Life Sciences Commons^™

Spruce Budworm Defoliation Dynamics And Its Influence On The Acadian Forest, Cen Chen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Spruce budworm (SBW; Choristoneura fumiferana (Clem.)) is the primary forest defoliator in North America. SBW defoliation has affected tens of millions ha of forests during its periodic outbreaks and caused severe growth reduction and mortality of spruce-fir (Picea-Abies) species. Evaluating these damaging effects of SBW defoliation requires understandings of the variation and dynamics of defoliation, as well as trees' variable responses to defoliation in consideration of various tree- stand-, and site-level factors. In this dissertation, we developed statistical models to 1) evaluate influences of SBW defoliation on spruce-fir stand dynamics of annual volume net growth, mortality, …

Understory Response To Gap-Based, Multi-Aged Silviculture, Maggie R. Mansfield

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The ubiquity of managed forests has created a demand for management practices that simultaneously meet traditional management goals and maintain biodiversity. Ecological forestry, which emulates the outcomes of natural disturbances, is assumed to enhance native species survival by creating conditions similar to those under which species have long survived. We assessed this assumption by exploring the herbaceous plant community response to 20 years of gap-based, multi-aged silviculture treatments. Additionally, we assessed the ability of the treatments to meet silvicultural objectives by exploring trends in tree regeneration. The Acadian Forest Ecosystem Research Project (AFERP) is a replicated study established in 1995 …

Valuing The Economic Benefits Of Conservation Land In Downeast Maine, Lesley Lichko, Mindy Crandall, Tora Johnson, Adam Daigneault

Forest Resources Faculty Scholarship

This report uses an ecosystem services approach to calculate the economic value of conservation lands in Downeast Maine, an area composed of Hancock and Washington Counties. This region, roughly bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, the Penobscot River, and Canada, includes extensive coastline, thousands of acres of forestland, areas of agricultural land, mountains, lakes, rivers, and wetlands. The area is known for its recreational and aesthetic resources, and productive offshore areas. Employment centers range from the tourism-dominated area of Bar Harbor in Hancock County, adjacent to Acadia National Park, to the Baileyville tissue mill and Woodland pulp mill area in Washington …

Mp764: Field Manual For Managing Eastern White Pine Health In New England, William H. Livingston, Isabel Munck, Kyle Lombard, Jennifer Weimer, Aaron Bergdahl, Laura S. Kenefic, Barbara Schultz, Robert S. Seymour

Miscellaneous Publications

This manual provides basic information for identifying and evaluating important health problems of eastern white pine in New England. The health problems include:

• White pine weevil

• White pine blister rust

• Caliciopsis canker

• White pine bast scale

• White pine needle damage

• Red rot or Red-ring rot

In addition to providing descriptions of symptoms, signs, and risk factors, recommendations for white pine silviculture are described for managing stands for low densities and crop trees.

Productivity, Costs, And Best Management Practices For Major Timber Harvesting Frameworks In Maine, Harikrishnan Soman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Though the timber harvesting industry in Maine ranges over two centuries, the state has more forest cover than a century ago. Currently, some of the crucial challenges faced by the forest management industry in Maine and elsewhere in the northeastern US are increasing costs of forest operations, diminishing monetary returns and falling markets.

The major goal of this study was to evaluate the production economics of timber harvesting frameworks under different silvicultural prescriptions common to the region. For which, two field studies were conducted at two different locations in Maine, US. The first field study (Study I) was conducted in …

Improving Conservation Of Declining Young Forest Birds Through Adaptive Management, Anna Buckardt Thomas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Early successional forest and shrubland habitats are collectively called young forest. Changes in disturbance regimes and land use conversion resulted in declines of young forest and associated wildlife across eastern North America. Conservation of declining young forest birds relies on the maintenance and creation of young forest habitats used for breeding. American Woodcock (AMWO; Scolopax minor) and Golden-winged Warbler (GWWA; Vermivora chrysoptera) are two declining young forest species. Conservation plans for both species use an adaptive management framework, which is an iterative process of planning, management actions, and monitoring and evaluation, in the context of species conservation goals. Adaptive management …