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 …

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 …

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 …

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

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 …

Ecological And Organic Life Safety Concerns Of Hfo-1234yf, Alberni V. Ruiz

STAR Program Research Presentations

While at NOAA my research was directed by the inquiry of whether or not HFO-1234yf, a new compound being introduced into coolant system and replacing greenhouse gases HFC, is harmful to organic life. Using the computer program Matlab I was able to develop figures that represented the concentration of HFO-1234yf (HFO) in 12 different tower locations throughout the country. Comparing and contrasting concentrations of this HFO compound at each site led me to the question the possible harmful side effects this compound could bring to organic life due to the fact that concentration levels are increasing, with one factor being …

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. …

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

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.

Are Northeastern U.S. Forests Vulnerable To Extreme Drought?, Adam P. Coble, Matthew A. Vadeboncoeur, Z. Carter Berry, Katie A. Jennings, Cameron D. Mcintire, John L. Campbell, Lindsey E. Rustad, Pamela H. Temper, Heidi Asbjornsen

USDA Forest Service / UNL Faculty Publications

In the Northeastern U.S., drought is expected to increase in frequency over the next century, and therefore, the responses of trees to drought are important to understand. There is recent debate about whether land-use change or moisture availability is the primary driver of changes in forest species composition in this region. Some argue that fire suppression from the early twentieth century to present has resulted in an increase in shade-tolerant and pyrophobic tree species that are drought intolerant, while others suggest precipitation variability as a major driver of species composition. From this debate, an emerging hypothesis is that mesophication and …

An Artificial Neural Network For Real-Time Hardwood Lumber Grading, Edward Thomas

USDA Forest Service / UNL Faculty Publications

Computerized grading of hardwood lumber according to NHLA rules would permit fast assessment of sawn lumber and the evaluation of potential edging and trimming operations to improve lumber value. More importantly, to enable optimization of the hardwood lumber sawing process, a fast means of evaluating the potential value of boards before they are sawn is necessary. As log and lumber scanning systems become prevalent and common, these needs become more pressing. From an automation perspective, the NHLA lumber grades are difficult to implement efficiently in a computer program. Exhaustive approaches that examine every potential cutting size and combination to determine …

Interactions Between White-Tailed Deer Density And The Composition Of Forest Understories In The Northern United States, Matthew B. Russell, Christopher W. Woodall, Kevin M. Potter, Brian F. Walters, Grant M. Domke, Christopher M. Oswalt

USDA Forest Service / UNL Faculty Publications

Forest understories across the northern United States (US) are a complex of tree seedlings, endemic forbs, herbs, shrubs, and introduced plant species within a forest structure defined by tree and forest floor attributes. The substantial increase in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus Zimmerman) populations over the past decades has resulted in heavy browse pressure in many of these forests. To gain an objective assessment of the role of deer in forested ecosystems, a region-wide forest inventory across the northern US was examined in concert with white-tailed deer density information compiled at broad scales. Results indicate that deer density may be …

Residential Building Energy Conservation And Avoided Power Plant Emissions By Urban And Community Trees In The United States, David J. Nowak, Nathaniel Appleton, Alexis Ellis, Eric Greenfield

USDA Forest Service / UNL Faculty Publications

Urban trees and forests alter building energy use and associated emissions from power plants by shading buildings, cooling air temperatures and altering wind speeds around buildings. Field data on urban trees were combined with local urban/community tree and land cover maps, modeling of tree effects on building energy use and pollutant emissions, and state energy and pollutant costs to estimate tree effects on building energy use and associated pollutant emissions at the state to national level in the conterminous United States. Results reveal that trees and forests in urban/community areas in the conterminous United States annually reduce electricity use by …

Quantifying Fish Habitat Associated With Stream Simulation Design Culverts In Northern Wisconsin, A. Timm, D. Higgins, J. Stanovick, R. Kolka, S. Eggert

USDA Forest Service / UNL Faculty Publications

This study investigated the effects of culvert replacement design on fish habitat and fish weight by comparing substrate diversity and weight at three stream simulation (SS)-design and three bankfull and backwater (BB)-design sites on the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, Wisconsin. Stream channel cross-sections, Wolman substrate particle counts, and single-pass backpack electro-fishing survey data were used to quantify fish habitat and fish weight in 50-m upstream and downstream sample reaches at each site. We applied generalized linear mixed models to test the hypothesis that substrate size and fish weight did not differ according to stream-crossing design type (SS or BB) and location …

Dynamics Of Wild Red Raspberry (Rubus Idaeus L.) And The Influence On Tree Regeneration Within Silvicultural Openings In A Northern Hardwood Stand, Matthew J. Widen

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Previous studies have investigated how the abundance of raspberries (Rubus idaeus L.) impacts tree regeneration, but few have linked these impacts to location within canopy openings with a legacy tree. To fill this knowledge gap, we investigated the presence, abundance, and location of raspberries within openings containing legacy trees and the resulting impacts on tree regeneration. During the winter of 2003, 49 openings were created of three sizes: small, medium, large and 20 reference single-tree selection sites in a northern hardwood stand in Ford Forest near Alberta, Michigan. Tree regeneration and vegetative species cover were recorded in 2005 and …

Models Of Forest Inventory For Istanbul Forest Using Airborne Lidar And Spaceborne Imagery, Mustafa Kagan Ozkal

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Active remote sensing technology (LiDAR) and passive remote sensing technology (Pleiades and Göktürk-2 satellites) were used to find a meaningful relationship between ground data and remote sensing instruments for Istanbul Forest, Turkey. Two dominant species in the field, oak (deciduous trees) and maritime pine (coniferous trees), were researched. There were 86 plots total, 41 for maritime pine and 45 for oak. Three diameter at breast height (DBH) thresholds were studied. Trees of any DBH (DBH≥0.1 cm), trees ≥8 cm DBH thresholds and, trees ≥10 cm DBH thresholds. Both satellite image metrics were derived from Grey Level Co-occurrence Measures (GLCM). All …

Structural Integrity And Physical Properties Of Ponderosa Pine Over Time After Death Between Vectors Of Mortality, Edward J. O'Donnell

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

In an era of accelerated climate change, with persistent and increasing disturbance on our landscapes it is important to increase our knowledge of how these natural disturbances effect our lands. This study investigated the changes that take place in ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) stems after death when killed by mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) and by fire. Trees killed by mountain pine beetle as well as trees killed by fire were sampled and separated into two age classes, those dead 0-4 years and those dead 4+ years. Data was gathered on the modulus of rupture, modulus …

Finding Nondestructive Parameters For Root-To-Shoot Ratios In Douglas-Fir, Grand Fir, And Redwood Saplings In Northwest California For Biomass And Carbon Storage Estimates, Walter A. Kast

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

ABSTRACT

FINDING NONDESTRUCTIVE PARAMETERS FOR ROOT-TO-SHOOT RATIOS IN DOUGLAS-FIR, GRAND FIR, AND REDWOOD SAPLINGS IN NORTHWEST CALIFORNIA FOR BIOMASS AND CARBON STORAGE ESTIMATES

Walter A. Kast

There is a need for better understanding of how woody biomass is allocated above and belowground and how this allocation might differ among tree species. In this field of research, investigators face challenges such as the laborious task of removing trees from the soil with destructive sampling, and the cleaning, drying, and weighing of belowground biomass (BGB). Therefore, researchers and practitioners most often rely on existing models to predict BGB from easily-measurable aboveground variables …

The Effects Of Disturbance And Species Specific Interactions On Diversity In An Agent Based Forest Simulation, Matthew E. Mills

Theses and Dissertations

In ecology literature, there is much data which suggests that conspecific negative density dependence (CNDD) and abiotic disturbances increase biodiversity in forests. This thesis elucidates the notion that not only do these two forces increase diversity, but they may also interact with one another in order to achieve higher levels of biodiversity. Abiotic disturbances, like fires and hurricanes, can indirectly impact conspecific effects because when these forces remove individuals from the landscape, the role of the conspecific effects will change. The interaction of these two factors in biodiversity are explored in an agent based forest simulation through a resource surface. …

Molecular Diversity Of Foliar Fungal Endophytes In Relation To Defense Strategies And Disease In Whitebark Pine, Lorinda Bullington

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

An invasive fungal pathogen, Cronartium ribicola (the causative agent of white pine blister rust) infects and kills whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) throughout the western US. Blister rust has decreased whitebark pine populations by over 90% in some areas. Whitebark pine, a keystone species, has been proposed for listing under the Endangered Species Act in the U.S., and the loss of this conifer is predicted to have severe impacts on forest composition and function in high elevations. Hundreds of asymptomatic fungal species live inside whitebark pine tissue, and recent studies suggest that these fungi can influence the frequency and …