Forest Sciences Commons^™

The Future Of Maine's Forests Under Alternative Socioeconomic, Climate And Conservation Pathways, Jianheng Zhao

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Maine is a historically important timber supply region in North America and understanding the potential change in forestlands and their product industries affected by climate change and various socio-economic conditions can better improve the forest healthy and sustain a sustainable product industry. A statistical harvest choice model for the state of Maine was developed in chapter 1. It was estimated using a multinomial logit model of two products, under varying management intensities, and ownership classifications across varying market conditions. Results indicate that stumpage prices have a significant effect on forest landowners' harvest decisions and that the expansion of conservation land …

Microsite Requirements For Successful Regeneration In Lowland Northern White-Cedar (Thuja Occidentalis) Forests, Jeanette Allogio

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Declines in stands of northern white-cedar (Thuja occidentalis L., hereafter cedar) have been observed as both shifts in species composition and reductions in cedar densities, particularly those stands in lowland sites (Curtis 1946, Boulfroy 2012). While several factors inhibiting cedar regeneration have been identified, a thorough understanding of the conditions that best promote regeneration is lacking. Our objectives for the first chapter were to characterize the site conditions associated with successful regeneration in lowland cedar stands and to describe how spatial patterns of various cedar size classes relate to site preference and to regeneration dynamics. These objectives were achieved …

New Potential For Climate Leadership And Rural Revitalization In Maine Forests? Assessments Of Ligno-Cellulose Nanofiber, Cross-Laminated Timber, And Recreation, Mary Ignatiadis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Maine is poised to meet growing demand for forest ecosystem services from the U.S. construction and recreation industries. Manufacturing sustainable building materials from sustainably-grown Maine wood may help the state to achieve its climate change mitigation and adaptation goals, in addition to revitalizing its rural communities. Managing lands for recreation may have the same effects. This thesis evaluates the financial feasibility of an innovative particle board production line in Chapter 1, and Chapter 2 explores the cultural feasibility of a recreation-based economy in the historic center of Maine’s forest industry. The selective design analysis (+/- 30% accuracy) in Chapter 1 …

Conceptual Design, Engineering & Pricing Of A Clt Addition To Umaine’S Composites Center To House The Gem Factory Of The Future, Advanced Structures & Composites Center, University Of Maine, Russell Edgar, Benjamin Herzog

General University of Maine Publications

In October 2019, the Advanced Structures & Composites Center (ASCC) at the University of Maine (UMaine) was awarded one of ten University Mass Timber Grants, meant to support demonstration projects showcasing mass timber technologies on university campuses. Two of the ten awards were given to Maine colleges and universities, the one described herein focused on a CLT addition to the ASCC to (1) demonstrate to regional stakeholders the viability of CLT as a structural building material, (2) demonstrate cost-effective use of CLT in large, warehouse-style buildings, (3) show Maine’s support for mass timber technologies to further encourage investment in CLT …

Return To Campus_Learning Environment, University Of Maine

University of Maine Communications

Screenshot of University of Maine Fall 2020 webpage regarding SFR220 - Environment and Society, professor Jessica Leahy cancelling a week of lectures focused on public lands and asked students to spend an hour hiking, walking and otherwise experiencing conservation areas near them. Also, for SFR478 - Tools for Forest Management Leahy modified the course to take advantage of forests managed by the University of Maine and Orono Land Trust that were within walking distance of campus.

The Dandy Scroll, Fall 2020, University Of Maine Pulp And Paper Foundation

General University of Maine Publications

The Fall 2020 issue of The Dandy Scroll newsletter produced by the University of Maine Pulp and Paper Foundation.

Bandon High School (Or), Mindy Crandall, Jessica Leahy, Nicole Bernsen, Jesse Abrams, Autumn Ellison, Alexa Carleton, Liz Capodilupo

Rural Youth Futures

With permission from the school principal, students in grades 9–12 at Bandon High School were given a link to an anonymous, electronic survey in January 2019. Participation was voluntary. Bandon High School had 215 students during 2018–2019, 160 of which took the survey for a participation rate of 74%. Every question was optional, so the number of responses varies by question. Fact sheets for all schools and each county are available online at: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/rural_youth_futures/

Sedomocha Middle School (Me), Mindy Crandall, Jessica Leahy, Nicole Bernsen, Jesse Abrams, Autumn Ellison, Alexa Carleton, Liz Capodilupo

Rural Youth Futures

With permission from the school principal, students in grades 6–8 in SeDoMoCha Middle School were given a link to an anonymous, electronic survey in February 2019. Participation was voluntary. SeDoMoCha Middle School had 242 students during 2018-2019, 199 of which took the survey for a participation rate of 82%. Every question was optional, so the number of responses varies by question; middle schoolers had fewer questions to answer. Fact sheets for all schools and each county are available online at: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/rural_youth_futures/

Coos County (Or), Mindy Crandall, Jessica Leahy, Nicole Bernsen, Jesse Abrams, Autumn Ellison, Alexa Carleton, Liz Capodilupo

Rural Youth Futures

With permission from school principals, students at 7 schools in Coos County were given a link to an anonymous, electronic survey between January and May in 2019. Participation was voluntary. The schools had a combined 2,902 students enrolled during 2018–2019, 1,332 of which took the survey for a participation rate of 46%. Every question was optional, so the number of responses varies by question. Fact sheets for all schools and each county are available online at: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/rural_youth_futures/

Marshfield High School (Or), Mindy Crandall, Jessica Leahy, Nicole Bernsen, Jesse Abrams, Autumn Ellison, Alexa Carleton, Liz Capodilupo

Rural Youth Futures

With permission from the school principal, students in grades 8–12 in Marshfield High School were given a link to an anonymous, electronic survey in April 2019. Participation was voluntary. Marshfield High School had 1,000 students during 2018-2019, 400 of which took the survey for a participation rate of 40%. Every question was optional, so the number of responses varies by question. Fact sheets for all schools and each county are available online at: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/rural_youth_futures/

Coquille Jr./Sr. High School (Or), Mindy Crandall, Jessica Leahy, Nicole Bernsen, Jesse Abrams, Autumn Ellison, Alexa Carleton, Liz Capodilupo

Rural Youth Futures

With permission from the school principal, students in grades 7–12 at Coquille Jr./Sr. High School were given a link to an anonymous, electronic survey in February 2019. Participation was voluntary. Coquille Jr./Sr. High School had 350 students during 2018–2019, 311 of which took the survey for a participation rate of 89%. Every question was optional, so the number of responses varies by question. Fact sheets for all schools and each county are available online at: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/rural_youth_futures/

Winter Lakes High School (Or), Mindy Crandall, Jessica Leahy, Nicole Bernsen, Jesse Abrams, Autumn Ellison, Alexa Carleton, Liz Capodilupo

Rural Youth Futures

With permission from the school principal, students in grades 7–12 at Winter Lakes High School were given a link to an anonymous, electronic survey in March 2019. Participation was voluntary. Winter Lakes High School had 300 students during 2018–2019, 68 of which took the survey for a participation rate of 23%. Every question was optional, so the number of responses varies by question. Fact sheets for all schools and each county are available online at: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/rural_youth_futures/

Forest Hills Consolidated School (Me), Mindy Crandall, Jessica Leahy, Nicole Bernsen, Jesse Abrams, Autumn Ellison, Alexa Carleton, Liz Capodilupo

Rural Youth Futures

With permission from the school principal, students in grades 6–12 at Forest Hills Consolidated School were given a link to an anonymous, electronic survey in May 2019. Participation was voluntary. Forest Hills Consolidated School had 68 students in these grades during 2018-2019, 62 of which took the survey for a participation rate of 91%. Every question was optional, so the number of responses varies by question. Fact sheets for all schools and each county are available online at: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/rural_youth_futures/

Myrtle Point Jr./Sr. High School (Or), Mindy Crandall, Jessica Leahy, Nicole Bernsen, Jesse Abrams, Autumn Ellison, Alexa Carleton, Liz Capodilupo

Rural Youth Futures

With permission from the school principal, students in grades 7–12 at Myrtle Point Jr./Sr. High School were given a link to an anonymous, electronic survey in March 2019. Participation was voluntary. Myrtle Point Jr./Sr. High School had 215 students during 2018– 2019, 106 of which took the survey for a participation rate of 49%. Every question was optional, so the number of responses varies by question. Fact sheets for all schools and each county are available online at: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/rural_youth_futures/

Penquis Valley School (Me), Mindy Crandall, Jessica Leahy, Nicole Bernsen, Jesse Abrams, Autumn Ellison, Alexa Carleton, Liz Capodilupo

Rural Youth Futures

With permission from the school principal, students in grades 6–12 at Penquis Valley School were given a link to an anonymous, electronic survey in February 2019. Participation was voluntary. Penquis Valley School had 130 students in these grades during 2018-2019, 103 of which took the survey for a participation rate of 79%. Every question was optional, so the number of responses varies by question. Fact sheets for all schools and each county are available online at: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/rural_youth_futures/

Piscataquis & N. Somerset Counties (Me), Mindy Crandall, Jessica Leahy, Nicole Bernsen, Jesse Abrams, Autumn Ellison, Alexa Carleton, Liz Capodilupo

Rural Youth Futures

With permission from school principals, students at 5 schools in Piscataquis and N. Somerset Counties in Maine were given a link to an anonymous, electronic survey between February and May, 2019. Participation was voluntary. The schools had a combined 666 students enrolled during 2018–2019, 578 of which took the survey for a participation rate of 87%. Every question was optional, so the number of responses varies by question. Fact sheets for all schools and each county are available online at: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/rural_youth_futures/

Piscataquis Community High School (Me), Mindy Crandall, Jessica Leahy, Nicole Bernsen, Jesse Abrams, Autumn Ellison, Alexa Carleton, Liz Capodilupo

Rural Youth Futures

With permission from the school principal, students in grades 9–12 at Piscataquis Community High School were given a link to an anonymous, electronic survey in February 2019. Participation was voluntary. Piscataquis Community High School had 120 students during 2018–2019, 120 of which took the survey for a participation rate of 100%. Every question was optional, so the number of responses varies by question. Fact sheets for all schools and each county are available online at: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/rural_youth_futures/

Powers Jr./Sr. High School (Or), Mindy Crandall, Jessica Leahy, Nicole Bernsen, Jesse Abrams, Autumn Ellison, Alexa Carleton, Liz Capodilupo

Rural Youth Futures

With permission from the school principal, students in grades 7–12 at Powers Jr./Sr. High School were given a link to an anonymous, electronic survey in February 2019. Participation was voluntary. Powers Jr./Sr. High School had 50 students during 2018–2019, 27 of which took the survey for a participation rate of 54%. Every question was optional, so the number of responses varies by question. Fact sheets for all schools and each county are available online at: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/rural_youth_futures/

North Bend High School (Or), Mindy Crandall, Jessica Leahy, Nicole Bernsen, Jesse Abrams, Autumn Ellison, Alexa Carleton, Liz Capodilupo

Rural Youth Futures

With permission from the school principal, students in grades 7–12 at North Bend High School were given a link to an anonymous, electronic survey in May 2019. Participation was voluntary. North Bend High School had 772 students during 2018–2019, 260 of which took the survey for a participation rate of 34%. Every question was optional, so the number of responses varies by question. Fact sheets for all schools and each county are available online at: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/rural_youth_futures/

Greenville Consolidated School (Me), Mindy Crandall, Jessica Leahy, Nicole Bernsen, Jesse Abrams, Autumn Ellison, Alexa Carleton, Liz Capodilupo

Rural Youth Futures

With permission from the school principal, students in grades 6–12 at Greenville Consolidated School were given a link to an anonymous, electronic survey in February 2019. Participation was voluntary. Greenville Consolidated School had 106 students in these grades during 2018-2019, 94 of which took the survey for a participation rate of 88%. Every question was optional, so the number of responses varies by question. Fact sheets for all schools and each county are available online at: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/rural_youth_futures/

Airborne Hyperspectral Data Application In Stress Detection Of Blueberry Fields And Ash Trees, Catherine Chan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Water management and irrigation practices are persistent challenges for many agricultural systems. Changing seasonal and weather patterns impose a greater need for understanding crop deficiencies and excesses (e.g. water, sunlight, nutrients) for optimal growth while allocating proper resources for prompt response. The wild blueberry industry is at heightened susceptibility due to its unique growing conditions and uncultivated nature. Early detection of stress in agricultural fields can prompt management responses to mitigate detrimental conditions including drought and disease. Remote sensing has provided timely and reliable information covering large spatial extents, while novel applications in hyperspectral data and imaging spectroscopy have shown …

Fostering Climate Change Resilience: A Socio-Ecological Forest Systems Approach, Alyssa R. Soucy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As climate change continues to impact socio-ecological systems, those that rely on natural resources are highly sensitive to climatic changes. Maine’s forest industry provides for the economic and social well-being of many residents and is especially vulnerable to climate change impacts. Changes in growing season length and timing, forest health threats imposed by insects and pathogens, extreme weather events, shifting forest composition, and changes in natural disturbance severity and frequency have already begun, and are projected to continue, to impact forest systems in the Northeastern U.S. While climate change presents a threat to forest systems, opportunities also arise due to …

Exploring The Social Effects Of Increased Hiker Use At The Northern Terminus Of The Appalachian Trail, Leah Beck

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The increase of tourism and outdoor recreation popularity has produced a field of research revolved around the social and environmental impacts of visitors. Past research has shown that understanding visitor use and behavior is essential for influencing management strategies. This study focused on understanding the crowding perceptions and experiences of hikers who summit Maine’s tallest mountain, Mount Katahdin. Katahdin is designated as the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail (AT) which has seen a notable increase in use from long distance hikers in the last 25 years. Increased long-distance AT hikers, and documented issues with hiker behavior in Baxter State …

Tapping The Sweet Spot: Predicting The Suitability Of A Woodlot’S Potential To Transition Into A Productive Sugarbush In Maine, Deven M. Teisl

Non-Thesis Student Work

Through conversations with Dr. Sara Velardi, a postdoctoral research associate who has been doing research on maple producers’ scale management decisions in Maine, most current owners and operators in the maple syrup industry have the common interest of expanding their current operations, but they are unsure of how to approach that problem. Due to these current issues, my research focused on creating a sugarbush assessment tool. This assessment tool consists of a set of guidelines which can be utilized by current or future producers and can be used to easily assess woodlots without having to hire a consulting forester to …

Seed Dispersal Effectiveness In The Penobscot Experimental Forest, Gabrielle Link

Honors College

Previous studies have shown that scatter-hoarding small mammals increase seed germination success through the process of collecting and caching seeds throughout the forest. This study seeks to explore this further by examining how specific cache microsite preferences among these small mammals impacts the germination and growth of northern red oak (Quercus rubra). Seeds were planted in six different microsites across three forest treatments. Germination, seedling height, and herbivory were then monitored over time. We found that microsite did not have a significant effect on germination or height, however microsite did impact herbivory probability, and open microsites made seedlings more vulnerable …

Effects Of Repeated Intensive Harvesting Practices, Prescribed Burning, And Browsing On Northern Hardwood Forest Plant Communities, Michaela Kuhn

Honors College

When extracting large volumes of biomass from our nation’s forests, it is imperative to consider the sustainability of these intensive harvesting practices on future forests and timber products, and wildlife habitat and populations. The goal of this study was to assess if plant density and ecological integrity are affected by strip-cut harvesting silvicultural practices, prescribed burning on slash left on site and slash residue left unburned, and mammalian browse. A summer 2019 inventory of plant species throughout Compartment 33 on the Penobscot Experimental Forest, a management unit that recently was harvested for the second time in the past 55years, which …

Basal Area Factor In Variable Radius Sampling Effects On Stand Level Measurements, Carlton Scott

Honors College

The purpose of this thesis is to explore the basal area factor (BAF) of a variable radius plot and its effects stand level measurements. This type of forest inventory is used widely across Maine. These inventory methods can have effects on how a forest is portrayed numerically, which in turn effects the management prescriptions and decisions. The objective of this study was to compare the tradeoffs between inventories using a 10, 20, and 30 BAF prism and examine how these different methods effect different parts of an inventory. This includes analyzing how the inventory may vary in terms of volume, …

Spruce Budworm In Maine 2020 Annual Report, Michael Parisio, University Of Maine Cooperative Forestry Research Unit, Maine Forest Service

General University of Maine Publications

As growing spruce budworm populations continue to fluctuate in Maine, the Maine Forest Service, University of Maine Cooperative Forestry Research Unit (CFRU), and our cooperator network are tracking populations carefully in anticipation of an approaching outbreak.

A comprehensive spruce budworm (SBW) monitoring program requires a multi-pronged approach. It relies on using methods such as pheromone trapping, light trapping, overwintering L2 larval sampling, and both ground and aerial survey. At the core of the Maine Forest Service (MFS) monitoring program lies the extensive pheromone trap network throughout western and northern Maine's spruce-fir forests. A permanent pheromone trap network was first established …

Maine's Climate Future: 2020 Update, Ivan J. Fernandez, Sean Birkel, Catherine V. Schmitt, Julia Simonson, Bradford Lyon, Andrew Pershing, Esperanza Stancioff, George L. Jacobson, Paul Andrew Mayewski Dr.

Climate Change Institute Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

A Double Win: New Pathways To Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions And Improve Water Quality In New Zealand, Mario A. Fernandez, Adam J. Daigneault

Forest Resources Faculty Scholarship

This paper explores potential land-sector policies and practices that could help meet New Zealand’s 2030 Paris Agreement target of reducing their greenhouse gas emissions by 30% from 2005 levels while simultaneous achieving improvements in freshwater quality. We use an integrated model of the country’s agricultural and forestry sectors to explore the economic and environmental outcomes for 21 freshwater and climate change policy alternatives and mitigation target scenarios. The agri-environmental model estimates are then included in a multidimensional decision space framework that incorporates the risk attitude of policy-makers and uses an ordered weighting average model to evaluate potential policy pathways. We …