Treesearch

The Coarse Wood Dynamics Model (CWDM) analyzes the dynamics (fall, fragmentation, and decomposition) of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) snags and down logs in forested ecosystems of the western Cascades of Oregon and Washington. The model predicts snag fall, height loss and decay, and log decay at 5-year intervals for a period of 300 years. Snags either fall whole or in parts, creating down logs. Snags also decay from a hard to soft condition. Logs decay more slowly than snags, from sound to decayed conditions, and eventually disappear into the...

This survey identifies and defines innovative contracting mechanisms developed in the Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region and northern California. A survey of nine case studies reveals that several new mechanisms have facilitated ecosystem management, quality jobs, and administrative efficiencies, but at times innovation was hampered by Forest Service institutional structures and downsizing.

This paper examines the environmental experiences of middle and working class whites and people of color in the United States during the 19th and 20th centuries. It examines their activism and how their environmental experiences influenced the kinds of discourses they developed. The paper posits that race, class, and gender had profound effects on people's environmental experiences, and consequently their activism and environmental discourses. Historical data show that while some middle class whites fled the cities and their urban ills to focus attention on outdoor explorations, wilderness...

Comparisons of estimated standard error for a ratio-of-means (ROM) estimator are presented for forest resource inventories conducted in southeast Alaska between 1995 and 2000. Estimated standard errors for the ROM were generated by using a traditional variance estimator and also approximated by bootstrap methods. Estimates of standard error generated by both traditional and bootstrap methods were similar. Percentage differences between the traditional and bootstrap estimates of standard error for productive forest acres and for gross cubic-foot growth were generally greater than respective...

This paper highlights a number of the historical events and circumstances influencing the role of recreation enterprises on public lands in the United States. From the earliest debates over national park designations through the current debate on the ethics of recreation fees, the influence of recreation service providers has been pervasive. This history is traced with particular attention to the balance between protecting public interests while offering opportunities for profit to the private sector. It is suggested that the former has frequently been sacrificed owing to political...

It would be valuable economically to know what are the biological triggers for formation of mature wood (currently of high value) and (or) what maintains production of juvenile wood (currently of low value), to develop silvicultural regimes that control the relative production of the two types of wood. Foresters commonly assume the bole of softwoods produces juvenile wood within the crown and mature wood below. We tested that assumption by comparing growth ring areas and widths and wood density components of the outer three growth rings in disks sampled from different vertical positions of...

Red alder (Alnus rubra Bong.) appears to influence the productivity of young-growth conifer forests and affect the major resources (timber, wildlife, and fisheries) of forested ecosystems in southeast Alaska. We propose an integrated approach to understanding how alder influences trophic links and processes in young-growth ecosystems. The presence of red alder is expected to increase understory biomass, and aquatic, riparian, and terrestrial invertebrate abundance, providing more food for herbivores, fish, and birds. We predict that most red alder trees will die standing, and woody debris...

We are assessing the potential for current and alternative policies in the Oregon Coast Range to affect habitat capability for a suite of forest resources. We provide an example of a spatially explicit habitat capability model for northern spotted owls (Strix occidentalis caurina)to illustrate the approach we are taking to assess potential changes in habitat capability for vertebrates across the Coast Range. The model was based on vegetation structure at five spatial scales: the potential nest tree, a 0.5 ha potential nest patch, 28 ha around a potential nest patch, 212 ha around a...

This work responds to the need to assess progress toward sustainable forest management as established by the Montréal Process Criteria and Indicators. The focus is on a single indicator (commonly referred to as Indicator 46) that addresses the “viability and adaptability to changing economic conditions, of forest-dependent communities, including indigenous communities.” Communities in Oregon were assessed in terms of their connectivity to service centers, socioeconomic well-being, and proximity to public lands. Fifty-four communities rated relatively low in these combined characteristics...

Water quality affects a variety of uses, such as municipal water consumption and recreation. Changes in water quality can influence the benefits water users receive. The problem is how to define water quality for specific uses. It is not possible to come up with one formal definition of water quality that fits all water uses. There are many parameters that influence water quality and that affect benefits to water users. This paper examines six water quality parameters and their influence on six water uses. The water quality parameters are clarity, quantity, salinity, total suspended...