Treesearch

This resource update provides an overview of forest resources in Virginia. Information for this factsheet was updated by means of the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) annualized sample design. Each year, 20 percent of the sample plots (one panel) in Virginia are measured by field crews, the data compiled, and new estimates produced.

Hardwood forests of the Great Lakes Region have evolved without earthworms since the Last Glacial Maximum, but are now being invaded by exotic earthworms introduced through agriculture, fishing, and logging. These exotic earthworms are known to increase soil mixing, affect soil carbon storage, and dramatically alter soil morphology. Here we show, using an active earthworm invasion chronosequence in a hardwood forest in northern Minnesota, that such disturbances by exotic earthworms profoundly affect inorganic nutrient cycles in soils. Soil nutrient elemental concentrations (Ca, Mg, K, and...

Bioenergy production can have positive or negative impacts on soil and water. To best understand these impacts, the effects of bioenergy systems on water and soil resources should be assessed as part of an integrated analysis considering environmental, social and economic dimensions. Bioenergy production systems that are strategically integrated in the landscape to address soil and water problems should be promoted where their establishment does not cause other negative impacts that outweigh these benefits (Figure 18.1). While standardized metrics, such as footprints and water- and...

Fire is a natural component of forest ecosystems in parts of North America, South America, Europe, Australia, Africa and the Mediterranean region. These fires are usually uncontrolled wildfires in areas of ignitable vegetation but can also be prescribed fires set for vegetation management purposes. Wildfires are commonly characterised based on cause of ignition, physical properties (e.g. propagation rate), fuel material and weather conditions. The four major natural causes of wildfire ignitions are lightning, volcanic eruptions, sparks from rockfalls and spontaneous combustion. Among the...

This study examined the effects of two types of parent material, sandstone and limestone, on the response of vegetation growth after the 1990 Dude Fire in central Arizona. The operating hypothesis of the study was that, given the right conditions, severe wildfire can trigger vegetation type conversion. Overall, three patterns emerged: (1) oak density increased by 413% from unburned sites to burned sites, with the highest densities occurring on sandstone soils; (2) weeping lovegrass (Eragrostis curvula Nees), a very aggressive non-native grass species seeded after the fire, now makes up 81%...

In the quest to develop renewable energy sources, woody and agricultural crops are being viewed as an important source of low environmental impact feedstocks for electrical generation and biofuels production (Hall and Scrase 1998, Eriksson et al. 2002, Somerville et al. 2010, Berndes and Smith 2013). In countries like the USA, the bioenergy feedstock potential is dominated by agriculture (73%) (Perlack et al. 2005). In others like Finland the largest potential comes from forest resources. Forest bioenergy operational activities encompass activities of a continuing and cyclical nature such...

The on-going public debate on sustainability of bioenergy began in 2007 and 2008 after a couple of papers were published questioning the reported N2O emissions caused by cultivation of agricultural crops (Crutzen et al., 2007) and the carbon neutrality of biomass use (Searchinger et al., 2008) due to direct and indirect land use change as well as change of carbon stocks. Since these initial papers, many others have been published mainly questioning the positive climate impact of bioenergy. The impact of these papers changed the attitude towards use of bioenergy in the public and political...

Pile burning is a common means of disposing the woody residues of logging and for post-harvest site preparation operations, in spite of the practice’s potential negative effects. To examine the long-term implications of this practice we established a 50-year sequence of pile burns within recovering clear cuts in lodgepole pine forests. We compared tree, shrub and herbaceous plant abundance and documented indicators of soil degradation in openings where logging residue was piled and burned as part of post-harvest site preparation and the adjacent forests regenerating after clear cutting. We...

The response of dynamic and static modulus of elasticity (MOEdyn and MOEsta) of red pine small clear wood (25.4 × 25.4 × 407 mm3) within the temperature range -40 to 40°C has been investigated. The moisture content (MC) of the specimens ranged from 0 to 118%. The MOEdyn was calculated based on measured ultrasonic velocity (V) and wood density. The MOEsta was measured by static bending tests in a climate chamber between -40 and 40°C. The results indicate that both MOEdyn and MOEsta were affected by temperature and the MC. Above freezing point, MOE decreased linearly at a slow rate with...

To improve wood utilization efficiency, oriented strandboard (OSB) was developed; 80% of the wood removed from the forest can now be processed into marketable products. This manuscript describes the history of developing this most profitable wood product, OSB, and the early FPL contribution in development.