bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hospital Birthing Room Design: A Study of Mothers’ Perception of Hominess
Authors: Shin Jung–Hye , Maxwell Lorraine E. , Eshelman Paul
Published: June 2008

The objective of this research is to examine a select set of interior design elements for their contribution to the perception of hominess in a birthing environment. Seven interior design elements were studied. Seven line drawings were generated to illustrate variability in the manipulation level of each design element, resulting in a total of 49 line drawings. Subjects were asked to rate each of the 49 drawings with three different outcome measures: the degree of hominess perceived, the likeliness of using the setting as their birthing place (preference), and the perception of personal control.

Researchers employed multiple comparisons with analysis of variance to investigate the contribution of each interior design element to each of the three outcomes. Relationships among the three outcomes were then investigated through coefficient correlation analysis. Finally, a General Linear Model was utilized to further investigate degree of impact of each design element.

The findings indicate that perceived hominess in the birthing place is important to women. Furthermore, there is agreement about the use and manipulation of interior design in enhancing the perception of hominess. Successful design in hospital birthing settings can contribute to women's feeling of hominess by providing personal control over visual access, patient exposure, family visitation, and the immediate environment.
Nursing Home Design: A Student Challenge and Call for Change
Authors: Dickinson Joan I.
Published: June 2008

Nursing homes are a major provider of long–term and healthcare services in the United States. Over 1.4 million people reside in a nursing home at any given point in time. Despite this growth, many nursing homes today resemble small hospitals due to cumbersome code regulations, functional requirements, and budget restraints.

With the cging of America, interior design educators and students can play a proactive role in designing nursing homes that are more residential in nature but meet stringent codes and functional requirements. This report presents a nursing home project given to junior–level interior design students in a FlDERaccredited program and describes how students were encouraged to avoid the hospital image through the use of specific instructional tools. Students proposed change in the design of the nursing home by implementing residentially–oriented solutions that were appropriate for the facility and its residents. The literature on federal funding of nursing homes, along with code and budget requirements for new nursing home construction, is reviewed. The teaching precedents, instructional tools, project components, learning experiences, and student work ore described, along with student reactions to the project.

The project successfully engaged students in creotive change in the design of residential nursing homes. In the future, however, more emphasis on the meaning of home, economic restraints, and exploration of other models of design should occur.
Pohjoinen Valo Museo: Visualizing Light through a Virtual Museum
Authors: Hedgecock Ericka M.
Published: June 2008

This paper describes a design project that investigates exhibition design within the virtual environment. Pohjoinen Valo Museo, translated from Finnish as the Museum of Nordic Light, is an interactive, virtual museum environment that presents virtual exhibitions as a way to visualize unique lighting phenomena that occur in the Nordic region.

The virtual museum is the product of an architectonic formula, one that combines metaphors of physical space and enclosure with the principles of contemporary exhibition design. A virtual exhibition can be defined as an experience that removes visitors from physical space, inviting them to interact with a world of information, display, and sensorial stimulation facilitated by digital technology. Visitors may access this new venue of interactive exhibits using any computer in the world. The Pohjoinen Valo Museo project seeks to explore the potential of designing an exhibition for the virtual environment using a metaphor for building in virtual space (e.g., for spatial definition, orientation, and navigation).

Figure 1 illustrates the Pohjoinen Valo Museo's Light of Day Gallery on the autumnal equinox. The entire Pohjoinen Valo Museo virtual museum environment can be viewed at the following URL: http://www.orangehaus.com/pvm . Flash Player 5 or higher is required to view the site. A free download is available at http://www.macromedia.com
The Presence of Interior Design Content in K–12 Curriculum Materials
Authors: Clemons Stephanie A.
Published: June 2008

To assess the presence of interior design content in the elementary and secondary education (K–l 2) curriculum, a study was conducted to ascertain the amount and type of interior design curriculum materials available to K–l 2 teachers, curriculum specialists, and students. It was the first in a two–part funded study titled The K–12 Interior Design Education Project, to assist in the community's understanding of interiors as a part of the built environment and to promote interior design as a career choice.

A framework reported by Marshall–Baker (2000) was used to develop initial key words for research on available databases. In addition, the researcher and a secondary education teacher developed a second set of key words related to the interior design profession. A qualitative methodology known as content analysis was used to analyze the findings from this three–month project (Solomon, 1993],

Database resources were extensively searched to assess the presence of interior design curriculum and textbook materials available for use by K–l 2 teachers. These included Internet web sites (n = over 1,000), the Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), professional organizations for K–l 2 (n = 33), professional foundations [n = 27), museums [n = 75), and design institutes (n = 7). Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the results.

Findings indicate that: 1) little information concerning interior design was available within the K–l 2 arena and 2) if present, that information appeared within the context of the architectural profession. Other relevant areas, though related to interior design, did not offer any information about interior design within the context of K–l 2 education.
Adjustment to Congregate Living Environments: Older Adults and Privacy Regulation
Authors: Kaya Naz , Webb Jennifer D. , Miller Nancy G.
Published: June 2008

The privacy needs of older adults were investigated in relation to older adults’ adjustment to congregate living environments, as were the ways in which older adults regulate their privacy via environmental and behavioral mechanisms. Structured interviews were conducted with 71 adults residing in assisted living and independent living settings. Results revealed that older adults in these two settings differed in their use of environmental and behavioral mechanisms when regulating their privacy in these living spaces. Independent living residents achieved more privacy than assisted living residents. Older adults who felt crowded reported lower personal and overall adjustment than older adults whose achieved privacy level was greater than desired, or than those whose privacy level was optimized. It is suggested that in addition to facility policy and staff protocols, space planning and the manipulation of design elements may decrease perceived crowding and increase adjustment to the living environments.
The Consortium for Design Education: A Model for Internationalizing Interior Design Programs
Authors: Kucko Jane , Prestwood Laura , Beacham Cindy
Published: June 2008

The trilateral Consortium for Design Education (CODE) project merged an international design experience with a student exchange among six institutions representing Canada, the United States, and Mexico. The purposes of CODE were to institute (1) trilateral North American student exchanges, (2) joint design projects through virtual charettes for interior design students, and (3) the means of exposing students to the nature of the profession in North America, so that they would recognize, realize, and capitalize on innovative opportunities, thereby improving quality of community life and the environment in North America.

The two significant components of the CODE project were a virtual design charette and the exchange of selected students over a period of four years. The virtual design charette provided an intensive two–day international team experience for over 200 interior design students. The goal of the charette was to take interior design programs beyond geographic boundaries and employ technological and international approaches to a design problem. The intent of the exchange was to provide students with an opportunity to study in a North American culture other than their own.

The CODE project embraced a framework of integrating a global community into the interior design curriculum. The project created an international environment that fostered an interactive atmosphere among North American students, faculty, and administration. The project may serve as a model for other institutions that desire to integrate an international program into their interior design curriculum.
The Coffee Shop: Social and Physical factors Influencing Place Attachment
Authors: Waxman Lisa
Published: June 2008

This study explored the characteristics that encourage gathering behavior and contribute to place attachment in selected coffee shops in the context of literature suggesting social gathering places contribute to social capital. These gathering places, with the potential to enhance community in this manner, have been called third places. The study was qualitative in nature and included the research techniques of visual documentation, observation and behavioral mapping, interview, and survey. A transactional approach to this study was chosen to better understand the meaning of the person–environment relationship. Each coffee shop was observed for twenty–five hours for a total of seventy–five hours. Eighteen interviews were conducted and surveys were collected from 94 patrons to reveal patron attitudes toward the physical and social aspects of the coffee shop as well as their feelings regarding the community in which they live.

The key findings regarding the physical characteristics showed the top five design considerations included: cleanliness, appealing aroma, adequate lighting, comfortable furniture, and a view to the outside. A number of themes emerged related to people, their activities, and their feelings and attitudes regarding the coffee shop. Each coffee shop was found to have a unique social climate and culture related to sense of belonging, territoriality and ownership, productivity and personal growth, opportunity for socialization, support and networking, and sense of community. Regarding feelings of community, survey findings from coffee shops patrons showed a positive correlation between length of patronage and their sense of attachment to their community.
Interior Design's Social Compact: Key to the Quest for Professional Status
Authors: Anderson Barbara G. , Honey Peggy L. , Dudek Michael T.
Published: June 2008

The expectation that all interior design professionals will embrace and embody this social compact in the near future is idealistic but not unrealistic. There are many interior designers and interior design educators for whom this proposed social compact will be reaffirming because they already embody this ethic in their work. We believe the transformation of the profession will happen both within the academy and within the profession itself. Interior design educators will play a significant role in causing the necessary shift away from arguing professional expertise toward embracing the social importance and value of our work. When all interior designers value and act with good faith to enhance the quality of life through their work, society will bestow professional status on interior designers because they will deserve it. Interior design educators must redefine the profession's role in society by educating new interior designers to understand and value the profession's obligation to providing a unique and meaningful service to society, one that contributes to interdependence and thus has value beyond the economic welfare of the practitioner and client. Interior designers can be full participants in the efforts to advance humanity toward maturity (Elgin 2001); in what Edwards (2005) calls the “sustainability revolution”; and in what Berry (1999) calls “the great work.” Interior designers are poised to take full advantage of the opportunities presented by the “conceptual age” that Daniel Pink (2005) says will reward those who focus “on meeting the aesthetic, emotional, and spiritual demands of a prosperous time” (246).

Soon after interior design accepts its social compact as the guiding force for all that it does, we believe the interior design profession's self–image—and eventually its public image—will be transformed. Educators must take the lead in communicating the profession's potential to support the common good. When practitioners and educators come together to embrace and embody the profession's social compact we will begin to understand the whole range of work that now falls under the umbrella of interior design in a new and inclusive way. When the interior design profession as a whole finds significance and meaning in its work and is committed to fulfilling a unique and valuable role in society, then our common commitment to a significant purpose will bind us together into a confident, recognized, and valued profession.
Climate in the Interior Design Studio: Implications for Design Education
Authors: Hill Caroline C.
Published: June 2008

Researchers in the social sciences and in education have established that the classroom climate has a significant effect on a variety of student performance variables. The primary purpose of this study was to analyze empirically the interior design studio climate to better understand the dynamics of this educational environment. The College Classroom Environment Scales (CCES) instrument, which includes six subscales related to student perceptions of the classroom climate, was administered to 41 interior design students in three studios at a large public research university. The results were compared to a theoretical model representing conventional classroom climates to determine if and how the interior design studio classroom climate varied. Additionally, this study measured the degree of variance in interior design student perceptions of the studio classroom climate relative to the student's level in the interior design program (junior, senior, fifth–year senior). Finally, this study considered the relationship between student perceptions of the studio classroom climate and their individual academic performance as reported by the instructors. The results of this study support some previous research conclusions concerning the nature of design studio education, while challenging others. The findings clearly suggest that understanding the studio classroom climate can be an effective tool for design educators as they seek to respond to changing student populations and to create educational settings that maximize student achievement.
The Effects of Lighting on Consumers’ Emotions and Behavioral Intentions in a Retail Environment: A Cross–Cultural Comparison
Authors: Park Nam–Kyu , Farr Cheryl A.
Published: June 2008

As an important component of a retail store's atmospherics, lighting can affect the emotional responses that influence consumer shopping behavior. The purpose of this study is to examine, through cross–cultural comparison, the effect of the color quality of light in a retail environment on consumers’ emotional states, behavioral intentions, and perceptions. The experimental research followed a 2 times 2 × 2 factorial design with repeated measures to identify the impact of culture group, color rendering index, and color temperature. The results of this study indicate that consumers are aroused and pleased by certain lighting effects and that cultural differences influence perceptions as well as the behavioral intentions of “approach–avoid” in a retail environment. Practical implications of this study could include application of store lighting techniques that enhance visual perceptions of consumers, induce emotional states of arousal and pleasure, and appeal to consumers from different cultures.
Experimental observations on the response of loose sand under simultaneous increase in stress ratio and rotation of principal stresses
Authors: Wijewickreme Dharma , Vaid Yoginder P.
Published: June 2008

The drained response of loose sand (relative density of 30%) under simultaneous increase in principal stress ratio (R = σ'1/σ'3) and the inclination of major principal stress to the vertical (ασ) is examined using data from hollow cylinder torsional shear testing. The study specifically pertains to the behaviour of loose sand subject to monotonic linear stress path loadings in the R–ασspace, within the domain of R ≤ 2, ασ < 45°, while intermediate principal stress parameter (b) and effective mean normal stress (σ'm) are held constant. The relationship between horizontal shear stress (τzt) and horizontal shear strain (γzt) of loose sand under such loadings is shown to be unique and stress-path independent. At any stress state, the horizontal shear stiffness (dτzt/dγzt) for a given σ'mdepends only on the current value of τzt, and not on the value of individual components of normal effective stress, or their increments. When R and ασare increased simultaneously in a linear manner, loose sand initially exhibits linear strain paths, suggesting no significant changes to the inherent anisotropy during the early stages of such loading. The directions of principal stress increment (αΔσ) and principal strain increment (αΔε) are found coincident, when αΔσ < 45°. An approach to predict the response of loose sand under simultaneous increase in R and ασwith constant b and σ'mhas been developed based on these findings.
A theoretical solution for pile-supported embankments on soft soils under one-dimensional compression
Authors: Chen R. P. , Chen Y. M. , Han J. , Xu Z. Z.
Published: June 2008

Pile-supported embankments are increasingly being used for highways, railways, storage tanks, etc. over soft soil because of their effectiveness in accelerating construction and minimizing deformation. The stress transfer mechanisms among all of the components in a piled embankment, including the embankment fill, the piles and (or) caps, and the foundation soils, are complicated. In this study, a closed-form solution for one-dimensional loading was obtained taking into consideration the soil arching in the embankment fill, the negative skin friction along the pile shaft, and the settlement of the foundation soil. In the derivations, the piles, the embankment fill, and the foundation soil were assumed to deform one-dimensionally. This study investigated the stress concentration on top of the pile, the axial load and skin friction distributions along the pile, and the settlement of the embankment. Comparisons demonstrate that the results from this solution are in good agreement with those obtained using a finite element method. It is worth pointing out that this solution should be applied to the piles close to the centerline of the embankment and not to those near the toe of the embankment because of the two-dimensional loading condition near the toe.
Mechanisms of pipe embedment and lateral breakout on soft clay
Authors: Dingle H. R.C. , White D. J. , Gaudin C.
Published: June 2008

Pipelines laid on the seabed expand and contract during operating cycles as a result of thermal loading, which can lead to lateral buckling. Analysis of this behaviour requires assessment of the vertical penetration and lateral breakout responses. This paper reports centrifuge modelling of these processes, using advanced image analysis techniques to observe the soil deformation. Simple mechanisms are fitted to the observed deformation patterns, allowing the mobilized soil strength to be back-calculated. The vertical embedment mechanisms closely match plasticity solutions. Even if heave is accounted for, the penetration resistance is slightly higher than calculations based on the undrained strength inferred from a T-bar penetrometer. This discrepancy can be attributed to the additional remoulding and softening during steady flow around a T-bar compared to shallow pipe penetration. The lateral breakout response is brittle, and the peak resistance is governed by the available tensile resistance behind the pipe. During steady lateral sweeping the pipe rises close to the original soil surface. At this stage the resistance is governed by the growth of a soil berm ahead of the pipe. Accurate assessment of the near-surface soil strength is difficult, hampering the use of theoretical solutions.
Stability of tailings dams under static and seismic loading
Authors: Psarropoulos Prodromos N. , Tsompanakis Yiannis
Published: June 2008

The stability of tailings dams has drawn much attention over the past few decades as a significant number of tailings dam failures have been recorded worldwide. The present study focuses on the investigation of the behavior and the stability of this kind of earth structure under static and dynamic loading. To accomplish this task, elaborate two-dimensional numerical simulations are conducted, utilizing two widely used geotechnical finite element codes. Initially, numerical analyses are performed for three typical types of tailings dams to obtain the potential modes of slope instability by determining the corresponding factors of safety under static conditions. Subsequently the dynamic distress of tailings dams is thoroughly investigated in terms of inertial accelerations developed. Based on the models examined under static loading, dynamic analyses are performed to examine the effects of local site conditions on the seismic response of tailings dams, and therefore on their inertial distress. Emphasis is given to the special characteristics of the ground motion, whereas the material nonlinearity of both soil and tailings is taken into account by an efficient equivalent-linear procedure.
The impact of fire suppression, vegetation, and weather on the area burned by lightning-caused forest fires in Ontario
Authors: Martell David L. , Sun Hua
Published: June 2008

We describe the development of a statistical model of spatial variation in the area burned by lightning-caused forest fires across the province of Ontario. We partitioned Ontario’s fire region into 35 compartments, each of which is relatively homogeneous with respect to its vegetation, weather, and the level of fire protection it receives. We used linear regression and spatial autoregressive models to relate the average annual area burned in a compartment to its vegetation, weather, and level of protection attributes. We also examined the relationship between burned area and the level of protection in two areas that are relatively homogeneous with respect to vegetation and weather. We found a statistically significant relationship between the average annual fraction of the area of a compartment burned by lightning-caused forest fires and its vegetation, weather, and the level of fire suppression effort it receives.
Crown reconfiguration and trunk stress in deciduous trees
Authors: Kane Brian , Pavlis Michael , Harris J. Roger , Seiler John R.
Published: June 2008

In light of the risk of litigation following damage related to tree failure in urban and suburban settings, more empirical data related to tree risk assessment are needed. We measured drag and drag-induced bending moment (M) and calculated drag coefficient (CD) and trunk stress (σ) for three deciduous trees at wind speeds up to 22.4 m/s. We measured the modulus of rupture (MOR) of wood samples from trunks and calculated the factor of safety (SF = MOR / σ) for each tree. We also investigated which tree morphometric variables best predicted drag and M and whether simple two- and three-dimensional shapes accurately represented actual tree crowns. Drag, CD, M, σ, and SF differed among species in accordance with physical parameters. More massive trees experienced greater drag and M, but σ was greater for trees with smaller trunk diameters. Tree mass reliably predicted drag and M; crown dimensions, including crown area, were less reliable predictors. Crown reconfiguration varied only slightly among species, and CDvalues were similar to previously reported values for trees of similar size. Our study has important applications for practitioners who manage tree risk, particularly the critical wind speeds and percentage of trunk cross-sectional area that could be decayed before trunk failure.
Comparing effects of fire modeling methods on simulated fire patterns and succession: a case study in the Missouri Ozarks
Authors: Yang Jian , He Hong S. , Sturtevant Brian R. , Miranda Brian R. , Gustafson Eric J.
Published: June 2008

We compared four fire spread simulation methods (completely random, dynamic percolation, size-based minimum travel time algorithm, and duration-based minimum travel time algorithm) and two fire occurrence simulation methods (Poisson fire frequency model and hierarchical fire frequency model) using a two-way factorial design. We examined these treatment effects on simulated forest succession dynamics and fire patterns including fire frequency, size, burned area, and shape complexity of burned patches. The comparison was carried out using a forest landscape model (LANDIS) for a surface fire regime in the Missouri Ozark Highlands. Results showed that incorporation of fuel into fire occurrence modeling significantly changed simulated dynamics of fire frequency and area burned. The duration-based minimum travel time algorithm produced the highest variability in fire size, and the dynamic percolation method produced the most irregular burned patch shapes. We also found that various fire modeling methods greatly affected temporal fire patterns in the short term, but such effects were less prominent in the long term. The simulated temporal changes in landscape-level species abundances were similar for different fire modeling methods, suggesting that a complex fire modeling method may not be necessary for examining coarse-scale vegetation dynamics.
Estimation of diameter distributions by means of airborne laser scanner data
Authors: Breidenbach Johannes , Gläser Christian , Schmidt Matthias
Published: June 2008

Diameter distributions are an important source of information for estimating the timber assortment in forest stands. In this paper, a one-step procedure for deriving the parameters of a Weibull function, itself used to describe diameter distributions, is presented. A generalized linear model (GLM) is employed that allows for an estimation of the shape and scale parameters as functions of different predictors. The GLM was fit using 495 sample plots from a conventional sample-plot inventory. Plotwise height metrics derived from airborne laser scanner data serve as covariates (auxiliary variables). Each sample plot consists of four concentric circle plots, where the largest plot covers an area of 450 m2 (12 m radius). Trees with a diameter at breast height (DBH) <30 cm are measured only on the smaller circle plots. Because of this design, left- and right-truncated Weibull distributions, conditional on the DBH, were used to fit the data. The frequently used two-step procedure — in which the Weibull distribution is firstly fitted via maximum likelihood, and its parameters are then estimated via linear regression — requires an adequate number of observations per sample plot in the first step. Hence, this method would have been unsuitable for the data source at hand, because a mean of just 12 trees per sample plot was recorded. The visual comparison of the predicted Weibull distributions with observed data shows a good fit to the data. The mean of the DBH distributions was estimated with a root mean square error (RMSE) of 2.44 cm and a bias of 0.41 cm.
Twentieth-century warming and the dendroclimatology of declining yellow-cedar forests in southeastern Alaska
Authors: Beier Colin M. , Sink Scott E. , Hennon Paul E. , D’Amore David V. , Juday Glenn P.
Published: June 2008

Decline of yellow-cedar ( Chamaecyparis nootkatensis ((D. Don) Spach) has occurred on 200 000 ha of temperate rainforests across southeastern Alaska. Because declining forests appeared soon after the Little Ice Age and are limited mostly to low elevations (whereas higher elevation forests remain healthy), recent studies have hypothesized a climatic mechanism involving early dehardening, reduced snowpack, and freezing injury. This hypothesis assumes that a specific suite of microclimatic conditions occurs during late winter and declining cedar populations across the region have responded similarly to these conditions. Based on the first geographically extensive tree ring chronologies constructed for southeastern Alaska, we tested these assumptions by investigating regional climatic trends and the growth responses of declining cedar populations to this climatic variation. Warming winter trends were observed for southeastern Alaska, resulting in potentially injurious conditions for yellow-cedar due to reduced snowfall and frequent occurrence of severe thaw–freeze events. Declining cedar forests shared a common regional chronology for which late-winter weather was the best predictor of annual growth of surviving trees. Overall, our findings verify the influence of elevational gradients of temperature and snow cover on exposure to climatic stressors, support the climatic hypothesis across large spatial and temporal scales, and suggest cedar decline may expand with continued warming.
Joint production of timber, carbon, and wildlife habitat in the Canadian boreal plains
Authors: McCarney Geoffrey R. , Armstrong Glen W. , Adamowicz Wiktor L.
Published: June 2008

This study investigates the relationships and trade-offs between forest carbon management, sustained timber yield, and the production of wildlife habitat to provide a more complete picture of the costs and challenges faced by forest managers for a particular case study in Canada’s boreal mixedwood region. The work presented is an extension of a previously published model that analysed the joint production of timber supply and wildlife habitat using a natural disturbance model approach to ecosystem management. The primary contribution of the present study is the detailed incorporation of a carbon budget model into the framework developed previously. Using the Carbon Budget Model of the Canadian Forest Sector, dynamics specific to separate biomass and dead organic matter carbon pools are represented for individual forest cover types. Results indicate the potential for cost thresholds in the joint production of timber supply and carbon sequestration. These thresholds are linked to switch points in the decision between multiple use and specialized land management practices. Cobenefits in the production of carbon and wildlife habitat are shown to depend on ecological parameters, harvest flow regulations, and incentives for timber supply provided by the market.
Direct and indirect effects of a dense understory on tree seedling recruitment in temperate forests: habitat-mediated predation versus competition
Authors: Royo Alejandro A. , Carson Walter P.
Published: June 2008

In forests characterized by a dense woody and herbaceous understory layer, seedling recruitment is often directly suppressed via interspecific competition. Alternatively, these dense layers may indirectly lower tree recruitment by providing a haven for seed and seedling predators that prey on neighboring plant species. To simultaneously test for resource competition and indirect, habitat-mediated effects, we factorially manipulated understory plant cover (removed versus intact) and predation (exclosures versus controls) at three forested sites. We found that vegetation cover created privileged foraging areas that increased seed removal and seedling predation rates. Predator preference was directly related to seed size with larger seeded species including Prunus serotina Ehrh. and Fagus grandifolia Ehrh. removed more readily than smaller seeded species such as Fraxinus americana L. We found strong species-specific evidence for habitat-mediated indirect effects; establishment of P. serotina and Acer saccharum Marsh.was significantly lower under an intact hay-scented fern ( Dennstaedtia punctilobula (Michx.) T. Moore) canopy when small mammals were present. Competition also played a strong role; both P. serotina and Acer rubrum L. survival as well as A. rubrum emergence were reduced under a fern canopy with or without seed predators. The impact of habitat-mediated indirect effects and resource competition appear to vary predictably based upon predator preferences and differences in the timing of woody seed dispersal and germination relative to vegetation cover phenology. Overall, our results suggest that habitat-mediated indirect effects may be common and occur wherever vegetation provides the potential for creating privileged foraging areas.
Forest composition following overstory mortality from southern pine beetle and associated treatmentsExperiment Station Project 06-08-109 of the Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station, Lexington, Kentucky.
Authors: Coleman T. W. , Clarke Stephen R. , Meeker James R. , Rieske L. K.
Published: June 2008

Bark beetle caused mortality continues to play a critical role in determining the composition and structure of forests in North America, and revegetation dynamics following these disturbances are poorly understood. We assessed forest composition following southern pine beetle, Dendroctonus frontalis Zimmermann, mortality and associated cut and leave suppression, and compared them with undisturbed loblolly pine, Pinus taeda L., stands in Texas. Abundant hardwood regeneration dominated the understory, with little loblolly pine regeneration following either mortality event. Disturbances eliminated loblolly pine dominance in these even-aged stands, thus stratifying forest structure and apparently increasing stem density (stems·ha–1), richness (species·ha–1), and diversity (ha) in the lower strata. Aspect and elevation, presumably through influences on site moisture, were the primary gradients associated with vegetation variation in the canonical correspondence analyses for new regeneration. Mortality from Dendroctonus and cut and leave practices shifted loblolly pine communities to mixed upland hardwoods in model predictions generated by the southern variant of the Forest Vegetation Simulator. In addition to being an effective bark beetle control, cut and leave suppression did not alter predicted forest composition 50 years hence when compared with unsuppressed bark beetle-caused mortality. Because of the predicted shift to hardwood domination and a low pine basal area, it is expected that mortality from D. frontalis and cut and leave will substantially reduce future hazards from D. frontalis outbreaks.
Biophysical controls on surface fuel litterfall and decomposition in the northern Rocky Mountains, USA
Authors: Keane Robert E.
Published: June 2008

Litterfall and decomposition rates of the organic matter that comprise forest fuels are important to fire management, because they define fuel treatment longevity and provide parameters to design, test, and validate ecosystem models. This study explores the environmental factors that control litterfall and decomposition in the context of fuel management for several major forest types in the northern Rocky Mountains (Idaho and Montana), USA. Litterfall was measured for more than 10 years using semiannual collections of six fine fuel components (fallen foliage, twigs, branches, large branches, logs, and all other canopy material) collected from a network of 1 m2 litterfall traps installed at 28 plots across seven sites. Decomposition of foliage, twigs, branches, and large branches were measured using litter bags installed on five of the seven sites. Measured litterfall and decomposition rates were correlated with major environmental and vegetation variables using regression analysis. Annual foliage litterfall rates ranged from 0.057 kg·m–2·year–1 for dry Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws. stands to 0.144 kg·m–2·year–1 on mesic Thuja plicata Donn ex D. Don stands and were correlated with the vegetation characteristics of leaf area index, basal area, and tree height (r > 0.5), whereas decomposition rates were correlated with the environmental gradients of temperature and relative humidity (r > 0.4).
Role of position within the windthrow in forest floor chemistry in the flysch zone of the Carpathians
Authors: Šamonil Pavel , Šebková Barbora , Douda Jan , Vrška Tomáš
Published: June 2008

A hypothesis was verified that forest floor chemistry varies according to position within the windthrow (mound, pit, or control). A parallel assessment was made of differences in the chemistry of horizons and their forms. A total number of 1720 windthrows were studied in the fir–beech primeval forest in the flysch zone of the Western Carpathians. A total of 100 samples were taken on three positions from the following horizons and their forms (in brackets): litter, fermented (amphigenous, zoogenous, or mycogenous), humification (unresolved, zoogenous, residues, or humic), and mineral. A random sampling eliminated the effect of correlation between the horizons and positions. Parameters assessed were Q4/6, HA/FA, C-forms, total N, P, K, and Mg contents, soil reaction, and cation-exchange capacity. The positions exhibited a significant difference in the forest floor chemistry even at a level of horizon forms. The position’s significance decreased with the horizon depth. Organic horizons in the pit, in particular, exhibited the lowest content of total humic substances, fulvic acids, and the lowest colour coefficient values. However, the mineral horizon showed no significant differences between the positions within the windthrow. Compared with other humus types, the decomposing wood mass did not exhibit a different ratio of humic and fulvic acids.
Do spatial variation in leaf traits and herbivory within a canopy respond to selective cutting and fertilization?
Authors: Nakamura Masahiro , Hina Tetsuji , Nabeshima Eri , Hiura Tsutom
Published: June 2008

Within a canopy, spatial variation in leaf traits may be determined by light and nutrient availabilities. Such environmentally caused changes in leaf traits may be an important cause of changes in leaf palatability to herbivores. We conducted a factorial experiment with fertilization and selective cutting in a northern Japanese forest dominated by oak ( Quercus crispula Blume). Fertilization increased the nitrogen content of upper canopy leaves. Leaf mass per area (LMA) was greater in the upper canopy than in the lower canopy. Selective cutting and all interactions had significant effects on LMA. Total phenolics and condensed tannin in leaves were also greater in the upper canopy than in the lower canopy. The interaction of selective cutting × position in the canopy (upper or lower) had a significant effect on total phenolics; a similar trend was seen for condensed tannin. Herbivory was greater in the lower canopy than in the upper canopy. Also, fertilization increased herbivory, whereas selective cutting decreased it. These results imply that human activities, such as logging and nitrogen deposition, may strongly influence spatial variation in herbivory through changes in leaf traits.
The use of various soil and site variables for estimating growth response of Douglas-fir to multiple applications of urea and determining potential long-term effects on soil properties
Authors: Sucre Eric B. , Harrison Robert B. , Turnblom Eric C. , Briggs David G.
Published: June 2008

Estimating the growth response of Douglas-fir ( Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) stands after nitrogen (N) fertilization is difficult because of the high site variability present in the Pacific Northwest. Our objective was to determine how site and soil variables relate to stand response to repeat applications of 224 kg N·ha–1 as urea once every 4 years. The unstandardized residuals of two dependent variables (total cumulative volume and 4-year periodic annual increment, or PAI) were regressed against site and soil variables using stepwise regression. Data were stratified by three different stand density treatments: unaltered stand density (SD), one-half SD (SD/2), and one-quarter SD (SD/4). Both total cumulative volume and 4-year PAI after the second application of urea was significantly higher in the fertilized plots (p = 0.008; 0.009), whereas only total cumulative volume was significant after the third fertilizer application (p = 0.021). Thinning effects were highly significant (p < 0.001) for all three fertilizer applications. The strongest related stand, site, or soil variable to fertilization response existed between percent N at the 30–50 cm depth and total cumulative volume (R2 = 0.833) for the SD/2 stand density management regime. Regression analysis showed that C, N, NH4+, and NO3– concentration data explained the most variation, while stand and site variables contributing the least. The results demonstrate that multiple applications of urea provide significant increases in total volume, but effects of successive applications diminish over time.
A framework for assessing the effectiveness of forest certification
Authors: Tikina Anna V. , Innes John L.
Published: June 2008

With increasing concerns about the costs of forest management, there is a need to rigorously evaluate any management activities that add to costs. Certification has been widely adopted at considerable financial cost to those managing forests. Although there have been many studies of the impacts of certification, there is no comprehensive framework for assessing whether or not certification has been effective in achieving its goals. To do this, certification needs to be viewed as a part of an international environmental regime. Using established methodologies, this paper applies an evaluation framework and examines forest certification effectiveness in a number of categories: problem solving, goal attainment, behavioural effectiveness, process effectiveness, constitutive effectiveness, and evaluative effectiveness. It is too early to assess its effectiveness in problem solving and goal attainment. However, forest certification has been quite successful at process and constitutive effectiveness and is now widely recognized by a range of institutions. Its effectiveness in changing behaviours is less clear, and its evaluative effectiveness remains to be determined.
Age trends in genetic parameters of wood density components in 46 half-sibling families of Pinus pinaster
Authors: Gaspar Maria João , Louzada José Luís , Silva Maria Emília , Aguiar Alexandre , Almeida Maria Helena
Published: June 2008

This study contributes to the Pinus pinaster Ait. breeding programme, which is reaching the third generation by adding information on wood quality of 46 open-pollinated families from a progeny trial located in Leiria, Portugal, that originated from seed collected in a clonal seed orchard. A total of 552 seventeen-year-old trees were sampled at 2 m height. Trends were studied from the pith outward in variance components and narrow-sense heritability (h2) of wood density components and ring-width characteristics as well as genetic correlations between cambial ages. Mean ring density (RD), minimum density (MND), maximum density (MXD), earlywood density (EWD), latewood density (LWD), earlywood width, latewood width, ring width, latewood percentage, and heterogeneity index were determined using X-ray densitometry procedures. RD had higher genetic control (h2 = 0.63), and heritability values of earlywood components (h2MND = 0.54, h2EWD = 0.60) exceeded those of latewood components (h2MXD = 0.34, h2LWD = 0.26). Heritabilities increased with ring number from pith for almost all wood density components, and there were high age–age genetic correlations for wood density traits (rg > 0.98).
Light interception and canopy radiation balance of staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina)
Authors: Lafleur Peter M. , Farnsworth Andrew G.
Published: June 2008

We measured interaction of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) at a staghorn sumac ( Rhus typhina L.) canopy near Peterborough, Ontario, during summer 2006. Measurements included above-canopy and below-canopy incoming and reflected PAR fluxes and leaf area index (LAI). The ratio of down-welling PAR below the canopy to the flux incident at the top of the canopy (τ) and proportion of incident PAR absorbed by the canopy (fPAR), were calculated. While the canopy was leafless, the sumac stems absorb 10%–20% of incident PAR. LAI increased rapidly during the month of June, and correspondingly τ decreased rapidly while fPAR increased rapidly. Mean values of τ and fPAR at maximum LAI were 0.38±0.09 (SD) and 0.60 ±0.04, respectively. Neither variable showed a relationship with solar zenith angle. We present a simple idealized model of PAR interaction with sumac. Although only one stand was studied, we hypothesize that these results may be more widely applicable to other mature sumac stands.
Competitive success of natural oak regeneration in clearcuts during the stem exclusion stage
Authors: Morrissey Robert C. , Jacobs Douglass F. , Seifert John R. , Fischer Burnell C. , Kershaw John A.
Published: June 2008

We sampled dominant and codominant regeneration on 70 clearcuts, 21–35 years old, on the Hoosier National Forest in southern Indiana, USA, to evaluate influence of site variables on the competitive success of natural oak ( Quercus L.) over time. Collected data was compared with data collected on these same sites 20 years prior. Regression tree analysis indicated aspect, natural region, and oak abundance in preharvest stands had the greatest influence on competitive success (relative density, RD) of oak species in the latter sampling, which was then examined across sites as defined by these three variables. Oak RD increased across all mid- and some lower-slope positions, sites on which oaks are expected to be replaced by faster growing species. Drought events between sampling periods apparently contributed to a decline in RD and vigor of yellow-poplar ( Liriodendron tulipifera L.), a major competitor for growing space. Stump sprouts contributed 45% of dominant oak stems. Mean oak diameters were not significantly lower than those of other species groups, with the exception of yellow-poplar in younger stands and at mid-slope positions. Oak species drought tolerance, relative to more mesic species found on these sites, and the large proportion of oak stump sprouts likely contributed to oak competitive success.
INSPECTION OF IMPACT DAMAGE IN HONEYCOMB COMPOSITE BY ESPI, THERMOGRAPHY AND ULTRASONIC TESTING
Authors: CHOI MANYONG , PARK JEONGHAK , KIM WONTAE , KANG KISOO
Published: June 2008

Honeycomb composites are now fairly widely used in civilian and military aircraft structures. Common defects found in these materials are delaminations by impact damage and their presence will lead to structural weaknesses which could lead failure of the airframe structures. It is important to develop effective non-destructive testing procedures to identify these defects and increase the safety of aircraft travel. This paper describes the detection technique of impact damage defect using thermography and ESPI. The results obtained with the two techniques are compared with ultrasonic C-scan testing. The investigation shows that both imaging NDT methods are able to identify the presence of artificial defect and impact damage. The adoption of the thermography allowed significant advantages in inspection condition, and gives smaller error in quantitative estimation of defects.