bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Legal and Ethical Components of Forester Licensing: An Insider's View
Authors: Mortimer M.J.
Published: April 2024

Licensure could protect the public from unqualified practitioners and enhance the professional status of foresters. To attain a high degree of public confidence and trust, other professions link licensure to an enforceable code of ethics that establishes the standards the public should expect. If foresters likewise require licensed practitioners to conform to a code of ethics, questions arise, including who–the client only, or the public–would have standing to charge a forester with violating the code, and who would hear the complaint. Unless foresters engage these issues, a licensing system tied to ethical standards could become a tool for those who oppose forest management in any form.
Wood versus Concrete and Steel in House Construction: A Life Cycle Assessment
Authors: Glover J. , White D.O. , Langrish T.A.G.
Published: April 2024

The environmental friendliness of building materials can be measured in life cycle assessments of the total energy inputs for the product, from cradle to grave. How do the environmental costs of wood compare with concrete and steel in housing construction? First we compare energy values for each material and for house components. Taking the viewpoint of a consumer, we then compare three typical houses in which steel, concrete, or wood is the dominant component. It appears that wood, wood components, and houses built primarily of wood require lesser amounts of energy in their manufacture, assembly, and operation. The robustness of the conclusions is shown by the degree of agreement among researchers and through an assessment of the impact of uncertainties in the analysis.
From the Publisher: Some Mistakes, a Little Judgment
Authors: Banzhaf W.H.
Published: April 2024

Bill Banzhaf says goodbye to SAF and shares some lessons learned from his 14 years as executive vice-president.
Commentary: Ethics of Using Science
Authors: Friedman S.T.
Published: April 2024

As researchers, we study the ethics of conducting research, but relatively little attention is paid to the ethics of using scientific information.
Spatial Forest Planning: To Adopt, or Not to Adopt?
Authors: Bettinger P. , Sessions J.
Published: April 2024

Habitat fragmentation, the size of harvest units, the cumulative effects of activities, and other forest management issues are prompting a new planning approach focusing on the spatial juxtaposition of forestry activities. Spatial forest planning involves mathematical programming techniques to incorporate both commodity and noncommodity goals with spatial aspects into a forest plan. Among the factors that encourage spatial forest planning are regulations and voluntary guidelines on the patterns of harvest units and wildlife habitat, the desirability of using forestland efficiently to meet various goals, and the need to evaluate and schedule activities across multiple ownerships in landscape-level plans. Factors that discourage its adoption include technological, financial, and personnel hurdles, as well as insufficient data with which to inform the models.
Changes in Scenic Quality after Harvest: A Decade of Ratings for Six Silviculture Treatments
Authors: Shelby B. , Thompson J. , Brunson M. , Johnson R.
Published: April 2024

Scenic beauty is one attribute that foresters consider when planning a silviculture treatment. To better understand how scenic quality changes in the years following a harvest, six sites on Oregon State University's research forest were evaluated annually for 11 years. Regression analysis was used to describe the change in average ratings over time. Initially there were differences between sites, but as stand development continued those differences diminished substantially.
Commentary: On Both “Transmit” and “Receive”
Authors: Goergen M.T.
Published: April 2024

The true voice of forestry can only be heard by listening to foresters.
Urban Forestry: The Final Frontier?
Authors: McPherson E.G.
Published: April 2024

Forestry and urban forestry have more in common than practitioners in either field may think. The two disciplines could each take better advantage of the other's expertise, such as foresters' impressive range of scientific theory and technological sophistication, and urban foresters' experience in working with diverse stakeholders in the public arena. The wildland-urban interface is geographic center of convergence, and the nexus of forest ecology and human ecology will become forestry's next frontier–where forestry and urban forestry join together to construct healthier habitats for humans.
Deployment of Genetically Improved Loblolly and Slash Pines in the South
Authors: McKeand S. , Mullin T. , Byram T. , White T.
Published: April 2024

Foresters in the southern United States are responsible for more than 75 percent of the nation's tree planting, and more than 95 percent of the seedlings are genetically improved loblolly and slash pines. Planting the best open-pollinated families on the best sites can dramatically increase productivity. However, such practices reduce genetic diversity in a plantation. Although a survey of state and industrial plantation managers reveals no problems thus far, as more homogeneous plantations are established on more acres, both gains and potential risks must be quantified so that landowners can make informed decisions about deployment options.
Focus on ... Urban Forestry: Soil, Roots, and Construction: A Deadly Combination
Authors: Wray P.
Published: April 2024

The best way to minimize damage during construction is to do nothing around, in, or on top of a tree's root system.
Perspective: Family Forests: Let's Call Them What They Are
Authors: Wiseman L.
Published: April 2024

Taking the simple step of referring to “family-owned forests” will change the tone and tenor of the debate about sustaining their future.
Localizing National Fragmentation Statistics with Forest Type Maps
Authors: Riitters K.H. , Coulston J.W. , Wickham J.D.
Published: April 2024

Fragmentation of forest types is an indicator of biodiversity in the Montreal Process, but the available national data permit assessment of only overall forestland fragmentation, not forest type fragmentation. Here we illustrate how to localize national statistics from the 2003 National Report on Sustainable Forests by combining state vegetation maps with national forestland fragmentation maps. The degree and scale of fragmentation of different forest types can be gauged from the amount of forestland that meets certain fragmentation thresholds at multiple scales of analysis.
GIS: An Updated Primer on a Powerful Management Tool
Authors: Wing M.G. , Bettinger P.
Published: April 2024

One of the most significant technological developments for forest and natural resource organizations during the past century has been the advent of geographic information systems (GIS). For a variety of reasons, including increased mapping and analytical capabilities, affordability, and accessibility, GIS has become a standard planning and analysis tool for many organizations. This article presents a brief history of the development of GIS and examines some current challenges and opportunities facing GIS use in forest and natural resource management, including those related to data collection and accuracy, data structures, personnel, legal issues, and user certification. Organizations that use GIS should be aware of these challenges and opportunities, and be prepared to address them if GIS implementation is to be successful.
Policy Innovations for Private Forest Management and Conservation in Costa Rica
Authors: Snider A.G. , Pattanayak S.K. , Sills E.O. , Schuler J.L.
Published: April 2024

Costa Rica is a leader in innovative forest conservation and management policies, including a program of direct payments to private forest landowners for environmental services. This approach is widely advocated but rarely implemented, and thus the Costa Rican experience constitutes a valuable real-world policy experiment. We discuss the motivation for this program, its domestic and international funding sources, and the structure of contracts with landowners. The successes and challenges facing the Costa Rican program offer insights for other countries–both developed and developing–regarding policies for private forest management.
International Dialogue on Sustainable Forest Management: The US Response
Authors: Hendricks R.L.
Published: April 2024

Sustainable forest management is the focus of many international fora dealing with forests. The United Nations Proposals for Action constitute the most comprehensive and integrated institutional forest management guidance to achieve sustainability ever assembled. Because of the work that has gone into the proposals, the US commitment to implement them, and the potential benefits from implementing them, government forest management agencies and stakeholders should be interested and involved in their implementation.
Focus on ... Inventory: A Stand Volume Equation for Cruising Small-Diameter Material
Authors: Parent D.R. , Moore J.A.
Published: April 2024

Conventional cruising methods are time-consuming and inefficient for dense stands containing small, low-value trees. The stand volume equation approach requires about one-quarter of the time required for an individual tree cruise.
Integrated Graduate Education and Research in Neotropical Working Forests
Authors: Zarin D.J. , Kainer K.A. , Putz F.E. , Schmink M. , Jacobson S.K.
Published: April 2024

The paucity of adequately educated leaders hampers programs in international forestry and sustainable development, where an ability to function effectively across cultures and disciplines is a prerequisite for success. With support from the National Science Foundation, the University of Florida is launching a graduate education and research program focused on neotropical working forests. The program offers an interdisciplinary curriculum to train doctoral students to research the tradeoffs and complementarities among working forest options, the effectiveness of different kinds of working forests for conservation and development, and efforts to promote forest management and conservation in neotropical regions. Increasing the ability of both the University of Florida and participating Latin American institutions to conduct truly collaborative, interdisciplinary research and training is an explicit program goal.
Perspective: A Vision for Forestry and for SAF
Authors: Coufal J.E.
Published: April 2024

Some years ago I wrote that forestry is the only profession with the interest, education, and experience to grow wood and fiber as a crop of the land. We must find ways to practice this while accepting that we are “foresters,” not “timberists.”
Distance Education: A New Course in Wildland Fire Ecology
Authors: Walstad J.D. , Reed M.D. , Doescher P.S. , Kauffman J.B. , Miller R.F. , Shindler B.A. , Tappeiner J.C.
Published: April 2024

Distance education, facilitated by modern telecommunications and computer technology, is revolutionizing delivery of college-level courses. In creating an interdisciplinary course on wildland fire, we learned that initial investments of at least $100,000 may be required, particularly for a video-based offering. Specialists in media production and web page development are crucial–not just to allow faculty to focus on content, but also to produce material that compares favorably with the TV productions students are familiar with. We further recommend conducting a pilot test with a live audience of students. Despite the challenges, we believe that many natural resource courses lend themselves to this format because of the photogenic nature of the topics and widespread interest in them, and that–over time–distance education courses can recoup the costs of their development.
Hands-on Learning: Its Effectiveness in Teaching the Public about Wildland Fire
Authors: Parkinson T.M. , Force J.E. , Smith J.K.
Published: April 2024

This study evaluated workshops for the adult public featuring experiential learning about wildland fire. Participants used hands-on activities to investigate fire behavior and ecology and to assess hazards in the wildland-urban interface. Effectiveness was examined using a pretest, a posttest following the program, and another posttest 30 days later. Participants' knowledge increased following the program, and their attitudes and beliefs became more supportive of fire management. These changes were still evident a month later. Hands-on activities can help adults become better informed about wildland fire and more positive about fire management.
Focus on ... Public Outreach: How to Apply for a Foresters' Fund Grant
Authors: Murgia L.
Published: April 2024

Some important tips are presented for strengthening proposals seeking Foresters' Fund support.
Book Review: Forest and Garden: Traces of Wildness in a Modernizing Land, 1897–1949.
Authors: Miller C.
Published: April 2024

Forest and Garden: Traces of Wildness in a Modernizing Land, 1897–1949, by Melanie L. Simo, evokes Thoreau but the author's language also draws on a heritage that he had repudiated.
Forest Certification of State and University Lands in North Carolina: A Comparison
Authors: Cubbage F. , Moore S. , Cox J. , Jervis L. , Edeburn J. , Richter D. , Boyette W. , Thompson M. , Chesnutt M.
Published: April 2024

North Carolina State University, Duke University, and the North Carolina Division of Forest Resources (DFR) recently received both Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) certification for their forests. Meeting SFI standards required better environmental management systems, improved use of best management practices, and better recordkeeping but few subsequent forest management changes. FSC required about the same environmental system changes but more forest management changes to favor future natural stand management and biodiversity protection. Costs included changes in forest management and recordkeeping to achieve forest certification, inspection expenses, prescribed changes in forest management, forgone timber revenues, and more stakeholder consultation. Benefits can include an improved professional reputation, better worker safety and training, better records and processes, more active public involvement, enhanced knowledge for outreach, better environmental management systems, more holistic management, and perhaps higher timber prices or greater market access.
The Financial Cost to Forest Landowners Who Implement Forest Management Guidelines: An Empirical Assessment
Authors: Kilgore M.A. , Blinn C.R.
Published: April 2024

To assess the financial costs that forest landowners incur when applying Minnesota's forest management guidelines, we conducted a study involving 27 public timber tracts auctioned in fall 2002. Each tract was offered in two ways–with and without the requirement to use guidelines–and loggers submitted paired bids. Stumpage bids averaged $2.66 per cord (10 percent) lower when guidelines were required. Across the study tracts, use of the guidelines decreased harvestable timber volume an average of 2.4 cords per acre. Taken together, the financial cost of guidelines to a forest landowner averaged $136 per acre, suggesting a minimum benefit value if their use is to be justified on financial grounds.
Focus on ... Forest Certification: How to Prepare for a Third-Party Audit
Authors: Tomlin S. , Penniman L.
Published: April 2024

Audits cost money and take time, so careful pre-audit planning is essential.
Focus on ... Professional Recognition: The Envelope, Please: Nominate a Colleague for an SAF Award
Authors: Murgia L. , McKernon C.
Published: April 2024

SAF honors accomplishments in a variety of areas, but we can only recognize people if we know who they are.
“Boutique” Forestry: New Forest Practices in Urbanizing Landscapes
Authors: Hull R. Bruce , Robertson David P. , Buhyoff Gregory J.
Published: April 2024

The owners of small forests are potential clients for professional forestry services and important constituents who can affect the future of forests and forestry. Unfortunately, many owners of small forests are wary of foresters and many foresters are cautious about practicing forestry on small forests. Nonetheless, we find encouraging evidence that a growing number of forestry professionals are forging positive and profitable relationships with these landowners. Interviews with private forestry consultants, forestry organization leaders, and public foresters, as well as with the landowners themselves, reveal opportunities and constraints for working successfully with this new clientele. Among the findings: Boutique forest owners are willing to conduct forest management activities to improve their properties.
National Forest Litigation in the US Courts of Appeals
Authors: Malmsheimer Robert W. , Keele Denise , Floyd Donald W.
Published: April 2024

To begin to learn more about how the legal system affects management activities on the national forests, we examined all published US courts of appeals cases decided from 1970 through 2001 in which the Forest Service was the defendant in a lawsuit challenging forest management. Our results demonstrate that, even though the Forest Service wins most courts of appeals cases, judicial review of national forest management is intensifying. Environmental interests were involved in most cases, and the National Environmental Policy Act was the basis for most litigation, although National Forest Management Act and Endangered Species Act cases are increasing. The cases were concentrated in the Ninth Circuit (the West)—the only circuit where the Forest Service lost more than half its cases.
Hastening the Return of Complex Forests Following Fire: The Consequences of Delay
Authors: Sessions John , Bettinger Pete , Buckman Robert , Newton Mike , Hamann Jeff
Published: April 2024

Over 54 days in 2002, the Biscuit Fire, the largest fire in recorded Oregon history, burned more than 400,000 acres. Much of the burned land was being managed under the federal Northwest Forest Plan to provide habitat for species that live in complex, older conifer-dominated forests as well as for recreation purposes. Only a narrow window of opportunity exists to hasten conifer restoration to complex forest conditions in a cost-effective manner, to reduce risks of insect epidemics and future fires, and to capture some economic value that could offset restoration costs. Delays in decisionmaking and implementation will likely destine much of the most intensely burned area to cycles of shrubs, hardwoods, and recurring fires for many decades. This is the opposite of what current management plans call for—maintenance of mature forests.
Determining Consumer Preferences for Ecolabeled Forest Products: An Experimental Approach
Authors: Anderson Roy C. , Hansen Eric N.
Published: April 2024

Numerous studies have measured consumers' attitudes about forest products that are certified to have come from well-managed forests. Here we report an experiment that measured actual consumer behavior. During the experiment, conducted at two Home Depot stores in Oregon, consumers were offered a choice between virtually identical “ecolabeled” and unlabeled plywood products. Data were collected by tracking the amount sold of each type. The presence of the label was associated with increased sales when the two products were offered for the same price, but when the certified plywood was priced at a premium, its sales fell. Because of the limited sample size and sample frame in this study, the results should not be considered applicable to the general population. An improved study design would give customers more information about certified products.
Forest Visualization for Management and Planning in Wisconsin
Authors: Stoltman Andrew M. , Radeloff Volker C. , Mladenoff David J.
Published: April 2024

Participation by the public in the management process of public forested lands has led to innovation in the visual simulation of management options. So far, visualization technology has largely been used by researchers and consultants, not by natural resource managers themselves. A three-dimensional forest visualization system, developed for use by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, incorporates a library of photographs of trees, snags, and even logging debris in an effort to depict forest management activities realistically. Managers need only limited training to quickly generate visualizations depicting a specific stand or an entire landscape in its current and potential future states under a variety of silvicultural treatments. We describe the components of the system so that it can be recreated for other regions.
Perspective: Forestry Knowledge Gap: A Report from the Rim
Authors: Jones Stephen B.
Published: April 2024

Most people are simply clueless about the forests and forestry that stir our professional passion.
How to Estimate Forest Carbon for Large Areas from Inventory Data
Authors: Smith James E. , Heath Linda S. , Woodbury Peter B.
Published: April 2024

Carbon sequestration through forest growth provides a low-cost approach for meeting state and national goals to reduce net accumulations of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Total forest ecosystem carbon stocks include “pools” in live trees, standing dead trees, understory vegetation, down dead wood, forest floor, and soil. Determining the level of carbon stocks in forest ecosystems has become a concern of governments, businesses, and many organizations. This article provides examples of inventory-based calculations and identifies resources that are available for analysts and planners to develop large-scale carbon estimates consistent with totals for US forests. Estimates can be based on current regional averages classified according to region, forest type, ownership, or stand size class; on stand-level inventory data, measured or calculated; or on locally specific information, such as individual tree sizes or other data acquired from sampling a specific forest.
Federal and State Influence on Community Responses to Wildfire Threats: Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico
Authors: Steelman Toddi A. , Kunkel Ginger , Bell Devona
Published: April 2024

Federal policy has placed a priority on community-based approaches to address the wildfire risks facing communities and the environment. Federal and state governments impact considerably the resources that are available to local communities. This research identifies how federal and state agencies influence community response. Federal agencies impact communities dominantly through policy direction and the provision of financial resources. State agencies impact communities through organizational arrangements, access to funding, and programmatic decisions.
Templates for Sustainable Riparian Management on Family Forest Ownerships
Authors: Zobrist Kevin W. , Gehringer Kevin R. , Lippke Bruce R.
Published: April 2024

Riparian management is challenging for family forests. Regulatory buffers can have significant economic impacts on small ownerships and may not adequately address site-specific needs. Regulations in Washington State suggest riparian management templates as a solution. We propose an approach for developing these templates that combines economic criteria with a nonparametric statistical assessment of predicted stand structure relative to performance targets. This approach can be useful for helping family forest owners in Washington and elsewhere to achieve riparian management goals while maintaining long-term economic sustainability.
Forestland Social Values and Open Space Preservation
Authors: Kline Jeffrey D. , Alig Ralph J. , Garber-Yonts Brian
Published: April 2024

Concerns have grown about the loss of forestland to development, leading to both public and private efforts to preserve forestland as open space. These lands comprise social values–ecological, scenic, recreation, and resource protection values–not typically reflected in market prices for land. When these values are present, it is up to public and private agencies to provide them in sufficient quantity. We discuss nonmarket social values in the context of forestland market values, to explain the economic rationale for public and private efforts to protect forestland as open space.
Assessing the Accuracy of Wildland Fire Situation Analysis (WFSA) Fire Size and Suppression Cost Estimates
Authors: Donovan Geoffrey H. , Noordijk Peter
Published: April 2024

To determine the optimal suppression strategy for escaped wildfires, federal land managers are required to conduct a wildland fire situation analysis (WFSA). As part of the WFSA process, fire managers estimate final fire size and suppression costs. Estimates from 58 WFSAs conducted during the 2002 fire season are compared to actual outcomes. Results indicate that estimates of fire size and suppression costs are systematically biased. Modifications to the WFSA process are suggested to address these problems.
Forestry in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone: Wrestling with an Invisible Rival
Authors: Nepyivoda Vasyl
Published: April 2024

After the Chornobyl (Chernobyl) accident, surrounding forests have served as a sink and long-term accumulator for radionuclides, preventing them from further migration. Never before has the challenge of forestry management under massive radiation impacts existed. The objectives of “Chornobyl Forest,” an enterprise responsible for forestry management within the most contaminated Exclusion Zone, not only prioritize the stabilization of radionuclides but also include the resumption of a forest-products industry. Besides the lack of scientific knowledge, the situation is aggravated by harsh budget constraints. Chornobyl Forest managed to tackle the most urgent problems and accumulate valuable experience.
Digital Forestry: A White Paper
Authors: Zhao Guang , Shao Guofan , Reynolds Keith M. , Wimberly Michael C. , Warner Tim , Moser John W. , Rennolls Keith , Magnussen Steen , Köhl Michael , Anderson Hans-Erik , Mendoza Guillermo A. , Dai Limin , Huth Andreas , Zhang Liangjun , Brey James , Sun Yujun , Ye Ronghua , Martin Brett A. , Li Fengri
Published: April 2024

Digital Forestry has been proposed as ”the science, technology, and art of systematically acquiring, integrating, analyzing, and applying digital information to support sustainable forests.” Although rooted in traditional forestry disciplines, Digital Forestry draws from a host of other fields that, in the past few decades, have become important for implementing the concept of forest ecosystem management and the principle of sustainable forestry. Digital Forestry is a framework that links all facets of forestry information at local, national, and global levels through an organized digital network. It is anticipated that a new set of principles will be established when practicing Digital Forestry concept for the evolution of forestry education, research, and practices as the 21st century unfolds.
Economics of Intensively Managed Forest Plantations in the Pacific Northwest
Authors: Murphy Glen E. , Sutton Wink R. J. , Hill Denny , Chambers Charles , Creel Dennis , Binkley Clark , New David
Published: April 2024

Lower risks and higher returns favor investment in intensively managed forest plantations in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) for industrial landowners. Intensive forest plantation management is necessary if PNW industrial landowners are to compete effectively in world markets. However, not all landowner classes have the same set of management objectives, investment streams, and performance measures. For a variety of reasons, intensive forest plantation management may not be appropriate for some nonindustrial and public lands.
Forestland Parcelization in the New York City Watershed
Authors: LaPierre Seth , Germain René H.
Published: April 2024

New York City's (NYC) water supply system is the largest unfiltered surface storage and supply system in the country. Forests cover 89 percent of the Catskill/Delaware systems, with 75 percent of the forest area owned by non-industrial private forestland (NIPF) owners. The results describe the degree of parcelization on private forestlands in four of the five counties within the Catskill/Delaware systems of the NYC Watershed between 1984 and 2000. Parcelization on NIPF in the eastern half of the Catskill/Delaware systems is occurring at a rate exceeding the national average. The average parcel size is 14 acres, 10 acres below the current national average for NIPF, and already below the projected national NIPF average parcel size of 17 acres for 2010. Changes in land use and development on private lands threaten the quality of the NYC water supply.
Shade Trees and Tree Wardens: Revising the History of Urban Forestry
Authors: Ricard Robert M.
Published: April 2024

The contributions that urban forestry has made to society have been increasing over the past two decades. The profession has its origins, as does forestry and other natural resource professions, in the first conservation era of the late 1800s. Tree warden laws are some of the earliest and most important urban forestry laws passed by state legislatures. The importance of public shade trees was recognized by amateur forestry activists, and public sentimentality for shade trees was used strategically by these activists as a forest policy persuasion tool.
Western Pine Forests with Continuing Frequent Fire Regimes: Possible Reference Sites for Management
Authors: Stephens Scott L. , Fulé Peter Z.
Published: April 2024

In contrast to a few isolated forests in northern Mexico, most forests in the western Untied States have been significantly modified by fire suppression, harvesting, and livestock grazing. This has increased their fire hazards and many are in need of restoration. Understanding reference conditions is challenging because we have few intact forests functioning under the continuing influence of climate variation, insects, diseases, and frequent fires. This article summarizes information from reference sites and argues for incorporating natural heterogeneity in restoration targets across similar forests in the United States.
Natural Areas and Urban Populations: Communication and Environmental Education Challenges and Actions in Outdoor Recreation
Authors: Chavez Deborah J.
Published: April 2024

Challenges, opportunities, and actions exist in areas where large urban populations interface with natural areas, such as outdoor recreation sites in southern California. Challenges in the interface include intense recreation use, public safety issues, and complex information strategies. Research results on communications and environmental education offer opportunities to address information challenges. Actions taken include the use of Eco-Teams (delivers environmental messages), a forest information van (delivers information of interest to visitors), and Hawkins Natural Park in South Central Los Angeles (delivers environmental education). Each exemplifies well-planned ways to address interface issues.
Agroforestry Today: An Analysis of the 750 Presentations to the 1st World Congress of Agroforestry, 2004
Authors: Nair P.K. Ramachandran , Allen Samuel C. , Bannister Michael E.
Published: April 2024

The developmental stage of a discipline can be gauged by the nature of its publications. Major themes of the 750 presentations at the 1st World Congress of Agroforestry, Orlando, Florida, 2004, were biological and ecological (28%); communication and knowledge integration (24%); and economics, marketing, and social issues (23%). The presentations related mostly (88% of total) to the tropics. About 55% of the authors came from educational institutions, 21% represented governments, and 13% represented nongovernmental organizations. The presentations showed that sustainability continued to be a major conceptual foundation of agroforestry, but there was considerable tropical-temperate contrast in efforts to attain sustainability. Although issues such as poverty alleviation, food security, and attainment of the Millennium Development Goals dominate the research and development agenda in the tropics, the focus in the temperate region is on environmental services such as carbon sequestration, water quality enhancement, and biodiversity conservation. The nature, diversity, and distribution of presentations as well as the current trends in agroforestry research suggest that agroforestry is maturing as a robust discipline.
Planning for Wildness: Aldo Leopold’s Report on Huron Mountain Club
Authors: Flaspohler David J. , Meine Curt
Published: April 2024

Aldo Leopold’s Report on Huron Mountain Club, published privately in 1938, represented a novel synthesis of emerging ideas in forestry, wildlife ecology, protected area design, and landscape-scale planning. Examination of this little-known report provides new insight into the evolution of Leopold’s thinking and the development of applied conservation science. The report emerged at a time when insights from scientific ecology were beginning to alter utilitarian and preservationist approaches to conservation and resource management in North America. In his report Leopold integrated ideas from several disciplines, producing a plan that emphasized the establishment of core and buffer zones in protected areas, reduction of overabundant native species, relaxation of predator control policies, and integration of research in the management of protected areas.
Maple Syrup Production in Ohio and the Impact of Ohio State University (OSU) Extension Programming
Authors: Graham Gary W. , Goebel P. Charles , Heiligmann Randall B. , Bumgardner Matthew S.
Published: April 2024

The maple syrup industry in Ohio, which ranks fifth in total production in the United States, is comprised primarily of small family owned operations that are served by The Ohio State University (OSU) Extension system. We evaluated the effectiveness of OSU Extension educational programming designed to improve sugarbush and sugarhouse management through a survey administered at the three 2004 Ohio Maple Days workshops. Most survey respondents indicated that after attending past maple syrup workshops they implemented changes that were relatively simple and inexpensive; however, most indicated they are interested in learning more about technologies that increase production and maple syrup quality.
All-Risk Response: A Qualitative Study of the Capacity of the Wildland Fire Service
Authors: Donahue Amy K.
Published: April 2024

This article was prompted by the 2003 space shuttle Columbia disaster response. Twenty-one type 1 and 2 Incident Management Teams (IMT) performed a central role in the operation by directing a ground search of 680,000 ac. This article draws on the broad experiences of the IMTs that participated in the Columbia shuttle recovery to inform the future of all-risk incident management. It reports the findings of a systematic analysis of the perspectives of senior IMT members on the question: What is the capacity of the wildland IMTs to direct major all-risk responses?
Biodiversity Indicators for Sustainable Forestry: Simplifying Complexity
Authors: Hagan John M. , Whitman Andrew A.
Published: April 2024

Maintaining biodiversity is a primary goal of sustainable forestry. However, maintaining “life in all its forms” can be daunting to forest managers. “Biodiversity,” as commonly defined, is simply too complex to measure or monitor. The only practical solution is to use indicators. In theory, good indicators are simple to measure and correlate with many other elements of biodiversity so they do not also have to be measured. All sustainable forestry programs use indicators; however, there is much confusion and frustration among forest managers and stakeholders about their usefulness. The primary limitation to selecting effective indicators has to do with process, not science. Here, we propose a framework for selecting biodiversity indictors that will better inform decisionmakers and stakeholders.
Guide for Classifying Lands for Greenhouse Gas Inventories
Authors: Lund H. Gyde
Published: April 2024

Recently, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has issued new Good Practice Guidance for Land Use, Land-Use Change, and Forestry (GPG–LULUCF), which stipulates different data analysis and reporting procedures for changes in carbon storage and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for six land classes: forest, cropland, grassland, wetland, settlements, and other lands. However, the GPG–LULUCF does not include a decision tree to support the identification and classification of lands. This is a critical first step necessary to proceed on land classification for subsequent calculation of GHG inventories. This article provides a useful decision tree and dichotomous key for classifying lands according to the GPG–LULUCF. Countries and the international community will need this tool to unify common criteria for land classification.
Firewise Activities of Full-Time versus Seasonal Residents in the Wildland-Urban Interface
Authors: Bright Alan D. , Burtz Randall T.
Published: April 2024

Increased migration to rural areas in and near the wildland-urban interface has increased the complexity of wildland fire management in these areas. Creating defensible space around one's home in the wildland-urban interface is one way residents can become involved in protecting their own homes from wildland fire. Using the theory of planned behavior as a conceptual framework, this study examined differences in perceptions of and behaviors regarding the creation of defensible space between full-time and seasonal residents of the wildland-urban interface. Although general support for firewise activities was positive for both resident groups, differences existed regarding the importance of beliefs, norms, and constraints in doing the activities around one's home in the wildland-urban interface.
Challenges in Visualizing Forests and Landscapes
Authors: Wang Xianli , Song Bo , Chen Jiquan , Crow Thomas R. , LaCroix Jacob J.
Published: April 2024

Landscape visualization is a useful tool in understanding forest dynamics and in assessing various management practices. However, the application of this technology remains very challenging. We propose criteria for landscape visualization so that users can judge the quality of the visualization. We also identify the challenges in developing visualizations and discuss the limitations and advantages of visualizations for basic and applied science in natural resource management. We believe that the combination of visualizations with traditional research methods will enable the decisionmaking process to become more convincing and reliable.
Forestry and Forestry Education in Afghanistan
Authors: Groninger John W.
Published: April 2024

Afghanistan contains diverse natural forests and has a long history of forest utilization, irrigation silviculture, and treeplanting for amenities. Presently, the forest resources and supporting institutions are severely degraded after decades of war. Since the fall of the Taliban, rehabilitation of irrigation systems, nursery development, and treeplanting have been undertaken in support of the government's desire to recreate an agriculture- and natural resources–based economy. Students at five Afghan universities are working toward Bachelor of Science degrees in forestry. Although recovery efforts are still in their early stages and many serious challenges remain, the revitalization of Afghan forestry appears to be taking shape.
Ontario's Forest Science Research and Extension Efforts after the 1998 Ice Storm
Authors: Lautenschlager R.A. , Nielsen Cathy
Published: April 2024

The 1998 ice storm devastated major portions of south central Canada and the northeastern United States. After the storm, Ontario developed major communication and forest-focused research efforts designed to improve understanding of the short- and longer-term ecological consequences of the storm, its economic consequences, and proactive approaches that could be developed to reduce damage in the future. This article summarizes results from the major aspects of that effort: (1) communications, (2) a fertilizer/competition control experiment designed to aid sugar maple recovery and document the physiological and stand-level ecological consequences of those treatments, and (3) the consequences of both damage and postdamage management in woodlots, including plantations.
Invasive Species in the Last Frontier: Distribution and Phenology of Birch Leaf Mining Sawflies in Alaska
Authors: Snyder Cynthia , MacQuarrie Chris J.K. , Zogas Ken , Kruse James J. , Hard John
Published: April 2024

Invasive species pose a significant threat to forested ecosystems. Within the past 10 years, three nonnative birch leaf mining sawflies have been found in Alaska: Fenusa pumila, Heterarthrus nemoratus, and Profenusa thomsoni. Damage, caused primarily by P. thomsoni, is particularly notable in urban areas where the impact of browning tree crowns in mid-to-late summer raises public concern. The initial outbreak in Anchorage in 1996 increased to more than 32,000 ac by 2003. That same year, a survey was initiated to determine the extent of leaf mining sawflies throughout most of the state. Adult emergence, flight period, and larval phenology were assessed also. Surveys done through 2006 show that P. thomsoni is present over 20% of the surveyed area with the largest contiguous population in south central Alaska and localized populations in the Fairbanks area and on the Kenai Peninsula. The spread of P. thomsoni in Alaska suggests an association between establishment of new infestations, human population centers, and major travel routes.
Financing Uruguay's Forestry Sector: Survey and Case Study
Authors: Mendell Brooks , Morales Virginia , Bennadji Zohra , Moreno Alejandro , Siry Jacek
Published: April 2024

This project summarizes the financing and recent growth of Uruguay's forestry sector, with emphasis on the relevant businesses, associations, and investments in the context of Uruguay's Forestry Law, which encouraged large-scale forestry plantations in the 1990s through the use of subsidies, tax relief, and targeted loans. A survey of Uruguay's largest forestry entities and investors consistently singled out financing and access to capital as major challenges for Uruguayan firms relative to their competitors in larger countries with more developed capital markets. These issues associated with financing created opportunities for encouraging and attracting significant foreign direct investment in Uruguay's forest products industry. The case provides insights for countries seeking to support the expansion of forest industry investment and capacity through financing and regulatory policies.
Forest Measurement and Biometrics in Forest Management: Status and Future Needs of the Pacific Northwest USA
Authors: Temesgen Hailemariam , Goerndt Michael E. , Johnson Greg P. , Adams Darius M. , Monserud Robert A.
Published: April 2024

Forest measurement and biometrics (FMB) programs have been at the heart of forestry education in North America since its beginnings at the Biltmore Forest School more than 100 years ago. Over the intervening period, the field of forestry has changed in critical ways. There are manyforest management and policy issues that, at first glance, do not appear to involve FMB but which, on further examination, are found to be closely linked. In this regard, FMB has both an “inside„ and “outside.„ The outside part faces interactions with its clients andfront-line sciences (e.g., forest ecology, silviculture, etc.) which bring new data-analytic ideas to FMB. The clients and professionals in these allied sciences need solutions to pressing quantitative questions. The inside face relates to the need to extend the structure of statistical inference,integrate emerging technologies, and adapt mathematical and statistical precepts to FMB needs. In this essay, we provide a brief overview of the current diversity of FMB applications using examples from business, policy analysis, and ecosystem and landscape analysis; offer our views on themost critical challenges facing FMB researchers and practitioners in the 21st Century; and outline ways how FMB professionals and academic forestry programs might cooperate to meet these challenges. We assert that FMB needs to be responsive to contemporary resource management challenges andaddress the many land management challenges in the Pacific Northwest and around the world.
Managing Fire Danger in the Forests of the US Inland Northwest: A Classic “Wicked Problem„ in Public Land Policy
Authors: Carroll Matthew S. , Blatner Keith A. , Cohn Patricia J. , Morgan Todd
Published: April 2024

In their classic article Allen and Gould (Allen, G.M., and E.M. Gould. 1986. Complexity, wickedness, and public forests. J. For. 84(4):20–24) stated that the most daunting problems associated with public forest management had a “wicked„ element: “Wickedproblems share characteristics. Each can be considered as simply a symptom of some higher order problem⋯. The definition is in the mind of the beholder⋯. Furthermore, there is no single correct formulation for a wicked problem, only more or less useful ones„ (p. 22). Thisdescription seems to fit the difficulties associated with managing the increasing risk of wildland fire in the United States. Using the Inland Northwest region of the United States as an example, we explore the dynamics of this issue as they relate to possible improvements and the inherentdilemmas. We conclude that any “solutions„ to the problems associated with fire danger are best thought of in terms of long-term system improvements rather than short-term fixes.
Assessment of Logger Education Programs and Programming across the United States
Authors: Haworth Brooke K. , Blinn Charles R. , Chura David T.
Published: April 2024

Professional loggers occupy key positions within sustainable forestry, requiring enhanced knowledge of the principles and specific techniques associated with forest management and operational considerations such as safety, business management, harvesting productivity and cost calculation, and employee supervision. An expert opinion survey of logger education programs (LEP) across the United States was conducted to assess the status of those programs and associated programming. Results indicate that LEPs vary considerably between states, evidenced by the large variance in program responses. The financial success of LEPs, while maintaining reduced fees and tuition, may depend on diversity of funding sources, reorganization of training services, and use of volunteer and retired professionals. Creating successful training experiences depends on qualified instructors, subject relevance, small groups, discussion opportunities, program evaluation, and field practice. Formats that are rarely used by LEPs are classroom computers (9%), independent study paper- (9%) and computer-based (6%) programming. Eighty-seven percent of the programs expressed strong support for an increase in collaboration, with the largest interest indicated for regional curriculum exchanges. The Forest Resources Association (FRA) was cited most often as the appropriate lead organization to initiate those exchanges.
The Loess Plateau: Finding a Place for Forests
Authors: Peng Hong , Coster Jack
Published: April 2024

The Loess Plateau is the major contributor to the silt load in the Yellow River because of high erosion rates resulting from a combination of generally low vegetation cover, erodible soils, a long history of inappropriate land use, and increasing population pressure. Forests are not a dominant land cover within the plateau ecosystem. Collectively, the four major plateau provinces represent only 7.2% of the total area of forest in China. In addition to the self-renewal of degraded land by limiting further disturbances, an important measure for arresting erosion and improving environmental conditions is the restoration of vegetation cover through extensive afforestation programs. This article reviews different forest systems and sivilculture practices within the region and proposes adopting ecologically based management practices for restoring the plateau.