bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A novel hippo swarm optimization: for solving high-dimensional problems and engineering design problems
Authors: Zhou Guoyuan , Du Jiaxuan , Guo Jia , Li Guoliang 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
In recent years, scholars have developed and enhanced optimization algorithms to tackle high-dimensional optimization and engineering challenges. The primary challenge of high-dimensional optimization lies in striking a balance between exploring a wide search space and focusing on specific regions. Meanwhile, engineering design problems are intricate and come with various constraints. This research introduces a novel approach called Hippo Swarm Optimization (HSO), inspired by the behavior of hippos, designed to address high-dimensional optimization problems and real-world engineering challenges. HSO encompasses four distinct search strategies based on the behavior of hippos in different scenarios: starvation search, alpha search, margination, and competition. To assess the effectiveness of HSO, we conducted experiments using the CEC2017 test set, featuring the highest dimensional problems, CEC2022 and four constrained engineering problems. In parallel, we employed 14 established optimization algorithms as a control group. The experimental outcomes reveal that HSO outperforms the 14 well-known optimization algorithms, achieving first average ranking out of them in CEC2017 and CEC2022. Across the four classical engineering design problems, HSO consistently delivers the best results. These results substantiate HSO as a highly effective optimization algorithm for both high-dimensional optimization and engineering challenges.
Environmental Management Systems: Assessing Their Level of Use on Industrial Forestlands
Authors: Germain R.H. , Harris S. , Luzadis V. 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
An industry-wide survey of the forest products industry was conducted to measure the development of environmental management systems (EMS) designed to implement sustainable forest management on industrial forestlands. The results indicated that larger capacity, publicly owned operations (i.e., paper or engineered forest products firms) that participated in a forest certification standard exhibited well-developed EMSs. Smaller capacity, privately owned operations, such as sawmills, had poorly or undeveloped EMSs. The study provides a valuable baseline by which to measure future EMS development in the forest products industry.
North Carolina's Natural Heritage Program: A Case for Public–Private Cooperation
Authors: Cassingham K.M. , Sills E.O. , Pattanayak S.K. , Mansfield C.A. 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Voluntary conservation programs are an effective tool for recognizing and preserving the value of special places on private forestlands. We evaluate private landowner participation in the Natural Heritage Program of North Carolina, finding that landowners are more likely to enroll land with high ecological significance in this voluntary program. Voluntary conservation is less likely on lands that are remote from threats such as roads, that have higher value in other uses, and that are near lands already conserved by the public.
Safe Harbor for the Red-Cockaded Woodpecker: Private Forest Landowners Share Their Views
Authors: Zhang D. , Mehmood S.R. 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
We surveyed North Carolina and South Carolina private forest landowners to learn their attitudes about the Safe Harbor Program initiated by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Environmental Defense Fund. Landowners who own large amounts of forestland near active clusters of red-cockaded woodpeckers (Picoides borealis), whose forests have a high proportion of mature pine, and who practice prescribed burning or chemical or mechanical methods to control understory hardwoods are most likely to sign an agreement to participate. We found that the views of program participants and nonparticipants were similar concerning the Endangered Species Act and the alternatives to the Safe Harbor Program.
Characterizing Loggers' Forest Management Decisions
Authors: Keefer M.J. , Finley J.C. , Luloff A.E. , McDill M.E. 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Making daily decisions with foresters and landowners, loggers play a critical role in managing forest resources. A study of Pennsylvania loggers was used to explore what factors might influence loggers' forest management decisions. Results from interviews and a mail survey suggest that loggers' choice of improvement thinnings versus diameter-limit cuts depends on their training, attitudes, and interactions with foresters. Specifically, we found that a single introductory course in forest ecology and silviculture can help loggers make more-informed management decisions, but loggers who work with some foresters may make decisions that have potentially negative impacts on the forest. Such insights into the logging industry are important for improving communication between foresters and loggers and thus improving forest practices.
Southern Forest Resource Assessment highlights: Managing for Forest Health
Authors: Mistretta P.A. 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Both native and exotic insects and diseases affect southern forest health and vitality and therefore have ecological and economic effects. In addition, there are abiotic factors, such as climate change and air pollution, that may interact with and sometimes exacerbate the dynamics of insect and disease outbreaks. Managing for forest health in this changing environment remains a critical challenge for forest managers in the South. The Southern Forest Resource Assessment (SFRA) addressed questions regarding the health of forest ecosystems; this summary of the findings focuses on the implications for forest management in the region.
Legal and Ethical Components of Forester Licensing: An Insider's View
Authors: Mortimer M.J. 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
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

Abstract
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.
Spatial Forest Planning: To Adopt, or Not to Adopt?
Authors: Bettinger P. , Sessions J. 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
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

Abstract
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.
Urban Forestry: The Final Frontier?
Authors: McPherson E.G. 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
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

Abstract
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.
Localizing National Fragmentation Statistics with Forest Type Maps
Authors: Riitters K.H. , Coulston J.W. , Wickham J.D. 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
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

Abstract
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

Abstract
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

Abstract
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.
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

Abstract
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.
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

Abstract
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

Abstract
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.
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

Abstract
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

Abstract
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.
“Boutique” Forestry: New Forest Practices in Urbanizing Landscapes
Authors: Hull R. Bruce , Robertson David P. , Buhyoff Gregory J. 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
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

Abstract
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

Abstract
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

Abstract
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

Abstract
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.