Treesearch

Snow interception studies during the warm winters of 1966-1967 and 1967-1968 in northern Idaho revealed that Douglas fir and western white pine saplings caught about one third of the snow that fell in 22 storms. More than 80% of the snow initially caught in the crowns ultimately reached the ground being washed off by subsequent rain, falling by direct mass release, or dripping as melting snow. Only a small portion was lost by evaporation.

A nesting pair of long-eared owls was found 10 miles north of Corvallis, Benton County, Oregon, on 24 April, 1969. The pair was observed and photographed until 30 May, when the young left the nest. This is the third record of nesting Asio otus west of the Oregon Cascades. Gabrielson and Jewett (1940) reported that Pope collected eggs from a nest "presumably near Sheridan" in 1894. Maser and Gordon (1965) found a nesting pair 21/2 miles north of Bellfountain, Benton County, on 13 May, 1964.

This report presents the most recent statistics on South Dakota's forest area and timber volumes, growth, removals, and industries. It also makes certain broad comparisons with the forest situation as reported in 1936 (Ware), indicates recent trends in inventory and use of timber, and projects growth, cut, and inventory to 1992. In short, it provides much of the information necessary for long-range planning of the timber resource.

Prompt establishment of new stands of spruce following timber harvesting is a major objective in the management of the Engelmann spruce-subalpine fir type in the central Rocky Mountains. Although planting has increased in the past decade and is expected to continue to increase, it will not be economically possible to plant at the rate at which spruce-fir forests will be cutover. Natural reproduction must therefore be depended upon to restock most clearcut areas.

Under season-long grazing of Sherman big bluegrass, utilization to a 4-inch stubble height was better than lighter or heavier grazing for sustained forage production and ground cover. Heavy grazing associated with drought resulted in severe deterioration of the grass stands. Beef gains from the recommended rate of grazing averaged 78 lb/acre. This beef gain was higher than for any other seeded or native species tested at the Manitou Experimental Forest, Colorado.

Seeded ranges in conjunction with native range can effectively increase productivity and income from ponderosa pine ranges of Colorado. Average weight of weaned calves was 33 lb higher, and gross income per calf $8.95 larger from combined use of seeded and native range than from native range alone. Cows received better nutrition on seeded ranges, which may increase their lifelong production. Similar benefits can be expected by grazing yearlings. Seeding requires an initial investment of about $8.50 per acre which can be repaid within 3 years as a result of increased grazing capacity....

Sherman big bluegrass (Poa ampla Merr.) is a long-lived bunchgrass native to the Pacific Northwest. This species has been seeded in the Rocky Mountains and in some areas has produced greater livestock gains than native range during spring, summer, and late fall. Unfortunately, big bluegrass has an undesirable characteristic that reduces its value and use; plants are frequently pulled up by grazing animals. This occurs because the root system breaks at the crown to 7 to 10 cm below the soil surface. Low soil fertility was suspected as a possible cause of root breakage. To evaluate this...

A simple gage on the lysimeter principle has been developed to provide continuous readings of the volume of water flowing from the base of a snowpack in the form of surface melt alone or rain percolate and surface melt combined. The data obtained show promise, after two seasons of being applicable in river flood forecasting, as well as in studies of snow hydrology.

Experimental testing of a mathematical model showed that radiant heat transfer accounted for no more than 40% of total heat flux required to maintain rate of spread. A reasonable prediction of spread was possible by assuming a horizontal convective heat transfer coefficient when certain fuel and flame characteristics were known. Fuel particle size had a linear relation to residence time of the flame while fuel bed porosity influenced burning rate. Burning regimes of liquid pool fires (turbulent, transitional, and laminar) appeared to also apply to moving fires in solid fuels.

Sprouting response and soil moisture depletion on aspen plots were compared under four experimental conditions: (a) clearcut, (b) clearcut, stumps sprayed with sodium arsenite, (c) basal injection of sodium arsenite, and (d) control. Nunbers of sprouts varied with treatment for 2 years, but after 4 years the nunbers of sprouts on all plots were about equal. Clearcutting the aspen reduced soil moisture depletion by 3 to 4 inches in a 6-foot soil profile during each of three growing seasons.