based tourist setting from a relational and transactional perspective at the Victoria Falls World Heritage site, Jane Musole Kwenye
Predation Risk and Vegetation Effects on Avian Diversity, Species Turnover, Reproduction, and Fitness, Joseph Anthony LaManna