bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Certified Success: Integrating Sustainability into Corporate Management Systems
Authors: Johnson Dana , Walck Christa 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Environmental certification is a costly proposal if it is merely added to a company's existing practices to appease consumer sentiment. In the forest products industry, this add-on approach to sustainability has not produced financially successful companies. If sustainability goals are integrated into the core business values, however, they can generate savings that can offset the increased costs of conforming to standards. Drawing from the organizational management literature and two examples in the forest industry, we find that senior managers must assume leadership in making sustainable practices a core business value, then establish a rigorous environmental management system and confirm the company's commitment by implementing training and reward programs for employees. Unlike quick fixes, which do not generate consistent results throughout the organization, full integration is the best way to achieve sustainability.
Effects of Wildfire on Soils and Watershed Processes
Authors: Ice George G. , Neary Daniel G. , Adams Paul W. 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Wildfire can cause water repellency and consume plant canopy, surface plants and litter, and structure-enhancing organics within soil. Changes in soil moisture, structure, and infiltration can accelerate surface runoff, erosion, sediment transport, and deposition. Intense rainfall and some soil and terrain conditions can contribute to overland runoff and in-channel debris torrents. Mineralization of organic matter, interruption of root uptake, and loss of shade can further impact water quality by increasing stream temperatures and nutrient concentrations. Where wildfires are unnaturally large and severe, watershed effects are likely to be negatively skewed.
Extension/Outreach Implications for America's Family Forest Owners
Authors: Kittredge David B. 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
The increasing number of family forest owners presents a challenge to effective outreach. Family woodland in some parts of the country represents the dominant ownership type. Sustained provision of a host of greater social goods and services depends on functional forest landscapes, yet fragmentation and parcelization of family woodlands pose a threat. Segmentation of the family owner audience into different types, and targeting of outreach toward two specific decisionmaking junctures, may improve our ability to reach this important audience.
Future Forestland Area: Impacts from Population Growth and Other Factors that Affect Land Values
Authors: Alig Ralph J. , Plantinga Andrew J. 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Shifting patterns of land use in the United States are associated with many of today's environmental concerns. Land-use shifts occur because of relative changes in land rents, which are determined in part by financial returns in commodity markets. In recent decades, more than 3 million ac shifted annually in or out of US forest use. Gross amounts of land-use change are an order of magnitude larger than net changes. Between 1982 and 1997, a net amount of 3.6 million ac was added to the US nonfederal forest land base. Area of developed uses is projected to increase by about 70 million ac by 2030, with the largest percentage diverted from forests. All regions show substantial increases in developed area, with increases in population and personal income as key drivers. Forest area is projected to decline in two key timber supply regions, the South (−6.0 million ac) and the Pacific Northwest Westside (−1.9 million ac). Other regions having projected losses in forest area include the Northeast (−3.0 million ac), the Lake States (−1.2 million ac), and the Pacific Southwest (−0.6 million ac). Conditions in land markets reflect increased rents from residential and other uses of developed land, such that forests and forestland values will increasingly be influenced by development and its location.
Assessing Private Forest Owner Attitudes Toward Ecosystem-Based Management
Authors: Belin Daniel L. , Kittredge David B. , Stevens Thomas H. , Dennis Donald C. , Schweik Charles M. , Morzuch Bernard J. 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Nonindustrial private forest owners in Vermont, New Hampshire, and western Massachusetts were surveyed to determine their attitudes toward an ecosystem-based approach to management. In all cases, respondents showed favorable attitudes toward: unique, small-scale ecological features like rare species and wetlands; management at spatial scales larger than the individual parcel; and ownership beyond a single generation. Even nonrespondents, when interviewed on the telephone, indicated attitudes sensitive to these issues. We believe future conservation of nonindustrial private forestland (NIPF) lands will be successful if professionals design management alternatives sensitive to these attitudes and policy makers craft appealing and effective programs that are perceived as relevant.
No Sparks Fly: Policy Participants Agree on Thinning Trees in the Lake Tahoe Basin
Authors: Weible Chris , Sabatier Paul , Nechodom Mark 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
This article reports an analysis of mail-in questionnaires of policy participants in the Lake Tahoe Basin. The results show all stakeholder affiliations are concerned about the severity of fire risk relative to other important issue areas in the Basin, support thinning trees to reduce fire risk, and are skeptical that thinning trees will have adverse effects on scenic resources in the Basin. Support for thinning tress is strong among stakeholders with pro-development beliefs and with advanced degrees but is minimally influenced by owning property in the Basin.
Plantation Productivity in the Douglas-Fir Region Under Intensive Silvicultural Practices: Results from Research and Operations
Authors: Talbert Cheryl , Marshall David 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
This article reviews major plantation silvicultural practices used in the westside Douglas-fir region of Oregon and Washington: origin, growth and yield impacts, and the region's global competitive status for productivity, tree-growing costs, and returns. Two main messages emerge: (1) there has been great progress in the region to increase wood yield and shorten rotations; and (2) opportunity remains strong for this region to become even more competitive, although it will require challenging current beliefs and norms and an increased collective will and focused sense of urgency.
What Would a Global Forest Convention Mean for Tropical Forests and for Timber Consumers?
Authors: Vanclay J. K. , Nichols J. D. 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
A global forest convention has been advocated for about 15 years, but progress is slow and positions of advocates and opponents appear entrenched. We review several case studies and offer new empirical evidence relating to causes of and remedies for deforestation. We find no evidence to suggest that a forest convention will be effective in halting deforestation. Our data indicate that development assistance may be the most effective approach to save forests in developing countries. It appears that “money speaks louder than words.” We conclude that a global forest convention will be ineffective unless accompanied by substantial and well-directed development assistance.
Badly Burned? Effects of an Escaped Prescribed Burn on Social Acceptability of Wildland Fuels Treatments
Authors: Brunson Mark W. , Evans Jessica 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
In Sept. 2003, a prescribed burn on the Uinta National Forest escaped, costing nearly $3 million to extinguish while choking Utah cities with smoke for a week. When the incident drew harsh criticism from local officials and news media, fire managers worried that prescribed burning no longer would be feasible in northern Utah. Subsequently, we surveyed residents of three affected counties, including respondents to a 2001 survey, about acceptability of fuels management practices. Results suggest prescribed fire remains an acceptable tool for some situations but citizens doubt agencies' ability to use it effectively, especially near populated areas.
Nineteenth Century Lumber Surveys for Bangor, Maine: Implications for Pre-European Settlement Forest Characteristics in Northern and Eastern Maine
Authors: Wilson Jeremy S. 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
In the mid-19th century, Bangor, Maine, was a major center for the manufacturing and shipping of lumber, leading many to proclaim Bangor as the ”lumber capital of the world.” The raw material for this lumber was transported down the Penobscot River, which drains the largest watershed in Maine. Starting in 1832, lumber put up for sale and shipped from Bangor was surveyed. Between 1832 and 1872, over 3.36 billion board feet (bbf) of white pine lumber was tallied. In the 19th century, there were numerous inefficiencies and losses involved in the harvesting, transporting, and processing that converted a standing pine tree to lumber ready to be loaded on a ship; therefore, the 3.36 bbf surveyed provides only a minimum estimate for the volume of white pine in the pre-European settlement forest of northern and eastern Maine. Even this minimum volume estimate for pine suggests a magnitude of this resource that is inconsistent with descriptions developed from early land survey information and suggests that current interpretations of the pre-European disturbance regime may need re-evaluation.
History of Watershed Management in the US Forest Service: 1897–2005
Authors: Glasser Stephen P. 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Legal statutes and scientific research have been essential to the Forest Service mission for the past 100 years. Congressional direction for administration of the forest reserves, now called national forests, began in 1897 with passage of the Organic Administration Act. One of the defined purposes for which federal forest lands were set aside from settlement was “securing favorable conditions of water flow.” Since then, more than 25 other federal statutes have further defined watershed management on these lands. The Research branch began watershed experiments in 1910 and did most of the watershed work by the Forest Service until the 1970s. Contributions of key individuals, the Civilian Conservation Corps, the barometer watershed program of the 1960s, and other programs in the National Forest System and the State and Private Forestry branches are examined.
Perspectives of Maine Forest Cover Change from Landsat Imagery and Forest Inventory Analysis (FIA)
Authors: Sader Steven , Hoppus Michael , Metzler Jacob , Jin Suming 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
A forest change detection map was developed to document forest gains and losses during the decade of the 1990s. The effectiveness of the Landsat imagery and methods for detecting Maine forest cover change are indicated by the good accuracy assessment results: forest—no change, forest loss, and forest gain accuracy were 90, 88, and 92%, respectively, and the good correlation of mapped areas of forest cover loss with forest inventory analysis (FIA) tree size class decrease at the county level. The combination of annually collected permanent FIA plots with accurate statewide forest change maps offers a complementary perspective of Maine's forest resource.
Does the Lack of Reference Ecosystems Limit Our Science? A Case Study in Nonnnative Invasive Plants as Forest Fuels
Authors: Dibble Alison C. , Rees Catherine A. 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
In forest experiments the problem of inadequate controls often arises. True controls might not be required in case studies, comparisons along an environmental gradient, or comparisons of multiple treated and untreated areas. In a recent characterization of fuels in invaded and uninvaded forest conditions for four forest types at 12 locations in Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Vermont, and Virginia, high-quality reference stands usually were not available as true controls. We called the uninvaded areas “comparison areas,” and applied a modified planar sampling technique to quantify live and dead fuels. No overarching pattern emerged; fuels in fire-adapted pitch pine differed from the three other forest types in that stands invaded by black locust had fewer 1- and 10-hour fuels, but more forbs cover and higher basal area. Invasive shrubs increased fuel height and density across most forest types. Invasive grasses in forests present an underrecognized hazard fuel if drought ensues. The comparison stand study design enabled uncovering of significant differences between invaded and uninvaded stands, especially in hardwoods and mixed woods, and fuels in softwoods were less affected by invasive plants.
Defining Reference Information for Restoring Ecologically Rare Tallgrass Oak Savannas in the Midwestern United States
Authors: Asbjornsen H. , Brudvig L. A. , Mabry C. M. , Evans C. W. , Karnitz H. M. 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Reference information is commonly used in ecological restorations to guide management decisions and assess progress toward achieving goals. However, for extremely rare or degraded ecosystems, obtaining reliable reference information may be a daunting task. This article explores the limitations and potentials for identifying reference information for ecologically rare tallgrass oak savanna ecosystems, using a case study from central Iowa. Preliminary results suggest that restoration goals related to certain ecosystem parameters, such as vegetation structure, may be achieved relatively quickly, whereas other parameters, such as species composition, require longer timescales. The importance of developing additional reference information through experimental and adaptive management approaches is emphasized.
Business District Streetscapes, Trees, and Consumer Response
Authors: Wolf Kathleen L. 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
A multistudy research program has investigated how consumers respond to the urban forest in central business districts of cities of various sizes. Trees positively affect judgments of visual quality but, more significantly, may influence other consumer responses and behaviors. Survey respondents from all regions of the United States favored trees in business districts, and this preference was further reflected in positive district perceptions, patronage behavior, and product pricing. An overview of the research is provided, with implications for the economics of local communities.
Application of Geospatial Technology to Monitor Forest Legacy Conservation Easements
Authors: Williams Kenton , Sader Steven A. , Pryor Christopher , Reed Frank 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Remote sensing and other geospatial tools are being applied to monitor large working forest conservation easements and to assist office and field users to improve the efficiency of required monitoring. Two USDA-Forest Legacy Program conservation easements in northern New England are included as case studies to describe how to acquire geospatial data and apply these tools to monitor selected easement features. Much of the remote sensing and geographical information system (GIS) data are free or low cost and functional software capable of viewing, querying, and making measurements on images and maps can be acquired from public sources. A high-resolution, digital image management system linked to satellite imagery and the GIS database is presented. Finally, the geospatial monitoring tools on a handheld personal data assistant device for field users are demonstrated.
Letdowns, Wake-Up Calls, and Constructed Preferences: People’s Responses to Fuel and Wildfire Risks
Authors: Arvai Joseph , Gregory Robin , Ohlson Dan , Blackwell Bruce , Gray Robert 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
This article presents results from three studies, which seek to develop a better understanding of some of the difficulties faced by forest managers in making wildfire risk management decisions. Study 1 showed that both the experts and the public tend to emphasize uncontrollable factors when asked to consider the causes of wildfires. Study 2 revealed the large role played by emotional responses in judgments about wildfire risks. Study 3 showed that preferences for risk management options tend to be remarkably malleable in response to even slight shifts in framing. In contrast to previous studies that call for improved public education about wildfire, our results emphasize the need to introduce improved processes to inform both expert and public decisionmaking for fire risk management.
What Are the Best Loblolly Pine Genotypes Worth to Landowners?
Authors: McKeand Steven E. , Abt Robert C. , Allen H. Lee , Li Bailian , Catts Glenn P. 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Forest landowners in the South can realize large financial benefits from planting the best loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) genotypes. Most of the productivity increases from genetics can be considered as increases in site index. We estimate that landowners can realize net present values of $50 to over $300/ac across a range of productivity and silvicultural management regimes simply by planting the best genotypes that are currently available from commercial and state forest nurseries. Landowners could pay more for the best genotypes, and the best seedlings would be well worth the additional costs.
Is Wildfire Policy in the United States Sustainable?
Authors: Steelman Toddi A. , Burke Caitlin A. 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Beginning in 2000, wildfire policy in the United States shifted from focusing almost exclusively on suppression to embracing multiple goals, including hazardous fuels reduction, ecosystem restoration, and community assistance. Mutually reinforcing, these policy goals have the potential to result in an ecologically, socially, and economically sustainable wildfire policy that can mitigate the long-term risk of wildfires for human and ecological communities alike. Six years into this new policy, we evaluate the evidence to determine how well the multiple goals are being served. We conclude that suppression and hazardous fuels reduction receive greater attention and resources relative to ecosystem restoration and community assistance. This provides an incomplete solution to mitigating the long-term risk of wildfire, thereby running the risk of perpetuating it.
The Geography of American Tree Species and Associated Place Names
Authors: Fei Songlin 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Place names attached to natural and cultural landscape features may imply valuable information about settlement-era tree distribution and how they were regarded by European settlers. In this study, spatial distribution of tree-related place names was found to be highly consistent with reconstructions of the pre-Columbian distributions of native tree species. Abundance of tree-related place names was correlated with contemporary estimates of major timber species abundance. The findings of this research could be useful in efforts to conserve American forests and restore economically and culturally important species such as the American chestnut (Castanea dentata). The results also suggested that previous reconstructions of pre-Columbian species' distributions may not be entirely accurate.
Elevation Measurement Capabilities of Consumer-Grade Global Positioning System (GPS) Receivers
Authors: Wing Michael G. , Eklund Aaron 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Elevation determination is central to many natural resource-related measurement tasks including establishing terrain profiles, determining road and stream gradients, and volume estimations of soil or water. We examined the relative vertical accuracy of six consumer-grade global positioning system (GPS) receivers that were rigorously tested at three different measurement courses in western Oregon. Each measurement course was in a distinct setting representing either open sky, young forest, or closed canopy conditions. Overall, we found that average vertical errors were 7 m or less for five of the consumer GPS receivers that we tested and that measurement reliability varied among the units. This level of accuracy may suffice for developing estimates of feature profiles and initial draft design applications depending on project requirements.
Partnering with Planners to Develop Tools for Financial Analysis of Fuel Treatments
Authors: Barbour R. James , Fight Roger D. 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
The financial analysis component of the fuel synthesis project was guided by the general specifications of the broader project. The project was requested on behalf of specific users (fuel treatment planners), to address specific questions (how to design and implement fuel treatments),and with specific attributes (easily learned and used by people with little or no background in economics or financial analysis). The strategy for designing analysis and information to meet this need was to involve the target user group and managers in design, testing, and implementation ofthe tools. The result is a set of tools that appear to be being adopted more quickly and more widely than any previous financial analysis tools that the authors have developed.
The Southern Pine Beetle Prevention Initiative: Working for Healthier Forests
Authors: Nowak John , Asaro Christopher , Klepzig Kier , Billings Ronald 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
The southern pine beetle (SPB) is the most destructive forest pest in the South. After a recent SPB outbreak, the US Forest Service (Forest Health Protection and Southern Research Station [SRS]) received SPB Initiative (SPBI) funding to focus more resources on proactive SPB prevention work. This funding is being used for on-the-ground accomplishments, landowner education, and research and development. Since 2003, on-the-ground accomplishments have totaled over 500,000 ac of thinning and restoration work on state, private, and national forestland. The SRS (SRS Research Work Unit 4552) has worked, internally and externally, on projects addressing (1) the risks and costs of SPB, (2) preventing and controlling SPB outbreaks, and (3) recovery from SPB outbreaks. Much work has been accomplished through the SPBI and will hopefully have a long-lasting impact. This article describes the history, current practices, and the accomplishments for the first 6 years of the SPBI.
Wildland Fire, Risk, and Recovery: Results of a National Survey with Regional and Racial Perspectives
Authors: Bowker J.M. , Lim Siew Hoon , Cordell H. Ken , Green Gary T. , Rideout-Hanzak Sandra , Johnson Cassandra Y. 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
We used a national household survey to examine knowledge, attitudes, and preferences pertaining to wildland fire. First, we present nationwide results and trends. Then, we examine opinions across region and race. Despite some regional variation, respondents are fairly consistent in their beliefs about assuming personal responsibility for living in fire-prone areas and believing that residents of such areas should follow government guidelines for managing fire risk. However, we find divergence of opinion on “trusting forest professionals” between African-American and Caucasian people. Across all survey questions related to fire management and public confidence, African-Americans appear to be relatively more concerned than Caucasian or Hispanic people.