Cerena Brewen

Advisor

Cerena Brewen, 2019

Thesis:
Multidecadal change in aspen experiencing long-unburned, mixed-severity wildfire, and reburn disturbance regimes

I grew up in the small town of Susanville, CA and the Lassen National Forest has always been home for me. I received my BS in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Nevada, Reno in 2014 and my summers in between college were spent working in Ecology for the Forest Service on the Lassen. My passion for understanding natural processes quickly grew as I gained a deeper understanding of forest structure, ecological relationships and species services. I continued working for the Forest Service in between my undergrad and starting my masters. The most influential experiences for me included aspen and meadow restoration, monitoring the effects of prescribed fire and timber removal, and managing post wildfire landscapes. I found a perfect fit with ecology as I saw the need for understanding intraspecific and interspecific relationships that are crucial for effective land management. My research interests include landscape ecology, fire ecology and ecological restoration. My research at Humboldt involves the expansion of aspen stands after disturbance. I am looking at the rate of expansion of aspen in the Sierra Nevada after different fire intervals. I hope to help gain a better understanding of the role that fire frequency plays in aspen for future management.

Gregg Bousfield

Advisor

Andrew Stubblefield

Gregg Bousfield, 2008

Thesis:
Peakflow prediction using an antecedent precipitation index in small forested watersheds of the Northern California Coast Range.

I have been a Hydrologist for the Klamath National Forest for 3.5 years currently stationed in Happy Camp, CA. I recently accepted a one-year temporary promotion with a Forest Service Enterprise Team, ACT2, specializing in watershed related analysis and planning. Forest Service Enterprise Team positions are usually virtual meaning one can work on any Forest across the Nation at any given time. If things go well I will eventually become a permanent employee with ACT2.

My thesis consisted of developing an empirical rainfall-runoff model using rainfall and streamflow data from the Northern California Coast Range. The watersheds used for model development were small (less than 35 km2) with extensive forest cover. The simple empirical model produced the best results for the largest peakflow event compared to smaller peakflow events which are more greatly affected by factors other than short-term rainfall history. The model also produced the best results during wet antecedent soil moisture conditions which may be due to less variability in the processes controlling streamflow generation. My major advisor was Dr. G. Robison.

Lea Bond

Lea Bond, 2013

Thesis:
Using distributed temperature sensing fiber-optics and heat source modeling to characterize a northern California stream’s thermal regime

Lea's mission is to pursue a career in the protection, recovery and conservation of aquatic related resources. Lea grew up in the small town of Boulder Creek, CA and received her BS from the University of California Santa Cruz in Biology. Mentored by Don Croll and Erica Zavaletta, Lea completed a senior project investigating river community structure. After graduating she worked with a number of government agencies. She later worked under Maura Santora for the Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) evaluating road crossing passage for the threatened Lahontan cutthroat trout. At LTBMU Lea also assisted in amphibian monitoring, invasive fish removal, and habitat inventory surveys. Lea is currently working under Andrew Stubblefield investigating stream heating on Redwood Creek and the Salmon River. Their project is investigating a variety of stream heating factors through novel measuring techniques. The project aims to help managers maximize stream thermal protection and propose areas to focus future restoration efforts. Lea Bond graduated in 2013 and currently works at National Marine Fisheries in Santa Cruz

Nichole Besyk

Nichole Besyk, 2015

Thesis:
Predicting phosphorus retention in two Haplohumult forest soils of northern California

I first travelled to north woods of Wisconsin when I was five weeks old. My continuing experiences in that quiet, powerful forest revealed to me a glimpse into the natural order at a young age. From then on I?ve always held a special connection to, and respect for, the natural world. This connection eventually led me to study ecology, the mysterious web-like functioning of our world. In 2012, I earned a BS in Forest Ecosystem Restoration & Management from the University of Wisconsin?Stevens Point. Recently, I?ve narrowed down my ecological interests to the central axis of terrestrial systems: the hidden world beneath our feet. The soil discreetly accomplishes nutrient, water, and energy cycling which makes the whole system run. The raw and unrefined molecules of life?of redwoods, wood sorrel, banana slugs, and humans? are found in the soil. Specifically, phosphorus is a soil element which is essential to life. Its availability to plants and soil organisms can have defining effects on ecosystems. With guidance from my major advisor, Dr. Susan Edinger Marshall, I plan to study phosphorus limitation in old, red, northwest California soils.

Alexis Bernal

Advisor

Jeffrey Kane

Alexis Bernal, 2019

Thesis:
Mechanisms and spatial patterns of bark beetle-associated mortality following variable density thinning treatments in a sierra mixed-conifer forest

Originally from San Diego, California, forests and forest management had been completely foreign to me. It was not until I studied abroad in Beijing, China that I had found my calling. Once I returned to the States, I transferred from my community college to UC Berkeley and earned a B.S. in Forestry & Natural Resources. During my time at UCB and the summer thereafter, I spent most of my time assisting on various research projects. From quantifying ladder fuels using Light Detection and Ranging models, to increasing complexity in forest structures using variable density thinning, my insatiable curiosity and passion to solve issues related to forestry are what led me to pursue a M.S. in Forestry at Cal Poly Humboldt. My research with Dr. Jeff Kane explores how different management techniques contribute to a tree?s ability to respond to bark beetle outbreaks. Because there is evidence suggesting that climate change will not only affect the environmental conditions that these trees are exposed to, but also the population dynamics of the beetles that attack them, it is important to determine the underlying mechanisms for the current mortality so that we may better prepare our forests to withstand the next inevitable outbreak.

Jill Beckmann

Advisor

Rosemary Sherriff

Jill Beckmann,

Thesis:
The effects of severe drought on radial stem growth of Oregon white oak

In addition to being a graduate student at Cal Poly Humboldt, Jill Beckmann is the GIS Specialist and Data Steward for the Karuk Tribe Department of Natural Resources. She has a BA in Geography with minors in both Biology and Natural Resources Planning from Cal Poly Humboldt (2006). Jill has worked for several different agencies and governments ranging from the North Cascades to the Coachella Valley, leading and cooperatively participating in several large-scale restoration projects. She has designed vegetation monitoring programs in Northern and Southern California and has extensive experience and knowledge of geographic information science and ecology. Jill currently serves as a core team member of the Western Klamath Restoration Partnership and is especially inspired by the Karuk Tribe?s place-based culture and commitment to revitalizing the relationship between human communities and the natural landscape through fire. She is also apart of the Fire Learning Network's Prescribed Fire Training Exchange Coaches Network and works as a Situation Unit Leader an inter-agency incident management team. My thesis project looks at the effects of severe drought on radial stem growth of Oregon white oak under varying levels of competition from Douglas-fir and other oaks within a mixed oak woodland near Kneeland, CA. Reviewing growth trends that have occurred in encroached and un-encroached Oregon white oak and Douglas-fir may provide insight into how changing climatic conditions may or may not affect the competitive dynamics between these two species. This research is also expected to provide increased information to managers on how to effectively restore Oregon white oak populations by describing distance- and height-dependent competitive impacts from Douglas-fir.