bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Forest Streamwater Concentrations of Nitrogen and Phosphorus: A Comparison with EPA's Proposed Water Quality Criteria
Authors: Ice G. , Binkley D.
Published: April 2024

To address the problem of excessive nutrients in US waters, the Environmental Protection Agency is developing water quality criteria for four types of waterbodies and 14 ecoregions. In this article we focus on total nitrogen and total phosphorus criteria for rivers and streams. A review of 300 streams draining small forested watersheds finds that nutrient concentrations often exceed EPA's proposed criteria. More detailed nutrient concentration patterns were evaluated for eight unmanaged research forested watersheds, three of which would have failed EPA criteria and been identified as impaired. Finer-scale tools would more precisely reflect water quality patterns and make the nutrient criteria rational, physically achievable, and biologically relevant.
Adaptive Management and the Northwest Forest Plan: Rhetoric and Reality
Authors: Stankey G.H. , Bormann B.T. , Ryan C. , Shindler B. , Sturtevant V. , Clark R.N. , Philpot C.
Published: April 2024

Adaptive management represents a process to use management policies as a source of learning, which in turn can inform subsequent actions. However, despite its appealing and apparently straightforward objectives, examples of successful implementation remain elusive, and a review of efforts to implement an adaptive approach in the Northwest Forest Plan proves the point. Barriers include an institutional and regulatory environment that stymies innovation, increasing workloads coupled with declining resources that constrain learning-based approaches, and a lack of leadership. The time is right to learn from experiences and consider alternatives.
Perspective: Diversity: What Does It Mean to SAF?
Authors: Jose S.
Published: April 2024

When it comes to diversity within SAF or the profession at large, how many of us realize the real meaning of the word?
Market and Resource Impacts of a Canadian Lumber Tariff
Authors: Adams D.M.
Published: April 2024

Recent imposition of another import tariff on Canadian softwood lumber found support both as a means to offset alleged unfair Canadian cost advantages and to force reductions in Canadian old-growth harvest. Our analysis provides estimates of the traditional market impacts associated with this policy, plus the less commonly considered resource tradeoffs. The gross revenues of US lumber producers and private timber sellers will rise at the expense of increased expenditures by US lumber consumers. Timber harvest will decline in Canada but rise on private lands in the United States, lowering US softwood inventories.
NASA and Russian Scientists Observe Land-Cover and Land-Use Change and Carbon in Russian Forests
Authors: Bergen K.M. , Conard S.G. , Houghton R.A. , Kasischke E.S. , Kharuk V.I. , Krankina O.N. , Ranson K.J. , Shugart H.H. , Sukhinin A.I. , Treyfeld R.F.
Published: April 2024

In 1997, several project teams of the NASA Land-Cover Land-Use Change Program began working with Russian organizations to try to quantify and understand the past, present, and future land-cover and land-use trends in Russian boreal forests. Selected results of completed and ongoing research projects are discussed in four categories: forest dynamics, fire and fire behavior, carbon budgets, and new remote sensing analysis methods. This research has helped pave the way for collaborations with international organizations and other networks, and collaborations at several scales are now making it possible for Russian and US scientists to work together to further our knowledge on the influence of land-cover and land-use change throughout the world.
Meeting the Needs of Nepal's Poor: Creating Local Criteria and Indicators of Community Forestry
Authors: Smith P.D. , Chhetri B.B.K. , Regmi B.
Published: April 2024

Community forestry holds great potential to improve the situation of poor people through provision of basic forest products. However, Nepal's traditional caste and wealth structures can lead to forest management that does not meet the needs of poor people. Locally created criteria and indicators of success offer an opportunity to incorporate values of status equality into community visions for the future. In this study, we identify similarities and differences between the goals of rich and poor users to determine the aspects of community forestry that require special attention during creation of criteria and indicators.
Focus on . . . Field Foresters: TechReg: Your Path to Becoming a Technical Service Provider
Authors: Neznek R.J.
Published: April 2024

In five steps you could become a technical service provider through the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Fuel Reduction Strategies in Forest Communities: A Longitudinal Analysis of Public Support
Authors: Shindler B. , Toman E.
Published: April 2024

This study uses panel data from a mail survey administered to the same individuals in 1996 and 2000 to measure change in public attitudes toward fire management programs on federal lands in eastern Oregon and Washington. Findings were generally similar between 1996 and 2000, but three noteworthy changes occurred over the four-year interval. First, the number of citizens who view smoke as a problem has risen. Second, citizens gave Forest Service information programs lower ratings and considered other sources of information more reliable. And finally, the relationship between the Forest Service and residents in the region appears to have eroded. Nevertheless, respondents continued to support prescribed fire and mechanized thinning for fuel reduction purposes in local forests.
Perspective: Forest Certification: Some Thoughts on Its Value
Authors: Sampson R.N. , Banzhaf W.H.
Published: April 2024

No matter what program is involved, certification itself does not create sustainable forests. It only provides an independent, objective assessment as to the effectiveness of today's management program in managing for future forest sustainability.
Timber Harvests and Forest Neighbors: The Urban Fringe Research Project at Oregon State University
Authors: Shelby Bo , Tokarczyk John A. , Johnson Rebecca L.
Published: April 2024

As urban and suburban populations grow, the urban fringe has expanded into once-remote forests. With this growth, the complexity and cost associated with harvesting have increased, along with public disputes and the potential for legal actions. To better identify and understand forest border residents' interests and concerns about harvest activities, residents of the McDonald Forest Estates (a neighborhood bordering the Oregon State University Research Forest) were consulted and surveyed prior to a proposed harvest. Results show interesting patterns of preferences for specific harvest treatments and illustrate the more general issues that concern border residents, including buffers, duration of activities, safety, regrowth, and impacts on recreation and aesthetics.
Policy Analysis and National Forest Appeal Reform
Authors: Mortimer Michael J. , Scardina Anthony V. , Jenkins Dylan H.
Published: April 2024

The USDA Forest Service appeals process has affected the management of national forests for nearly a century. Concerns over wildfire and forest health have recently focused attention on the role of the appeals process in agency decisionmaking and management. A policy analysis framework is useful to illustrate the relationships in complex national forest management questions. Although reformation of the appeals process has previously been identified and recommended, stakeholders' interest in maintaining the current appeals process creates an obstacle. The current use of the appeals process represents a policy choice designed to address a particular national forest management concern, but changes in management priorities and methods suggest reconsidering the utility of the appeals process.
Perspective: The “Tragedy of the Commons” Revisited
Authors: Thomas Jack Ward
Published: April 2024

The management of the national forests is no longer, if it ever was, best achieved through mutual coercion mutually agreed upon.
From the Managing Editor: Electronic Peer Review Comes to the Journal of Forestry
Authors: Pflieger Fran
Published: April 2024

Effective May 1, the Journal of Forestry will accept electronic submissions through AllenTrack.
Old-Growth: What Is It?
Authors: Helms John A.
Published: April 2024

Old-growth has been used and understood by foresters and ecologists for a long time. The term implies that the organism must be old, becoming overmature, senescent, slow growing, and declining in vigor. But the precise characteristics and attributes of the term are not identified. In recent years, the term has been used in diverse contexts and often in a value-laden manner. This causes confusion regarding exactly what is meant by old-growth and clouds debates about the management and conservation of the forests to which the term refers. Foresters and ecologists should consider taking the lead in defining the term and monitoring its use.
Commentary: SAF Policy Emphasis: Striking a Balance
Authors: Mortimer Michael J.
Published: April 2024

The SAF Committee on Forest Policy seeks to reorient its policy emphasis to better accommodate private lands.
Book Review: Jack Ward Thomas: The Journals of a Forest Service Chief
Authors: Miller Char
Published: April 2024

Jack Ward Thomas: The Journals of a Forest Service Chief by Harold K. Steen offers a blunt set of insights into and a disturbing feel for environmental politics during the Clinton years.
Coping with Interface Wildfire as a Human Event: Lessons from the Disaster/Hazards Literature
Authors: Kumagai Yoshitaka , Carroll Matthew S. , Cohn Patricia
Published: April 2024

The human community impacts of wildland fire is an understudied area. This article reviews the human disaster and hazards literature in an attempt to discover lessons applicable to understanding the social impacts of fire in the residential/wildland interface. It is argued that those literatures are potentially very useful in developing an understanding of wildland fire as a human event. A number of lessons are derived including why people tend to be unduly optimistic in the face of environmental hazards such as fire and why the characteristics of the affected community are at least as important as those of the fire in understanding social impacts.
Assessing Fire Risk in the Wildland-Urban Interface
Authors: Haight Robert G. , Cleland David T. , Hammer Roger B. , Radeloff Volker C. , Rupp T. Scott
Published: April 2024

Identifying areas of the wildland-urban interface (WUI) that are prone to severe wildfire is an important step in prioritizing fire prevention and preparedness projects. Our objective is to determine at a regional scale the relative risk of severe wildfire in WUI areas and the numbers of people and houses in high-risk areas. For a study area in northern lower Michigan, we first develop a spatial database of WUI areas (both intermix and interface) using housing data from the 2000 US Census and 1994 vegetation data from the Gap Analysis Project of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Then, we develop a spatial database of historic (pre-1900) fire regimes and current (1994) fuels to identify areas with high risk of stand-replacing fires. High-risk areas historically supported jack pine (P. banksiana Lamb.) and mixed pine forests with stand-replacing fire rotations less than 100 years and currently support upland conifer and hardwood forests. Analysis of the databases shows that 26% of the study area is WUI. About 25% of the WUI has relatively high fire risk. Over 88% of the WUI with high fire risk has low housing density (<1 house per 2 ha) and is classified as intermix where fuels and structures intermingle. The predominance of high-risk intermix areas with low-density housing has implications for planning effective fuel treatments and evacuation plans.
The Speculative Shadow over Timberland Values in the US South
Authors: Wear David N. , Newman David H.
Published: April 2024

In well-functioning markets, forestland prices capture a wealth of information regarding current as well as anticipated uses of land and resources contained on it. They reflect the valuation of current uses and incorporate information regarding productivity, standing timber capital, and the effects of taxes that apply to land and production. Land prices are speculative by definition, so they also incorporate information regarding anticipated future uses of the land and resources. A study of spatial patterns of assessed forestland prices in Georgia shows rising nontimber values in certain locations and suggests shifts in the future use of land and resources. As expected, land prices anticipate future development of forested land at the periphery of urbanizing areas. Rising timberland values also portend changes in land uses in some more rural counties. In these areas, it appears that low-density residential growth and recreational values are having an impact on the uses of timberland that is greater than previously thought. These findings provide some insights into the causes of ongoing shifts in ownership of forested land between industry, individuals, and equity concerns. Anticipated population and income growth in the South could hold important implications for both the supply of timber and the conditions of forestland in a large portion of the region.
Digital Video in the Classroom: Communication Skills for Future Resource Professionals
Authors: Shindler Bruce , Hino Jeff , Gordon Ryan
Published: April 2024

This article reinforces the need for effective communicators in natural resource organizations. It demonstrates the usefulness and accessibility of one communication format—video production—and provides a specific illustration of how Oregon State University is preparing future forestry professionals with a useful skill set. It draws on classroom examples to show how ideas can be merged with technology to deliver creative messages to citizens. It also describes the applicability of video beyond the university to forest agencies and organizations.
Environmental Consequences of Intensively Managed Forest Plantations in the Pacific Northwest
Authors: Hayes John P. , Schoenholtz Stephen H. , Hartley Mitschka J. , Murphy Glen , Powers Robert F. , Berg Dean , Radosevich Steven R.
Published: April 2024

Environmental consequences of intensively managed forest plantations (IMFP) are manifested primarily through influences on biodiversity, soils, and water resources. These consequences may be positive, neutral, or negative, depending on the spatial and temporal context and site-specificdetails. Many aspects of environmental consequences of IMFPs are increasingly understood, but significant gaps in our knowledge remain. Societal environmental goals and objectives of IMFPs remain poorly articulated and fuel a lively, often heated, social dialogue that will likely continuefor some time to come.
Public Influences on Plantation Forestry
Authors: Howe Glenn T. , Shindler Bruce , Cashore Benjamin , Hansen Eric , Lach Denise , Armstrong Ward
Published: April 2024

For plantation forestry to be successful, it must be biologically possible, economically feasible, and culturally adoptable (i.e., socially acceptable). We discuss social acceptability and plantation forestry in the Pacific Northwest, stressing that social acceptability is a judgmental process that is both provisional and dependent on many complex factors, and that most decisions are based on intuition, rather than a rational evaluation of all relevant choices. We suggest that conflicts over plantation forestry can be minimized by carefully considering social acceptability and by forging formal agreements (accords) that promote the goals of both environmentalists and forest industries.
Taking Stock of the International Arrangement on Forests
Authors: Auer Matthew R. , Karr-Colque Catherine , Samman Safiya
Published: April 2024

The nonlegally binding international arrangement on forests (IAF) was established by countries in 2000 to promote management, conservation, and sustainable development of all types of forests and to strengthen long-term political commitment to this end. In 2005, its convening body, the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF), reviews the effectiveness of the IAF and deliberates on next steps. The review is likely to find that some of the most effective parts of the arrangement have occurred outside the negotiating chambers of the UNFF. Increasing the effectiveness and lasting impact of the arrangement requires that countries integrate forests into the broader international agenda for sustainable development, emphasize the contributions of forests to poverty alleviation and economic development, and, most importantly, translate policy into concrete actions.
Strategies for Forestry Success: Examples from the Early Years of the Pennsylvania Forestry Association
Authors: Linehan Peter E.
Published: April 2024

Founded in 1886, the Pennsylvania Forestry Association (PFA) worked tirelessly to awaken the state government and people to the dangers of forest destruction. In its journal, Forest Leaves, the PFA advocated forest conservation and wise utilization of resources. It also educated the public about forest science. The article describes some of the successful conservation strategies derived from the first 20 years of Forest Leaves.
The Applicant Is No Gentleman: Women in the Forest Service
Authors: Lewis James G.
Published: April 2024

For much of the 20th century, the esprit de corps of the Forest Service depended heavily on the notion of the agency as an elite fraternity. The job of forester itself—a combination of lumberjack, frontiersman, explorer, and Old West sheriff—provided an opportunity for men to live the “strenuous life,” that most masculine of lifestyles. The reality, however, was that this boys' club could not have functioned nearly as well without the women in its midst. It is only within the last three decades of the 20th century that women have been admitted into the fraternity, and only after they forced their way in. The article is adapted from the book, The Forest Service and the Greatest Good: A Centennial History (Forest History Society 2005, Durham, NC) the companion book to the film, “The Greatest Good: A Forest Service Centennial Film.”
Estimating and Circumventing the Effects of Perturbing and Swapping Inventory Plot Locations
Authors: McRoberts Ronald E. , Holden Geoffrey R. , Nelson Mark D. , Liknes Greg C. , Moser Warren K. , Lister Andrew J. , King Susan L. , LaPoint Elizabeth B. , Coulston John W. , Smith W. Brad , Reams Gregory A.
Published: April 2024

The Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program of the USDA Forest Service reports data and information about the Nation's forest resources. Increasingly, users request that FIA data and information be reported and distributed in a geospatial context, and they request access to exact plot locations for their own analyses. However, the FIA program is constrained by law from disclosing exact locations and, instead, releases only approximate locations. The results of the study indicate that the effects of using approximate locations are negligible for design-based estimates for circular areas of radii greater than approximately 20 mi (32 km). For model-based estimates, the results are less definitive and depend on the modeling technique, the spatial resolution of units on which variables are observed, spatial correlation in the variables, and the quality of fit of the model to the data. Several methods for circumventing the effects of the approximate locations are discussed.
What Is the Fire Danger Now? Linking Fuel Inventories with Atmospheric Data
Authors: Woodall Christopher W. , Charney Joseph J. , Liknes Greg C. , Potter Brian E.
Published: April 2024

The combination of forest fuel maps with real-time atmospheric data may enable the creation of more dynamic and comprehensive assessments of fire danger. The goal of this study was to combine fuel maps, based on data from the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program of the USDA Forest Service, with real-time atmospheric data for the creation of a more dynamic index of fire danger. Results indicated fuel loadings and moisture could be estimated for specific points on a meteorological modeling grid network (4 × 4 km; based on FIA's strategic-scale fuel inventory and atmospheric data) enabling the current assessment and 1- to 2-day prediction of fire danger as well as refined understanding of fire danger across forest ecosystems.
The Enhanced Forest Inventory and Analysis Program of the USDA Forest Service: Historical Perspective and Announcement of Statistical Documentation
Authors: McRoberts Ronald E. , Bechtold William A. , Patterson Paul L. , Scott Charles T. , Reams Gregory A.
Published: April 2024

The Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program of the USDA Forest Service has initiated a transition from regional, periodic inventories to an enhanced national FIA program featuring annual measurement of a proportion of plots in each state, greater national consistency, and integration with the ground sampling component of the Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) program. The transition has required conceptual and technical changes in the statistical methodology that supports the program. This article provides a brief historical perspective on the FIA program, announces publication of the statistical documentation supporting the program, previews individual chapters in the documentation, and provides a brief discussion of areas where investigations are continuing.
Distribution of Introduced North American Ash Species and Their Role in Lowland Forest Management in Croatia
Authors: Kremer Dario , Čavlović Juro
Published: April 2024

North American ash species were introduced 100 years ago in the lowland regions in Croatia to afforestation sites where the native narrow-leaved ash could not survive. Presence and distribution of these species were obtained on the basis of forest management plans. A total number of 1,917 subcompartments (16,970 ha) showing the presence of these species as pure stands, partial stands, groups of trees, or individual trees were established. Gauss-Krüger coordinates of subcompartment center points and a Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) 100 × 100-km grid were used for mapping the distribution of introduced ash species. The total standing volume of North American ash in the surveyed area is estimated to be 181,500 m3. In 90 randomly selected localities, the presence of green ash was confirmed, whereas white ash was not found. In the management of lowland forests in Croatia to date, the pioneer and ameliorative role of green ash in the preparation of habitat for the arrival and survival of narrow-leaved ash has been emphasized, though its economic function is not substantial. This North American ash will continue to have a minor but useful role in forest management on wet sites in Croatia.
Controls and Reference Conditions in Forestry: The Role of Old-Growth and Retrospective Studies
Authors: Frelich Lee E. , Cornett Meredith W. , White Mark A.
Published: April 2024

Forest stands that experience only natural disturbance can serve as controls to provide a scientific basis for comparison with harvested forests to help determine when harvesting has been done in a sustainable manner. Primary stands can serve as references for silvicultural trials that attempt to mimic the primary forest structural attributes on shorter time scales of a few decades. At the landscape scale, retrospective techniques can be used to examine proportion and variation in proportion of stands among structural and successional stages expected under the natural disturbance regime. These analyses are referred to as range of natural variation and serve as landscape-scale reference conditions for comparison with the managed forest landscape.
Southern Pine Beetle Prevention in Florida: Assessing Landowner Awareness, Attitudes, and Actions
Authors: Mayfield Albert E. , Nowak Jarek , Moses Galen C.
Published: April 2024

The fragmentation of nonindustrial private forests (NIPF) into progressively smaller parcels presents challenges to landscape-level management of forest pests such as the southern pine beetle (SPB). In a survey of northern Florida NIPF landowners, awareness of the SPB, forest management plan use, importance of timber income, and implementation of preventive management practices all decreased with decreasing ownership size. Small parcel size, expense, and lack of knowledge were frequently cited reasons for lack of forest management. Educational approaches that motivate forest management on small NIPF tracts are needed to promote landscape-level forest health. We discuss some broadly applicable landowner education strategies that may help address this challenge.
Awareness and Management of Invasive Plants among West Virginia Woodland Owners
Authors: Steele Jennifer , Chandran Rakesh S. , Grafton William N. , Huebner Cynthia D. , McGill David W.
Published: April 2024

Although the need to engage woodland owners in managing invasive plants has been recognized, little is known about what motivates them to undertake such activities. Based on key informant interviews and a landowner questionnaire, this study assesses awareness and management of invasive plants among woodland owners in West Virginia and outreach implications. Although findings suggested that the issue of invasive plants was moderately salient, landowners identified a limited range of species. A large proportion of landowners who were aware of undesirable plants on their property had tried to control them, suggesting the absence of widespread barriers to initiating management. Instead, needs lie with improving effectiveness and follow-through and building awareness of a wider range of invasive plants and their impacts.
Citations, Publications, and Perceptions-Based Rankings of the Research Impact of North American Forestry Programs
Authors: Laband David N. , Zhang Daowei
Published: April 2024

Using the online citation service available through the Institute for Scientific Information and publication records, we constructed rankings of 53 North American forestry programs based on (1) total citations to the scholarly contributions of current faculty, (2) citations per research faculty member, (3) total number of publications in five top forestry journals, (4) total number of pages, (5) total number of publications per research faculty member, and (6) total number of page per research faculty member, from January 1997 to December 2001. We then compared these results against a ranking of the top forestry schools, based on perceived research profile, as indicated by survey responses from deans and department heads.
Managing Forest Disturbances and Community Responses: Lessons from the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
Authors: Flint Courtney G. , Haynes Richard
Published: April 2024

Managing forest disturbances can be complicated by diverse human community responses. Interviews and quantitative analysis of mail surveys were used to assess risk perceptions and community actions in response to forest disturbance by spruce bark beetles. Despite high risk perception of immediate threats to personal safety and property, risk perceptions of broader threats to community and ecological well-being were found to be more likely to influence participation in community action. Results imply that increased dialogue between resource managers and local community residents contributes to broader risk assessment and prioritization of risk mitigation strategies. Identifying community risk perceptions, tapping into local capacities for action, and accepting controversy facilitate sound decisionmaking and give voice to local concerns regarding risk mitigation after forest disturbance.
Outside-Bark Green Tons per Thousand Board Feet: A Case Study Using Sawtimber-Sized Hardwood Trees in Arkansas
Authors: Doruska Paul , Patterson David , Hartley Jonathan , Hurd Matthew
Published: April 2024

Timber transactions have shifted from a volume basis to a weight basis over the last 40 years in much of the southeastern United States. This shift has posed problems when sawtimber inventories are conducted in terms of board feet and then converted to outside-bark green tons for valuation. This case study examines tons per thousand board feet conversion factors for the Doyle, Scribner, and International ¼ log rules for a collection of hardwood species in Arkansas. Conversion factors ranged from 20 tn/mbf Doyle to 5 tn/mbf Doyle as scaling diameters increased from 8 to 26 in. Conversion factors for the Scribner and International ¼ log rules varied from about 9 tn/mbf to about 5 tn/mbf over the same range in scaling diameters. Often, a single tons per mbf conversion factor is used for a given species class (i.e., pine, oak, … ) in a given region of the United States. Regardless of the region of the United States, tree species, or board foot log rule, the results of this case study suggest more appropriate conversion factors should be used.
The Latinization of Forest Management Work in Southern Oregon: A Case from the Rogue Valley
Authors: Sarathy Brinda
Published: April 2024

Mexican immigrants constitute the vast majority of forest workers on federal lands in Oregon today. In southern Oregon, Latinos also make up a significant share of forest contractors and a growing portion of the resident population. Although there has been some recent attention to immigrant workers in the United States, Latino forest workers remain marginal in the eyes of policymakers and the general public. This article examines the Latinization of forest work in the Rogue Valley and provides a social and historical context with which to understand this phenomenon, shedding light on the importance of federal immigration policies, immigrant social networks, and changes to forest management.
Endemic Plant Distributions in Eastern North America: Implications for Conservation
Authors: Loehle Craig
Published: April 2024

The conservation of rare plants is an important goal. Many rare plants are, in fact, endemics rather than remnants of once abundant populations. Plant endemics pose both challenges and opportunities for conservation. For eastern North America, there is a North-South gradient in endemicrichness, with the highest concentrations in two parts of Florida and few endemics in the recently glaciated North. The hot spots of the Gulf and Atlantic Coastal Plain could all benefit from the restoration of natural fire regimes. Cedar glades, dolomite outcrops, balds, and granite outcrops,each containing their own endemic species, act as island archipelagos, with infrequent dispersal between them. This means that local extinctions (on a single patch) will not be restored by natural immigration on reasonable time scales. These shallow-soil communities also would be difficultto restore if denuded. The opportunity presented by these habitats is that many of them have low economic value and thus are cheap to protect and may occur as small patches within commercial forest. In addition, the pine savannah habitats are likely to have feasible dual conservation and timbermanagement, grazing, and hunting uses if care is taken.
The Irrationality of Continued Fire Suppression: An Avoided Cost Analysis of Fire Hazard Reduction Treatments Versus No Treatment
Authors: Snider Gary , Daugherty P.J. , Wood D.
Published: April 2024

Without large-scale implementation of fire hazard reduction treatments, the costs of uncharacteristic crown fires in southwest forests will continue to increase. Federal policy continues to allocate vastly more funds to suppression than to prefire hazard reduction. We examined the economicrationality of continuing this policy of emphasizing fire suppression activities over restoration-based fire hazard reduction treatments. We compared treatment plus fire suppression costs to the cost of fire suppression without treatments over 40 years for southwestern forests. This avoided-costanalysis estimates the amount one could invest in treatments to avoid the future cost of fire suppression. Using conservative economic values, we found that avoided future costs justifies spending $238–601/ac for hazard reduction treatments in the southwest. We conclude that thepolicy of underfunding hazard reduction treatments does not represent rational economic behavior, because funding hazard reduction would pay for itself by lowering future fire suppression costs.
What Do Teenagers Think of Environmental Issues and Natural Resources Management Careers?
Authors: Hager Sarah , Straka Thomas , Irwin Heather
Published: April 2024

High school student knowledge of and interest in natural resources issues and careers is important to the future of the forestry profession. This article reports on a high school student's research project to establish what these knowledge and interest levels are. This student used MySpace to survey high school students across the country. Interest in the environment and natural resource issues was high, but interest in natural resource careers, especially forestry, was low. One major reason for the results seems to be a lack of information concerning natural resource careers at the high school counseling level. This suggests that marketing may be needed to attract students to the forestry profession.
The 2005 Planning Rule as a Teaching Tool
Authors: Kim Yeon-Su , Dewhurst Stephen , Hospodarsky Denver
Published: April 2024

In 2005, the US Forest Service released a new planning rule, more incremental in its approach, and intended to overcome limitations identified in previous US Forest Service planning approaches. We have adopted a new framework broadly based on the 2005 rule and enhanced by the use of scenario planning techniques for our senior capstone planning course. Our methodology is described, along with the positive and negative effects of the new approach we have observed in our 2 years of experiences. Although our key learning outcomes remain unchanged, the new approach has shifted the emphasis toward the recognition of multiple perspectives and divergent social values and uncertainty, at some cost to the rigor of the technical analysis. Examples of student management plans, and a public presentation by the 2007 class, are available on our class website.
Nonmarket Resource Valuation in the Postfire Environment
Authors: Calkin David , Jones Greg , Hyde Kevin
Published: April 2024

After the containment of large wildland fires, major onsite and downstream effects including lost soil productivity, watershed response, increased vulnerability to invasive weeds, and downstream sedimentation can cause threats to human life and property. Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) teams are responsible for developing treatment plans to mitigate negative consequences associated with these postwildfire events. BAER teams are charged with demonstrating that proposed treatments are economically justified. When the resources at risk are market values this poses few challenges; however, when the resources at risk are nonmarket values serious challenges occur including limited supporting scientific research, a lack of economics expertise and training among BAER team members, and tight time frames for conducting assessments resulting in final assessments that may not be defensible. In this study we show a clear and reproducible valuation procedure termed implied minimum value that may be adopted by BAER teams to improve the economic justification of treatments proposed to protect nonmarket resource values.
Keeping Pace with Global Positioning System Technology in the Forest
Authors: Wing Michael G.
Published: April 2024

Global positioning system (GPS) technology continues to spread throughout society with an increased number of GPS receivers becoming available at lower costs to consumers. GPS applications in forested settings have developed at a more modest pace than other applications because of the difficulty in maintaining satellite communication under tree canopy and in steep terrain. Several recent studies, however, have found that accurate GPS measurements are possible within forested settings using relatively low-cost GPS receivers. In addition, GPS hardware and satellite systems are in a state of development with significant improvements expected in the near future. This article describes current GPS technology and expected future trends that are likely to benefit GPS operators. In addition, considerations for improving GPS measurement accuracy in forested settings are discussed.
Family Forest Stewardship: Do Owners Need a Financial Incentive?
Authors: Kilgore Michael A. , Snyder Stephanie , Taff Steven , Schertz Joseph
Published: April 2024

This study assessed family forest owner interest in formally committing to the types of land use and management practices that characterize good stewardship if compensated for doing so, using Minnesota's Sustainable Forest Incentives Act (SFIA) as a proxy measure of forest stewardship. The SFIA provides an annual payment in return for obtaining and using a forest management plan and adhering to Minnesota's timber harvesting and forest management guidelines, among other requirements. Results of a mail survey indicate the typical Minnesota family forest owner has relatively small acreage, owns the land for a long time, lives in a rural area, is an absentee owner, considers hunting the most important reason for forestland ownership, and is not an active forest manager but supplies timber to the marketplace. Analysis of the survey data using a logit model found landowner interest in enrolling in the SFIA program was significantly influenced by the SFIA payment amount, acres of forestland owned, intention to obtain a forest management plan, opposition to the program's covenant requirement, and familiarity with the program. The model also estimated considerable compensation is needed to secure substantial participation of family forest owners in the SFIA program—nearly $24/ac per year to enroll one-half of the owners surveyed. Marketing efforts to increase the program visibility and extolling the virtues of a forest management plan should be part of a strategy to increase family forest owner participation in the SFIA program.
Some Timber Product Market and Trade Implications of an Invasive Defoliator: The Case of Asian Lymantria in the United States
Authors: Prestemon Jeffrey P. , Turner James A. , Buongiorno Joseph , Zhu Shushuai , Li Ruhong
Published: April 2024

US policy and forest product industry decisionmakers need quantitative information about the magnitude of timber product market impacts from the possible introduction of an exotic and potentially dangerous defoliating forest pest. We applied the Global Forest Products Model to evaluate the effects on the United States of an invasion by the Asian gypsy (Lymantria dispar L.) and/or nun (Lymantria monacha L.) moths. Results suggest that the current ban on softwood log imports from the Russian Far East has little effect, beyond what market forces alone would do, on the likelihood of the introduction of the pests in the country. However, an introduction of the pests in the United States, by the timber trade or other means, could have severe impacts on the timber product market, particularly if the United States' trading partners responded by banning imports of US logs.
Newer Technologies and Bioenergy Bring Focus Back to Bark Factor Equations
Authors: Doruska Paul F. , Patterson David , Hartley Jonathan , Hurd Matthew , Hart Timothy
Published: April 2024

Recent technological advances have made estimating outside bark, upper stem diameters on tree stems more commonplace. Inside bark diameters and bark thicknesses are also often needed at upper stem locations for volume determination applications, but those attributes are not easily measured, even with the newer technologies. Interest in bark and timber residue for bioenergy uses has also put increased focus on the ability to measure or estimate bark thickness at various heights aboveground. Bark factor (BF) equations allow one to estimate the ratio of inside bark diameter to outside bark diameter at a given height aboveground for a given tree. This ratio can then be multiplied by outside bark diameter measurements to yield estimates of inside bark diameters. Bark thickness can then be found via subtraction. This project developed BF equations for three hardwood species found in northwest Arkansas, nine hardwood species found in southeast Arkansas, and two hardwood species found in north central Wisconsin. Three distinct patterns in BF were observed, with the R2 of the fitted regression equations ranging from 0.76 to 0.97. Example applications are also described.
Heart Size of Sugar Maple Sawlogs across Six Northern States
Authors: Yanai Ruth D. , Germain René H. , Anderson Nathaniel M. , Coates T. Adam , Mishler Andrew K.
Published: April 2024

Sugar maple is among the most important commercial tree species in the northern United States. Sawlogs with the highest proportion of white wood to discolored heart are the most valuable; logs with more than one-half the log diameter in dark wood must be marketed as pallet logs. Foresters, loggers, and landowners have long speculated about regional variations in heart size, but to date, no one has tested these theories. We examined 53 harvest sites across six northern states and found no significant variation in heart size related to geography, ecoregions, or soil orders. We did observe larger hearts on sites on Spodosols than on Alfisols, which are more base rich. Heart size increased only slightly with diameter at most sites, such that the heart-size ratio decreased (P < 0.001), suggesting that the risk of finding large hearts does not increase with tree age, as previously believed.
Landowner Awareness and Adoption of Wildfire Programs in the Southern United States
Authors: Jarrett Adam , Gan Jianbang , Johnson Cassandra , Munn Ian A.
Published: April 2024

We surveyed nonindustrial private (family) forestland owners in five states in the southern United States to identify their perception, awareness, and adoption of wildfire prevention and mitigation programs. Wildfire is perceived as an imminent threat by the majority of the survey respondents, and over two-thirds of them have taken some preventive measure. Program awareness, wildfire experience and risk perception, information sources, wildfire preventive activities, and preferences for government interventions differ across racial groups; experience with wildfire, knowledge and activities of fire protection, information sources, and desire for government intervention and technical assistance are also significantly different between male and female landowners. Additionally, program awareness by landowners does not necessarily translate into action in preventing and mitigating wildfire, suggesting that additional assistance and stimuli would be needed to encourage private landowners to be more proactive against wildfire.
Harmonizing National Forest Inventories
Authors: McRoberts Ronald E. , Tomppo Erkki , Schadauer Klemens , Vidal Claude , Ståhl Göran , Chirici Gherardo , Lanz Adrian , Cienciala Emil , Winter Susanne , Smith W. Brad
Published: April 2024

National forest inventories are a primary source of data for national and large area assessments of sustainability and biodiversity and for international forest resource reporting. However, the ability of countries to produce compatible estimates using these data is impeded by the diversity of their national inventory definitions, sampling designs, plot configurations, measured variables, and measurement protocols. In addition, because the differing features of these inventories have historical, commercial, and environmental justification, prospects for standardizing inventories are minimal. The best current alternative is to harmonize estimates, a process that focuses on developing methods for producing compatibility despite the different inventory features. Action E43 (COST E43, 2008, Harmonization of national forest inventories in Europe: Techniques for common reporting; Available at online at www.metla.fi/eu/cost/e43/index.html; last accessed May 2008) of the European program, Cooperation in the Field of Scientific and Technical Research (COST), has focused on developing harmonization methods for European inventories in three areas: harmonized definitions, harmonized estimation procedures for carbon pools, and harmonized indicators for biodiversity assessments. The Forest Inventory and Analysis program of the US Forest Service has participated in COST Action E43 and has provided data for testing proposed harmonization methods. Although considerable progress has been made in developing methods to facilitate harmonization, considerable work still remains.
The Ectomycorrhizal Community Structure in European Beech Forests Differing in Coppice Shoot Age and Stand Features
Authors: Di Marino Erika , Montecchio Lucio , Scattolin Linda , Abs Clemens , Agerer Reinhard
Published: April 2024

The composition and the structure of the ectomycorrhizal (EM) community were investigated in seven European beech coppices, and differing for the year of the last cut (2–48 years), in Northern Italy. The research was conducted on the spatial and temporal distribution of the ectomycorrhizal species, to study if possible changes in the community could be correlated to the application year of these human practices, together with site variables (site slope, pH, C/N, Corg, Norg, soil moisture, exposure, altitude, and bedrock type). The preliminary results indicated that ectomycorrhization degree significantly changes between the organic and mineral horizons. The ecological indexes of richness and evenness showed significant variations in the sampled sites but were not correlated with either coppicing age or slope. EM species composition revealed a significant correlation with slope and soil moisture but not with shoot age. The coppice treatment seems to be not dangerous for the EM community structure, but additional studies are necessary to understand the possible application of the “short rotation” practices in this ecological context, as a sustainable activity, according to the new trends in European Union energetic policies. An EM resilient condition is supposed.
Financial Feasibility of Selection-Based Multiple-Value Management on Private Lands in the South: A Heuristic Case Study Approach
Authors: McIntyre R. Kevin , Jack Steven B. , McCall Barrett B. , Mitchell Robert J.
Published: April 2024

Over the last 10 years, multiple-value, ecosystem-based approaches to management on public forestlands have become more prevalent. However, less attention has been paid to this concept in the private sector. Although it is recognized that nonindustrial private forest (NIPF) landowners own forestland for a diversity of reasons, information on management approaches that seek to more fully meet multiple objectives is needed, particularly for southern US pine forests. Alternatives to plantation management are available, but little information exists on the economic implications so that NIPF landowners can make informed decisions regarding implementation. This study develops a simple economic model as a heuristic tool to compare financial performance of extensive, multiple-value management approaches. The 50-year projection illustrates that, although not equal to more intensive management systems by some economic performance metrics, multiaged, selection-based alternatives can provide substantial net cash flow, maintain significant timber volume, and have comparable total value.