Treesearch

The 2007 Energy Security and Independence Act (ESIA) requires 16 billion gallons of ethanol to be produced from lignocellulose biomass by 2022 in the United States. Forests can be a key source of renewable lignocellulose for ethanol production if cost and conversion efficiency barriers can be overcome. We explored opportunities for using woody biomass from thinning western conifers as source materials for conversion to biofuel. We present preliminary results using suppressed lodgepole (Pinus contorta Douglas ex Louden var. latifolia Engelm. ex S. Watson) and ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa...

Site index is the most widely used method for site quality assessment in hardwood forests of the eastern United States. Its application in most oak (Quercus sp. L.) dominated stands is often problematic, however, because available sample trees usually do not meet important underlying assumptions of the method. A prototype method for predicting site index from tree species composition has shown promising results in the southern Appalachian Mountains. The objective of this study was to determine if upland oak site index was associated with two common understory shrubs: mountain laurel...

Reineke’s Stand Density Index (SDI) has been available to silviculturists for over 75 years, but application of this stand metric has been inconsistent. Originally described as a measurement of relative density in single-species, even-aged stands, it has since been generalized for use in uneven-aged stands and mixed-species stands. However, methods used to establish the maximum SDI for various forest types have varied widely. As a result, there are maximum SDI values for some forest types that do not appear to be supported by adequate analysis. This situation has led to confusion and lack...

I want to thank Harv Forsgren, the Intermountain Regional Forester, for his invitation to me to offer a few remarks to this very impressive gathering. I was raised in western Oregon, which provided the genesis for my love of forests. My beginnings of government service started over 50 years ago by serving in the Korean War and I subsequently became a political accident. As many of you know, I was Idaho’s only 4-term governor and served as Secretary of the Interior in the Carter Administration, which was only a portion of my long career in public service. I am impressed with the agenda and...

There are a number of misunderstandings about “ecosystem services” and “climate change” and these terms are often used incorrectly to describe different concepts. These concepts address different issues and objectives but have some important integrating themes relating to carbon and carbon sequestration. In this paper, we provide definitions and distinctions between ecosystem services and climate change. We describe some of the emerging markets for ecosystem services including carbon, water, wetland mitigation and species conservation banking and some of the national initiatives to address...

Silviculturists are currently facing the challenge of developing management strategies that meet broad ecological and social considerations in spite of a high degree of uncertainty in future climatic conditions. Forest managers need state-of-the-art knowledge about climate change and potential impacts to facilitate development of silvicultural objectives and prescriptions that are flexible and enhance ecosystem resistance and resilience. Existing approaches also must be infused with adaptive techniques and strategies. We are working on a project that will help address these needs for...

Although "carbon” management may not be a primary objective in forest management, influencing the distribution, composition, growth, and development of biomass to fulfill multiple objectives is; therefore, given a changing climate, managing carbon could influence future management decisions. Also, typically, the conversion from total biomass to total carbon is 50 percent; however, we believe this value is not consistent across all forest components. Therefore, the objectives of this study are to: acknowledge the appropriate carbon concentrations and distribution of carbon pools and provide...

Landscape simulation modeling is used to examine whether fuel treatments result in a carbon offset from avoided wildfire emissions. The study landscape was a 169,200-acre watershed located in south-central Oregon. Burn probability modeling was employed under extreme weather and fuel moisture conditions. Expected carbon stocks post-treatment, post-wildfire were calculated for all stands on the treated landscape; post-wildfire on the untreated landscape. Results show a negative carbon offset initially—the known reduction of carbon stocks from treatment is greater than expected carbon benefit...

This study estimates the amount of carbon available for removal in fuel reduction and reforestation treatments in montane forests of the Colorado Front Range based on site productivity, pre-treatment basal area, and planting density. Thinning dense stands will yield the greatest offsets for biomass fuel. However, this will also yield the greatest carbon losses, if the removals remain on site to decompose. Stands that regrow the biomass removed will recover the carbon. However, if these treatments are maintained at low basal areas, then the treatments may permanently convert a large...

Forests can play a role in carbon sequestration and mitigating CO2 emissions. However, what course of action needed to meet issues concerning carbon management and other ecosystem services for specific situations is not always clear. The National Silviculture Workshop, held in Boise, Idaho on June 15-18, 2009, focused on scientific information and management opportunities and strategies applicable for meeting a variety of objectives, while simultaneously addressing carbon sequestration and biomass utilization. The symposium and subsequent proceedings covered four general areas of interest:...