Life Sciences Commons^™

Effects Of Large Wood Additions On Basal Resources, Macroinvertebrates, And Ecosystem Processes In The Narraguagus River, Maine, Val Watson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ecological restoration is an increasingly common practice across ecosystems, and current practices aim to restore the biological and physical processes underlying ecosystem function, often for the sake of endangered higher-level consumers. Studies of restoration outcomes often report few or inconsistent ecological changes, and monitoring of restoration projects rarely measures ecological processes. Monitoring also usually measures outcomes at a single scale, despite the prevalence of scale- dependent phenomena across ecosystems. My thesis uses measurements of ecological processes to assess restoration response and evaluates responses across multiple scales. I focus here on a long-term large wood addition project on the Narraguagus River …

Form And Risk Class Distribution And Its Effect On Estimated Product Ratios In Commercial Species Commonly Found In Northeastern Forests And A Comparative Analysis Of Contrasting Field Inventory Methodologies, Ryan Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Estimating product ratios in hardwood forests is difficult due to the highly complex stem forms and diverse growth and regeneration strategies found in hardwood species. This is of particular concern for landowners with large ownerships requiring robust product potential estimates as part of both short-term tactical harvest planning and long-term growth and yield projections. Hardwood-dominated forests are generally managed for high-value sawlog and veneer products. This makes it increasingly important to identify strategies for improving hardwood management to meet economic (maximizing sawlog recovery) and ecological (maintaining healthy and diverse forests) goals.

This study seeks to achieve two primary goals. The …

Mp765: Creating The Orono Bog Boardwalk: A Facility For Education, Research, And Recreation, Ronald B. Davis

Miscellaneous Publications

A memoir by Dr. Ronald Davis detailing the creation of the Orono Bog Boardwalk. The Orono Bog Boardwalk is a premier destination in the Bangor/Orono area for persons wishing to experience the beauty and fascinating plants and animals of a Maine bog. The 1-mile boardwalk loop trail begins at the forested wetland edge in the Bangor City Forest, and after 800 feet crosses the Orono town line into the portion of the Orono Bog owned by the University of Maine. Along the way the boardwalk passes through a wide range of changing vegetation and environments on its way to the …

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 …

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 …

Using Choice Experiment Valuation Methods To Measure Public Preference For A New National Park In Maine, Alexander G. Wilsterman

Journal of Environmental and Resource Economics at Colby

With global population increasing faster than ever, the need to protect land from development is at an all-time high. This paper seeks the measure the public preference for a new national park located in northern Maine. A national park will both protect the land and inject a much-needed economic stimulus to the surrounding communities. The study uses the choice experiment valuation method to quantify its results. Through this revealed preference we can quantify which characteristics are most important to the public so that these characteristics may be considered if the project is ever approved.

Evaluation Of Airborne Lidar As A Tool For Obtaining Sustainable Forest Management Of Maine's Forests, Rei Hayashi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The first objective of this study was to evaluate the applicability of using a low density (ca. 1 point m􀀀2) discrete-return LiDAR for predicting maximum tree height, stem density, basal area, quadratic mean diameter, and stem volume using an area-based approach. The research was conducted at the Penobscot Experimental Forest in central Maine, where a range of stand structures and species composition is present and generally representative of northern Maines forests. Using a variety of high dimensional LiDAR metrics, a prediction model was developed using random forest, a nonparametric approach, based on reference data collected in fixed radius circular plots. …

Production Ecology And Stand Dynamics Of Young Acadian Forest Stands In Response To Silvicultural Intensity And Compositional Objectives, Andrew S. Nelson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Early successional stands are common across the Acadian forests of eastern Canada and the Northeastern US. However, productivity and dynamics of these stands, as well as the underlying mechanisms influencing these processes, under different management scenarios are poorly understood. To address this need, I used a factorial experiment that controlled silvicultural intensity and species composition to quantify the effects of varying treatments on early stand dynamics, and the physiological and morphological factors influencing tree performance . Specifically, I studied: 1) species differences in aboveground allometrics, 2) light capture, light-use efficiency (LUE; growth/light capture), and foliar carbon isotope composition (δ13C) of …

Slides: Next Evolutionary Steps In State Instream Flow Programs, Lawrence J. Macdonnell

Western Water Law, Policy and Management: Ripples, Currents, and New Channels for Inquiry (Martz Summer Conference, June 3-5)

Presenter: Lawrence J. MacDonnell, attorney and consultant, Boulder, CO

27 slides

Maine Forest Landowner Study, James Acheson

University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports

One of the most important questions for resource management is, under what conditions will users conserve the resources on which their livelihood depends? This project studies the forest management strategies of different types of forest landowner groups in Maine. Some owners are doing a far better job of managing their forests sustainably than are others. The quality of management practices is a crucial issues at this time, because the rapid depletion of forests is a world-wide problem. Maine is a particularly good laboratory to study forest management issues because it is the most heavily forested state in the country, and …

The Effects Of Chronically Elevated N And S Deposition On The Nutrition And Physiology Of Sugar Maple At The Bear Brook Watershed In Maine, Suzanne Bethers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Bear Brook Watershed in Maine is a paired watershed system; one watershed has been acidified bimonthly with granular ammonium sulfate ((NH₄)₂SO₄) since 1989. The adjacent watershed is used as a reference. This acid deposition treatment presents unique opportunities to look at the long term affects of acidification on vegetation. Acidic deposition continues to be a concern for the health of sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) in northern hardwood forests. Many studies show a connection between base cation depletion induced by acid deposition and sugar maple decline. In this text we …

Alternative Large-Scale Conservation Visions For Northern Maine: Interviews With Decision Leaders In Maine, Elizabeth Dennis Baldwin, Laura S. Kenefic, Will F. Lapage

Maine Policy Review

Based on confidential interviews with 21 decision leaders in Maine, Elizabeth Baldwin, Laura Kenefic, and Will LaPage examine the complexity of the conflicts over alternate visions for large-scale conservation in Maine. Exploring models that may be useful for policymakers grappling with competing values for Maine’s forests, they present four alternatives: national forests, new U.S. forest service models, forest heritage areas, and the British national park model. The authors found that the leaders interviewed agreed about the need for some level of conservation, but did not completely agree on how this might happen and where the decision-making power should lie.

Slides: New England Forestry Foundation: Private Forests For The Public Good Since 1944, Frank Reed

Community-Owned Forests: Possibilities, Experiences, and Lessons Learned (June 16-19)

Presenter: Frank Reed, New England Forestry Foundation

9 slides

Slides: Changes In Timberland Ownership: The New Hampshire Experience, Paul Doscher

Community-Owned Forests: Possibilities, Experiences, and Lessons Learned (June 16-19)

Presenter: Paul Doscher, Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, Concord, NH

20 slides

Slides: Changes In Timberland Ownership, Peter R. Stein

Community-Owned Forests: Possibilities, Experiences, and Lessons Learned (June 16-19)

Presenter: Peter R. Stein, General Partner, The Lyme Timber Company, Hanover, NH

14 slides

Slides: Community Forest Project: Grand Lake Stream, Maine, Steve Keith

Community-Owned Forests: Possibilities, Experiences, and Lessons Learned (June 16-19)

Presenter: Steve Keith, Farm Cove Community Forest, Downeast, ME

62 slides

U.S. Forest Ownership: Historic And Global Perspective, Lloyd C. Irland

Maine Policy Review

Mainers once enjoyed the sense that the state’s vast forested lands would forevermore be a feature of the state’s landscape and cultural heritage. However, this sensibility has been threatened by fragmentation and sprawl and rapid changes in ownership. According to Lloyd Irland, Maine is not unique. The U.S. is facing a crisis of sustainability in forests and rural communities. Irland provides a brief history of forest ownership in the U.S. and analyzes some global trends to help to explain this crisis. He suggests Mainers look to experiences elsewhere in the nation and world to come up with a new mix …

Land For Maine's Future Program: Increasing The Return On A Sound Public Investment, Richard Barringer, Hugh Coxe, Jack Kartez, Catherine Reilly, Jonathan Rubin

Economics and Finance

Maine is nowhere a more special place than in the quality of its landscape and the traditions of its land use. Among the mo st privately-owned of all the states, Maine’s natural diversity and beauty combine with its traditions of resource stewardship, open access, and appreciation of nature to distinguish it in the public mind and national imagination. In recent decades, however, these traditions have come under assault from the forces of economic and social change; and the people of Maine have responded. In 1986, Governor Joseph Brennan’s Special Commission on Outdoor Recreation recognized the growing threats to Maine’s natur …

Certification And Labeling Of Forest Products: Will It Lead To More Environmentally Benign Forestry In Maine?, Mario F. Teisl, Stephanie Peavey, Kelly O’Brien

Maine Policy Review

From a supply and demand point of view, the trend toward forest-products certification appears simple: some retail consumers may prefer to buy products from forests managed in an environmentally sound way while some forest owners may be willing to alter their management practices in order to sell to these consumers. However, as the authors indicate, the issue of communicating to consumers the degree of “environmental good” being purchased can be complicated and may be a factor affecting the long-term success of certification programs. The authors present the results of a recent survey that assessed the use of two types of …

Mr412: Wood Properties Of Red Pine, Takele Deresse, Robert K. Shepard

Miscellaneous Reports

This report describes important physical and mechanical properties of red pine (Pinus resinosa Ait.) and the factors that influence the variation in these properties. Some results from a recently completed study on red pine in Maine are presented to help illustrate and explain some of the more important concepts and relationships. In addition to studies specific to red pine, important findings on other conifers are presented for comparison with red pine and to provide a more comprehensive review of conifer wood properties. The studies on the other coniferous species help to highlight the sources of wood property variation. With …

Common Sense Over Politics Is The Answer, Kevin Hancock

Maine Policy Review

No abstract provided.

Clearcutting In Maine: Would Somebody Please Ask The Right Question?, John M. Hagan Iii

Maine Policy Review

In November [1996], Maine citizens will cast their votes for or against the Green Party-initiated referendum on forest practices. Better known as the clearcutting referendum, its supporters and opponents have staked out their terms in what has become a bitter debate over "jobs for Maine people" versus the "future of the Maine North Woods." Yet, amidst the deluge of media campaigns and ideological predictions, rest important questions—about forest management practices and how best to ensure a viable future for the people and forests of Maine. John Hagan contributes a perspective to this debate, blending scientific data with personal experience of …

Conservation Easements As A Forest Management Strategy, C. Edwin Meadows Jr., Donald J. Mansius

Maine Policy Review

Conservation easements have become an increasingly popular way of protecting private lands that have public value. Maine, like other northeastern states, has a particular interest in conservation strategies given among other things, its natural resource-dependent economy. C. Edwin Meadows, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Conservation (MDOC), and Donald J. Mansius, the Northern Forest Lands Coordinator for MDOC, address the forest management aspects of conservation easements and provide examples of easement land where forest management is permitted. An accompanying sidebar by Chris Spruce describes a conservation easement that has existed for more than a down years along the Penobscot River …

Academia In The Northern Forest Lands Debate: Research Versus Chronic Brushfires, David B. Field

Maine Policy Review

David Field of the Department of Forest Management, University of Maine, offers his observations on the role of academia in the important debate over the future of the Northern Forestlands.

B819: The Spruce Budworm Outbreak In Maine In The 1970'S–Assessment And Directions For The Future, Lloyd C. Irland, John B. Dimond, Judy L. Stone, Jonathan Falk, Ellen Baum

Bulletins

This report was initiated by the Maine Forest Service (MFS) in response to concerns that a serious effort was needed to capture the experiences and lessons learned during the 1970-85 spruce budworm outbreak in Maine. The report synthesizes the observations and experiences of land managers, as well as the principal results of recent scientific research on spruce budworm in Maine. This report briefly reviews budworm population dynamics and interactions with the forest, then describes the budworm's impacts in detail. It then reviews the three principal responses: survey and detection; spraying; and silviculture and salvage. It then offers an overview of …

B758: A Biomass Study Of The Thinning Potential And Productivity Of Immature Forest Stands In Maine, Harold E. Young, John H. Ribe, Donald C. Hoppe

Bulletins

The purpose of this study is to establish the degree of reliability that can be placed in biomass as a means of assessing thinning potential and site productivity of immature forest stands in Maine. The above ground biomass on 205 plots representing a variety of age classes in immature hardwood and softwood stands on meso, wet, and dry sites was cut and weighed including the standing dead trees on softwood sites. In addition, 45 point sample biomass plots were located and measured in mature all aged stands. Graphical analysis was used to relate stand characteristics to age by site and …

Revised Draft Impact Statement Issued For Dickey-Lincoln, New England Division, United States Army Corps Of Engineers

Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes Project

The revised draft combines data previously published in two separate impact statements prepared by the Corps relating to the dams, reservoirs and Power Plants and by the U. S. Department of Energy for transmission facilities to link the St. John River development to the New England power grid.

[Letter From New England Regional Director To Division Engineer, New England Division, U.S. Army Corps Of Engineers], U.S. Fish And Wildlife Service

Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes Project

The results of appraisals conducted jointly by this Service, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, and your agency concerning bald eagle, osprey, peregrine falcon, and great blue heron.

Water Resources Development Project, Saint John River Basin : Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes, Maine, U.S.A. And Quebec, Canada : Design Memorandum No. 2 : Hydrology And Hydraulic Analysis, Section Iv - Lincoln School Dam-Spillway Design Flood, Department Of The Army, New England Division, Corps Of Engineers

Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes Project

The first of four sections comprising Design Memo-randum No. 2. The other sections are: II - Dickey Dam - Spillway Design Flood, III - Lincoln School Dam - Spillway Design Flood and IV - Flood Analysis and Reservoir Regulation. la section I, hydro-logic studies will be confined generally to the drainage area of the Saint John River above the gaging station at Fort Kent, Maine. The purpose of section I is to present the climatological and streamflow data for the Saint John River above Fort Kent in order to establish hydrologic criteria for the design of the Dickey and Lincoln …

B682: A Recreational Study Of The Upper St. John River Watershed, Jeffrey L. Hengsbach

Bulletins

The purpose of this study was to prepare a series of alternative plans for three time periods (1968, 1975, and 2000) for the Upper St. John River watershed. The plans contain proposals for a primitive type of recreational development based on private investment. One set of plans is an integration of recreational use with the existing timber use, and another set provides for recreational use of the area surrounding the reservoir in the event the proposed Dickey Dam is constructed.