***Compass*--Summer 2000**

**The Southern Research Station**

**Recent Publications Catalogue\
(http://www.srs.fs.fed.us/pubs/)**

**Fire---Power and Purposes, Light and Dark Sides**

In the spring and early summer of 2000, lightning fires, human-caused
fires, and escaped prescribed fires consumed thousands of acres of
forest land and hundreds of homes. The Cerro Grande fire, initially a
USDI National Park Service prescribed fire, burned over large portions
of the Los Alamos National Laboratory*.* Non-quantifiable losses include
trauma to people who have suffered physical and emotional injuries, lost
companion animals, or experienced the destruction of a lifetime of
personal treasures. Smoke and fire have destroyed wildlife and their
habitat.

In Colorado, the Bobcat and High Meadow fires hit the foothills of the
Rocky Mountains close to Denver, destroying more than 40 homes. At the
urban-wildland interface---where people escape from the city to live
closer to nature and further from each other---homes dot the forest like
a mosaic. This pattern creates unique opportunities and challenges. For
the people who live on the edge of wildlands, commuting to work and
community activities results in longer drives, more expensive in time,
fuel, and contributions to air pollution. County service providers find
themselves trying to stretch the infrastructure to cover homes further
and further away.

In June and early July, representatives of the USDA Forest Service
Southern Research Station and the Southern Region met with people living
and working in the wildland-urban interface to talk about the special
issues that concern them. Focus group participants discussed sprawl,
changing land use, and population growth in Volusia County, FL; Loudoun
County, VA; Biloxi, MS; Houston, TX; Birmingham, AL; and White County,
GA. To learn more, visit **www.interfacesouth.org*.***

Fire evokes strong emotions, enhanced by personal and economic loss. But
fire also serves forest sustainability. Many tree species depend on fire
for regeneration, notably the longleaf pine. Some birds and wildlife
need the open canopy and browse that fire creates. Fire retards the
growth of vegetation that overtakes more desirable species. Prescribed
fire---an ignited fire by management actions on a defined area for a
specific purpose, taking into consideration weather and safety
conditions and weighing fire behavior patterns---can promote safety by
reducing fuel load or enhance productivity of certain tree species. A
written, approved fire plan must exist, and NEPA requirements must be
met prior to ignition. Barriers to using prescribed fire include air
pollution, traffic hazards caused by smoke, and escaped wildfires.

In GTR SRS-37 **Influences on Prescribed Burning Activity and Costs in
the National Forest System**, David A. Cleaves, Jorge Martinez, and
Terry K. Haines relate the status of prescribed burning on the National
Forest System. The authors examine the legal environment, rights and
responsibilities of Federal agencies, costs, and anticipated burning
levels on national forests for the next decade. The public and
legislators are scrutinizing prescribed fire ever more closely as a
source of air pollution, traffic hazards caused by smoke, and escaped
wildfires. Considering the goal of burning 3 million acres of national
forest land per year by the year 2010, incorporating research into land
management decisions makes more sense than ever. The fire prescription
provides natural resource managers with valuable on-the-ground
technology transfer opportunities. To learn more about fire management
and prescribed fire, check out these Web sites: **www.fs.fed.us/fire**;
**www.firelab.org**; and **www.nifc.gov**. The latter site for the
National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, ID includes a "fire info"
page with a glossary of wildland fire terms.

Publications about fire in this issue of *Compass* include:

Boyer, William D.; **Long-term Effects of Biennial Prescribed Fires on
the Growth of Longleaf Pine (1)**

Cleaves, David A.; Martinez, Jorge; Haines, Terry K.; **Influences on
Prescribed Burning Activity and Costs in the National Forest System
(34)**

Clinton, Barton D.; Vose, James M.; **Plant Succession and Community
Restoration Following Felling and Burning in the Southern Appalachian
Mountains** **(19)**

Vose, James M.; **Perspectives on Using Prescribed Fire to Achieve
Desired Ecosystem Conditions (21)**

**Forest Productivity**

Forest productivity research builds upon our understanding of primary
biological and physical processes---above ground and below ground---that
occur in the forest. We need to know what governs these processes and to
comprehend their role in forest productivity. Productivity research
addresses water quality and quantity, habitat requirements for
Neotropical migratory birds, availability of biomass, and growth
predictions.

Restoring and maintaining forest health creates a tricky balancing act
for public and private forest managers. USDA Forest Service, Research
and Development scientists work within this challenging environment,
providing both long-term research results and investigating issues and
problems that develop in our evolving society. The publications listed
below demonstrate the wide range of topics Southern Research Station
scientists focus on to deliver information needed to manage forests,
both on private lands and in the public trust of the National Forest
System.

Cain, Michael D.; Shelton, Michael G.; **Revisiting the Relationship
Between Common Weather Variables and Loblolly-shortleaf Pine Seed Crops
in Natural Stands (2)**

Fettig, Christopher J.; Dalusky, Mark J.; Berisford, C. Wayne;
**Nantucket Pine Tip Moth Phenology and Timing of Insecticide Spray
Applications in Seven Southeastern States (4)**

Foster, G.S.; Stelzer, H.E.; McRae, J.B.; **Loblolly Pine Cutting
Morphological Traits: Effects on Rooting and Field Performance (5)**

Gardiner, Emile S.; Russell, Jr., D. Ramsey; Hodges, John D.; Fristoe,
T. Conner; **Impacts of Mechanical Tree Felling on Development of Water
Tupelo Regeneration in the Mobile Delta, Alabama (15)**

Haywood, James D.; **Mulch and Hexazinone Herbicide Shorten the Time
Longleaf Pine Seedlings Are in the Grass Stage and Increase Height
Growth (8)**

Lemly, A. Dennis; Hilderbrand, Robert H.; **Influence of Large Woody
Debris on Stream Insect Communities and Benthic Detritus (16)**

Perry, Roger W.; Thill, Ronald E.; Peitz, David G.; Tappe, Philip A.;
**Effects of Different Silvicultural Systems on Initial Soft Mast
Production (22)**

Prestemon, Jeffrey P.; Buongiorno, Joseph; **Determinants of Tree
Quality and Lumber Value in Natural Uneven-aged Southern Pine Stands
(10)**

Shelton, Michael G.; Cain, Michael D.; **Regenerating Uneven-aged Stands
of Loblolly and Shortleaf Pines: The Current State of Knowledge (11)**

Vozzo, J.A., Ph.D.; Patel, Ramesh, M.D.; Terrel, Allen, C.R.T.;
**Determinacion de la viabilidad de las semillas de *Juglans nigra* a
traves de imagenes obtenidas usando Tomografia Computarizada y
Resonancia Magnetica** **(38)**

***Compass*--Summer 2000**

### 

### Southern Pines

Boyer, William D. 2000. **Long-term effects of biennial prescribed fires
on the growth of longleaf pine.** In: Moser, W. Keith; Moser, Cynthia
F., eds. Fire and forest ecology: innovative silviculture and vegetation
management; Tall Timbers fire ecology conference proceedings, no. 21;
1998 April 14-16; Tallahassee, FL. Tallahassee, FL: Tall Timbers
Research Station: 18-21.

The effects of several hardwood control treatments on understory
succession and overstory growth have been followed for 22 years on a
Coastal Plain site in southwest Alabama. The study began in 1973, with
12 treatment combinations in 14‑year‑old naturally established longleaf
pine (*Pinus palustris*) thinned to about 1,236 stems per hectare (500
stems per acre). Four burning treatments, namely biennial burns in
winter, spring, and summer, plus an unburned check, were each combined
with 3 supplemental hardwood control treatments: an initial chemical
injection of all hardwoods, periodic cutting of all woody stems, and no
treatment. Pine stands were thinned to 16 square meters basal area per
hectare (70 square feet per acre) in 1990. All measures of pine growth
were significantly reduced by burning. By 1995, the volume yield of 257
cubic meters per hectare (3,675 cubic feet per acre) on unburned plots
significantly exceeded the average yield of 210 cubic meters per hectare
(2,996 cubic feet per acre) for the 3 burning treatments, which did not
differ significantly among themselves. The significant effect of fire on
pine diameter and height growth did not extend beyond age 24, although
effects on basal area and volume growth continued to age 30, when plots
were thinned. Volume, but not basal area, growth from age 33 to age 36
was once again significantly greater on unburned than burned plots.
Supplemental treatments have not yet affected pine volume growth.
**(1)**

Cain, Michael D.; Shelton, Michael G. 2000. **Revisiting the
relationship between common weather variables and loblolly-shortleaf
pine seed crops in natural stands.** New Forests. 19: 187-204.

Seed production was monitored during 24 years using seed‑collection
traps in loblolly‑shortleaf pine (*Pinus taeda* L.‑*P. echinata* Mill.)
stands located in southeast Arkansas, north‑central Louisiana, and
southwest Mississippi on the southeastern Coastal Plain, USA. Sound seed
production was correlated with mean monthly precipitation and
temperature from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather
stations located near the seed‑collection areas to determine the
potential of weather factors in forecasting pine seed crops.
Correlations were restricted to three critical periods in the pine
reproductive cycle---strobili primordia differentiation, pollination,
and fertilization. The most important (*P* \< 0.05) variables correlated
with pine seed production for combined locations were cumulative
precipitation (*r* = +0.60) during July, August, and September at 27 to
25 months before seed dispersal and mean temperature (*r* = --0.45) in
August at 26 months before seed dispersal. Because multiple
environmental factors can negatively impact pine seed development during
the two years following strobili primordia differentiation,
seed‑production forecasts based on weather variables should be verified
by on‑site cone counts during the summer preceding autumn seed
dispersal. **(2)**

DeBarr, Gary L.; Hanula, James L.; Niwa, Christine G.; Nord, John C.
2000. **Synthetic pheromones disrupt male *Dioryctria* spp. moths in a
loblolly pine seed orchard.** The Canadian Entomologist. 132: 345-351.

Synthetic sex pheromones released in a loblolly pine, *Pinus taeda* L.
(Pinaceae), seed orchard interfered with the ability of male coneworm
moths, *Dioryctria* Zeller spp. (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), to locate
traps baited with sex pheromones or live females. Pherocon 1 C® traps
baited with synthetic pheromones or live conspecific females were hung
near the center of two 1.2‑ha circular plots during emergence of
*Dioryctria amatella* (Hulst), *Dioryctria disclusa* (Heinrich), and
*Dioryctria merkeli* (Mutuura and Munroe). In a paired design, trap
catches for the mating‑disruption treatment with synthetic pheromone
dispensers consisting of three polyvinyl chloride rods placed in every
tree were compared with the control treatment. Treatments were
alternated at intervals of 2 to 3 days. Trap catches of *D. amatella*
were reduced by 91 percent when plots were treated with 2.5 g/ha of
Z‑11‑hexadencenyl acetate. Catches were reduced by 99.5 percent for *D.
disclusa* and by 97 percent for *D. merkeli* when plots were treated
with 12.5 g/ha of Z‑9‑tetradecenyl acetate, whereas catches of *D.
amatella* were unaffected by this mating‑disruption treatment. Daily
disappearance of Z‑9-tetradecenyl acetate from the dispensers averaged
0.46 g/ha or less. Manually placing dispensers on nylon lines in the
tops of trees was an effective method for releasing synthetic
*Dioryctria* pheromones in the orchard. These data suggest it may be
feasible to prevent mating of *Dioryctria* spp. in pine seed orchards by
using synthetic pheromones for mating disruption, but large‑scale tests
will be required to demonstrate cone protection. **(3)**

Fettig, Christopher J.; Dalusky, Mark J.; Berisford, C. Wayne. 2000.
**Nantucket pine tip moth phenology and timing of insecticide spray
applications in seven Southeastern States.** Res. Pap. SRS-18.
Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern
Research Station. 21 p.

The Nantucket pine tip moth, *Rhyacionia frustrana* (Comstock)
(Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), is a common pest of Christmas tree and pine
plantations throughout much of the Eastern United States. The moth
completes two to five generations annually, and insecticide spray timing
models are currently available for controlling populations where three
or four generations occur. The thermal requirements for the Nantucket
pine tip moth to complete a generation were obtained from published data
and used along with historical temperature data to produce maps
indicating the number of annual generations predicted to occur
throughout seven Southeastern States. Spray timing prediction values
were also obtained from published data and used to predict optimal spray
periods based on 5-day increments for each location where either three
or four generations occurred. Approximately 80 percent of the predicted
optimal spray periods were within one optimal spray period of previously
field‑determined spray dates. Land managers who use contact
insecticides, such as synthetic pyrethroids, may find the predicted
optimal spray periods useful in optimizing spray effectiveness. **(4)**

Foster, G.S.; Stelzer, H.E.; McRae, J.B. 2000. **Loblolly pine cutting
morphological traits: effects on rooting and field performance.** New
Forests. 19: 291-306.

Shoot cuttings were harvested from 4‑year‑old loblolly pine hedges in
March and September of 1987, and placed into a series of factorial
combinations of cutting length, diameter class, and the presence/absence
of a terminal bud to assess effects on rooting and field performance.
Average rooting in the March trial was 50 percent and only 20 percent
for the September trial; however, the best treatment in March yielded
100 percent rooting. Terminal bud status did not appear to influence
percent rooting. Shorter cuttings (5.1 or 7.6 cm) with an average
diameter of 2 or 3 mm tended to root better and develop more roots.
Field performance of the rooted cuttings through age 5 suggests that the
original cutting does not require a terminal bud, but the best set of
morphological traits differs, depending on bud status. Considering both
rooting ability and field growth with an original tip bud present, the
best cutting dimensions were 5.1 or 7.6 cm long and 2 or 3 mm in
diameter. Without a tip bud present, cutting dimensions were restricted
to 7.6 or 10.2 cm long and 3 mm in diameter. Number of main roots was a
weak predictor of tree height or d.b.h. at age 5. **(5)**

Gumpertz, Marcia L.; Wu, Chi-tsung, Pye, John M. 2000. **Logistic
regression for southern pine beetle outbreaks with spatial and temporal
autocorrelation.** Forest Science. 46(1): 95-107.

Regional outbreaks of southern pine beetle (*Dendroctonus frontalis*
Zimm.) show marked spatial and temporal patterns. While these patterns
are of interest in themselves, we focus on statistical methods for
estimating the effects of underlying environmental factors in the
presence of spatial and temporal autocorrelation. The most comprehensive
available information on outbreaks consists of binary data,
specifically, annual presence or absence of outbreak for individual
counties within the Southern United States. We demonstrate a method for
modeling spatially correlated proportions, such as the proportion of
years that a county experiences outbreak, based on annual outbreak
presence or absence data for counties in three states (NC, SC, and GA)
over 31 yr. In this method, the proportion of years in outbreak is
predicted using a marginal logistic regression model with spatial
autocorrelation among counties, with adjustment of variance terms to
account for temporal autocorrelation. This type of model describes the
probability of outbreak as a function of explanatory variables, such as
host availability, physiography, climate, hurricane incidence, and
management type. Explicitly including spatial autocorrelation in the
model improves estimates of the probability of outbreak for a particular
county and of the importance of the various explanatory variables.
**(6)**

Hanula, James L.; Lipscomb, Donald; Franzreb, Kathleen E.; Loeb, Susan
C. 2000. **Diet of nestling red-cockaded woodpeckers at three
locations.** Journal of Field Ornithology. 71(1): 126-134.

We conducted a 2‑yr study of the nestling diet of red‑cockaded
woodpeckers (*Picoides borealis*) at three locations to determine how it
varied among sites. We photographed 5939 nest visits by adult
woodpeckers delivering food items for nestlings. In 1994, we located
cameras near three nest cavities on the Lower Coastal Plain of South
Carolina and near two cavities at the Savannah River Site, which is on
the Upper Coastal Plain. In 1995, cameras were installed on the Savannah
River Site and in the Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge, GA. The cameras
recorded adults bringing 33 different types of food to nestlings. Wood
roaches (Blattoidea: Blattellidae, *Parcoblatta* spp.) were the most
common food, composing 50 percent of the diet overall. They were also
the most common prey at each location and for all but one of the
woodpecker groups studied. Wood roaches were recorded in 26 percent of
the visits photographed on the Lower Coastal Plain and 62 percent of the
nest visits on the Upper Coastal Plain in 1994. In 1995, wood roaches
were recorded in 57 percent and 50 percent of the visits on the Upper
Coastal Plain and Piedmont, respectively. Woodpeckers on the Lower
Coastal Plain used blueberries (*Vaccinum* sp.) and sawfly larvae
(Hymenoptera: Diprionidae, *Neodiprion* sp.), two dietary items not
commonly used at the other locations. Adults at two locations providing
\[provided\] snail shells to nestlings, possibly as an additional source
of calcium. Morista\'s index of diet overlap (*C*) ranged from 0.94 to
0.99 for breeding males and females in the same group, from 0.63 to 0.99
among groups at the same location, and from 0.68 to 0.96 among
locations. Because diet overlap of red‑cockaded woodpecker nestlings at
different geographical locations was within the range that occurred
among groups at the same location, we conclude that nestling diets are
similar across the geographical area studied, and that it varies little
from year to year. **(7)**

### 

Haywood, James D. 2000. **Mulch and hexazinone herbicide shorten the
time longleaf pine seedlings are in the grass stage and increase height
growth.** New Forests. 19: 279-290.

Herbaceous plant control with mulch or hexazinone herbicide influenced
planted longleaf pine (*Pinus palustris* Mill.) seedling total height on
a silt loam site in central Louisiana. The site had been sheared and
windrowed in 1991, and rotary mowed before three treatments were
established in a randomized complete block design: (1) untreated check:
no herbaceous plant control after planting; (2) five mulches: on each
plot, five randomly assigned mulches were placed around seedlings; the
mulches were either a mat of cotton, hemlock and polyester, pine straw,
woven polypropylene, or perforated polyethylene; and (3) hexazinone: the
herbicide hexazinone at 1.12 kg active ingredient/ha was annually
sprayed in the first two growing seasons over the rows of unshielded
seedlings. The longleaf seedlings were planted in February 1993.

After three growing seasons, seedlings on the mulch and hexazinone
treatments were taller than those on the check plots. About 59 percent
of the mulched and hexazinone treated seedlings had grown out of the
grass stage (at least 12 cm tall), compared to 17 percent of the check
seedlings. After five growing seasons, the percentage of longleaf pine
seedlings out of the grass stage was similar on all treatments and
averaged 87 percent. However, these better growing pines were taller on
the mulch and hexazinone treatments (a 142‑cm average) than on the
checks (78 cm). Pine straw was an ineffective mulch, probably because
the straw smothered the seedlings. The longleaf saplings were tallest
when the perforated polyethylene mat was used. **(8)**

### 

### Outcalt, Kenneth W. 2000. The longleaf pine ecosystem of the South. Native Plants Journal. 1(1): 42-44, 47-53.

### Longleaf pine (*Pinus palustris* P. Mill. \[Pinaceae\]) was once the most prevalent pine type in the Southern US. Stands of longleaf were also habitat for a vast array of plant species. Decades of timber harvest followed by conversion to agriculture, urban development, or to other pine species, have reduced longleaf- dominated areas to less than 5 percent of its original range. This paper discusses the habitat and history of this once vast resource, outlining its key role as an integral part of native plant communities. The author also focuses on the more recent recognition of the ecological importance of longleaf pine ecosystems. This appreciation, along with advances in technology and additional information, are combining to reverse the long-term trend and should help ensure that longleaf communities remain as a viable and valuable part of the South\'s heritage. (9)

Prestemon, Jeffrey P.; Buongiorno, Joseph. 2000. **Determinants of tree
quality and lumber value in natural uneven-aged southern pine stands.**
Canadian Journal of Forest Research. 30: 211-219.

### 

An ordered‑probit model was developed to predict tree grade from tree‑
and stand‑level variables, some of which could be changed by management.
Applied to uneven‑aged mixed loblolly (*Pinus taeda* L.) ‑ shortleaf
pine (*Pinus echinata* Mill.) stands, the model showed that the grade of
pine trees was highly correlated with tree diameter, tree height, and
stand basal area, in non‑linear fashion. In addition, a tree was more
likely to be of high quality if it grew on industry or government
forestland, on poorer sites, and in stands that had been partially cut
in the past. However, the effects of changes in these variables on the
unit value of recovered lumber were small. The exceptions were tree
diameter and height, which were the most important indicators of lumber
value. **(10)**

Shelton, Michael G.; Cain, Michael D. 2000. **Regenerating uneven-aged
stands of loblolly and shortleaf pines: the current state of
knowledge.** Forest Ecology and Management. 129: 177-193.

Periodic regeneration is crucial to creating or sustaining uneven‑aged
(UEA) stands of loblolly (*Pinus taeda* L.) and shortleaf (*P. echinata*
Mill.) pines. Although both species are shade intolerant, they have
silvical characteristics that are conducive to natural regeneration in
UEA stands. Their seed production is fairly consistent and good, and the
wind‑disseminated seeds are well dispersed throughout the stand. The
disturbed seedbed resulting from periodic logging is favorable to
germination, and established seedlings can recover from a fair degree of
logging damage. Seedlings are moderately shade tolerant when young, and
they respond well when released from either competing understory
vegetation or overtopping trees. The key to successful regeneration in
UEA pine stands involves regulating the stocking and structure of the
merchantable portion of the stand with careful logging and periodically
controlling nonpine vegetation, typically with selective broadcast
herbicides. Current aftercut guidelines call for basal areas of 10 to 14
m^2^ /ha, maximum diameters of 35 to 55 cm, and a *q* factor in the
vicinity of 1.2 for 2.5 cm d.b.h. classes. Applying these guidelines
results in a stand with an irregular canopy containing multidimensional
gaps. Stand basal area is not allowed to exceed 17 m^2^/ha during the
cutting cycle because regeneration would be adversely affected by
shading and root competition. Pines over 40 cm in d.b.h. have been found
to be favorable to regeneration because of increased seed production and
reduced logging traffic needed to remove harvested trees. Regeneration
is most difficult to secure on good sites because of intensive nonpine
competition, but selective herbicides are available that will release
pine regeneration from competing nonpine vegetation. Due to the
increased interest in UEA silviculture, we present an overview in this
paper of more than 50 years of research and experience in regenerating
these two important species in UEA stands principally using single‑tree
selection. **(11)**

Steele, Philip H.; Kreibich, Roland E.; Steynberg, Petrus J.; Hemingway,
Richard W. 1998. **Finger jointing green southern yellow pine with a
soy-based adhesive.** Adhesives Age. \[No volume number\]: 49, 50, 52,
54, 56.

The authors present results of laboratory tests for a soy-based adhesive
to bond southern yellow pine using the finger-jointing method. There was
some reason to suspect that finger jointing of southern yellow pine
(SYP) with the honeymoon system using soy-based adhesive might prove
more difficult than for western species. The Wood Handbook classes
western species in the "bond easily" or "bond well" category, whereas
SYP is ranked in the "bond satisfactorily" category. On the other hand,
the specific gravity and the green moisture content of SYP are nearly
identical to those of Douglas fir, a western species that has shown good
results with green finger jointing in both laboratory and mill trials.
Laboratory and mill trial results soon indicated that results of the
honeymoon system with SYP were just as favorable as with western
species. **(12)**

Walkinshaw, Charles H. 1999. **Constituent and induced tannin
accumulations in roots of loblolly pines.** In. Gross, Georg G.;
Hemingway, Richard W.; Yoshida, Takashi, eds. Plant polyphenols 2:
chemistry, biology, pharmacology, ecology. New York: Kluwer
Academic/Plenum Publishers: 843-852.

Loblolly pine (*Pinus taeda* L \[L.\]) has become the most important
source of wood fiber in the Southern United States. This tree is an
excellent competitor and recov­ers well from a variety of adverse
conditions. The author presents a histological study of tannin in pine
roots to measure tannin abundance as a primary trait to evaluate root
health at the microscopic level. This paper describes the types of
tannins in roots and quantifies their occurrence in plantation-grown
loblolly pines. **(13)**

### Wetlands, Bottomland Hardwoods, and Streams

Bacchus, Sydney T.; Hamazaki, Toshihide; Britton, Kerry O.; Haines,
Bruce L. 2000. **Soluble sugar composition of pond-cypress: a potential
hydroecological indicator of ground water perturbations.** Journal of
American Water Resources Association. 36(1): 55-65.

Pond‑cypress, a deciduous conifer, is a dominant canopy species in
depressional wetlands of the southeastern Coastal Plain (SCP). Extensive
premature decline and death of pond‑cypress trees in central Florida
have been attributed to hydroperiod alterations due to excessive
withdrawals of ground water from the Floridan aquifer. One factor
identified in the decline process is basal decay, which may be related
to the presence of *Botryosphaeria rhodina* and *Fusarium* species
(nonaggressive, facultative fungal pathogens). These fungi have been
cultured from sapwood tissue of declining pond‑cypress associated with
ground water mining, but not from pond‑cypress away from ground water
mining areas. In this experiment, differences in soluble (nonstructural)
carbohydrate composition of branch tips were evaluated for one‑ and
two‑year old, nursery‑grown (unsheltered) pond‑cypress, following a year
of growth under treatment conditions (control, fungal inoculation, water
stress, and fungal inoculation plus water stress) in a growth chamber.
Results from two methods of wet chemical analysis were compared
(trimethylsilyl methylglycoside -- method A, and alditol acetate --
method B). Three pentoses (arabinose, rhamnose, and xylose) and three
hexoses (galactose, glucose, and mannose) were identified in branch tips
from both age classes. A fourth hexose (fucose) also was identified in
samples from the younger trees. The acidic sugar, galacturonic acid, was
identified in both age classes using method A. Results suggest that
prolonged water stress is correlated with greater relative
concentrations of the neutral soluble sugars rhamnose (P = 0.02), xylose
(P = 0.02), and galactose (P = 0.02), in addition to the acidic sugar
galacturonic acid (P = 0.01), for method A, and arabinose (P = 0.02) for
method B. These results also suggest that in the absence of water
stress, the fungal pathogen *B. rhodina* does not penetrate to the
sapwood of the trees, and that inoculation with this fungal pathogen is
not correlated with differences in relative concentrations of
nonstructural, soluble carbohydrates, based on method A analysis.
Empirical evidence suggests that pond‑cypress trees in depressional
wetlands respond similarly to anthropogenic perturbations of ground
water, but not to natural periods of drought in the absence of such
perturbations. Therefore, pond‑cypress appear to be integrators of
groundwater perturbations. Greater concentrations of the soluble sugars
identified in this study in pond‑cypress branch tips may be
hydroecological indicators of such anthropogenic perturbations as
unsustainable yield from the regional aquifer and adverse impacts from
aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) activities in the SCP. **(14)**

Gardiner, Emile S.; Russell, D. Ramsey, Jr.; Hodges, John D.; Fristoe,
T. Conner. 2000. **Impacts of mechanical tree felling on development of
water tupelo regeneration in the Mobile Delta, Alabama.** Southern
Journal of Applied Forestry. 24(2): 65-69.

Two water tupelo (*Nyssa aquatica* L.) stands in the Mobile Delta of
Alabama were selected to test the hypothesis that mechanized felling
does not reduce establishment and growth of natural water tupelo
regeneration relative to traditional tree felling with chainsaws. To
test the hypothesis, we established six 2 acre treatment plots in each
of two blocks on each of two sites, and randomly assigned plots to
either mechanical tree felling with a tracked, swing feller or chainsaw
felling. Each site was clearcut in fall 1992, and merchantable boles
were removed by helicopter. Establishment and growth of regeneration was
assessed prior to harvest and annually for 3 yr after harvest in five
0.01 acre measurement plots located in each treatment plot. Stand
harvesting promoted establishment of water tupelo seedlings such that 3
yr after treatment we recorded over 270/acre on each site regardless of
felling method. Seedling height increased at a steady rate and averaged
about 39 inches tall after three growing seasons. Woody competition also
responded to the harvest, outnumbering water tupelo seedlings 3 yr after
treatment by as much as seven to one on 2. Water tupelo stump sprouts
developing from chainsaw felling grew well and averaged about 13.5 ft
tall after three growing seasons. However, mechanical felling reduced
water tupelo stump sprouting by 50 percent, leading to a lower density
of sprout clumps in mechanically felled plots (P = 0.0253). Our results
indicated that mechanical felling techniques used in this study may
adversely impact regeneration of water tupelo swamps where coppice is a
desirable form of reproduction. **(15)**

Lemly, A. Dennis; Hilderbrand, Robert H. 2000. **Influence of large
woody debris on stream insect communities and benthic detritus.**
Hydrobiologia. 421: 179-185.

We examined the extent to which benthic detritus loadings and the
functional feeding group structure of stream insect communities respond
to channel modifications produced by experimental addition of large
woody debris (LWD, entire logs) to Stony Creek, VA. Benthic detritus
loadings per sample did not change after LWD additions, but large
increases in pool habitats created by LWD increased net detritus by an
estimated 27 kg (25 percent) in the 250 m of stream receiving LWD. A
large increase in the proportional area of pool habitats may result in a
dominance of collector‑gatherers and corresponding decreases in
shredders and scrapers. Functional feeding group community structure in
pools was similar spatially and temporally. Riffles were spatially
convergent, but differed temporally. Community structure was
significantly different between pools and riffles. The results indicate
possible large-scale influences in overall community structure due to
channel alterations by LWD, but little within‑habitat change. **(16)**

Lemly, A. Dennis; King, Ryan S. 2000. **An insect-bacteria bioindicator
for assessing detrimental nutrient enrichment in wetlands.** Wetlands.
20(1): 91-100.

Field and laboratory studies were conducted to evaluate the use of
bacterial growth on aquatic insects as a metric for determining the
existence of nutrient impacts in wetlands. Results from field
investigations indicated that elevated concentrations of nitrate and
phosphate were associated with growth of filamentous bacteria on insect
body surfaces and that there were significantly fewer mayflies
(Ephemeroptera) in the nutrient‑enriched wetland. Laboratory
investigations confirmed a strong linkage between bacterial growth and
reduced survival of mayflies. Survival was examined for individuals with
bacterial infestation ranging from 0 percent to 60 percent body
coverage. A threshold for catastrophic mortality was present at about
the 25 percent level of coverage; there were very few survivors above
that level. Based on these findings, the diagnostic endpoint for the
bioindicator is 25 percent body coverage by bacterial growth, a level
that signifies major differences in insect populations in the field and
is also easy to detect visually. This study provides evidence that the
insect‑bacteria bioindicator is a reliable tool for assessing nutrient
impacts on wetland macroinvertebrate communities. The bioindicator could
be useful in the development of a Wetland Bioassessment Protocol.
**(17)**

### The Southern Appalachians

Clinton, Barton D.; Baker, Corey R. 2000. **Catastrophic windthrow in
the Southern Appalachians: characteristics of pits and mounds and
initial vegetation responses.** Forest Ecology and Management. 126:
51-60.

We characterized pit and mound (PM) topography resulting from
catastrophic wind in the Coweeta Basin, and located 48 PM's across a
variety of forest types. Our measurements included pit length, width,
and depth; and mound height, thickness, and width. Species of fallen
trees were identified, and d.b.h. (diameter at breast height, 1.37 m)
was measured for biomass determination. We identified five distinct
microsites at each PM: mound face, mound top, pit bottom, pit wall, and
intact forest floor. On each microsite, we measured photosynthetically
active radiation (PAR), soil temperature, and soil moisture, and took
soil samples from four microsites (intact forest floor, pit wall, pit
bottom, mound top) to determine carbon and nitrogen concentrations.

Treefall direction was marginally non‑random. Three PM dimensions were
significantly related to fallen tree biomass: mound width; mound height;
and pit width. Other relationships failed because (1) rooting depth of
the fallen tree was not necessarily proportional to tree size; and (2)
trees that fell striking other trees often slid back into the pit,
altering its dimensions. PAR was highest at mound top (250 μmol m ^−2^
s^−1^) and lowest in pit bottom (70 μmol m ^−2^ s^−1^). Mean soil
temperature varied ≈3ºC across microsites, and soil moisture ranged from
24 percent on the mound top and mound face to 34 percent in the pit
bottom. Nitrogen and carbon concentrations were significantly higher on
the forest floor (\[N\] = 0.23 percent; \[C\] = 4.73 percent) than on
the other three microsites (\[N\] = 0.08‑0.10 percent; \[C\] = 1.4‑2.2
percent). Over time, soil nutrition and microsite instability, due to
erosion and settling, may be the most influential factors determining
rates of vegetative establishment in PM's.

We characterized initial vegetative recovery in 27 blowdown sites. Trees
were placed in one of two damage classes: direct wind damage (direct);
and damage due to the fall of another tree (indirect). Basal and/or bole
sprouting, and live or dead crowns were noted. Blowdown areas ranged
from 181 to 4043 m^2^ and averaged 1175 m^2^. Mean diameter of
indirectly damaged trees was 50 percent of the mean for trees directly
damaged, but both had similar minimum diameters. Overall, the biomass of
indirectly damaged trees accounted for \<10 percent of total biomass but
33 percent of the total number of stems. Of the indirectly damaged
trees, 38 percent were topped, 82 percent exhibited basal or bole
sprouting, and 21 percent had live crowns. By contrast, of the directly
damaged trees, only 5 percent were topped, \<50 percent were sprouting,
and only 11 percent had live crowns. **(18)**

Clinton, Barton D.; Vose, James M. 2000. **Plant succession and
community restoration following felling and burning in the Southern
Appalachian Mountains.** In: Moser, W. Keith; Moser, Cynthia F., eds.
Fire and forest ecology: innovative silviculture and vegetation
management; Tall Timbers fire ecology conference proceedings, no. 21;
1998 April 14-16; Tallahassee, FL. Tallahassee, FL: Tall Timbers
Research Station: 22-29.

Recent declines in the yellow pine component of pine‑hardwood stands in
the Southern Appalachian Mountains has prompted managers to increase the
use of fire as a silvicultural tool. The fell and burn treatment is
designed to remove competing vegetation (hardwoods and mountain laurel
\[*Kalmia latifolia*\]) to ensure successful establishment of planted
eastern white pine (*Pinus strobus*). Two years after burning, mountain
laurel had accumulated more biomass than any other species and accounted
for 43 percent of total biomass in year 1 and 20 percent in year 2. By
year 4, mountain laurel ranked fifth (8.9 percent of total) in total
biomass among hardwood species, behind Allegheny serviceberry
(*Amalanchier arborea*, 14.3 percent), chestnut oak (*Quercus prinus*,
13.7 percent), red maple (*Acer rubrum*, 12.4 percent), and scarlet oak
(*Q. coccinea*, 9.3 percent). Across sites, woody species richness
ranged from 19--24 in year 1 and 14--22 in year 4. Species richness
varied across sites and years, and there were substantial changes in the
distribution of biomass among species.

The introduction of fire allowed the once dominant pitch pine (*P.
rigida*) to successfully reestablish. On our sites, pine accounted for
25 percent of pretreatment stem density, but \<1 percent and 2 percent
in the first and fourth growing seasons after burning, respectively.
However, in year 1, pines had increased in density 20‑fold compared to
pretreatment levels, and by year 4, had maintained a 17‑fold increase
compared to pretreatment. The use of fire in forest management has been
the subject of considerable criticism. In light of current public
concerns over the loss of critical or unique habitats, fire may gain
public support for use as a restoration tool. **(19)**

Flebbe, Patricia A.; Herrig, James A. 2000. **Patterns of aquatic
species imperilment in the Southern Appalachians: an evaluation of
regional databases.** Environmental Management. 25(6): 681-694.

For regional analyses of species imperilment patterns, data on species
distributions are available from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and
from the State heritage programs. The authors compared these two
different databases as sources of best available information for
regional analyses of patterns of aquatic species imperilment for 132
counties in the Southern Appalachians and examined patterns produced
from the databases. The heritage program database contained information
about a greater number of imperiled species because species need not be
federally listed as threatened or endangered to be included in this
database. In the Southern Appalachians, about half of imperiled mollusks
and about one-fourth of imperiled fish were listed as threatened or
endangered; much smaller proportions of other taxonomic groups were
federally listed. Most threatened and endangered species appeared on
both lists, but for about 40 percent of the species, inconsistencies
exist, notably a lack of recent records in the heritage program dataset.
Numbers of species in each county were significantly different between
the two datasets for Georgia, Tennessee, and Virginia, where the largest
number of threatened and endangered species reside. Nevertheless, some
counties always appeared as centers of imperilment, and the general
spatial patterns of imperilment were similar. **(20)**

Vose, James M. 2000. **Perspectives on using prescribed fire to achieve
desired ecosystem conditions.** In: Moser, W. Keith; Moser, Cynthia F.,
eds. Fire and forest ecology: innovative silviculture and vegetation
management; Tall Timbers fire ecology conference proceedings, no. 21;
1998 April 14-16; Tallahassee, FL. Tallahassee, FL: Tall Timbers
Research Station: 12-17.

Fire is a potentially powerful tool for achieving desired conditions of
forest ecosystems. From an ecological perspective, the use of fire
requires affirmative answers to either of the following questions: (1)
does it increase ecosystem health and sustainability? and (2) does it
preserve or restore unique species or habitats? Health and
sustainability can be measured and defined in terms of: (1) rates and
pool size of water, carbon, and nutrient cycling; (2) resistance and
resilience to low‑intensity and ‑severity disturbance; and (3)
minimizing the likelihood of catastrophic disturbances. The departure of
current ecosystem conditions from desired ecosystem condi­tions (defined
by structural and functional characteristics) depends on the history of
land use and disturbance. The disturbance history also influences the
rate of attainment of desired conditions and the magnitude of ecosystem
process response to burning. Hence, from an ecosystem perspective,
managers must understand the interactions among land use history,
current conditions, and desired conditions. These issues are examined
using a case study for using prescribed fires in the Southern
Appalachian Mountains. **(21)**

### The Interior Highlands

### 

Perry, Roger W.; Thill, Ronald E.; Peitz, David G.; Tappe, Philip A.
1999. **Effects of different silvicultural systems on initial soft mast
production.** Wildlife Society Bulletin. 27(4): 915-923.

Recent policy changes by federal land management agencies such as the
United States \[Department of Agriculture\] Forest Service have led to
increased use of silvicultural systems other than clearcutting. Because
soft mast is an integral part of wildlife habitat and the effects of
these alternative silviculture systems on soft mast production are
unknown, we evaluated effects of different stand‑level silvicultural
systems on soft mast production in the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas
and Oklahoma. We evaluated differences in soft mast production and
coverage among 4 replications of 5 treatments (clearcut, shelterwood,
group selection, single‑tree selection, and late‑rotation, unharvested
forest stands) during the first (1994), third (1996), and fifth (1998)
years after initial timber harvest. Coverage of all mast‑producing
plants combined did not differ among treatments over all years. Soft
mast production did not differ among treatments the first year after
timber harvest, but was greater in harvested stands than in unharvested
stands in the third post‑harvest year. Production in shelterwood cuts
and clearcuts was greater than in single‑tree selection, group
selections, and unharvested stands the fifth post‑harvest year.
Unharvested stands, greenbelts (unharvested buffers surrounding stream
drainages), and the thinned matrix of group‑selection stands produced
little mast in all years. A significant linear relationship between soft
mast production and residual overstory basal area was present in years 3
and 5. We present equations to predict soft mast production 3 and 5
years after harvest when residual overstory basal areas are known.
Without additional stand treatments (e.g., thinning or burning), we
expect production in even‑aged stands (clearcuts and shelterwood cuts)
to decline as canopy closure progresses; likewise, production in
single‑tree selection stands will likely decline due to midstory
development. **(22)**

### Large Scale Assessment and Modeling

### 

Henley, W.F.; Patterson, M.A.; Neves, R.J.; Lemly, A. Dennis. 2000.
**Effects of sedimentation and turbidity on lotic food webs: a concise
review for natural resource managers.** Reviews in Fisheries Science.
8(2): 125-139.

### 

Sedimentation and turbidity are significant contributors to declines in
populations of North American aquatic organisms. Impacts to lotic fauna
may be expressed through pervasive alterations in local food chains
beginning at the primary trophic level. Decreases in primary production
are associated with increases in sedimentation and turbidity and produce
negative cascading effects through depleted food availability to
zooplankton, insects, freshwater mollusks, and fish. Direct effects at
each trophic level are mortality, reduced physiological function, and
avoidance; however, decreases in available food at trophic levels also
result in depressed rates of growth, reproduction, and recruitment.
Impacts of turbidity to aquatic organisms often seem inconsistent among
watersheds and experiments, but this apparent difference is actually due
to the lack of correlation between suspended sediment concentrations
(mg/L) and units of measure (Nephelometric Turbidity Units, NTU). The
use of NTU as a surrogate measurement of suspended sediment to predict
biotic effects within watersheds is dubious. Similar NTU measurements
from different watersheds may be correlated with different
concentrations of suspended sediment. For monitoring the effects of
turbidity within local watersheds, we recommend that the correlation
between suspended sediment and NTU's be examined over a range of
discharge recordings, and that this be used as a baseline to examine
local effects. We recommend that riparian buffer strips and livestock
fencing be used to reduce sediment input to streams. **(23)**

Lemly, A. Dennis; Kingsford, Richard T.; Thompson, Julian R. 2000.
**Irrigated agriculture and wildlife conservation: conflict on a global
scale.** Environmental Management. 25(5): 485-512.

The demand for water to support irrigated agriculture has led to the
demise of wetlands and their associated wildlife for decades. This
thirst for water is so pervasive that many wetlands considered to be
hemispheric reserves for waterbirds have been heavily affected, for
example, the California and Nevada wetlands in North America, the
Macquarie Marshes in Australia, and the Aral Sea in central Asia. These
and other major wetlands have lost most of their historic supplies of
water, and some have also experienced serious impacts from contaminated
subsurface irrigation drainage. Now mere shadows of what they once were
in terms of biodiversity and wildlife production, many of the so‑called
\"wetlands of international importance\" are no longer the key
conservation strongholds they were in the past. The conflict between
irrigated agriculture and wildlife conservation has reached a critical
point on a global scale. Not only has local wildlife suffered, including
the extinction of highly insular species, but a ripple effect has
impacted migratory birds worldwide. Human societies reliant on wetlands
for their livelihoods are also bearing the cost. Ironically, most of the
degradation of these key wetlands occurred during a period of time when
public environmental awareness and scientific assertion of the need for
wildlife conservation was at an all-time high. However, designation of
certain wetlands as \"reserves for wildlife\" by international review
boards has not slowed their continued degradation. To reverse this
trend, land and water managers and policy makers must assess the true
economic costs of wetland loss and, depending on the outcome of the
assessment, use the information as a basis for establishing legally
enforceable water rights that protect wetlands from agricultural
development. **(24)**

Rudis, Victor A. 1999. **Ecological subregion codes by county,
coterminous United States.** Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-36. Asheville, NC: U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 95
p.

This publication presents the National Hierarchical Framework of
Ecological Units (ECOMAP 1993) by county for the coterminous United
States. Assignment of the framework to individual counties is based on
the predominant area by province and section to facilitate integration
of county-referenced information with areas of uniform ecological
potential. Included are maps illustrating county-scaled ecological
subregion boundaries by division, province, and section; and numeric
codes by Federal Information Processing Standard and USDA Forest Service
Resources Planning Act region. **(25)**

Wilson, A.D.; Lester, D.G.; Edmonson, R.E. 2000. **Live oaks, new hosts
for *Odontocynips nebulosa* Kieffer (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) in North
America**. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington.
102(2): 360-373.

A study of root‑feeding insects as potential vectors of the oak wilt
fungus *Ceratocystis fagacearum* (T.W. Bretz) J. Hunt in live oaks,
revealed root galls induced by the cynipid gall wasp *Odontocynips
nebulosa* Kieffer. The incidence of the wasp on roots of four oak
species and natural live oak hybrids at 14 root excavation sites in 7
counties throughout the Hill Country of central Texas was surveyed. The
study was limited to sites within and adjacent to oak wilt infection
centers of the live oak‑Ashe juniper ecotype where oak wilt-infected
live oaks were being uprooted and rogued for disease suppression by the
Texas Oak Wilt Suppression Project. This is the first report of this
root‑galling wasp on live oaks, *Q. fusiformis* Small and *Quercus
virginiana* Miller × *Quercus fusiformis* natural hybrids, in North
America. The incidence of root‑galling by the wasp occurred at
relatively low levels among trees examined at excavation sites in each
county, indicating a sporadic distribution throughout the region.
However, exami­nations of root‑colonization and gall induction by *O.
nebulosa* in uprooted live oaks showed relatively high levels of root
infestations in some trees, including trees exhibiting symptoms of oak
wilt disease. This pattern suggests high population densities in small
localized areas. Examinations of individual gall clusters formed by the
wasp on live oak roots revealed new details of gall morphology and
developmental stages of the insect within galls. The significance of
this wasp as a potential vector of the oak wilt fungus is discussed.
**(26)**

### Inventory and Monitoring

Johnson, Tony G.; Steppleton, Carolyn D. 2000. **Southern pulpwood
production, 1998.** Resour. Bull. SRS-50. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department
of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 34 p.

In 1998, the South's production of pulpwood declined 2 percent to 74.7
million cords. Roundwood production dropped to 52.7 million cords and
accounted for 71 percent of the total pulpwood production. The use of
wood residue increased to 21.9 million cords. Alabama leads the South in
total production, number of mills, and pulping capacity. Currently, 103
mills are operating and drawing wood from the 13 Southern States.
Southern mills' pulping capacity of 140,610 tons per day accounts for
more than two-thirds of the Nation's total pulping capacity. **(27)**

Parresol, Bernard R. 1999. **Assessing tree and stand biomass: a review
with examples and critical comparisons.** Forest Science. 45(4):
573-593.

There is considerable interest today in estimating the biomass of trees
and forests for both practical forestry issues and scientific purposes.
New techniques and procedures are brought together along with the more
traditional approaches to estimating woody biomass. General model forms
and weighted analysis are reviewed, along with statistics for evaluating
and comparing biomass models. Additivity and harmonization are
addressed, and weight‑ratio and density‑integral approaches are
discussed. Subsampling methods on trees to derive unbiased weight
estimates are examined, and ratio and difference sampling estimators are
considered in detail. Error components for stand biomass estimates are
examined. This paper reviews quantitative principles and gives specific
examples for prediction of tree biomass. The examples should prove
useful for understanding the principles involved and for instructional
purposes. **(28)**

Schweitzer, Callie Jo. 2000. **Forest statistics for East Tennessee,
1999.** Resour. Bull. SRS-51. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 60 p.

This report summarizes a 1999 inventory of the forest resources of a
27-county area of Tennessee. Major findings are highlighted in text and
graphs; detailed data are presented in 51 tables. **(29)**

Wilson, A.D. 2000. **New methods, algorithms, and software for rapid
mapping of tree positions in coordinate forest plots.** Res. Pap.
SRS-19. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service,
Southern Research Station. 27 p.

The theories and methodologies for two new tree mapping methods, the
Sequential‑target method and the Plot‑origin radial method, are
described. The methods accommodate the use of any conventional distance
measuring device and compass to collect horizontal distance and azimuth
data between source or reference positions (origins) and target trees.
Conversion equations are presented to convert field-derived azimuth
coordinates to plot‑center coordinates, permitting plots of all tree
positions relative to the geometric center of the plot. Plot rotation
algorithms for Polar X and Polar Y plotting methods allow the rotation
of all plotted positions to any orientation within a rectangular mapping
frame and permit corrections for magnetic declination. Additional
algorithms are provided to calculate horizontal distance and azimuth
between plotted trees and plot‑center or between any two tree positions
in the plot. All algorithms were incorporated into TreeMapper, a
computer program for DOS. The methods and software were tested on a
forested plot. Low mean differences between actual and calculated values
indicated the accuracy of the methods. The mapping methods and software,
originally developed to map trees in research plots for spatial and
epidemiological studies of oak wilt disease, have wide applications in
forest inventory, management, ecology, spatial‑modeling, and other field
activities and tasks that require accurate information about tree
positions and spatial distribution patterns and ways to keep track of
tree attributes and treatments over time. More detailed explanations of
the methodologies for downloading data and running TreeMapper will be
provided in a second paper. **(30)**

Wynne, Randolph H.; Oderwald, Richard G.; Reams, Gregory A.; Scrivani,
John A. 2000. **Optical remote sensing for forest area estimation.**
Journal of Forestry. 98(5): 31-36.

The air photo dot-count method is now widely and successfully used for
estimating operational forest area in the USDA Forest Inventory and
Analysis (FIA) program. Possible alternatives that would provide for
more frequent updates, spectral change detection, and maps of forest
area include the AVHRR calibration center technique and various Landsat
TM classification algorithms. Should a switch from proven technology be
advised, our general recommendation is to conduct several pilot studies
that would focus on developing or refining tools and methodologies to
allow objective, repeatable, and accurate forest areas estimation using
multispectral earth resource satellite data. **(31)**

### Foundation Programs 

Bishir, J.; Roberds, J.H. 1999. **On numbers of clones needed for
managing risks in clonal forestry.** Forest Genetics. 6(3): 149-155.

An important question in clonal forestry concerns the number of clones
needed in plantations to protect against catastrophic failure while at
the same time achieving the uniform stands, high yields, and ease of
management associated with this management system. This paper looks at
how the required number of clones needed to achieve a predetermined
maximum acceptable level of risk changes as underlying system
parameters---level of loss acceptable to the plantation manager; number
or severity of pest attacks; level of clonal resistance to attack; and
gene frequencies associated with "susceptible" alleles---increase or
decrease. In general, the number of clones needed decreases as the
intensity of pest attack increases, and increases if any of the other
quantities increases. An explanation of these trends is offered in terms
of risk‑prone vs. risk‑averse behavior, and implications for
governmental regulations and forest management are discussed. **(32)**

Clark, Mark M.; Meller, Russell D.; McDonald, Timothy P. 2000. **A
three-stage heuristic for harvest scheduling with access road network
development.** Forest Science. 46(2): 204-218.

In this article we present a new model for the scheduling of forest
harvesting with spatial and temporal constraints. Our approach is unique
in that we incorporate access road network development into the harvest
scheduling selection process. Due to the difficulty of solving the
problem optimally, we develop a heuristic that consists of a solution
construction stage and two solution improvement stages. We call our
approach INROADS and compare it to three other approaches by employing
hypothetical example problems with 225 stands (or cut blocks) over a
three‑period planning horizon. Thirteen example forests that vary in
terms of stand value and spatial dispersion are used to evaluate our
heuristic, which outperforms the other approaches tested. **(33)**

Cleaves, David A.; Martinez, Jorge; Haines, Terry K. 2000. **Influences
on prescribed burning activity and costs in the National Forest
System.** Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-37. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 34 p.

The results of a survey concerning National Forest System prescribed
burning activity and costs from 1985 to 1995 are examined. Ninety-five
of one hundred and fourteen national forests responded. Acreage burned
and costs for conducting burns are reported for four types of prescribed
fire: slash reduction; management-ignited fires; prescribed natural
fires; and brush, grass, and rangeland burns. Rankings of importance are
presented for 9 resource enhancement targets, 14 potential barriers to
burning, and 12 factors influencing burning costs. Survey responses
concerning the presence and impact of Class I and nonattainment air
quality areas are discussed. Anticipated burning levels over the next 10
years and burning levels needed to achieve desired management goals on
National Forest System lands are also presented. **(34)**

Grace, J.M., III. 2000. **Forest road sideslopes and soil conservation
techniques.** Journal of Soil and Water Conservation. 55(1): 96-101.

Forest road sideslopes have been identified as one of the major sources
of erosion losses from managed forest systems. Stabilization by
vegetation has shown the greatest potential for mitigation of soil
erosion on forest road sideslopes. Sediment and runoff production from a
wood excelsior erosion mat, native species vegetative mix, and exotic
species vegetative mix were investigated on a newly constructed road
during a two‑year study. Sediment and runoff production were
significantly reduced on both the cut slope and fill slope by the
treatments. Vegetative treatments showed more than a 90 percent
reduction in sediment production between the two study years. The
erosion mat treatment showed increased vegetation cover and relatively
insignificant sediment production for both years of the study. **(35)**

Groom, Les; Mott, Laurence; Shaler, Stephen. 1999. **Relationship
between fiber furnish properties and the structural performance of
MDF.** In: Wolcott, Michael P.; Tichy, Robert J.; Bender, Donald A.,
editors; Miklosko, Linda C., assoc. ed. 33^rd^ International
particleboard/ composite materials symposium proceedings. Pullman, WA:
Washington State University: 89-100.

The structural performance of medium density fiberboard (MDF) is
attributable to three primary variables, which are (1) physical and
mechanical properties of individual wood fibers; (2) fiber-to-fiber
stress transfer; and (3) fiber orientation. These origins of fiber
properties and stress transfer can be traced to the fiber generation
method wherein fiber orientation is associated with mat formation. This
paper is part of an on-going study to determine the mechanisms governing
the stiffness and strength of fiber-based composites. Preliminary data
are presented in this paper, focusing on the effect of juvenility and
fiber generation on the mechanical properties of individual wood fibers
and the subsequent properties of MDF panels. Development of panel
stiffness and strength is also discussed with regards to fiber packing
and stress transfer as determined by testing oriented and un-oriented
panels as well as direct observation with microtomography. **(36)**

McCracken, Randy D. 2000. **On-line delivery of research products.** In:
Pioneering new trails, Proceedings for the Society of American Foresters
annual meeting; 1999 September 11-15; Portland, OR. Bethesda, MD:
Society of American Foresters: 545-546*.*

Research institutions are under increasing pressure to provide customers
with fast and easy access to scientific publications. Responding to a
customer base that has grown exponentially over the last decade, roughly
140 USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station (SRS) scientists are
now able to provide research results almost as soon as their manuscripts
are released for publication. Using the Internet, the SRS Webmaster
helps distribute a quarterly catalog of publications to more than 1,000
e-mail addresses worldwide. He and other employees in the SRS
Communications Office also maintain a Web-to-database interface that
allows R&D customers to search for publications by title, author,
subject matter description, or date; and then to view those documents
on-line in PDF (Portable Document Format). Before this system was
established, customer requests for publications would always take
days---sometimes even weeks---to fill. Now, with the use of an active
server interface to a Station database, SRS customers have almost
instant access to all on-line publications, as well as an archive
listing of all SRS publications. This system provides an expeditious and
cost-efficient way to manage thousands of records and electronic copies
of publication reprints. **(37)**

Vozzo, J.A., Ph.D.; Patel, Ramesh, M.D.; Terrel, Allen, C.R.T. 2000.
**Determinacion de la viabilidad de las semillas de *Juglans nigra* a
traves de imagenes obtenidas usando Tomografia Computarizada y
Resonancia Magnetica.** In: Salazar, Rodolfo, coordinador. II Simposio
sobre avances en la produccion de semillas forestales en America
Latina---memorias; 1999 octubre 18-22; Santo Domingo, Republica
Dominicana. Turrialba, Costa Rica: CATIE: 163-167. \[Editor's Note: This
publication is available only in Spanish.\] **(38)**

Yin, Suzhou; Rials, Timothy G.; Wolcott, Michael P. 1999.
**Crystallization behavior of polypropylene and its effect on woodfiber
composite properties.** In: Fifth international conference on
woodfiber-plastic composites; 1999 May 26-27; Madison, WI. Madison, WI:
Forest Products Society: 139-146.

This paper describes an approach where polarizing optical microscopy is
used to observe the crystallization process of different polypropylenes
in the presence of wood fiber. The crystallization behavior was found to
be related to the chemical composition of the polymer systems and the
addition of maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene (MAPP) to
polypropylene dramatically altered the crystal structure around the
fiber, even at low levels (1 to 2 percent). For neat polypropylene, the
wood fiber showed poor nucleating ability, and little difference in bulk
and surface crystallization was observed. However, when MAPP was added
(1 to 10 percent), the nucleation density at the wood fiber surface
became so pronounced that a transcrystalline layer was formed around the
fiber. Because the wood fibers themselves had not undergone any prior
chemical modification, the increase in nucleation ability of the fiber
surface must be attributed to specific interactions between the wood
fibers and the maleic anhydride moiety of the MAPP. These observations
reveal that the MAPP may not only interact with wood fibers, but may
also change the microstructure of the matrix near the fibers. It was
observed that the nucleation of the wood fiber surface was selective,
indicating that the local physical or chemical characteristics of the
fibers might have some influence on the polypropylene crystallization.
Dynamic mechanical analysis was used to monitor isothermal
crystallization of the polypropylene blends, and provided some
additional insight into the contribution of crystalline morphology to
strength properties. **(39)**

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