Treesearch

This report presents estimates of old-growth forest area in the Sierra Nevada by forest type in 1993 and 1945 and by old-growth stand characteristics as they existed in 1993. Ecological old-growth definitions for each forest type are used.

Understanding ecological processes and their spatial scales is key to managing ecosystems for biodiversity, especially for species associated with late-seral forest. We focused on 2 species of squirrel (Sciuridae: northern flying squirrel, Glaucomys sabrinus, and Townsend's chipmunk, Tamias townsendii) in a crosssectional survey of managed and natural stands in southwestern Oregon during 1985-89. We measured vegetation and abundances of squirrels at >2,000 points in 19 stands in 3 seral stages. We described the diets of the squirrels in the stands. We analyzed data at point, stand, and...

A team of fire scientists and resource managers convened 17-19 April 1996 in Seattle, Washington, to assess the effects of fire disturbance on ecosystems. Objectives of this workshop were to develop scientific recommendations for future fire research and management activities. These recommendations included a series of numerically ranked scientific and managerial questions and responses focusing on (1) links among fire effects, fuels, and climate; (2) fire as a large-scale disturbance; (3) fire-effects modeling structures; and (4) managerial concerns, applications, and decision support. At...

Fire managers and safety officers concerned with smoke exposure among fire crews can use electronic carbon monoxide (CO) monitors to track and prevent overexposure to smoke. Commonly referred to as dosimeters, these lightweight instruments measure the concentration of CO in the air the firefighter's breathe. This guide outlines the protocol developed for sampling smoke exposure among firefighters with CO dosimeters. It provides a basic template for managers and safety officers interested in establishing their own smoke-exposure monitoring program.

In the interior Columbia River basin midscale ecological assessment, including portions of the Klamath and Great Basins, we mapped and characterized historical and current vegetation composition and structure of 337 randomly sampled subwatersheds (9500 ha average size) in 43 subbasins (404 000 ha average size). We compared landscape patterns, vegetation structure and composition, and landscape vulnerability to 21 major forest insect and pathogen disturbances of historical and current forest vegetation coverages. Forest vegetation composition, structure, and patterns were derived from...

Temporal and spatial analyses of land use changes on non-Federal lands in western Oregon between 1961 and 1994 were conducted. Two distinct changes in the region were a loss of forest lands and an increase in urban areas. Neither the rates of change over time nor the spatial distribution of land converted to urban use was evenly distributed in the region. The influence of socioeconomic factors, such as ownership, population growth, and personal income, as well as physical factors of land such as slope and location, on land use changes also was examined.

Sand lance (Ammodytes) constitute a major prey for at least some populations of over 100 species of consumer, including 40 species of birds, 12 species of marine mammals, 45 species of fishes, and some invertebrates. Variation in the availability of sand lance (and other forage fishes) can have major effects on the breeding success and survival of their predators. Commercial fishing and other pressures on sand lance populations potentially have ramifying effects on many species of wildlife.

Diameter increments for individual trees increased curvilinearly and stand basal area increments decreased curvilinearly as spacing increased from 6.6 to 26.4 feet. Average height growth of all trees increased linearly, and stand cubic volume growth decreased linearly as spacing increased. Large differences in tree sizes developed over the 35 years of study with various spacing treatments. Plots without understory grew more during the first 20 years of study but soil quality decreased. During the last 15 years, growth rates on plots without understory were not superior to plots with...

Forestry policy, planning, and practice have changed rapidly with implementation of ecosystem management by federal, state, tribal, and private organizations. Implementation entails new concepts, terminology, and management approaches. Yet there seems to have been little organized effort to obtain feedback from on-the-ground managers on the practicality of implementing ecosystem management. We convened a colloquium in Forks, WA, in 1997 to assess the state of ecosystem management. We used a recent interagency modeling exercise to formulate six concepts and questions to present to small...

Alaska based on the literature and the author's experience. Storm winds resulting in damage to forest stands are described, and some ecological and management considerations of wind that are of concern to forest managers are reviewed. The author made a general reconnaissance of forest conditions on Prince of Wales Island and adjacent islands based on forest-type maps, aerial photographs, and ground and air checks. Forest conditions associated with blowdown are described and are discussed.