Treesearch

Transportation can account for half the cost to deliver wood to a mill. Contractors seek to maximize truck payload to increase productivity and minimize cost. One method to ensure a maximum payload is to utilize in-woods truck scales. In-woods scales allow the contractor to maximize payload while not exceeding legal limits. Additionally, measuring axle weights allows a contractor to determine whether alternative loading techniques would yield a larger load or avoid over/under axle loads. This paper reports on in-woods truck scales and a field evaluation of an onboard truck scale system.

Salinity levels are above historical levels in many New England watersheds.We investigated potential sources of salinity in the Pemigewasset River, a relatively undeveloped watershed in northern New England. We utilized a synoptic sampling approach on six occasions between April and September 2011 paired with a novel land use analysis that incorporated traditional watershed and riparian zones as well as a local contributing area. We established background specific conductivity (SC) and found that SC was above established background levels in both the mainstem of the river (peak of 172 μS...

Ecosystem budgets of water and elements can be difficult to estimate and are often unreplicated, making it challenging to provide confidence in estimates of ecosystem pools and fluxes. We conducted a survey to learn about current practices in reporting uncertainties in precipitation, streamflow, soils, and vegetation. Uncertainty derives from natural variation, which is commonly characterized by replicate samples, and from imperfect knowledge, which includes measurement error and model error (model fit and model selection). We asked questions about whether researchers report uncertainties...

We designed several treatments to directly control an invasive tree, Chinese tallow [Triadica sebifera (L.) Small] on Parris Island Marine Corps Recruit Depot located in Beaufort, SC. We examined the response of the plant community to four treatment series: 1) control (C), 2) mastication (M), 3) fire (F), and 4) combination of mastication and fire (MF). We found that mastication significantly reduced midstory density of all species. However, without fire, midstory density increased to levels similar to those without mastication within 2 years. The MF treatment reduced midstory density over...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Southern Research Station is home to 19 Experimental Forests (EFs) that provide unique opportunities for long-term experimentation and demonstration on forest management practices (fig. 1). Numerous studies on silviculture practices, growth and yield, applied ecology, reforestation, and prescribed fire have originated on EFs and were possible because of partnerships with National Forest System, State and Private Forestry, and other stakeholders. Experimental Forests allow for demonstrations of innovative management practices built on...

Woody biomass is an excellent source of renewable energy in terms of cost-benefit and availability. Short rotation woody crops (SRWC) meet intensive wood demand due to their fast growth and ability to coppice. There are uncertainties related to the feasibility of harvesting multiple-stem coppice trees with current technology. In this study, we investigated the physical attributes of two SRWC species, 2 years after harvest. A logistic regression was fit in an attempt to determine whether the number of surviving stems per stump (2 or fewer; 3 or more) had a relationship with the damage...

Bridge inspection using a drone, also referred to as an unpiloted aircraft system, has gained more interest in recent years among bridge owners, researchers, and stakeholders because of its efficiency and effectiveness. In fact, numerous bridges classified as structurally deficient in the United States that require more attention and effort for maintenance activities can be inspected using drones in an efficient manner. The primary goal of this project was to evaluate drones as supplemental bridge inspection tools for bridges that present accessibility challenges for inspectors. To...

Between 1966 and 1969, Forest Service Plant Geneticist Hoy Grigsby installed the last of his tree improvement studies on the Crossett Experimental Forest (CEF). This research, a series of plus-tree progeny tests of full- and half-sib loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), was installed to compare the survival, form, vigor, fusiform rust resistance, and height growth of these families (and CEF “woods-run” sources). Due to a variety of reasons, this study was discontinued in the 1970s. Recently, we have started to investigate the remaining trees in this now 48- to 51-year-old superior pine progeny...

In 1992, an experiment to assess the effect of harvest gap size on natural regeneration of coastal plain mixedwoods was installed in a mature stand on the Crossett Experimental Forest in southeastern Arkansas. Three levels of a gap-size treatment (0.25 acre, 0.625 acre, and 1 acre) were installed in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Gaps were revisited in 2016 to evaluate the effect of gap size on natural regeneration. Gap size significantly (p <0.05) explained variation in pine density (diameter at breast height [d.b.h.] ≥3.5 inches), but not the densities of...

In the William B. Bankhead National Forest, AL, the Sipsey Fork River Watershed’s stream network is composed of many small tributaries that are short in length, ephemeral, and have low average discharges when wet. However, the potential to transport considerable amounts of sediment during significant storm events has not been thoroughly investigated. Sediment runoff was collected from small tributaries that drained recently burned, thinned, and control stands during heavy seasonal storms in early 2016. Water samples were analyzed for Total Suspended Solids. Results from between burned,...