Treesearch

BLUP (Best linear unbiased prediction) method has been widely used in forest tree improvement programs. Since one of the properties of BLUP is that related individuals contribute to the predictions of each other, it seems logical that integrating data from all generations and from all populations would improve both the precision and accuracy in predicting genetic values by increasing the effective number of observations on each genotype (White and Hodge 1989; Kerr et al. 2004). However, some studies based on computer simulation (e.g. Johnson 1998) and field data (e.g. Panter and Allen...

Lodgepole pine site index was examined in relation to synoptic measures of topography, soil moisture, and soil nutrients in Alberta. Data came from 214 lodgepole pine-dominated stands sampled as a part of the provincial permanent sample plot program. Spatial location (elevation, latitude, and longitude) and natural subregions (NSRs) were topographic variables that might be considered as synoptic measures of climate. Soil moisture regimes (SMRs) were used as synoptic measures of soil moisture supply. Soil nutrient regimes (SNRs) were used as synoptic measures of soil nutrient supply. Simple...

Elk (Cervus elaphus) and mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) have overlapping ranges on millions of acres of forests and rangelands in western North America. Accurate prediction of their spatial distributions within these ranges is essential to effective land-use planning, stocking allocation and population management (Wisdom and Thomas 1 996). Many habitat variables influence the distributions of the two ungulates, making predictions a challenging and sometimes daunting task for resource managers (Johnson et al. 1996, Ager et al. 2004).

Off-road recreation is increasing rapidly in the United States, especially on public land (Havlick 2002, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service 2004). An expansive network of roads provides easy access to much public land, which facilitates off-road uses in the form of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), horses, mountain bikes and foot traffic. No research, however, has evaluated effects of these off-road activities on vertebrate species in a comparative and experimental manner (see review by Gaines et al. 2003). One recent study (Taylor and Knight 2003a) evaluated bison (Bison bison),...

Although benefits of interdisciplinary studies are numerous, potential exists for data acquisition for some aspects of such studies to impact data acquisition for other aspects. This may be particularly true in studies involving both trapping of small mammals and assessment of bird populations. We summarize the incidence of birds captured during 8 research projects in Massachusetts, Oregon, and Washington that used 5 types of small mammal traps, and discuss possible impacts of small-mammal trapping on bird surveys and possible mitigation measures. In these studies, 867 birds representing...

Craft and gift producers in Alaska who use birch as a primary species were surveyed via mail, telephone calls, and site visits. Forty-two usable mail surveys were obtained for a response rate of 38.5 percent. Firms were in business an average of 13 years and utilized an average of 4,778 board feet of birch per year to produce a variety of craft items, including turned bowls, cutting boards, mugs, spoons, and other kitchen and household items. Between 1999 and 2001, average consumption of birch among responding firms increased by more than 42 percent and reported sales increased by an...

Understanding how ungulates use large landscapes to meet their daily needs for food, security and other resources is critical to wildlife management and conservation practices (Johnson et al. 2002). For ungulates like Rocky Mountain elk (Gems elaphui) and mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), landscapes are a mosaic of different resources that are exploited in well-defined seasonal and daily cycles (e.g., Green and Bear 1990). Complex movement patterns emerge when the cyclical behaviors are realized on landscapes that are heterogeneous in space and time (Gross et al. 1995, Etzenhouser et al....

Cattle, mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and elk (Cervus elaphus) share more area of spring, summer and fall range than any other combination of wild and domestic ungulates in western North America (Wisdom and Thomas 1996). Not surprisingly, conflicts over perceived competition for forage have a long history, yet knowledge about actual competition is limited (Van Dyne et al. 1984b, Hobbs et al. 1996, Johnson et al. 1996). One of the first studies of the Starkey Project was designed to address the issue of whether mule deer and elk compete with cattle for available forage on summer range. A...

The Wind River old-growth forest, in the southern Cascade Range of Washington State, is a cool (average annual temperature, 8.7°C), moist (average annual precipitation, 2223 mm), 500-year-old Douglas-fir-western hemlock forest of moderate to low productivity at 371-m elevation on a less than 10% slope. There is a seasonal snowpack (November-March), and rain-on-snow and freezing-rain events are common in winter. Local geology is characterized by volcanic rocks and deposits of Micocene/Oligocene Micocene-Oligocene (mixed) Micocene and Quaternary age, as well as intrusive rocks of Miocene...

The spruce beetle, Dendroctonus rufipennis (Kirby), produces the antiaggregation pheromone 3-methylcyclohex-2-en- 1-one (MCH) (Rudinsky et al. 1974). MCH has reduced the numbers of spruce beetles attracted to infested logs and synthetic semiochemical lures or reduced colonization rates throughout the beetles range (Kline et al. 1974, Rudinsky et al. 1974, Furniss et al. 1976, Dyer and Hall 1977, Lindgren et al. 1989). MCH has not prevented the infestation of live trees (Werner and Holsten 1995), with one exception. MCH in a novel formulation incorporating a microinfusion pump prevented the...