Treesearch

Application of progeny test breeding values to forecast yield gains at rotation-age in genetically improved stands remains a very challenging yet crucial task for breeders of Douglas-fir and other long-rotation timber species such as western hemlock, white spruce, Norway spruce, and Scots pine. Evaluation of the economic returns on genetic improvement requires reliable estimates of yield gains at rotation age. Large-plot realized gain trials should provide more accurate estimates of yield gain than inferences from progeny tests, but are most dependable when they reach rotation age or at...

Conceptual and methodological tools from behavioral ecology can inform studies of habitat quality, and their potential for evaluating habitat restoration in conservation efforts is explored here. Such approaches provide mechanistic detail in understanding the relationship between organisms and their habitats and are thus more informative than correlations between density and habitat characteristics. Several Pacific salmon species have been the target of habitat restoration efforts for the past 2–3 decades, but most post-restoration effectiveness studies have been limited to correlative...

Individual growth data are useful in assessing relative habitat quality, but this approach is less common when evaluating the efficacy of habitat restoration. Furthermore, available models describing growth are infrequently combined with computational approaches capable of handling large data sets. We apply a mechanistic model to evaluate whether selection of restored habitat can affect individual growth. We used mark-recapture to collect size and growth data on sub-yearling Chinook salmon and steelhead in restored and unrestored habitat in five sampling years (2009, 2010, 2012, 2013,...

Beavers have become a source of inspiration for public and private land managers over the past decade. Beaver dams can help control flooding, raise groundwater levels, and improve surface water flows. Some land managers are now designing stream restoration projects that mimic the way beaver dams shape river ecosystems. Beaver-related restoration may even help the recovery of endangered species that depend on healthy aquatic and riparian areas.The approach also holds promise for ranchers who graze livestock on rangelands in the Western United States where drier conditions are expected in...

Smoke emissions from wildland fires contribute to concentrations of atmospheric particulate matter and greenhouse gases, influencing public health and climate. Prediction of emissions is critical for smoke management to mitigate the effects on visibility and air quality. Models that predict emissions require estimates of the amount of combustible biomass. When measurements are unavailable, fuel maps may be used to define the inputs for models. Mapped products are based on averages that poorly represent the inherent variability of wildland fuels, but that variability is an important source...

Variable density thinning (VDT) post-treatment monitoring is challenging and potentially costly because resulting stand structure is not well characterized by small area plots used in forestry. Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) offer a potential solution for efficient VDT monitoring via rapid survey and subsequent generation of a stem map. In this study we used a UAS to survey and estimate spatial dispersion and stand structure (e.g., basal area, trees per acre, and quadratic mean diameter) in untreated and VDTtreated stands. Results showed evidence of increased clustering in the treated...

The USDA Forest Service has been developing an ecosystem services framework to highlight forest values provided by public lands and to build partnerships with stakeholders to implement projects. In addition to describing ecosystem services provided by forest landscapes, this framework examines the potential tradeoffs among services associated with proposed management activities. This paper briefly describes results ranging from national programs to forest plan assessments to project scale applications that enhance the provision of ecosystem services and sustainable forest management at...

This panel discussion focused broadly on the forest industry sector and how forest management and research on public lands is important to the forest industry sector. Panel members provided different perspectives from the forest industry sector and highlighted some key market topics for the forest industry. The panel addressed opportunities and challenges that the USDA Forest Service will face to increase the pace and scale of forest restoration while providing forest products for the forest industry sector. The panel discussed four themes including: (1) forest market updates and wood...

Ecosystem services are recognized as a way of framing and describing the broad suite of benefits that people receive from forests. The USDA Forest Service has been exploring use of an ecosystem services framework to describe forest values provided by public lands and to attract and build partnerships with stakeholders to implement projects. In addition to describing ecosystem services provided by forest landscapes, this framework examines the potential tradeoffs among services associated with proposed management activities, while attracting and building partnerships with stakeholders who...