bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Challenges to Estimating Tree Height via LiDAR in Closed-Canopy Forests: A Parable from Western Oregon
Authors: Gatziolis Demetrios , Fried Jeremy S. , Monleon Vicente S.
Published: April 2024

We examine the accuracy of tree height estimates obtained via light detection and ranging (LiDAR) in a temperate rainforest characterized by complex terrain, steep slopes, and high canopy cover. The evaluation was based on precise top and base locations for > 1,000 trees in 45 plots distributed across three forest types, a dense network of ground elevation recordings obtained with survey grade equipment, and LiDAR data from high return density acquisitions at leaf-on and leaf-off conditions. Overall, LiDAR error exceeded 10% of tree height for 60% of the trees and 43% of the plots at leaf-on and 55% of the trees and 38% of the plots at leaf-off. Total error was decomposed into contributions from errors in the estimates of tree top height, ground elevation model, and tree lean, and the relationships between those errors and stand- and site-level variables were explored. The magnitude of tree height error was much higher than those documented in other studies. These findings, coupled with observations that indicate suboptimal performance of standard algorithms for data preprocessing, suggest that obtaining accurate estimates of tree height via LiDAR in conditions similar to those in the US Pacific Northwest may require substantial investments in laser analysis techniques research and reevaluation of laser data acquisition specifications.
Forest Management and Carbon Sequestration in Size-Structured Forests: The Case of Pinus sylvestris in Spain
Authors: Goetz Renan-Ulrich , Hritonenko Natali , Mur Ruben Javier , Xabadia Angels , Yatsenko Yuri
Published: April 2024

The Kyoto protocol allows Annex I countries to deduct carbon sequestered by land use, land-use change, and forestry from their national carbon emissions. J. Thornley and M. Cannell (2000. Managing forests for wood yield and carbon storage: A theoretical study. Tree Physiol. 20:477–484) have demonstrated that the objectives of maximizing timber and carbon sequestration are not complementary. Based on this finding, this article presents a model that takes into account the dynamics of timber and carbon in the form of an integro-partial differential and an ordinary differential equation. The integrated biophysical and economic model allows the optimal selective management regime to be determined. The results show that an increase in the carbon price leads to a notable increase in the number of trees. The findings also suggest that carbon sequestration costs are significantly lower for a change in a forest management regime than for a change in land use (afforestation).
Stand Density Relationships in Baldcypress
Authors: Keim Richard F. , Dean Thomas J. , Chambers Jim L. , Conner William H.
Published: April 2024

Stand density indices (SDIs) are surrogate measures of site occupancy useful for developing quantitative management tools for forest types that have not been extensively studied. For example, there has been little research of growth-density relationships for baldcypress (Taxodium distichum [L.] L.C. Rich.). We used published data, forest inventory data, and a 25-year-old thinning study to identify maximum densities and density of incipient self-thinning in baldcypress. Results suggest that a maximum Reineke's SDI is approximately 1,200 (SI units) in baldcypress, which agrees with practical experience and the theoretical limit derived from observed correlations between a species wood density and maximum SDI. Thinning a baldcypress stand to ≥58% of maximum SDI did not affect tree-level or stand-level growth, but thinning to 40% of maximum SDI increased diameter increment and net volume increment (at α = 0.07) in the first 25 years after thinning. These results are consistent with expectations based on stand density-growth relationships for other species, which supports the general utility of management tools based on stand density concepts.
Harvest Choice and Timber Supply Models for Forest Forecasting
Authors: Polyakov Maksym , Wear David N. , Huggett Robert N.
Published: April 2024

Timber supply has traditionally been modeled using aggregate data, whereas individual harvest choices have been shown to be sensitive to the vintage and condition of forest capital stocks. In this article, we build aggregate supply models for four roundwood products in a seven-state region of the US South directly from stand-level harvest choice models applied to detailed forest inventories. These models allow for a more precise accounting of the biological and economic underpinnings of supply and support forecasting of changes in forest inventories with a high degree of detail. Estimation results support use of the approach. The elasticities of softwood and hardwood sawtimber supply, 0.34 and 0.31, respectively, are consistent with the elasticities reported by previous studies. The elasticities of softwood and hardwood pulpwood supply (respectively, 0.062 and 0.025) are much lower than previous studies found for pulpwood supply, and cross-price elasticities indicate a dominant influence of sawtimber markets on pulpwood supply. Results generally indicate complementarity between sawtimber and pulpwood supply in the short run. This approach can provide a means of predicting the supply consequences of exogenous factors that could alter forest inventories, e.g., climate change and invasive species, and support regular updating of supply models as new inventory data are recorded.
Evaluating the Financial Performance of Timberland Investments in the United States
Authors: Mei Bin , Clutter Michael L.
Published: April 2024

Timberland properties have gained increasing attention in recent decades. The attractiveness of this asset primarily lies in its unique feature—the biological growth, which is independent of traditional financial markets. Using both parametric and nonparametric approaches, in this study we reexamine the financial performance of private- and public-equity timberland investments in the United States. Private-equity timberland returns are proxied by the National Council of Real Estate Investment Fiduciaries Timberland Index, whereas public-equity timberland returns are proxied by the value-weighted returns on a dynamic portfolio of the US publicly traded forestry firms that had or have been managing timberlands. The parametric analyses reveal that private-equity timberland assets outperform the market and have low systematic risk, whereas public-equity timberland assets fare similarly to the market. The nonparametric analyses reveal that both private- and public-equity timberland assets have higher excess returns.
Minimum-Inbreeding Seed Orchard Design
Authors: Lstibůrek Milan , El-Kassaby Yousry A.
Published: April 2024

The industrial concept of “quadratic assignment problem” (QAP) was used to develop a new seed orchard design that minimizes the level of inbreeding (minimum inbreeding [MI]) in an orchard's seed crop through the optimum allocation of clones within the orchard's grid. Spatial distribution of individual trees was done in proportion to their degree of genetic relatedness. The MI orchard design accommodates a variable number of unrelated or related clones with equal or variable sizes, and it is not restricted by the orchard's spatial configuration (shape or size). The proposed design is suitable for advanced generation populations that commonly harbor complicated pedigree relationships. The MI design was compared with the commonly used permutated neighborhood design and the completely randomized scheme, resulting in aggregate inbreeding distances of 6.82, 12.53, and 22.56, respectively, highlighting the effectiveness of the proposed design.
Subsurface Carbon Contents: Some Case Studies in Forest Soils
Authors: Johnson Dale W. , Murphy James D. , Rau Benjamin M. , Miller Watkins W.
Published: April 2024

This article evaluates the importance of deeper soil horizons for soil C inventories in forest ecosystems. For non-Spodosols, we categorized soils as to the degree of convexity of the cumulative soil C content profile. Soils with a highly convex or asymptotic soil C content profile contained a significantly lower fraction of their total C (36 ± 8%) below 20 cm than those with less convex (nonasymptotic) profiles (51 ± 2%), even though the more convex soils were 12 cm (23%) deeper. Spodosols contained the most C below 20 cm (66 ± 3%) as a result of the presence of spodic horizons. Spodosols also contained substantially more total soil profile C than non-Spodosols even though the average depths of sampling were similar. Langmuir and logarithmic equations predicted C contents of deeper horizons fairly well for most non-Spodosol soils, whereas C content declines systematically with depth. These equations were very poor for Spodosols, however, because of the increases in soil C with depth that often occur with spodic horizons. Two case studies from the Sierra Nevada mountains suggested that C concentration varies to a greater degree than does bulk density or fine earth (% <2 mm) content, thus illustrating the importance of obtaining good estimates of the large stone content, which can offset differences in C concentration when C content is calculated in the normal fashion (i.e., ignoring the >2-mm fraction). These case studies do not support the idea of estimating bulk density from soil C concentration.
Deep Soil Horizons: Contribution and Importance to Soil Carbon Pools and in Assessing Whole-Ecosystem Response to Management and Global Change
Authors: Harrison Robert B. , Footen Paul W. , Strahm Brian D.
Published: April 2024

Most of the C in terrestrial ecosystems is found in the soil. Although C calculations indicate that soils are more important than plants as reservoirs of C, soil rarely receives the attention given aboveground ecosystem components when C budgets are calculated. When soil pools are quantified they are typically sampled to relatively shallow depths. Shallow soil sampling in research includes studies that estimate C and nutrient pools and studies assessing the response of terrestrial ecosystems (i.e., forests, grasslands, and agricultural fields) to management treatments. Although many soils have sola that are substantially deeper than 20 cm and C accumulates well below these depths in many soils, the majority of studies of soil C sample to depths of 20 cm or less, generally because of the difficulty and cost of sampling the soil profile deeper. Shallow soil sampling is often justified by assuming that deeper soil horizons are stable and will not change over time, although some medium- and long-term studies do not support this assumption. Shallow soil sampling can result in both a major underestimate of soil C present in the soil profile and an inability to adequately measure the impacts of both treatments for specific goals (i.e., tillage, fertilization, and vegetation management) or other changes (i.e., global change and atmospheric inputs) over time in whole-ecosystem studies. We assessed the potential of shallow soil sampling to underestimate C in the soil profile as well as to change the conclusions of studies of management treatments on soil C. Results showed that where soils were sampled to at least 80 cm or more depth 27-77% of mineral soil C was found >20 cm in depth. In addition, analysis of results for 105 different studies of N fertilization in forests and N fertilization or conversion to switchgrass in agricultural studies shows that deeper sampling can actually change the conclusions of results of some research studies of net C accumulation or loss. Researchers wishing to either quantify soil C pools or measure changes of soil C over time are cautioned to sample soil profiles as deeply as possible and not assume that deeper soil horizons are not a critical part of adequate ecosystem analysis.
Estimating Riparian Understory Vegetation Cover with Beta Regression and Copula Models
Authors: Eskelson Bianca N. I. , Madsen Lisa , Hagar Joan C. , Temesgen Hailemariam
Published: April 2024

Understory vegetation communities are critical components of forest ecosystems. As a result, the importance of modeling understory vegetation characteristics in forested landscapes has become more apparent. Abundance measures such as shrub cover are bounded between 0 and 1, exhibit heteroscedastic error variance, and are often subject to spatial dependence. These distributional features tend to be ignored when shrub cover data are analyzed. The beta distribution has been used successfully to describe the frequency distribution of vegetation cover. Beta regression models ignoring spatial dependence (BR) and accounting for spatial dependence (BRdep) were used to estimate percent shrub cover as a function of topographic conditions and overstory vegetation structure in riparian zones in western Oregon. The BR models showed poor explanatory power (pseudo-R2 ≤ 0.34) but outperformed ordinary least-squares (OLS) and generalized least-squares (GLS) regression models with logit-transformed response in terms of mean square prediction error and absolute bias. We introduce a copula (COP) model that is based on the beta distribution and accounts for spatial dependence. A simulation study was designed to illustrate the effects of incorrectly assuming normality, equal variance, and spatial independence. It showed that BR, BRdep, and COP models provide unbiased parameter estimates, whereas OLS and GLS models result in slightly biased estimates for two of the three parameters. On the basis of the simulation study, 93–97% of the GLS, BRdep, and COP confidence intervals covered the true parameters, whereas OLS and BR only resulted in 84–88% coverage, which demonstrated the superiority of GLS, BRdep, and COP over OLS and BR models in providing standard errors for the parameter estimates in the presence of spatial dependence.
Canopy Structure in a 650-Year Douglas-Fir Chronosequence in Western Washington: Distribution of Canopy Elements and Open Space
Authors: Dial Roman J. , Nadkarni Nalini M. , Jewell Charles D.
Published: April 2024

Using within-canopy, side-viewing light detection and ranging (LiDAR), we measured canopy structure in a Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) chronosequence. We present foliage profiles, canopy composition, and a new metric quantifying the vertical distribution of open space, supporting and extending results from other structural studies. Foliage distribution shifted from vertically uniform in the youngest stand (50 years), to a canopy surface peak in mature forests (100–160 years old), to a near-ground maximum in old-growth (650 years). Leaf area index in old-growth and mature forests was similar but was smaller in young forest. Canopy composition changed with age: relatively more dead elements in young, boles in mature, and diversity in old-growth canopies. Older forest had greater mean and variance in open space than younger forests. Open space was vertically uniform in young, unimodal in mature, and greatest in the upper canopy in old-growth forests. Our results provide an integrated description of canopy structure over more than half a millennium, highlighting solid structure and its complement, open space. The unique element we present—open space—provides novel insights into the assessment of forest structure. This study provides a means to compare forests across ages, from immature to old-growth, with an additional canopy variable available for developing relationships between canopy structure and function.
Spatiotemporal Relationships between Climate and Whitebark Pine Mortality in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
Authors: Jewett Jeffrey T. , Lawrence Rick L. , Marshall Lucy A. , Gessler Paul E. , Powell Scott L. , Savage Shannon L.
Published: April 2024

Whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) serves as a subalpine keystone species by regulating snowmelt runoff, reducing soil erosion, facilitating the growth of other plants, and providing food for wildlife. Mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) is an ideal bioindicator of climate change, because its life cycle is temperature-dependent. Western North America is currently experiencing the largest outbreak of mountain pine beetle on record, and evidence suggests that a changing climate has accelerated the life cycle of this bark beetle. This study explored the relationships between climate, mountain pine beetles, and whitebark pine mortality in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. A time series of Landsat satellite imagery (nine images) was used to monitor whitebark pine mortality in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem from 1999 to 2008. The patterns of mortality were analyzed with respect to monthly climate variations over the 9-year period. The impacts of topography and autocorrelation (both spatial and temporal) were also analyzed. The most important predictor variables were autocorrelation terms, indicating a strong host-tree depletion effect. Both drier and warmer climatic conditions favored increased whitebark pine mortality. These results show for the first time a statistical link between climate variability and whitebark pine mortality, probably mediated by mountain pine beetles.
Spatial Optimization of Wildlife Populations with Probabilistic Habitat Connections
Authors: Billionnet Alain
Published: April 2024

I consider a land area divided into cells and the problem that consists of determining the cells that must be harvested and the cells that must be left in old-growth to maximize the size of wildlife populations that depend on amounts of young- and old-growth forest. In each old-growth cell, the size of the old-growth-dependent population depends on the spatial arrangement of the old-growth cells, specifically of the probability that the cell is connected to at least one other old-growth cell. This problem suggested by Hof and Bevers can be easily formulated by a difficult nonlinear 0-1 program. These authors proposed a linear approximation of a special case of the pairwise connection probabilities. The aim of this article was to show that the problem can be solved simply and efficiently with any set of connection probabilities by using standard 0-1 linear programming software. The key feature to transform the nonlinear program into a linear program is an approximation of the logarithmic function curve by some of its tangents. Computational results on hypothetical grid forests with up to 900 cells are presented to illustrate potentialities of the approach. Near-optimal solutions guaranteed to be within 0.5% of the optimal solution are obtained in less than 10 minutes of computing time.
On Relative Maxima of Diameter Growth, Basal Area Growth, Volume Growth, and Mean Annual Increment for Individual Trees
Authors: Lynch Thomas B. , Zhang Difei
Published: April 2024

A mathematical demonstration for the fact that maximum individual tree diameter growth occurs at an earlier age than maximum individual tree basal area growth is reviewed. This demonstration assumes that the growth functions are continuous, are twice differentiable with respect to age, and increase monotonically to one maximum, thereafter to decline monotonically. The relationship of the age of maximum individual tree volume growth to the age of basal area growth is also discussed. Mathematical demonstrations are given for the fact that the culmination of mean annual increment occurs earlier for diameter than for basal area, and results on age of maximum growth and mean annual increment are also given for arbitrary power functions in diameter.
Comparing Traditional Longitudinal Modeling Strategies of Forestry with Mixed-Effects Models: Restrictions in Model Formulation
Authors: Stewart Brock , Jordan Lewis , Li Rongxia
Published: April 2024

Generalized algebraic difference approach and site index models, which are commonly fitted to repeated-measures data in forestry, are formulated by specifying that one or more regression parameters depend on a single, common subject-specific quantity. Their formulation leads to shortcomings not present with “effects” types of formulations, which involve specifying each subject-specific regression parameter as depending on at least one local quantity that no other parameters depend on. We give conceptual illustrations as well as empirical examples using published models.
Toward Efficient Management of Large Fires: A Mixed Integer Programming Model and Two Iterative Approaches
Authors: Wei Yu , Rideout Douglas B. , Hall Thomas B.
Published: April 2024

In this study, we developed an optimization model and two iterative approaches to improve the efficiency of large fire management. This model allocates suppression effort across time and space to minimize fire loss within a defined duration. It departs from previous research by replacing simplified fire containment rules with progress-based fire loss control. This is accomplished by extending the minimum travel time algorithm to build a large fire suppression model. Mixed integer programming is used to integrate spatial information such as fire behavior, firefighter safety, and values at risk to guide large fire suppression. The concern of time-specific suppression allocation is modeled through two iterative approaches using different logical procedures. Test cases demonstrate how this model assembles spatial data to support suppression decisions for one fire or multiple simultaneous fires. Suppression is also scheduled across 30 randomly simulated fires in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Results demonstrate that suppression delay can significantly increase fire loss. Simulation results show that iterative approach A is more efficient in distributing suppression effort into short time periods.
Plantations for Bioenergy: Principles for Maintaining Biodiversity in Intensively Managed Forests
Authors: Flaspohler David J. , Webster Christopher R.
Published: April 2024

As the value of forests for providing a feedstock for bioenergy increases, more land will probably be converted to fast-growing tree plantations to increase short-term production of cellulose. In general, plantations support fewer plant and animal species than native forests because plantations are greatly simplified in terms of tree and other plant species richness and in terms of many structural and process-related forest functions. However, native biodiversity can be retained in some plantation forests if careful management is used in all stages of plantation establishment, tending, and harvest. Key considerations for conserving biodiversity as plantation forests grow as a proportion of total world forest cover include choice of plantation tree species, harvest frequency, rotation age, and care and management of biological legacies and forest understory plant and wildlife communities. We provide background and guidance that can be used to guide future plantation management in a new era of using forests to capture and store carbon and to generate bioenergy.
Routineness of Social Interactions Is Associated With Higher Affective Well-Being in Older Adults
Authors: Luo Minxia , Yordanova Kristina , Macdonald Birthe , Hülür Gizem
Published: April 2024

Objectives

Some research conceptualizes routineness of daily life as an indicator of cognitive vulnerability that would lead to lower well-being in older age, whereas other research expects routineness to give rise to more meaning and stability in life and thus to higher well-being. Further research is needed to understand routineness in older adults in relation to cognitive abilities and well-being. This study examined routineness of social interactions.

Methods

We examined data from an event-contingent experience sampling study with 103 Swiss community-dwelling older adults (aged 65 to 84 years). Participants completed in-lab cognitive assessments (reasoning, episodic memory, speed, and vocabulary) and reported their well-being (positive affect, negative affect, and life satisfaction). For more than 21 days, participants reported the time and context of their social interactions (including modality, partner type, and location). Routineness of social interactions was defined as social interactions that occurred at the same time of day over the study period. It was calculated using recurrence quantification analysis.

Results

Linear regressions showed that higher routineness of social interaction in general, of social interaction through the same modality, and of social interaction with the same partner type were associated with higher positive affect. Higher routineness of social interaction in general was associated with lower negative affect. Routineness of social interactions was not associated with life satisfaction or cognitive abilities.

Discussion

A routine social life may increase older adults’ affective well-being. Results are discussed in the context of activity engagement and time use in older age.
Nphos: Database and Predictor of Protein N-phosphorylation
Authors: Zhao Ming-Xiao , Ding Ruo-Fan , Chen Qiang , Meng Junhua , Li Fulai , Fu Songsen , Huang Biling , Liu Yan , Ji Zhi-Liang , Zhao Yufen
Published: April 2024

Protein N-phosphorylation is widely present in nature and participates in various biological processes. However, current knowledge on N-phosphorylation is extremely limited compared to that on O-phosphorylation. In this study, we collected 11,710 experimentally verified N-phosphosites of 7344 proteins from 39 species and subsequently constructed the database Nphos to share up-to-date information on protein N-phosphorylation. Upon these substantial data, we characterized the sequential and structural features of protein N-phosphorylation. Moreover, after comparing hundreds of learning models, we chose and optimized gradient boosting decision tree (GBDT) models to predict three types of human N-phosphorylation, achieving mean area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) values of 90.56%, 91.24%, and 92.01% for pHis, pLys, and pArg, respectively. Meanwhile, we discovered 488,825 distinct N-phosphosites in the human proteome. The models were also deployed in Nphos for interactive N-phosphosite prediction. In summary, this work provides new insights and points for both flexible and focused investigations of N-phosphorylation. It will also facilitate a deeper and more systematic understanding of protein N-phosphorylation modification by providing a data and technical foundation. Nphos is freely available at http://www.bio-add.org/Nphos/ and http://ppodd.org.cn/Nphos/.
Co-worker unprofessional behaviour and patient safety risks: an analysis of co-worker reports across eight Australian hospitals
Authors: McMullan Ryan D , Churruca Kate , Hibbert Peter , Li Ling , Ash Ruby , Urwin Rachel , Pavithra Antoinette , Westbrook Johanna I
Published: April 2024

A key component of professional accountability programmes is online reporting tools that allow hospital staff to report co-worker unprofessional behaviour. Few studies have analysed data from these systems to further understand the nature or impact of unprofessional behaviour amongst staff. Ethos is a whole-of-hospital professional accountability programme that includes an online messaging system. Ethos has now been implemented across multiple Australian hospitals. This study examined reported unprofessional behaviour that staff indicated created a risk to patient safety. This study included 1310 Ethos submissions reporting co-worker unprofessional behaviour between 2017 and 2020 across eight Australian hospitals. Submissions that indicated the behaviour increased the risk to patient safety were identified. Descriptive summary statistics were presented for reporters and subjects of submissions about unprofessional behaviour. Logistic regression was applied to examine the association between each unprofessional behaviour (of the six most frequently reported in the Ethos submissions) and patient safety risk reported in the submissions. The descriptions in the reports were reviewed and the patient safety risks were coded using a framework aligned with the World Health Organization’s International Classification for Patient Safety. Of 1310 submissions about unprofessional behaviour, 395 (30.2%) indicated that there was a risk to patient safety. Nurses made the highest number of submissions that included a patient safety risk [3.47 submissions per 100 nursing staff, 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.09–3.9] compared to other professional groups. Medical professionals had the highest rate as subjects of submissions for unprofessional behaviour with a patient safety risk (5.19 submissions per 100 medical staff, 95% CI: 4.44–6.05). ‘Opinions being ignored’ (odds ratio: 1.68; 95% CI: 1.23–2.22; P < .001) and ‘someone withholding information which affects work performance’ were behaviours strongly associated with patient safety risk in the submissions (odds ratio: 2.50; 95% CI: 1.73–3.62; P < .001) compared to submissions without a patient safety risk. The two main types of risks to patient safety described were related to clinical process/procedure and clinical administration. Commonly reported events included staff not following policy or protocol; doctors refusing to review a patient; and interruptions and inadequate information during handover. Our findings indicate that unprofessional behaviour was associated with risks to patient safety. Co-worker reports about unprofessional behaviour have significant value as they can be used by organizations to better understand how unprofessional behaviour can disrupt work practices and lead to risks to patient safety.
Eastern National Forests: Managing for Nontimber Products
Authors: Chamberlain J.L. , Bush R.J. , Hammett A.L. , Araman P.A.
Published: April 2024

Many products are harvested from the forests of the eastern United States that are not timber-based but originate from plant materials. Over the past decade, concern has grown about the sustainability of the forest resources from which these products originate, and an associated interest in managing for these products has materialized. A content analysis of the management plans of 32 eastern national forests revealed that seven of the plans addressed nontimber forest products (NTFP). We used interviews with USDA Forest Service district- and forest-level managers to convey their ideas about NTFP management and to identify critical issues that affect efforts to manage for these products.
Focus on ... Forestry Practitioners: Getting (and Keeping) the Certified Forester® Credential
Authors:   none
Published: April 2024

SAF's Certified Forester program provides a consistent, national credential in contrast to the patchwork quilt of forestry licensing and registration programs that vary from state to state.
Focus on ... Private Forest Landowners: Assets Underfoot: Collecting and Selling Forest Tree and Shrub Seeds
Authors: Yoder B. , Hammett A.L.
Published: April 2024

Every tree in every woodlot is a potential source of marketable seed.
New Releases: Book Review: The Skeptical Environmentalist: Measuring the Real State of the World
Authors: Geary T.
Published: April 2024

In The Skeptical Environmentalist: Measuring the Real State of the World, Bjorn Lomborg checks the data used by many leading environmentalists and finds their data do not support their pessimism about the state of the world.
Focus on ... Private Forest Landowners: How to Provide Woodland Habitat for the Red-Cockaded Woodpecker
Authors: McConnell W.V.
Published: April 2024

Landowners who follow these rules will be contributing to the survival of a most interesting inhabitant of our southern pine woodlands.
Forest Management at Landscape Scales: Solving the Problems
Authors: Loehle C. , MacCracken J.G. , Runde D. , Hicks L.
Published: April 2024

Forest products companies undertake landscape planning to demonstrate the compatibility of forest management with ecological functions, to develop management systems that are more compatible with nonfinancial objectives, and to explore viable alternatives to restrictive regulations. Because of scientific and economic uncertainties, however, the overall planning problem has no computational solution. Three companies that developed management plans for Pacific Northwest landscapes found habitat conservation plans expensive and difficult to develop and implement, with unclear benefits. More effective landscape-level forest management will require (1) more research on species–habitat relationships and models, (2) research on the cost-effectiveness of silvicultural prescriptions for enhancing noncommercial resources, (3) a risk-based metric for computing tradeoffs among wildlife species and determining reasonable mitigation expenditures, and (4) a best-available-technology approach to formalize methods that produce predictable conservation results.
Commentary: 'Til Death Do Us Part
Authors: Kutack J.N.
Published: April 2024

Here I am, at your service and really relishing the opportunity. Let me know what you think and what you want for our SAF.
When Is a Forest Not a Forest?
Authors: Lund H.G.
Published: April 2024

Numerous published and legitimate definitions of forest exist. Most can be grouped into three categories–those that describe administrative units, those that describe land cover, and those that mean a type of land use–and then there are some miscellaneous types. Definitions vary widely from country to country and even among US federal agencies, sometimes with legal and policy ramifications. Agreement on the meaning of such terms as forest and forestland is a logical first step in reaching agreement on natural resource problems. Threshold values–minimum area, strip width, canopy cover, and tree height–are especially important for identifying classes of land.
Focus on ... Forestry Extension: Forestry and Natural Resources Desktop Reference Library
Authors: Bardon R.E.
Published: April 2024

North Carolina State University has developed a Web-based distance-learning project to provide research-based information on forestry and natural resources.
Focus on ... Forestry Practitioners: Logger's Insurance Coverage: A Key to Managing Risk
Authors: McAvoy D.
Published: April 2024

Loggers have good reason to carry a package of insurance policies that protect themselves and the owners of the land they are logging.
Seeing the Forest: Art About Forests and Forestry
Authors: Withrow-Robinson B. , Broussard S. , Simon-Brown V. , Engle M. , Reed A.S.
Published: April 2024

Forestry is a complex collage of related issues that the media and the public tend to oversimplify. Art provides a way for Extension foresters at Oregon State University to reach out and communicate with new audiences. At a traveling art show that features paintings, photography, and other art media, we introduce some science and policy issues and also hear from the public. We found that people appreciate and take advantage of opportunities to interact with us and tell us what they think. Through this project, we believe we increased viewers' awareness of forestry issues, challenged their beliefs and perspectives, and stimulated consideration of other points of view.
Focus on ... Getting Involved: State Technical Committees: One Way to Participate in Planning
Authors: Marcus N.J.
Published: April 2024

Foresters are needed on state technical committees to provide the voice for sound forestry practices.
Inventory-Based Forest Health Indicators: Implications for National Forest Management
Authors: O'Laughlin J. , Cook P.S.
Published: April 2024

Several forest health indicators that are derived from inventory data can be used to compare changes in stand conditions over a 50-year period and across ownerships and regions. National forests, most of which are in the West, are denser and have higher mortality than other forests. A continuation of today's high growth-to-removals ratio on national forest timberlands portends increased density and mortality, putting various ecological, environmental, economic, and social values at greater risk of severe wildfire than they are today. National forest managers could improve stand conditions by increasing removals, but public policies tend to inhibit active management of national forests.
Sustainable Forestry in Bolivia: Beyond Planned Logging
Authors: Fredericksen T.S. , Putz F.E. , Pattie P. , Pariona W. , Peña-Claros M.
Published: April 2024

Forestry in lowland Bolivia has taken great strides in the past few years, progressing from a virtual absence of management to a system of regulated management planning. Nearly 1 million hectares of natural forests are now certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. To ensure sustainable forest management, however, Bolivian foresters need to go beyond the basics of planned logging and apply silvicultural treatments to secure regeneration, improve tree growth, and maintain stand quality. This change is a tall order in a developing country battered by a deep economic recession, where timber-mining interests are still powerful and silviculturists are in short supply.
Focus on ... Wildfire: FIA BioSum: Applying a Multiscale Evaluation Tool in Southwest Oregon
Authors: Fried J.S. , Barbour R. , Fight R.
Published: April 2024

The BioSum modeling framework estimates biomass availability, financial returns, and fuel treatment efficacy associated with silvicultural prescriptions.
Wildland Fire in the Southeast: Negotiating Guidelines for Defensible Space
Authors: Monroe M.C. , Long A.J. , Marynowski S.
Published: April 2024

Wildland fire is becoming a concern for residents in many eastern states as fuel loads, weather patterns, and population growth increase risk at the wildland-urban interface. Some messages about reducing risk, however, are based on western wildfire information and are seen as inappropriate by wildland fire communicators in Florida. This case study describes the process of reaching agreement on landscape modifications that reduce the risk of wildland fire for interface residents in the Southeast. The melding of various perspectives through a negotiated process helped create a product that meets a need in this fire-prone state.
African-American Forestland Owners in Alabama's Black Belt
Authors: Gan J. , Kolison S.H. , Tackie N.O.
Published: April 2024

A survey in Alabama's Black Belt counties reveals that, like other nonindustrial private forest (NIPF) owners in the region, African-American forestland owners have diverse ownership objectives and occupations and represent the relatively financially well-off and better educated group in their communities. However, they have lower household incomes, hold their properties longer, and manage forestland less intensively than NIPF owners in general. The constraints they faced indicate a strong need to engage them in the stewardship of their forest resources, but such an effort calls for different landowner assistance programs and approaches.
Focus on ... Youth Outreach: Penn State Offers Sustainable Forestry Website to Teachers
Authors: Smith S.S.
Published: April 2024

Website allows K-12 teachers to exhibit and share lesson plans related to sustainable forestry.
Book Review: Benton MacKaye: Conservationist, Planner, and Creator of the Appalachian Trail
Authors: Miller C.
Published: April 2024

Benton MacKaye: Conservationist, Planner, and Creator of the Appalachian Trail, by Larry Anderson, is a remarkable achievement—the definitive and first full biographical treatment of Benton MacKaye.
Wood versus Water: Timber Plantations in Semiarid South Africa
Authors: Jacobson M.G.
Published: April 2024

South Africa, the largest industrial roundwood producer in Africa, is a water-scarce country. To ensure adequate water for all South Africans, the post-apartheid government has made a radical shift in water policy, under which timber plantations are now categorized as streamflow reduction activities requiring licenses and incurring water charges. At present the water charges are low and not directly affecting operations, but the new policy raises questions about water use efficiency of forestry land uses, particularly plantation forestry.
How, Thanks to a Decision Support System Called “Profiling,” a Forest Manager Saved His Forest But Lost His Job: A Fable
Authors: Lundquist J.E.
Published: April 2024

Efficient and effective forest disease management relies on good research, yet forest managers are sometimes slow at adapting and implementing research discoveries. Meaningful research on management issues relies on an understanding of the difficulties of management, yet research discoveries often are remotely applicable to day-to-day management decisions. This communications gap may constrain the science and application of forest disease management. A fictional case study examines the incongruence between a new-economy manager and an old-economy corporate office when a decision support system called “profiling” is used to solve an ecological problem in an economic context. It illustrates the risks managers take when implementing new technologies–in this case, using information technology in a forest business when a root disease limits timber production. In the story that follows, our narrator is attending a guest lecture.
Commentary: Relevance and Competence: Today and Tomorrow
Authors: Smith D.W.
Published: April 2024

SAF must greatly enhance our leadership role in identifying and prioritizing professional education, information, and training needs.
Focus on ... Forestry Faculty: Making the Most of Undergraduate Research in Forestry Education
Authors: David C.
Published: April 2024

Student-generated research can improve student learning if it can be feasibly incorporated into a semester-long undergraduate course or into summer activities.
Preparing Tomorrow's Foresters: Embedding Professional Interactive Skills in a Technical Discipline
Authors: Thompson J.R. , Colletti J.P. , Jungst S.E. , Licklider B.L.
Published: April 2024

In recent surveys, employers of forestry graduates have indicated that interpersonal skills as well as technical competencies are essential for long-term success in forestry. These employers find that many recent graduates fall short in their ability to work in teams, listen to and address public questions, and solve problems collaboratively. New classroom approaches that embed interactive skills within a disciplinary framework can assist students in developing those necessary social skills and at the same time enhance students' learning and retention of technical information. A six-course sequence for Iowa State University sophomores illustrates the concept of cooperative learning as an alternative to individual and competitive learning models. Instructors find that supervised practice of interactive skills in a classroom environment develops the professional competencies employers want.
Commentary: Empowerment through Certification
Authors: Goergen M.T.
Published: April 2024

Certification is a clear demonstration to the public of a commitment to sustainable forest management.
Who Will Log? Occupational Choice and Prestige in New England's North Woods
Authors: Egan Andrew , Taggart Deryth
Published: April 2024

To explain the declining recruitment of workers in the logging industry in northern New England, we conducted a multiple-methods study of the logging workforce in the region. Our study found that, despite considerable familial attachment to logging, most loggers in the region would not encourage their sons or daughters to be loggers, and only half the loggers surveyed expected to be employed in logging five years hence. Although most loggers identified positive attributes of their work–such as being outdoors and having a sense of accomplishment–as reasons for becoming loggers, some said they logged because there were few alternatives or because they lacked the education for other employment. In addition, most loggers in the region felt that the general public held logging in low esteem. Results have implications for logging labor supply and labor recruitment efforts in a region heavily dependent on the forest products industry.
Fire Trends in Tropical Mexico: A Case Study of Chiapas
Authors: Román-Cuesta Rosa María , Retana Javier , Gracia Marc
Published: April 2024

The vast majority of the world's fires today occur in tropical and subtropical areas. The problem of fire in these countries reflects increased human and climatic pressures, which provoke interactions between fire and the transformed landscapes. Chiapas, a tropical state in the Mexican Republic, maintains a fire dataset, and it has similarities with other tropical areas. This study represents a descriptive approach to the problem in Chiapas, where fire is recognized as a major disturbance that degrades habitats and reduces ecosystem services. To date there has been little information about fire trends and contributing factors, but both frequency and intensity of fires appear to increase in El Niño years and to vary with landownership.
Focus on ... Field Foresters: The Case for Using Market Sales in Timberland Valuations
Authors: Healy Martin J. , Hanson Thomas J.
Published: April 2024

If we expend the effort to find out the selling prices of similar properties, why don't we use this data to help us value timberlands?
The Evolving Nature of Small-Scale Foresty in Australia
Authors: Herbohn John L. , Harrison Stephen R.
Published: April 2024

Two forms of small-scale forestry are developing in Australia, each with different impacts on rural communities. One is based on growing short-rotation Eucalyptus globulus (blue gum) for pulp and the other on production of higher-value products from longer-rotation native hardwoods. Several impediments exist to further development of small-scale forestry, including the lack of a small-scale forestry culture, concerns over harvest rights, lack of market development, the long wait for returns, and satisfaction with current land uses. Nevertheless, the rapid increase in farm woodlot establishment in the past five years has paralleled the strong increase in the private industrial plantation estate. As markets develop and hindrances are overcome, landholders not previously interested in small-scale forestry may consider it a worthwhile land use.
Spatial Aspects of Structural Complexity in Old-Growth Forests
Authors: Franklin Jerry F. , Van Pelt Robert
Published: April 2024

Old-growth forests typically have complex structures, including heterogeneous spatial arrangements as well as a diversity of individual structures. Two aspects of this spatial complexity are discussed and illustrated: (1) vertical distribution of foliage, often apparent as multiple layers; and (2) horizontal heterogeneity, often evident as canopy gaps and dense reproduction patches. Shifts in mortality processes from competitive-based mortality in young stands to agent-based mortality (i.e., insects, diseases, and wind) in older stands play an important part in the development of structural heterogeneity. Old temperate forests can be viewed as fine-scale structural mosaics in which all stand development processes are simultaneously present within the stand. An additional definition of forest stand that incorporates the entire structural mosaic of old-growth is needed.
Converting among Log Scaling Methods: Scribner, International, and Doyle versus Cubic
Authors: Spelter Henry
Published: April 2024

Sawlogs in the United States, whether scaled on the ground or cruised on the stump, have traditionally been measured in terms of their lumber yield. The three commonly used measurement rules generally underestimate true recoveries. Moreover, they do so inconsistently, complicating the comparisons of volumes obtained by different board foot rules as well as by the cubic rules used internationally. In particular, for smaller log diameters, the undercount of board foot volume by US log scales can rise sharply. As sizes available to sawmills have declined, the ratios between scaled and actual volumes have changed. Thus, the factors used to convert volumes from one system to another have become outdated. A transition to cubic would improve domestic log market transparency by reducing the worst inequities of board foot scales and making regional comparisons easier, and would create a level playing field internationally.