Treesearch

Exotic annual Bromus species are widely recognized for their potential to invade, dominate, and alter the structure and function of ecosystems. In this chapter, we summarize the invasion potential, ecosystem threats, and management strategies for different Bromus species within each of five ecoregions of the western United States. We characterize invasion potential and threats in terms of ecosystem resistance to Bromus invasion and ecosystem resilience to disturbance with an emphasis on the importance of fire regimes. We also explain how soil temperature and moisture regimes can be linked...

The factors that determine plant community resistance to exotic annual Bromus species (Bromus hereafter) are diverse and context specific. They are influenced by the environmental characteristics and attributes of the community, the traits of Bromus species, and the direct and indirect interactions of Bromus with the plant community. Environmental factors, in particular ambient and soil temperatures, have significant effects on the ability of Bromus to establish and spread. Seasonality of precipitation relative to temperature influences plant community resistance to Bromus through effects...

This paper evaluates the effect of industry segment, year, and US region on electricity consumption per employee, per dollar sales, and per square foot of plant area for wood products industries. Data was extracted from the Industrial Assessment Center (IAC) database and imported into MS Excel. The extracted dataset was examined for outliers and abnormalities with outliers outside the quantile range 0.5-99.5 dropped from the analysis. A logarithmic transformation was applied to eliminate the skewness of the original data distributions. Correlation measurements indicated a moderate associati...

In 2007, a series of focus groups with family forest owners was conducted as part of a social marketing initiative with the aim of increasing conservation activities on private forestlands. Participants in the study were asked how they perceive and experience their land and how they understand certain terminology used by forestry professionals. Results show that family forest owners possess a stewardship ethic and perceive their land as a means of self-actualization. The results also provide information for forestry groups seeking to craft effective, resonant messaging in their landowner...

This is the third in a series of periodic monitoring reports on northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) habitat status and trends on federally administered lands since implementation of the Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP) in 1994. The objective of this monitoring is to determine if the NWFP is providing for conservation and management of northern spotted owl (NSO) habitat as anticipated. This report focused on the amount, distribution, and spatial arrangement of NSO habitats across the NWFP area; and how these have changed as a result of disturbance and ingrowth starting with the...

The complex nature of broad-scale, strategic-level inventories, such as the Forest Inventory and Analysis program (FIA) of the USDA Forest Service, demands constant evolution and evaluation of methods to get the best information possible while continuously increasing efficiency. The State of Nevada is predominantly comprised of nonforested Federal lands with a small proportion of forest land dominated by non-commercial, woodland tree species. In 2004, a pilot study named the Nevada Photo-Based Inventory Pilot (NPIP) was initiated for Nevada using large-scale aerial photography to obtain...

This report summarizes the proceedings, including key points and identified research needs, that evolved from the Mass Timber Research Workshop, which was held at the USDA Forest Products Laboratory (FPL), November 3–4, 2015. The purpose of the workshop was to bring design professionals, researchers, and industry leaders together to examine the state-of-the-art in mass timber construction, with an emphasis on cross-laminated timber, and to identify technical barriers to the broader use of wood in engineered structures that need to be addressed. Following a plenary session on mass timber in...

Wildcat5 for Windows (Wildcat5) is an interactive Windows Excel-based software package designed to assist watershed specialists in analyzing rainfall runoff events to predict peak flow and runoff volumes generated by single-event rainstorms for a variety of watershed soil and vegetation conditions. Model inputs are: (1) rainstorm characteristics, (2) parameters related to watershed soil and cover, (3) runoff timing parameters, and (4) unit hydrograph shape and scale selections. Many choices are available for each of the input categories and guidance is provided for their appropriate...

This publication provides an overview of forest resources in Delaware based on inventories conducted by the U.S. Forest Service, Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program of the Northern Research Station. From 2004-2013, FIA employed an annual inventory with a cycle length of 5 years, measuring data on 20 percent of all sample plots each year in Delaware. Beginning in 2014, FIA is on a 7-year cycle, inventorying 14.3 percent of all plots annually. For the 2015 inventory, estimates for current variables such as area, volume, and biomass are based on 396 plots collected from 2010-2015....

This resource update provides an overview of forest resources in Missouri based on an inventory conducted by the U.S. Forest Service, Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program at the Northern Research Station in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Conservation. Estimates are based on field data collected using the FIA annualized sample design and are updated yearly. Information about the national and regional FIA program is available online at http://www.fia.fs.fed.us. For the 2015 inventory, estimates for current variables such as area, volume, and biomass are based on 7,821...