Treesearch

Wildlife habitat analysis often is a central focus of natural resources management and policy. State-and-transition models (STMs) allow for simulation of landscape level ecological processes, and for managers to test “what if” scenarios of how those processes may affect wildlife habitat. This chapter describes the methods used to link STM output to wildlife habitat to determine how estimated habitat varies across the landscape, how habitat is affected by different land management scenarios, and how management might enhance estimated habitat for particular species. Using the Washington East...

As part of the Integrated Landscape Assessment Project, we developed a methodology for managers to include potential community benefits when considering forest management treatments. To do this, we created a watershed impact score that scores each watershed (potential source of wood material) with respect to the communities that are likely to benefit from increased wood supply. The communities we consider are census county subdivisions that correspond to all rural places in four states (Arizona, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington). Incorporated into the watershed impact score are indices...

Land managers and others need ways to understand the potential effects of climate change on local vegetation types and how management activities might be impacted by climate change. To date, climate change impact models have not included localized vegetation communities or the integrated effects of vegetation development dynamics, natural disturbances, and management activities. We developed methods to link a dynamic global vegetation model to local state-and-transition models. Our methods allow examination of how climate change effects might play out in localized areas given a combination...

Common and scientific names.

Swiss needle cast (SNC), caused by the fungus Phaeocryptopus gaeumannii, is one of the most damaging diseases of coast Douglasfir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii) in the Pacific Northwest (Hansen and others 2000, Mainwaring and others 2005, Shaw and others 2011).

The Integrated Landscape Assessment Project (ILAP) was a multiyear effort to produce information, maps, and models to help land managers, policymakers, and others conduct mid- to broad-scale (e.g., watersheds to states and larger areas) prioritization of land management actions, perform landscape assessments, and estimate cumulative effects of management actions for planning and other purposes. The ILAP provided complete cross-ownership geospatial data and maps on current vegetation, potential vegetation, land ownership and management allocation classes, and other landscape attributes...

Fire suppression, vegetation management activities, wildfires, grazing, climate change, and other factors result in constantly changing vegetation and habitat conditions across millions of hectares in the Western United States. In recent years, the size and number of large wildfires has grown, threatening lives, property, and ecosystem integrity. At the same time, habitat for species of concern is often becoming less suitable, the economic vitality of many natural resource-dependent human communities is declining, and resources available for land management are limited. Techniques are...

White ash (Fraxinus americana) is an important species in eastern forests that is currently threatened by an introduced insect pest, the emerald ash borer (EAB) (Agrilus planipennis).

Yellow-cedar (Callitropsis nootkatensis) has great cultural and economic value but has experienced widespread mortality for about 100 years in southeast Alaska (Hennon and Shaw 1997).

In August 2010, the Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) announced the discovery of the walnut twig beetle (WTB) (Pityophthorus juglandis) and associated fungus Geosmithia morbida in Knox County (TN.gov Newsroom 2010).