Treesearch

Statistical models are presented which relate near-view scenic beauty of ponderosa pine stands in the Southwest to variables describing physical characteristics. The models suggest that herbage and large ponderosa pine contribute to scenic beauty, while numbers of small and intermediate-sized pine trees and downed wood, especially as slash, detract from scenic beauty. Areas of lower overstory density and less tree clumping were preferred. Moderate harvest of relatively dense stands tends to improve scenic beauty once the stand has recovered from obvious harvest effects. The recovery period...

Plant communities are inherently variable due to a number of environmental and biological forces. Canopy cover and aboveground biomass were determined for understory vegetation in plant communities of a prairie grassland-forest ecotone in southeastern Montana. Vegetation units were described using polar ordination and stepwise discriminant analysis. Nine of a total of 88 plant species encountered and cover of litter were the most useful variables in distinguishing among vegetation units on the study area and accounted for nearly 100 percent of the variation in the data. Seven vegetation...

Black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) control by poisoning with zinc phosphide was not economically feasible in the Conata Basin of South Dakota. Economic analyses were conducted from U.S. Forest Service and rancher viewpoints. Control programs were analyzed with annual maintenance or complete retreatment of initially treated areas to prevent prairie dog repopulation and, except for annual maintenance at low repopulation rates, were unable to recover initial control costs. At a prairie dog repopulation rate of 30% per year (the most realistic projection), prairie dog control was...

Analyses of 43 blue spruce populations at age 12 (9 years in the field) revealed significant differences among populations for survival, height, vigor, crown diameter, frost injury, and foliage color. Use of regions increases the probability of locating better seeds sources, but high variability among individual populations within regions limits their value in specifying where better seed sources can be collected. Phenotypes should be selected in best stands within regions.Dataset for this publication

The loss of suitable, high quality habitat is a major problem facing big game managers in the western United States. Agricultural, water, road and highway, housing, and recreational development have contributed to loss of natural big game habitat (Wallmo et al. 1976, Reed 1981). In the western United States, surface mining of minerals has great potential to adversely affect localized big game populations (Reed 1981). Helms (1978) discussed negative and positive impacts of mine development on pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) in Wyoming. He reported an actual increase in pronghorn population...

Linear regression equations were developed to predict stand volumes for aspen given average stand basal area and average stand height. Tables constructed from these equations allow easy field estimation of gross merchantable cubic and board foot Scribner Rules per acre, and cubic meters per hectare using simple prism cruise data.

Coyotes (Canis latrans) are one of the most widely studied animals in North America. The primary reason that much effort has been directed toward understanding the coyote is its feeding patterns. Coyotes prey upon domestic animals (Murie 1951, Gipson 1974, MacCracken 1982) and game animals (Fichter et al. 1955, Beasom 1974, Salwasser 1974, MacCracken and Hansen 1982), and feed on fruit and vegetable crops (MacCracken 1982). Presumably, the primary objective of most coyote research is to gain knowledge of coyote ecology which can be used to decrease conflicts with man.

Increased research and development of cultural practices and species has assured success of establishment of trees and shrubs on lands disturbed by surface mining. Trickle irrigation and water harvesting techniques have increased survival of planted stock by 250 percent for some species.

Trickle irrigation, during establishment, increased survival two fold for seven species of shrubs and trees planted on coal mine spoil in the semiarid area of northeastern Wyoming, USA. Increased survival of irrigated plants persisted for five years after initiation of this study, which included two growing and winter seasons after cessation of irrigation. Species included green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica), Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia), silver buffaloberry (Shepherdia argentea), Siberian peashrub (Caragana arborescens), American plum (Prunus Americana), ponderosa pine (Pinus...

This manual documents the fuel modeling procedures of BEHAVE--a state-of-the-art wildland fire behavior prediction system. Described are procedures for collecting fuel data, using the data with the program, and testing and adjusting the fuel model.