Treesearch

Data on foraging behavior are often used for examining use of habitat and describing community structure among co-occurring species of birds using the same resource base (e.g., Johnson 1966, Eckhardt 1979, Rusterholz 1981). Differences in tree species, foliage morphology, and bark structure may influence the types of prey taken and the species of bird using the substrate (e.g., Jackson 1979, Holmes and Robinson 1981, Robinson and Holmes 1984). Elucidation of foraging behaviors and tree species preferences is important if we are to determine the role of birds in forest ecosystems, and make...

A vegetation classification based on concepts and methods developed by Daubenmire was used to identify 12 forest habitat types and one shrub habitat type in the Black Hills. Included were two habitat types in the Quercus macrocarpa series, seven in the Pinus ponderosa series, one in the Populus tremuloides series, two in the Picea glaucci series, and one in the Cercocarpus montanus series. A key to identify the habitat types and the management implications associated with each are provided.

A study in the State of North Carplina, U.S.A. demonstrated that large, permanent photo plots (400 hectares) can be used to monitor large regions of land by using remote sensing techniques. Estimates of area in a variety of land cover categories were made by photointerpretation of medium-scale aerial photography from a single month using 111 photo plots. Many of these area estimates compared favorably with the most recent data from the traditional forest inventory, although sampling errors of the new system are at least eight times larger due to the small sample size. The new system...

This study developed regional overstory-understory models for four forest types in southeastern Alabama and tested the ability of these models to predict understory vegetation using overstory data from southern and southwestern Alabama. Cross-sectional data from the USDA Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis Unit Multiresource Survey of Alabama was used to analyze the relationship between timber stand characteristics and herbaceous cover under planted pine, natural pine, mixed pine-hardwoods, and upland hardwoods. Herbaceous cover was significantly related to total growing stock...

Potentially lethal ground surface temperatures were measured at three locations in the Northern Rocky Mountains but occurred more frequently under treatments with greater overstory removal. Observed maximum and minimum temperatures of exposed surfaces are directly related to the thermal properties of the surface materials. Survival of planted seedlings was consistent with the pattern of potentially lethal temperatures. Care in manipulating overstory canopies and residues can enhance the potential for tree seedling survival.

Organic debris, including wood residue, is important to the development and function of. forest soil. Organic matter stores nutrients and moisture plus it provides important habitats for microbes beneficial to tree growth. To protect long-term forest soil productivity, organic horizons and their parent materials should be maintained.

This summer marked the 50th anniversary of the Fraser Experimental Forest. These proceedings are the tangible product of the technical conference called to summarize, discuss, and transfer the knowledge learned over these 50 years. Eighteen formal papers describe the status of our knowledge about the interactions among timber, water, and wildlife. These papers were designed to present a balance of perspectives between research knowledge gained, and how that knowledge is actually being applied by forest managesrs and other resource specialists.

Breeding birds were counted in 1982, 1983, and 1984 using the spot-map method on seven 8.1-ha plots In the Medicine Bow National Forest, Wyoming. At elevations of 2,280 to 3,000 m, riparian habitats were structurally simple, dominated by one or more bush willow species. Subalpine riparian avifaunas were depauperate with only four abundant species - song sparrow, white-crowned sparrow, Lincoln's sparrow, and Wilson's warbler. Habitat requirements overlapped among these species but differed significantly from randomly-sampled habitat in the same areas. Results indicated that species preferred...

Two subalpine forest subdrainages of Deadhorse Creek, Colarado, USA were used to demonstrate the comparable impact on water yield of two tree-harvesting practices. Of the 40 ha North Fork subdrainage 36% was clearcut commercially using five-tree height circular openings. In contrast, 40% of the basal area on the 41 ha Unit 8 was removed by partial cutting in the first step of a three-step shelterwood cut.

Aspen rings can be reliably counted without resorting to laboratory procedures by using a low-power microscope and simple field preparation of cores.