Treesearch

This publication displays and interprets changes in a managed ponderosa pine forest in western Montana based on a series of repeat photographs taken between 1909 and 1997 at 13 camera points.

Numerous studies have reported lower densities of breeding Ovenbirds (Seiurus aurocapillus) adjacent to forest edges. However, none of these studies has considered habitat use and reproductive success to address mechanisms underlying the observed pattern, and most were conducted in fragmented landscapes and ignored juxtapositions of forest with narrow openings such as roads. We studied the influence of forest roads on Ovenbird density in an extensively forested region of Vermont, evaluating habitat use and reproductive success relative to mechanisms proposed to explain the density-edge...

Chronic, heavy livestock grazing and concomitant fire suppression have caused the gradual replacement of palatable grass species by less palatable trees and woody shrubs in a rangeland degradation process termed bush encroachment in South Africa. Grazing policymakers and cattle farmers alike have not appreciated the ecological role fire and native browsers play in preventing bush encroachment. Unpredictable droughts are common in South Africa but have deflected too much blame for bush encroachment away from grazing mismanagement. Bush encroachment is widespread on both black and white...

This report presents the results of an inventory of Utah's forest lands, completed in 1995. It is the first of its kind for the Interior West States in that it includes all forested lands, regardless of ownership or administrative status. It also includes information on a multitude of forest ecosystem attributes.Included in this report are tables and highlights of area, numbers of trees, biomass, volume, growth, mortality, successional stage, understory vegetation, removals, and net change. Much of the information is organized by forest type, species, diameter class, or owner. The report...

Blister rust, caused by the introduced fungus Cronartium ribicola, is a serious disease of white pines in North America. Since about 1970, an outbreak has been increasing in the Sacramento Mountains of southern New Mexico and threatens southwestern white pine. To help determine the expected extent and impact of blister rust, we propose a preliminary hazard model for the Sacramento Ranger District. The model is based on field observations and experience. We assume blister rust incidence and severity on white pine varies with microclimate and proximity to telial hosts (certain species of...

This user guide explains how to use the Forest Service Sign Sizing program. The program calculates the length and height of a rectangular sign panel for road and trail guide signs. Variable text messages and directional arrows can be mocked up using U.S. Federal Highway Administration standards. Users can make text or other changes and quickly determine the effect on sign size and appearance. After the sign is finalized, it can be printed and used for sign ordering. The sign text, size calculations, and other related information input into the database are saved for future reference.

Plot data from the U.S. Forest Service's Forest Inventory and Analysis program was used to characterize the abundance and selected characteristics of snags from forests in western Montana. Plots were grouped by whether they had a history of timber harvest, and the U.S. Forest Service classifications of forest type, habitat type, and potential vegetation group were used to characterize plot conditions. Snag abundance was classified by d.b.h. class and species. On uncut plots (no evidence of previous timber harvest or other mechanized human activity), total snag (9 inches or greater) density...

Understanding how ignitions occur is critical for effectively mitigating home fire losses during wildland fires. The threat of life and property losses during wildland fires is a significant issue for Federal, State, and local agencies that have responsibilities involving homes within and adjacent to wildlands. Agencies have shifted attention to communities adjacent to wildlands through pre-suppression and suppression activities. Research for the Structure Ignition Assessment Model (SIAM) that includes modeling, experiments, and case studies indicates that effective residential fire loss...

The 88-year photo sequences, descriptions of historical changes, and the initial results from ecosystembased management treatments at Lick Creek portray a dynamic, ever-changing forest. The goals of ecosystem- based management at Lick Creek are to continuously maintain an open forest containing old growth as well as younger age classes of ponderosa pine. Half a century ago, Weaver (1943) and Biswell (1963) recognized that ponderosa pine forests were dependent on frequent low-intensity fires and that forest managers need to substitute prescribed fire for historical fires, often in combinatio...

Treatments applied at Lick Creek were the first landscape-scale applications of ecosystem management on the Bitterroot National Forest. The coordinated effort between educators, researchers, resource managers, and the public helped gain acceptance and understanding of new approaches to management, both internally and externally. The longer skidding distances, high residual volume per acre, intensive marking guides, and underburning requirements all contributed to make the sale distinct from past sales and more difficult to sell and implement. However, if public land management is truly...