Life Sciences Commons^™

Standard-Level Herbivory In An Old-Growth Conifer Forest Canopy, David C. Shaw, Kristina A. Ernest, H. Bruce Rinker, Margaret D. Lowman

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences

Herbivory is an important ecological process in forest canopies but is difficult to measure, especially for whole stands. We used the Wind River Canopy Crane in Washington State to access 101 randomly-located sample points throughout the forest canopy. This provided a relatively quick and convenient way to estimate herbivory for a whole stand. The overall level of herbivory was estimated at 1.6% of leaf area. The distribution was strongly skewed to the lower canopy where broad-leafed species experienced higher levels of herbivory. Herbivory averaged 0.3% in conifers and 13.5% in broad-leafed species. Fully half of the sample points had no …

Policy Tools For Smart Growth In New England, New England Environmental Finance Center

Smart Growth

Across New England communities have been experiencing a rapid outward surge of development away from our community and downtown centers. Effects of sprawl include a loss of wildlife habitat, farm and timber lands; increased costs of community services and higher taxes; auto-dependency, longer commutes, and increased congestion; increases in air and water pollution; a sedentary lifestyle and increased obesity; and losses to one’s sense of place and social ties.

State-level responses to sprawl have surfaced throughout New England in recent years. This report describes 11 examples of these responses, representing all six New England states and a diversity of recent …

Changes In Understory Vegetation Of A Ponderosa Pine Forest In Northern Arizona 30 Years After A Wildfire, Amanda L. Bataineh, Brian P. Oswald, Mohammad M. Bataineh, Hans M. Williams, Dean W. Coble

Faculty Publications

Wildland fires can cause shifts in understory species composition and production. Many studies have examined short-term changes in understory vegetation following a wildfire; however, very few long term studies are available. The objective of this study was to examine changes in understory (herb and shrub) species composition and production since the 1972 Rattle Burn wildfire on the Coconino National Forest near Flagstaff, Arizona. Understory species composition and production were originally sampled in 1972, 1974, and 1980 and were re-sampled during July and August of 2002 and 2003 on 30 plots in each of four sites: high severity burn, low severity …

An Approach For Using Soil Surveys To Guide The Placement Of Water Quality Buffers, Mike Dosskey, Matthew J. Helmers, Dean E. Eisenhauer

USDA Forest Service / UNL Faculty Publications

Vegetative buffers may function better for filtering agricultural runoff in some locations than in others because of intrinsic characteristics of the land on which they are placed. The objective of this study was to develop a method based on soil survey attributes that can be used to compare soil map units for how effectively a buffer installed in them could remove pollutants from crop field runoff. Three separate models were developed. The surface runoff models for sediment and for dissolved pollutants were quantitative, based mainly on slope, soil, and rainfall factors of the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE), and …

Response Of The Herbaceous Layer Of Forest Ecosystems To Excess Nitrogen Deposition, Frank S. Gilliam

Biological Sciences Faculty Research

• 1 This review brings into focus what is known about the response of the herbaceous layer of forest ecosystems to increasing nitrogen deposition. The emphasis on forests in general is important for two reasons. First, forests often occupy areas receiving high rates of atmospheric deposition of N. Second, compared with herb-dominated communities, about which much is known regarding response to excess N, forests generally display greater biological and structural complexity. The more specific focus on the herbaceous layer – here defined as all vascular (herbaceous and woody) plants ≤ 1 m in height – is warranted because most of the …

Meeting Minutes, October 7th, 2006, National Smokejumper Association Board Of Directors

National Smokejumper Association Meeting Minutes

Agenda: Minutes of the Previous Meeting.; Treasurer's Report.; Annual Fund.; Investment Fund Status.; Trails Report.; Reunion Update.; Merchandising Program.; New Smokejumper Video.; Bozeman Watch Company.; Left Hand brewing Company.; Life Membership Update.; History Program.; NCSB Reunion.; National Smokejumper Center (WYS).; Forest Service Reunion.; Succession: Next NSA President and First Vice President.; 2007 Meetings.; E-mail voting by the Board of Directors.;

Fire Making Fuel: How A Surface Fire In A Primary Forest Affected The Availability Of Potential Fuel One Year Later, Alex Leckie

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Fires affect millions of hectares of tropical forests around the world. These fires result in great environmental damage and economical losses. Many farmers are dependent on fire for managing their lands and many times their fires accidentally spread into forests via fuels on the forest floor. This study attempted to analyze and quantify the difference of potential fuel in a primary forest which burned one year before and an unburned part of the same forest at a primary forest fragment surrounded by farms and with a history of anthropogenic accidental fires burning it. This was done by making three sample …

The Dandy Scroll, Fall 2006, University Of Maine Pulp And Paper Foundation

General University of Maine Publications

The Fall 2006 issue of The Dandy Scroll newsletter produced by the University of Maine Pulp and Paper Foundation.

Climate Change And Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation In Agroecosystems, Richard B. Thomas, Skip Van Bloem, William H. Schlesinger

Publications

No abstract provided.

Working Trees For Water Quality

Working Trees (USDA-NAC)

Water is a precious national resource. Often, human activities degrade the quality of the water in the streams, lakes, estuaries, wetlands, and aquifiers on which we depend. Pollutants from agricultural and urban sources have made many of our waters unsuitable for swimming and fishing. Excessive sedimentation, pesticides, and fertilizers are harming fish and other aquatic life. Changes in land use also have had a dramatic effect on floodwater damage and frequency. Both surface and subsurfaceAgroforestry drinking water supplies are being impacted by human activities.

Water quality is the end result of the individual actions of all the “neighbors” in a …

Interview With Janet Corbett, Warm Springs Forest Products, 2006 (Audio), Janet Corbett

All Sustainability History Project Oral Histories

Interview of Janet Corbett by Margie Crawford at Warm Springs, Oregon on August 10th, 2006.

The interview index is available for download.

Interview With Ryan Temple, Hfhc, 2006 (Audio), Ryan Temple

All Sustainability History Project Oral Histories

Interview of Ryan Temple by Amber Kinter at Portland, Oregon on August 4th, 2006.

The interview index is available for download.

Interview With Sarah Deumling, Zena Timber, 2006 (Audio), Sarah Deumling

All Sustainability History Project Oral Histories

Interview of Sarah Deumling by Glenn Esler at Rickreall, Oregon on August 4th, 2006.

The interview index is available for download.

Interview With Richard Pine, O'Neill Pine Company, 2006 (Audio), Richard Pine

All Sustainability History Project Oral Histories

Interview of Richard Pine by Margie Crawford in Salem, Oregon on August 3rd, 2006.

The interview index is available for download.

Interview With Adam Olsen, Parr Lumber, 2006 (Audio), Adam Olsen

All Sustainability History Project Oral Histories

Born in Portland, Adam Olsen worked for Parr Lumber for ten years as a contractor salesman.

The interview index is available for download.

Pb1731 Identifying Oak Trees Native To Tennessee, The University Of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service

Forestry, Trees, and Timber

From the bottomland swamps in the west to the mountain peaks in the east, Tennessee is enriched with a medley of forest trees like few other states. Diversity in soil types, climate and elevation give Tennessee an environmental gradient that provides habitats for approximately 190 native forest trees and large shrubs.

Oak trees are an important component of many Tennessee forests and are of particular interest to landowners, homeowners, the forest industry, students and outdoor enthusiasts alike. Oaks are deserving of special recognition, due to their important role in Tennessee’s history, both ancient and modern. Unmatched in economic and biological …

Research On Synthetic Rope And Its Future In Timber Harvesting, Joel N. Hartter, Jared Leonard, John Garland, Steve Pilkerton

Geography

Steel wire rope is used for many logging applications. It has served the industry well in terms of strength, durability, and longevity. However, steel wire rope is difficult to use because it is stiff, heavy, and unyielding. These characteristics can lead to fatigue and exhaustion, and may contribute to worker injuries. Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene synthetic rope has the potential to replace steel wire rope for selected logging applications. Research shows ergonomic gains and other operational effectiveness with its use. This paper presents research results, potentials, and issues in improving economic and ergonomic performance of ground-based and cable logging. Potential …

Interview With Peter Hayes, Hyla Woods, 2006 (Audio), Peter Hayes

All Sustainability History Project Oral Histories

Interview of Peter Hayes by Glen Esler on July 28th, 2006.

The interview index is available for download.

Blanding’S Turtle (Emydoidea Blandingii): A Technical Conservation Assessment, Justin D. Congdon, Douglas A. Keinath

USDA Forest Service / UNL Faculty Publications

Blanding’s turtles (Emydoidea blandingii) are secure in Nebraska, and they range from being vulnerable to threatened, or endangered throughout most of the rest of their distribution. In Region 2, they have not been reported from Kansas, they are extremely rare in South Dakota, and they occupy wetlands in the northern half of Nebraska. The largest population known within the range of Blanding’s turtles is at Valentine National Wildlife Refuge, Nebraska.

The core habitat of Blanding’s turtles has an aquatic component that consists of a permanent wetland and a suite of other, usually smaller and more temporary, wetlands such …

Changing Maine, 1960-2010: Teaching Guide, Richard Barringer, New England Environmental Finance Center

Maine History & Policy Development

Unlike forty years ago, none of us is now certain what the future holds for Maine – except that it will be different. Maine has been transformed by the events of the recent decades. We have come into a new world, a new time – a new historical era, if you will. This new era, like previous eras in Maine history, will require of us new ways of thinking, new ways of understanding, new ways of organizing ourselves as a community of people, if the values and culture we share and cherish are to endure and flourish.

Meeting Minutes, June 17th, 2006, National Smokejumper Association Board Of Directors

National Smokejumper Association Meeting Minutes

Agenda: Minutes of the Previous Meeting.; Treasurer's Report.; History.; Investments.; Merchandise Report.; Reunion Report.; Membership.; Trails Program.; Ed Ward's Son Finn Ward.; Save the Gobi Project.; NSA By Laws.; Life Member Fund Resolution.; Next Meeting.; Adjourn.;

Development And Commercialization Of Advanced Wood-Based Composites In Maine, Habib J. Dagher

University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports

This award is to the University of Maine to support the activity described below for 36 months. The proposal was submitted in response to the Partnerships for Innovation Program Solicitation (NSF 0179).

Partners
The partners for the award include the University of Maine (Lead Institution), Maine Technology Institute, Eastern Maine Development Corporation, State Department of Economic and Community Development, The Manufacturing Extension Partnership, Maine Department of Transportation, Louisiana Pacific, Dow Chemical, State Farm Insurance, Henderson and Bodwell, The Kenway Corporation, Market Development Alliance of the FRP Composites Industry, APA the Engineered Wood Association, National Institutes of Standards and Technology, USDA …

Sp677 Hardwood Plantations As An Investment, The University Of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service

Forestry, Trees, and Timber

Deciding what to do with a piece of land is not always easy. Appraisers use the phrase “highest and best use,” which implies that one should use the land for its maximum “economic/monetary value.” For example, would the landowner make more money by building a new shopping center or residential subdivision (with a substantial investment required) or would he or she do “better” renting to a livestock producer for grazing or cutting hay? Many acres are valuable as cropland growing annual crops such as soybeans, wheat or cotton. The choices for using land are many.

One choice that should be …

Sp676 Oak Shelterwood - A Technique To Improve Oak Regeneration, The University Of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service

Forestry, Trees, and Timber

The oak shelterwood method has been developed to enhance the regeneration potential of oaks growing on intermediate and high-quality sites. The method involves a welltimed mid-story removal to improve the number and vigor of oak advance regeneration and a subsequent overstory removal to facilitate regeneration of the stand.

Sp678 Forest Management Strategies To Minimize The Impact Of The Gypsy Moth, The University Of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service

Forestry, Trees, and Timber

Use of silviculture to manage gypsy moth effects gives foresters additional tools for developing integrated pest management programs. Silvicultural actions should be taken prior to gypsy moth outbreaks to reduce or minimize the potential damage that arises in stands vulnerable to gypsy moth. Three approaches to reduce stand susceptibility to gypsy moth are applicable. First, change the stand composition by reducing the proportion of favored species and increasing the number of non-favored species in the stand. This can be accomplished through intermediate thinning treatments. The percentage of favored species that remain should be less than 30 percent of total composition. …

Sp680 Treatments For Improving Degraded Hardwood Stands, The University Of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service

Forestry, Trees, and Timber

Pthe large trees of tomorrow. This assumption has been perpetuated in the diameter-limit harvests that have led to what we call high-grading today. The largest and best trees are repeatedly harvested leaving the smaller, inferior trees to perpetuate the next stand. In reality, the trees being released are probably of similar age as those being cut. The smaller, released trees did not have a chance to prosper in competition with the faster-growing, overstory trees. These released trees are incapable of continued growth with their small, spindly crowns. The consequence of removing only highly valued trees with each harvest is a …

Sp679 Two-Age System And Deferment Harvests, The University Of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service

Forestry, Trees, and Timber

The two-age system is designed to maintain two distinct age classes in a forest. This system is generally initiated using a deferment harvest, sometimes referred to as a shelterwood or clearcut with reserves (Figure 1). The deferment harvest retains a limited basal area of canopy trees while allowing the majority of the area to regenerate. The harvest initially creates a stand that contains scattered or small groups of older trees, typically one rotation length in age, surrounded by a regenerating age class. The canopy trees that are left are termed reserve trees. At the end of a second rotation length …

Sp675 Managing Oak Decline, The University Of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service

Forestry, Trees, and Timber

Oak decline is a slow-acting disease complex that involves the interaction of predisposing factors such as climate, site quality and advancing tree age. No single cause is responsible for the decline. Trees that are greater than 70 years of age and that occur on drier sites such as shallow, rocky soils on ridgetops and south- to west-facing upper slopes are most affected. Mortality of rootlets in the upper 12 inches of the soil initiates dieback in severe droughts. Secondary insects and diseases (red oak borers, twolined chestnut borers, armillaria root rot, defoliating insects, hypoxylon cankers) are contributing factors that cause …

Molecular Characterization Of Fusarhm Oxysporum And Fusarium Commune Isolates From A Conifer Nursery, Jane E. Stewart, Mee-Sook Kim, Robert L. James, R. Kasten Dumroese, Ned B. Klopfenstein

USDA Forest Service / UNL Faculty Publications

Fusarium species can cause severe root disease and damping-off in conifer nurseries. Fusarium inoculum is commonly found in most container and bareroot nurseries on healthy and diseased seedlings, in nursery soils, and on conifer seeds. Isolates of Fusarium spp. can differ in virulence; however, virulence and colony morphology are not correlated. Forty-one isolates of Fusarium spp., morphologically indistinguishable from F. oxysporum, were collected from nursery samples (soils, healthy seedlings, and diseased seedlings). These isolates were characterized by amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) and DNA sequencing of nuclear rDNA (internal transcribed spacer including 5.8s rDNA), mitochondrial rDNA (small subunit [mtSSU]), …

Sp673 Forest Certification For Family-Owned Forests - Who Will Certify And Why?, The University Of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service

Forestry, Trees, and Timber

The concept of forest certification has grown as a tool to foster sustainable forest management. It began on the global scale in the 1980s, and moved rapidly to the United States. Initially in the U.S., several forest product companies completed third-party certification, followed by many publicly owned forests. Some stakeholders are beginning to discuss the need to accelerate forest certification on family-owned forests. Family-owned forests are particularly important in the U.S. because they comprise the majority of the forest land and contribute the greater part of the nation’s annual timber removal. Yet little is known about who among this diverse …