Forest Sciences Commons^™

Assessment Of Vegetation Response To Wildfire At Bandelier National Monument, New Mexico: Case Study Of The Las Conchas Fire, Gladys Valentin-Gonzalez

Geography ETDs

In the past couple of decades, there has been an increase in the occurrence of wildfire events in the United States. The U.S. Forest Service estimates that over 73,000 wildfires on average occur annually in the U.S., burning about 7.3 million acres of land. Bandelier National Monument, in northern New Mexico, has been affected by several wildfires in the past 40 years, one of the most recent being the Las Conchas Fire in 2011, which burned over 60,700 hectaresin Bandelier National Monument and Valles Caldera National Preserve. This research explores a remote-sensing based assessment of vegetation response to and recovery …

Timber Talk, Vol. 55, No. 4, December 2017

Timber Talk: Nebraska Forest Industry Newsletter

Lumber Market Reports: Northern, Southern, Appalachian

Hardwood Lumber Prices: Green, Kiln-Dried, Pallet Lumber, Ties (7x9)

Tribal Walnut Timber Harvesting Expanding in Nebraska, by Anthony Crill, Bureau of Indian Affairs

To Influence Buyers, Tell Stories, by Paul Reilly, Reilly Sales Training

Green Star Energy Group, South Sioux City Celebrates Bioenergy Day

Welcome Kristina Hughes

Nebraska Forest Industry Spotlight: Native Lumber & Sawmill, Litchfield

Wood Businesses Work to Increase Marketing Skills

Trading Post

Forest Resources For Bioenergy, Gerry Solano Avila

Doctoral Dissertations

The overall objective of this dissertation is to evaluate forest resources biomass availability for the production of bioenergy. Chapter II provides measures of the impact that the road sustainability criteria have on the supply of feedstock for forest products and bioenergy. A linear cost minimization programming is used in estimating forest biomass supply curves. Chapter III provides estimates on the changes in US timberland acreages overtime and the ability of timberland to meet conventional timber products and woody biomass demand within the conterminous United States. Chapter IV utilizes the Biofuels Facility Location Analysis Modeling Endeavor (BioFLAME), a Geographic Information System …

Policy Recommendation From Stakeholders To Improve Forest Products Transportation: A Qualitative Study, Anil Koirala, Anil Kizha, Sandra De Urioste-Stone

Forest Resources Faculty Scholarship

With recently announced federal funding and subsidies to redevelop vacant mills and the communities they were in, the forest products industry in Maine is poised to gain its momentum once again. One of the important components influencing the cost of delivered forest products is transportation. A recent study in the region has shown that the location and availability of markets along with lack of skilled labor force are the major challenges faced by the forest products transportation sector in Maine. This study was focused on developing a management guideline which included various field level options for improving trucking enterprises in …

Perceptions Affecting Tree Valuation: An Analysis Of Recently Sold And Leased Properties In Tampa, Florida, Cody R. Winter

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The urban forest is a structure that is fluid in both species composition and how it is integrated in our cities and suburban areas. Much like the fluidity in its structure, the urban forest provides ecosystem services and disservices in many forms. These services and disservices can often come in the form of temperature regulation, lower crime rates, and even higher property values. The latter, which is associated with the economic value of trees, is a part of the hedonic pricing literature which suggests that there is a disparity in the value associated with trees to house prices. With the …

What Controls Variation In Carbon Use Efficiency Among Amazonian Tropical Forests?, Christopher E. Doughty, Gregory R. Goldsmith, Nicolas Raab, Cecile A. J. Girardin, Filio Farfan-Amezquita, Walter Huaraca-Huasco, Javier E. Silva-Espejo, Alejandro Araujo-Murakami, Antonio C. L. Da Costa, Wanderley Rocha, David Galbraith, Patrick Meir, Dan B. Metcalfe, Yadvinder Malhi

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Why do some forests produce biomass more efficiently than others? Variations in Carbon Use Efficiency (CUE: total Net Primary Production (NPP)/ Gross Primary Production (GPP)) may be due to changes in wood residence time (Biomass/NPP_wood), temperature, or soil nutrient status. We tested these hypotheses in 14, one ha plots across Amazonian and Andean forests where we measured most key components of net primary production (NPP: wood, fine roots, and leaves) and autotrophic respiration (R_a; wood, rhizosphere, and leaf respiration). We found that lower fertility sites were less efficient at producing biomass and had higher rhizosphere respiration, …

The Effects Of Climate On Radial Growth Of Disjunct Northern White Cedar (Thuja Occidentalis L.) In Virginia, Joshua A. Kincaid

Virginia Journal of Science

Understanding the geographic range and growth of species is essential for effective land management in a landscape affected by anthropogenic activity and climate change. Climate change is expected to alter the distribution and growth of many tree species in eastern North America, including northern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis L.). This research examined the effects of climate on radial growth of T. occidentalis in disjunct populations south of its continuous range margin in eastern North America. A T. occidentalis tree-ring chronology was developed and examined for growth-climate interactions. Mean sensitivity of the T. occidentalis chronology was within the range of …

Ecological Succession On Neotropical Landslides: Comparing Successional Patterns Of Four Different Aged Landslides In The Cerro Candelaria Reserve, Nace Keifer

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Abstract In an area that is vulnerable to frequent landslides due to steep montane slopes and heavy rain falls it is important to understand how the ecosystem regenerates after it has been disturbed. This study examined ecological succession patterns by comparing the vegetation on four different aged landslides and the unharmed forest within the Cerro Candelaria Reserve, located in a cloud forest ecosystem in central Ecuador. One meter soil profiles and 5x5 meter vegetation quadrats were used to observe and characterize the habitats on the four individual landslides and unharmed forest. At each location, soil color, texture, and structure were …

2015 Maple Business Benchmark, Mark Cannella, Christopher Lindgren, Betsy Miller

UVM Extension Faculty Publications

The 2015 Maple Business Benchmark is the third year of financial analysis for a small group of commercial syrup producers. The University of Vermont Extension worked with 14 maple producers to complete financial analysis of their maple enterprise. This report demonstrates key management and financial metrics including: yield statistics, land use, operating costs, investment requirements, total cost of production, marketing strategy and net income. The participants represent a small sample of the entire Vermont maple industry but the findings can compel any manager to consider the methods and results of financial analysis for their particular business situations. This report will …

Carbon Sequestration In The Cloud Forest: A Comparative Evaluation Of Aboveground Biomass Carbon Stock Potential In The Río Guajalito Reserve, Elli Mapstone

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

As carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere continue to rise at a rapid rate, it is necessary to understand how forests can both contribute to CO₂ levels but also stop them from rising. Carbon sequestration levels in tropical montane cloud forests are a relatively understudied topic. Gathering carbon stock levels is the first step necessary to start a REDD+ project. Carbon stock levels can be studied on a global, regional or local level. This study used the University of Oxford/ Global Ecosystems Monitoring Network (GEM) methodology to examine carbon sequestration levels of aboveground biomass, specifically ground litter, large branches …

Phytochemical Screening And Determination Of Antibacterial, Anti-Tumorigenic And Dna Protection Ability Of Root Extracts Of Saussurea Lappa, Sughra Arif Minhas, Fida Muhammad Khan, Fakhar-I- Abbas, Abu Ul Hassan Faiz

Journal of Bioresource Management

Saussurea lappa is a traditionally well-known plant for its medicinal uses in different indigenous systems of medicine. It is widely used in the treatment of asthma, ulcer, stomach problems and inflammatory diseases. In current study the phytochemical screening of S. lappa showed the presence of sesquiterpenes, anthraquinones, lignans, alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides and steroids. Antimicrobial potential of subject plant was also investigated against three bacterial strains and maximum antibacterial activity was observed by CEE against S. aureus, CAE against P. aeruginosa, while CME, CEE, EAE and PEE showed almost same significant activity against E. coli. The CME (1000 …

Timber Talk, Vol. 55, No. 3, September 2017

Timber Talk: Nebraska Forest Industry Newsletter

Lumber Market Reports: Northern, Southern, Appalachian

Hardwood Lumber Prices: Green, Kiln-Dried, Pallet Lumber, Ties (7x9)

Letter from the Editor: Governor’s “Red Tape Review” Offering opportunity for the Nebraska forest industry

Understanding Moisture Meters, By Brett Miller, National Hardwood Flooring Association - “Hardwood Floors” Magazine

Nebraska Forest Industry Spotlight: MTS Tree Service

Forestry Field Day Announcement: September 30, 2017 Horning State Farm - 2106 Horning Road Plattsmouth, Nebraska

Workshop Announcement: Forest Products Marketing, November 9, 2017 Buffalo County Extension Building Kearney, Nebraska

Trading Post

Timber Sales

Walking As Ontological Shifter: Thoughts In The Key Of Life, Bibi (Silvina) Calderaro

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

With walking as ontological shifter I pursue an alternative to the dominant modernist episteme that offers either/or onto-epistemologies of opposition and their reifying engagements. I propose this type of walking is an intentional turning towards a set of radical positions that, as integrative aesthetic and therapeutic practice, brings multiplicity and synchronicity to experience and being in an expanded sociality. This practice facilitates the conditions of possibility for recurring points of contact between the interiority perceived as ‘body’ and the exteriority perceived as ‘world.’ While making evident the self’s at once incoherence with it-self, it opens to a space beyond the …

The Paradigm Of Engagement: Integrating Social Science And Extension Outreach To Engage Beginning Family Forest Owners, Ian Anderson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Family forest owners own 36% of the forestland in the United States. These lands provide ecosystem services and natural resources to a broad community and management of these lands should be based on informed decisions. However, many family forest owners are unaware of conservation and stewardship options, and the number of unaware landowners may be increasing. A new cohort of beginning family forest owners (BFFO), who have acquired land in the past 5 years, has emerged. Programs designed to inform landowners about different management opportunities tend to attract only a small group of interested owners. In the following 2 phase …

Evaluating Mine Soil Prepared By Scraper Pans For Herbaceous Plants And Pine Seedlings At An East Texas Lignite Surface Mine, Hannah Z. Angel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since 1974, Luminant Mining Company, LLC (Luminant) has planted over 38.7 million trees on its reclaimed lignite surface mine operations in Texas. For decades, the use of improved reclamation techniques on Luminant’s mined lands have resulted in over 31,160 ha reclaimed to forests, wildlife habitat, and pastures with productivity levels similar to those found on unmined lands. The development of new reclamation methodologies offers opportunities to further improve productivity of planted trees at Luminant’s Martin Lake Oak Hill Mine in east Texas. The conventional haulback or ‘truck shovel’ reclamation method uses haul trucks for the selective transport and placement of …

Quality And Yield Responses Of Seven Warm Season Forage Grasses To Partial Shading In A Simulated Silvopasture In East Texas, Jodi E. Hill

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this project was to evaluate growth and nutritional characteristics of seven forages, including various warm season native grasses, grown under simulated partial shading (50%) typical of a loblolly pine silvopastoral system in East Texas. In order to meet the overall objective, slatted shade structures were constructed that simulated the quantity, quality, and overall light regime found beneath loblolly pine stands arranged for silvopasture. The forages selected for the study included ‘Tifton 9’ bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum), ‘Tifton 85’ bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon), ‘Alamo’ switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), ‘Kaw’ Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), ‘Americus’ …

Forest Products Trucking Industry In Maine: Opportunities And Challenges, Anil Koirala

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Forest transportation from in-woods to the final point of utilization is one of the major components in forest harvesting operations in terms of economics, public visibility and safety. In many cases, the price of delivered wood products depends on the transportation distance. Transportation is also crucial in terms of ensuring the supply of demanded products on time.

Globally, road transportation being the most predominant medium for forest products transportation, majority of research are focused on this subject. These scientific researches are of diverse nature; with main emphasis on improving the supply chain issues and minimizing cost of transportation, including road …

A Mixed-Methods Study On Female Landowner Estate Planning Objectives, Rebekah Zimmerer

Masters Theses

The majority of the forested land in New England is owned by private landowners, a large number of whom are at or above retirement age. In the coming decades these landowners are going to be making decisions about what happens to their land once they no longer own it. Female landowners specifically play a critical role in the long-term planning and decision-making process. Women generally have a longer life expectancy than men and assess their level of confidence and financial stability in ways that differ from men. This difference in perception influences the decisions they make about their land. Despite …

The Effects Of Isoprene Emission From Native And Invasive Trees On Local Air Quality, Aarti P. Mistry

DePaul Discoveries

Biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOC) are the second-most abundant reactive gasses emitted into the atmosphere by the biosphere. Isoprene is a BVOC produced by the process of photosynthesis from vegetation and is emitted from plant leaves. Isoprene is a hydrocarbon that combines with oxides of nitrogen in the atmosphere to create ozone in the troposphere, an air pollutant. Invasive trees alter ecosystems and affect native tree populations. Invasive tree species in the Chicagoland area are outcompeting native tree species and expanding rapidly. The effect of isoprene emissions on air quality is a well-researched area in the atmospheric science community, however, …

Timber Talk, Vol. 55, No. 2, June 2017

Timber Talk: Nebraska Forest Industry Newsletter

In This Issue

Lumber Market Reports 1

Hardwood Lumber Prices 2

Letter from the Editor: Nebraska Forest Products Association Can Nebraska’s beef industry be a model for the forest products industry? 3

American Wood Fibers--Yes Virginia, there is pine in Nebraska...And it has value! 4

Pine Ridge Sawmill Ready to Come Back to Life--Doescher Mill looking to rent/lease complete sawmill operation 5

Workshop Announcement--Portable Sawmill Operations and Lumber Drying 6

Nebraska Forest Service Awarded Biochar Grant 6

Nebraska Forest Industry Spotlight 7

Forest Products Specialists Tour Nebraska Facilities 7

Timber Sales 8

Regeneration Of Imperiled Hardwoods In The Eastern United States, Joshua J. Granger

Doctoral Dissertations

Our ability to successfully promote forest stand health and facilitate species under the threat of extinction will hinge on our ability to identify species regeneration requirements in an ever-changing environment. In the first chapter of this dissertation, I address what is known about the nature of threatened and imperiled hardwoods in the eastern United States, and in doing so, I identify several large knowledge gaps in current potentials and methodologies for regenerating them. In my second chapter, I use recent data from the United States Forest Service, Forest Inventory and Analysis program (FIA) to quantify ash regeneration counts across FIA …

Three Essays In Forest Resource Management: Landowners’ Considerations In Ecosystem Services, Forest Certification, And Timber Supply, Nana Tian

Doctoral Dissertations

Forest ecosystems provide a wide range of timber and non-timber ecosystem services that play a vital role in supporting human health, well-being, and economy. Sustaining forest ecosystem will depend on landowners’ interest and willingness to responsibly manage forests, and provide timber and non-timber services for public benefit. Despite a substantial research in understanding how forest resources are managed by landowners, several literature gaps still exist regarding how landowners’ behavior/activities associated with sustaining the supply of ecosystem services and timber, and participating in best management practices such as forest certification. By applying methods grounded in economic and human dimension theory, this …

Influence Of Prescribed Burning On Upland Soil Properties In Mark Twain National Forest, Southeast Missouri Ozarks, Megan Lynn Hente

MSU Graduate Theses

In the Mark Twain National forest there is a collaborative effort to restore parts of the forest to its original shortleaf pine-oak woodland areas by using a combination of silviculture and prescribed fire. The purpose of this project is to assess the effects of prescribed burning on upland forest and soil physical properties that influence erosion processes across a gradient of burned sites of different ages and unburned sites. A combination of geospatial, field, laboratory, statistical (one-way ANOVA) and modeling (USLE) methods were used to assess the effects of prescribed burns on forest and soil characteristics in Big Barren Creek …

Using Forest Inventory And Analysis Data To Support Resinous Stump Harvesting In The Coastal Southeast, Christopher Ryan King

Masters Theses

The objective of the research was to investigate the feasibility and potential opportunities for using broad-scale forest inventory data for identifying high-probability sites containing longleaf and slash pine stumps. The purpose was to assist in locating resinous stumps for today’s remaining naval stores industry. USDA Forest Service, Forest Inventory & Analysis (FIA) Phase 2 plots where longleaf and slash pine were present were observed. Plots were also limited to those which had been re-measured at least once. Variables observed include basal area, diameter, recent cutting, and past cutting. FIA’s Timber Products Output data regarding mill sourcing were assessed as well. …

Herpetoplogical Survey Across Three Distinct Habitats In Ankarana National Park: Long-Term Effects Of Past Land Use On Species Composition In And Around The Park, Julia Park

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Ankarana National Park is home to a diverse population of herpetofauna. In this study, three distinct habitats in and around Ankarana National Park were surveyed for herpetological diversity. These habitats were defined as the deciduous forest located within the “tsingy” limestone karst canyons, the dry deciduous forest outside of the canyons, within the borders of the park, and the anthropogenically affected forest outside of the park’s borders, which is subject to logging and fruit tree harvesting. A total of 27 species of herpetofauna – six amphibian and 21 reptile species were found over the course of twelve days of surveying …

Timber Talk, Vol. 55, No. 1, March 2017

Timber Talk: Nebraska Forest Industry Newsletter

In This Issue

Lumber Market Reports 1

Hardwood Lumber Prices 2

Hardwood Lumber Market History 3

Bringing Innovative Timber Construction to Nebraska 4

Using Biochar to Reduce Cattle Emissions 5

Nebraska Forest Industry Spotlight 6

Timber Appraisals 6

Nebraska Wood Energy Team Conducting Statewide Analysis 7

Trading Post 8

Characterization Of Legacy Sediment Variations In Accretion And Carbon Dynamics Following Dam Removal In A Recently Restored Tidal Freshwater Wetland, Melissa J. Davis, Christopher D. Gatens, Edward R. Crawford, Arif Sikder

Rice Rivers Center Research Symposium

Damming disrupts the natural flow of sediment to adjoining water bodies resulting in the accumulation of Legacy Sediments (LS). While the impact of LS inputs has been well investigated in lotic Mid-Atlantic piedmont stream restorations, (i.e. milldam removal 1,2,3,4,5,), there have been few studies investigating LS following dam removal in low-gradient coastal plain streams. The objectives of this study were to quantify spatial and temporal variations of LS characteristics in a low-gradient tidal stream restoration within the lower James River watershed. Secondary objectives were to assess the current temporal and spatial variability in sediment deposition within the recently restored Kimages …

Digital Preservation And Access Of Natural Resources Documents, David Kulhavy, R Philip Reynolds, Daniel Unger, Steven H. Bullard, Matthew W. Mcbroom

Faculty Publications

Digitization and preservation of natural resource documents were reviewed and the current status of digitization presented for a North American university. It is important to present the status of the digitation process for natural resources and to advocate for increased collections of digital material for ease of reference and exchange of information. Digital collections need to include both published documents and ancillary material for research projects and data for future use and interpretation. The methods in this paper can be applied to other natural resource collections increasing their use and distribution. The process of decision making for documents and their …

Native And Agricultural Forests At Risk To A Changing Climate In The Northern Plains, Linda A. Joyce, Gary Bentrup, Antony S. Cheng, Peter Kolb, Michele Schoeneberger, Justin Derner

USDA Forest Service / UNL Faculty Publications

Native and agricultural forests in the Northern Plains provide ecosystem services that benefit human society—diversified agricultural systems, forest-based products, and rural vitality. The impacts of recent trends in temperature and disturbances are impairing the delivery of these services. Climate change projections identify future stressors of greater impact, placing at risk crops, soils, livestock, biodiversity, and agricultural and forest-based livelihoods. While these native and agricultural forests are also a viable option for providing mitigation and adaptation services to the Northern Plains, they themselves must be managed in terms of climate change risks. Because agricultural forests are planted systems, the primary approaches …

Shape Indexes For Semi-Automated Detection Of Windbreaks In Thematic Tree Cover Maps From The Central United States, Greg C. Liknes, Dacia M. Meneguzzo, Todd A. Kellerman

USDA Forest Service / UNL Faculty Publications

Windbreaks are an important ecological resource across the large expanse of agricultural land in the central United States and are often planted in straight-line or L-shaped configurations to serve specific functions. As high-resolution (i.e., <5 m) land cover data sets become more available for these areas, semi-or fully-automated methods for distinguishing windbreaks from other patches of trees are needed for use with thematic raster data sets. To address this need, we created three shape indexes: a morphology-based index that we have named the Straight and Narrow Feature Index (SNFI), a windbreak sinuosity index, and an area index indicating the occupied fractional area of a bounding box. The indexes were tested in two study areas: (1) a riparian area dominated by sinuous bands of trees but mixed with row crop agriculture and (2) an agricultural area with a mix of straight-line and L-shaped windbreaks. In the riparian area, a Kruskall–Wallis rank sum test indicated class differences for all three indexes, and pairwise comparisons indicate windbreaks and riparian trees are separable using any of the three indexes. SNFI also produced significant differences between windbreaks oriented in different directions (east–west vs. north–south). In the agricultural area, the Kruskall–Wallis rank sum test indicated differences between classes for all three indexes, and pairwise comparisons show that all class pairs have significant differences for at least one index, with the exception of L-shaped windbreaks vs. non-windbreak tree patches. We also used classification trees to objectively assign representative samples of tree patches to classes using both single indexes and multiple indexes. Classes were correctly assigned for more than 90% of the samples in both the riparian and agricultural study areas. In the riparian area, combining indexes did not improve accuracy compared to using SNFI alone, whereas in the agricultural area, combining the three indexes produced the best result. Thematic data sets derived from high-resolution imagery are becoming more available, and extracting useful information can be a challenge, partly due to the large amount of data to assess. Calculating the three shape indexes presented can assist with efficient identification of candidate windbreaks and as such, hold good promise for value-added analysis of tree function in the central United States.