Treesearch

Initiated in 1972, the Landsat program has provided a continuous record of Earth observation for 35 years. The assemblage of Landsat spatial, spectral, and temporal resolutions, over a reasonably sized image extent, results in imagery that can be processed to represent land cover over large areas with an amount of spatial detail that is absolutely unique and indispensable for monitoring, management, and scientific activities. Recent technical problems with the two existing Landsat satellites, and delays in the development and launch of a successor, increase the likelihood that a gap in...

This research provides an important step in the conceptualization and development of an integrated wildfire fuels reduction system from silvicultural prescription, through stem selection, harvesting, in-woods processing, transport, and market selection. Decisions made at each functional step are informed by knowledge about subsequent functions. Data on the resource characteristics of small-diameter ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws.), harvest equipment productivity, lumber recovery, and net profit (loss) by level of fuels reduction achieved were collected from four 8.1-ha...

Differences in small mammal diversity and abundance between riparian and upland areas have not been consistently shown in the Pacific Northwest, and the issue is expected to be complex along the east slope of the Cascade Range with its complex biogeography and forest landscape structure. The information is important for evaluating buffer zone management and the potential impacts of fuel reduction projects. We quantified small mammal species' abundances, diversity, and indicator species in riparian and upland forest along three third-order streams. Each location had a set of four 5 by 6...

Conservation-based development programs have sought to create economic opportunities for people negatively affected by biological diversity protection. The USDA Forest Service, for example, developed policies and programs to create contracting opportunities for local communities to restore public lands to replace jobs lost from reduced timber harvest. This article examines 12 years of Forest Service land management contracting in western Oregon, Washington, and northern California to evaluate if contractors located in communities near national forests have been awarded more land management...

The impact and frequency of forest harvesting could significantly affect soil microbial community (SMC) structure and functioning. The ability of soil microorganisms to perform biogeochemical processes is critical for sustaining forest productivity and has a direct impact on decomposition dynamics and carbon storage potential. The Wind River Canopy Crane Research Forest in southwest Washington provided a unique opportunity to study a forest chronosequence and the residual effects of harvesting on the SMC in comparison to old-growth forests. The objective of this study was to determine the...

Growth and aboveground biomass accumulation follow a common pattern as tree size increases, with productivity peaking when leaf area reaches its maximum and then declining as tree age and size increase. Age- and size-related declines in forest productivity are major considerations in setting the rotational age of commercial forests, and relate to issues of carbon storage, because changes in forest structure can influence large-scale biomass accumulation. Despite the ecological and practical significance of the ontogenetic decline in tree growth, the mechanisms responsible for it are not...

Fire is a driver of ecosystem patterns and processes in forests globally, but natural fire regimes have often been altered by decades of active fire management. Following almost a century of fire suppression, many Western U.S. forests have greater fuel levels, higher tree densities, and are now dominated by fire-sensitive, shade-tolerant species. These fuel-loaded conditions can often result in high-intensity crown fires replacing historical low- to moderate-intensity fire regimes. In the mixed-conifer forests of the California Sierra Nevada, thinning and prescribed fire are widely used to...

Anecdotal occurrence data (unverifiable observations of organisms or their sign) and inconclusive physical data are often used to assess the current and historical ranges of rare or elusive species. However, the use of such data for species conservation can lead to large errors of omission and commission, which can influence the allocation of limited funds and the efficacy of subsequent conservation efforts. We present three examples of biological misunderstandings, all of them with significant conservation implications, that resulted from the acceptance of anecdotal observations as...

A temporary, 14-meter-high earthen cofferdam standing in place of Marmot Dam was breached on 19 October 2007, allowing the 80-kilometer-long Sandy River to flow freely from Mount Hood, Oregon, to the Columbia River for the first time in nearly 100 years. Marmot Dam is one of the largest dams in the Western United States (in terms of height and volume of stored sediment) to have been removed in the past 40 years, and its removal exposed approximately 730,000 cubic meters of stored sand and gravel to erosion and transport by the newly energetic mountain river. At the time, its breach...

Cavity trees contribute to diverse forest structure and wildlife habitat. For a given stand, the size and density of cavity trees indicate its diversity, complexity, and suitability for wildlife habitat. Size and density of cavity trees vary with stand age, density, and structure. Using Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data collected in western Oregon and western Washington, we applied correlation analysis and graphical approaches to examine relationships between cavity tree abundance and stand characteristics. Cavity tree abundance was negatively correlated with site index and percent...